Invitation

"Tap, tap—"

Footsteps sounded again outside the Quiet Room.

A blue-clad servant of Fang Mansion stood respectfully outside the door, holding up a red invitation of exquisite quality, its edges embossed with gold thread.

"Elder, the Lin Family has sent an invitation, requesting that you open it personally."

Fang Yuan's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and the faint joy that had just risen in his heart was instantly shrouded by gloom.

He raised a hand, and the instructor immediately stepped forward to take the invitation and present it before him.

Fang Yuan accepted it. It felt slightly heavy in his hand.

His gaze fell upon the invitation, where vigorous, powerful ink characters read:

"To Elder Fang Yuan personally: Tomorrow, a modest banquet has been prepared, inviting the elders of the five clans to bring the outstanding young talents newly admitted to the Inner Hall for a gathering. First, that old friends may raise their cups and reminisce; second, that the younger generation may become acquainted and exchange pointers. We sincerely hope you will spare the time to attend. Respectfully, Lin Shan."

Every word appeared humble, courteous, and warmly welcoming, yet its purpose was as plain as day.

The lines "bring the outstanding young talents newly admitted to the Inner Hall" and "that the younger generation may become acquainted and exchange pointers" fell into his eyes like red-hot brands, scorching his heart with anger.

"Hmph!"

A suppressed cold snort squeezed from his nose.

Fang Yuan clenched the gold-embossed invitation so hard that the paper dented slightly beneath his fingers.

Before his eyes, he could practically see the smug grin on that old bastard Lin Shan's face, see Lin Jiao sweeping aside every peer at the banquet.

How was this an invitation? It was clearly a display of strength!

They wanted to tread upon the shoulders of the younger generations of the other four families and pave a road to fame for the Lin Family's Qilin Child.

Elder Fang Yuan's gaze passed through the window lattice toward the Martial Arts Arena in the distance. Deep in his eyes, the glimmer that had just been kindled by Fang Han's breakthrough in Sword Art was swiftly replaced by immense regret and unwillingness.

"His potential... awakened too late..."

He muttered to himself, his voice low as a sigh.

"If it had happened a year or half a year earlier—even just half a year! How could the brilliance of Liangshui City's younger generation have been monopolized by the Lin Family alone?"

He slowly closed his eyes, rolling the prayer beads between his fingers once more, though the motion had grown heavier.

That gold-embossed invitation now weighed more than a thousand pounds.

Early the next morning, Elder Fang Yuan, who rarely appeared, showed up at the Inner Hall Martial Arts Arena.

After arriving, he headed straight for the area where the newly admitted Inner Hall disciples were gathered. His gaze swept over Fang Han and Fang Lin before he instructed them.

"Fang Han, Fang Lin, come with me!"

Fang Han and Fang Lin were both caught off guard by Fang Yuan suddenly calling them away.

The two quickly followed. Amid the curious and probing gazes of the many disciples, they left the Martial Arts Arena with Fang Yuan.

Outside the mansion gates, a Fang Clan carriage had been waiting for some time.

The three boarded the carriage. Its wheels rolled over the bluestone road as it headed for the Lin Family, one of Liangshui City's Five Great Families.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was silent. Elder Fang Yuan rested with his eyes closed, Fang Lin sat upright and proper, while Fang Han looked at the streetscape flashing past outside the window.

Having been occupied with cultivation these past two years, he had not left the Fang Clan for a long time. At the sight of the streets, he could not help feeling nostalgic.

Before long, the carriage stopped before the imposing gates of the Lin Family.

The Lin Family servants had clearly been given instructions beforehand. They respectfully led the three into the residence, through several courtyards, and finally to a courtyard decorated with exceptional refinement.

At the center of the courtyard stood its most eye-catching feature: a Combat Platform built from hard bluestone.

The platform's surface was smooth and polished, clearly having seen frequent use.

Almost the moment Fang Han and the other two stepped into the courtyard, three other groups arrived one after another.

Elder Yue Lei of the Yue Clan brought along a burly youth.

Beside Elder He Xiong of the He Clan stood a sharp-eyed young girl.

Elder Sun Kang of the Sun Clan led a youth with a steady aura.

The elder-level figures of Liangshui City's Five Great Families had gathered here.

"Everyone, it has been a long time!"

"Haha, indeed, it has been a long time!"

The elders of the five factions exchanged a round of polite greetings. On the surface, the atmosphere was harmonious, but faint sharpness flickered where their gazes met.

Lin Family Elder Lin Shan, a lean-faced old man with shrewd eyes, stood in the host's position, a perfectly measured smile on his face.

His gaze swept over the young talents brought by the four families. It lingered briefly on Fang Han, a trace of barely noticeable scrutiny flashing through his eyes, before he laughed loudly.

"My old friends have brought their talented youths to this humble residence, truly bringing glory to it!"

"It is rare for us all to gather today. Why not let the younger generation spar and exchange pointers? It will deepen their friendship and let us see the bearing of Liangshui City's successors. What do you say?"

"Very well!"

Though Yue Lei, He Xiong, Sun Kang, and Fang Yuan were displeased inwardly, none of them refused.

Lin Shan's smile grew broader. Clearly, this was his true purpose for the day.

His gaze turned to a tall, straight-backed youth behind him, whose cold face and arrogant eyes marked him as none other than Lin Jiao.

"Jiao'er, you may go first and cast a brick to draw jade."

Lin Shan's tone carried obvious pride.

Lin Jiao nodded faintly, then tapped off with the tip of his foot and lightly leaped onto the Combat Platform.

Once he landed, his gaze swept over the disciples of the four families below, carrying an air of looking down from above.

"Lin Family's Lin Jiao. I ask for your guidance."

His voice was not loud, yet it rang clearly through the courtyard.

"I'll go!"

The Yue Clan's burly youth, Yue Yan, was the first to lose his patience. With a low shout, he sprang onto the platform.

His strength was heavy and forceful, his fists fierce and dominating. He clearly followed a hard-hitting path.

Moreover, since he had been brought to this gathering, his strength was naturally not weak. Though still young, he had already reached Flesh Refining Late-Stage.

Yet Lin Jiao's strength was clearly far greater.

"Bang—!"

Lin Jiao's figure blurred, evading the fist's edge. He then swung his unbladed saber backhandedly, slashing Yue Yan across the chest.

A clear bruise appeared on Yue Yan's chest. He gave a muffled groan and staggered backward, defeated in a single move, his face flushing red.

After Yue Yan came the He Clan girl, He Ling.

He Ling's movement technique was nimble, and her sword moved with light agility, but Lin Jiao's saber was simply too fast!

"Clang—!"

A flash of snow-bright saber light passed, and the longsword in He Ling's hand was knocked aside by tremendous force.

Her guard was thrown wide open, and Lin Jiao's following slash sent her off the Combat Platform.

Afterward, the Sun Clan youth, Sun Jing, stepped forward.

Compared to the previous two, he was somewhat steadier. Once on the platform, he held his ground, defending without attacking.

"Bang—"

But before Lin Jiao's strength and speed, both nearing Tendon Refining Mid-Stage, he lasted only four moves before being struck in the ribs by a saber. With a pained grunt, he retreated.

Three battles, three victories, all within a few moves!

Lin Jiao stood calmly on the platform, his gaze sweeping down in disdain. That invincible bearing made the expressions of the disciples from every family below turn exceedingly ugly.

It was not that they could not accept defeat.

Before coming, they had already learned that Lin Jiao had reached the Tendon Refining Realm, so they had expected to lose.

But being defeated in merely a few moves made their faces burn hot with humiliation.

"Fang Lin."

Elder Fang Yuan looked at Fang Lin.

Fang Lin took a deep breath and leaped onto the Combat Platform despite himself.

He went all out, fully unleashing his Flesh Refining Late-Stage strength, but the gap was simply too great.

With only one slash from Lin Jiao, his blood and qi churned, and his arm went numb and sore.

The second slash sent him off the platform. After landing, he staggered back several steps before steadying himself, his face deathly pale.

Lin Jiao's gaze settled on Fang Han, and a sneering smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Given the Lin Family's attention to the other four great families, they naturally knew that Fang Han was at "Flesh Refining Late-Stage," while his Sword Art had already reached proficiency. Among this batch of newcomers from the four great families, he possessed the greatest "potential."

But in Lin Jiao's eyes, this greatest "opponent" of the day was merely a slightly larger stepping stone.