"Father, do I need to as well?" Xu Mingqing asked, pointing at himself.
When it came to combat experience, Xu Mingqing had the least among the Second Generation.
"The Dao of Alchemy is vast and profound, possessing numerous methods to subdue enemies. From now on, just stay by my side and learn."
"Thank you, Father." Xu Mingqing flashed a wide grin.
"Father, you really do spoil the youngest the most," Xu Mingxuan muttered, curling his lips.
Bai Jing chuckled. "How old are you all now? You still fight for favor like when you were children. Aren't you afraid the younger generation will laugh at you?"
"I'd like to see who would dare. Isn't that right, Xu Dezhao, Xu Deheng, Xu Deling, and Xu Deyue?" Xu Mingxuan challenged playfully.
"We wouldn't dare." The ones whose names were called chuckled softly, waving their hands repeatedly in denial.
In the blink of an eye, over four hours had passed.
"That child Xu Chongfei exudes such bright confidence. He is truly endearing," Bai Jing said, looking at Xu Deyue. "You gave birth to a fine boy."
"Grandmother, you praise him too much. Xu Chongfei is still quite mischievous. Even in his twenties, his disposition remains unsettled, and he has an excessively high opinion of himself. I actually hope the clan can dampen his arrogance a little."
"Is Xu Chongfei that formidable?"
Xu Mingxian chimed in, "Mother, his foundation is incredibly solid, and he has encountered tremendous opportunities. Currently, among the younger generation under thirty, there is likely no one who can suppress him.
If he uses the exclusive Dharma Tool that Xu Deling forged for him and fights with his full strength, I am afraid no one beneath the Golden Core stage within Dongxi would be his match."
"How old is that child?" Bai Jing was slightly taken aback by Xu Mingxian's bold claim.
"After the Annual Sacrifice, he should be twenty-six."
Bai Jing and the others who were unfamiliar with Xu Chongfei all drew in sharp breaths.
"The descendants of our Xu Family are truly becoming more and more outstanding."
Finally, Bai Jing sighed with deep emotion.
"Fifth Granduncle, is even my father not his match? He is not far from Divine Ability Core Formation, you know?" Xu Chonghui asked in surprise.
"Excluding Dharma Tools, Xu Chongfei naturally falls short of Xu Dezhao. However, a powerful Dharma Tool is enough to bridge many gaps, especially the Flame-Cold Wheel that Xu Deling customized for him.
It has now been upgraded to a level comparable to a Three-Pattern Magic Tool.
What Ye Fan said earlier about Three-Pattern Magic Tools being on par with Magic Treasures was no empty boast.
Xu Chongfei's situation is unique. An ordinary Fifth-Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator would not even be able to draw out ten or twenty percent of its power.
Yet, with his special physique and the blessing of that unique opportunity, he can unleash seventy to eighty percent of its might.
It approaches the full-powered strike of a Magic Treasure. Unless one is a Foundation Establishment Perfection expert who practices the Dual Cultivation of Dharma and Body, or someone who has initiated a Divine Ability, it would be extremely difficult to block."
A look of profound envy appeared on Xu Chonghui's face.
Xu Chuan spoke calmly, "In the future, the family will forge a special heirloom Magic Treasure to be controlled by the Family Head. From then on, every successive Family Head will become one of the highest combat forces of our Xu Family.
Furthermore, the Family Head position of the Xu Family will no longer change so frequently in the future.
Every successor will reign for at least two hundred years."
Everyone's hearts stirred at his words.
At this moment, Xu Deheng chimed in, "It is my turn to take the stage. I will be right back."
Xu Deheng leaped from the high platform, descending onto the arena like a streak of flowing light.
In just the time it took to blink and raise a hand, an Early Foundation Establishment opponent was defeated.
Following that swift victory, he returned to the high platform.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the match between Xu Chongfei and his opponent was still ongoing.
That person was a disciple of the Lei Family, also at the Foundation Establishment Stage. The lightning techniques he wielded were quite eye-catching.
"Your strength does not seem weak. Why bother hiding and tucking away your abilities? You might as well unleash your full power."
A hint of hesitation appeared in the eyes of the Lei Family disciple opposite him. Pausing for a moment, he said, "I am not your match. I concede."
"Eh, conceding just like that?" Xu Chongfei was somewhat surprised. He sent a telepathic message, "Why not showcase more of your strength? Even if you are a genius nurtured with the full resources of the Lei Family, it is completely inadequate before my Xu Family.
You would be better off fighting with everything you have.
Perhaps you might even earn the chance to be cultivated by my Xu Family."
"So what if I go all out? Would your Xu Family really nurture an outsider?" the young man surnamed Lei retorted.
"Naturally not, but wouldn't it be solved if you simply joined my Xu Family?" Xu Chongfei smiled.
"I admit that your Xu Family's heritage is incredibly deep, but put yourself in my shoes. If a faction stronger than your Xu Family tried to recruit you, would you abandon the Xu Family to join them?"
"That is an interesting question. If my heart is devoted to my family, what is wrong with venturing out to seek opportunities to strengthen myself? Even if I join another faction, does that mean I am no longer a member of the Xu Family?
If you join my Xu Family, will you no longer be a disciple of the Lei Family?
Brother Lei, do not let your thinking be so rigid.
If your Lei Family was in danger, could it be that you wouldn't return to their aid?
And if you possessed greater strength, you might even be able to resolve your family's crises.
In this world, strength reigns supreme.
As long as you have enough strength, you will have true confidence in your heart!"
The youth surnamed Lei fell silent for a moment before cupping his hands. "I have learned much. My name is Lei Liming. How should I address you, Brother Xu?"
"Xu Chongfei."
Lei Liming cupped his hands once more, then voluntarily left the arena.
Soon after, Xu Chongfei also stepped down from the stage.
Lei Liming approached Lei Xiaoyun and greeted him, "Grandfather."
Lei Xiaoyun nodded slightly and asked via a telepathic message, "Why did you suddenly concede?"
"Your grandson could not win against him."
"Aside from Xu Chongjian, the Xu Family actually has another such remarkable youth?"
"I feel that he might be even stronger than Xu Chongjian. If he were to attack for real, I would not be able to withstand a single blow. Even if you were to fight him, Grandfather, you... would not be his match either."
"Is he truly that incredible?"
"Facing him, I felt an incredibly intense sense of lethal danger."
"It seems the Xu Family is indeed a place of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. They have already far surpassed the other Golden Core Aristocratic Families."
"Right, Grandfather. That Xu Chongfei invited me to join the Xu Family. He said that if I join, I can receive better nurturing and attain even greater strength in the future."
With that, he relayed his entire conversation with Xu Chongfei to Lei Xiaoyun.
Lei Xiaoyun fell completely silent, not knowing how to respond for a moment.
It was glaringly obvious that by joining the Xu Family, his grandson would undoubtedly have a much better future development.
After all, possessing the Thunder Beast Body made him exceptionally outstanding in the path of lightning and bestowed upon him a keen intuition.
"We shall discuss this matter later. There is no rush right now."
"Yes, Grandfather. I understand."
Whether it was Xu Jingwu, Xu Chongjian, or Xu Wenjing, they all easily defeated their opponents upon taking the stage.
After the top one hundred and twenty-eight were decided, it only took a single hour before the second round commenced.
In the round of sixty-four, geniuses like Xu Chongjian and Xu Chongfei did not cross paths prematurely.
The first day of the Clan Competition concluded without any unexpected twists.
The next day.
Mid-morning.
The participants of the Clan Competition finished drawing their lots.
Xu Chongfei glanced at Xu Chongjian's bamboo lot and chuckled. "You drew number fifteen, and I am number sixty-three. It seems we will only meet in the finals.
I wonder who my opponent will be?"
His gaze swept across the rest of the competitors, the corners of his lips curling upwards. "I just hope they don't disappoint me."
"Let the matches begin!"
Following Ye Fan's resounding command.
The cultivators who drew the number one and number two bamboo lots promptly stepped onto the arena.
Of the remaining participants in the Youthful Excellence Competition, ninety percent were at the Foundation Establishment Stage, but the vast majority were only at Early Foundation Establishment, meaning the gaps between them were relatively minor.
Thus, there were no massive disparities in power.
On the other hand, in the Sexagenary Cycle Competition, Foundation Establishment cultivators only made up seventy percent of the participants, with the remainder being at Peak Qi Condensation.
The primary reason for this was the exceptionally high potential of the Xu Family's younger generation. Combined with being nurtured from a young age, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators among them vastly outnumbered those among the older generation of cultivators.
Those in the Xu Family whose age exceeded a Jiazi all belonged to the Chong generation and the De generation.
Some among them had first walked the Martial Dao before subsequently transitioning to the Immortal Dao, resulting in a much slower pace of progress.
The earliest batch of the De generation to embark on the Immortal Dao had basically all reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, and even among the Chong generation, there were two or three who had achieved the same milestone.
The rest were mostly at Late Foundation Establishment.
Lin Qianfeng encountered Xu Chongkai and was eliminated.
Zhou Zongdan faced off against the Late Foundation Establishment Xu Chonghao and was eliminated.
Jiang Wusheng suffered an even worse fate; crossing paths with Xu Dezhao, he was blasted off the stage without even managing to block a single move.
Lei Xiaoyun was pitted against a Seventh-Layer Foundation Establishment disciple of the Xu Clan. He fought a bitter struggle before finally securing a narrow victory.
Of course, there were those from these vassal families who were lucky enough to encounter Qi Refining Stage opponents, advancing smoothly into the top thirty-two.
However, they were but a rare minority.
Today, both the Youthful Excellence Competition and the Sexagenary Cycle Competition appeared to proceed without a hitch.
As the sun sloped toward the west, it bathed the arena in a layer of golden red.
After a full day of fierce battles, the schedule for the Sexagenary Cycle Competition had long settled into dust.
The Youthful Excellence Competition was also drawing to a close.
At this moment, the final showdown of the round arrived.
Clad in crimson and blue Tight-fitting Attire, Xu Chongfei gave a light leap and drifted onto the stage like a wisp of flowing cloud, his posture dashing and elegant.
Having watched his previous battles, the crowd was well aware that his strength was far from ordinary.
Up until now, he had handled every fight with consummate ease.
Everyone was immensely curious to see who his opponent would be.
Within the throng beneath the stage, an inconspicuous figure suddenly paused.
Immediately after, he sprang into the air and landed squarely on the opposite side of the arena.
The newcomer wore simple, pitch-black Tight-fitting Attire. Over his face rested a dark silver mask that only concealed the upper half of his features.
His exposed jawline was sharply resolute. His aura was as heavy and steadfast as a mountain, yet carried an undertone of piercing sharpness.
"A martial artist?"
Xu Chongfei's perception was remarkably keen. He immediately noticed that the other party possessed none of the Mana fluctuations found in ordinary Cultivators. Instead, his Qi and Blood surged vigorously like a roaring furnace, with the faint sounds of wind and thunder echoing through his muscles and bones.
These were exactly the hallmarks of an Origin Martial Realm martial artist!
A flash of surprise and intrigue crossed his eyes.
This was his first time facing a peer at the Origin Martial Realm in an official match.
"Interesting."
The corners of Xu Chongfei's mouth lifted, carrying a mix of scrutiny and arrogance. "This is my first time battling an Origin Martial Realm martial artist. I do hope... you can give me some surprises."
Upon hearing this, the masked youth merely stood in place in utter silence, offering no reply. Only his eyes, visible through the mask, gazed at Xu Chongfei with a tranquil, unrippled calm.
The spectators below the stage erupted into quiet murmurs.
"Who is this person? Wearing a mask, acting all secretive and mysterious."
"He is called Yuan. It's said that he's a member of the Shadow Division. He is practically never seen normally, and no one knows his true identity."
"The Shadow Division? No wonder."
"But why isn't he using his real identity for today's Clan Competition, participating instead as a member of the Shadow Division? Who knows if he's a member of our Xu Clan, or a disciple recruited by the family.
"Or perhaps a disciple from a Vassal Family."
High atop the viewing platform.
When Xu Mingwei, Xu Mingyuan, and the others saw Xu Jingwu step onto the stage, their pupils all contracted slightly. Without prior agreement, they universally cast a glance toward the calm-faced Xu Chuan seated in the main seat.
Xu Mingyuan chuckled as he transmitted a message: 'Father, did you intentionally match these two up? Are you trying to blunt Xu Chongfei's edge?'
"Do not spout nonsense. The Clan Competition is completely fair and impartial. This is definitely not rigged," Xu Chuan replied neutrally.
Xu Mingyuan added, 'It would be fitting to see them clash during the battle for the championship. But if Xu Chongfei gets eliminated right now, I'm afraid he'll suffer quite a harsh blow.'
His gaze fixed on the arena, Xu Mingxian also sent a telepathic message to Xu Chuan. 'Xu Chongfei's Innate Talent and disposition are both top-tier, but he has simply never suffered any setbacks.
'He has indeed developed an excessively high opinion of himself recently.
'It isn't a bad thing for Father to have Xu Jingwu apply some pressure and teach him that there is always someone better out there.'
"Your father did not arrange this," Xu Chuan explained to Xu Mingxian in the exact same manner.
Unfortunately, absolutely no one believed him.
The true identity of Xu Jingwu was a top secret even within the Xu Family itself.
Aside from a scarce handful of individuals like Xu Chuan, the core members of the Second Generation, the sisters Xu Deling and Xu Deyue, and Ye Fan, absolutely no one else knew. Even Xu Jingwu's Great-Grandfather Xu Dezhao and grandfather Xu Chonghui were completely in the dark.
Back in the arena.
Seeing that his opponent remained silent, Xu Chongfei paid it no mind. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his posture utterly casual. "Make your move. There is no need for pleasantries; just attack as you please."
"Then be careful,"
Xu Jingwu finally spoke, his voice deep and steady.
The instant those words fell, the stone slabs beneath his feet released a faint "Crack" as if buckling beneath an unbearable weight. His entire body launched forward like an arrow abruptly released from a fully drawn bow.
He transformed into a blur of motion that the naked eye could barely track!
His speed was simply too fast!
It was as if he instantly crossed a distance of over thirty meters, appearing directly in front of Xu Chongfei!
The piercing gale of his fist arrived first, lashing out like an invisible blade that actually made the skin on Xu Chongfei's face sting with pain!
"What?!"
Xu Chongfei was thoroughly horrified. This speed far exceeded anything he had anticipated!
Caught entirely off guard, he had no time to dodge. His thoughts spun frantically, and an entirely pitch-black shield, brilliantly aglow with Radiant Spirit Light, instantly materialized before him.
It was impressively a Top-Grade Defensive Magical Artifact!
At the same time, spiritual light erupted furiously beneath his feet as he pushed his body to explosively retreat sideways!
"Bang!!!"
In almost the exact fraction of a second that he shifted aside, Xu Jingwu's unadorned yet terrifyingly powerful punch slammed solidly into the black shield!
The thick Light Screen of Spirit Power condensed over the surface of the shield shattered on impact like fragile glass!
Immediately after, the main body of the shield let out an agonized, muffled groan.
It was actually caved inward by the strike, leaving behind a distinct fist imprint. Its spiritual light instantly dimmed by more than half as it went spinning and wailing out of the arena's boundaries!
Thanks to the split-second delay bought by the shield, Xu Chongfei managed to narrowly avoid taking the brunt of the frontal impact by a hair's breadth.
Nevertheless, he was still swept by the shockwaves of the punch. His own Qi and Blood tumbled violently as he staggered several steps back.
Every trace of his previous relaxed and casual demeanor was wiped entirely from his face.
Nothing remained but pure shock and lingering dread.
Had he been even half a heartbeat slower, that punch would likely have blasted both him and his shield away!
"Hiss..."
A chorus of sharp gasps rippled through the audience below.
"Is this... Is this the Origin Martial Realm? How could his explosive power be so terrifying?!"
"That shield was a Top-Grade Magical Artifact, right? One punch almost completely destroyed it?!"
"This man's mastery over the Origin Martial Realm... is definitely not as simple as having just broken through. He must have already walked quite a distance down this path," a fellow Origin Martial Realm martial artist muttered.
"Ever since Jiang Wu suddenly passed away, our Immortal Martial Alliance territories have never again seen a martial artist with such peerless innate aptitude.
"Who could have imagined that one would quietly rise to prominence right here in our Dongxi?"
Exclamations and animated discussions flared up everywhere.
On the high platform.
Xu Wenjing's gaze narrowed into a sharp glare.
Walking the path of the Dual Cultivation of Dharma and Body, he knew intimately well just how agonizingly difficult it was to temper one's physical body to the point of being able to send a Top-Grade Defensive Magical Artifact flying with a single punch.
'A Tier 2 Physical Body... and it is absolutely not at the level of just having stepped into Tier 2!'
He was severely shaken inwardly. 'Just who exactly is this Yuan? When did our Xu Family ever cultivate such an earth-shattering martial arts genius?'
After all, the Martial Dao was not a completely forged path like the Immortal Dao.
Every single step forward was immensely arduous.
Therefore, calling him earth-shattering was not an exaggeration in the slightest.