Challenging the Hall, Anomaly

Spirit Serpent Martial Hall...

In the afternoon, spring rain began to fall, fine as hair and needles, carrying a noticeable chill.

Yet, the mess hall was bustling.

Disciples outside sat together for their meal, a din of voices, the clatter of bowls and chopsticks mingling with laughter, creating a warmth starkly different from the outside.

A simple wooden screen separated the inner private seating area, where three people were toasting each other.

Hall Master Song Qinghong, Song Xue, and Qi Yu.

He had originally planned to bring A-Qi, but A-Qi adamantly refused to be a "third wheel," so he stayed outside.

At this moment, Song Xue was pouring wine for her beloved.

Amber liquor flowed from the pot, wisps of cold air escaping with it...

Song Qinghong stared at the wine with heartache, the corners of his eyes twitching slightly. He merely stroked his beard, remaining silent.

After the wine...

Song Xue looked expectantly at Qi Yu and said, "Drink it."

Qi Yu smiled, raised his cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

The wine was smooth and cold upon entering his mouth, but after it went down his throat, it transformed into a warm current that spread through his limbs and bones.

This sensation was similar to the Blood Spirit Rice he usually consumed, possessing a certain effect of enhancing vital heat... However, this wondrous sensation of ice and fire upon tasting far surpassed Blood Spirit Rice.

"Good wine!" Qi Yu praised.

Hearing this, Song Xue's eyes flickered, and her red lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something.

No one knew their daughter better than her father. Before she could speak, Song Qinghong already knew what she wanted to say. He glared at her and waved his hand impatiently, "Alright, alright, I get it, I get it! You want to let nephew Qi take another pot home, right?"

"Thank you, Father."

Song Xue's cheeks flushed, and she then looked at Qi Yu, saying softly, "Young Master Qi, I'll have someone prepare another pot for you to take back later."

Qi Yu politely declined, "Such fine brew should be kept for Uncle Song..."

Song Xue smiled, "Why are you being so polite, Young Master Qi... That day during the Provincial Examination, your mother gave me a fresh Vermillion Flame Fruit, which greatly increased my vital heat. I even have a chance to enter seclusion and attempt to break through to the Seventh Rank. While my father's Deep Sea Brew is good, it's not as precious as the Vermillion Flame Fruit, so please don't refuse."

As the three were talking, hurried footsteps suddenly came from the outer hall.

A young disciple, who had eaten early and was on duty outside, ran in. His steps were unsteady as he circled around the screen, his face filled with alarm. He said urgently, "Master! Master, something's wrong!"

Song Qinghong's expression darkened, and he reprimanded, "What's the panic? The sky isn't falling! Speak properly!"

The disciple panted, as if finding his backbone. He quickly said, "It's the Black Bear Martial Hall... The Black Bear Martial Hall... Black Bear himself is leading dozens of people, and they're heading towards our martial hall in full force. They're already at the street entrance!"

As his words fell...

Crack!

Ghost Hand Seven, who was eating, slammed his bowls and chopsticks onto the table, suddenly standing up, enraged, "They're coming to our doorstep, huh? Do they really think my Spirit Serpent Martial Hall is afraid of them?!"

Song Qinghong said gravely, "Are you sure Black Bear is also here?"

"Absolutely! This disciple saw it clearly!" The disciple nodded vigorously and added, "That guy named Han is here too."

Song Qinghong looked thoughtful. He slowly put down his wine cup and waved his hand, "Tell them to wait in the main hall. I'll be there shortly."

Song Xue's delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she looked towards the screen, "Father, I fear the visitors are not friendly."

Song Qinghong suddenly stood up.

Seeing his daughter and Qi Yu also about to stand, he placed his hands on them, pressing them firmly back into their seats. He smiled and said, "Black Bear and I are old acquaintances. I know what he's capable of. If he really wanted to challenge us, he wouldn't be enough. The dishes have just been served and are still hot. You two eat while they're hot, and don't join the commotion."

Qi Yu suddenly asked, "Uncle Song, do you remember that kind of power Zhen Tianshuang had?"

Song Qinghong nodded.

Qi Yu said, "That's called a Membrane."

"Membrane?"

Song Xue was very surprised.

Song Qinghong said, "Whether it's a Membrane or not, I'm not afraid of him. You two eat." Saying this, he patted their shoulders again, turned, and walked around the screen to leave.

Qi Yu asked curiously, "Uncle Song is so confident?"

Song Xue was also a little worried, "I'm still uneasy, Qi Yu. Let's go take a look."

As they stood up and took two steps, they saw Song Qinghong standing outside the door with his hands behind his back, smiling at them, "Go back and eat."

Song Xue said anxiously, "Father! They've come to our doorstep, how can we just sit here?"

Song Qinghong said sternly, "Are you going to listen to your father or not?"

Qi Yu looked at Song Qinghong's expression and replied, "Xue'er, listen to Uncle Song."

As he spoke, he naturally took Song Xue's hand.

"Let's go back first."

Miss Song only felt her palm warm, a sense of unprecedented envelopment washing over her, making her delicate body go limp.

Her hands were accustomed to wielding spears and killing Yao Beasts, but they had never been held by a man. At this moment, it was as if she had been enchanted, her mind going blank. She innocently let the young man lead her, with only one thought in her heart: "Wherever he goes, I go."

Qi Yu led her back to her seat and then said, "Listen to your father. If he doesn't want us to go, he must have his reasons."

Song Xue understood...

Her father was already indebted to Third Master Qi, and he had previously received a favor from Qi Yu. He had reached a point of "urging marriage" for the two of them, so he was naturally happy for them to have more time alone together.

She suppressed the turmoil in her heart and asked, "What is this 'membrane' you mentioned just now?"

Qi Yu then began to explain in detail.

As he spoke, surprise appeared in Song Xue's eyes.

"How can such power exist in the world?"

However, she had witnessed Zhen Tianshuang's power with her own eyes, and coupled with her complete trust in her beloved, she began to try and accept it.

But even so, she was still very surprised.

Song Xue had been practicing martial arts for over ten years and was now at the stage of refining Blood Essence. Suddenly, a divine power called "membrane" that she had never heard of appeared. How could she not be surprised?

While they were talking, a sudden explosion erupted outside, like a clap of thunder from a clear sky!

Following that, dull thuds, whistling winds, and sharp weapon clashes could be heard incessantly, as if two giant beasts were fighting in the training grounds. Every collision was heart-stopping.

A moment later...

With a loud shattering sound, all the commotion abruptly stopped.

Deathly silence flooded the martial hall like a tide.

Qi Yu and Song Xue exchanged glances. Neither of them could sit still any longer. They both got up and ran outside.

They walked through the door, around the small path, and arrived at the outer courtyard's training grounds.

On the field...

Song Xue and Qi Yu were stunned.

They saw Song Qinghong, his face pale, leaning against a broken wall. He held his spear with his right hand, his left arm hanging unnaturally, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, and his front was already stained red.

Ghost Hand Seven was close to him, supporting him on one knee, his eyes glaring at the opposite side with rage.

Opposite them...

Black Bear stood proudly like a giant bear.

He wore a pitch-black metal claw on his right hand, with blood still on the tip of the claw. His left hand held up the plaque of the "Spirit Serpent Martial Hall."

He looked down at Song Qinghong and sneered, "Song Qinghong! From today onwards, Mount Wei City will have no Spirit Serpent Martial Hall!"

"No!!"

Song Xue roared and was about to rush forward, but Qi Yu tightly grabbed her wrist.

Qi Yu glanced at Song Qinghong.

When Uncle Song had grabbed his spear, the numbers above his head had changed from the original "55~110" to a terrifying "114~169."

Now, even with one arm hanging down and blood flowing from his mouth, his combat power value had not changed at all.

This indicated that his injuries were not actually that serious...

On the other hand, Black Bear's combat power above his head was: 45~140.

If Song Uncle was ignored, Black Bear was indeed terrifying. Even the two guard captains from his own family and the eldest branch combined couldn't withstand a few moves from this Black Bear.

But... in front of Uncle Song, Black Bear was truly no match.

Recalling Song Qinghong's previous confidence and his unusual insistence that they stay in the room, a strange thought flashed through Qi Yu's mind, one he couldn't even believe himself: Could Uncle Song have done it on purpose?!

But why?

This was unrealistic...

Uncle Song cherished the Spirit Serpent Martial Hall like his life. How could he do such a thing?

Why?

BANG!!!

Black Bear sneered and smashed the plaque down!

The heavy plaque broke into two pieces upon impact!

He stomped his foot fiercely on the plaque, grinding mud with the sole of his boot, and threw his head back, laughing heartily.

The disciples, naturally unable to see the combat power like Qi Yu and notice the anomaly, were now all silent...

Ghost Hand Seven's eyes turned red, and he suddenly raised his arm and shouted, "Drive out these sons of bitches!"

Immediately, he got up and charged forward.

He had good relationships with many of his junior brothers and sisters, so quite a few followed him.

"Stop!!"

Song Qinghong yelled hoarsely to stop them, but it was already too late to halt the chaos.

Black Bear also disdained fighting with the smaller fry and waved his hand. The disciples of Black Bear Martial Hall charged forward as well.

The disciples of the two factions instantly descended into a chaotic brawl.

As Ghost Hand Seven fought, he encountered an opponent. The moment their fists and feet barely touched, his body moved uncontrollably. He was stunned and shouted in anger, "You're not from Black Bear Martial Hall!"

However, his voice was drowned out.

In just a moment, the disciples of Spirit Serpent Martial Hall were utterly defeated. Some lay on the ground groaning, some cowered and retreated, and some even used the chaos as cover to flee outside.

The disciples of Black Bear Martial Hall surged into the inner courtyard like a tide.

Amidst the chaos, a tall, thin figure was particularly conspicuous—it was Wang Mingyong, who had been expelled from the sect yesterday!

He skillfully rushed into the inner room and roughly dragged Chu Fang out.

The woman's hair was disheveled, and she was crying so hard she was about to faint.

Song Xue angrily shouted, "Wang Mingyong, let go of her!"

Wang Mingyong turned his head upon hearing her voice, his face filled with smugness and malice. "Spirit Serpent Martial Hall is gone, what kind of airs are you putting on as the senior disciple?"

He let out a sneer and his gaze swept over Qi Yu. "You think you're safe just because you've latched onto that good-for-nothing from the Qi Family?

What kind of 'Number One' are you?

Bah!!

Who doesn't know that his cultivation is just a pile of trash built up with secret medicines!"

As soon as he finished speaking...

Bang!

A fist the size of a cushion came crashing down from behind, heavily striking his lower back.

Wang Mingyong stumbled forward, falling to his knees and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Do you want to die?!" he roared hoarsely, enduring the pain as he turned back, but then he fell silent, disbelief filling his eyes.

It was because the one who hit him was Han Yan, the rising star of Black Bear Martial Hall.

Han Yan's face was as cold as ice. Before Wang Mingyong could react, he grabbed his hair. With blood essence surging, he slammed him down fiercely...

Crack! Crackle!!

Two crisp sounds echoed as his knees shattered.

Han Yan kicked forward, stepping on Wang Mingyong's back, and said calmly, "Apologize to my brother Qi."