Feeling the surging aura emanating from Hong Zhong, Xiao Yufan paused for a moment. Under such an oppressive presence, an ordinary person would likely struggle to even breathe.
But Xiao Yufan was far from ordinary. At the same cultivation stage—Ningong境—what did he have to fear?
Ying Luo and the others, such as Tian Xuan, could clearly sense that Hong Zhong had become far stronger than before. Anyone who had reached the peak of the凝功境 at such a young age was undoubtedly no simple opponent.
In comparison, those hidden Guo family members seemed rather pale in contrast. This time they were hosting the martial arts gathering, but it looked like they might end up slapping their own faces.
“If you want to play, I’ll play along. I’ll make sure you understand that my woman’s taste has never been wrong!”
Even if there was a vast gap between the early and peak stages of the凝功境, what of it? Xiao Yufan possessed the Celestial Dragon Cultivation Technique within his body. Even fighting across stages, he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage against Hong Zhong.
The sudden surge of power made both men’s expressions grow serious. Hong Zhong didn’t say anything else—he expressed his displeasure through action. Since he couldn’t win Ying Luo’s heart, he would at least see for himself what kind of ability Xiao Yufan had that made such an outstanding woman think of him day and night.
As the two clashed once more, Butler An wore a helpless expression. When had these young people become so powerful? He had lived half a lifetime and had barely crossed the threshold of the先天境, yet Xiao Yufan and the others were clearly not far behind.
Just as An Guan was lost in thought, a chill suddenly ran down his spine. Slightly regaining his senses, he found himself meeting the gaze of Hu Ying Luo’s beautiful eyes.
“Cough, cough. Miss, I didn’t intentionally bring this guy here. It’s just that Hong Zhong here was so annoying. Ever since you left, he wouldn’t stop pestering me. Because of that, my ears were practically calloused!”
An管家 knew full well that Ying Luo was probably blaming him for bringing this nuisance along. But what else could he do? He had to do it to save himself from going insane from the constant nagging.
“Hmph, I’ll deal with you later!”
Pouting slightly, Hu Ying Luo’s seductive red lips curled upward. At this moment, she could only symbolically threaten the管家. As for actually holding a grudge against him, she simply couldn’t bring herself to do it.
After all, Butler An had always treated her kindly, and it was he who had organized the previous financial summit. How could she fail to respect someone so devoted to the Hu family?
He helplessly shook his head. Indeed, once a daughter grows up, she’s no longer the same. This man must really be lucky. Passing his test might be easy, but the Fourth Elder would be much harder to deal with—he was a genuine old-school traditionalist.
“Argh! I’m going crazy! We said no hitting the face!”
At this point, the battle had reached a fever pitch. Strange sounds echoed continuously between them. Fortunately, their auras showed no sign of weakening, or the girls would have thought they were just play-fighting.
“I’ll hit your face, yeah! I just love seeing you annoyed. If I offended you, go ahead and hit me back!”
Xiao Yufan’s voice followed soon after. Being able to reach the peak of the凝功境 cultivation stage at such an early stage was undoubtedly something to be proud of. Moreover, his mastery of the Celestial Dragon Cultivation Technique had become increasingly refined.
Each time he attacked, a faint dragon-like roar echoed from within Xiao Yufan’s body, something even Hong Zhong failed to notice.
The longer the stalemate continued, the more Hong Zhong felt his strength waning. Xiao Yufan’s inner energy seemed bottomless, never depleting, while he had already shown signs of fatigue. Worse still, Xiao Yufan had started aiming for his face.
After all, he relied on his looks to get by. He couldn’t let Xiao Yufan get away with that. Even if he couldn’t win Ying Luo’s affection, he could still rely on his good looks to attract a few pretty women—surely more than this guy had!
“Damn it, stop! I’m done fighting!”
Finally, Hong Zhong couldn’t endure Xiao Yufan’s relentless assault any longer and stopped first. This wasn’t a life-or-death battle, so there was no need to fight to the bitter end. Continuing like this would lead nowhere, so he decided to stop altogether.
“Oh? You’re not going to fight anymore?”
Xiao Yufan came to a halt, his previously tense posture easing slightly. As he exhaled, the pain from his injuries caused his brows to furrow. This opponent was indeed formidable—a true peak凝功 cultivator.
“Do you still have the strength to fight?”
Hong Zhong’s smile stiffened, carrying a trace of anger. He realized he had underestimated Xiao Yufan’s strength. To have reached this level at merely the early stage of N凝功 was truly remarkable.
“Whether I have strength or not is none of your business. If you want another round, I’m ready whenever you are!”
Internally, Xiao Yufan was groaning. He had little strength left to continue, but pride as a man wouldn’t allow him to back down.
“I really don’t have the strength anymore, okay?”
Hong Zhong pursed his lips, his smile more painful than joyful. He had truly exhausted himself in this prolonged battle without gaining the upper hand.
“Oh, then I guess we’re done,” Xiao Yufan said calmly, his composed tone making Hong Zhong want to punch him even more.
The sudden shift from fighting to casual conversation between the two surprised the girls, though Ying Luo wasn’t shocked at all—she understood this annoying guy’s personality too well.
“Now that the fight is over, Hong Junior should probably leave first. You can tell Grandpa Fourth that I’ll come to the martial arts gathering when the time comes. Of course, my husband will be coming with me!”
Seeing that they had stopped fighting, Hu Ying Luo’s lips curled into a slight pout as she addressed Hong Zhong. At least this guy hadn’t hurt her man, or else she would never let him off the hook.
Though the final barrier between Ying Luo and Xiao Yufan remained unspoken, their relationship was already implicitly understood. Still, calling Xiao Yufan “husband” in front of her sisters made her cheeks flush slightly.
“As the saying goes, fighting brings understanding. I just wanted to test this brother’s strength, so I got carried away for a moment. Sister Ying Luo, surely you’re not angry? After all, the Hu and Hong families have long been close allies. It would be inappropriate to chase me away so soon, wouldn’t it?”
Nodding somewhat sheepishly, Hong Zhong had no temper to speak of in front of Ying Luo. He loved this woman, treating her like a younger sister. Since she had already chosen someone else’s heart, naturally, he wouldn’t insist on anything more…
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