Great Chu Dynasty, Sword Pavilion.
"Unfilial wretch!"
"I secluded myself for three years and let you manage the Sword Pavilion in my place, yet you turned it into an utter mess!"
The Sword Pavilion's master, Xia Xuan, slammed his palm into the table beside him, shattering it as he glared at the white-robed youth standing in the great hall.
The youth was thin and frail, his face pale, but his back was ramrod straight and his features handsome. He was none other than the Sword Pavilion's young master, Xia Wuji.
A look of bewilderment surfaced in his eyes as he thought, Wasn't I killed beneath the Immortal Tribulation when I was ascending to become an immortal?
Sitting beside Xia Xuan, a heavily made-up woman with narrow, elongated eyes and a spiteful look on her face spoke up.
"Xia Wuji, Xia Wuji. You're the Sword Pavilion's young master, yet at eighteen, you don't have the slightest cultivation. You've lost all face!"
This woman was the Sword Pavilion's mistress, Madam Liu, but she was not Xia Wuji's mother.
At Madam Liu's words, Xia Xuan grew even angrier and barked:
"Your second brother, Wudao, is only seventeen, yet he has already crossed the Qi Gathering Realm and reached the peak of the True Essence Realm. He'll be entering the Sea of Qi Realm any day now!"
"Besides, your younger sister, Wuhui, can already refine middle-grade treasured pills!"
"Only you—eighteen years old, yet still stuck in the Body Tempering Realm. You can't even open the gate to the first level of martial dao!"
"They say a heroic father raises a worthy son. How did I end up with such a good-for-nothing son?"
A group of Sword Pavilion elders also stared at Xia Wuji, schadenfreude written across their faces.
"Master, Xia Wuji is unfit for any great responsibility. It would be better to choose someone else as young master!"
"This old man seconds that!"
"Never mind that Xia Wuji is mediocre. He doesn't even have a backbone. Master, you may not know this, but just one month ago, he knelt in the rain for three days and three nights..."
"What?" Xia Xuan's chest heaved with fury, as if it were about to explode. He wished he could slap this disgraceful son to death!
Madam Liu wrapped her arm around Xia Xuan's and said, "Wuji's martial cultivation is destined never to amount to anything. Why not have him take out the Azure Star Token and give it to Wudao, so Wudao can join the Azure Star Academy?"
"As long as Wudao enters the Azure Star Academy, Wuji can be said to have rendered meritorious service to the Sword Pavilion. Let him continue as young master and temper himself properly!"
Xia Xuan looked toward Xia Wuji, snorted coldly, and said, "You unfilial wretch, did you hear me? Hurry up and take out the Azure Star Token your mother left behind!"
Xia Wuji's gaze swept over everyone in the hall. The bewilderment in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a harsh, icy edge!
I was reborn! I've returned to the most wretched years of my life!
Everything is so familiar... yet so glaringly painful!
Three years ago, Xia Xuan had secluded himself to recover from his injuries, and Xia Wuji had taken charge of the Sword Pavilion as its young master.
Over those three years, nearly half of the Sword Pavilion's cultivation resources had been used by Madam Liu to nurture her so-called genius son, Xia Wudao!
And then there was Xia Wuhui. She was obsessed with pill refinement, yet had mediocre talent. She had consumed hundreds of times more resources than others just to refine mere middle-grade treasured pills!
As for Xia Wuji's cultivation, three months ago, he had been ambushed, resulting in his dantian being shattered and all his strength lost.
One month ago, Xia Wuji had knelt in the rain for three days and three nights simply because that person was a master swordsmith. Xia Wuji had begged him for a sword, wanting to give it to his father as a gift for emerging from seclusion.
But none of that mattered anymore. Xia Wuji did not want to explain, because he knew all too well just how disgusting these people truly were.
Today was a scheme carefully laid out by Madam Liu. Her target was the Azure Star Token left behind by Xia Wuji's mother.
The Azure Star Token was a token of admission to the Azure Star Academy.
The Sword Pavilion might have a decent reputation in the Great Chu Dynasty, but before the Azure Star Academy, it was insignificant.
The Azure Star Academy stood high above, towering over every dynasty in this region!
In his previous life, because his dantian had already been shattered and his cultivation prospects were gone, Xia Wuji had believed Madam Liu's lies and taken out the Azure Star Token, allowing Xia Wudao to enter the Azure Star Academy smoothly.
In the end, Xia Wuji still failed to keep his position as young master, and Madam Liu even tried to exterminate him completely, leaving him no way to live.
Xia Xuan had watched the entire process unfold, yet had never once reached out to him for the sake of their father-son bond.
In Xia Xuan's heart, this useless son was merely a stain on his life!
Fortunately, Xia Wuji had found life in a desperate situation. He had accidentally fallen into a spatial rift and entered the Heaven Realm. There, he not only repaired his shattered dantian, but his cultivation had also advanced by leaps and bounds. In just a hundred years, he had proven his dao through the sword and become one of the Heaven Realm's Ten Supreme Sovereigns!
When he had tried to use the sword in his hand to cleave open the path to immortality, countless layers of Immortal Tribulation had descended. Because of the tragic experiences of his youth, inner demons had taken root in him, and he had ultimately fallen short at the final moment.
"I originally thought I would be reduced to ashes beneath the Immortal Tribulation, with everything ending in emptiness. I never expected to receive such an opportunity."
"Now that I've returned to my youth, I absolutely cannot repeat the same mistakes!"
"I will make up for every regret of my previous life, sweep aside all obstacles, and ascend the path to immortality once more with a flawless and perfect state of mind!"
With that thought, Xia Wuji let out a cold laugh.
"Since you think I'm incompetent and incapable of bearing the burden of young master, then please choose someone else for the position."
"But the Azure Star Token was left behind by my mother. None of you has the right to take it away!"
Xia Wuji's tone was firm as he stared straight at Xia Xuan's cold, furious gaze without the slightest fear.
The Azure Star Token absolutely could not be given away!
It was the only thing his mother had left him!
He could still vaguely remember his mother's voice and appearance.
His mother had loved him beyond measure. When he was six, she had given him the Azure Star Token and told him to go cultivate at the Azure Star Academy after he reached the Sea of Qi Realm.
That night, his mother had wept continuously, holding him tightly in her arms the entire time.
That was the last time Xia Wuji had fallen asleep in his mother's embrace.
When he awoke, his mother was gone. She had left the Sword Pavilion, and he had no idea where she had gone.
His longing for his mother had always been a regret in Xia Wuji's heart, as well as one of the mental demons that had hindered his state of mind during the Immortal Tribulation!
Hearing Xia Wuji's words, Xia Xuan froze for a moment.
How did this unfilial wretch suddenly seem like a different person?
The Xia Wuji of the past had always been timid and deferential before him. He had never dared speak loudly, much less meet his eyes.
"Wuji, stop throwing a tantrum. Hurry and open this box and take out the Azure Star Token." Madam Liu directly produced a jade box.
Inside the box was none other than the Azure Star Token!
"You went to my room and stole my things. Shameless to the extreme!" Anger surged from Xia Wuji's heart as he shouted harshly.
He had always hidden this box in a secret compartment in his bedroom, and only he knew how to open it!
"Outrageous!" Xia Xuan roared. "She is the Sword Pavilion's mistress. As long as something is in the Sword Pavilion, she has the right to handle it!"
Madam Liu had also lost her patience. Her expression turned much colder as she said, "Xia Wuji, you must hand over the Azure Star Token today!"
Her words held an undisguised threat.
Xia Wuji let out another cold laugh, thick mockery filling his face, and then said, "Fine. Since you want to give the Azure Star Token to Xia Wudao, then one month from now, on the day of the Sword Pavilion's ancestor-worship ceremony, have Xia Wudao fight me!"
"If he wins, I'll take out the Azure Star Token and let him go to the Azure Star Academy!"
"But if he loses, return the jade box to me!"
"However, do you dare agree?"
The situation was unfavorable for him now. Even though Xia Wuji possessed countless wondrous methods, the problem of his shattered dantian had yet to be resolved, and he had not a trace of true essence in his body. For now, he needed a little time to recover.
One month was enough for him.
Xia Xuan's expression stiffened. Madam Liu also froze, while the Sword Pavilion elders in the great hall all wondered whether they had misheard!
Xia Wuji no longer had any cultivation. How dare he challenge Xia Wudao, who was at the peak of the True Essence Realm?
Where had he found such courage?
"You said it yourself. Since you want to fight, then fight. What would I, Xia Wudao, have to fear? Could it be that I'd be afraid of a good-for-nothing like you?" Just then, a booming shout rang out, and a broad-shouldered, burly youth charged in through the doors.
It was none other than Xia Wudao.
"Father!"
"Mother!"
Xia Wudao came before Xia Xuan and Madam Liu.
A gratified look immediately appeared on Xia Xuan's face. Xia Wudao was worthy of being his son. At seventeen, he was already at the peak of the True Essence Realm—truly a dazzling prodigy!
"Since Xia Wuji wants to challenge me, I'll naturally grant his wish."
"I'll use absolute strength to prove to everyone that I'm the one qualified to hold the Azure Star Token and join the Azure Star Academy!"
Then Xia Wudao turned around and stared down at Xia Wuji with a lofty air. He gave a mocking laugh and said contemptuously, "Don't say one month—even if you were given another year or ten years, you still couldn't defeat me with a single finger!"
Xia Wuji's expression remained indifferent. "Then we'll see the truth one month from now!"
With that, he turned and left.
Watching Xia Wuji's back, Xia Xuan grew angrier the more he thought about it. This unfilial wretch truly did not take him seriously today, simply walking away whenever he pleased!
"Stop right there! Did I say you could leave?"
Xia Xuan shouted furiously.
However, Xia Wuji still had no intention of stopping.
Xia Xuan felt that the authority he possessed as the Sword Pavilion's master and as a father had been gravely provoked. He shouted angrily, "Without my permission, if you dare take even one step across the great hall's threshold, then I, Xia Xuan, will no longer have a son like you!"
Xia Wuji stepped over the threshold.
Then he took another step.
Both feet stood outside the great hall. Without looking back, he said, "Master Xia, those were your words!"
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