"We must protect this man. There can be no more mistakes!"

"Furthermore, his family must be guarded as well. They must also be kept safe!" Chen Zheng commanded immediately.

"Understood!" Zhao Feng nodded firmly.

「Meanwhile...」

The upper echelons of Jiangnan were undergoing a massive upheaval.

Xu Ronghua, together with the Zheng and Fan Families, announced a collaboration with the Alliance to establish the Jiangnan Alliance Group. This union of three business titans and the Alliance formed a massive corporation with total assets estimated to exceed tens of billions.

What was most staggering was that the combined resources and networks of these collaborators would unleash unimaginable power, making their future trajectory easy to predict. This was on top of the Alliance's already terrifying influence in the Jiangnan region. Not even the recently victorious Jingsheng Group could hold a candle to them.

Moreover, the Alliance announced that Liu Changyun would be selecting an apprentice from among the scions of the great families. An apprenticeship ceremony would be held that very night at 10:00 PM in the Haoyuan Hotel. All the major high-society families were invited to attend. Anyone with exceptional talent would have the chance to become Liu Changyun's apprentice.

Upon hearing this, the various great families immediately began to make their moves. This was truly explosive news.

Liu Changyun's reputation was already fearsome; he was considered the number one expert in all of Jiangnan. Many powerful figures had already sought him out privately to become his disciples. Now, with the firm backing of Xu Ronghua and the other two families, his influence had become even more formidable, causing many to get ideas.

Xu Tianlong, Fan Xukun, and Zheng Qingyun, all members of the younger generation, couldn't help but grin with delight. For the past several days, they had been hiding out at the Alliance headquarters to recuperate. They had been miserable, consumed by the fact that their good friend had been maimed. The shame of being made eunuchs was a difficult burden to bear. However, after receiving treatment from the Alliance's experts, they were now at least able to walk normally again.

Their sole reason for clinging to life was to find a way to make Chen Zheng pay. They had sworn a vendetta that would only end with death.

At first, they had seen no hope, having personally witnessed the events at the bar. Chen Zheng's background and power far exceeded their imagination. But the chance to become Liu Changyun's apprentice changed everything. Dealing with Chen Zheng would now be no different than crushing a bug. What a joke.

They had seen Liu Changyun's abilities with their own eyes. According to rumor, he had returned by walking on the surface of the sea. Such a feat was something one only saw in movies and novels. With that kind of terrifying power, dealing with Chen Zheng would be child's play.

"Everyone, look! Master Liu is on the river!"

In front of the Alliance headquarters flowed a man-made river about ten meters wide. At someone's sudden shout, all heads turned to look.

There, Liu Changyun was standing on the surface of the water as if it were solid concrete, completely unaffected. He remained there, calmly practicing his punches.

With an earth-shaking roar, he slammed his palm downward.

The river below him instantly erupted, parting so violently that the riverbed became clearly visible.

The spectacular scene carried an immense visual impact. All who witnessed it were left speechless, their mouths agape.

"This... this..."

"That's not humanly possible! It's simply terrifying!" Fan Xukun's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly snapped his mouth shut, realizing he had misspoken.

"He's unbelievably powerful! I doubt even a grenade launcher could pack that kind of punch, right?" Zheng Qingyun shouted with excitement.

"Chen Zheng, oh, Chen Zheng..." Xu Tianlong clenched his fists, laughing maniacally. "So what if you have powerful backing and can command troops? Master Liu alone is worth an entire platoon! Just you wait... it won't be long before you vanish completely!"

Within hours, all the major families had received the news and were discussing it amongst themselves. The vast majority quickly made their decision. They began preparing lavish gifts, ready to attend the apprenticeship ceremony that evening.

Everyone knew that Liu Changyun's actions weren't really about taking a disciple; they were about building momentum for the upcoming martial arts conference. The purpose was simple: to test the stance of the various families.

Many of the top-tier families understood what this martial arts conference signified.

The Alliance had been sprouting up in various regions like bamboo after a spring rain, and its influence had become truly formidable. If the Alliance managed to crush the Association at this conference, the world would be theirs for the taking, and nothing would stand in their way. Consequently, the time had come for everyone to choose a side.

Naturally, the vast majority favored the Alliance. Liu Changyun's power and reputation were simply too terrifying. The Association was already on its last legs, making the outcome of a confrontation obvious.

Nevertheless, a few families still chose to stand with the Association, Feng Jingsheng being one of them. He made his choice almost instantly, declaring that he and his family would always support the Association. The Liu and Sun Families quickly declared the same stance.

The Jingsheng Group, along with the Sun and Liu Families, also possessed formidable power. This caused many neutral, wait-and-see families to become indecisive, opting to observe the situation more closely.

"Feng Jingsheng, the Sun Family, and the Liu Family dare to support the Association? How is this possible?" Upon receiving this report, Liu Changyun roared with fury. In his rage, he slammed his hand down, instantly smashing the table before him to bits.

"After the martial arts conference is over, I'll show everyone what happens to those who defy me! Then, I will make those three families vanish completely!"

Hearing this, many of the still-hesitant families immediately declared their support for the Alliance.

Liu Changyun was currently a half-step Grandmaster. Once he achieved a full breakthrough, annihilating a family would be as simple for him as eating a meal or drinking water...

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