Everyone's Ridicule

"Father, just give me one chance!"

The little boy immediately began to act cute. His adorable appearance made the maternal instincts of quite a few women present overflow. Yet, constrained by the Lineage rules and Sixth Lord Li's presence, none of them dared say a word.

"No! Get down!"

Just as the little boy pulled a long face and prepared to step off the platform, a voice rang out.

"Sixth Uncle, why not let Hao have a try? He'll have to go through this in a few years anyway. Letting him try beforehand can count as preparation. Besides, I've long heard that Hao is exceptionally gifted and displayed extraordinary talent at such a young age. Why not let everyone see just how strong he is?"

The only one who could address Sixth Lord Li this way was Li Xuan, the young master of the main branch! He was Li Huangran's son. His words made Sixth Lord Li hesitate. Compared with Li Huangran, his own standing in the Lineage could only be considered ordinary. Otherwise, he would not have been assigned to preside over such an event.

"Father!" The moment Li Hao heard his cousin pleading for him, his eyes spun as he began acting cute again.

"Fine, but no matter what result you achieve, it won't count!"

Sixth Lord Li relented—or perhaps he had used Li Xuan's words to find himself a way down. Li Ye could tell that he also wanted his son to show off his strength!

"Thank you, Father! Thank you, Fifth Brother!"

Li Hao leaped onto the martial platform in delight. Then, in an instant, a trace of solemnity appeared on his formerly childish face, and he threw a punch!

"Combat Technique!"

At such a young age, Li Hao had actually mastered a Combat Technique! Though it still looked somewhat unpolished, he had clearly practiced it for quite some time! Boom!

A very shallow indentation appeared on the Black Obsidian.

"Good!"

Sixth Lord Li could not help crying out in approval. Only afterward did he realize it was inappropriate, and a trace of embarrassment flashed across his face.

"Hehe!"

Li Hao scratched his head, made a face at his father, and hopped down from the martial platform.

"Spirit Martial Tier Two, and a combat technique!" A sharp gleam flickered in Li Ye's eyes. Li Hao was clearly only at Spirit Martial Tier Two, but coupled with that combat technique, he was absolutely no weaker than someone at Spirit Martial Tier Three—perhaps even slightly stronger!

And Li Hao was only ten years old! This was the difference between the main branch and the collateral branches!

"Congratulations, Sixth Uncle. Hao's talent is peerless. In the future, he may even compare with Li Yue. By then, Sixth Uncle's prestige within the clan will surely rise ever higher. Allow your nephew to offer his congratulations in advance!"

Li Xuan spoke eloquently, while Sixth Lord Li suppressed his delight and nodded. Yet he quickly changed the subject. "All right, does anyone else wish to take the challenge?"

Afterward, many collateral branch disciples stepped onto the platform to give it a try, but those who truly reached Spirit Martial Tier Three or above were few after all.

By the time more than half the day had passed, only around three hundred people had succeeded. Though that was not a small number, compared with the enormous total of several thousand, the difficulty was plain to see.

However, Li Ye noticed that only collateral branch disciples had appeared. Not a single person from the main branch had made a move. Of course, Li Hao earlier did not count; he had purely come to join in the fun.

Gradually, seeing that hardly anyone was willing to take the stage, a trace of disappointment flashed through Sixth Lord Li's eyes. "No one else? In that case, members of the main branch will now take the stage one by one!"

So the main branch disciples were meant to appear last. No one objected to this. After all, the Lineage was controlled by the main branch, and they had to be granted this bit of privilege.

Looking over the successful collateral branch disciples from earlier, the strongest among them had only left a palm print about an inch deep. He was a young man just a few days shy of twenty, barely catching the last carriage. His cultivation was at Spirit Martial Tier Six, making him one of the best among the many collateral branch disciples.

Li Ye also discovered that there were roughly four or five people at Spirit Martial Tier Six, as well as a dozen or so at Spirit Martial Tier Five. These people were clearly the representative figures among the collateral branches.

Only then did Li Ye realize that, aside from Li Xuan and Li Hao, few main branch disciples had come.

But following Sixth Lord Li's announcement, people began arriving one after another. A trace of mockery flashed through Li Ye's eyes. "They certainly know how to put on airs."

The main branch truly stood above the rest, but Li Ye clearly saw that among these main branch disciples, quite a few were of low realm and mediocre cultivation, yet their faces were filled with arrogance. They looked at the collateral branch disciples as if they were household dogs, eager to display the superiority of their status.

Many collateral branch disciples dared to be angry but dared not speak. Meanwhile, those who had passed the first round on the martial platform revealed faint chills in their eyes. As the finest among the collateral branches, they naturally could not stand this group of people whom they regarded as nothing more than parasites of the main branch.

"You're late!"

Watching this group stroll over, Sixth Lord Li's voice turned faintly cold.

"Sixth Uncle."

"Sixth Uncle."

Li Ye did not see Li Yue among them, but he was not surprised.

Li Yue was a genius the Li family focused on cultivating. Naturally, he would not participate in this sort of test. Li Ye even knew that any main branch disciple whose realm surpassed Spirit Martial Tier Four could be exempted from this round of testing!

This was privilege! The privilege belonging to main branch disciples!

Those remaining were all main branch disciples at Spirit Martial Tier Three, and they likewise had to participate in the test.

Yet they were like proud peacocks, looking down on everyone.

"Main branch disciples—everyone below Spirit Martial Tier Four, get on the platform!"

With a cold snort from Sixth Lord Li, more than thirty people immediately stepped onto the martial platform. Clearly, these were the members of the main branch whose realms remained at Spirit Martial Tier Three.

At a glance, Li Ye saw that the oldest among them were only fifteen or sixteen, while the youngest had just turned fourteen!

Compared with the collateral branch disciples, the main branch disciples were clearly more outstanding!

"They were just born into better circumstances! What is there to be proud of?"

Whispers drifted into his ears, but Li Ye merely pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Before long, these young masters and young ladies reluctantly displayed their strength one after another. Without exception, they all passed. Under Li Ye's careful observation, although their realms were not high, the palm prints and fist marks they left on the obsidian were no less impressive than those left by some collateral branch disciples at Spirit Martial Tier Four—some even surpassed them!

Among them was a main branch disciple named Li Hui. At Peak Spirit Martial Tier Three, one palm strike of his had left a mark nearly as deep as the one made earlier by a collateral branch disciple who had just entered Spirit Martial Tier Five! Even Sixth Lord Li nodded repeatedly at the sight, apparently quite satisfied.

Only then did everyone learn that Li Hui was also Sixth Lord Li's son. He was only fifteen this year. Though his talent was inferior to that of his younger brother Li Hao, he was still considered quite good among the main branch disciples.

Soon, these people all moved to one side. Yet they stood distinctly apart from the roughly three hundred collateral branch disciples, like water from a well and river water—utterly out of place.

Every one of them was like a proud peacock, with their eyes perched atop their heads.

"Good! The first round ends here..."

Sixth Lord Li nodded and was about to announce the end of the first round when a voice interrupted him.

"Wait!"

Having been interrupted, a trace of displeasure flashed through Sixth Lord Li's eyes. But when he saw that the speaker was Li Xuan, he furrowed his brows. "Li Xuan, what is it?"

Li Xuan smiled faintly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He suddenly said, "Sixth Uncle, there's no need to end it in such a hurry. One person has yet to participate in the test. Why not wait until he makes his move before announcing the end?"

"Oh? Who?"

Sixth Lord Li was clearly taken aback. In his mind, all the outstanding collateral branch disciples had already appeared, and he knew every main branch disciple well enough—they had all finished. Had he overlooked someone?

"That person is..."

Li Ye felt an ill-intentioned gaze converge upon him and immediately knew that someone had noticed his presence.

He looked over. Sure enough, it was Li Xuan! Li Xuan was giving him a strange smile, with a faint trace of mockery flickering in his eyes.

"It's me!"

Li Ye had never intended merely to watch the show. Li Xuan had simply broken the silence first; otherwise, Li Ye would have interrupted Sixth Lord Li himself.

Unlike the others, he did not leap flamboyantly onto the martial platform. Instead, he walked up step by step.

At once, everyone saw him, and quite a few people became curious.

"Who is this guy? I've never seen him before."

Some were confused, but a small number showed bewilderment and disbelief, as if they could not believe their own eyes.

"Isn't that... the Third Young Master?"

"What Third Young Master? He's just trash! Who would have thought that after disappearing for several years, he'd still have the nerve to show his face? And he actually went up there too. Does he not know the meaning of shame?"

Those who recognized Li Ye immediately began whispering among themselves.

Sixth Lord Li's eyes widened as well. The next moment, displeasure appeared on his face as he sternly rebuked, "Nonsense! Li Ye, what are you doing here?"

Li Ye did not remember this Sixth Uncle very well. He was neither good nor bad, but at this moment, a trace of dissatisfaction rose in Li Ye's heart.

"Sixth Uncle, I am also a member of the main branch. Why can't I come up?"

"That's right, Sixth Uncle. Since Third Brother has come, why not let him show what he can do? Otherwise, it would be far too heartless."

Li Xuan said this in a mocking tone, immediately drawing laughter from the crowd. Li Hao, the youngest among them, laughed the most happily, pointing at Li Ye with contempt on his face. The other main branch disciples all revealed scorn and disgust, while even some people from the collateral branches sneered repeatedly.

"This piece of trash actually dared step onto the martial platform. Has his brain gone haywire?"

Li Ye's words made Sixth Lord Li take a deep breath. Then his expression turned cold. "You don't know what's good for you! Fine, have it your way!"

"Courting humiliation!"

"Overestimating yourself! Why don't you take a look at what kind of thing you are?"

"A piece of trash wants to show off? Don't end up shattering your hand bones! Hahaha!"

Mockery, ridicule, contempt, and scorn echoed in his ears. Though he had long been mentally prepared, Li Ye's heart still ached in waves at this moment.

In these people's eyes, he could not see even the slightest trace of familial affection! There was only mockery and cold laughter.

Li Xuan watched from the side with a cold smile. He had noticed Li Ye's arrival long ago, but only now had he taken advantage of the situation to steer things this way. He sneered inwardly. Rumors outside say this trash somehow condensed a Blood Soul. I never expected him to truly overestimate himself and return to prove himself! Soon, you'll understand that even if you condensed a Blood Soul and can cultivate, you're only a tiny bit better than trash!