Whoosh!
Frank Zhao suddenly folded up the two sheets covered in cultivation techniques. Zoe Zhao, craning her neck to get a better look, complained, "Hey, what are you doing, bro? I haven't finished reading yet!"
Frank Zhao ignored Zoe and stared at Ian Song, his expression complicated. "Ian, do you have any idea how precious this cultivation method is?"
"Isn't it just a cultivation method? What's so special about it?" Ian Song replied indifferently. To him, it was just a low-tier, incomplete immortal-cultivation manual, so he really didn't care.
"Wrong! Completely wrong!" Frank Zhao said sternly. "This manual lets you cultivate all the way to the Innate Ninth Layer. Do you know how many methods like this exist in the world?"
"No idea," Ian Song shook his head, looking confused.
"No more than twenty."
"That few?" Ian Song looked a bit surprised.
"Do you know which powers hold these kinds of cultivation methods?" Frank Zhao asked.
"Frank, you know I haven't been cultivating long. How would I know any of this? Stop keeping me in suspense and just tell me!" Ian Song rolled his eyes.
Frank Zhao coughed awkwardly and continued, "Only top-tier powers like the Lee Family and the Zhao Family possess these supreme manuals, and only the patriarch or heir is allowed to cultivate them."
"I see," Ian Song mused, then suddenly asked, "Frank, who's stronger—the Nangong Family or the Zhao Family?"
"There's no comparison!" Frank Zhao declared proudly.
"Why not?" Ian Song pressed.
"Let me break it down for you. In the Yanhuang Republic, over half of all martial artists come from various clans, forty percent from major sects, and the remaining ten percent are scattered cultivators."
There are the so-called Ten Great Families: Qi Family, Ao Family, Dongfang Family, Lee Family, Mu Family, Zhao Family, Duanmu Family, Wang Family, Ma Family, and Long Family.
Each of the Ten Great Families has a long history—over a thousand years of heritage. The ancestor of the Qi Family even founded a dynasty three thousand years ago.
Beneath the Ten Great Families, there are second-rate, third-rate, and bottom-tier clans.
A second-rate family must have at least ten Innate-Rank Masters; a third-rate family needs at least two, and a bottom-tier family just one.
As for the Nangong Family you mentioned, they only have three Innate-Rank Masters and are considered a third-rate clan. Do you really think they're on the same level as the Zhao Family?"
Hearing this, Ian Song was deeply shocked. He hadn't expected the powerful Nangong Family to be considered only a third-rate clan.
"So how many Innate-Rank Masters does the Zhao Family have?" Ian Song asked.
Frank Zhao replied, "Officially, there are fifty-three. But for top-tier families, it's not just about numbers—it's about quality. Only families with an Innate Ninth Layer master qualify as one of the Ten Great Families."
Take the Zhao Family, for example. Our current patriarch is my uncle, Edward Zhao. He's an Innate Ninth Layer master, but he's already seventy-five years old. If no new Innate Ninth Layer emerges before he passes, the Zhao Family will drop out of the top ten.
Look at the Lee Family—their current patriarch is also over seventy, but Logan Lee reached the Innate Ninth Layer in his early forties. The Lee Family used to rank below us, but now they're above. If my cousin Harold Zhao hadn't died unexpectedly, he might have reached Innate Ninth Layer too!
At this point, Frank Zhao's tone turned deeply wistful.
Frank Zhao paused for a moment before continuing, "Aside from the families, the strongest sects are known as the Six Major Sects: Northwest Wolf Sect, Kunshan Sword Sect, Tianshan Dao Sect, Golden Peak Zen Sect, Black Mountain Demon Sect, and Bashu Tang Sect."
Compared to the Ten Great Families, the Six Major Sects aren't as influential—mostly because they prefer not to get too involved in secular affairs.
Besides the Six Major Sects, there are also hundreds of mid-sized and small sects.
Finally, there are the scattered cultivators. Most of them are former members of declining families or sects, though some are just ordinary people who had a lucky break and became martial artists."
After Frank Zhao's explanation, Ian Song suddenly understood a lot more.
Suddenly, Frank Zhao added gravely, "Ian, remember—never casually pass on the cultivation method you received to anyone else. Manuals like this are so rare that even the Ten Great Families and Six Major Sects would fight to seize it. There just aren't enough top-tier manuals out there."
"Thanks for the reminder, Frank. I'll be careful," Ian Song nodded solemnly.
"Good. I won't keep you any longer today—head on home!"
"Alright, Frank, Zoe—see you!"
............
Once Ian Song left, Frank Zhao turned to Zoe Zhao with a serious look.
"Big bro, why are you staring at me like that?" Zoe Zhao asked.
"Zoe, I know you're pretty easygoing, but this manual is a huge deal. You absolutely can't let a single word slip, or the consequences will be unimaginable!" Frank Zhao warned.
"Relax, Frank! I'm not a little kid anymore!" Zoe Zhao said quickly.
"Alright, then I'm not worried. You take the manual and study it first—I'm going to call Uncle Edward and explain what happened today. Otherwise, with Fourth Uncle Charles's narrow-mindedness, he'll definitely badmouth Ian and us when he gets back to the clan!" Frank Zhao said.
As one of the Ten Great Families, the Zhao Family's main estate was naturally located in Flame City.
In a quiet courtyard of the Zhao Family's main estate, Edward Zhao finished his call and his face suddenly turned dark. A seventeen-year-old Innate-Rank Master is a genius among geniuses. If he could be recruited and nurtured by the Zhao Family, he'd become a major pillar for the clan's future. Yet thanks to Charles Zhao's narrow-mindedness, they've nearly missed out on this talent.
"More trouble than he's worth!"
Thinking of this, Edward Zhao pulled out his phone and dialed Charles Zhao.
"Charles, how did things go? Is Ian Song actually talented?"
On the other end, Charles Zhao was quietly nursing his wounds. At the mention of Ian Song, his eyes flared with anger. "Big brother, Ian Song's so-called talent is just Frank and Zoe Zhao exaggerating. He's arrogant, unruly, and totally unworthy of being recruited by the Zhao Family!"
Edward Zhao had asked about Ian Song to give Charles a chance to come clean, but Charles refused to admit his mistake and tried to push a genius away for his own selfish reasons. Edward's tone turned cold: "Exaggerating? Then go find me another seventeen-year-old Innate-Rank Master!"
Hearing Edward Zhao's words, Charles Zhao was stunned. "Did Frank Zhao report this to you?" he asked.
"Charles, Charles! What am I supposed to do with you? Even now, you keep blaming others instead of seeing your own mistake. Let me be clear: Ian Song—our Zhao Family must recruit him. If you can't bring Ian to the capital within three days, don't ever set foot in the Zhao Family compound again!" Edward Zhao declared.
Smack!
The call ended. Charles Zhao, furious and humiliated, hurled his phone away.