Li Shuxing: Whoever Touches My Successor, I'll Kill Their Entire Family!

The courtyard was deathly silent.

Those plain words struck like thunder, causing Wang Tianlong and everyone present to change color, falling into a stunned silence.

Even a high-ranking, important figure like Fang Pingsheng couldn't help but show surprise.

Having witnessed the battle where Yue Xiuwen defeated Wang Tianlong in nine moves, he knew how terrifying Yue Xiuwen was. That was absolutely not something someone at the Manifest Strength stage could do!

Yet now, someone could defeat Yue Xiuwen and also take down so many people from the Sword Inquiry Martial Hall?

How was that possible!?

One-on-one and one-against-many were two completely different concepts!

Even if Yue Xiuwen, a top-tier Manifest Strength expert, could break Wang Tianlong's arm in nine moves one-on-one, if he were surrounded by several peak Manifest Strength practitioners skilled in combat, he would have to retreat first!

If anyone else had told him that someone at the same Manifest Strength stage could single-handedly clear out ten peak Manifest Strength practitioners, he wouldn't have bothered to respond, thinking they were talking utter nonsense!

But…

Fang Pingsheng knew Old Xu's identity and, because of that, knew that such an arrogant and supreme being would never deign to lie about something like this, especially when it could be verified with a single glance!

So…

Huo Yuanhong had truly, by himself, defeated everyone on the opposing side!?

Fang Pingsheng's gaze became unusually serious.

To be able to defeat them all, even if it was achieved by consuming the top-tier Boiling Blood Powder, a heavenly treasure-level forbidden medicine that showed no outward signs and couldn't be detected afterward, temporarily boosting his strength, it was enough to prove Huo Yuanhong's power!

His true strength, without using Boiling Blood Powder…

It was estimated to not be much weaker than Yue Xiuwen! At least on par with Wang Tianlong, truly qualified to take first place!

"Huo Yuanhong…"

Fang Pingsheng murmured, truly engraving the name in his heart.

After all, this young man had only joined the martial arts school a few days ago!

And yet… in such a short time, he had grown to a level comparable to Wang Tianlong, or even approaching the supreme Manifest Strength level of Yue Xiuwen!?

"It seems my ancestor's guess was correct. Huo Yuanhong is the successor secretly cultivated by Li Shuxing. He's been secretly teaching him martial arts for a year… no! It should be many years, and secretly investing resources in his development…"

"Only now, with his Manifest Strength nearing its peak, has he been brought to the forefront through this opportunity…"

Speculation arose in Fang Pingsheng's mind.

Most likely, it was exactly like that!

But regardless, even if he had been trained by Li Shuxing since childhood, received abundant secret resources, and even specialized in practical combat techniques…

To possess such strength at an age under twenty was still incredibly remarkable!

It was foreseeable that after this event, the name Huo Yuanhong would surely resound throughout Jinmen's martial arts circles! He would truly make a name for himself!

Perhaps in just another two or three years, at the age of twenty-two, or even as early as twenty-one…

He could break through to Hidden Strength and become a martial artist whose punches were faster than spears!

Although…

He couldn't compare to Wu Yuanchu, who had entered Hidden Strength at the age of nineteen. The gap was still significant, but who was Wu Yuanchu?

As a martial arts prodigy whose fame echoed throughout the Heavenly Dynasty, he had already been selected for the Martial Immortal Plan, jointly cultivated by the Fang family and several top families no weaker than the Fang family, with all sorts of top secret medicines being supplied through every possible means!

He wasn't someone an ordinary genius from a humble background could be compared to!

Fang Pingsheng never expected to encounter another martial arts prodigy like Wu Yuanchu.

A candidate like Huo Yuanhong, with talent no less than Wang Tianlong's and the connection to Li Shuxing, was already very satisfactory to him and worth investing in!

"It seems the Manifest Strength genius my Fang family is investing in has a more suitable choice than Wang Tianlong…"

Fang Pingsheng smiled. With equal talent, investing in Huo Yuanhong would also bring him closer to Li Shuxing, making him a much more suitable choice than Wang Tianlong!

As for this competition…

This was a competition between martial arts schools. With all the members of the opposing school defeated, what was the point of continuing?

"For this competition, first place goes to Huo Yuanhong! Everyone else gets zero points!"

The important figure from the Fang family made the final decision.

At this moment, Wang Tianlong had just recovered from the soul-shattering shock. Hearing Fang Pingsheng's words, his expression immediately turned ugly.

He knew that the Fang family's investment in him was likely to be transferred to Huo Yuanhong.

"Fortunately, with the accumulation I've made over this long period, I only need half a month to quickly reach the initial stage of Heart-Mind Unity. By then, I'll naturally be a step ahead of Huo Yuanhong! I'll reclaim the glory and resources that belong to me!"

Wang Tianlong said silently, his face grim.

He admitted that Huo Yuanhong was indeed very strong, but in terms of talent and potential, he didn't think he was inferior. He had simply lost out on having a powerful master personally guide him, and on having a powerful master provide him with the top-tier Boiling Blood Powder.

He would immediately begin cultivating Heart-Mind Unity and successfully enter the initial stage in half a month, letting everyone know who the true genius was!

"Brother Li, calculating the time, the competition should have already started, right?"

In the guest room deep within the martial arts school, Li Shuxing sat opposite several people.

The man speaking at this moment had a lean face, wore a gray-white robe, and had a famous sword at his waist.

It was Mo Wuji, the grand master of the Sword Inquiry Martial Hall, one of the "two heroes among the top," a peerless swordsman renowned throughout the land!

"Oh? Master Mo seems quite impatient?"

Li Shuxing picked up his tea, took a sip, and then looked at Mo Wuji before him.

"Brother Li jokes. It's just a spar between youngsters. Even if there are wins and losses, it won't harm the harmony between us."

Mo Wuji smiled.

"So, you mean my Divine Spear Martial Hall will lose?"

Li Shuxing slowly put down his teacup. Just sitting there calmly made Mo Wuji and the others feel immense pressure. They had to join forces to contend with him.

However, as one of the two heroes second only to Li Shuxing, and with the deputy head of the Martial Bureau and the old patriarch of the Wu family, two top experts, present, Mo Wuji wasn't afraid of Li Shuxing.

"I didn't mean that. I just hope Brother Li won't ruin the harmony within Jinmen's martial arts circles over a temporary win or loss."

Mo Wuji also put down his teacup and looked directly at Li Shuxing, speaking slowly.

This martial arts competition was a joint effort by several martial arts schools, the Martial Bureau, and the Wu family to suppress the Divine Spear Martial Hall, to gradually weaken its momentum and knock it off its throne as Jinmen's number one.

Now that everything was ready, with the few of them here to keep Li Shuxing occupied, as soon as the competition outside ended, they could mobilize the newspapers and literati to let the world "know" that the Divine Spear Martial Hall's new generation was in decline.

This move, while it wouldn't bring down the Divine Spear Martial Hall or Li Shuxing, would, once the news of a crushing defeat spread, make officials and wealthy merchants who didn't know the truth very cautious when choosing sides, and they would be less likely to send their outstanding descendants to the Divine Spear Martial Hall for training.

This way, the Divine Spear Martial Hall's wings would be clipped significantly. With their decline and the others' rise, they would have a greater chance when they truly made a move against the Divine Spear Martial Hall!

Li Shuxing naturally understood this and had made his plans. If these people truly showed no regard for appearances, he would flip the table!

With his temper, he wouldn't let these people slowly boil the frog, weakening the Divine Spear Martial Hall's strength bit by bit!

"I wonder how Ah Hong is doing. With Old Xu watching outside, he should be fine. At most, he'll be injured and bedridden for a few days..."

Li Shuxing thought to himself, his qi locked onto the three opposite him, ready to suppress them at any moment.

After all, this was his territory. If these three really caused trouble and damaged his property, it would be his loss.

"Master! Master!"

Just then, someone rushed in hurriedly. It was a trainer from the Sword Inquiry Martial Hall, sweating profusely.

"What's the rush!"

Mo Wuji reprimanded him.

"Master, something's happened..."

The trainer's forehead was covered in sweat as he spoke, bracing himself.

"Speak."

Mo Wuji said calmly.

Could it be... that Li Shuxing's people had made the first move and flipped the table?

"Yue Xiuwen... and the other disciples who were supposed to compete have all been severely injured and can't get out of bed. No one can take the stage now."

This news struck like lightning. Mo Wuji snapped the teacup in his hand and looked coldly at Li Shuxing.

"Who did this?"

In his mind, Li Shuxing must have arranged for someone to stall his top disciple from the Sword Inquiry Martial Hall and then had other hidden strength disciples deal with Yue Xiuwen and the others, severely injuring them.

"It was a new direct disciple Li Shuxing recently took in, named Huo Yuanhong. His strength is probably only a line away from the peak of Manifest Strength, and his fighting style is also formidable!"

The trainer had already found someone to inquire about it. He hesitated and then added, "It's said... this young man was actually from our hall originally. He was an apprentice for ten years, and was recently expelled by the direct disciple Yue Xiuqun, and then he became Li Shuxing's disciple..."

Li Shuxing's direct disciple? And he was once part of their martial arts school?

Mo Wuji couldn't help but be stunned.

How had he never heard of this?

Moreover, a prodigy who was only a line away from the peak would be the core of any major power. How could he be expelled from the sect?

Especially since this expelled discard had defeated all the most talented young generation of their martial arts school...

"Absurd!"

Mo Wuji's face darkened.

If such an absurd event were to spread, they, who intended to suppress the reputation of the Divine Spear Martial Hall, would have ended up shooting themselves in the foot and digging their own grave.

If handled poorly, they would become the laughingstock of everyone in Jinmen.

"Have Yue Xiuqun go to the study and wait!"

Mo Wuji's expression was grim. He now understood that his good disciple Yue Xiuqun had deliberately suppressed this matter while he was in seclusion, and as a result, they had lost face publicly.

"Master Li truly has a good plan. As expected of Jinmen's number one, to have taught such a good disciple. I am impressed!"

Mo Wuji narrowed his eyes and stared at Li Shuxing.

How could there be such a coincidence in this world? An apprentice who didn't even have Manifest Strength, after being with Li Shuxing for a few days, was now almost at the peak, causing them to shoot themselves in the foot.

As expected, this Huo Yuanhong had long been secretly cultivated by Li Shuxing. He was even Li Shuxing's true disciple, nurtured from childhood for over a decade or two, just waiting for this moment to jump out and trap them!

"Likewise,"

Li Shuxing picked up his teacup and took a slow sip, his expression calm and composed, as if nothing in the world could escape his control.

However, in a place where Mo Wuji and the others couldn't see, a tiny crack had appeared on the bottom of the teacup in Li Shuxing's hand. He then used his terrifying control to mend it, making it seem as if nothing had happened.

Four days...

Only four days...

Manifest Strength had gone from beginner to near perfection?

Where could he possibly teach such a monstrous prodigy!?

Even as his master, he didn't know when this kid had become so formidable... The news he heard from Old Master Fang last night was that he had only reached great accomplishment in Manifest Strength!

But then again, this style of acting, going straight to their doorstep and taking them all down, truly suited his taste. He truly was his successor!

That's right, his successor!

When faced with trouble that would incur a great price, for these top experts, true disciples could be abandoned at critical moments; there were plenty of them anyway.

But a successor was different!

A successor was no longer a simple master-disciple relationship, but a true master! They were even more important than one's own son, the inheritor of a lifetime's effort!

To dare to touch a successor meant a fight to the death!

And at this very moment, Li Shuxing had made up his mind to treat Huo Yuanhong as his successor!

This meant that he would protect Huo Yuanhong like his own son, no matter the cost!

"Master Mo."

Just as Mo Wuji and the others were about to step out, Li Shuxing's calm voice echoed behind them.

"Hm?"

Mo Wuji paused slightly.

"Master Li, is there anything else?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to remind you all not to try any tricks."

Li Shuxing sat there, raising his eyelids slightly, and said calmly, "Anyone who dares to touch my successor, I will kill their entire family!"

These words made Mo Wuji's figure tremble slightly.

He had already set his expectations for Huo Yuanhong as high as possible, but he never imagined that this young man would actually be Li Shuxing's successor!

If that were the case, it would make sense for him to possess the potential of a Martial Saint, only a step away from the peak of Manifest Strength! After all, with the Divine Spear Martial Hall's full support, treating him like their own son, and nurturing him diligently for ten years, it would be strange if he didn't have the potential of a Martial Saint!

"Master Li, aren't you being a bit too overbearing? What if someone can't hold back during a spar? Does that also count as touching your successor?"

Mo Wuji slowly turned his head and looked at Li Shuxing.

"If it's a fair match, I naturally won't interfere. If he dies, it's because he wasn't skilled enough..."

"But if someone plots against him, bullying the weak with their strength, then don't blame me, Li Shuxing, for bullying the weak with my strength."

Li Shuxing sat there motionlessly and said calmly.

Mo Wuji, the second seat of the Martial Bureau, and the old patriarch of the Wu family fell silent for a moment. In the end, they said nothing, merely grunted, and turned to leave.

If Li Shuxing hadn't been there, the few of them, especially Mo Wuji, to protect the reputation of the Sword Inquiry Martial Hall and avoid being labeled as blind and ignorant of talent in the future, wouldn't have minded crushing an ant underfoot.

But if crushing this ant meant facing retaliation from Li Shuxing, then it wasn't worth it.

None of them doubted Li Shuxing's words.

Dare to touch a successor, and anyone would go mad! Even if Li Shuxing would be hunted down afterward, they would truly be dead.

Given their status, exchanging their lives for an ant's was simply not worth it!

After all, even with another decade or two, this ant might not even be able to stand before them.

Even...

If this ant were not Li Shuxing's disciple, they wouldn't even know of its existence.

Just like a dragon overlooking the vast sky, why would it pay attention to a crawling insect underground?

Moreover, in less than twenty days, there would be the Jinmen Grand Competition, which would decide the fate of the commoners. Faced with the obstruction of countless aristocratic geniuses, this child was destined to be crushed into dust! He wouldn't be able to fight his way through like this!