novelraw Chapter 30 – You, damn it!
Chapter 30 – You, damn it!
"Luo Xiu! Luo Xiu! Luo Xiu!..."
After winning the martial competition, Luo Xiu's name quickly became the talk of the Martial Hall students, his popularity soaring to its peak.
Countless people cheered from below the platform, especially those students from impoverished backgrounds, who now saw him as an idol to strive towards.
A previously unknown commoner rising to prominence would undoubtedly become a legendary tale in the Qingyun City Martial Hall for a long time.
Despite basking in the adoration of many and being hailed as a genius, Luo Xiu's heart remained calm.
He knew very well how he had achieved all of this.
If merging with the Life and Death Pearl gave him the prerequisite to become a martial powerhouse, then the five months of diligent training and life-and-death trials forged his current strength and status.
Luo Xiu's greatest realization was understanding that true strength is forged in blood and fire, standing unyielding through countless hardships.
Body Refining is merely the starting point of martial arts; the path he intends to walk is long and far.
As Luo Xiu stepped down from the dueling platform, the crowd parted to make way for him. Every Martial Hall student, whether from the beginner, intermediate, or advanced class, looked at him with awe and reverence.
Xu Fei, who stood beside Liu Yuxin like a flower guardian, also lowered his head in dismay, no longer daring to harbor any thoughts of opposing Luo Xiu.
"You'd better not provoke him in the future," Xu Fei's cousin, Zhao Qishuang, said with a bitter smile. During the competition, he had been disdainful of Luo Xiu. Who could have imagined he would come this far?
Liu Yuxin also gazed at Luo Xiu, but from beginning to end, Luo Xiu didn't even glance at her.
Her expression dimmed, biting her red lips in regret, yet she could only smile self-deprecatingly.
She had thought he wasn't worthy of her.
Now, she didn't even have the qualification to catch his eye...
"Luo Xiu, come with me."
Just as the competition ended, Elder Zhuang Nantian of the Martial Hall appeared before Luo Xiu.
Deep within the Martial Hall stood a palace, the seat of the Master of the Martial Hall.
In the grand hall, except for the absent elder guarding the Library Pavilion, the other four elders were present, with the Master of the Martial Hall seated high on the main seat, overlooking those below.
"Student Luo Xiu greets the Hall Master and all elders," Luo Xiu stepped forward, standing in the center of the hall, bowing respectfully.
He knew very well that these people held the highest authority in Qingyun City!
Not just in Yunlong Prefecture, but in every city of the Tianwu Kingdom, the Martial Hall held the highest status.
"Luo Xiu, you won the martial competition and ranked first. Here is your reward."
The Master of the Martial Hall spoke slowly, and then a maidservant emerged from the side hall, holding a jade tray covered with a red cloth.
Three maidservants, three jade trays, and Luo Xiu's eyes gleamed with curiosity about what rewards he would receive.
"Wow!"
As the red cloth on the first jade tray was lifted, it revealed a palm-sized azure token.
"With this token, you may enter the third floor of the Library Pavilion and select any Grade-Four martial art!" the Master of the Martial Hall announced.
"Any?" Luo Xiu was astonished. He had thought obtaining a single Grade-Four martial art would be excellent, but he didn't expect to have a choice.
Doesn't this mean he can study Grade-Four martial arts for internal cultivation, martial techniques, and movement techniques?
Next, the red cloth on the second jade tray was lifted, revealing a delicate jade bottle.
"This is a Qi Condensation Pill, a Grade-Two pill. After consuming it, your cultivation will break through the peak of the Body Refining Realm, entering the Qi Sea Realm, becoming a Martial Artist!"
Luo Xiu's eyes trembled, aware of the pill's preciousness. Generally, a Martial Apprentice at the peak of the Body Refining Realm needed to accumulate substantial inner qi, repeatedly attempting to break through the dantian, taking at least half a year to a year to enter the Qi Sea Realm.
However, consuming a Qi Condensation Pill could double the results with half the effort, ensuring success and saving half a year to a year of arduous cultivation.
Such a Grade-Two pill would cost at least a thousand low-grade Yuan Qi Stones in Qingyun City.
Then, the red cloth on the third jade tray was lifted, revealing a bronze disc the size of a bowl, engraved with numerous runes, resembling the Spirit Gathering Formation device he used.
"This is a second-tier Spirit Gathering Formation device, which can enhance your cultivation efficiency by four times!"
A fourfold increase in cultivation efficiency meant that Luo Xiu's one day of cultivation equaled four days for others, while his original first-tier Spirit Gathering Formation device only doubled the efficiency.
This second-tier Spirit Gathering Formation device was even more valuable than the Grade-Two Qi Condensation Pill, worth nearly two thousand Yuan Qi Stones!
The first-place reward was astonishing!
Just the Qi Condensation Pill and the formation device alone were worth over three thousand Yuan Qi Stones, and the reward of selecting any Grade-Four martial art was priceless!
"Thank you, Hall Master, for the reward!" Luo Xiu bowed in gratitude.
The Master of the Martial Hall smiled slightly, "No need to thank me. This is what you deserve. For a genius, the Martial Hall will not be stingy with resources to nurture you."
With those words, the Master of the Martial Hall turned to Elder Zhuang Nantian below.
"Bring him up!"
Zhuang Nantian stood up, shouting loudly.
At the entrance of the hall, Luo Xiu heard footsteps approaching and looked over, seeing two Azure Guards escorting a middle-aged man in embroidered robes.
The middle-aged man's expression was haggard, but when he saw Luo Xiu standing in the center of the hall, his eyes suddenly sharpened.
"Luo Xiu, this is Zhang Shaoxiong, the Patriarch of the Zhang Clan in Qingyun City."
Zhuang Nantian spoke slowly, "You crippled Zhang Hai's meridians during the duel, and Zhang Shaoxiong harbored a grudge, hiring a hunter team led by Chen Hu to kill you. The Martial Hall has obtained conclusive evidence, so we captured him."
"So it was the Zhang Clan!" Luo Xiu immediately understood. In fact, he had suspected the Zhang Clan from the beginning, but lacked evidence.
"The Zhang Clan stands strong in Qingyun City, but it's not without backing. An ancestor of the Zhang Clan is an Innate Martial Master at the ninth layer, serving as an Outer Sect Steward for the Free Spirit Sect. Recently, that ancestor sent a message to spare Zhang Shaoxiong's life."
Zhuang Nantian continued, causing Luo Xiu to frown.
"According to the rules, attempting to harm a Martial Hall student is a capital offense, but with that Zhang Clan ancestor, this matter becomes special. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Zhuang Nantian asked, looking at Luo Xiu.
Luo Xiu took a deep breath, nodding, "I understand. Elder means that with the Zhang Clan having an ancestor as a backer, Zhang Shaoxiong can't be killed?"
"You're right, but also wrong!" Zhuang Nantian smiled slightly, "Although the Zhang Clan ancestor is an Outer Sect Steward, he cannot interfere with the affairs of the Qingyun City Martial Hall. With just one word from you, Zhang Shaoxiong's life and death can be decided!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shaoxiong's expression changed, but in front of the Master of the Martial Hall and the elders, he dared not speak.
At this moment, the Master of the Martial Hall spoke indifferently, "Luo Xiu, this is a choice for you. With your talent, you will inevitably enter the Free Spirit Sect. Every disciple starts from the Outer Sect, and that Zhang Clan ancestor is an Outer Sect Steward..."
The Master of the Martial Hall didn't explicitly state it, but Luo Xiu understood the implication.
"If I kill Zhang Shaoxiong, I'll offend the Zhang Clan ancestor who is an Outer Sect Steward. But if I don't kill him..."
Luo Xiu frowned. In his view, even if he didn't kill Zhang Shaoxiong, that Zhang Clan ancestor might not remember a favor.
Moreover, if he wanted to reach the pinnacle of martial arts, being overly cautious would affect his Heart of Martial Dao.
For someone who wanted him dead, Luo Xiu believed Zhang Shaoxiong deserved to die!
He also understood that the Master of the Martial Hall was testing him. If he feared the Zhang Clan ancestor, it would leave an impression of fearing authority on the Martial Hall's high-ranking officials. At best, it would be seen as being sensible; at worst, it would be seen as cowardly!
While Luo Xiu weighed the pros and cons, Elder Zhuang Nantian suddenly said, "Additionally, a few days ago, the Zhang Clan sent people to Rocksteady Town to capture your parents and sister."
"What!" Luo Xiu's face changed dramatically.
"This... this wasn't my doing!" Zhang Shaoxiong was also stunned, "I didn't order anyone to capture Luo Xiu's parents!"
"How dare you! In the presence of the Hall Master, how dare you make a fuss?" an elder scolded coldly, releasing a powerful aura that overwhelmed Zhang Shaoxiong, making him tremble.
"You say it wasn't you, so why did the Zhang Clan send people to capture my parents and sister?"
Luo Xiu shouted angrily, his eyes filled with killing intent, "You deserve to die! Death is too good for you!"
His parents and sister were Luo Xiu's untouchable reverse scale. Even if the Zhang Clan had an ancestor, even if it was the head of the Free Spirit Sect, he wouldn't care.
No matter what background you have, if you dare to touch my family, I'll make you pay!
"Take him out and execute him!" The Master of the Martial Hall commanded coldly.
"Yes!" The two Azure Guards immediately took Zhang Shaoxiong away.
"It wasn't me! Spare me, Hall Master! Hall Master..." Zhang Shaoxiong screamed desperately, but the high-ranking officials of the Martial Hall remained indifferent. To them, a small clan leader in the mortal world was nothing more than an ant.
Watching Zhang Shaoxiong being taken away, Luo Xiu's heart was still filled with rage.
"Luo Xiu, you're young but courageous and bold. However, you must be aware that once you enter the Free Spirit Outer Sect, that Zhang Clan ancestor will surely find a chance to deal with you," the Master of the Martial Hall said.
"I understand, but I'm not afraid!"
Luo Xiu bowed respectfully, "Please, Hall Master, tell me where my parents and sister are."
"Rest assured, they are safe and sound," the Master of the Martial Hall replied.
Luo Xiu quickly thanked him, feeling relieved.
He also knew that if it weren't for his displayed talent and strength, the high-ranking officials of the Martial Hall wouldn't treat him specially. Ultimately, this world still speaks with strength.
Only by becoming strong can he ensure the safety of those around him, deterring anyone from daring to act against them.
Just like the Master of the Martial Hall sitting in Qingyun City, it was a powerful deterrent, preventing anyone from acting recklessly!
"Since you have no more worries, focus on your cultivation and strive to break through to the Qi Sea Realm as soon as possible. Once you become a Qi Sea Martial Artist, I will recommend you for the Outer Sect Assessment."
The Master of the Martial Hall spoke slowly, "Among the Grade-Four martial arts, I suggest you don't choose another internal cultivation technique, because the Pure Yang Technique you practice is already an extremely advanced internal cultivation.
It's classified as a Grade-Three internal cultivation because the Pure Yang Technique is too difficult to master, but if mastered, its cultivation effects surpass many Grade-Four internal cultivation techniques. Once you join the Free Spirit Outer Sect, you can then cultivate an internal technique in the same lineage as the Pure Yang Technique, called the Innate Technique!"