Chapter 23

Old Mr. Hua coughed dryly, drawing everyone's attention before he approached the hero and said, "Let's save the nonsense for after I verify whether you are the old man's grandson. If your bloodline belongs to the old man, I will certainly compensate you double for any offense."

The hero knew that this old man was about to get serious. Even if he didn't absorb the pitiful fellow's living emblem, he wasn't afraid of the verification. After all, something produced by the Ninth Research Institute of China wasn't just for show.

But in the next moment, the hero felt a powerful and terrifying ability burst forth from Old Mr. Hua. He never imagined that this old man, who seemed to be just a bit more cunning, could be so powerful. The overwhelming pressure from Old Mr. Hua's ability suppressed him to the point where he couldn't even breathe or think.

What does this mean? The ability to instantly burst forth such overwhelming pressure far surpasses the second level of ability, the Super Ability Warrior.

Is he a Super Ability Mage or a Super Ability Warrior? If he has reached the level of a Super Ability General, severing the connection between the hero and the living emblem would be a small matter. After reaching the level of a Super Ability General, one can break the emblems of opponents weaker than themselves.

A living mask is just an auxiliary emblem; no matter how mysterious, it has its limits. The hero's first reaction was: if the living emblem hadn't been reshaped by the Life Creation Pill into his innate ability, it would likely have been broken on the spot, revealing its true form.

The hero also realized one thing: this old dog, Mr. Hua, was hiding too deeply, even the Dragon Emperor couldn't figure out his true strength.

The hero had never truly faced the Dragon Emperor; Old Mr. Hua and Mentor Liu were the two most powerful ability users he had directly confronted.

In front of such a strong person, he was like a grain of sand in the vast sea, always at risk of being overturned by a small wave. Now, Old Mr. Hua was that vast sea!

The hero felt that at this moment, Old Mr. Hua could see through all his memories.

Old Mr. Hua indeed intended to forcibly read the hero's memories; he had to confirm whether this person's growth experience matched the information he had gathered.

At this moment, the hero's soul produced an instinctive reaction that was imperceptible to others. The natural emblem in his soul quickly protected itself, shielding the hero's own memories and only exposing the pitiful fellow's memories.

Appearance can be disguised, memories can be copied, and gender can be changed with emblems. But the authenticity of memories and bloodlines cannot be replicated or disguised. Even someone as powerful as Old Mr. Hua could only use related emblems to confuse the senses. If he didn't know about the existence of living emblems after living for hundreds of years, he would have wasted his life.

Old Mr. Turtle, in the hero's pocket, started to move around and shouted urgently, "Kid, run! This old dog definitely has the strength of a Super Ability General."

The hero didn't expect Old Mr. Hua to be hiding so deeply, and he was a bit caught off guard. Now, he wasn't afraid of being verified, but it would be difficult to make any moves in the Hua family in the future.

Even the Dragon Emperor probably didn't expect this old man to be so ruthless and to hide so deeply.

Old Mr. Hua had reached the level of a Super Ability Mage ten years ago, which was an absolute secret in this small circle.

But only the Dragon Emperor, a giant, had the power to uncover Old Mr. Hua's true strength. This old dog had actually reached the level of a Super Ability Warrior. However, he never expected this old man to suppress his strength so severely. When he advanced ten years ago, he had already reached the level of a Super Ability General, the same level as Mentor Liu's sudden advancement!

The ability pressure Old Mr. Hua was emitting also shocked Long Zhaor and her mother, especially Long Zhaor!

While suppressing the hero, Old Mr. Hua pointed at the hero's forehead, directly probing his brain's memories.

The memories of the pitiful fellow from birth to the present, which had been forgotten, were also etched into Old Mr. Hua's mind. This amount of information was nothing more than a tickle to Old Mr. Hua.

The memories read from the hero's brain completely matched the information Old Mr. Hua had gathered. Then, Old Mr. Hua pointed at the hero's chest, and the hero felt his heart constrict, almost causing him to roll on the ground in pain.

A drop of bright red blood was drawn from the hero's heart. When this drop of blood landed in Old Mr. Hua's palm, it was like a reunion between grandfather and grandson, gradually merging into Old Mr. Hua's blood.

Old Mr. Hua and Old Mr. Turtle both let out a sigh of relief.

Old Mr. Turtle's eyes twinkled as he finally figured out what was happening.

After completing these procedures, the hero finally regained his freedom. Old Mr. Hua looked at the hero with a hint of kindness and nodded, saying, "I offended you just now, and I will compensate you double. You have used the Life Creation Pill and have become an ability user. I will provide you with the resources needed for your cultivation."

The hero had known he would pass, so his attention wasn't on Old Mr. Hua. In the moment Old Mr. Hua spoke, he caught a fleeting glance of shock and something more from Long Zhaor.

It wasn't resentment or malice, but a cold and sharp look. Only someone like himself would have such a look.

Old Mr. Hua was stronger and had experienced countless storms, but he hadn't been in the same organization as the hero or undergone the same special training. Capturing the hidden psychological changes of a target was one of the hero's strengths.

The Grim Reaper's Fangs were the fangs hidden in the darkness. Their mission wasn't to confront the prey head-on but to lurk in the shadows, gather all information about the opponent, and wait for the right moment to strike a fatal blow.

Old Mr. Hua didn't notice the hero's growing wariness of Long Zhaor.

The awakening of the hero's ability as a bastard child naturally didn't make Long Zhaor and her mother feel good, especially after Old Mr. Hua personally confirmed the hero's identity. It was like another hand reaching in to share the meat. Even if the Hua family had enough meat to last ten lifetimes, they wouldn't allow someone they didn't like to reach in or live well.

Old Mr. Hua glanced at the mother and son, then sat down and closed his eyes to rest. He didn't want to look. Since he had already verified and acknowledged the hero's status, he wouldn't stand by and let anyone harm his grandson, nor would he bother with minor squabbles.

As for the exposure of his strength, Old Mr. Hua didn't care at all. Everyone present was his closest family, and they would eventually need to know.

The hero now viewed Long Zhaor as a venomous snake and needed to be cautious. As for Hua Yingnian, his petty nature didn't even register with the hero. But this little brat's strength level was a few minor levels higher than his own, so he just needed to be cautious and avoid direct confrontation.

The atmosphere in the room became strange again. The only one who didn't know what was going on was the little girl, Hua Yuqing. Her pet was staring fiercely at the hero's pocket.

The little female fire rock leopard didn't know what kind of creature was in the hero's pocket. Truly, a young leopard fears no turtle.

Old Mr. Turtle's head poked out, looking at the little female leopard with a cunning eye and croaking, "So, you little female leopard haven't been dealt with by your Lightning Brother yet. Old Mr. Turtle doesn't discriminate by bloodline or species!"

Just as Old Mr. Turtle finished speaking, the hero pulled him out and wrapped his shell with duct tape, layer after layer, until he used up an entire roll. The hero's skilled movements suggested this wasn't the first time. The little girl, not understanding the severity, laughed and said, "Hero brother, you can't abuse animals."

The hero was both amused and frustrated, wanting to say something but not knowing how to start. Because Old Mr. Turtle was too cunning, even for the animal world.

Old Mr. Turtle, however, was in complete agreement, feeling aggrieved in his heart, "Little sister, you're a good person. Old Mr. Turtle will protect you, so I'll be gentle with your little pet!"

The journey continued without further incident, and the Hua family's helicopter soon returned to the mountain villa complex in the center of Tianchuan City.

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