As soon as Black Eight Horse finished speaking, the surrounding atmosphere instantly stiffened.

Wang Dawan, Yun Ma, and the others frowned. They were wealthy, yes, but no gift they could offer would ever surpass the one from Black Eight Horse.

At that moment, the Lord of the Four Seas of Dragon Country wore the sourest expression. He had also chosen a valuable birthday present for Murong Yezi, but compared to Black Eight Horse’s gift, it paled and was rendered worthless.

Dragon Country had developed too rapidly in recent years, aligning more and more with international standards. The United States of America felt threatened by this. Previously, Wu Tian’s presence had been enough to deter many nations. But he had since departed for the Underground World, and most assumed he would never return, drawn by its wonders and rich Spiritual Energy.

Now, with Black Eight Horse here, the Lord of the Four Seas knew that if he failed to produce a comparable gift, he would lose face, both for himself as the Monarch of Dragon Country and for the nation itself. By tomorrow, news of Dragon Country’s "empty prosperity" would undoubtedly spread to every country. He grew anxious. What should I do?

I’ve seen enough of this show. Wu Tian hadn’t expected Black Eight Horse to seize this opportunity to embarrass the Lord of the Four Seas and Dragon Country’s tycoons. Still, it wasn’t surprising. Dragon Country was on the rise, and even the world’s richest person was now from their nation. How could Black Eight Horse stand for that?

"Has the Monarch forgotten?" At that moment, Wu Tian stepped forward. "You already entrusted your gift to me." In his hand, he held a kitchen knife.

This kitchen knife looked exquisite. Its blade was practically crystalline, and a faint luminescence swirled along its edge. Anyone could tell this was no ordinary item.

However, when compared to Black Eight Horse’s chess set, many felt it still fell short.

But what surprised them even more was that Wu Tian had actually returned from the Underground World. Throughout history, anyone who entered the Underground World seemed to forget all worldly ties of kinship, love, friendship, and gratitude. There had never been an exception. Could it be that Wu Tian has become the sole exception?

A sense of unease washed over Black Eight Horse. He had only dared to act so boldly because he was convinced Wu Tian would never return to the Surface World.

When Murong Yezi saw that Wu Tian had returned especially for her birthday, a sweet smile touched her lips, and her heart filled with joy. "What’s that in your hand?" she asked.

"The Lord of the Four Seas asked me to give this to you in advance, Mom," Wu Tian said with a smile. "It’s a kitchen knife."

"Great! Great! Great!" Murong Yezi had recently been practicing her cooking with diligence. As a mother, how could my culinary skills be inferior to my son’s? Now, having received a kitchen knife, she was overjoyed. She took the knife from Wu Tian. It wasn’t inlaid with diamonds or gems, but it was exactly what she needed most right now.

Black Eight Horse fell silent, wondering what trick Wu Tian was playing. However, his guards, who were all Martial Practitioners, stared at the knife with unconcealable shock in their eyes.

Wang Dawan and the other tycoons, who also had Martial Practitioner bodyguards, saw the same astonished expressions on their faces. Black Eight Horse and the others began to ask their guards what was happening.

"This kitchen knife... it contains a power that is supreme, beyond everything else!"

"Just looking at it makes me want to pay homage!"

"Indeed!"

The Martial Practitioners gazed at the kitchen knife, their faces full of awe and fear. The expressions of Black Eight Horse and his contingent changed drastically.

Meanwhile, Wang Congming and his group were naturally delighted.

"Who said Dragon Country doesn’t have fine things?"

"That’s right! Our Dragon Country has a treasure like this. I wonder if that so-called number one superpower has anything to match it!"

Wang Congming and the others made no effort to hide their gloating, speaking boldly. This was the land of Dragon Country, not the United States of America. So what if he was a Monarch? The People of Dragon Country had spine; they weren’t afraid of him. Their words made Black Eight Horse’s face turn ugly. He didn’t know what to do.

By now, Wu Tian had given the kitchen knife to Murong Yezi and was walking straight toward Black Eight Horse. As he approached, Black Eight Horse’s expression grew exceptionally solemn.

"You have a good relationship with the Lord of the Four Seas," Black Eight Horse sighed in a low voice.

Wu Tian’s mouth curved into a smile, his voice deep. "I have no particular friendship with him. I stepped in only to let you know... what do you think you’re doing right now? You came to my mom’s birthday party to cause trouble. You were destined to be put in your place."

"..." Black Eight Horse lowered his head and sighed deeply. "I see. I misplayed my hand."

"As long as you understand. Be smarter in the future."

With that, Wu Tian ignored Black Eight Horse and went back to celebrating Murong Yezi’s birthday.

Black Eight Horse remained rooted to the spot, his face a mask of humiliation. He hadn’t expected to travel thousands of miles to Dragon Country not to put others in their place, but to offer up his own face to be slapped.

The day after the birthday party ended, Wu Tian did not return to the Underground World. He decided to enjoy a few leisurely days on the Surface World.

When Kong Zhiyuan learned that the little one was back, he personally came to visit that very day.

The little one announced she was quitting school. After reading for just a few days, she had learned everything in her books and felt there was nothing left in junior high to challenge her.

If other junior high students heard this, they would surely die of frustration. The infuriating reality of being outclassed by others was once again demonstrated perfectly by the little one.

"No, you can’t!" Kong Zhiyuan was nearly in tears. He anxiously tried to persuade her that she had to continue her studies. He insisted she would become a great female scholar and a prominent figure. One day, every word she spoke would be considered a famous quote.

The little one still refused. That was precisely what she feared. Some texts had "Recite the full text" printed at the bottom of the page, and she hated that. She had no desire to write something that would "plague" future generations.

Kong Zhiyuan looked utterly helpless.

The little one went back to playing with Little Kirin, the young Phoenix, and the young Kunpeng in the washbasin. Kong Zhiyuan, who had no idea that she had also been to the Underground World, was completely unaware of its existence. He felt the little one was becoming indolent from playing with these creatures and that they needed to be taken away from her. "Why don’t you give these little animals to me?" he suggested.

Give them to you? The little one was startled. She glanced at Little Kirin, the young Phoenix, and the young Kunpeng, saw the silent plea in their eyes, and replied firmly, "No way!"

Kong Zhiyuan was taken aback, assuming this was a sign of her obsession with her pets. Extremely anxious, he went straight to Murong Yezi. "You should take these three little pets away from her so she can focus on her studies. I believe she can become a famous writer."

Make the little one a writer? Murong Yezi tried to picture the little one being quiet and studious, but she couldn’t imagine it at all. She sighed and said, "No, that’s not suitable for her."

Having hit a roadblock with Murong Yezi, Kong Zhiyuan went to find Qin Yuhan. "Please trust me," he pleaded. "Let the little one study seriously with me. She will become the next Li Qingzhao!"

Li Qingzhao? Her life was far too tragic. Qin Yuhan also refused.

Stunned, Kong Zhiyuan pondered for a moment before finally going to find Wu Tian. His opening line was, "Are you the head of this family?"