A Wager of Life and Death

"How dare you! Insolent wretch! Guards, seize him! Dead or alive!"

The Great Elder roared.

"Yes, Great Elder."

The captain of the Xia guards stepped forward, pointed at Xia Yu, and barked, "Xia Yu, surrender at once!"

Xia Yu glanced at him and declared proudly, "I, Xia Yu, fought bitter battles for the Xia family for ten years. When have you ever seen me surrender without a fight?"

At those words, strange expressions crossed quite a few faces.

Ever since Xia Yu had revealed his talent and become the young patriarch, he had led the younger generation against the other three families without a single defeat.

So much so that many young people from the Xu, Gong, and Zhang families turned around and left whenever they saw Xia Yu.

Even the older generation feared him to some degree.

Because when this fellow fought, he was a complete madman, utterly heedless of his own life.

"Stop wasting words on him. His dantian is already destroyed. Seize him!" the Great Elder said coldly.

This time, Xia Yonggang, the guard captain, hesitated no longer. He stepped forward, curled his hand into a claw, and reached for Xia Yu.

Dragon Claw Hand!

A dragon-shaped blast of energy roared out of his hand.

The blast clawed toward Xia Yu's throat.

He had gone straight for the kill.

The Origin Command Realm!

City Lord Zhu Kang and the heads of the Xu, Gong, and Zhang families all raised their brows.

The captain of the Xia guards was powerful.

Commanding origin meant being able to control Origin Force, sending it outside the body to attack and thereby unleashing the full power of martial techniques.

Anyone whose cultivation reached the Origin Command Realm was unquestionably among Huai City's experts.

Even City Lord Zhu Kang was only at the eighth layer of the Origin Command Realm.

They could all see that the Xia family truly intended to kill Xia Yu.

Patriarch Xia Hongji stood to one side without saying a word, giving his tacit approval.

The heads of the Xu, Gong, and Zhang families could not deny their secret delight. The Xia family was severing its own arm. What wonderful news.

Facing Xia Yonggang's killing move, Xia Yu's expression remained unchanged. He quietly drew a breath and threw a punch with all his strength.

Boundless!

Xia Yu dared not hold anything back. He was only at the fifth layer of Origin Absorption, while his opponent's cultivation was in the Origin Command Realm.

Boom...

A thunderous crash rang out.

Contrary to Xia Yonggang's expectations, Xia Yu was not knocked to the ground. Instead, he remained as solid as a boulder, utterly motionless.

In an instant, everyone present's expression changed.

Had Xia Yu's cultivation recovered?

And he had withstood a blast of energy from Xia Yonggang's Dragon Claw Hand head-on. He was even stronger than before!

"You repaired your dantian?" Xia Hongji could not help frowning.

He released his aura, swept it over Xia Yu, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet his bewilderment only deepened.

"Your dantian is still shattered, and there isn't a trace of Origin Force in your body. How did you withstand Yonggang's blast of energy?"

Xia Yu faced him with a cold, furious stare and said nothing.

You want to know about my Divine Dragon Boundless Art? You think I'll tell you? Dream on!

The Great Elder beside them had also been startled.

Only after hearing Xia Hongji's words did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

But at that moment, he wanted Xia Yu dead all the more.

Once certain things were set in motion, one had to cut down every last root!

"Xia Yonggang, what are you hesitating for? Kill him!" the Great Elder said coldly.

"Wait!"

Just as Xia Yonggang was about to attack, Xia Yu barked, "According to our ancestors' rules, anyone may challenge the young patriarch. Anyone who shrinks from battle is unworthy of being the Xia family's young patriarch. I now challenge Xia Longfei to a fight to the death!"

"Xia Longfei, do you dare fight me to the death?"

Xia Yu pointed at Xia Longfei, his Battle Intent fierce.

Xia Longfei froze. The power of Xia Yu's punch could not be underestimated, and he was not completely certain he could withstand it.

But if he refused the challenge now and showed fear of battle, he could forget about remaining the young patriarch.

He was just about to speak when the Great Elder said coldly, "With your shattered dantian, what right do you have to challenge the young patriarch? You murdered a member of our lineage. You are no longer worthy of belonging to the Xia family."

Xia Yu ignored the Great Elder entirely. His gaze fixed on Xia Longfei as he said coldly, "Young patriarch, you don't even dare accept a challenge? How are you worthy of being the young patriarch?"

"Fine." Xia Longfei snorted lightly. "In accordance with our lineage's rules, I accept your challenge. I'll make you acknowledge your defeat wholeheartedly."

"But not today. In fifteen days, we'll meet at the Huai City Grand Competition. I'll show everyone in Huai City who truly deserves to be the Xia family's young patriarch."

"Fine. I'll be waiting!" Xia Yu said coldly.

Seeing this, the Great Elder frowned and whispered into Xia Longfei's ear, "Young patriarch, if we don't kill him now, a long night may breed troublesome dreams."

Xia Longfei gave the Great Elder a cold look and said flatly, "If I refuse his challenge, what will people think of me as the young patriarch?"

"But..."

"No buts. You don't believe in me?" Xia Longfei frowned.

Seeing his expression, the Great Elder hurriedly said, "That isn't what I meant."

"Then the matter is settled."

Xia Hongji looked at his son and asked gravely, "Longfei, are you confident?"

"Dad, have you forgotten the heavenly phenomenon?"

Xia Hongji's eyes lit up, and he asked with a smile, "You mean?"

"Nothing more than this: I'm a genius capable of bringing forth a heavenly phenomenon. In another half month, my cultivation will surely advance further. When that time comes, could I possibly fail to kill a piece of trash who doesn't even have a dantian?"

"My son is absolutely right."

Xia Hongji was reassured.

He cupped his hands in greeting to the city lord and the heads of the Li, Gong, and Zhang families, then said with a smile, "City Lord Zhu, esteemed family heads, my apologies for this embarrassing display. A small internal matter within our lineage has now been resolved. Please come with me, and let us enjoy a proper drink."

"Patriarch Xia is right. Come, come, let's have another drink," Zhu Kang said with a smile as well.

The group quickly departed, and Xia Yu turned and went back inside.

"Yu, are you all right?"

Inside the room, Xia Yao's eyes were filled with anxiety.

"It's all right now, Sis. Don't worry!"

"Can you defeat Xia Longfei in half a month?" Xia Yao asked.

"Sis, has your little brother ever lost a fight in his life? Don't worry. Whoever he is, whether I have a dantian or not, I'm invincible. They can do whatever they like!"

Xia Yu's face brimmed with confidence!

Xia Yao smiled as well.

"You're still the same..." Xia Yao shook her head and said, "Remember, never push yourself just to prove your strength! Some things will pass if you simply endure them."

"Sis, focus on recovering. I promise I won't let anyone bully either of us!"

Xia Yao nodded silently.

"Oh, right, Sis. I'm planning to go away for a few days. Here's a bottle of Spirit-Melting Pills. Take one whenever it flares up at night."

"Where are you going?" Xia Yao struggled to sit up.

"Sis, Sis, don't get worked up. Lie down, lie down! I'm only finding somewhere quiet to cultivate in seclusion for a few days. Then I'll beat that useless Xia Longfei until he kneels and begs for mercy."

Xia Yao studied Xia Yu's face. Only after a long while did she nod and say, "Whatever happens, I want you alive, and living well."

"Hahaha, Sis, your little brother is so wise and mighty, unmatched beneath the heavens. Who could possibly kill me?"

Xia Yu deliberately laughed loudly to put his sister's heart at ease.

As night fell, Xia Yu became a dark shadow and quietly left the Xia residence.

He ran at full speed all the way...

At midnight, Xia Yu stopped. A pitch-black forest lay before him.

In the darkness, the vast forest resembled an enormous beast.

The Ten Thousand Demons Forest lay fifty li north of Huai City.

It was said that the Ten Thousand Demons Forest stretched without end, and many who entered never came out again.

Yet many cultivators still entered the Ten Thousand Demons Forest in groups.

Killing demonic beasts in exchange for cultivation resources was how many rogue cultivators survived.

Xia Yu had come here to kill some demonic beasts and exchange them for spirit stones and pills as well. Since he was no longer the young patriarch, the lineage's resources would no longer be preferentially allocated to him.

Only by activating his second small world as quickly as possible and raising his cultivation could he protect his sister and make a better life for himself.

Drawing a deep breath, Xia Yu suddenly turned and looked back the way he had come.

"Come out. You've followed me the whole way. You're here to kill me, aren't you? Who are you from the Xia family?"

"To think you actually noticed me. It seems you've not only recovered your cultivation, but improved it as well. I must say, you've chosen quite a fine graveyard."

A dark figure slowly stepped out.