Aftermath

Five figures clashed, sweeping around like a tornado, and crashed into a five-story concrete building. With a deafening roar, jagged cracks, like the claws of a demon, climbed the building's walls. In an instant, the entire building shattered, the roof was blown off, and the upright steel bars were exposed.

Just as the rooftop that had shot into the sky was about to fall, it was once again propelled into the heavens by an incomparably magnificent column of air. Five figures followed suit, soaring into the air and engaging in a fierce battle with lightning speed. In a short period of time, they had already clashed countless times.

The energies collided incessantly, causing the bricks and tiles that flew high into the air to shatter into dust, their particles gathering and dispersing unpredictably, stretching across the sky like dark clouds—a truly spectacular sight. The overflowing energy also stirred up ripples of energy waves, spreading recklessly and leaving behind a landscape of pits and craters, with flowers, grass, and trees broken and scattered all over the ground.

"Father! We can't fight anymore! If we keep fighting, the whole manor will be torn down."

An elderly man with wrinkled skin and white hair hurriedly came to the old man's side and pleaded. Although just by looking at their appearances, everyone would think that the former was a generation older than the latter.

Yun Fujian also came to the side and said, "Grandpa, we really can't fight anymore. It would be troublesome if the manor disciples got hurt."

"What a disappointment."

The old man clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, then extended his five fingers and brought them together. The four clones paused for a moment, then transformed into pure Primal Qi and vanished without a trace.

Si Ming fell from the sky, his clothes torn to shreds, making him look like a beggar. He looked extremely disheveled, and even his charm value dropped by 60%.

"Kid, are you Qi Ingestion now?" The old man clearly lacked the composure to pursue a cornered enemy and retorted.

Si Ming was thoroughly beaten by the four clones. Although he was not injured thanks to his strong physique, he was still furious. He threw aside all thoughts of seniority and his admiration for the Void Returning Great Grandmaster, straightened his body, and said arrogantly, "You absolutely cannot keep up with this next move."

The old man, not expecting his opponent to remain so stubborn, snorted and said, "There is no weapon in this world that I cannot master."

"Then keep your eyes wide open and watch carefully."

Si Ming immediately leaped into the air, pointing his fingers to the sky. The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi converged at his fingertips, transforming into electric snakes that coiled around them.

"Instead of comparing weapons, let's compare finger techniques?" the old man asked suspiciously. "You underestimate me too much. Fists, palms, legs, fingers, claws—any Nascent Spirit Transformation you grab off the street can use them... Wait, no!"

The next moment, Si Ming pointed his finger, and the thunder that had been brewing swept out like a torrential rain, accompanied by a deafening roar.

"Sin-Extinguishing Divine Lightning!"

He wasn't using martial arts, but rather Technique Method.

The old man reached out and grabbed all the lightning, drawing it into his palm. With a forceful squeeze, he annihilated it all.

However, he didn't show a victorious expression after easily blocking the attack. Instead, Si Ming descended from the sky triumphantly and said, "Old man, I told you you couldn't keep up with this move, right?"

"You actually used Technique Method, kid? You're being sneaky again." The old man was naturally Qi Ingestion.

"Hey, didn't we have a rule that we could only use martial arts and not Technique Method? I'm an honest person, you can't slander someone's innocence just because they're of a higher generation."

"Honest my foot! I've never seen anyone as shameless as you. It's a weapons competition, but you're using Technique Method. That's cheating."

"You can't do it yourself, but you blame others for being able to... I understand, you're just jealous!"

The old man and the young girl started arguing as if no one else was around Yun Fujian watched for a while, then secretly tugged at Yun Yinmo's sleeve and whispered, "Daughter, what's your relationship like with this classmate of yours? Is there any possibility of you dating?"

Chapter 729 Sequel

"Are you planning to sell your daughter?" Yun Yinmo returned a cold gaze.

Yun Fujian chuckled twice and said, "I was just asking for your opinion, how can you call it selling your daughter? You'll be getting married sooner or later anyway, so why not choose a talented young man instead of spending your life with mediocre people?"

Yun Yinmo looked at Si Ming, who was arguing with his great-grandfather, and said, "Your so-called 'young prodigy' is specifically referring to this one, isn't it?"

Yun Fujian coughed twice and said, "Father didn't specifically point to anyone, but this man is handsome and skilled in martial arts. Plus, he's a disciple of Master Yan, so his character is undoubtedly impeccable. More importantly, you two are old classmates. With that connection, it's much easier to befriend him than to seek out some unknown young talents. Why go to such lengths?"

Yun Yinmo stared at Si Ming for a while, and just when Yun Fujian thought there was a chance, she shook her head and said, "Forget it, I prefer peace and quiet, and my classmate seems like a troublemaker. Being around him means I'm destined to encounter many storms and never have a moment of peace."

Yun Fujian said disappointedly, "Talented people will inevitably attract attention. It's like throwing a stone into a lake; the heavier the stone, the bigger the splash. Even if you try to avoid it, the waves will crash into you. Haven't you heard the saying, 'The tree desires stillness, but the wind never ceases'? Only incompetent mediocre people can live a peaceful life because they can't even create a splash. Would you really want to spend your life with a plain-looking man who has no skills?"

"It's not impossible."

"Sigh, you don't care now, but when you find it boring later, it'll be too late to regret it."

"A young prodigy like him certainly doesn't lack Beauty admirers, so I'd better not join in the fun."

"How can this be called joining in the fun? Beautiful women love heroes, and talented men attract more women. This is perfectly normal. For example, your great-grandfather married nine great-grandmothers, including talented women and chivalrous women. They were all devoted to your great-grandfather, and their relationship was always harmonious. If one of them had been missing, your father might not exist. Take King Wen of Zhou, Ji Chang, for example. He had a hundred sons and countless wives and concubines. Did this affect later generations' praise of his wisdom?"

"We went to the same school, but we never really interacted. It seems we were destined to be apart."

"If you're destined to be together but not meant to be, then you have to fight for it yourself. You'll never get anywhere if you just wait for a windfall. You should take the initiative. Besides, our Mohist School believes in 'non-fatalism,' so how can we believe in something as ethereal as fate?"

Yun Yinmo sighed and said, "Father, you're only thinking about me. Have you considered what if the other party doesn't even like you?"

Yun Fujian retorted angrily, "Why does he look down on you? You are the great-granddaughter of Void Returning Great Grandmaster, the young lady of the Sword-Forging Manor, and your Level Ten Internal Cultivation is quite impressive among the younger generation..."

As he spoke, his voice grew weaker and weaker, and he felt he lacked confidence. Compared to the strength that Si Ming had displayed, the identity of being the great-granddaughter of Void Returning Great Grandmaster was insignificant. After all, there were dozens of people with the same identity. Perhaps he would have a chance if he were Void Returning Great Grandmaster's only daughter. Moreover, he was sure he wasn't the only one who had fallen for her; others present would have similar thoughts.

Although Yun Fujian has a mercenary side, he wouldn't actually sell his daughter for personal gain. In any case, his identity as the "Master of the Sword-Forging Manor" is enough to guarantee his family's wealth and prosperity.

He shook his head and said, "Alright, I won't force you. But even if we can't be Beauty, being friends is fine, right? I don't expect you to deliberately try to please him, but don't act aloof or rush to distance yourself after hearing rumors. That's just people being jealous of you, and doing that will only play into their hands."

He knew all too well about these disgusting tricks; it was basically the mentality of "if I can't have it, I can't let you have it either," so he gave Yun Yinmo a heads-up early on.

"I know, he and I are classmates, a relationship that others can't be jealous of."

"Good that you understand. I don't expect you to use this relationship for any personal gain, but having it will save you a lot of trouble, and others will think twice before trying to scheme against you."

Although he spoke lightly, Yun Fujian was still quite regretful. A young man who could fight on equal terms with Void Returning Great Grandmaster at the age of twenty was a man with a bright future. Even if he did not make any further progress and his cultivation stopped there, he would still be a very important figure, at least more influential than Yun Fujian, who was just a nominal manor lord.

If only my daughter had been involved with him when she was in school, the friendship forged in poverty would have been the most precious. To try to get close to him now would inevitably be suspected of vanity. No matter how much wealth you share, it can never compare to sharing hardship.

At this moment, Yan Jinghong walked over and Yun Fujian, "Master Yun, I have a favor to ask of you. I hope you can issue a gag order so that everyone present will not spread what just happened."

Mad Ink's reputation is one thing; there have been examples of young prodigies who defeated Nascent Spirit Transformation. That's still within the realm of common sense. But fighting against Void Returning Great Grandmaster stage is too much of a test of one's resilience. Yan Jinghong still hopes that Si Ming can grow up in a relatively peaceful environment without receiving too much attention, because external attention will only distract him and hinder his cultivation.