Madam, Why Do You Keep Bringing Up That Jinx?

"Hehe, Xiao Chen is trash? I wonder who was farting over there!"

"If Xiao Chen is trash, then everyone in Great Xia is trash! No, we're even worse than trash!"

Hearing this, Zhang Shiyi immediately laughed.

Trash?

Could someone who had instantly defeated him, a Half-Step Martial Master, while crossing several minor realms be trash?

If Xiao Chen was trash, who in all of Great Xia would dare call themselves a heavenly prodigy?

Zhang Mohu frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"I discovered that he killed Zhang Youzhi and was bringing him back to the Zhang Family when he took me down with a single sword strike! What do you think I mean?"

The moment those words came out, everyone present nearly had their hearts stop from fright. Extreme shock filled their faces.

Xiao Chen had defeated Zhang Shiyi, a Half-Step Martial Master, with one sword strike?

An hour ago, Xiao Chen had only been at the seventh level of the Martial Disciple Realm!

That meant that within an hour, Xiao Chen had not only become a sword cultivator, but also gained the combat power to kill enemies across two realms?

How was that possible?

"Zhang Shiyi, do you hear the nonsense coming out of your own mouth? In all of Great Xia, only peerless geniuses can kill enemies across realms. Xiao Chen is someone cursed by the Heavenly Dao—how could he possess such terrifying talent?"

Zhang Mohu found it impossible to believe. Staring into Zhang Shiyi's eyes, he questioned him coldly.

"Hehe, the four guards who went with me all saw it with their own eyes. If you don't believe me, ask them!"

Zhang Shiyi turned to look at the guards behind him.

"Is he telling the truth?"

"That's right. Commander Zhang had intended to capture Xiao Chen, but Xiao Chen casually struck with his sword and subdued Commander Zhang. If he had harbored any killing intent, Commander Zhang would already be a corpse!"

Hearing the guard's words, countless flashes of shock suddenly crossed Zhang Mohu's eyes. He finally believed them.

A person's eyes could not lie. The terror and shock in that guard's expression as he recalled it could not be faked!

Could cutting ties with Xiao Chen and publicly declaring him a useless good-for-nothing have all been an act staged by Zhenbei King Manor and Saintly Wasteland Academy to conceal Xiao Chen's peerless talent?

Over the past ten years, the Demon Race had been secretly hunting the Human Race's geniuses. If Xiao Chen truly possessed such world-shocking talent, it would not be strange for the Zhenbei King to resort to this measure to protect him!

"Patriarch, I'm afraid we can't avenge this grievance, can we? The Zhenbei King's combat power is unmatched. Even if we all attacked together, we wouldn't be enough for a single slap from him!"

A Zhang Family martial artist said cautiously.

From the current situation, Xiao Chen was not only no abandoned son of Zhenbei King Manor, but a hidden genius. Whoever dared lay a hand on Xiao Chen would likely immediately suffer the thunderous wrath of Zhenbei King Manor!

Not to mention a mere Zhang Family—even the lord of Zhenbei City absolutely could not bear it!

"Zhang Laoba, what the hell do you mean by that? Weren't you the one just saying you'd wipe out their entire family and have your way with all the women in their household? Why are you changing your tune now? Why are you so damn cowardly?"

"Stop spouting bullshit! I, Zhang Laoba, have always lived by one word: courage. Everyone in the Zhang Family knows that! But courage doesn't mean throwing your life away. That's the Zhenbei King! Who the hell can take him on?"

"So by your meaning, we just let the young master's death go?"

Several Zhang Family martial artists could no longer stand it and began arguing with Zhang Laoba.

Watching everyone argue without end, Zhang Mohu's expression shifted uncertainly. After struggling for a long while, he gritted his teeth and roared, "Enough, shut up! Pass down my order: all Zhang Family martial artists are to carry my son's corpse and follow me to Zhenbei King Manor. The Zhenbei King indulged his son in committing murder. I will demand justice from him!"

"Patriarch, wouldn't that be inappropriate? That is the Zhenbei King!"

An elderly Zhang Family martial artist tried to dissuade him in a low voice.

"Everything must be governed by reason. The Zhenbei King may be powerful, but he cannot simply disregard reason!"

"So many of us are going to demand justice. I refuse to believe he would dare kill us all!"

Zhang Mohu said through gritted teeth.

In a contest of strength, the Zhang Family was certainly no match for Zhenbei King Manor. But he knew that Xiao Zhentian cared deeply about his reputation. If he went to Xiao Zhentian with such a great fanfare, Xiao Zhentian would instead be too concerned with appearances to kill him.

Of course, this was a gamble, and an exceedingly dangerous one.

But his most beloved only son had been killed. If he did nothing, he truly could not swallow this grievance.

After all, even in death, his son could not close his eyes. As his father, he had to seek justice for him.

Elsewhere.

Zhenbei King Manor.

Inside a grand hall.

Xiao Zhentian was drinking tea with an elderly man who possessed the air of an immortal. The old man was Zhang Qitian, the one who had previously assessed Xiao Chen's future at Saintly Wasteland Square with the Martial Spirit Realm.

"Senior, can my son Lingtian truly enter Saintly Wasteland Academy?"

Xiao Zhentian looked at Zhang Qitian with excitement written all over his face.

He had originally given up hope regarding Xiao Lingtian entering Saintly Wasteland Academy. Yet Zhang Qitian had unexpectedly sought him out afterward and said he could admit Xiao Lingtian into the academy. This had delighted both him and Wen Wanrong beyond measure.

Though their eldest son had been crippled and his lifespan was nearly exhausted, their younger son had encountered an opportunity to transform into a dragon. This filled their hearts with relief.

That faint trace of sorrow over their eldest son's downfall was immediately washed away without a trace!

"Originally, I wanted to invite Xiao Chen into Saintly Wasteland Academy, but who would have thought that he would be envied by the Heavenly Dao and become crippled? Now, for some reason, the Martial Spirit Realm no longer reacts to him either. I could only select Xiao Lingtian, the most talented candidate in this examination, to enter the academy!"

Zhang Qitian took a sip of tea and spoke with a regretful expression.

In truth, he did not think much of Xiao Lingtian's talent. After all, he was merely Heaven Tier!

The one he had truly valued was Xiao Chen, who possessed the Born King Physique. Only such a genius was worthy of Saintly Wasteland Academy's cultivation. Alas, fate toyed with men!

He could only make do and take Xiao Lingtian back with him!

"Senior, do you think Chen'er can become a sword cultivator after entering Sword Immortal Academy?"

Wen Wanrong, seated nearby, could not help asking.

"Mother, what are you thinking? Xiao Chen has been cursed by the Heavenly Dao and is doomed to be plagued by misfortune. How could he possibly become a sword cultivator?"

Xiao Lingtian immediately became unhappy, a trace of venom flashing through his eyes.

Xiao Chen had already severed ties with the Xiao Family, yet his mother still kept thinking of him. He was truly detestable!

If Xiao Chen had not appeared, he should have continued enjoying his parents' love all to himself!

"Lingtian, he is your elder brother after all!"

"Mother, he isn't my elder brother. He has already severed ties with our Xiao Family! Now he's just trash, a short-lived ghost!"

"Lingtian, how can you speak of your brother like that? You weren't like this toward him before!"

Wen Wanrong's eyes widened. She could not believe that her younger son loathed her elder son to such a degree. Before her elder son's dantian had been shattered, her younger son had always treated him with the utmost respect!

Xiao Lingtian lowered his head without speaking, but monstrous resentment flashed through his eyes.

He had not treated Xiao Chen this way before?

That was because the time had not yet come.

Ever since that day when enemies invaded, when he deliberately chose not to leave and caused Xiao Chen's dantian to be crippled—

He had decided to live differently!

Why should Xiao Chen possess the Born King Physique and stand high above all from the moment he was born!

While he, Xiao Lingtian, had to live beneath Xiao Chen's shadow for his entire life? Even though Xiao Chen had always treated him well, he was unwilling to live so humbly!

Zhang Qitian glanced at Xiao Lingtian and frowned slightly before looking at Wen Wanrong again. "One envied by Heaven is destined to have no affinity with the Dao. The Sword Dao is the Great Dao ranked first in killing power and is exceedingly difficult to cultivate. Not to mention that Xiao Chen has already been cursed by the Heavenly Dao—even if he had not, becoming a sword cultivator would still be extremely difficult!"

"Is there not even the slightest hope?"

"No. It is absolutely impossible!"

Zhang Qitian shook his head.

"Mother, do you believe it now? Sword cultivators are invincible among those of the same realm and exceedingly rare. How could trash like Xiao Chen possibly become one?"

Xiao Lingtian said with glee at another's misfortune.

"Perhaps I was asking too much!"

A faint disappointment flashed through Wen Wanrong's eyes, but when she thought of her younger son about to soar into the sky, that trace of disappointment instantly evaporated.

Perhaps this was Xiao Chen's fate.

He was destined to be inferior to Xiao Lingtian!

"Madam, today is Lingtian's joyous day. Why do you keep bringing up that jinx? He is destined to be crippled already, and he has nothing to do with Zhenbei King Manor anymore. One must look forward in life!"

Xiao Zhentian could not help saying, disgust flashing through his eyes.

Zhenbei King Manor had no place for trash!

Especially not someone cursed by the Heavenly Dao and plagued by misfortune.

From this day onward, he, Xiao Zhentian, had only one son: Xiao Lingtian, who was about to enter Saintly Wasteland Academy and soar into the sky.

As for Xiao Chen, he was merely an abandoned, useless good-for-nothing, not worth mentioning!