Chapter 60: A Year of Chaos
A Year of Chaos
Like sand falling from an hourglass, time passed faster than anyone realized, and soon another year passed, and now, it was Xue Bai's 11th birthday.
To Xue Bai, it felt like only a few months had passed with how serene life was, but to the Southern Continent, it was anything but.
Groundbreaking news popped up almost every week, making it a blood-boiling time to be alive.
First was Wang Yu, the continent's biggest rising star. After joining the Soaring Sword Sect, his cultivation started to advance at heaven-defying speeds, and he reached the Bone Strengthening realm at 15 years and four months old, breaking the Southern Continent's long-standing record.
After that was a piece of news that shook the continent: the death of a peak powerhouse, a peak stage Domain Lord realm old monster died.
In the Southern Continent, where Black-grade Martial Veins were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns, the Domain Lord realm was regarded as the peak of the continent. So for a Domain Lord realm cultivator who was at the peak of the realm to die, it was natural for the continent to be shocked.
Such powerhouses would almost always live to the end of their 500-year-long lifespan and die at home in peace, surrounded by their loved ones.
A person of such strength almost never died of other causes.
And to shock the continent even more, the Domain Lord realm cultivator in question was, amazingly, the esteemed Grand Elder from the Great Xuan Empire's Wang Clan.
The reasoning for his death was also rather hilarious and made the Wan Clan the continent's laughing stock for a while as well.
Apparently, after the death of his only descendant, Wang Mo, the Grand Elder, couldn't control his Spiritual Qi and suffered Qi Deviation crippling himself. And without Spiritual Qi or his high cultivation to sustain his old age, the Grand Elder died of old age.
And the Wang Clan, though heartbroken, had tried to keep it under wraps for as long as they could, but it leaked during a meeting of the Empire's higher-ups one day.
During the meetings, normally, any cultivator in the Domain Lord realm and above is required to be present by Imperial Law. However, after not seeing Wang Clan's Grand Elder, the Emperor, Duan Zhen, became enraged.
Duan Zhen thought that the old man had supposed himself higher than the Imperial Law. So angered, Duan Zhen planned to make an example out of him and barge into the Wang Clan dukedom in search of him.
But Duan Zhen was met with a corpse after breaking into the man's cave abode.
And unfortunately enough for the Wang Clan, who planned to keep it under wraps, the other higher-ups had followed Duan Zhen, wanting to see a good show. And they all recognized the corpse as the Grand Elder.
Unapologetic for his mistake, Duan Zhen also ordered Wang Yichen to explain how the Grand Elder died. After all, to hit the dog, you had to ask its master first. And the Grand Elder was one of the strongest dogs under his control. So when it suddenly died, Duan Zhen was rightfully angry.
Embarrassed, angered, and annoyed, Wang Yichen refused to explain to all of the uninvited guests. However, Duan Zhen just got angrier, thinking it to be an act of rebellion, and forced out an answer from Wang Yichen.
Then there, kneeling under Duan Zhen's pressure and in front of all the higher-ups of the Empire, Wang Yichen explained how the Grand Elder died.
And though all the higher-ups were composed enough not to laugh in front of Wang Yichen and promised not to release the news, only hours after ending the meeting, the Wang Clan had already become the laughingstock of the Great Xuan Empire and the Southern Continent.
After all, the Grand Elder's death had to be the first in history. A peak stage Domain Lord realm cultivator dying to Qi Deviation—this had to be the first in history.
Even Xue Bai couldn't control himself and laughed himself to tears after Xue Feng told him.
Finally, the last piece of news that happened merely a week ago was the tragic story of Huo Long.
After awakening his low Black-grade Martial Veins, Huo Long was seen as Wang Yu's only competitor in the generation. And he lived up to that title. He had managed to break through to the Muscle Nourishing realm at only 13 years and 8 months old.
Sadly, his rise was extremely short-lived.
After an ambush targeting Wushen Academy's members in a secret realm, Huo Long had his dantian shattered and his Martial Veins crippled.
Heartbroken and devastated, Wushen Academy tried to heal Huo Long to no avail. And after giving him a few benefits as compensation, Huo Long was expelled.
As distressed as they were at the situation, Wushen Academy couldn't keep a mortal in their sect. So to protect Huo Long and their reputation, they kicked the boy out.
And now it was January 2, Xue Bai's birthday, and coincidentally exactly 18 months until the start of the plot.
Today would be the day that Xue Bai "would awaken his Martial Veins" even though he had done so almost a year ago.
It was just an act for the show, though, as other than his own close family and companions, only Yan Zhenyu and Yan Fengxian knew he could cultivate right now.
Though Xue Bai had a set of low Heaven-grade Martial Veins with a space and fire element affinity, he couldn't truly expose that to the world, could he?
So to the world, Xue Bai planned to downplay his talent a great deal and only show a high Black-grade set of Martial Veins with a fire element affinity.
The reasoning was simple, any higher and it wouldn't do anything but make him a bigger target.
Xue Bai knew that there were a ton of old monsters in the Baishen Plane that would love to possess the young and weak body of a boy with a peak Black-grade Martial Vein. Xue Bai would also threaten the true powerhouses of the Baishen Plane living on the Central Continent.
Going above the high Black-grade wasn't an option, but neither was going any lower.
The Vein Swallowing Worm that the Wang Clan poisoned him with was a middle Yellow-grade worm.
And a high Black-grade Martial Vein couldn't be swallowed by a worm of that quality. So in order to not make the Wang Clan any more suspicious, he decided to 'awaken' a high Black-grade Martial Vein.
And though Xue Bai knew that a high Black-grade Martial Vein would make him an even bigger target to the Wang Clan, he didn't want to cower.
Xue Bai wanted to win. He wanted to ascend. He wanted to survive his apotheosis and become a god.
If he cowered now before the insignificant Wang Clan before even meeting Wang Mo, what right did he have to go against him?
It was stupid and reckless, but Xue Bai didn't care. He wouldn't cower against some random mobs from the starter village.
"Young Master, you look lost. What's wrong?" Suddenly, the words from his maid took him away from his thoughts.
Looking back, he saw Xiao'er dressed up as fancy as she could with a huge smile plastered on her face.
The years were treating Xiao'er better and better as she grew up. And now, at 17, Xiao'er stood at about 1.75 meters tall, with bulging mountains and long, slender legs that peeked out from her cheongsam. Coupled with her cheerful and naive smile, she was a woman of world-class beauty that could tempt even monks.
"Damn, jailbait." Xue Bai muttered under his breath.
"Young Master, you said that phrase again! What does jailbait mean, and why do you only say it to me?" Xiao'er pouted.
Now at age 17, with the resources she received, Xiao'er had stepped into the Bone Strengthening realm, so she was able to hear Xue Bai's whispers.
"You'll learn when you're older. Now just help me put on this stupid ornamental outfit." Xue Bai refused to elaborate.
Currently, he and Xiao'er were dressing up in their best clothes to attend his birthday party and "Awakening Ceremony."
"Hmph! I'll make you spit it out one day." Xiao'er humphed, but she still obeyed Xue Bai's command.
How could she say no to such an appealing command? Being able to dress up Xue Bai was always one of her favorite activities.
Soon enough, with four hands, Xue Bai eventually entered his outfit.
"Alright, Xiao'er, let's go greet the guest." Xue Bai said while extending his hand to his maid.
"Yes, Young Master!"
—
In the main hall of the estate, countless people of high standing were seated, waiting for the person of honor to arrive.
Xue Feng sat at a table at the front of the main hall alongside Li Rou. And as the parents of the guest of honor and the hosts of the party, the two of them were dressed as elegantly as Xue Bai was.
The two were conversing with Yan Zhenyu and his wife, Luo Mei.
"Brother Xue, you've already broken through to the peak of the Domain Lord realm. You're not even 90 yet. How are old men like us supposed to live with ourselves when you cultivate like that." Yan Zhenyu spoke as he poured himself a cup of wine.
"Big Brother Yan, it's not like I can't cultivate. I have to ensure the safety of Bai'er. I am the redwood tree shielding him from the strong winds wanting to unroot him." Xue Feng spoke sincerely.
"Sigh~~ If only our Fengfeng could be as talented as that Wang Yu kid." Yan Zhenyu sighed as he downed a cup of wine.
"Why are you bringing up that monster, Big Brother Yan?" Xue Feng asked.
Wang Yu was known as a taboo in the Great Xuan Empire, and while Xue Fen wasn't scared of the child, he didn't like to speak much about him.
Talking about him only made him feel annoyed. So when Yan Zhenyu suddenly brought up the boy during an otherwise disconnected conversation, Xue Feng couldn't help but frown slightly.
"These past few years, the Wang Clan has been pushing for a marriage between Wang Yu and Fengfeng." Yan Zhenyu responded.
Stiffened up a little from the answer, Xue Feng asked once again, "You've denied them, right?"
"I have been, yes. Fengfeng has recently been really close with that Huo Long kid, and rather than forcing her to marry someone she didn't know. I let her stay with Huo Long." Yan Zhenyu said as he started to pour himself another cup.
"But then Huo Long had his accident. And since then, the Wang Clan has been pushing it even more. I can't seem to go a week without having a letter sent to me." Yan Zhenyu spoke while downing the drink he had just poured.
"Big Brother Yan, surely you've heard of the rumors around that demon?" Xue Feng asked, trying to help out his friend.
Though in the beginning, Xue Feng only saw Yan Zhenyu as an ally and only called him a Big Brother in respect for his age. But, over the last year, Yan Zhenyu has helped his dukedom grow exponentially with his business expertise. And now Xue Feng genuinely saw him as a Big Brother figure.
And though Xue Feng wouldn't say what Xue Bai told him about the Wang Clan, he had to make sure Yan Zhenyu didn't make a horrible decision.
"Of course I have. It is just that the Wang Clan's dowry offers have been getting more and more extravagant. It's even making me wonder if Fengfeng is worth it." Yan Zhenyu spoke.
"Are you tempted?" Xue Feng asked curiously.
"I can't say that I'm not, but I won't sacrifice my daughter for some monetary gain. I've reached the limit of my potential long ago, so anything I gain now is useless." Yan Zhenyu answered.
He was more than 9/10 of the way through his lifespan and only had less than 100 years left to live. All of the things that the Wang Clan offered him were nothing in his mind. Sacrificing his daughter's future and happiness for paltry money would kill him.
Xue Feng sighed in relief after hearing that. If his ally were stolen by his mortal enemies clan, he would have nowhere to cry to.
After taking another drink of wine, Xue Feng opened his mouth again to continue the conversation until he sensed that the person of honor had arrived.
From the entrance to the main hall, Xue Bai walked in. Hand in hand with Xiao'er, the two were dressed in fancy traditional Chinese clothing.
Xiao'er was dressed in a black cheongsam that matched perfectly with her obsidian-colored hair.
While Xue Bai was in a Hanfu, much like his snowflake-covered one, this one was purple gold colored, much longer, and embroidered with various gems along the edges.
Xue Bai had chosen this color to match his eyes and, even though he was hiding it, his true hair color.
"Look at the Young Duke's outfit. Those are Deep Sea Gold pieces on the side."
"Deep Sea Gold is a middle Yellow-grade spiritual ore, and yet it's merely being used as an ornamental gem on his birthday outfits."
"Sigh. Comparing yourself with the Young Duke will only hurt you. Why bother?"
"And look at the girl in his arms. She's only 17, and she's already in the Bone Strengthening realm. Who is she?"
"I don't know, but with that talent, she must be from one of the Three Great Sects!"
Ignoring the gossip of the people in the hall, Xue Bai and Xiao'er walked to the front, where Xue Feng sat.
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