"Bullying the weak?"
Hearing Lin Yan's accusation, Luo Cheng retorted, "The martial contest was proposed by Luo Qi himself. What does it have to do with me? As for being ruthless, I don't dare claim such a thing—Luo Qi clearly said earlier that he'd break my arms and legs. Yet now, his limbs are perfectly intact."
"You! Fine! Fine! Luo Hong, this is the fine son you've raised! How dare he speak so disrespectfully to his elders!"
Lin Yan's face turned pale with anger, her voice trembling as she confronted Luo Hong.
Luo Hong responded indifferently, "What Cheng'er said is not wrong. Injuries are inevitable in a martial contest. Even if the one injured were Cheng'er, I would have said nothing more. Lin Yan, this is merely a quarrel between the younger generation. Let this matter end here."
"End here? Not a chance! I'm going to tell Luo Heng! Let's see what he has to say!"
Luo Heng, of course, was Luo Cheng's eldest uncle and Luo Qi's father.
With Luo Mingshan severely injured and unconscious, Luo Heng currently held authority over the entire Luo Family.
Just as Lin Yan was about to complain, a Luo Family guard hurriedly ran into the Martial Arts Arena.
"The Family Head has awakened! He requests everyone to gather in the council hall!"
Grandfather has awakened!
Luo Cheng felt an overwhelming joy in his heart. Ignoring everything else, he sprinted toward the council hall.
Council Hall.
The hall was already crowded with people, all of them senior members of the Luo Family.
Luo Mingshan was seated in the main chair, looking significantly thinner. Beside him stood a middle-aged man with a simple and honest appearance, reporting on recent events that had transpired in Qishan City.
This middle-aged man was none other than Luo Cheng's eldest uncle, Luo Heng.
"Hmph, what blatant opportunism! This is clearly an attempt to encroach upon our Luo Family!"
Upon hearing that the Qi Family and Lin Family had moved the Hunting Festival forward to next month, Luo Mingshan's expression darkened.
"Over the last few decades, we've developed too swiftly, and the Qi and Lin Families have long harbored jealousy. In the past, they hesitated because they feared the Ji Family. Now… sigh!"
"What's there to fear? At worst, we fight them head-on!"
The crowd broke into discussions, but many people's faces showed unease.
With Luo Mingshan gravely injured, the Luo Family's overall strength was no match for the Lin and Qi Families.
"Grandfather!"
Luo Cheng entered the council hall and, seeing the visibly thinner Luo Mingshan, his eyes instantly grew red.
Luo Mingshan's gaze softened, and he smiled kindly. "Cheng'er, come here and let Grandfather have a look. It's only been half a month, but you seem to have grown taller. Cough! Cough!"
Before he could finish, Luo Mingshan suddenly erupted into a violent coughing fit, his face turning deathly pale.
Nearby, the pharmacist quickly interjected, "Family Head, your injuries are still severe. Please do not excite yourself too much."
Luo Cheng anxiously asked, "When can Grandfather recover fully?"
The medical practitioner frowned slightly. "His internal organs and meridians have sustained damage. To recover fully would require at least three to five years of rest and treatment. Unless…"
"Unless what?" Luo Cheng pressed anxiously.
"Unless there is a Four-star Spiritual Medicine…"
Upon hearing this, sighs echoed throughout the hall.
A Four-star Spiritual Medicine would be nearly impossible to find in all of Qishan City.
Even if one could find it, its price would be far beyond what the Luo Family could afford.
"Just a minor injury, that's all."
Luo Mingshan chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. Then, stroking Luo Cheng's head, he asked warmly, "Have you been practicing diligently during this time?"
"Yes." Luo Cheng nodded.
At this moment, a group of people entered the hall, including Lin Yan, Luo Hong, and others.
"Brother Heng, you must stand up for Qi'er!"
Lin Yan, her eyes reddened, looked at Luo Heng, tears brimming.
Luo Heng frowned slightly. "What happened?"
Lin Yan recounted the incident in the Martial Arts Arena, adding exaggeration and embellishment.
"Luo Cheng struck ruthlessly and even spoke to me with blatant disrespect! He ignored family ties and showed no regard for his elders. He must be severely punished!"
Lin Yan fixed Luo Cheng with a vengeful glare.
Luo Heng was well aware of his wife's temperament and whispered, "We'll discuss this matter once we get back…"
Lin Yan suddenly erupted in fury, screaming hysterically, "Your son was beaten up! Someone's even trampled all over your wife's dignity, and you won't even utter a word of protest! Are you even a man?!"
"I…" Luo Heng's face flushed a vivid shade of red, resembling a pig's liver.
"Enough!"
Luo Mingshan slammed the table and roared, "This is the council hall! What kind of behavior is this disgraceful squabble?!"
Lin Yan shuddered, startled by the old patriarch's rare display of rage.
Fixing Lin Yan with a sharp gaze, Luo Mingshan said sternly, "Luo Qi has been spoiled by you. Awakening a Five-star Martial Soul has made him arrogant and insolent! This lesson he received may not be a bad thing for him. Let this matter drop!"
Though deeply unwilling, Lin Yan dared not contradict him.
She would never defy the patriarch's authority.
Shifting his gaze, Luo Mingshan turned to Luo Cheng. Smiling, he said, "I heard that a certain young fellow recently caused a stir at the Drunken Cloud Pavilion, defeating Qi Dong and his group from the Qi Family. Initially, I could hardly believe it. Is that true?"
At these words, many in the hall turned their eyes to Luo Cheng.
They had also heard about the incident earlier but found it too unbelievable to be true.
Luo Cheng nodded slightly.
"Haha, good! That's the spirit! Show the world that the Luo Family isn't to be trifled with!"
Overjoyed, Luo Mingshan couldn't help but ask, "Half a month ago, you were only at the Body Tempering Fourth Layer. How did you break through to the Sixth Layer so quickly?"
Luo Cheng had already prepared an explanation. Scratching his head, he replied, "A few days ago, I ventured into the Black Cloud Mountain Range and found some kind of red fruit. After eating it, I felt an intense heat, and before I knew it, I'd broken through."
"A red fruit? Could it have been Vermilion Crystal Fruit or Fire Bell Fruit?"
"No, neither Vermilion Crystal Fruit nor Fire Bell Fruit has such properties."
The crowd discussed the matter but couldn't deduce what spiritual medicine Luo Cheng had consumed to achieve such rapid advancement to the Body Tempering Sixth Layer.
"Good grandson, the Black Cloud Mountain Range is exceedingly dangerous. Even experts in the Transcendence Realm find it perilous. You should avoid going there alone in the future."
Luo Mingshan lovingly patted Luo Cheng on the head, though he sighed inwardly.
Such courage at such a young age, braving the Black Cloud Mountain Range alone—it far surpassed most others. If only he could awaken an Advanced Martial Soul, his future would be limitless.
And yet, why did it have to be a Wasted Martial Soul!
"Family Head, next month is the Hunting Festival. We need to determine the three participants." One elder spoke up.
Luo Mingshan glanced around the room and asked, "Who do you all think is suitable?"
"After some discussion, we believe the strongest among the younger generation of the Body Tempering Realm, under sixteen, are Luo Qingwan, Luo Fei, and Luo Zhixing. All three have reached the latter stages of Body Tempering, and Luo Zhixing even broke through to the Body Tempering Eighth Layer half a month ago!"
"Oh, Zhixing has already reached the Eighth Layer? Not bad!"
Luo Mingshan nodded slightly, then asked, "How do they compare to the young talents of the Lin and Qi Families?"
"That…"
The room fell silent as the senior members exchanged glances but said nothing.
Among the candidates eligible for the tournament, Qi Ting of the Qi Family had reached the Body Tempering Eighth Layer three months prior.
Lin Yun of the Lin Family was even more terrifying, having achieved the Eighth Layer half a year ago! They firmly held the advantage over the Luo Family.
Taking in the expressions around him, Luo Mingshan sighed inwardly.
Among the Luo Family's younger generation, the most gifted were either too old for the competition or not yet mature enough, creating a gap in talent.
"Grandfather, I want to participate in the Hunting Festival!"
Luo Cheng stepped forward.
"Young Master Luo Cheng, please stop making trouble. The Hunting Festival only allows three participants, and the matter concerns the family's honor and survival—it is no trifling matter!" A long-standing elder advised.
Every Hunting Festival determined the division of property and benefits among the three major families!
What everyone competed for wasn't just prestige, but tangible interests!
This year's festival, under pressure from the Lin and Qi Families, would be an even greater gamble. The family that ranked last risked being pushed out of the three great clans!