The speaker was the Scorpion Man.
His words stunned everyone.
He was a Grandmaster of the Huajing realm, yet he had conceded earlier and now wanted Chen Xiao to take him in? Had he no pride left?
Moreover, he was from the Underworld King Hall.
Chen Xiao was now at odds with the Underworld King Hall. Would he accept him?
As expected, Chen Xiao frowned. "I'm not killing you, but you're pushing your luck. Besides, you're a Grandmaster of the Huajing realm. What are you doing joining the fray?"
The Scorpion Man said very seriously, "What Grandmaster of the Huajing realm? In your eyes, I'm nothing. I have no other hobbies in this life. I've dedicated myself to one thing: becoming stronger. But as you said, the martial arts we learn are trash, with a visible ceiling. If I want to continue getting stronger, I need guidance from an expert. Clearly, you are that expert!"
Hearing this, everyone was utterly convinced. You're a Grandmaster of the Huajing realm, and you call the martial arts you learned trash? How are others supposed to live?
However, they didn't know that the Scorpion Man's words weren't solely due to the strength Chen Xiao had displayed.
The main reason was Elephant.
He knew Elephant's previous strength. Elephant was an internal energy martial artist who relied solely on brute force. While his strength was not insignificant, he had already reached his limit.
The techniques Elephant displayed today, which came at the cost of burning his own body, had truly opened his eyes.
Connecting this to Elephant calling Chen Xiao "Master," the source of these techniques was obvious.
Therefore, if Elephant could do it, why couldn't he?
Chen Xiao smiled. Although this Scorpion Man was not very likable, his straightforward personality suited him.
"I know nothing about you. I don't even know your name. How can I take you in?"
The Scorpion Man's eyes lit up at this, as it clearly meant there was a chance.
He quickly said, "My name is Gongsun Yi. I am forty-five years old. I am unmarried and childless, living alone. I used to serve the Underworld King Hall. Now I am a solitary man!"
However, upon hearing his name, everyone couldn't help but gasp.
Seeing this, Chen Xiao asked Duan Tianci, "Boss Duan, is he famous?"
Duan Tianci respectfully replied, "Reporting to Boss Chen, Gongsun Yi, the Eight Extremities Palm Breaker, is skilled in palm techniques. His moves are grand and powerful, extremely fierce. His strength is immense. He was ranked twenty-ninth on the Heavenly Ranking in the previous session, a top expert!"
Chen Xiao was slightly taken aback. "You were ranked twenty-ninth on the Heavenly Ranking? Then why did you say you couldn't defeat Yuan Chen? Wasn't he ranked fiftieth?"
Gongsun Yi scratched his head. "I was ranked twenty-ninth in the previous session, while the wicked monk Yuan Chen was already among the top fifty on the Heavenly Ranking twenty years ago. He hasn't appeared in public since, so his ranking hasn't changed. However, his strength is far beyond that... Of course, if it were a fight to the death, I wouldn't say I'm definitely not his match!"
Gongsun Yi was neither servile nor overbearing, and he had a clear understanding of each other's strength.
Chen Xiao nodded inwardly. It seemed that, just as he said, this man was a martial arts fanatic. He practiced martial arts only to become stronger, not for wealth or status, those ephemeral things.
"If that's the case, I think the strength of the Heavenly Ranking experts is just so-so."
Chen Xiao couldn't help but sigh. He had heard of the fame of the Four Heavenly Lords long ago, but if Yuan Chen's strength was any measure, the Four Heavenly Lords were not as powerful as the legends claimed.
Hearing Chen Xiao's words, Gongsun Yi said, "Mr. Chen, you wouldn't know this, but the true masters on the Heavenly Ranking are those ranked in the top ten. Their strength is fundamentally different from those ranked below them. And the Four Heavenly Lords are even further ahead of the other six in the top ten. So, although they are all on the Heavenly Ranking, the gap in strength is hundreds or even thousands of times greater than the gap between the Heavenly Ranking and the Golden Ranking!"
Then, he said with longing, "If I have the chance to enter the top ten of the Heavenly Ranking in this life, I will have no regrets even if I die."
Chen Xiao smiled. "The top ten of the Heavenly Ranking? With your foundation, it's not too difficult."
Chen Xiao had some understanding of Gongsun Yi's strength. Although he was still far from Chen Xiao's level, he was far superior to someone like Qi Tianhu.
Upon hearing Chen Xiao's words, Gongsun Yi's spirits immediately lifted!
"Mr. Chen, are you willing to guide me?"
Chen Xiao shook his head and waved his hand. "It's not really guidance. I'll casually give you a cultivation technique. If you master it, it will be enough for you to enter the top ten of the Heavenly Ranking!"
If there were any top ten Heavenly Ranking experts present, they would have thought Chen Xiao was bragging.
However, Gongsun Yi believed Chen Xiao's words implicitly. "Thank you, Mr. Chen. I am Gongsun Yi, and I am willing to serve you with all my might!"
Chen Xiao shook his head. "Serving with all my might is not necessary. I want you to serve me for three years. After three years, you can pursue your ambitions!"
"Yes, Mr. Chen!"
Let alone three years, if he could break into the top ten of the Heavenly Ranking, Gongsun Yi would be willing to endure thirty years.
Everyone envied Gongsun Yi, but they also knew that Gongsun Yi's good fortune was not something they could envy.
He was already ranked in the top thirty of the Heavenly Ranking, a level they could not reach.
After taking in Gongsun Yi, Chen Xiao stretched. "It's getting late. I should go back to sleep. Everyone else can disperse."
Although he was revered as the Supreme of Jiangbei by these people, Chen Xiao remained true to himself, without any airs, and his words and actions were very down-to-earth.
Of course, if they thought Chen Xiao was easy to deal with, they would be greatly mistaken.
Before leaving, Chen Xiao instructed Duan Tianci, "Boss Duan, the Dragon King gave me this pleasure boat before he left. I don't know how to manage this thing, so I'll leave it to you. Please keep it safe for me!"
Duan Tianci was startled. He had been unconscious earlier and didn't know what had happened between the Dragon King and Chen Xiao.
However, the Dragon King giving the pleasure boat to Chen Xiao was clearly a signal of goodwill.
Thinking of this, Duan Tianci's worries vanished. He had been fretting about how to deal with the retaliation from the Underworld King Hall.
Now, it seemed he had worried for nothing!
"Yes, Boss Chen. Please rest assured, I will handle it properly!"
Duan Tianci said respectfully.
Chen Xiao patted Duan Tianci's shoulder and whispered, "You are not like those fair-weather friends. You don't need to be so reserved in front of me. There are no outsiders here, and we are still good brothers."
Duan Tianci was so moved that he almost cried. Just a few hours ago, he had only considered Chen Xiao a junior.
However, in a few hours, it felt like ages had passed. The junior in his eyes had become the Supreme of Jiangbei!