Chapter 4: Provocation

No. Ye Xuan let out a cold laugh; since everyone looked down on him, he decided to present a grand gift to these people

Upon hearing the words "Qingfeng Sword," both Lu Ren and the elder's expressions changed dramatically. Everyone knows about the Baiyu Dynasty, and it was with a Qingfeng Sword forged by the master craftsman of the Ten Thousand Weapons Tomb, along with the Lu family's Listening Wind Sword Technique, that Lu Jie established himself among the top ten powerhouses of the Baiyu Dynasty, thereby supporting the entire Lu family. However, the elder of the Lu family, along with Lu Ren and Lu Yi, understood another meaning of Lu Jie's Qingfeng Sword: once the Qingfeng Sword is drawn, it must slay one person before it can be sheathed.

They have been elders of the Lu family for such a long time, and they hold the significant authority of administering punishment. Even other elders must treat them with courtesy; how could Lu Jie be so domineering

However, if Ye Xuan were still the same Lu Li from back then, this competition would indeed be a certain loss at this moment

Not long before these people arrived, he had just broken through to the lower eighth rank. If it were anyone else who had just broken through, their realm would not yet be stable, and they would certainly not be a match for Lu Xin. However, Ye Xuan is different; his cultivation before seizing the body was already very high. At this moment, he is merely retracing his previous path, so as soon as he broke through to the lower eighth rank, he had already thoroughly solidified this realm.

The reason is that he is an elder of the Lu family, specifically the elder in charge of punishments, possessing immense authority. Currently, Lu Jie can only be considered a member of the Lu family, without even the status of an elder. Even if he were to attain that status in the future, it would be a matter for later. Therefore, Lu Quan is convinced that Lu Jie can only watch helplessly.

The expression of the elder in charge of punishment and Lu Ren changed several times, and then their gaze fell upon Ye Xuan. Meanwhile, Lu Jie glanced at the two of them and calmly said: "In light of today's events, if anyone still wishes to trouble Li Er and Xin Er, regardless of who it is, next time I will greet them with the Qingfeng Sword."

Lu Xin's hand was grasped by the punishment elder. Although Lu Xin wanted to break free, after several attempts, he was unable to do so. Instead, his entire body suddenly bent forward, leaning towards the right hand, clearly indicating that the punishment elder was exerting force in secret. If it weren't for the intense pain, how could Lu Xin have such an uncomfortable reaction? At that moment, both Lu Jie and Ye Xuan's expressions turned grim once again.

However, Ye Xuan's insight was different. At the moment when Lu Jie exuded his overwhelming power, Lu Ren, Lu Quan, and another elder in charge of punishment all slightly retreated an inch. This subtle difference was imperceptible to others, but Ye Xuan, despite his significant decline in strength, did not lose his keen perception. Therefore, from this alone, he understood that these three individuals had not even reached the level of minor perfection in their strength.

"Nonsense, Shaoqiang and A Xin are both talented children; becoming core disciples is only a matter of time. What does it matter if they cultivate a step ahead?" Taking advantage of the moment when Lu Jie was conversing with Lu Ren and another elder of punishment, Lu Quan quickly adjusted his internal energy and injuries. Upon a brief examination, he discovered that Lu Jie’s previous strike was extremely vicious. Although it did not kill him, it significantly reduced his cultivation level, and if he did not lie in bed for three to four months, his injuries would likely worsen. Hearing Lu Jie’s words, Lu Quan became angry again, "How can that waste Lu Li compare to them?"

Repeatedly uttering the word "you" three times, yet unable to articulate a single sentence, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and his complexion turned even paler.

With a cold snort, the words were not fully spoken, yet the meaning of this statement, as well as that in the books, is self-evident

It is no wonder that Lu Quan was defeated so quickly; he completely did not anticipate that Lu Jie would dare to take action. As a result, he was unprepared even for a defensive measure, and the distance between him and Lu Jie was merely ten meters. This distance can be completely disregarded by martial artists of the sixth rank or above in the acquired stage, let alone by innate experts.

"Alright, Elder Lu Quan is taking action to punish..." This other elder initially intended to say "punish," but upon hearing Lu Jie snort, a faint killing intent emanating from him, he immediately changed his words: "... It is indeed excessive for Elder Lu Quan to strike Lu Xin. However, according to our Lu family's rules, non-core disciples are not permitted to learn the Listening Wind Sword Technique and the Lu Family Qi Induction Technique. Those who violate this will have their martial arts abolished. Since Lu Li is indeed not a core disciple, it is entirely reasonable for me to abolish Lu Li's martial arts."

However, the actual outcome often surprises others. If Lu Jie were to suppress this anger, he would no longer be one of the top ten masters commanding the entire Baiyu Dynasty

The same attitude, the same words, yet the impact they bring is vastly different

With each utterance of the three auspicious characters, the aura surrounding him intensified significantly.

Upon hearing Lu Jie’s such unfeeling words, two members of the younger generation who had accompanied the two elders and Lu Ren immediately turned pale. However, they quickly became exceptionally indignant. It was evident that they felt insulted by Lu Jie, their second uncle, for comparing them to Lu Li, a nearly incapacitated individual who had almost died.

Suddenly, the aura around Lu Jie erupted completely, causing the ground beneath him to crack open. In the blink of an eye, he had already arrived in front of Lu Quan, glaring at him with a face full of anger, while his right hand struck towards Lu Quan's chest.

However, given his current strength, even if he were to become angry, it would be of no use. After all, both of these punishment elders are innate realm experts. With Ye Xuan's current strength, even if he had a thousand of himself, he would still not be a match for them

Lu Xin is the grandson of Lu Quan, and his strength has reached the peak of the lower eighth rank, belonging to that category where he is just one step away from breaking through to the seventh rank. Moreover, he has learned the Lu family's Qi Guiding Technique and the Listening Wind Sword Technique. Even if one possesses the strength of a lower seventh rank martial artist, it would be difficult to defeat Lu Xin without good martial skills. It is clear to everyone what intentions lie behind the proposal for a match between them.

You are seeking death! Upon hearing Lu Quan call Lu Li a waste, Lu Jie suddenly became enraged again and immediately contemplated the idea of killing Lu Quan.

It is important to note that for the past seven days, it has been Lu Xin who has been taking care of Ye Xuan, who possesses the identity of Lu Li. After Ye Xuan successfully took over, he completely merged with Lu Li's consciousness and has thoroughly regarded Lu Xin as his own family. Seeing his family suffer, how could Ye Xuan not be enraged?

Ye Xuan remembered that this elder was also a member of the Lu family, named Lu Quan. If it were the previous Lu Li, he would certainly not have known the strength of this elder, only that he was also at the innate level.

However, the fact that Ye Xuan is not a match does not imply that Lu Jie is also not a match. Upon witnessing the actions of this elder in charge of punishment, Lu Jie instead smiled rather than getting angry: "Good! Good! Good!"

The realm that has just been consolidated is still somewhat inferior compared to Lu Xin's peak of the eighth rank, but Ye Xuan's greater advantage lies in his complete integration of the Tide Sea Sword Technique into the Listening Wind Sword Technique. Therefore, it is truly difficult to predict the outcome of this competition.

Before the elder in charge of the punishment could finish speaking, Ye Xuan had already interjected: "If I lose, I willingly accept the forfeiture of all my cultivation and will be expelled from the Lu family. But what if Lu Xin loses?"

"Xiner, come here." Lu Jie’s expression was exceptionally grim. Although this was directed at Lu Xin, his gaze was fixed intently on Lu Ren.

"If Lu Xin loses, then he will also forfeit all his cultivation." Before Lu Quan could respond, the elder in charge of punishment quickly interjected, "... and expel him from the Lu family in Han Shui City, banishing him to other branches of the Lu clan. Do you have any objections to this?" After a moment's hesitation, the elder added this final remark; he did not wish to offend Lu Jie, and he did not believe that Lu Xin would lose. This last statement was merely to accommodate Lu Jie's dignity.

Lu Quanyi looked at Lu Jie with a face full of arrogance, the provocation in his eyes was extremely obvious, and it was clear that he believed Lu Jie would not dare to do anything.

"It was my hand that moved," the old man, who was tightly gripping Lu Xin, replied with a proud expression. "It is precisely because I know she cannot cultivate martial arts that I imposed a slight punishment. This also serves as a warning to other members of the clan about the consequences of withholding information. If Lu Xin were skilled in martial arts, hum..."

"If I were to betray the Lu family, I would not have used the Thunder Palm just now, but rather the Wind Listening Sword Technique." Lu Jie snorted coldly, his expression far more arrogant than that of Lu Quan. "It is precisely because he is the elder in charge of punishment in the Lu family that I only gave him a slight lesson. If it were someone else, hum..."

If given sufficient preparation time, Lu Quan would certainly not be a match for Lu Jie, but he would not be defeated so quickly. However, had Lu Jie's earlier force been a bit stronger, it is likely that Lu Quan would now be a corpse.

Lu Jie, are you going to betray the Lu family

"Who dared to lay a hand on Xin'er?" Lu Jie said in a deep voice, "Do they not know that Xin'er is completely unskilled in martial arts?"

When Lu Jie focused his energy on Lu Quan, Lu Ren and another elder in charge of punishment had already noticed it. However, they had not yet had the time to react when Lu Quan was already sent flying, which explains why the other elder in charge of punishment looked so grim.

A surge of powerful energy suddenly erupted from Lu Jie’s palm, explosively and swiftly. Lu Quan was struck by this palm, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood and fly backward, crashing through a wall of the side courtyard. As he fell to the ground, his face was extremely pale, and he looked at Lu Jie in disbelief, his left hand trembling as he pointed at Lu Jie: "You... you... you..."

"Hold on!" Another elder in charge of punishment saw that Lu Jie was truly filled with murderous intent and quickly spoke up to stop him. However, his gaze towards Lu Quan had already become somewhat impatient. It was evident that at this moment, provoking Lu Jie's anger was unwise. Had Lu Jie's earlier strike shaken his head as well? "How about this, let... A Xin and Lu Li have a match? If Lu Li wins, then we will not pursue this matter any further. But if Lu Li loses..."

"Do not think that I am unaware," Lu Jie said in a low voice. "Elder Lu Quan's grandson and my elder brother's second son, when learning the Lu family's Qi Guiding Technique and Listening Wind Sword Technique, do not seem to be core disciples, do they? They were only accepted as core disciples this year, yet during the last martial arts assessment at the Martial Training Hall, both of them used the Listening Wind Sword Technique. How do you explain that?"

You little rascal, how could my grandson possibly lose

Ye Xuan listened to these people arguing back and forth, and in the end, the topic still centered around himself, prompting him to let out a cold laugh