C13 Yuan City Genius

"You've crossed the line, and now you're trying to hurt someone? Is this how the Qian City Yuan Family operates?"

Yuan Zheng confronted Yuan Ding, gazing directly into his eyes without a hint of fear.

Yuan Ding's gaze sharpened, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Physical Body Perfection?"

"Heh! It figures. In your minor branch families, you might be considered a master, but to us in the Qian City Yuan Family, you're nothing special."

"So, you're the one who inflicted the injury? Excellent."

"You've got guts to show yourself. I'll stand by my words."

"Leave behind an arm today, and I, Yuan Ding, will consider the matter closed."

"Otherwise, the wrath of the Qian City Yuan Family is not something you can withstand!"

Yuan Zheng, never one to be meek, bristled at the threat. To suggest he sever his own arm was a direct insult.

He retorted, "You fool! Does the Qian City Yuan Family throw reason to the wind?! You want me to cut off my own arm? I'll take you down first!"

With a roar of rage, Yuan Zheng's Genuine Qi burst forth, and a large blade materialized in his hand, his presence intensifying.

"Boy, you think I'm going to break my own arm?"

"If you're so capable, come and take it yourself!"

"Today, we'll see who ends up losing an arm!"

Yuan Ding's expression turned dark with fury, blade in hand, glaring at Yuan Zheng, seething with anger.

"Think you're unbeatable because you've achieved Physical Body Perfection?"

"I've just killed another like you not long ago. Today, I'll show you again that warriors of our level in my family are beyond your wildest dreams!"

In a flash, Yuan Ding dismounted and faced Yuan Zheng with a malicious grin.

"Old man, don't accuse me of being excessive. Surrender and bow now, and you might escape with a lesson. Wait any longer, and it won't just be an arm at stake!"

"Empty words prove nothing."

Yuan Zheng stepped forward, fixing Yuan Ding with a cold stare, silent.

Yuan Ding's eyes gleamed with deadly intent, his lips curling into a slight smile. In a heartbeat, his Genuine Qi of Celestial Martial Level Nine was unleashed.

A cacophony of crackles erupted within his body, reminiscent of a fierce beast snapping into consciousness. Yuan Ding's Genuine Qi burst forth, his aura skyrocketing, nearly reaching the verge of Physical Body Perfection. His eyes were wide with fury, the murderous intent within them almost tangible.

To his surprise, it was Earth Level Martial Arts!

Yuan Zheng's face subtly shifted, his pupils constricting.

Tiger's Roar!

In a flash, Yuan Ding's speed soared to its zenith, his blade cleaving through the air, sending a chill towards his opponent. It was as though a ferocious tiger had pounced.

The might of the Earth Level Martial Arts allowed Yuan Ding, merely at Level Nine, to unleash a force nearing the Physical Body Perfection Stage.

Indeed, possessing Earth Level Martial Arts made overcoming higher levels a feasible task.

The Main Bloodline indeed had its depths; a casual display was Earth Level Martial Arts. Yuan Zheng, despite his many years as village chief, had only mastered Human Level Martial Arts.

Yuan Zheng took only a moment to ponder before solidifying his resolve. His body had already achieved Physical Body Perfection. Though his Genuine Qi wasn't as wild as his opponent's, he stood firm, as if one with the earth itself.

"Earth Splitting Slash!"

Yuan Zheng's strike was as grounded and formidable as the earth.

He did not opt for mere defense; instead, he preempted with an offensive strike.

With a powerful stomp, the ground quaked as if it were about to split, the tremor resonating through the air!

Clang!

The sound of metal meeting metal rang out as they engaged in close combat.

With another clang, they were both sent reeling backward.

"Is this all you have at Physical Body Perfection? Within ten moves, I'll have you chopped into mincemeat!" Yuan Ding taunted, his laugh growing more boisterous. At Celestial Martial Level Nine, he was holding his own against Yuan Zheng at Physical Body Perfection, and his arrogance swelled.

Yuan Zheng's face darkened, but he did not succumb to rage, merely observing Yuan Ding with a cold detachment.

Yuan Ding's gaze sharpened as he realized that Yuan Zheng was not baited by his taunts.

Yuan Zheng's extensive combat experience meant that such tactics hardly caught his eye.

Yuan Ding's Earth Level Martial Arts were undeniably potent, yet they also significantly drained his own energy. If he couldn't swiftly defeat Yuan Zheng, his own prospects would be grim.

After a brief exchange of blows, Yuan Ding recognized that his opponent's martial arts were vastly inferior to his own.

Nonetheless, Yuan Zheng's decades of combat experience meant that finding a flaw in his technique was no easy task.

Defeating him quickly was not as straightforward as Yuan Ding had anticipated.

Still, Yuan Ding maintained his belief that Earth Level Martial Arts were incomparable to any Mortal Level Martial Arts.

In terms of both power and skill, he was confident he could defeat Yuan Zheng within ten strikes.

"Stop!"

As Yuan Ding was gearing up for an all-out effort, a young voice suddenly rang out, arresting his self-assured expression.

The one who called out to Yuan Ding was a boy of about ten, sharply dressed and sitting astride a horse with an air of pride in his expression.

Despite his youth, the boy's appearance immediately captured everyone's attention.

He shone like the brightest pearl, his radiance impossible to conceal.

Yuan Ling also took notice of the boy, his eyes revealing a flash of astonishment.

He discovered that the boy had already opened up nine meridians—Martial Artist Level Nine!

Yuan Ling couldn't help but be amazed. In his previous life, this level was insignificant.

But in the present, the boy was undoubtedly a rare genius!

He must be one of the two prodigies from Qian City that the village chief had mentioned before.

Yet now, he appeared even more formidable than the rumors suggested, likely to outshine all other contenders from the Yuan family.

Upon seeing the boy on the horse, Yuan Ling was surprised but not bewildered.

He had the confidence to achieve Physical Body Perfection within a year without any external assistance.

After all, it was merely nine meridians—hardly worth excessive astonishment.

The youth seemed accustomed to being the center of attention and didn't notice Yuan Ling's nonchalant expression amidst the crowd.

Even if he had, it wouldn't have mattered to him. Like a star enthroned in the heavens, he was unconcerned with the thoughts of mere mortals.

The young boy's face bore an expression of arrogance as he scanned the children from Yuan Village and Essence Wood Village with his eyes. Throughout the entire ordeal, his gaze remained emotionless, as if he were merely observing roadside weeds, effortlessly dismissing them.

Eventually, the boy's attention settled on the village chief, his brow furrowing. "This is odd. This fellow seems much more formidable than the previous one," he mused.

The village chief stared back at the youth in astonishment. As an expert of the Hidden Consciousness Stage, he could immediately discern the young man's true level. His mouth twitched slightly, and he spoke with a hint of bitterness, "At such a young age, he has already opened up nine meridians. It seems he's destined to become the foremost figure in the Yuan family."

"No way!?" came the incredulous responses.

"How old is he, to have opened up nine meridians already!?"

"The village chief must be spouting nonsense. This guy's only about my age; how could that be possible!?" The children from both villages expressed their disbelief, refusing to accept the village chief's claim.

An air of supreme arrogance washed over the boy's face, completely disregarding the town children's opinions. He simply frowned at Yuan Ding and demanded, "What exactly is happening here?"

Yuan Ding, who had lost all traces of his earlier haughtiness, quickly bowed his head and answered with respect, "Young Master, someone knocked Yuan Li unconscious. We came to ask questions, but they were uncooperative and even dared to clash with us!"

"And Yuan Li's condition?" the boy inquired, turning to look at the still unconscious Yuan Li, his frown deepening.

The investigator, clearly panicked, replied, "Reporting to the Young Lord, he's merely fainted. It's nothing serious."

The boy let out a disdainful snort. "Useless as a wall of wet mud. I only asked him to show the way, and he's managed to create such a mess. At this rate, we probably won't make it to Yuan Town by noon."

Yuan Ding, with a furrowed brow, asked, "Young Master, what do we do now?"

The youth dismissed the concern with a casual wave of his hand. "Do you know the way to Yuan Town? If not, then just stand aside and keep quiet. Everyone, stay in line—I have no intention of spending the night out here in the wild."

After being chastised by a child, Yuan Ding showed no signs of dissatisfaction and respectfully stepped aside.

The boy gave the village chief a warm smile. "Elder, my entourage lacks proper etiquette. May we accompany you to Yuan Town?"

The village chief's brow furrowed. Despite the youth's friendly demeanor, he was worldly enough not to be charmed by mere appearances. The laughter was merely a tactic to foster a sense of closeness and lower one's guard. So mature for his age – could he truly be just ten?

Taking a deep breath, the village chief asked, "You don't know the way to Yuan Town?"

The boy let out a sigh. "My father sent me here alone as a form of training. I assumed my men, having been here before, would know the route. But to my dismay, the snow led us astray, and we've been delayed in this bitter cold for far too long."

Ultimately, the village chief agreed to guide them. They were all headed to Yuan Town, and it seemed a reasonable way to defuse the tension. Despite his growing animosity toward the Qian City Yuan Family, he recognized the futility in opposing them given the vast disparity in their strengths.

The boy's smile was faint, as if he had anticipated the village chief's decision. He soon rejoined his company on horseback. The group of haughty young knights, including Yuan Ding, followed suit, albeit reluctantly.

Riding up to the boy, Yuan Ding probed, "Young Master, why didn't you allow us to give them a taste of their own medicine?"

The boy cast a sidelong glance at his protector and replied coolly, "Haven't you noticed the oddity? Yuan Li was clearly knocked unconscious by a palm strike, yet our recent opponent chose to wield a knife. If I'm not mistaken, the man we spoke with is the one who injured Yuan Li. I suspect he's a martial artist of the Hidden Consciousness Stage. Had you attacked him with full force, you might have suffered the same fate as Yuan Li."

"What?! The Hidden Consciousness Stage!"

Yuan Ding was in a state of panic, quickly turning his head to look at the village chief with a mix of shock and uncertainty.

Following the recent tumultuous events, everyone had lost their appetite for food.

They began to pack their gear, ready to embark on their journey.

Yuan Ling and the other children, of course, were spared from these preparations and soon returned to their respective carriages.

Upon entering the carriage, Yuan Mu was visibly downcast.

For him, the recent events were incredibly rare, occurring perhaps once in a century. And to think, all because he had muttered a single sentence, he had nearly lost his life.

"Damn it! These guys act as if they're the emperor himself, each more arrogant than the last. It's infuriating!"

Yuan Mu's rant didn't reflect someone who had just narrowly escaped a dire situation.

"You should really watch your mouth. If you hadn't been so reckless with your words, none of this would have happened."

Had Yuan Ling not stepped in to take the hit for him, Yuan Mu might not have been so lucky.

Despite his young age, Yuan Mu was quite sharp-witted; his only issue was his tendency to speak without thinking.

Aware of his fault, Yuan Mu quickly expressed his gratitude.

"Thanks a lot. I'll stick by you from now on."

"We're all from the same town, and we're not that different in age. Try to hold your tongue a bit more in the future."

Yuan Mu was somewhat sheepish.

"I know, but these people are truly despicable, bullying us kids when they're so much older."

"Now that I think about it, the village chief was really impressive earlier. He completely quashed those people's arrogance. How did we not realize before that the village chief was so skilled?"

"What are you two discussing?"

Yuan Sang, who had been sitting quietly to the side, suddenly turned to look at them.

"Huh!? You didn't catch any of that just now?"

A bewildered Yuan Sang quickly turned to Yuan Ling.

"Did something significant happen?"

Yuan Ling stared at Yuan Sang in disbelief. The recent skirmish had been loud and intense; how could he have missed it?

While meditation can lead to a state of self-forgetfulness, Yuan Sang's level of cultivation shouldn't have allowed him to be so oblivious.