C8 It Was so Infuriating

Hu Bubai had no sons, only a daughter named Hu Xiangsi. Not yet twenty years old, she had already reached the Seventh Heaven in the Body Tempering Realm, making her the strongest and most renowned among the Hu family's younger generation. Despite being a woman, she commanded respect from countless men.

However, that was the past. Tomorrow, Hu Bugui would formally adopt Nan Xi as his foster daughter and inscribe her name into the Hu family genealogy. Nan Xi was set to surpass Hu Xiangsi as the most exceptional prodigy among the young members of the Hu family.

Nan Xi was even younger, yet she had advanced to the Ninth Heaven of the Body Tempering Realm.

The comparison of their strengths was clear.

Hu Xiangsi had been observing Nan Xi, puzzled as to how someone younger, with less time spent cultivating and fewer resources due to her status as a servant girl, could have achieved a martial arts realm two levels higher than hers. The Body Tempering Realm consisted of nine heavens; surely, advancing two heavens was no small feat.

Hu Xiangsi, with her delicate beauty and grace, frowned as she watched Hu Nao berate her father, Hu Bubai. Her expression turned stern as she said icily, "Cousin Hu Nao, it's utterly disrespectful and reckless for someone of your generation to speak to an elder in such a manner. I insist you apologize to my father at once. We may be cousins, but if you refuse, I won't hesitate to take action against you in front of our entire family, leaving you without dignity."

Her self-control was evidently far superior to Hu Nao's; even in the grip of anger, she managed to maintain her composure and offer an out.

Hu Nao, for his part, would have preferred to avoid a confrontation with someone like her. But today's matter involved his father, Hu Bugui, and he couldn't back down. With a resigned sigh, he said, "I suggest you don't get involved. Otherwise, don't blame me if I forget..."

He parroted Hu Xiangsi's tone, throwing her own words back at her.

Hu Xiangsi was taken aback.

So were the rest of the onlookers.

The meeting hall was filled with hundreds of experts, all of whom could sense that Hu Nao's physique had significantly improved. He had advanced to the Fifth Heaven of Body Tempering, a level that would make him a formidable figure in a smaller family, capable of managing the family business on his own.

Yet, in an elite household like the Hu family, the Fifth Heaven simply didn't cut it. One had to reach the Sixth Heaven to stand out.

At the Fifth Heaven, one could take on a hundred opponents. The Sixth Heaven involved transforming vital essence into energy. This essence, the very substance of the human body, including lifeblood, bones, and meridians, was refined into something akin to a powerful, energy-filled balloon, ready to unleash devastating force.

The Seventh Heaven took it further, merging energy and spirit. Breath and mind became one, allowing for power to be harnessed and directed effortlessly, far surpassing the strength of the Sixth Heaven.

So, it was baffling to everyone why Hu Nao, who had yet to reach such heights, would so boldly challenge Hu Xiangsi, a practitioner of the Seventh Heaven.

"Ahahahaha, Xiangsi, since Hu Nao is so brazen, why not give him a lesson? It's certainly not a case of the strong preying on the weak!"

"Exactly. Does this kid think that being the Patriarch's son gives him the right to do as he pleases? Out there, challenging a Seventh Heaven expert would have been a death wish."

"This young man is quite the wastrel. It's clear that our Patriarch's guidance leaves much to be desired."

The younger members of the family began to taunt, seizing the opportunity to also take a swipe at Patriarch Hu Bugui.

Enraged, Hu Nao addressed Hu Xiangsi with a defiant tone, "Cousin, my patience has its limits. Out of respect for our familial bond, I'll give you three breaths' time to reconsider. If you persist in your delusion, don't blame me for the loss of your dignity."

Everyone, including Hu Xiangsi, was left speechless.

Why indeed!

Why was he acting so brazenly?

Was it because he saw everyone giving his father a hard time, and the pressure had driven him mad?

Hu Nao began a countdown: "Three—Nan Xi!"

"Two—come out!"

"One—take her down!"

That's when it clicked!

Just as everyone was catching on, a girl with watery eyes and twin pigtails appeared beside Hu Nao. It was Nan Xi.

Nan Xi stepped forward, positioning herself protectively in front of Hu Nao. She then scratched her head in discomfort and said, "I really don't want to fight you, but as the young master's servant girl, I must obey his commands. You... you should just..."

"Holy smokes, can he do that?"

"That's utterly shameless!"

"Nan Xi is such a sweet girl. How did she end up with such a despicable master?"

Many of the younger ones started swearing. If foul language could kill, Hu Nao would have been dead hundreds of times by now.

Naturally, the curses were aimed at Hu Nao, not Nan Xi. They actually admired her loyalty to her master, a quality they found commendable.

Hu Xiangsi's brows were tightly knit as she stared at Nan Xi, lost in thought for a long while before letting out a deep sigh. "Nan Xi, you and I are two realms apart; I can't defeat you now. I concede, but mark my words, one day, we will have our battle."

She then turned to Hu Nao and said, "Cousin Hu Nao, although... well, you've proven yourself to be more cunning. In the outside world, when you're in a fight where it's kill or be killed, no one cares about the tactics you use. If you survive to the end, you're the rightful victor."

Despite her straightforward concession, the younger generation didn't think any less of her. On the contrary, they respected her ability to accept defeat gracefully and her transparent integrity. As a result, their disdain for Hu Nao grew. How could a man treat his own cousin sister with such contempt?

Hu Nao himself felt somewhat despicable, but what could he do?

If he backed down now, these people would take it as an excuse to cause trouble for his father, Hu Bugui.

He couldn't stand it any longer.

With a hardened heart, he decided to embrace his inner scoundrel.

"Nan Xi, come here." Grasping Nan Xi's hand, he pointed at the gathered youths with his other hand, taunting them with unabashed arrogance, "Who else disagrees? Step forward! My father may have failed to protect me, to raise me properly, but he passed on his vision as the head of a family to me! That's how I recognized Nan Xi's potential at such a young age and brought her into the Hu family!"

"I may not be up to par, but Nan Xi, whom I found, certainly is!"

His words were maddening, yet there was a ring of truth to them.

The younger ones gnashed their teeth in frustration, yet not a single one dared to rise to the challenge.

It was laughable, really. Nan Xi was a formidable Body Tempering Ninth Heaven practitioner, and even Xiangsi felt inferior. Why would they humiliate themselves?

A stately young man stepped forward boldly: "Nan Xi, I challenge you."

Hu Jinhong, son of Hu Bufan, was eighteen and had achieved the Sixth Heaven of Body Tempering. He was recognized as a prodigy.

Nan Xi turned to Hu Nao, seeking his guidance, "Young Master?"

Jealousy was driving the others mad.

How did a scoundrel like Hu Nao manage to find someone as talented, beautiful, and obedient as Nan Xi?

Could it truly be a matter of insight?

Ridiculous.

"Hold on." Hu Nao gestured for Nan Xi to hold back, then turned to Hu Jinhong with a sigh, "You couldn't beat Nan Xi in a hundred tries, and yet you have the audacity to challenge her. Are you a glutton for punishment?"

Hu Jinhong, clad in snow-white garments, stood tall and proud, "I may not be able to defeat Nan Xi, but I've taken issue with you. Now that you've put her forward, I'll accept the challenge. And if you propose someone else, I'll challenge them too. As long as I'm alive, you're next on my list."

"Bravo!" Hu Xiangsi was the first to applaud, then added, "Jinhong, you surpass me."

She wasn't as decisive and unwavering as Jinhong.

True to the Hu family's spirit.

The elders, too, were beaming, nodding in approval—clearly very pleased with Hu Jinhong.

Hu Nao chuckled, "Excellent, very excellent. You've got spine, and I admire that. It's just like the saying goes: heroes recognize heroes."

"…"

The crowd was so repulsed they nearly retched.

Could anyone be more shameless? Heaping praise on others while never missing a chance to include himself.

"Brother Jinhong, with Hu Nao's thick skin, you might as well save your strength. If you slap him, it won't be his face that hurts—it'll be your hand that breaks!" someone jeered.

"I just love the way you all look at me—annoyed and powerless," Hu Nao taunted with a roguish grin. The crowd was seething, their eyes bulging with suppressed fury.

But then, Hu Nao's demeanor shifted to one of stern gravity. He pushed Nan Xi aside and stood tall before Hu Jinhong, "Fine, in recognition of your courage, I'll grant you the chance to spar with me. Let's go!"

His martial skills had improved dramatically over the past couple of days, and he was eager for a good challenge.

Hu Xiangsi was at the Seventh Heaven of Body Tempering, two levels above him and out of his league. But Hu Jinhong was at the Sixth Heaven, a suitable match for practice.

"After I've taken you down, I'll be sure to thank you for this opportunity... Brace yourself!" Hu Jinhong declared icily. With a single step, he closed the distance between them in an instant, his movements too swift for those less skilled to track.

At the Sixth Heaven of Body Tempering, his body was like a charged balloon, his explosive power evident in that one step.

Hu Nao couldn't even see how Hu Jinhong had moved so quickly to his side. He felt a rush of air, as if a massive wall of it was bearing down on him, stifling his breath and causing great discomfort.

In that moment, Hu Jinhong's palm, charged with a fierce energy, came crashing down on Hu Nao's face with a vengeance.

This slap was devoid of any martial arts techniques, simple and unadorned, yet it struck with the speed of lightning and the force of a rainbow.

He aimed not only to slap Hu Nao but to deeply humiliate him as well.

Hu Nao was caught completely off guard, unable to counter, evade, or even muster his cultivation in time. He could only open his mouth to let out a shocked, "Ah!"

He had mastered the Dragon-Elephant Divine Might to the beginner's level, possessing the strength of both a dragon and an elephant. Even without actively channeling his power, a golden elephant and a divine dragon lay dormant within him. With his loud cry, the elephant bellowed to the heavens, and the dragon let out a long, resonant moan.

In an instant, the grand meeting hall was filled with the echoing sounds of the dragon's roar and the elephant's bellow.

Hu Jinhong sensed trouble and quickly tried to withdraw his hand, but his momentum was too great, and it was already too late.

Hu Jinhong sharply inhaled from the pain.

Several gory wounds marred his hand, one particularly deep, with flesh turned inside out and bone faintly visible.

If Hu Nao could shatter the exceedingly tough Phoenix Blood Wood table with a single breath, Hu Jinhong's palm stood no chance.