The Colossus, Heavenly Profound Sect

"What a fine woman!"

A wicked grin flashed across Xiao Qing's rugged face, but before Li Ye could fly into a rage, it swiftly turned into a solemn expression.

"To be honest, I never knew you had such great ability. You really exceeded all expectations."

"What do you mean by that?"

The two entered Li Ye's room. When Xiao Qing saw how impoverished it was—containing nothing but a bed, several chairs, and a battered old table—a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

"Surprised? But this has been my life for the past few years."

"A young master from a great family reduced to this state—it truly is surprising."

Xiao Qing did not mind in the least. He pulled over a chair and sat down, then said, "You must be very curious why I helped you."

"I am. You said you were acting at someone's request. Who was it?"

"Who do you think?"

A teasing look appeared on Xiao Qing's face as he deliberately kept him in suspense.

"Was it that little girl Li Yating?"

A pretty, delicate figure surfaced in his mind. If there was anyone in the entire Li Family he still cared about, it was undoubtedly that girl.

More than three years ago, in the tenth year after Li Kainian's disappearance, those people had finally found an opportunity to drive him out of the family. While countless people mocked him and family brothers such as Li Yue bullied him, one little girl had stepped forward and stood in front of him.

"It was her, wasn't it? I heard that a few years ago, some senior passing through Wuzhou City took a fancy to her and accepted her as a disciple. Afterward, word spread that this senior was an elder of the Heavenly Profound Sect, a sect renowned throughout Jiangnan Circuit. You are also a disciple of the Heavenly Profound Sect, aren't you?"

Though Xiao Qing appeared rough and uncouth, Li Ye was not someone who judged heroes by their appearance.

Someone capable of fighting the Li Family's Third Master, Li Huangran, to a draw—and even gaining a slight advantage—was not someone one could find in Wuzhou City, at least for now. Forget the Three Great Families of Wuzhou City; even throughout Jiangnan Circuit, which encompassed hundreds of cities like Wuzhou City, there would not be many people like him.

"You guessed half of it right. I am indeed a disciple of the Heavenly Profound Sect, and I do know Junior Sister Li Yating. Unfortunately, the person who entrusted me was not the Junior Sister Li you mentioned, but someone else."

Those words left Li Ye stunned. He hurriedly asked, "You just called her Junior Sister? Aren't you something like that little girl's martial uncle?"

"Get lost! I'm only twenty-one this year!"

Xiao Qing did not know whether to laugh or cry. Li Ye finally realized his enormous mistake: Xiao Qing's face was covered in a thick beard, making him seem at least thirty, yet he was only a few years older than Li Ye.

"Sorry! Sorry! I never expected Brother Xiao to be so young. To reach the eighth level of the Spirit Martial Realm at only twenty-one—you truly deserve to be called a disciple of the Heavenly Profound Sect! Compared with you, those so-called geniuses in Wuzhou City are not even fit to carry your shoes."

That enormous misunderstanding brought the two closer.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Aunt Yun entered, carrying several exquisite little pastries.

"Our Ye'er rarely brings friends home. It seems you two are quite close."

Li Ye could only smile bitterly to himself. Rarely had friends? If the memories in his mind were correct, he had not had any friends at all! Other than his cousin Li Yating.

Who would want to be friends with a piece of trash? Especially one with such a withdrawn personality?

"Beautiful sister, you're absolutely right. He and I are iron brothers, closer than blood brothers!"

The familiar Xiao Qing wore an infatuated expression, looking as though drool would spill from his mouth at any moment.

Seeing him like that, Aunt Yun covered her mouth and chuckled. That smile carried an indescribable charm. Compared to young girls, she possessed a rich, alluring femininity.

"Then I'll have to trouble this little brother to look after our Ye'er more in the future."

"Yes! Yes! Certainly! Certainly!"

After Aunt Yun left, Li Ye saw that Xiao Qing still looked utterly captivated and could not help snorting coldly. "She's already gone! Stop staring!"

Who would have thought that Xiao Qing's expression changed as swiftly as a Sichuan opera face change, instantly returning to normal? There was not the slightest hint of infatuation in those eyes.

"That beautiful sister of yours is truly not simple."

Li Ye did not understand, but Xiao Qing did not explain. Instead, he changed the subject.

It turned out that two years ago, Li Yating—the person closest to Li Ye and the only one in the Li Family who treated him as kin—had encountered her benefactor. An elder of the Heavenly Profound Sect, and no ordinary elder at that: a reclusive Supreme Elder, the martial uncle of the current Heavenly Profound Sect Master.

For some unknown reason, he had taken a fancy to a child of a minor family in such a small city, accepting her as his final disciple and bringing her back to the Heavenly Profound Sect for training.

"This time, Junior Sister is returning partly for the martial competition among your family's younger generation, and partly because of you."

Xiao Qing's words stirred Li Ye slightly.

"For me?!"

"That's right. Junior Sister begged Martial Uncle for a long time before she received permission to come back. She said she wanted to make those old fossils in your family agree to let you return to the family."

Li Ye's entire body trembled. Just a few short sentences, yet he felt warmth unlike anything he had ever known.

"Is that so? That little girl who used to cry so easily has grown up."

In his memories, Li Yating had been one of the more outstanding among the Li Family's younger generation. Besides her exceptional looks and gentle nature that treated everyone kindly, her remarkable talent for cultivation and awakened Blood Soul were also among the reasons.

Unlike him and Li Yue, Li Yating had not been born into the Li Family's direct line. She was merely a daughter of a collateral branch, yet she had displayed terrifying cultivation talent.

In fact, among Li Ye and Li Yue's generation of the Li Family, there was no doubt that Li Ye, once considered trash, had possessed the worst talent. But who had possessed the best talent? It was absolutely not Li Yue! It was Li Yating!

She awakened her Blood Soul at nine and broke through to the Spirit Martial Tier Six at eleven! That speed was even more terrifying than Li Kainian's had been back then!

Unfortunately, she came from a collateral branch and was also a girl. The family had no intention of investing effort into nurturing her, and had even been subtly suppressing her.

Of course, everything was different now. The identity of a Heavenly Profound Sect disciple alone was enough for the Li Family to treat her as an honored guest! Not to mention that, if one truly considered her standing, Li Yating was now the junior martial sister of the Heavenly Profound Sect Master! That title alone could scare a crowd to death!

What kind of existence was the Heavenly Profound Sect?

The reason the Three Great Families of Wuzhou City had dominated for so many years and stood firm for centuries was entirely because each had King Tier experts overseeing them. King Tier experts had already stepped into the Innate Realm! Not only did their lifespans greatly increase, but their strength also surpassed Spirit Martial Rank cultivators by an unknown margin.

They were absolute overlords throughout Wuzhou City!

But Wuzhou City was merely one of the hundreds of cities in Jiangnan Circuit, and it was even a relatively backward, remote city.

The Heavenly Profound Sect, on the other hand, was a colossal giant throughout Jiangnan Circuit. Spirit Martial Rank cultivators within the sect were as numerous as the hairs on an ox, King Tier experts were not uncommon, and there were even Earth Profound Realm experts among them!

If the difference between a King Tier expert and a Spirit Martial Rank cultivator was like that between a strong adult and a newborn infant, then an Earth Profound Realm expert compared to a King Tier expert was like a King Tier expert facing a baby that had just been born!

King Tier experts could reign supreme in Wuzhou City and would at least be considered masters of one region in Jiangnan Circuit, but only Earth Profound Realm experts were truly undisputed peak masters throughout Jiangnan Circuit.

"She has already returned?"

"Not yet. Junior Sister is at a critical point in her breakthrough, and Martial Uncle intends for her to break through before returning. But judging by the time, it should only be another day or two. In any case, she will make it back before your family's year-end competition."

Li Ye seemed to remember that he still had something to ask, but the news of Li Yating's return had swept it from his mind.

"A breakthrough? What realm is that little girl at now?"

"When I left the Heavenly Profound Sect, Junior Sister was already at the peak eighth level of the Spirit Martial Realm. If everything goes smoothly, she should now be at Spirit Martial Tier Nine."

Li Ye was speechless! How old was Li Yating? They seemed to be the same age, didn't they? The two had been born almost on the same day, and they had never figured out who was older.

Spirit Martial Tier Nine? That was practically on par with several Supreme Elders of the Li Family! Aside from the missing Li Kainian and the Supreme First Elder who rarely involved himself in worldly affairs, the strongest people in the Li Family were merely at Spirit Martial Tier Nine!

Now, he somewhat understood why Li Yating was confident that she could return and make those old fellows in the family shut their mouths and agree to welcome Li Ye back into the family! Clearly, her current identity and strength both gave her the qualifications!

"However, she probably doesn't know about your changes now, does she?"

A teasing smile appeared on Xiao Qing's face. Li Ye neither confirmed nor denied it. In truth, if not for his transmigration, perhaps nothing would have changed at all.

Unfortunately, things were different now.

"As for returning to the family, I can handle it myself! I don't need that little girl worrying over it! I'll use my own methods to make those old fellows nod in agreement!"

If Li Yating stepped forward, his return to the family would practically be meat on the chopping block, one hundred percent certain.

But Li Ye hoped to return through his own strength! Otherwise, even if he truly returned, all he would face would be endless ridicule and exclusion!

"That isn't my concern. I'm just a messenger. You can decide the details yourself."

After saying that, Xiao Qing suddenly lowered his voice and asked in a furtive whisper, "What exactly is the relationship between you and that Aunt Yun of yours? Is she married?"

"Get lost!"

At this moment, within a courtyard of the Li Family, a suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere made many servants tremble in fear, not daring to approach.

"Who! Who injured my precious grandson! Who was it! This old man will skin him alive!"

An aged yet vigorous roar rang out, making many servants shrink their necks.

An old man with white hair and the rosy complexion of a child was currently so furious that his face and neck had turned red. Before him lay someone with a faintly pale face, placed upon a stretcher. Looking closely, was that not Li Yue, one of the Li Family's prominent figures?

At the side stood the Li Family's Third Master, Li Huangran, his face ashen.

Then the identity of the old man before them was obvious!

The Li Family's current First Elder! Li Yue's grandfather! Li Dao Kui!