C9 Seeking Death

"Grandpa Mayor, how much longer do we have to walk?"

"Grandpa Mayor, if we undergo the baptism, can we become experts too?"

The mayor made his appearance, accompanied by Yuan Kong, who wore a look of sheer pride.

Yuan Kong held his head high, almost as if he wished he could radiate light and draw everyone's attention to himself.

Unfortunately for him, all eyes were on the mayor, and Yuan Kong, standing by his side, was inadvertently overlooked.

A little girl, about eight years old, approached with a face brimming with excitement.

"Grandpa Mayor, my brother used to progress slowly in his training and was often scolded by dad for being useless. But since returning from the baptism, his cultivation has been like child's play. In just a few years, he's reached the Earth Martial Stage, much faster than before. Grandpa Mayor, do you think Little Xin will turn into a genius like her brother after her baptism?"

"My brother? That's nothing. My sister's cultivation is way faster. She reached the Celestial Martial Stage two years ago. And she's the same age as your brother!"

Yuan Kong, feeling snubbed, grew a bit irritated. Not waiting for the mayor to respond, he jumped in to boast about his sister, beaming with pride as though her achievements were his own.

Yuan Mu sat to the side, watching Yuan Tian with a dismissive sneer. "It's your sister, not you. What's there for you to be proud of?"

Yuan Ling watched their squabble with a slight smile. Due to some mysterious memories, he possessed a maturity nearly on par with an adult's. Observing Yuan Kong and the others' childish antics, he found them more amusing than anything.

However, Yuan Ling was more interested in the mayor.

Had it not been for the events of the previous night, he would never have imagined the village chief to be a master of the Hidden Consciousness Stage.

The hierarchy of martial artists begins with the Houtian Stage, where one tempers the physical body until reaching the Innate Stage, followed by the enigmatic Hidden Consciousness Stage, and then the realm of cultivating divine powers and the soul.

That the village chief of a small hamlet was a warrior of the Hidden Consciousness Stage was utterly astounding.

The village chief now seemed to have completely forgotten the previous night's occurrences, his gaze as benevolent and gentle as ever.

"Our Xiao Xin is definitely a genius; Grandpa has always been convinced of that."

"Hee hee hee! Grandpa is right, Xiao Xin is a genius!"

The little girl's face lit up with a smile.

The village chief surveyed the children and said warmly, "The weather's good today; we should arrive by noon. You'd better brace yourselves—the baptism isn't as easy as you think, and you might find it quite tough."

Yuan Kong confidently patted his chest and boasted, "Rest assured, Village Chief. It's merely a minor baptism. I, Yuan Kong, am certain to be the most triumphant!"

"Oh, really? You're unaware, aren't you? I've heard that this baptism involves being put into a cauldron to boil. Young Master Yuan Kong, so sure of yourself, do you already know how to handle it?"

Yuan Mu chimed in, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he eyed the overly confident Yuan Kong.

"What?"

"They're going to cook us in a cauldron!?"

"No way, that can't be true!"

"That's got to be Yuan Mu, that liar, making stuff up!"

Yuan Mu's words sent a wave of shock through the children, and they could almost visualize themselves being tossed into scalding water.

Their faces turned ashen in an instant.

"Hmph! Yuan Mu, where did you get such an idea?" Yuan Kong, though pale, stared down Yuan Mu with a disdainful tone, as if reprimanding a subordinate.

Yuan Mu just frowned.

He had never cared for Yuan Kong and now simply closed his mouth and gazed skyward, pretending not to hear him.

Yuan Kong's expression grew stern as he coldly huffed.

"I'm talking to you. Who told you that?"

Finally, Yuan Mu looked back, feigning surprise at Yuan Kong's presence.

"And you are? Do you think I'm obliged to answer every question you ask?"

A cold smirk crossed Yuan Kong's face.

His gaze fixed on Yuan Mu, he taunted, "Oh, spending a bit of time with these nobodies, and now you think you can ignore me? Are you asking for trouble?"

As the tension rose between the two, the other children buzzed with anticipation.

In Yuan Village, martial prowess was the norm, and even the youngest children were no strangers to a scuffle. The excitement was palpable.

"Hit him!"

"Yeah, get him, do it now!"

Yuan Ling cast a puzzled glance at Yuan Kong. Despite his claims of wanting to discipline Yuan Mu, Yuan Kong's gaze kept darting towards Yuan Ling.

It appeared that teaching Yuan Mu a lesson was just a pretense; Yuan Ling was the actual target. Yet, it was odd because ever since Yuan Ling had been struck with a wooden sword, Yuan Kong hadn't shown any interest in confronting him directly, preferring to badmouth others from behind. Today, however, it seemed Yuan Kong was ready to take matters into his own hands.

Something was definitely amiss, prompting Yuan Ling to scrutinize Yuan Kong more closely.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed.

"So, you've broken through the second meridian and are looking to settle old scores today."

Yuan Ling shook his head. Having survived a battle to the death and a near-possession, he had gained considerable experience.

Though it was mostly in the art of survival, he was no longer the same person.

Dealing with these youngsters seemed beneath him now.

Yuan Kong's unexpected challenge startled Yuan Mu, but he quickly realized that Yuan Kong had made a breakthrough.

Knowing that with his single meridian he was no match and would only end up getting beaten, Yuan Mu wisely chose to stay silent.

"Hmph! What a coward!"

Yuan Mu's easy submission disappointed the other kids, but they weren't really surprised. Even though Yuan Mu was generally upbeat, he was known for going whichever way the wind blew.

Yet, Yuan Mu's backing down did little to satisfy Yuan Kong. His newly opened meridian had him brimming with confidence.

Now eager to assert his dominance, Yuan Mu's retreat did nothing to dampen his spirits.

"Are you ignoring me? What, are you mute?"

Yuan Kong lifted his chin, giving Yuan Mu a contemptuous look full of challenge.

Everyone has their breaking point, and Yuan Mu was no exception, but he managed to keep his temper in check.

In the past, he might have stood a chance against Yuan Kong, but now, with Yuan Kong's second meridian open, he knew he was outclassed.

To continue resisting would only lead to inevitable pain.

Yuan Mu wasn't foolish. If he hesitated to strike, surely he wouldn't hold back his words?

"I posed a question to you, and you didn't respond. Are you deaf?"

Yuan Mu stared at Yuan Kong incredulously, as if he had just come to the realization that Yuan Kong might actually be deaf.

"You're asking for trouble!"

Yuan Kong's expression turned grim. In a fit of anger, he drew the wooden sword from his waist.

"How dare you ridicule me? Let's see how I handle you!"

With those words, a menacing grin spread across Yuan Kong's face. He lunged forward, his wooden sword piercing through the air.

"Die!"

His sword moved with incredible speed, closing in on Yuan Mu in an instant.

This was the Yuan family's foundational sword technique—simple yet focused on speed, precision, and ferocity.

Its essence was to deliver a lethal blow.

"Pathetic..."

Yuan Ling spotted a multitude of weaknesses the moment Yuan Kong launched his attack. From his footwork to his swordplay, flaws were everywhere.

The essential qualities of speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness were only marginally met in terms of speed.

But since he had already opened two meridians, the momentum behind his sword was decent, enough to intimidate the other children at least.

Yuan Ling felt confident he could evade such an attack even with his eyes closed.

Yuan Mu, however, was taken aback. He hadn't expected Yuan Kong to actually follow through with such a ferocious move.

Caught off guard, he turned ashen, frozen in place, completely forgetting to evade.

"Die!"

A flash of brutality swept through Yuan Kong's eyes as his wooden sword aimed straight for the chest. The force behind the thrust was so fierce that, were it to land, Yuan Mu would be gravely injured, if not dead.

Yuan Ling, who was standing right next to Yuan Mu, saw that Yuan Kong showed no signs of restraint and frowned in disapproval.

His own wooden sword sprang from his waist in an instant!

Genuine Qi burst forth from the newly opened Desire Aperture within his Dantian, channeling into the wooden sword like a bolt of lightning.

As the Genuine Qi flowed, Yuan Ling felt an indescribable ease wash over him.

The Horned Dragon Sword Spell was executed flawlessly.

"The strange discomfort has vanished, and..."

Yuan Ling noticed that Yuan Kong's lightning-fast sword thrust seemed to slow down before his eyes.

"Could this be the miraculous effect of the Acupoint?"

A surge of excitement passed through Yuan Ling's heart, yet his grip on the wooden sword remained steady.

Despite being made of wood, the sword, influenced by the technique, suddenly moved like a serpent, twisting and coiling around Yuan Kong's sword.

The Horned Dragon Sword Scripture had reached the initial mastery of the Sword Transformation Technique!

Yuan Ling was inwardly thrilled. True to the cultivation technique focused on Acupoints, unlocking one had significantly enhanced the power of his swordsmanship.

"Thud!"

Wood clacked against wood, and Yuan Kong's expression changed dramatically. He felt as if his sword had struck nothingness, devoid of any resistance, an unsettling sensation that nearly made him sick.

Meanwhile, Yuan Ling's face bore a cold smirk as he effortlessly withdrew his sword.

Like a snake retracting swiftly, his wooden sword pulled Yuan Kong toward him.

Crash!

With decisive action, Yuan Ling extended his foot and sent the stumbling Yuan Kong flying several meters.

The spectacle left the group of children with eyes wide and faces etched with disbelief.

They had heard rumors of Yuan Kong's defeat to Yuan Ling, but witnessing it firsthand was another matter entirely.

Yuan Mu, the first to snap out of the shock, stared at the airborne Yuan Kong, his face etched with relief.

"Thank goodness for you, Yuan Ling. If not for you, that sword could have had me bedridden for who knows how long. I've made up my mind; from this moment on, you're my big brother. You've got to have my back from now on!"

"I will kill you!"

Yuan Kong, like a wounded beast, clutched his wooden sword and sprang to his feet.

The Genuine Qi within his two meridians burst forth, propelling him beyond his normal speed in an instant.

With a hum, the wooden sword came slashing down, generating a whistling through the air, its speed now doubled from before.

A cold smirk played at the corner of Yuan Ling's mouth as he thrust his wooden sword forward in a flash.

"Ah!"

Yuan Kong was sent flying once more, his wooden sword knocked out of his grasp.

"Damn!"

Yuan Mu watched, his eyes wide with shock. Yuan Kong had opened two meridians, yet he seemed utterly defenseless against Yuan Ling.

"What a powerhouse! That's just too intense!"

"Ah, I'll kill you!"

Somehow, Yuan Kong found the courage to struggle to his feet and charge at Yuan Ling recklessly.

"Enough, stop it. You're no match for him!"

The Village Chief suddenly stepped in front of Yuan Ling.

With a sweep of his sleeve, he effortlessly caught the charging Yuan Kong. A surge of powerful energy enveloped Yuan Kong, immobilizing him completely.

Accustomed to a life of luxury, Yuan Kong's temper flared, and he was ready to lash out at the Village Chief.

But one look at the Village Chief's indifferent gaze sent a chill down his spine, and he deflated like a balloon, his spirit withering away.

The Village Chief's brow furrowed. He had witnessed the entire scene. While he didn't oppose the young people of the village sparring and learning from one another—in fact, he encouraged it—he took issue with Yuan Kong's reckless aggression, not taking into account the significant disparity in their abilities.

With a flick of his wrist, the Village Chief tossed the subdued Yuan Kong to the ground and turned to address the other children.

"In this village, we're all one people. I won't insist on unity, but when sparring amongst yourselves, you must exercise restraint. Ignoring the differences in strength and engaging in senseless brawls—if this were a real fight, it would be tantamount to seeking your own demise!"