Who Said I Wouldn't Enter the Spirit-Seizing Battle?

"No matter how many Spirit Sea Realm cultivators the Li Family has, leave them all to me!"

Shen Qianxun spoke slowly, her voice resolute.

"Family head, I'm not underestimating you. Your cultivation may be exceptional, but how difficult would it be to defeat three Spirit Sea Realm warriors? If you hadn't insisted on arranging a Spirit-Seizing Battle with the Li Family, we wouldn't be in this predicament. If we win, all well and good, but what if we lose?"

Shen Ruzhuo spoke with a faint, mocking smile.

"Shen Ruzhuo, how dare you!"

Shen Wan's expression darkened. She slapped the table and rose to her feet.

"Who gave you the right to speak here? All the elders agreed to the Spirit-Seizing Battle back then. Without it to keep the Li Family in check, they would have seized the spirit stone mine long ago. Are you questioning Qianxun?"

Shen Wan's eyes were filled with hostility.

"Shen Wan, your temper is as fiery as ever. Ru Zhuo is merely raising a question. After all, if we lose the Spirit-Seizing Battle, we won't just lose the spirit stone mine—the Shen Family's reputation will be dragged through the dirt!"

The Shen Family's Grand Elder spoke with a genial smile.

"Hmph. What exactly are you suggesting, Grand Elder?"

Shen Qianxun's gaze settled on the Grand Elder as she spoke coolly.

"Qianxun, I watched you grow up, but deciding on this Spirit-Seizing Battle was truly too rash! If we lose, can you bear the responsibility?"

The Grand Elder spoke with a soft sigh.

"Bear the responsibility? If you have something to say, Grand Elder, say it plainly. Why beat around the bush?"

Shen Qianxun gave a cold laugh.

"If we lose the Spirit-Seizing Battle and our family's reputation is dragged through the dirt, you, as family head, cannot escape the blame. We may have no choice but to remove you!"

The Grand Elder spoke indifferently.

Everyone's expression changed instantly. So this was the Grand Elder's true aim-to force Shen Qianxun to resign as family head?

And the implication behind his words was clear: he intended to dump that enormous pot of blame onto Shen Qianxun's shoulders alone.

"Shen Zhong, you old bastard! You're courting death! My father named Qianxun family head before he died. Who are you to question it? Don't think I don't know what you're after. You want that precious grandson of yours, Shen Ruzhuo, to become family head, don't you?"

Shen Wan was beside herself with fury. Violent spiritual energy erupted around her, bearing down on the Grand Elder!

"A woman serving as family head is a hen crowing at dawn—an ill omen! My grandson Ru Zhuo has unparalleled talent and has already broken through to the Spirit Sea Realm. Of course he is qualified to become family head. In my opinion, Qianxun should simply go tend to her husband and children!"

The Grand Elder sneered, likewise releasing a powerful surge of spiritual energy to meet Shen Wan's.

Shen Wan and the Grand Elder were the Shen Family's two strongest Dao Foundation Realm warriors. Even this mere clash of their auras made everyone's expressions change, filling them with a sense of murderous tension and oppression.

Yet no one had expected the Grand Elder to reveal the dagger at the end of the unrolled map at a moment like this, forcing Shen Qianxun to resign as family head.

Boom!

Shen Ruzhuo smiled calmly as well. Vast spiritual energy surged around him, radiating brilliant spiritual light and revealing his cultivation at the first level of the Spirit Sea Realm.

He had indeed opened his dantian spirit sea and broken through to the Spirit Sea Realm!

"Stop!" Shen Qianxun declared. "Grand Elder, since you want the position of family head so badly, I'll agree. If we lose the Spirit-Seizing Battle, I'll bear the responsibility and resign as family head!"

Shen Qianxun's expression was icy, but she also understood that if Shen Wan and the Grand Elder continued fighting now, the Li Family would merely reap the fisherman's reward while the snipe and clam fought.

"Qianxun, don't blame me. I'm only considering the Shen Family's interests! Of course, if we win the Spirit-Seizing Battle, you will remain family head!"

The Grand Elder withdrew his aura and addressed Shen Qianxun with a genial smile.

By now, Shen Wan and Shen Qingqing were practically bursting with rage. Shen Wan, in particular, wished she could strike immediately and slaughter the Grand Elder.

"Ha ha ha..."

Just then, a cold laugh rang out inside the Elder Hall.

"How laughable! The Spirit-Seizing Battle is almost upon us, yet instead of thinking about how to win, you're scheming against one another here, fighting for power and profit. Aren't you afraid of making yourselves a laughingstock? A Shen Family like this deserves to be bullied by the Li Family!"

Ning Chuan's eyes were filled with scorn.

"Ning Chuan, this is the Elder Hall. Who gave a useless live-in son-in-law like you the right to speak here?"

Shen Ruzhuo's face darkened as he spoke.

"Ning Chuan, what nonsense are you spouting? Get out of here!"

Shen Wan's expression was unpleasant as well.

She resented Ning Chuan for causing Shen Qianxun trouble, but she also feared that Shen Ruzhuo and the Grand Elder would lash out at him in humiliated anger, leaving Shen Qianxun in an even more difficult position.

"Shen Ruzhuo, who the hell do you think you are? Qianxun is my wife, and more importantly, the Shen Family's head. You dare pressure her? You're only fierce within your own nest. If you have any guts, go fight the Li Family! What I, Ning Chuan, despise most is a petty coward like you who bullies the weak and fears the strong!"

Ning Chuan gave a cold laugh.

"What a sharp-tongued fellow you are, Ning Chuan! The feud between our Shen Family and the Li Family is entirely your fault. If not for you, Qianxun would have married Young Master Li Yunfei long ago. Our families would have become in-laws, and there would be no Spirit-Seizing Battle!

"My grandson will naturally enter the Spirit-Seizing Battle. But a useless wretch like you wants to defend Qianxun? If you have the ability, enter the Spirit-Seizing Battle and help her win!"

The Grand Elder stared at Ning Chuan as he berated him.

"Enter the Spirit-Seizing Battle? Grandfather, you think far too highly of him. He's a useless cripple with every meridian in his body shattered. What could he possibly bring to the Spirit-Seizing Battle? He'll probably wet himself the moment he sees anyone from the Li Family Members. Ha ha ha..."

Shen Ruzhuo spoke mockingly.

Seeing the Grand Elder and Shen Ruzhuo mock Ning Chuan so viciously, Shen Qianxun's gaze turned icy as well, and she opened her mouth to speak.

"Who said I wouldn't enter the Spirit-Seizing Battle? Of course I'm entering. Those clay chickens and pottery dogs from the Li Family aren't worth my wife lifting a finger. I'll deal with them myself!"

Ning Chuan spoke with a calm smile.