As evening approached, Karl received an invitation from the leadership of the East to attend a state banquet.
When he heard the words state banquet, Karl became slightly curious. He had never attended such an event before.
Soon afterward, Karl boarded the car together with May, Raven, Gwen, Black Phoenix, Yan, and the others and headed toward the banquet venue.
About forty minutes later, the vehicle stopped in front of a magnificent building.
As soon as Karl stepped out of the car, he noticed several people already waiting for him at the entrance.
He couldn't help but smile.
He had never expected to receive such treatment.
"Welcome, welcome, Mr. Karl."
A middle-aged man with a warm smile stepped forward first.
"I am Yang Jun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China."
He extended his hand enthusiastically.
"Please, this way."
Karl shook his hand politely.
"Hello, Standing Committee Member Yang," Karl said with a smile.
"I didn't expect to be invited to a state banquet. To be honest, this is my first time attending one."
Yang Jun laughed heartily as they walked inside.
Behind them followed May, Raven, Black Phoenix, Yan, Gwen, Peter, and the others.
Even Juggernaut looked around curiously at the paintings decorating the corridor walls.
Many of the paintings contained classical Chinese poetry.
Although he couldn't understand a single character, he still stared at them with great curiosity.
"Haha, then you must enjoy it properly tonight," Yang Jun said cheerfully.
"With your status and strength, such treatment is only appropriate."
His tone then softened slightly.
"Additionally, this banquet is meant to express our apologies for what happened last night."
"Our security arrangements were insufficient, and your family members were frightened. That responsibility lies with us."
A trace of apology appeared on his face.
Soon, everyone arrived at the banquet hall.
Karl immediately noticed someone sitting at the main table.
The moment he saw the man, Karl's eyes widened slightly.
It was actually the highest-ranking leader of the country.
Karl was genuinely surprised.
He hadn't expected even that elderly leader to personally attend.
His own influence clearly carried far more weight than he had imagined.
May, Gwen, Helen Cho, and the others were equally stunned.
A head of state was actually waiting for them.
The elderly leader smiled kindly.
"Haha, welcome, Mr. Karl."
"With your arrival, I believe this Olympic Games will surely be a complete success."
After everyone sat down, the old man personally welcomed Karl to the East.
"You're too kind," Karl replied with a smile.
"As one of the four ancient civilizations, this land has a profound history."
"I am honored to receive your invitation."
"And after all, I'm also of Asian descent."
"I've been away for a long time—it's only natural that I return for a visit."
"Hahaha, indeed."
The elderly leader laughed warmly.
"We never expected that the strongest man in the world would also be of Asian descent."
"As expected of someone with Chinese heritage."
Then the old man's expression became slightly serious.
"By the way, regarding the incident last night… Director Zheng Xian's negligence nearly caused serious trouble."
"As a gesture of apology, we have prepared a small gift."
"We hope you will accept it."
The old man placed an antique wooden box on the table and pushed it toward Karl.
Karl immediately waved his hand.
"There's no need for that."
"What happened last night was partly Peter and Pietro's fault."
He glanced sharply at the two boys beside him.
"They were trying to test their abilities and ended up getting themselves captured."
"That's hardly Director Zheng's responsibility."
Peter and Pietro lowered their heads awkwardly.
They clearly understood that the adults were discussing them.
The elderly leader looked at them kindly and smiled.
"Children are always like that."
"They're eager to prove themselves."
"It's perfectly normal."
He gently pushed the wooden box back toward Karl again.
"But this is separate from that matter."
"You must accept it."
"If you refuse, you'll make this old man lose face."
"We Easterners do not avoid responsibility for our mistakes."
Karl sighed helplessly.
Since the old man insisted, he finally accepted the antique box.
However—
When Karl subconsciously used the system to analyze its contents, his expression suddenly froze.
The frightening thing wasn't the box.
It was what was inside.
[Ancient Cold Moon Technique (Fragment)]
Origin: Cultivation method of the Moon Goddess, mistress of the Guanghan Palace.
This fragment was formed from the final remnants of her divine power during her last battle against the Celestials in ancient times.
When activated through rule-level energy, it allows the practitioner to cultivate toward the Heavenly Father level.
However, the technique has extremely strict requirements for talent.
Karl immediately stood up in shock.
Everyone at the table looked at him in confusion.
Realizing he had lost his composure, Karl slowly sat down again.
"To be honest…"
Karl gently pushed the box back toward the old man.
"The origin of this item is extremely extraordinary."
"If properly cultivated, it could produce a top-tier powerhouse in the East."
"You should keep it."
In truth, Karl had briefly considered keeping it.
But this technique originated from Taiyin Xingjun, the Moon Goddess of the Guanghan Palace.
The Taiyin path was inherently feminine.
Its cultivation requirements were incredibly strict.
Karl himself might not even be able to cultivate it.
Furthermore, his own path of power was completely different.
Besides—
Karl knew that he would not remain on Earth forever.
Even if he stayed for a long time, he could not constantly protect this land.
And this world's East was not exactly the same as the one he remembered.
After sitting down again, Karl calmly explained the origins and potential of the technique.
He pushed the box toward the old man again, signaling that it should remain with the country.
The elderly leader hesitated.
But after a moment, he pushed the box back once more.
Their researchers had studied the contents of the box for a long time.
They had discovered nothing.
Even if Karl returned it, they still wouldn't know how to use it.
May, Raven, Gwen, Helen Cho, Yan, and Black Phoenix all looked curiously at the box.
Yan even activated her Angel Eyes to analyze its contents.
Meanwhile—
Juggernaut remained completely uninterested.
He continued devouring the food on the table enthusiastically.
Peter and Pietro were the same.
After narrowly escaping punishment earlier, they were determined to enjoy the banquet food as much as possible.
Especially since the dishes were incredibly delicious.
Karl finally chuckled helplessly.
"Alright, old man."
"There's no need to push it back and forth anymore."
"I'll activate it for you."
He tapped the wooden box lightly.
"But the cultivation method inside can only be practiced by a woman."
"And the talent requirements are extremely high."
"If someone truly masters it…"
Karl paused slightly.
"They could reach the same level of strength I displayed when I fought in space."
"That level of power would be enough to protect the East from most threats."
Karl smiled faintly.
"Dongfang would be safe for a very long time."
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