After hearing the news about the cultivation technique, the Standing Committee members and secretaries could only sigh helplessly.
There was no way to analyze such mythological artifacts using modern scientific methods.
But even so, having something was better than having nothing at all.
The meeting continued late into the night before everyone finally left.
Back at the courtyard residence, Karl opened the box Zhou Yinyin had given him.
Inside was a small, exquisite seal.
The seal was beautifully crafted, with a golden sphere carved at its top.
Karl picked it up and examined the bottom.
There were two engraved characters.
"Fan Tian."
Heaven-Turning.
Karl froze.
For a moment, his mind went completely blank.
Could this really be that seal?
Karl immediately activated the system's detection.
[Heaven-Turning Seal]
A treasure from ancient times belonging to the immortal Guang Chengzi. It was originally used to guard his cave.
During the Great War of the Celestials, Guang Chengzi perished, and the Heaven-Turning Seal sealed itself away.
It reappeared on the Chinese continent roughly one thousand years ago.
The artifact can be unsealed using the power of rules.
The magic weapon remains largely intact and retains the power of its peak state.
Karl stared at the system's description.
He was stunned.
The old man had casually given him a divine artifact.
This thing was comparable to the Ruyi Jingu Bang.
And according to the system, it still possessed the power of its peak condition.
Was that peak at the Heavenly Father level?
Or even single-universe level?
Karl himself couldn't determine it.
But one thing was certain.
He had just gained another terrifying trump card.
Karl quickly placed the Heaven-Turning Seal into his system space.
Nearby, Black Phoenix and Yan both looked at him with dissatisfaction.
They could clearly sense that the seal was no ordinary object.
Yet Karl had examined it for only a moment before putting it away.
Yan rolled her eyes.
Black Phoenix stared at him with annoyance.
Karl simply ignored their reactions.
He pulled Black Phoenix into his arms with a grin.
Yan looked at the scene and immediately rolled her eyes again before returning to her room.
…
Early the next morning, Karl woke up.
Everyone else was already awake as well.
Today was the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Karl and the others were scheduled to attend.
Karl had never attended the Olympics before.
Not even in his previous life.
Naturally, he was curious.
After boarding their vehicle, the group headed toward the Bird's Nest Stadium.
When they arrived, the area was already packed with people.
Surprisingly—
There were even more foreigners than Chinese spectators.
Many of them had not come for the Olympics at all.
They had come to see Karl.
After entering the Bird's Nest, Karl and his group were escorted to a private box in a prime location, specially prepared for them.
Not long after they sat down, the torch ceremony began.
Karl heard the familiar opening line:
"My door is wide open…"
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
The ceremony continued with a series of spectacular performances.
Eventually, the elderly leader Karl had met the previous night appeared on stage and delivered a short speech.
Soon afterward, the host's voice echoed throughout the stadium.
The atmosphere instantly became electric.
"Recently, many foreign friends have come to the East," the host said with a smile.
"We all know why you are here."
"So there is no need to keep it secret any longer!"
He raised his voice dramatically.
"Please welcome—"
"Mr. Karl Auguston Zhang!"
The stadium erupted instantly.
The host continued enthusiastically:
"He is the youngest billionaire in the world!"
"He is also Earth's strongest superhero—a Gold Saint!"
"He has even been called a prophet by Thor, the God of Asgard!"
"And he possesses the ability to grant lifespan!"
The host laughed lightly.
"But personally, I prefer another description."
He raised his hand toward the audience.
"Saint Seiya protects the love and peace of the Earth!"
The crowd exploded.
AHHHHH—!
WOWWWW—!
KARL! KARL! KARL!
The cheers were deafening.
In the next instant—
Karl teleported directly onto the stage.
Today he was not wearing his Gold Cloth.
Instead, he wore a specially designed suit prepared for him by Yan.
The suit carried the elegant aesthetic of the Angelic Civilization, looking both refined and futuristic.
As soon as Karl appeared, the cheers grew even louder.
He raised his hand slightly.
A simple stop gesture.
Instantly—
The entire stadium fell silent.
Even the host was shocked by the sudden obedience of tens of thousands of spectators.
Karl picked up the microphone.
"I am honored to be invited by China to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games."
His calm voice echoed across the stadium.
"After all, I am also of Asian descent."
"Although I grew up in America…"
Karl smiled slightly.
"To be honest, I still prefer Eastern cuisine."
Some members of the audience laughed.
"Perhaps many Americans don't understand this."
"But once you taste it, you will."
Karl raised his hand.
"Alright."
"Next—"
"This is my first gift to the Olympic Games."
The microphone floated into the air automatically.
Karl reached behind him and summoned the Sagittarius bow and arrow from his Saint Cloth.
The crowd erupted again.
WOOOOOAH—!
KARL!
Karl drew the bow in one smooth motion.
Then—
He released the arrow.
A golden arrow shot into the sky.
High above the stadium, it exploded into an enormous burst of golden energy.
The light spread across the sky.
Then—
A line of glowing words appeared.
"May China's tomorrow have bluer skies, greener mountains, clearer waters, a stronger economy, happier people, and a more powerful nation."
— Karl
Karl's name appeared in the lower right corner.
The message remained shining across the sky instead of fading immediately.
As for why Karl avoided using the word "motherland"—
Only Karl himself knew the answer.