The Colossus, Xuantian Sect

"What a fine woman!"

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

"Honestly, I had no idea you brat were capable of so much back then. 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 inside—containing nothing but a bed, several chairs, and a battered old table—surprise flashed through his eyes.

"Surprised? But this was how I had lived these past few years."

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

Xiao Qing did not seem to mind. He pulled over a chair and sat down before saying, "You must be very curious why I helped you."

"I am indeed curious. 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 delicate, lovely figure surfaced in his mind. If there was anyone in the entire Li Family whom he still cared about, it was undoubtedly that girl.

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

"It was her, wasn't it? I heard that several years ago, she was noticed and accepted as a disciple by some senior passing through Wuzhou City. Later, word spread that this senior was an elder of the Heavenly Profound Sect, a sect renowned throughout Jiangnan Circuit. You are a disciple of the Heavenly Profound Sect too, aren't you?"

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

Someone capable of fighting Li Huangran, the Li Family's Third Master, to a draw—and even gaining a slight advantage—could not be found anywhere in Wuzhou City, at least for now. Not to mention the Three Great Families of Wuzhou City; even across Jiangnan Circuit, which encompassed hundreds of cities like Wuzhou City, there would not be many such people.

"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 supposed to be that little girl's martial uncle or something?"

"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: seeing Xiao Qing's thick beard, he had assumed the man was at least thirty-something. He had never expected Xiao Qing to be only a few years older than him.

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

This huge misunderstanding unexpectedly brought the two closer.

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

"Our Ye'er rarely brings friends home. It seems you two have a very good relationship."

Li Ye laughed bitterly inwardly. Rarely brought friends home? If the memories in his mind were correct, he had never had any friends at all, aside from his cousin Li Yating.

Who would be friends with a good-for-nothing? Especially one with such a withdrawn personality?

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

The familiar Xiao Qing wore an utterly infatuated expression, looking as though he was only one step away from drooling.

Seeing him like that, Aunt Yun covered her mouth and chuckled. That smile carried an indescribable charm. Compared to young girls, she possessed an added richness of seductive grace, overflowing with feminine allure.

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

"Yes! Yes! Certainly! Certainly!"

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

To his surprise, Xiao Qing's expression changed as swiftly as a Sichuan opera mask, immediately returning to normal. There was not the slightest trace of infatuation in his eyes.

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

Li Ye did not understand, but Xiao Qing offered no explanation and instead 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 had treated him as family—had encountered her benefactor: an elder of the Heavenly Profound Sect. Nor was he an ordinary elder, but a reclusive Supreme Elder, the martial uncle of the current Heavenly Profound Sect Master.

For some unknown reason, he had taken a liking to a disciple from 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 moved Li Ye slightly.

"For me?!"

"That's right. Junior Sister begged Martial Uncle for a long time before she was granted permission to return. She said she wanted to persuade those old immortals in your family to let you return to the family."

Li Ye's whole 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 at the drop of a hat has grown up."

In his memories, Li Yating had been one of the more dazzling members of the Li Family's younger generation. Aside from her outstanding looks and gentle nature that treated everyone kindly, her exceptional cultivation talent and awakened bloodline were also among the reasons.

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

Indeed, among Li Ye and Li Yue's generation in the Li Family, there was no question that Li Ye, once known as a good-for-nothing, possessed the worst talent. But who had the best talent? It was certainly not Li Yue—it was Li Yating!

She had awakened her Blood Soul at nine and broken through to the sixth level of the Spirit Martial Rank at eleven! That speed was even more terrifying than Li Kainian's had been in his day!

Unfortunately, because she came from a collateral branch and was also a girl, the family had never bothered to invest effort into nurturing her. They had even subtly suppressed her!

Of course, everything was different now. As a disciple of the Heavenly Profound Sect, that status alone was enough for the Li Family to treat her as an honored guest! And if one truly considered her position, Li Yating was now the junior martial sister of the Heavenly Profound Sect Master! That identity 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 they each had King Tier experts overseeing them. King Tier experts had already entered the Innate Realm! Not only did their lifespans increase enormously, but their strength also surpassed Spirit Martial Rank cultivators by an unknown extent.

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, meanwhile, was the behemoth of all Jiangnan Circuit. Spirit Martial Rank martial cultivators within the sect were as numerous as ox hairs, King Tier experts were not uncommon, and there were even Earth Profound Realm experts among them!

If the gap between a King Tier expert and a Spirit Martial Rank expert was like that between a strong, burly 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 rule as kings in Wuzhou City and would at least be masters of one region in Jiangnan Circuit, but only Earth Profound Realm experts were truly the undisputed supreme masters within Jiangnan Circuit.

"She's already back?"

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

Li Ye seemed to remember that he had something else to ask, but 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 of the eighth level of the Spirit Martial Rank. If all went smoothly, she should already be at the ninth level of the Spirit Martial Rank by now."

Li Ye was speechless! How old was Li Yating? She seemed to be the same age as him, didn't she? The two had been born almost on the same day, and nobody had ever figured out who was older.

The ninth level of the Spirit Martial Rank? That was practically comparable to several of the Li Family's Supreme Elders! Aside from the missing Li Kainian and the Supreme Great Elder who almost never involved himself in worldly matters, the strongest members of the Li Family were only at the ninth level of the Spirit Martial Rank!

Now, Li Ye somewhat understood why Li Yating was confident she could return and silence those old fellows in the family, making them agree to welcome him back! Clearly, her current status and strength both gave her that qualification!

"But Junior Sister probably doesn't know about the changes in you 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 and agree!"

If Li Yating stepped forward, his return to the family would practically be a done deal—one hundred percent certain.

But Li Ye wanted to return through his own strength! Otherwise, even if he did go back, he would still face endless ridicule and exclusion!

"That isn't my concern. I'm just a messenger. The specifics are for you to decide."

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!"

In the Li Family, a suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere hung over a courtyard. Many servants trembled in fear and did not dare approach.

"Who! Who injured my precious grandson! Who was it! I will skin him alive!"

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

An old man with silver hair and a youthful complexion 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, it was none other than Li Yue, the Li Family's celebrated figure.

At the side stood Li Huangran, the Li Family's Third Master, his face dark and grim.

The identity of the old man before them was thus obvious!

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