The most shocking revelation was that he was also the leader of the Investiture of the Gods!
Years ago, rumors circulated that a mysterious figure had participated in the revision of the ten seats on the Investiture of the Gods. This person, with their singular might, had swept through the entire list, causing even the foremost leader of that year's Investiture to willingly abdicate their position.
If one were to ponder deeply, he was a peerless powerhouse cultivated by the military, a figure who had dominated an entire era, with his personal combat prowess reaching the absolute zenith!
Among those he had subdued were none other than the Martial Association's Wuji!
Even in the capital, there was a saying that Wuji himself had admitted to being inferior to the Lord of the Dragon Pavilion.
The Lord of the Dragon Pavilion also belonged to the military. Currently, no one doubted that the Dragon Lord and the Five-Star Heavenly King were the same person. It was merely circulated that since Wuji had personally admitted to being inferior to the Dragon Lord, this was indirectly admitting that Wuji was also inferior to the Heavenly King.
In reality, this was precisely the case.
If Wuji knew that the two were the same person, he would undoubtedly regret everything he had done over the years!
The animosity between them was already significant. With the current events further exacerbating the situation, their conflict could only deepen.
Upon entering the city and checking into a five-star hotel, Lin Zaisheng realized that something was amiss. He immediately called the headquarters of the Martial Association and reported everything that had happened in Jinling, detailing it to them.
After his explanation, the other party fell into silence.
After a long pause, they finally uttered words that invigorated him.
"Elder Lin Ye will arrive in Jinling tomorrow."
Elder Lin Ye was precisely the grand elder of the Martial Association.
He was also one of the foundational pillars of the Martial Association.
Lin Ye was also the tenth person who had fallen from the Investiture of the Gods list back then.
In the ancient days of the Investiture of the Gods, there were only ten esteemed seats. That year, Ye Longlin had stormed the venue without any prior notice, ultimately seizing the top position.
However, since the Investiture of the Gods had always comprised only ten seats, and Ye Longlin had occupied one, it was destined that someone would fall from grace. Following the order of succession, the one who tumbled from the Investiture of the Gods was none other than Lin Ye, who had originally held the tenth seat.
From that day onward, Lin Ye harbored resentment. He turned and joined the Martial Association, leveraging their resources for his breakthroughs.
After years of accumulation, he had also broken through to the Upper Grade various dragon elephants. Naturally, he intended to reclaim the respect he had lost back then.
Upon hearing that the leader of the Investiture of the Gods had appeared in Jinling, his entire being became excited.
So much time had passed since that year. He had also progressed from the Lower Grade various dragon elephants to the Upper Grade. With his current strength, he could finally wash away the shame of that day!
The title of the leader of the Investiture of the Gods did not intimidate him. The ranking itself back then had a degree of manipulation involved. The leader of that generation had only made two symbolic moves, yet the outside world spread rumors that he had single-handedly conquered the Investiture of the Gods. However, only he knew that there was definitely some embellishment in that story.
Yet, he was unaware that for the two leaders of the Investiture of the Gods, even a casual move would be enough to discern the other's realm, as they were quite similar.
The next morning.
Jinling Fuxing Garden.
Since he was in Jinling, he decided to sample the local delicacies.
A bowl of steaming hot da lu mian, accompanied by a basket of thin-skinned, juicy pan-fried buns – this was the signature cuisine of Jinling.
Nowadays, people accustomed to the mundane world would likely gravitate towards tradition.
Jinling Fuxing Garden, with its 107-year legacy and five generations of dedicated craftsmanship, aimed only to preserve an authentic Jinling flavor.
The entire structure was a series of meticulously arranged Huizhou-style buildings. Huizhou architecture, with its unique style, rigorous structure, and exquisite carvings, was exemplified by a carved building in the Old East Gate area. Its brick walls and pillars, rendered in simple, elegant colors, were lifelike and captivating.
And this was Jinling Fuxing Garden.
"Is this the place my sister-in-law mentioned? It looks quite grand."
Yuan Gang looked up at the building, marveling inwardly at how magnificent a breakfast establishment could be.
"It should be here," he said.
They had followed the navigation, so it shouldn't be wrong.
Earlier in Qing City, Mu Hanqi had praised the taste here as unparalleled in Jinling, stating that not dining at Fuxing Garden in Jinling was akin to not visiting at all. Therefore, this morning, they had come to sample the fare.
The two ascended, and Ye Longlin found a window seat.
After Yuan Gang had ordered, he surveyed the surroundings before taking his seat.
"The environment is also quite good. If the taste lives up to it, I think we can eat here for the next while," Yuan Gang chuckled, having caught a whiff of the aroma, which seemed quite pleasant.
Soon, the dishes were served.
Not many, but exquisite.
Da lu mian, two baskets of pan-fried buns, crystal five-kernel steamed buns, and sweet fermented rice with red bean soup, among other items.
Enjoying a rare moment of tranquility, the two ate slowly and methodically, as if all other matters were unimportant at this moment.
One eats without speaking, and sleeps without talking.
"Did you hear? Yesterday, the Heavenly King personally came down to support a junior from the military. Damn, it got me all fired up! I even want to join the army! That Cao Ziwen is just an ordinary one-star general, yet the military's top brass came down to support him. Truly inspiring!"
"Sigh, who's arguing with that? The Martial Association has indeed overstepped their bounds too much in recent years. And more importantly, look at how they've squeezed the military over the years. We didn't bother with them, and they took it as a sign of weakness."
"I heard that the top brass is also the leader of the Military God Ranking. The leader of the Investiture of the Gods! This kind of figure supporting a junior soldier from the military in Jinling – who dares to be negligent? Moreover, with the Military God Ranking being revised after the martial arts competition for marriage, my god, Jinling is truly awesome!"
"Tsk, why don't you mention that the person who personally showed up was also the highest-ranking individual in Jinling's history? With him here to oversee things, I'm increasingly anticipating what's to come. What do you think... is it possible that the Heavenly King will also try to win the bride? That would be quite a spectacle, hahaha!"
"If he stands there, who would dare to step onto the stage to fight? Their legs would be trembling even before they stepped up."
Hearing the hushed discussions around him, Yuan Gang couldn't help but laugh. He picked up a pan-fried bun, dipped it in chili oil and vinegar, and took a blissful bite.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss, so hot, so hot, so hot."
Yuan Gang quickly put it down and picked up the nearby sweet fermented rice with red bean soup, drinking half of it in one gulp.
"Are you from out of town, brother?"
A table nearby saw Yuan Gang's awkward state and burst into laughter, then asked.
Yuan Gang turned and smiled, "Yes, I saw online that the taste here is good, so I thought I'd come and try it. I didn't expect that the outside of the pan-fried buns wouldn't be that hot, but the inside is scalding."
The person laughed, "Hahaha, that's the characteristic of our Jinling pan-fried buns! They're famous nationwide, and this place is an old establishment. They only operate until three in the afternoon, and they're still in high demand. You're lucky to have come this early."
"I heard you guys talking about the Heavenly King coming. Is this matter true or false?"