Creaaak!
Zihua opened the door and stepped outside.
"Greetings, Young Master," said Xuerou, who had been waiting for him outside.
"The Sword Token Tournament is happening today," Zihua said, looking off into the distance.
Judging by his expression, Xuerou asked, "Has your cultivation improved, Young Master?"
"Improved? I guess you could say that." Zihua smiled faintly. "It didn't quite reach the level I was aiming for, but still, not bad."
Over the past half month, his strength had been increasing at a breakneck pace. Originally, he had hoped to break through all the way to the tenth level of the True Martial Realm in one go. Unfortunately, he had only managed to reach the peak of the ninth level—just half a step away from his goal.
If he'd had just two or three more days, he was confident he could've made the breakthrough. But time was up—the Sword Token Tournament was about to begin.
Still, even though it wasn't perfect, the peak of the ninth level was already more than enough for someone like Zihua.
"Even though I'm just at the ninth-level peak, the inherited technique I cultivate gives me explosive power that rivals—if not surpasses—the average tenth-level cultivator. Plus, I've got the power of my bloodline. Once I channel it fully, I can go toe-to-toe with anyone at the peak of the tenth level, and maybe even overpower them." He clenched his fists, his eyes brimming with confidence.
"Wei... A man of another surname dares to reach for the Bai family's Sword Token?"
"He must die."
"I've been gone for three years. The Bai family has forgotten the respect they owe their Young Master. Today... I'll remind them—starting with him."
******
Bai family – Martial Arts Field
The Martial Arts Field was an enormous estate, with a vast training ground at its center. On most days, the place was completely deserted, but today—it was absolutely packed.
Every year, the Bai family held an internal competition for its younger members in the Martial Arts Field. But this time, the stakes were much higher—this time, it was about the Sword Token. And that made all the difference.
The core bloodline of the Bai family, along with many powerful members from the Retainer Faction, had all shown up. There were even countless maids and servants gathered around. At a glance, there had to be over a thousand people present.
At the top of the training field stood a raised viewing platform, where three chairs had been set out. Two of them were already occupied—by elders of the Bai family.
Below the family head, the Bai family had three grand elders.
The First Elder, Chuci Bai, was the only one aside from the Clan Leader who had reached the Void Breaking Realm. At the moment, he was stationed outside the clan and wasn't present for the event.
Seated now were the Second Elder, Haonan, and the Third Elder, Qiang. Both were peak-level experts in the Sea Transformation Realm. The Third Elder, Qiang, was the Clan Leader's younger brother—Zihua's second uncle.
Standing before the elders were four of the Bai family's most elite younger members. Each of them had reached the tenth level of the True Martial Realm. Among them were Huo and Wan'er.
"To let an outsider take part in our Bai family's Sword Token Tournament is a disgrace!"
"If that outsider actually wins and walks away with the Sword Token, our Bai family will become a laughingstock!"
The Second Elder, Haonan, was a towering man with eyes like brass bells, blazing with fury. He roared, "You four are our last hope! Whether or not we can take down Wei and reclaim our family's honor rests entirely on your shoulders! Remember—do whatever it takes to drag him down! Even if it costs your life, you must stop him!"
"Yes, Elder!" The four members nodded solemnly. Each one of them understood just how critical today's battle would be.
The Bai family had once been a powerful noble house under the Maple Empire. That pride and sense of dignity still ran deep in their blood. Letting an outsider take the Sword Token would be a complete humiliation. For many in the clan, it would feel worse than death.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the training field, the powerful members of the Retainer Faction were gathered in force. One man stood at the very front—his presence sharp and domineering, like a crane standing among chickens.
That man was Wei Lee.
He had already reached the absolute peak of the tenth level of the True Martial. On top of that, he had made it through the eleventh level of the True Martial Pavilion—a feat in both cultivation and technique that placed immense pressure on the entire younger generation of the Bai clan. He was, without question, a once-in-a-generation genius.
"Big Brother, look around—everyone's staring at you," said Nan Lee, who stood at Wei's side. "Especially those Bai clan brats. Look at their eyes—like they wanna eat you alive."
He chuckled and snorted. "Hmph. Bunch of fools. So what if they're pissed? After today's match, you'll be the one holding the Bai family's Sword Token. From now on, you'll be the top dog among their so-called 'younger generation.' Hey, maybe one day, you'll be the next head of the Bai family."
Wei smiled at that. "It's a shame our father couldn't make it back. He's still locked in that political struggle in Sky City with the First Elder, Chuci. It's a crucial moment, and he can't leave. If he could see me dominate the younger generation of the Bai family with his own eyes today, I think he'd be proud."
His father, Lei Lee, the head of the Retainer Faction, had gone to Sky City some time ago and still hadn't returned.
"Oh right, Big Brother—about that Zihua I mentioned before..." Nan suddenly brought up.
"Nan," Wei frowned, clearly displeased. "I already told you—you need to broaden your horizons. Zihua might've been somebody three years ago, but now? He's irrelevant. A nobody like him isn't even worth your attention."
"Yes, Big Brother." Nan lowered his head at once.
Wei glanced at him, then added, "That said, Zihua did slap you across the face and ran his mouth with those arrogant words. Naturally, I won't let that slide. If the opportunity comes up during the contest, I'll deal with him myself."
"Thank you, Big Brother!" Nan beamed with delight.
He knew it—his brother still spoiled him.
Right at that moment—
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Two figures suddenly descended from the air above, landing directly on the viewing platform by the training field.
Instantly, every pair of eyes turned toward them.
"It's the Clan Leader!"
"The Clan Leader has arrived!"
A wave of excitement swept through the Bai family crowd.
"Father..." In a quiet corner of the crowd, Zihua also lifted his head and looked toward the platform.