The Modern Martial Immortal

”If you want to do a proper job, you need the right tools.” In a training center on the outskirts, Pang Long was explaining to Yaoguang the advantages and drawbacks of modern military equipment.

It was the second day after he, Yue Xingzhou, Xia Wuyuan, and the others had eliminated the daemons at Baisheng Chemical Plant. Having witnessed with his own eyes that the daemon could still be restrained by a firearm even when fully transformed, he immediately summoned Pang Long to learn more about modern weapons.

”A martial artist’s strength is usually determined by three aspects: oneself, equipment, and logistics,” Pang Long explained. ”Setting aside the individual factors—such as physique, martial skills, experience, temperament, and combat will—and logistics, which include intelligence, maintenance, cover, and adjustment, what we need to focus on right now is equipment.

Equipment is divided into four categories: offensive, defensive, support, and coordination.”

He operated an electronic device, projecting various weapons into the air. ”In today’s world, offensive weapons have long been diversified. For martial artists, aside from custom-made special gear, the usable categories are cold weapons, firearms, and heavy firearms.”

He introduced the features and power of each commonly used weapon on the market, even letting Yaoguang personally try some of them.

Due to the limited scale of the training center, weapons such as Gatling guns, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, and individual missile devices could not be tested, and Yaoguang could only learn about them through videos.

After spending the whole morning explaining mainstream equipment, Pang Long brought him to the combat suit section. ”Firearms pose an increasing threat to martial artists, and correspondingly, martial artists have devised various countermeasures. Just as armor exists to defend against arrows, the most popular defense on the market today is full-coverage combat suits.”

He unfolded one. ”This is our Dayu-manufactured top-tier combat suit, though its international rating is only level B. It consists of several main components: suit, pants, gloves, combat helmet, and tactical goggles...”

Yaoguang glanced at it. The suit resembled thermal underwear in appearance, gray in color, but with greater texture and quality.

Because of the presence of martial artists in this world, single-soldier gear and ballistic protection were far more advanced than those of his past life in Daxia.

”Our national combat suits use high-strength fiber materials, but those manufactured in the Crimson Star Empire use nanotechnology. Their suits can reach level A and can resist rifle fire.” Pang Long paused. ”And I mean completely resist it. Aside from affecting movement, it won’t even cause internal bleeding from the impact.”

”A martial paragon wearing one can ignore heavy-weapon fire?” Yaoguang asked.

”Well... It is still just a combat suit. Large-caliber heavy weapons are far stronger than standard infantry weapons,” Pang Long answered.

Pang Long then added, ”Above level A, there are the truly priceless level S combat suits. Those use a special material called Golden-Black Thread, which has unbelievable effects in kinetic protection and heat absorption.”

He retrieved a piece of information from the device. ”Thirteen years ago, a Dayu royal family member was kidnapped by local anti-government forces during an overseas visit. When the royal family’s martial paragon arrived to rescue him, the royal member had already been killed. Enraged, the martial paragon stormed through their three-thousand-man force alone, despite the enemies being armed with heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, and rocket launchers. He wiped out almost all of their leadership. At that time, he was wearing a level S combat suit.”

”Level S combat suit,” Yaoguang murmured.

”There’s a saying about it.” Pang Long smiled. ”A martial paragon equipped with a level S suit, if he wishes to, can crush the military power of more than fifty percent of every country with his own strength.”

”Fifty percent?” Yaoguang asked again.

”Fifty percent!” Pang Long nodded firmly.

Yaoguang felt speechless. If even a single martial paragon cannot be resisted, what is the point of these nations existing?

But Pang Long obviously could not answer that.

Yaoguang spent the rest of the day familiarizing himself and training with hot weapons.

By nightfall, Lei Yun drove over to pick him up. In the car, she reported, ”All day, Bai Ya and I have been tracking Governor Zhao’s whereabouts. Only half an hour ago did we confirm that he stayed in Tiannan only for a day after returning. He already left again.”

”He left?” Yaoguang was surprised, then immediately realized something. Is he running? But that shouldn’t be. He is, after all, the leader of daemons, and he has already climbed into the position of deputy governor. If he fights back, the outcome is still uncertain.

”Keep investigating,” Yaoguang ordered.

”Understood.” Lei Yun nodded.

On their way back, as they passed by the Xingyu Center, Yaoguang noticed a large number of official vehicles. Aside from the police bureau, there were also vehicles from the Audit Office, Tax Office, and more. The commotion was significant.

Considering that the Su family still needed to transfer tens of billions to him to help raise his Merchant branch experience, he asked, ”What’s going on?”

”A few of the directors, led by Zhang Yushu, are making trouble. They’re targeting the chairman. The chairman is handling it,” Lei Yun said.

”Zhang Yushu?” Yaoguang asked.

”He’s the younger brother of Tiannan’s Development Bureau head’s wife. It’s even possible he is acting as that head’s frontman,” Lei Yun replied.

The head of Tiannan’s Development Bureau, with the right connections, could even control an entire city.

”Our Su family doesn’t fear a single bureau head, but if he finds leverage against us, dealing with it becomes troublesome. And he has already united with several factions.”

”Mhmm,” Yaoguang said. ”Tell the patriarch to let me know if he needs help.”

”Understood,” Lei Yun replied. She knew the patriarch had long been preparing for Zhang Yushu and his allies. It shouldn’t reach the point where Yaoguang needed to intervene. Now it was a matter of whose strategy proved superior.

The vehicle soon passed the Xingyu Center and returned to Yuyuan Estate. As they entered Yuyuan Estate, a sedan drove toward them. The window came down, and Yue Xingzhou leaned out from inside. ”Yaoguang, Little Brother, I was just thinking of finding you. Didn’t expect to run into you at the gate. What a coincidence.”

Yaoguang glanced at him. The car had been parked here for a while. Yue Xingzhou had clearly been waiting for him.

”You need something?”

”You’re not inviting me in?” Yue Xingzhou spoke with a cheerful smile.

”Then come in first,” Yaoguang replied.

Both cars continued deeper into Yuyuan Estate. Behind the wheel, Lei Yun’s expression shifted between shock and disbelief.

”Young Master Yaoguang, that just now... Was that the Fourth Master of the Yue family, Yue Xingzhou?”

”Mhmm,” Yaoguang answered lightly.

”Y-You know him?”

”More or less,” Yaoguang said.

More or less? Lei Yun had come to understand Yaoguang’s way of speaking. He was extremely modest. From Yue Xingzhou’s attitude just now, this was certainly not ”more or less.”

The Yue family was a colossal force! It had been the overlord of Tiannan since ancient times. Even though the current governor of Tiannan, Wei Kongming, was extremely powerful and had joined hands with Chief Prosecutor Lu Zhenhai of the High Prosecutor’s Office to strengthen Tiannan’s administration to the point it was as strong as a fortress, they still couldn’t fully suppress the Yue family.

The Yue family’s influence permeated Tiannan in ways no other force could compare. If the Yue family chose to go all out without regard for consequences, it could overturn both Wei Kongming and Lu Zhenhai.

In contrast, the Su family, which had only managed to climb to the point of becoming Tiannan’s richest family in its prime, and had already fallen from that position, was not even in the same league. Back then, leveraging the Ye family’s connections, the Su family could barely maintain ties with the Yue family. And in recent years, after relations soured, when Su Chiming visited, he sometimes could not even meet the Yue family’s patriarch.

Yet now, Young Master Yaoguang was actually familiar enough to be receiving Yue Xingzhou, one of the Yue family’s core figures.

The cars soon stopped at Villa No.49. Yue Xingzhou was not alone. He was accompanied by the martial master driver whom Yaoguang had met once before, and a young girl about the same age as Yaoguang. She and the martial master took out several items from the trunk; the display looked rather formal.

”Grandmaster Yue... What is this?” Yaoguang was slightly puzzled.

”A life-saving grace is impossible to repay,” Yue Xingzhou said sincerely. ”These external possessions are all I can offer. I hope you won’t find them inadequate.”

”No need for this. We fought side by side at the time...” Yaoguang said.

”To you, you were just doing what you would naturally do. To me, if not for you, I would have lost my life. If I do not express proper gratitude, my heart will remain uneasy.”

With Yue Xingzhou speaking so earnestly, Yaoguang could no longer refuse. He gave a slight nod. ”Come inside.”

He gestured for the group to enter the villa. Lei Yun hurried inside with Ai Li to prepare tea and refreshments for the guests.

”You don’t need to take this to heart,” Yaoguang said.

”Principles cannot be abandoned.” Yue Xingzhou smiled. ”Although cultivation on the path to martial paragon doesn’t place much demand on inner thoughts or personal conduct, and even if I may never have any hope of reaching the martial paragon tier, I will still uphold my principles.”

Inner thoughts and personal conduct. Yaoguang felt a stir in his heart.

It was true that martial paragons did not have requirements in this regard. But the psychic-will realm was different.

Only when one’s inner thoughts flowed freely could the psychic will operate normally. One could be flexible in life, but if they had no core principles at all, their mind easily swayed by just a few sentences and their opinions changing daily, they’d never be able to condense a psychic will that truly belonged to themselves, despite being a martial paragon.

”Since you’ve said so much, I’ll accept the gifts,” Yaoguang said.

”Good.” Yue Xingzhou laughed. ”To be honest, there’s also a personal motive. After all, you’re a nineteen-year-old grandmaster. Your future potential is immeasurable. I should seize the chance to build good relations while I still can. Otherwise, I might not even have the opportunity later.”

”Grandmaster Yue, you flatter me. The future...” Yaoguang offered a polite response. But halfway through his sentence, he froze.

He instantly sensed an anomaly in the ancient tree of the mental world. His gaze snapped to Yue Xingzhou. ”What did you bring?”