After all, even the City Lord Zhu, the number one expert in Huaicheng, was only at the Imperial Origin Realm.
"Patriarch, the City Lord has arrived, and he says he is here to congratulate the Young Patriarch on his successful cultivation."
At that moment, a servant ran up all the way with a beaming face.
"Quickly invite him in!" Xia Hongji said hastily.
"Patriarch, the heads of the Xu Family, Gong Family, and Zhang Family have all arrived with gifts, saying they are here to congratulate the Young Patriarch."
"Hahaha... Quickly invite them in!"
Xia Hongji's face was full of smiles. He looked at his son with gratification and said, "Son, the Xia Family is proud of you. Let's go..."
Xia Longfei held his head high with an arrogant expression.
Right at this moment, Xiayu opened his eyes.
Rubbing his forehead, Xiayu took a deep breath, feeling the memories that had suddenly flooded into his mind.
"Ancestral Dragon Immeasurable Art."
Xiayu recited silently in his heart; this was the cultivation technique left behind by the five-clawed golden dragon.
Upon closer inspection, Xiayu gasped.
The Ancestral Dragon Immeasurable Art was divided into one core technique and two secondary techniques. The core technique was the Ancestral Dragon Immeasurable Strength.
A single grain of sand contained a micro-world, and the human body also contained one billion eight hundred million micro-worlds. By cultivating the Ancestral Dragon Immeasurable Strength and activating a single micro-world, one could possess the strength of one dragon.
The strength of one dragon equaled one hundred thousand catties.
Xiayu was inwardly terrified. If all one billion eight hundred million micro-worlds were completely activated, just how much strength would that be?
Under a single punch, what could possibly block it?
*Chapter 3: Daring to Harm My Sister, Deserving of Death!*
Furthermore, by cultivating the Ancestral Dragon Immeasurable Strength, this power would constantly reinforce the physical body, enabling it to withstand immense force.
Activating each micro-world was equivalent to possessing an independent Dantian; activating one billion eight hundred million micro-worlds meant having one billion eight hundred million Dantians.
When all one billion eight hundred million micro-worlds were fully activated, one could transform into an Ancestral Dragon.
Xiayu could not help but swallow hard. This cultivation technique was simply heaven-defying.
The two secondary techniques consisted of a fist technique and a movement technique.
The fist technique was called the Ancestral Dragon Fist, and it had only one form named Immeasurable.
By gathering all one's strength and delivering an all-out punch while rapidly driving one's entire body's power to layer upon itself once, that was known as one layer.
With every additional layer that the entire body's power accumulated during a single punch, another layer of force was added.
Layering it countless times became the Immeasurable.
Xiayu was utterly shocked. If he activated one billion eight hundred million micro-worlds and then layered this limitless Immeasurable force on top of that, just what level would the power of that final punch reach?
It was simply unimaginable!
The movement technique had only two forms: Dragon Conceal and Dragon Travel.
Xiayu discovered with astonishment that Dragon Conceal was a stealth and concealment technique that allowed him to remain hidden within unknown spaces.
Dragon Travel was the Ancestral Dragon movement technique, capable of drastically increasing his speed.
When cultivated to its ultimate peak, one could move as swiftly as the Ancestral Dragon.
Xiayu shook his head slightly. With the speed of Dragon Travel combined with the power of Immeasurable, this might...
Suddenly, another set of memories appeared in Xiayu's mind.
Upon taking a closer look, Xiayu was stunned.
This... this was actually the method to drive the Burning Heaven Melting Furnace.
The crucial part was that this Burning Heaven Melting Furnace could actually be cultivated.
The first stage was using the body as a furnace, capable of smelting any item containing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, which would greatly accelerate the speed of absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy when activated.
The second stage was using spirit as a furnace, forming a Burning Heaven Melting Furnace outside the body using spiritual energy, capable of trapping and killing enemies while refining all things.
The third stage was using heaven and earth as a furnace, capable of refining everything within the universe.
Xiayu was thoroughly shocked!
A heaven-defying divine artifact!
At that moment, Xiayu secretly told himself that this must remain his deepest secret.
Slowly clenching his fists, Xiayu felt his body brimming with strength, feeling better than ever before.
Rolling off the bed, he slowly began to circulate the Ancestral Dragon Immeasurable Strength.
In an instant, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy rushed frantically into his body.
Strangely enough, this spiritual energy did not enter his Dantian; instead, it mysteriously vanished.
However, Xiayu could confirm for certain that it had vanished inside his body!
Without wasting a thought, Xiayu continued to circulate the Ancestral Dragon Immeasurable Strength.
At that moment, dense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy still lingered around the room, filling the entire space with a hazy mist.
If anyone were to witness this scene, they would undoubtedly be utterly astonished.
Spiritual energy condensed into mist!
Even the sacred grounds of many great sects did not possess such concentrated Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy.
As Xiayu cultivated, the mist filling the room began to recede at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Gradually, the room grew bright.
Suddenly, Xiayu's body trembled.
"Boom..."
His body actually emitted a low roar.
The next moment, a formidable surge of power spontaneously arose from within his body, completed a cycle, and then vanished.
Xiayu was momentarily stunned, then directed his inner vision toward the spot where the power had disappeared.
A faint light was glowing there.
At the same time, Xiayu discovered with astonishment that his cultivation realm had broken through.
Before his injury, he had only been at the Tenth Heavenly Layer of Body Forging Realm, but just now, he had broken through to the First Heavenly Layer of Gathering Origin Realm.
Not only that, but his realm was still continuing to break through.
Second Heavenly Layer of Gathering Origin Realm!
Third Heavenly Layer of Gathering Origin Realm!
Fourth Heavenly Layer of Gathering Origin Realm!
Fifth Heavenly Layer of Gathering Origin Realm!
Having ignited a single micro-world, his realm had broken through continuously!
Xiayu was both shocked and overjoyed!
He had never expected that he would be able to absorb enough Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy to ignite a single micro-world.
This came as a complete surprise!
He had originally thought it would take a very long time to light up even one micro-world.
In truth, what he did not know was that the sole reason he was able to light up a micro-world was entirely thanks to the Burning Heaven Melting Furnace.
Earlier, in order to refine the Ancestral Dragon, the Burning Heaven Melting Furnace had gone all out to absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy.
Later, because of the Ancestral Dragon's choice, a small portion of that Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy had remained lingering in the room.
Otherwise, how could he have managed it so easily?
Sure enough, after lighting up one micro-world, when Xiayu continued to absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, the available energy was pitifully scarce.
Xiayu stopped and began to practice the Ancestral Dragon Fist.
Gathering all his strength, Xiayu threw out a punch with a booming sound.
From the ignited micro-world, a fierce wave of power surged forth imperiously, sending the wind whistling.
However, when Xiayu attempted to apply the layering technique, he failed.
Punch after punch after punch, every single attempt failed.
Xiayu stopped, closed his eyes, and recalled the memories of the Ancestral Dragon Fist in his mind, reviewing every single movement of the Ancestral Dragon's strike.
Gradually, Xiayu slowly raised his fist.
Suddenly, his fist shot out like lightning.
A sonic boom echoed through the air.
Yet, Xiayu failed once again.
This form, Immeasurable, simply could not be executed.
However, by this point, he had finally discovered where the problem lay.
He had only lit up a single micro-world, and that micro-world possessed only the strength of one dragon; he was completely incapable of layering the power.
He needed to light up at least two micro-worlds before he could execute the Immeasurable.
Xiayu shook his head. For the time being, the Ancestral Dragon Fist could not be cultivated.
However, he also noticed that just from that brief attempt, the power of his fists was gradually increasing.
Temporarily setting aside the Ancestral Dragon Fist, Xiayu began practicing Dragon Conceal and Dragon Travel.
Because these two movement techniques already existed as ready-made memories in his mind, Xiayu mastered them in less than fifteen minutes.
However, whether it was the stealth effect of Dragon Conceal or the speed of Dragon Travel, both were currently abysmal.
Suddenly, he thought of the Burning Heaven Melting Furnace. If he activated the Burning Heaven Melting Furnace and kept all the absorbed Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy exclusively for his body to use, the cultivation speed of the Ancestral Dragon Immeasurable Strength would definitely increase by quite a margin.
However, the moment this thought crossed his mind, the Burning Heaven Melting Furnace inside his Dantian began to tremble.
Clearly, it was unwilling.
To it, Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Energy was equally vital.
Xiayu smiled and said nothing more.
Suddenly, a maid rushed over, panting heavily as she cried out, "Young Patriarch, you need to go look! Eldest Miss, she... she..."
"Where is she?" Without waiting for her to finish, Xiayu asked anxiously.
"The... the kitchen."
In a flash, the maid found that Xiayu had vanished from her sight.
"So fast? Wasn't the Young Patriarch's Dantian crippled?" The maid was utterly bewildered.
Meanwhile, inside the kitchen...
"I'm telling you, without my permission, Xia Fan, not a single grain of rice or a pinch of salt from this back kitchen is allowed to be taken away."
"And these nourishing tonics and dishes need to be served immediately. Today, the Patriarch is entertaining the City Lord and the heads of the four great families. If anyone dares to make even the slightest mistake, I'll make you pay dearly."
Xia Fan stood with his hands behind his back, looking arrogant as his spittle flew all over the room.
"These nourishing tonics are for my younger brother. I made them myself, they aren't yours."
At that moment, Xia Yao stood in front of the stove, shielding the tonics.
"For your younger brother? That discarded former Young Patriarch? Tell me, are these tonics the property of the Xia Family? Are the firewood in this stove and these ingredients the property of the Xia Family?"
"All of this belongs to the Xia Family! Do you dare say these things aren't the Xia Family's?"
"Get out of my way! Let me tell you, your brother is no longer the Young Patriarch. He isn't worthy of these tonics!"
Xia Fan gave Xia Yao a rough shove.
Xia Yao had always been frail; how could she possibly withstand Xia Fan's push?
Stumbling backward, her forehead happened to crash directly against the corner of the table, instantly splitting open a gash that bled profusely.
Xia Fan was startled for a moment.
However, upon second thought, he lifted his chin, feeling completely fearless.
Xiayu was no longer the Young Patriarch, but her own cousin was the close confidant of the current Young Patriarch—he had powerful backing.
Thinking of this, he picked up the tonic bowls and said coldly, "All of you, get back to work properly."
Seeing him turn to leave, Xia Yao endured the pain, struggled to her feet, and grabbed Xia Fan's sleeve.
"Those are my brother's tonics! Give them back to me!"
Xia Fan sneered, looking at Xia Yao's delicate face with a wicked grin.
"Miss Yao, if you want these tonics, sure—sleep with me for a night, and I'll satisfy all your wishes!"
"You..." Xia Yao had never heard such crude words before, and her face flushed crimson with anger.
"Hehe, Miss Yao, think about it."
As Xia Fan spoke, he leaned his face closer.
"Get lost!"
Catching the stench of his breath, Xia Yao couldn't help cursing and gave him a push.
"Ouch!"
The hot soup from the tonic spilled onto his hand.
"You bitch! I, your lord, am willing to sleep with you, and that's doing you a favor, yet you dare lay a hand on me? If I don't teach you a lesson today, my name isn't Xia Fan!"
Xia Fan set the tonics down on the table and kicked viciously at Xia Yao.
Unable to cultivate, Xia Yao had no way to dodge and was kicked sprawling onto the ground.
"I'll fuck your ancestors!"
Suddenly, a furious roar erupted.
Xiayu had arrived!
Seeing his sister kicked to the ground with blood streaming down her forehead, Xiayu's eyes instantly turned bloodshot.
"Go to hell!"
Consumed by rage, Xiayu threw a punch as fast as lightning.
Xia Fan was only at the Body Forging Realm; before he could even see the fist coming, he was struck squarely on the head.
"Bang!"
His entire skull exploded!
The headless corpse collapsed and convulsed on the ground.
"Ah! Murder!"
"Xiayu is murdering people!"
The people in the back kitchen shrieked in absolute terror.
Too lazy to pay attention to them, Xiayu scooped up his sister in his arms right away.
"Sis, are you alright?"
Xia Yao shook her head slightly and whispered, "I brewed the tonic for you..."
"Never mind any tonic right now, I'm taking you to get your wounds treated."
Running at full speed all the way back to his courtyard, Xiayu had just finished tending to his sister's wound when a loud bang echoed as the courtyard door was kicked open.
"Xiayu, get out here! In broad daylight, you actually dare to murder a fellow clansman!"
Hearing this, Xia Yao hurriedly grabbed Xiayu's hand.
"Don't go."
Xiayu said softly, "Sis, it's fine, trust me! Just lie down and rest."
Turning around, Xiayu walked out step by step.
Outside the door, the Xia Family Patriarch, the First Elder, and the Young Patriarch were all present, and even the City Lord and the heads of the other three great families had followed along.
Standing tall and upright, Xiayu said coldly, "Daring to harm my sister, he deserved to die!"
*Chapter 4: A Duel of Life and Death*
"Insolent! Audacious wretch! Guards, take him down, dead or alive!"
The First Elder roared in fury.
"Understood, First Elder."
The captain of the Xia Family guards stepped forward, pointed at Xiayu, and shouted, "Xiayu, surrender immediately!"
Xiayu glanced at him sideways and said proudly, "I, Xiayu, have fought battles for the Xia Family for ten years. When have you ever seen me surrender without a fight?"
At these words, the expressions of quite a few people turned peculiar.
Ever since Xiayu displayed his talent and became the Young Patriarch, he had led the younger generation in struggles against the other three families and had never once tasted defeat.
To the extent that many youths from the Xu, Gong, and Zhang families would turn and flee the moment they saw Xiayu.
Even the older generation feared Xiayu by three points.
Because this fellow was a complete lunatic when fighting, risking his life entirely.
"Don't waste words with him. His Dantian is already shattered, take him down!" the First Elder said coldly.
This time, Xia Yonggang, the captain of the guards, hesitated no longer. He stepped forward, curling his hand into a claw shape, and grabbed toward Xiayu.
Dragon Claw Hand!
A surge of dragon-shaped qi roared from his hand.
Carrying this violent qi, it lunged straight for Xiayu's throat.
This strike was meant to be fatal from the start.
Imperial Origin Realm!
City Lord Zhu Kang and the heads of the Xu, Gong, and Zhang families all furrowed their brows.
The captain of the Xia Family guards was formidable.
The so-called Imperial Origin Realm meant the ability to command Yuan Power, projecting Yuan Power outside the body to launch attacks, thereby maximizing the destructive power of martial arts.
Reaching the Imperial Origin Realm meant one was unquestionably an expert in Huaicheng.
Even City Lord Zhu Kang was only at the Eighth Heavenly Layer of Imperial Origin Realm.
They could all see that the Xia Family truly intended to kill Xiayu.
Standing to the side, Patriarch Xia Hongji remained completely silent—this was tacit approval.
One had to admit, the heads of the Xu, Gong, and Zhang families felt a hint of gloating in their hearts; the Xia Family cutting off its own arm was a wonderful thing.
Facing Xia Yonggang's lethal blow, Xiayu's expression remained unchanged. He took a dark breath and threw a full-force punch forward.
Immeasurable!
Xiayu dared not hold back the slightest bit; he was only at the Fifth Heavenly Layer of Gathering Origin Realm, whereas his opponent's cultivation was in the Imperial Origin Realm.
"Boom..."
A deafening crash rang out.
Unlike what Xia Yonggang had anticipated—being crushed and driven into the ground—Xiayu stood as immovable as a boulder, not budging an inch.
In an instant, the expressions of everyone present changed drastically.
Xiayu's cultivation had been restored?
Moreover, being able to take Xia Yonggang's Dragon Claw Hand qi head-on meant he was even stronger than before!
"You repaired your Dantian?" Xia Hongji could not help frowning.
He swept his spiritual sense across Xiayu's body and let out a sigh of relief.
Yet, even greater confusion arose in his heart.
"Your Dantian is still shattered, and there isn't a shred of Yuan Power in your body. How on earth did you block Yonggang's qi attack?"
Xiayu glared coldly, remaining stubbornly silent.
You want to know about my Ancestral Dragon Immeasurable Art? Keep dreaming!
The First Elder standing nearby had also been given a fright.
Hearing Xia Hongji's words, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
However, at that moment, his desire to see Xiayu dead grew even stronger.
Some matters, once initiated, must be carried through to absolute extermination!
"Xia Yonggang, what are you hesitating for? Kill him!" the First Elder commanded coldly.
"Wait!"
Just as Xia Yonggang was about to strike, Xiayu let out a sharp shout. "According to ancestral rules, anyone has the right to challenge the Young Patriarch. If someone shrinks from battle, they are unworthy of being the Young Patriarch of the Xia Clan! I now formally challenge Xia Longfei to a duel of life and death!"
"Xia Longfei, do you dare to fight me to the death?"
Pointing straight at Xia Longfei, Xiayu radiated intense battle intent.
Xia Longfei was momentarily stunned. The power of Xiayu's punch just now could not be underestimated, and he did not have a hundred percent certainty of blocking it.
However, at this moment, if he refused to accept the challenge, once he showed cowardice, his position as Young Patriarch would be finished.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard the First Elder say coldly, "A person with a shattered Dantian has no qualifications to challenge the Young Patriarch. Having murdered a fellow clansman, you are no longer worthy of being a member of the Xia Family."
Xiayu completely ignored the First Elder, fixing his gaze squarely on Xia Longfei as he said coldly, "Young Patriarch, you don't even dare accept a challenge? Are you even worthy of being the Young Patriarch?"
"Fine." Xia Longfei let out a light snort and said, "According to clan rules, I accept your challenge to make you submit wholeheartedly."
"However, not today. In fifteen days, we will meet at the Huaicheng Grand Tournament, and I will show everyone in Huaicheng who is truly fit to be the Young Patriarch of the Xia Clan."
"Good, I'll be waiting for you!" Xiayu said coldly.
Seeing this, the First Elder frowned and whispered in Xia Longfei's ear, "Young Patriarch, if we don't kill him now, it will only lead to endless trouble."
Xia Longfei cast a cold glance at the First Elder and replied indifferently, "If I don't accept his challenge, what will others think of me as the Young Patriarch?"
"But..."
"No buts. Don't you trust me?" Xia Longfei frowned.
Realizing this, the First Elder hurriedly said, "I didn't mean that."
"Then the matter is settled."
Looking at his son, Xia Hongji asked in a deep voice, "Longfei, are you confident?"
"Dad, have you forgotten about the heavenly manifestation of auspicious signs?"
Xia Hongji's eyes lit up as he smiled and said, "You mean...?"
"I don't mean anything special. I am a genius capable of triggering a heavenly manifestation. Half a month from now, my cultivation will inevitably advance further. By then, could it be that I wouldn't even be able to kill a piece of trash without a Dantian?"
"My son is entirely right."
Xia Hongji's mind was put at ease.
He cupped his fists toward the City Lord and the heads of the Li, Gong, and Zhang families, smiling as he said, "I apologize for making City Lord Zhu and the family heads laugh. It was just a small internal family matter, which has now been resolved. Please move this way, and let us have a proper drink together."
"Patriarch Xia is right, let's go, let's go have another drink." Zhu Kang also smiled and said.
The group quickly departed, and Xiayu turned back toward his room.
"Xiaoyu, are you alright?"
Inside the room, Xia Yao's eyes were filled with anxiety.
"I'm fine, Sis, don't worry!"
"Can you defeat Xia Longfei half a month from now?" Xia Yao asked.
"Sis, when has your younger brother ever lost since he was a child? Don't worry, no matter who he is, and whether I have a Dantian or not, I am invincible—let them do as they please!"
Xiayu's face was brimming with absolute confidence!
Xia Yao smiled as well.
"You, you're still just like before..." Xia Yao shook her head and said, "Remember, never push yourself blindly at any time! Some things can be endured and let go."
"Sis, you just focus on recovering from your injuries. I promise you, I will never let anyone bully our siblings ever again!"
Xia Yao nodded silently.
"Right, Sis, I plan to go out for a few days. This is a bottle of Spirit-Melting Pills; take one every night when the pain flares up."
"Where are you going?"