"Cousin, why are you here?"
Huangfu Ke and Zhuge Jin spoke almost at the same time, smiling as they asked.
Not just anyone could use the term "cousin."
Huangfu Ke and Zhuge Jin were both direct descendants of the Twelve Great Families of Nine Star Kui Island.
Since the Near Ancient era, the Twelve Great Families of Nine Star Kui Island had been bound together through intermarriage. In the past, the distinction between the direct line and collateral branches had not been so sharply drawn.
But over the long years, as internal conflicts and disagreements steadily multiplied, the Twelve Great Families of Nine Star Kui Island had become increasingly extreme in their division between the direct line and collateral branches.
Unless one possessed peerless, heaven-defying talent, one would have to serve the direct line for life. Even though Murong Yan and Murong Ziyao shared the same father, their status within the clan was worlds apart.
Murong Yan had nearly gone unacknowledged. When he was born, even his mother despised him and wanted to cast his corpse into the sea.
Murong Ziyao merely cast the two of them a faint glance, her expression indifferent as she remained silent.
Everyone in the clan knew her temperament well. She had neither cried nor fussed since birth, and after growing up, she had become even more sparing with words than gold. Zhuge Jin and Huangfu Ke exchanged a glance, looking somewhat awkward.
On the arena grounds, Murong Yan panted heavily. Then, all of a sudden, he sprang to his feet.
His Daoist robe billowed as Killing Intent and chilling winds howled around him. He fixed Xu Yan with a gloomy stare, then suddenly laughed sinisterly. "Fellow Daoist Xu, your talent truly is unmatched. With such a foundation, how could you fail to attain the