Grandmaster Disciple

Purple Veined Red Gold was a kind of spiritual material, an excellent ingredient for refining artifacts.

Although this ring contained very little Purple Veined Red Gold, after smelting it down and mixing it into ordinary iron, it could still forge a keen blade that cut through iron as if through mud!

And the "Obsidian Spirit Crystals" set into the ring looked as tiny as sesame seeds, yet the Spiritual Qi they contained was exceedingly abundant, enough to equal the power of a "First Order Spirit Stone"!

In the Great Wilderness Nine Provinces, spirit stones were a necessity for cultivation.

The size and quality of spirit stones were governed by extremely strict standards and rules.

Because of this, the world's spirit stones were divided into nine orders.

The first order was the lowest, the ninth order the highest.

Spirit stones below the third order were already sufficient to meet the cultivation needs of the Four Martial Realms.

Of course, this referred to the Great Wilderness Nine Provinces.

In a secular nation like the Great Zhou, spirit stones also existed.

But almost all of them were at the level of first order or second order.

Even so, they were already regarded as precious treasures, possessed only by the top great clans.

For example, the Three Great Clans of Guangling City monopolized all kinds of money-making businesses throughout the city, yet the First Order Spirit Stones stored within each clan definitely numbered no more than a hundred!

There were two "Obsidian Spirit Crystals" on this ring, which was equivalent to two "First Order Spirit Stones." Add to that the fact that the ring had been refined from Purple Veined Red Gold, and its value was naturally extraordinary.

"When I have time, I'll go into the city and find a blacksmith, use this Purple Veined Red Gold as supplementary material, and refine a sword to carry with me..."

As he pondered, Su Yi exerted force with his fingertips and pried at them. The two "Obsidian Spirit Crystals" embedded in the ring rolled down into his palm, gleaming brightly.

Afterward, Su Yi sat cross-legged, holding one Obsidian Spirit Crystal in each hand, and circulated the vital energy throughout his body.

A surging, pure stream of Spiritual Qi instantly poured into Su Yi's body like floodwaters bursting through a dike. Under the guidance of his vital energy, it roamed through every part of him, and the blood and qi in his body also began to pulse with powerful rhythm as if boiling.

That effect was several times better than cultivating in the Mulberry Forest by the Great Cang River!

Su Yi could clearly sense that his flesh and blood were undergoing a deep tempering, as though he were inside a spiritual furnace, being hammered and refined a thousand times over. His progress was astonishing.

The crescent moon shone over the Nine Provinces; some households rejoiced, while others were steeped in sorrow.

Under the same night sky, in the Li Family, the number one clan of Guangling City.

Inside the Clan Hall, the atmosphere was oppressive.

Bang!

Inside the Clan Hall, the clan leader Li Tianhan smashed the teacup in his hand to pieces.

"This matter absolutely cannot be left at that!"

Li Tianhan's expression was dark, killing intent roiling around him.

The important Li Family figures seated on both sides of the hall all trembled, silent as cicadas in winter.

They had already learned of what had happened today at the Wen Family Old Madam's Longevity Banquet.

But no one had expected that Huang Yunchong, the head of the Huang Family, would suddenly turn against them!

What surprised them even more was that even the City Lord Fu Shan and the Imperial Guard Commander Nie Beihu had personally backed the Wen Family!

As a result, by the end, the clan leader Li Tianhan and his son Li Moyun had no choice but to retreat in a sorry state.

This was truly too humiliating!

There was no need to even think about it—the news was destined to have already spread throughout Guangling City. This would undoubtedly deal a heavy blow to the Li Family's reputation and prestige.

"Reporting to Master, the Huang Family's clan leader has replied."

An old servant hurried into the hall and bowed in greeting.

"What did that old thing Huang Yunchong say?"

Li Tianhan said in a heavy voice.

He had not been so overwhelmed by anger that he lost his head. He knew very well that what had happened today at the Wen Family was far too strange; there had to be something abnormal behind it.

Thus, after returning home, he had sent people to the Huang Family, attempting to pry some "truth" from Huang Yunchong's mouth.

The old servant hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "The Huang Family's clan leader said... he advises us not to make an enemy of the Wen Family in the future. Otherwise, we will surely provoke a calamity as vast as the heavens..."

The entire hall burst into an uproar, stunned and bewildered.

Even Li Tianhan froze for a moment. Immediately, his face turned incomparably gloomy, and he said, "That old thing really said that?"

The old servant hurriedly nodded. "This old servant would never dare utter a single false word."

"He gave no reason?"

Li Tianhan pressed.

The old servant shook his head.

"Huang Yunchong definitely knows something, but he just happens to refuse to say it. Clearly, he harbors ill intentions!"

An important Li Family figure said angrily.

The others also nodded one after another, increasingly feeling that there was something wrong with Huang Yunchong's reply!

"Father, there's something I'd like to discuss with you alone."

Suddenly, Li Moyun, who had remained silent all this time, spoke up.

Li Tianhan's brows furrowed. Then he waved a hand. "All of you, withdraw."

The assembled important figures of the Li Family rose and left tactfully. Not one of them dared show the slightest dissatisfaction.

In the Li Family, the clan head Li Tianhan was a kinglike existence. His word was law.

Only when Father and Son were left did Li Tianhan say, "What do you want to say?"

"I believe the root of all these problems lies with Wen Lingzhao!"

Li Moyun's expression was calm as he said, "Do you still remember? Back then, in the Wen Family's Clan Hall, even when you proposed dividing away half of the Wen Family's Medicinal Herb Business, Huang Yunchong did not take the initiative to speak up in opposition."

Li Tianhan seemed to understand faintly. He nodded and said, "True. At the time, it was because I wanted to use the Huang Family's strength to suppress the Wen Family together that I forced Huang Yunchong into stating his position."

"That much is one thing. But when I proposed helping Wen Lingzhao dissolve her marriage contract, Huang Yunchong took the initiative to speak up. That was far too abnormal."

Li Moyun's eyes flickered. "For matters concerning our younger generation, why should a clan head like him need to interfere? Not to mention, this matter had absolutely nothing to do with their Huang Family."

Li Tianhan's pupils narrowed slightly. He calmed down completely, recalling all sorts of details from when they were at the Wen Family, and at once realized this abnormality as well.

Li Moyun took a deep breath and continued, "After that, whether it was Nie Beihu or Fu Shan, once they arrived, they did not oppose our Li Family dividing away the Wen Family's Medicinal Herb Business. Instead, they all uniformly opposed your child interfering in the affairs of Su Yi and his wife. This... isn't that strange?"

"Could these abnormalities... really have something to do with Su Yi and his wife?"

Li Tianhan frowned slightly. "But that Su Yi is nothing but a cripple, utterly unworthy of a laugh. As for Wen Lingzhao, although she has already entered Heavenly Origin Academy to cultivate, she is only a disciple, nothing more. She is simply not worth Old Guys like Huang Yunchong, Fu Shan, and Nie Beihu protecting like this."

Li Moyun shook his head and said, "Father, you probably still don't know, but I have been paying attention to matters concerning Wen Lingzhao all along. Just yesterday, I received a major piece of news."

"What news?"

Li Tianhan was stunned.

A hard-to-detect heat rose in the depths of Li Moyun's eyes as he said, "Wen Lingzhao has caught the eye of Heavenly Origin Academy's Vice Palace Master, Zhu Guqing. She has decided that at the Academy Opening Ceremony three months from now, she will formally take Wen Lingzhao as her disciple!"

Li Tianhan's expression changed slightly, and he sucked in a breath of cold air. "So that's how it is."

Zhu Guqing!

One of Heavenly Origin Academy's three Vice Palace Masters, one of the few Martial Dao Grandmasters of her generation in Cloud River County.

She had only cultivated the martial dao for thirty-six years to date, yet she could be called a figure of extraordinary talent.

According to rumor, her attainments in the sword dao were profound and unfathomable, and the "Mist and Haze Sword Style" she had mastered was famed far and wide, earning no small amount of praise from many older-generation Martial Dao Grandmasters.

If Wen Lingzhao became her disciple, that would simply be a fish leaping over the dragon gate, ascending to the heavens in a single step. Her identity and status would undergo earth-shaking changes!

The disciple of a Martial Dao Grandmaster was enough for some clan heads to honor as an esteemed guest!

"No wonder Huang Yunchong and Fu Shan did not hesitate to confront my Li Family over the Wen Family's affairs. So the Wen Family has produced a 'Grandmaster Disciple'..."

At this point, Li Tianhan thoroughly understood, though his mood had grown somewhat heavy.

All these years, he had constantly coveted the Wen Family's Medicinal Herb Business and had tried to swallow it up many times.

Just like at Old Madam Wen's Longevity Banquet today, if not for a few unexpected incidents, the Wen Family would have been destined to hand over half of their Medicinal Herb Business!

But the current situation was different. With Wen Lingzhao, this "Grandmaster Disciple," present, in all of Guangling City, who would still dare set their sights on the Wen Family?

"What plans does my son have?"

After a moment of silence, Li Tianhan looked at Li Moyun.

A Grandmaster Disciple, and one already married at that—trying to win her over would undoubtedly be far too difficult.

Li Moyun's expression was calm as he said, "Father, the more dazzling Wen Lingzhao's performance in cultivation is, the more it will set off how unbearable and incompetent Su Yi is. It can be said that Su Yi is a stain, one that will have an extremely bad effect on Wen Lingzhao's reputation."

After a pause, he continued, "Although I do not know why Old Madam Wen opposes dissolving this marriage, I can be certain that the higher Wen Lingzhao's status rises, the more she will reject Su Yi."

Li Tianhan frowned and said, "Moyun, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Li Moyun smiled faintly and said, "Your child grew up together with Wen Lingzhao from childhood. We could be called green plum and bamboo horse. My feelings for her have never changed in the slightest."

"For her, I can do anything!"

His words were calm, yet held a sense of resolve.

Li Tianhan's pupils contracted. "You want to kill Su Yi?"

"Correct. As long as Su Yi dies, this marriage will naturally come to nothing. It will be good for Lingzhao, good for me, and good for the entire Wen Family as well!"

Li Moyun's words were categorical. "So, Su Yi must die! He is nothing but a cripple, and there is no need for him to continue existing in this world!"

Li Tianhan stared at his son for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said with gratification, "Child, you truly have grown up. You have your own thoughts and decisions now."

"However, when it comes to killing Su Yi, you absolutely cannot act too hastily."

"Everyone knows that you are deeply devoted to Wen Lingzhao, and today, at Old Madam Wen's Longevity Banquet, you already revealed your feelings. At a time like this, if Su Yi suddenly died, everyone would suspect you."

After listening, Li Moyun nodded. His calm expression carried confidence as he said:

"Don't worry, Father. Even when a lion fights a rabbit, it uses its full strength. Naturally, I will not be the slightest bit careless in this matter, and I absolutely will not let anyone suspect me!"

"Good. Then your father will be waiting for the day you bring the Wen Family's 'Grandmaster Disciple' back!"

Li Tianhan laughed loudly and patted his son on the shoulder, saying, "When that time comes, I will personally step forward to make the match. I believe the Wen Family, from top to bottom, will absolutely not refuse a marriage alliance with our Li Family."

Li Moyun sighed inwardly.

It was already set in stone that Wen Lingzhao would become a Grandmaster Disciple.

With such a dazzling status, would she still be willing to stay with him, her childhood sweetheart?

"No matter what, I have to do everything I can to fight for it!"

Taking a deep breath, Li Moyun secretly made up his mind.

PS: Since the book launched, I've been adding extra chapters every day. My stockpile is completely gone. I want to cry...