C12 His Martial Power Threatened

Our Sect Master has specifically dispatched me to engage with the Xu family regarding the marriage proposal with the Huo family," Elder Han delicately offered, extending an olive branch to the Xu family.

"Crack~~"

The teacup in Xu Sheng's grasp could no longer endure his fury and shattered into dust. Yet, despite the teacup's demise, the water within was mysteriously contained by an unseen force, preventing any spillage.

This was an affront!

"Huo Peien certainly has nerve! The Huo family has some nerve!" Xu Sheng slumped into his chair, defeated. The remnants of the teacup clattered onto the table, tea spilling over the edge, dripping steadily. He inquired with a grave tone, "Does this sentiment come from the Extreme Martial Sect, the Huo family, or is it the personal wish of the Huo family's daughter?"

"Mr. Xu~~"

Huo Siyan tore her gaze from the young man, her face etched with resolve. "I implore you, Mr. Xu, to annul the marriage agreement between our two families."

"I cannot accept this 'uncle' title," Xu Sheng said, his voice tinged with irony. "The Huo family's daughter is the Sect Master's Disciple, the heir apparent to the Extreme Martial Sect Master, a rare jewel among thousands. My son Ming, however, possesses only an ordinary Grade Three Bloodline and a mere Martial Dao Grade Two cultivation. He is clearly not her equal."

"Mr. Xu, Patriarch Xu," Huo Siyan persisted, her teeth clenched as she presented a sandalwood box. "Within lies a Grade Two Bloodline Pill, the Spirit Gathering Pill. It has the potential to elevate a Grade Three Bloodline by three to five grades. With some luck, it could even boost an ordinary Grade Three Bloodline directly to Grade Nine or higher. Please accept this Spirit Gathering Pill as a token of my sincere apologies."

"Grade Three Bloodline Pill!"

The Xu family disciples gasped in unison, "A pill that can enhance a bloodline by three to five grades!"

Their eyes blazed with covetous desire as they fixed their gaze on the sandalwood box.

"Why does this loser have such good fortune? I possess a mere Grade Nine Bloodline. If I take this Bloodline Pill, I could ascend to a God Grade Bloodline!"

The eyes of many family disciples were fixated on the Spirit Gathering Pill, showing no concern for the disgrace brought upon their families.

Even several elders in the family were visibly affected.

On the Martial God Continent, Bloodline Pills are exceedingly rare. A Grade One Bloodline Pill is intended for those below Martial Dao Grade Nine, and even the most superior Grade One Bloodline Pill can only elevate a bloodline by one to three grades. Meanwhile, a Grade Two Bloodline Pill can boost a God Level Bloodline by at least one to three grades! Such a pill is a rare treasure indeed.

"Do you really think a Spirit Gathering Pill can erase the disgrace you've brought upon the Xu family?"

Xu Ming's voice resonated through the hall, silencing the mockery.

"What's this failure trying to do? Isn't he just adding to his family's shame?"

"He can't stand the loss. Anyone would struggle to accept losing a genius wife, especially one who's a top-tier beauty!"

"It's a futile effort. What does he think the Extreme Martial Sect is? Xu Ming's actions are nothing but self-degradation."

The murmurs resumed, but Xu Ming remained unfazed, his gaze locked on the young woman who was meant to be his future wife, his eyes brimming with unbridled rage.

Huo Siyan's behavior had effectively shattered Xu Ming's last shred of dignity and callously trampled it underfoot.

"Xu Ming, I know this pill can't soothe the rage in your heart, but you must recognize the chasm that lies between us."

Huo Siyan stood her ground, her expression turning icy. Xu Ming's attempts at reconciliation were clear, but the idea of being matched with someone she considered worthless deeply repelled her.

"Yes, there's a gap between us, a vast one. You are a woman of exceptional talent, and I'm just a country bumpkin," Xu Ming's inner turmoil began to subside. "I concede that I'm not worthy of you as I am now, and frankly, I have no affection for a woman as fickle as you."

"You—"

Huo Siyan, incensed, pointed at Xu Ming's nose, her face blanching with anger.

A hint of displeasure gradually crept onto Elder Han's face. Lee Qiuya was about to speak when the young man behind her held her back. The young man behind Lee Qiuya narrowed his eyes, a trace of murderous intent flickering within them.

The young man's gaze was filled with lethal intent, causing the Xu family elders to tense up. Xu Sheng sensed trouble brewing.

"Enough!" the third elder declared icily. "Xu Ming, don't be a sore loser."

"A sore loser?" Xu Ming let out a cold laugh, showing no regard for the third elder. "Of course, you wouldn't take this humiliation to heart, perhaps even reveling in it. But that's because you're not the one in my shoes!"

The third elder was left without a comeback, and the other elders chose to remain silent. Xu Ming's point was valid.

Xu Sheng, however, gave Xu Ming an approving look and silently nodded. A man should indeed have a fighting spirit!

What did it matter if he had offended the Extreme Martial Sect? If it came to it, he was prepared to face death!

"Huo Siyan showed no regard for past kindness, putting the Xu family in jeopardy and crushing our dignity underfoot! You may tolerate it, but I cannot! I will shoulder this disgrace myself!"

"Therefore, you are all mistaken. Today is not about breaking off an engagement; it's about me seeking a divorce!"

"Divorce!"

A stunned silence fell over the hall as everyone gazed at Xu Ming in disbelief.

"This guy has lost his mind!"

The quiet was swiftly replaced by a buzzing of conversation, with many onlookers wearing expressions of astonishment.

"Has this fool lost his mind? How could he utter such absurdity?"

"He must be unable to handle the shock of the broken engagement, his mind unhinged!"

"Instead of hiding away and weeping, this fool has chosen to stand up and face all the disgrace? How can he bear the shame he's already brought upon our family?"

Not only were the Xu family disciples taken aback, but Elder Han from the Extreme Martial Sect also squinted thoughtfully. Huo Siyan's face turned a steely shade of anger as she enunciated each word, "You want a divorce?"

Divorce was a profound insult, a grievous affront!

Divorce was typically the result of a woman's unfilial behavior or infidelity, bringing unrest and disgrace to her family. Only then would a man issue a letter of divorce to reclaim his freedom!

Xu Ming's actions left no doubt that he was placing all the blame squarely on Huo Siyan.

"Indeed! It's a decree of divorce!"

Biting his lip in frustration, Xu Ming pulled out a piece of paper while seated at the head of the table. He looked around for a pen, found none, and in a moment of desperation, bit his index finger to write a divorce decree in his own blood, "Here is the divorce decree!"

"Huo Siyan, remember this: I will personally challenge you, the prodigy of the Extreme Martial Sect, in three years. If I lose, it will be a testament to my overestimation of myself, and our engagement will be null and void. But if I win, this divorce decree will serve as proof that the Xu family has cast you out. It will be known far and wide that you, Huo Siyan, are the daughter-in-law the Xu family rejects!"

"Do you dare accept my challenge three years from now?"

This blood-written decree was not just a document of separation, but also a gauntlet thrown down in challenge!

A nobody was daring to challenge the favored daughter of the heavens!

"Wow, this nobody has lost it, he's gone mad!"

"One is a genius with a God Level Grade Nine Bloodline, and the other is a nobody with a mere Grade Three Bloodline. There's no comparing the two; the gap will only widen! Xu Ming, where did you get the audacity and confidence to do such a thing!?"

"He's not mad; this is about a man's pride. Xu Ming is just too impulsive and has overestimated his abilities~~"

"At the end of the day, even if he dies or fails, he will have preserved his dignity~~"

"Hey, I actually hope he survives. I'm curious to see what makes him think he can fulfill today's bold actions. I bet he'll be too scared to show up three years from now!"

The murmurs of the crowd were piercing in the hall. Elder Han from the Extreme Martial Sect stood up abruptly, "Is this the way the Xu family conducts itself?"

Huo Siyan's face turned deathly pale, then a deep shade of purple, her body trembling slightly. If not for Lee Qiuya's steadying hand, she might have collapsed.

The shame she had brought upon the Xu family paled in comparison to the insult Xu Ming had just delivered.

And this insult was one that could not be easily dismissed.

"This trash was so weak before, but now he's suddenly so bold?"

Huo Siyan was utterly baffled, her understanding of Xu Ming, whom she considered a nobody, was completely shattered. It was as if he had transformed into someone else entirely.

"Does the Xu Family owe me an explanation?"

Elder Han's face was stern, representing the Extreme Martial Sect. Xu Ming's defiance was making the Sect look bad.

Elder Han stood tall and imposing, his body instantly rigid, as a massive aura burst forth, bearing down on the Xu family members without restraint.

Negotiations had failed, and now he resorted to threats of violence!

"Boom~"

"Buzz~"

The Berserk Jade Water Sword!

Under Elder Han's pressure, Xu Sheng, the head of the Xu family, resorted to their most powerful martial skill, a formidable display of dozens of swords, each one a brilliant shade of jade, all aimed directly at Elder Han.

"Enough! Patriarch, such arrogance. Since this is a matter of an engagement, can't it be settled by a duel?"

The great elder of the Xu family, Xu Chuan, bellowed in anger, "Patriarch, as the head of our family, how can you disregard the welfare of the Xu family?"

Xu Sheng's aura deflated, a tide of rage rising within him. He felt deeply wronged. With a formidable enemy at their doorstep, the great elder still seized the opportunity to undermine him and tarnish his reputation!

"The great elder sure knows how to throw his weight around, openly challenging the Patriarch?" Xu Ming sneered, his lips curling in disdain. "Failing to unite against an external threat, only interested in suppressing a rival, it is the great elder who neglects the Xu family. And you still have the audacity to criticize others?"

Xu Ming turned away from the great elder's scowl, fixing his gaze on Elder Han, whose eyes were rife with doubt and whose intimidating presence had already waned. "What's the matter? The mighty Extreme Martial Sect, and its esteemed daughter, are you afraid of me, a so-called nobody? When negotiations fail, you resort to brute force? How very prestigious of the Extreme Martial Sect~~"

Although Xu Ming lacked the strength to contend with a Martial King Expert, his sharp tongue was more than capable of victory.

His words had subtly backed the Extreme Martial Sect into a corner, leaving them without any room for rebuttal.

Indeed, Xu Ming was well-known as a failure, possessing only an ordinary Grade Three Bloodline and a Martial Dao Grade Two cultivation level. The Extreme Martial Sect, being the preeminent sect in the Purple Cloud Empire and its sole faction, surely had no reason to fear such a failure.