The old man, a prominent figure concealing his identity within the Guo family, grew increasingly furious as Xiao Yufan kept addressing him disrespectfully as “old man,” his face turning pale with rage, his anger laced with a chilling murderous intent.
“I admit, you’re sharp-tongued. I wonder if your strength matches your words!”
“You haven’t even tested my verbal skills—how can you judge if they’re impressive? Maybe you should ask your granddaughter about that. Hey, if she turns out to be hideously ugly, won’t I be the one losing out?”
Xiao Yufan despised those who acted superior simply because of their age. A peak condense-energy expert would have been an insurmountable opponent for him over a month ago. But now, he at least had the strength to stand his ground.
The bottleneck of Peak凝劲 had loosened. Currently, Xiao Yufan had reached the threshold of Banbu Ninggong (halfway into condensed essence), just one step away from fully entering the Ninggong (condensed essence) realm. Therefore, this moment was crucial for him.
“Flippant talk won’t save you. Let me show you the real gap between us!”
Glancing at Guo Chen, whose arm had been destroyed, the old man’s eyelid twitched violently. Xiao Yufan’s actions had been excessively brutal. Although he had shouted out a warning, it had been too late to stop him.
This could only mean one thing—Xiao Yufan had never taken him seriously…
“Acting as if you’re so powerful—do you actually believe you’re a supreme master at the prenatal level? Fool!”
Throwing the old man a mocking glance, Xiao Yufan surged forward. He knew that provoking a peak凝功 expert was unwise, but in order to harness the momentum to break through the凝劲 bottleneck, he was willing to take the risk.
If his intentions were discovered, he would have wasted a precious opportunity.
But clearly, his provocation had worked. The old man from the hidden Guo family was already consumed by rage, eager to tear Xiao Yufan apart…
“Watch out!” Wang Wei and Qinglong, who had been closely observing the fight, shouted warnings as they noticed the old man’s sudden movement. How despicable—this old man, who should have been respected, actually resorted to underhanded attacks!
His heart sank, and Xiao Yufan immediately noticed the movement. He quickly stepped back, narrowly dodging the fierce assault.
The battle quickly escalated. Thanks to his nimble footwork, Xiao Yufan suffered minimal injuries. Yet each time he endured an attack, his inner energy became more solid, as if external pressure was tempering his body.
His clothes gradually tore apart. This old man’s ferocity seemed no less than that of that old dog, launching deadly strikes with every move. It was clear the hidden Guo family held deep hatred toward him. But this was also good—there would be no hesitation in future confrontations.
Hiss!
A moment of distraction, and Xiao Yufan felt a chill on his back. His clothes had been torn open by a fist-sized hole. If it had landed on his body, he would have been seriously injured.
“Not enough! Still not enough! Is this all the strength you’ve got, old man!”
His inner energy was subtly transforming as Xiao Yufan mentally roared. If anyone knew his thoughts, they would have considered him a masochist. Facing relentless bombardment, he actually wished for even more intense attacks.
And if the old man had known Xiao Yufan was merely using the situation to his advantage, he might have been furious enough to spit blood…
Heavy Sword Wu Feng kept a close watch on Xiao Yufan. If the young master of Heaven’s Covenant suffered any mishap, he would intervene—but not yet!
As his inner energy stabilized, suddenly, at one moment, Xiao Yufan felt an indescribable lightness in his body, as if a single drop of water had merged into the ocean—exhilaration and joy flooded his face.
“Old man, you sure hit hard enough to feel good!”
At this moment, Xiao Yufan had broken through the bottleneck of the凝劲 peak. Although he had not yet fully entered the凝功 realm, he had already reached what was known as the “false凝功 state.” Once his inner energy completely stabilized, he would become a true凝功 expert!
“Hmm?” The old man from the hidden Guo family slowly raised his head, his expression shifting to surprise as he sensed Xiao Yufan’s new aura. Then, as if realizing something, his face turned red with fury.
“Since you’ve done me such a great favor, should I thank you? But now, allow me to properly experience the strength of a peak Spirit Gathering expert!”
Feeling the vast inner energy surging within, Xiao Yufan’s face broke into a confident smile. The Lifting Qi realm was already a formidable level in the ancient martial arts world—not at the absolute peak, but certainly no weakling.
“I underestimated you. To temper your inner energy through battle and enter the凝功 realm—your nerve is impressive!”
Translation:
“I underestimated you. To refine your inner energy through combat and reach the凝功 realm—your courage is truly remarkable!”
The old man’s mood had just slightly improved when his face darkened again. He had just realized Xiao Yufan’s purpose—his earlier passive defense had been intentional. No wonder that arrogant brat had been so obedient.
“Fortune favors the bold. You wouldn’t understand that, old man. Intelligence is your weakness, get it?”
With his strength enhanced, Xiao Yufan’s confidence soared. If he hadn’t feared this old man at the凝劲 peak, how could he possibly fear him now at凝功? It was time to reclaim some dignity from his earlier predicament.
“It seems your confidence has grown. But provoking me is nothing more than a death wish!”
“Who dies is yet to be seen!” Lin Lang knew that Heavy Sword Wu Feng had been assigned by his grandfather to watch over him, but unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t intervene. That was why Xiao Yufan had dared to confront Guo Chen—he had genuine concerns about facing the two of them together.
Before the words faded, another gust of wind rose. Experts in inner energy cultivation had long surpassed the limits of ordinary men—their every movement exuded a terrifying aura…
A few minutes later, although still somewhat battered, Xiao Yufan had managed to inflict several serious injuries on the old man. Having just entered the L凝功 realm, he was already able to match the peak L凝功 expert evenly.
Even Heavy Sword Wu Feng, known for his calm demeanor, felt ripples of astonishment in his heart. Indeed, not a single member of the Situ family was ordinary.
“Old man, I’m done playing with you today. Just wait until I reach the peak of my cultivation—I’ll kill you like a dog!”
With a swift turn, Xiao Yufan exited the old man’s attack range. He didn’t continue the fight—having just entered the凝功 realm, he needed more time to adapt. The intense external pressure was no longer necessary.
But as the old man regained his senses and prepared to stop Xiao Yufan from escaping unscathed, Heavy Sword Wu Feng had already taken a step forward, instantly appearing before him…
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