"Exceptional talent aside, she is also remarkably good-looking. At such a tender age, she already possesses the strength of the Rank Four Initial Stage! I wonder how Qingfeng manages to raise his children..."
Unintentionally spoken, but deeply noted.
Though Jun Ting tried to look indifferent, his ears perked right up the moment Jun Qianshan mentioned his two grandchildren.
From afar last night, he had caught a glimpse of those children. The little girl indeed looked like a fairy child who had stepped right out of a scroll. What was even rarer was how clever she was.
Word had it that she was the very one who had thrashed the men sent by the eldest branch.
The corners of Jun Ting's mouth twitched upward against his will. What a well-behaved grandchild, truly worthy of being the seed of their Jun Family!
Watching his expression from the side, Jun Qianshan saw that mention of the two children had indeed loosened the old stubborn's armor. Seizing the moment, he pressed further with a tentative probe, "How about I bring the two children over for you to take a look?"
"Look at them for what? I'm busy, no time!"
"You..."
"Enough, don't you have your own matters to attend to? Off with you, hurry up and go!"
Having heard quite enough, Jun Ting unceremoniously chased him out.
In the end, Jun Qianshan was driven out of Gusong Hall, leaving him glaring in exasperation.
This old fellow—the only hard thing about him was his stubborn mouth! He refused to believe this old codger could keep up this pretense forever!
***
What had happened on the night of the banquet quickly spread throughout the entire Jun Family.
Jun Qingfeng's family could now be considered as having officially entered everyone's field of vision.
At the same time, the reputations of Jun Jiuqi and Chiyun as two prodigies spread widely among the younger generation.
***
Chapter 17: The Martial Arts Hall
While the outside world was abuzz with discussion, Jun Qingfeng's family spent two carefree days living at ease within Quiet Pines Cottage.
Unusually, no one came to disturb them over those two days—save for Jun Qingshan.
Jun Qingshan brought the latest news from the Jun Family concerning the upcoming trial among the three great families, as well as the news that Jun Jiuqi and Chiyun would be attending the martial arts classes.
"The martial arts classes in the clan only admit disciples under the age of eighteen. Most of them are direct descendants of the Jun Family, along with a few collateral descendants of exceptional talent. You two needn't be afraid. Tomorrow, Fourth Uncle will personally escort you there. These two are from my courtyard; one is called Qingxin, and the other is called Qingying. They are guards who have followed me for a long time."
With that, the two guards stepped forward. "Greetings, Young Miss, Fourth Young Master."
"Both Qingxin and Qingying are Rank Three Warriors. Though the two of you are already at Rank Four and might not need their assistance, they know the Jun Family inside and out. If there is anything you do not understand, feel free to ask them at any time."
To send two Rank Three guards right off the bat showed just how generous Jun Qingshan was.
Putting aside their actual strength, these two guards had arrived at the most opportune moment.
As newcomers to the Jun Family, the thing Jun Jiuqi and her companions lacked most was intelligence. Having these two by her side would make it much easier for her to quickly understand the Jun Family.
Jun Qingshan did not stay long; after saying a few more words, he took his leave.
"Qingxin, Qingying?"
"This subordinate is here. What are your orders, Young Miss?"
"Can you tell me a bit about the Jun Family?"
"What would Young Miss like to know?"
Resting her porcelain-white chin on her small hand, Jun Jiuqi propped her elbows on the table. "For instance, who are the direct descendants of the Jun Family? What is the individual strength of each... Just tell me whatever you know."
Although Jun Jiuqi had already heard some details from her father, they were naturally not comprehensive enough. Besides, her father had been away from the family for fifteen years, so he was not entirely clear on recent events.
Knowing oneself and the enemy would allow her to handle whatever came her way within the Jun Family with ease.
Thus, the two guards began to recount the affairs of the Jun Family.
"The current Grand Patriarch of the Jun Family, who is also your grandfather, stepped down from the position of family head eight years ago and passed it to your eldest uncle. Your second uncle shares the same lineage as the family head. As for the Old Madam, she went to cultivate in peace at the Guanyin Temple twelve years ago and has not returned in all these years."
"The family head and his wife have two sons and a daughter: the eldest young master, Jun Zelin, is thirteen; the second young master, Jun Zechuan, is eleven; and the second young miss, Jun Ruoxia, is fifteen."
"The second master of the second branch and his wife have a son and a daughter: the third young master, Jun Zeyan, who is currently eight; and the eldest young miss, Jun Ruohan, who is sixteen."
"As for our own master, he has remained unmarried all these years, so he has no offspring of his own..."
Jun Jiuqi roughly sorted out the character lines in her mind. Counting them up, she still had two older brothers, two older sisters, and one younger brother above her, making Chiyun the youngest of them all.
The second young miss who had occupied her father's courtyard on the day of their return was none other than Jun Ruoxia, the daughter of her eldest uncle, Jun Qingya.
Qingxin and Qingying also briefly described the personalities and strengths of several members of the younger generation.
In summary, the eldest branch led by Jun Qingya and the second branch led by Jun Qingbo had been locked in a struggle for years, and their children despised one another as well. They fought day in and day out like gamecocks, never having a single day of peace.
Relying on the fact that her father was the head of the Jun Family, Jun Ruoxia was usually arrogant, domineering, selfish, and tyrannical, frequently bullying the other younger juniors.
With her two older brothers backing her up as well, she acted with complete lawlessness.
As for Jun Zechuan and Jun Zelin, it went without saying—they were utter scoundrels. Chasing cats and teasing dogs, they accomplished nothing constructive all day long and led a pack of sycophants from the collateral branches to stir up trouble everywhere.
Jun Zeyan, on the other hand, was quite diligent, but because he inherited Jun Qingbo's constitution, he fell ill frequently and his aptitude was not particularly outstanding. At present, he was only at the Rank Two Intermediate Stage, second only to Jun Zechuan and Jun Zelin.
As for the rest of the younger generation, most remained stuck at the Rank One stage.
No wonder the elders of the Jun Family were so anxious. That prodigy from the Tang Family was already a Rank Three Warrior, and even the Ji Family had produced an eighteen-year-old Rank Three junior.
Only the Jun Family was still lingering around the Rank Two realm.
That was why the Jun Family had been so stirred up upon learning of Jun Jiuqi's existence, determined by any means necessary to bring them back.
Naturally, this matter had also been approved by the Elder Hall.
At first, Jun Qingya had not been in favor of it, but later, Jun Ting must have said something to him, because Jun Qingya unexpectedly agreed and even personally sent people to Sijia Village to invite Jun Qingfeng's family back.
Yet no one had anticipated that the ones they invited back were essentially two "nuclear bombs."
Jun Jiuqi understood now; once they displayed their strength, it inevitably aroused wariness.
After all, the resources allocated to the direct descendants by the Jun Family were limited. If given to her, others would go without.
Perhaps before their return, Jun Zechuan and Jun Zelin could enjoy the finest resources, but now, they could only watch through clenched teeth as the best resources that once belonged to them ended up in these newcomers' hands.
That being the case, it would be a wonder if the juniors of the eldest and second branches were willing to accept this.
This was precisely why Jun Qingshan had specially dispatched his two guards over before they attended the martial arts classes.
A glint of amusement flashed in the depths of Jun Jiuqi's eyes. It seemed this fourth uncle of hers was not merely an idle, hedonistic wastrel who only knew how to drink and joke around.
***
The next day.
Jun Jiuqi was roused early in the morning to get dressed and groomed in preparation for the martial arts class.
Chiyun was no exception.
Still half-asleep back then, Chiyun had been dressed neatly by the maidservants and brought out to the outer room. Without even waiting for breakfast, he simply grabbed a plate of pastries, and Jun Jiuqi dragged the persistently yawning Chiyun off to the school.
The martial arts hall was located in the southern part of the Jun Family estate, and just walking there took a full quarter of an hour.
Qingxin and Qingying escorted the two of them. When they arrived at the martial arts hall, the timing was just right.
"Young Miss and Fourth Young Master may go inside. We subordinates will wait outside."
Jun Jiuqi nodded, led Chiyun into the classroom, swept her gaze across the room, and finally chose to sit at the very back by the window.
From this spot, one could see the lake outside as well as the garden.
The scenery was pleasant, the sky a clear blue with white clouds, and the sun shining brightly.
There were already quite a few disciples inside the classroom. Upon seeing the two enter, they cast probing glances in their direction.
"Are those the two from the third branch?"
"Yes, didn't everyone see them at the banquet that night?"
"We were too far away at the time to see clearly. Do you think they really possess Rank Four strength?"
"The Seventh Elder tested them personally; could it possibly be false?"
...
The crowd buzzed with discussion, and some people had already involuntarily stepped forward to exchange pleasantries.
After all, with Jun Jiuqi at eleven and Chiyun at five both possessing Rank Four strength, they were unquestionably the supreme prodigies of the Jun Family!
"How do Jiu'er and the Fourth Young Master cultivate? It's so amazing! To possess such formidable strength at such a young age!"
"That's right, in the future, Jiu'er and the Fourth Young Miss must give us some pointers..."
The attitude of the Jun Family members had undergone a complete reversal, shifting from initial disdain to present "enthusiastic hospitality."
At root, it was because the status of the two had undergone a heaven-shaking transformation.
On the Tianxuan Continent, the strong reigned supreme.
Even within the small city of Liucheng, the three great families had been engaged in open and covert struggles and plotting against one another for years.
***
Chapter 18: Beast Martial Spirit
In the hearts of these people, worshipping the strong was by no means a shameful thing, let alone prodigies who had reached Rank Four strength at such a tender age.
With such potential stocks, who couldn't weigh their value?
Faced with the "enthusiasm" of others, Jun Jiuqi's expression remained calm. She had always been a person of few words, and especially in this situation, she couldn't be bothered to entertain them.
Consequently, Chiyun took her place to socialize with those people.
If Chiyun excelled at nothing else, transforming into human form meant he possessed an absolute "social butterfly" syndrome—he could chat with anyone.
Moreover, with his chubby, tiger-cub features and two little canine teeth that showed when he smiled, he looked utterly adorable and was particularly effective at charming others.
Before long, he was welcomed by the crowd and mingling seamlessly with everyone.
"Chiyun, why doesn't Jiu'er speak? She seems a bit aloof, doesn't she?"
"My sister is just like that. She woke up way too early today, so she doesn't have much energy..."
"Ah, I see."
...
Jun Jiuqi gave a lazy yawn and rested her chin on her hand as she gazed out the window.
At that moment, the surroundings suddenly grew quiet.
It turned out that Jun Zechuan and Jun Zelin had arrived, followed by a woman dressed in a bright yellow long dress. Her facial features were radiant and pretty, though the arrogance in her brows and eyes ruined her original beauty.
The moment the three of them entered, the classroom instantly fell silent.
Seeing other disciples gathered around Jun Jiuqi and Chiyun, Jun Zelin's expression darkened instantly.
"Oh, who did I think it was? Aren't these my genius third sister and fourth younger brother? After cooping yourselves up in Quiet Pines Cottage for so long, you've finally decided to show your faces?"
Jun Zelin glared unfriendlier at Jun Jiuqi. With a sideways glance from him, the other Jun Family disciples who had been lingering around scattered in a flash.
"You've just arrived at the school, so perhaps you don't understand—this place is run by me!"
Jun Zelin threatened them through gritted teeth, his gaze fixed on Jun Jiuqi as if it could breathe fire.
"If you want to live out your days in peace, you'd better tuck your tails between your legs and behave yourselves! Otherwise, I'll make you understand the consequences of offending me!"
Because Jun Jiuqi had not dealt a fatal blow during their previous clash, Jun Zelin and Jun Zechuan had quickly recovered under the nourishment of pill-like medicines flowing in like water.
They had also learned that Jun Jiuqi had ignited four beast fire platforms.
Even so, Jun Zelin and Jun Zechuan remained thoroughly unconvinced, believing that losing to Jun Jiuqi at the banquet earlier was merely due to a momentary lapse in judgment.
Besides, their father was the head of the Jun Family!
They could walk sideways across the entire Jun Family; these two bumpkins from the countryside had better not even think about acting arrogantly in front of him!
Hearing Jun Zelin's words made Chiyun's fists harden.
He just wanted to smash a fist right into that unappreciative, ignorant face!
When he, the Prison Bull, was slaughtering all directions, this punk didn't even know where his soul was being reincarnated!
At the crucial moment, Jun Jiuqi grasped Chiyun's itching fist. With a smiling expression, she looked toward Jun Zelin. "Eldest Brother, look over there?"
Jun Jiuqi raised her porcelain-white hand and pointed in a certain direction. Jun Zelin instinctively looked over and saw that, at some unknown point, a dark-faced instructor was standing at the doorway.
"Oh no! Instructor Zhuang is here!"
The disciples scattered like birds and beasts, hurriedly scrambling back to their respective seats.
Jun Zelin started, a look of guilty panic flashing across his face.
For the person who had arrived was none other than Instructor Zhuang, the most rigorous instructor in their martial arts hall, renowned by the moniker "Black Whirlwind." Cold, strict, and decisive in his methods, all the students feared him.
Even scoundrels like Jun Zelin and Jun Zechuan felt a healthy degree of apprehension toward this instructor who pandered to no one.
Not only was Instructor Zhuang the top instructor of the entire martial arts hall, but he was also a Rank Six Warrior.
His strength within the Jun Family was second only to the Seventh Elder.
Back when Jun Ting was in power, he had personally spent a high price to poach him from Shengting Academy.
Anyone on the Tianxuan Continent knew that Shengting Academy was the premier, supreme institution of higher learning on the continent.
It was the dream destination for all clan disciples and profound cultivators alike. Boasting the strongest teaching faculty, many renowned figures across the continent hailed from this academy.
It could truly be said to represent the highest-tier academy of the Tianxuan Continent.
Poaching someone from such a place must have taken a great deal of effort.
Therefore, even arrogant individuals like Jun Zelin and Jun Zechuan dared not act presumptuously in front of him.
With a rigid expression, Zhuang Sheng walked into the room, followed by two other instructors.
"What time do you think it is? Still making a din? Hurry up and get back to your seats!"
As a pair of stern eyes swept across the room, Jun Zelin immediately returned to his seat without a word and sat down obediently, though before leaving, he did not forget to glare fiercely at Jun Jiuqi.
This wretch had definitely done it on purpose!
She saw the instructor coming and didn't even bother to warn him!
Indeed, Jun Jiuqi had done it on purpose. Before coming to the martial hall, she had already inquired about the personnel there from Qingying and Qingxin.
Especially the instructors.
Naturally, Qingying and Qingxin had specifically mentioned this iron-fisted, uncompromising, and cold Zhuang Sheng. They had also noted that what he detested most was students intentionally stirring up trouble and acting lawlessly by virtue of their status.
It was said that Jun Zechuan and Jun Zelin had even been disciplined by him when they first arrived. Jun Jiuqi had also learned of Instructor Zhuang's background, which roughly explained why he did not fear the status of Jun Zechuan and Jun Zelin as the eldest branch's direct descendants.
Standing on the podium, Zhuang Sheng swept his gaze over the disciples in the room, his eyes lingering briefly on Jun Jiuqi and Chiyun in the back before quickly looking away.
In a stern voice, he declared, "The three-family trial is right around the corner, yet you are all this undisciplined? How do you expect to win first place in the trial?"
The hall fell silent; faced with the thunderous pressure of the Black Whirlwind, no one dared to utter a word.
"Today's *Tiger Roaring Art*—no one is leaving until you reach the third tier!"
As soon as these words were spoken, a chorus of wails erupted across the hall!
We're finished!
The Black Whirlwind is keeping them past class time again!
Not only was class running late, but there was also a actual combat lesson today; without losing a layer of skin, they probably wouldn't be walking away.
Soon, the time for the practical combat lesson arrived.
All the disciples gathered in the martial training ground, releasing their beast martial spirits.
For a time, roars of tigers echoed endlessly across the grounds as various clawing and pouncing beast forms manifested.
Jun Jiuqi glanced over them, and her interest immediately waned.
Chiyun curled his lip. Just this?
It wasn't that he looked down on these people, but the tiger-form materializations of this bunch of brats could be blown away by a casual sneeze from him.
"You two, why aren't you moving?"
At that moment, Zhuang Sheng walked over to Jun Jiuqi and Chiyun. Chiyun scratched his head, momentarily at a loss for words.
He couldn't very well say that this was their first time opening their tiger beast martial spirits and they wanted to use others as a reference, could he?
Before deciding to return to the Jun Family, Jun Jiuqi had made thorough preparations. This included the Jun Family's unique tiger beast martial spirit; she had studied "Metamorphic Illusion," which allowed her to materialize spiritual energy into a tiger beast form, so this was no difficult task.
Chiyun was the same.
There was only one point that needed deliberation: what kind of tiger beast should they manifest?
As a beast martial spirit evolved alongside one's strength, it would change accordingly. Jun Jiuqi had seen her father's beast martial spirit, and then on the night she returned to the Jun Family, she had laid eyes on two others, after which she saw no more.
She had never witnessed those of the younger generation, so she wanted to observe today before making a decision.
After all, if a flaw were inadvertently exposed, all their previous efforts would be wasted.
"Could it be that you don't know how? Or is there some secret you're hiding from us?"
"Could your cultivation actually be fake? Did you use some kind of illusion trick that night?"
From not far away came the jeers of Jun Zelin and Jun Zechuan, and instantly, suspicious gazes from the students were cast toward them.
***
Chapter 19: Mutation
Jun Zelin and Jun Zechuan were not about to let go of an opportunity to mock them. Jun Jiuqi blinked her distinct, black-and-white eyes and looked up at Zhuang Sheng.
Meeting that pair of watery peach-blossom eyes, the sternness in Zhuang Sheng's brows and eyes softened somewhat.
"Don't be nervous. Just release your martial spirit beasts the way you usually do; it doesn't matter even if you fail."
Zhuang Sheng tried his best to communicate with them in a gentle tone. After all, Jun Jiuqi was a girl from a small place, and Chiyun was the youngest child in the entire classroom.
Zhuang Sheng was concerned whether they would even understand what he was saying.
To his surprise, the very next second, the little calf-like kid beside her let out an explosive shout and stomped his right foot to the side, opening up a stance.
White spiritual energy surged from all around his body, and accompanied by a booming sound, a two-meter-tall tiger beast materialized behind him.
The tiger beast was snow-white and majestic.
A spiritual pressure belonging to the Rank Four realm diffused through the air.
Without a word, Jun Jiuqi directly unleashed her beast martial spirit as well, and a pitch-black tiger beast emerged.
Its physique was lean and fierce, its four limbs thick and powerfully built. It stepped gracefully beside her, its long tail flicking lightly, and a pair of ice-blue eyes exuded a sense of nobility and laziness.
The same Rank Four spiritual pressure spread outward. The appearance of the two tiger beasts—one white and one black—instantly caused the nearby tiger beasts in the surroundings to tremble in terror. Some couldn't even maintain their materialized forms, shattering with a loud pop.
Consequently, the disciple attached to it tumbled backward onto his backside, shaken so hard by the Rank Four pressure that he couldn't collect his wits for a long time.
Staring at the tiger beast martial spirits they had unleashed, Zhuang Sheng's eyes widened in shock.
The other instructors hurried over as well.
"How could it be a black tiger beast? For nearly a century, no black tiger beast has ever appeared in the Jun Family."
"Could it be a mutated tiger beast?"
"Does this fourth young master's tiger beast seem even larger than ordinary ones?"
"Strange, is it my imagination? Why does it feel like these two tiger beasts are more solid and three-dimensional?"
...
Zhuang Sheng's voice rang out, "It is not your imagination. They have reached the 'Corporeal Realm'."
"The Corporeal Realm?!"
"But isn't that something that can only be achieved with strength at Rank Five and above?"
The other instructors were astounded.
The students also craned their necks to look. Listening to the instructors' dialogue, the expressions of Jun Zechuan and Jun Zelin gradually turned unsightly.
The Corporeal Realm was the manifestation of a further advancement in the materialization of a beast martial spirit.
Specifically, it manifested as the beast martial spirit condensing not merely "energy," but a genuine beast form. Unlike those below Rank Five, who could only condense an "illusory shadow"—which could not leave the host's body farther than a three-meter radius, or else its power would be weakened until its form could no longer be sustained and it dissipated—
A condensed physical entity was entirely different. One could control the beast martial spirit from a distance to engage in combat, and not only would its offensive power increase, but its destructive might would also multiply exponentially.