A Challenge from the Sequences

"D-D-Divine Son?"

The clan's ancestral teachings demanded that every member strictly observe the hierarchy. Without rules, nothing could be accomplished. The Divine Son was the future clan head, who held absolute power over life and death within the clan. Apart from the ancestors in the ancestral land's forbidden area, everyone-even the grand elders-had to show the utmost respect when they met the clan head.

I'm finished, I'm finished. Yuan Di wanted to die. Why did I have to go showing off when no one asked me to?

Yuan Zhexian looked at the Tenth Sequence before him and slowly said, "That's right. I am Yuan Zhexian!"

"Greetings, Divine Son."

Only then did the onlookers come to their senses. As one, they bowed and cupped their fists in salute to Yuan Zhexian.

"Rise," Yuan Zhexian said calmly, suddenly turning his eyes to Yuan Di. By now, Yuan Zhexian had already lifted the True Words Technique from him. Yuan Di bowed and said, "Lord Divine Son, I have offended you. Please punish me." As he spoke, he bent even lower, his head nearly touching the ground.

Yuan Zhexian murmured, "I waited for you not to punish you or anything of the sort. I wanted to tell you that our Yuan Clan is a forbidden clan. You are one of the clan's Sequences and represent the clan as you walk the world. Your followers, just like you, represent the clan as they walk the world. You must show discernment when taking followers. Don't take just anyone, any piece of trash. If they bring disgrace upon the clan, you know what the consequences will be. As the clan's Divine Son, I have both the responsibility and the duty to oversee you."

"Do you understand? You!! Yuan Di, you-are you convinced?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Zhexian's presence suddenly surged. Golden light shone from his eyes, and the Supreme Bone in his body radiated powerful runes. The Chaos Qi around him gathered behind him into a phenomenon of chaos bringing all things into being. At that moment, Yuan Zhexian looked even more like a Heavenly Emperor surveying the nine heavens and ten earths, gazing down at everyone from on high.

The sudden pressure pinned everyone in place, and most had already begun to tremble. Yuan Di looked at Yuan Zhexian, who resembled a Heavenly Emperor, as that absurdly powerful presence bore down on him. His mind was nearing the brink of collapse. His body sank to its knees of its own accord, and sweat dripped ceaselessly onto the ground.

"I... I... I... know I was wrong. Please punish me, Lord Divine Son."

Seeing that it was about enough, Yuan Zhexian withdrew all his presence at once and continued, "Yuan Di, I hope you can understand what clan glory means. The clan nurtures us, and we have a duty to defend its glory. Although our clan is already very powerful, that does not stop us from bringing it even greater glory."

With that, he paid Yuan Di no more attention and walked toward his Divine Son Palace, leaving a group of deathly pale people behind.

Only then did everyone come back to their senses. So this is our Divine Son. His strength and presence are terrifying, and he subdued the Tenth Sequence in a single move. Is he really only five? Just now, it felt like I wasn't facing a five-year-old child, but a supreme existence. Too terrifying...

In a pavilion not far from the training ground stood two youths of fifteen or sixteen. The power of the stars poured ceaselessly from one of them, radiating boundless mysteries. Handsome and clad in a starry robe, he said leisurely to the other, "What do you think? This younger clansman of ours, the Divine Son, seems quite formidable."

The other's face could not be made out, but powerful Black-Yellow Qi radiated from his entire body. He answered coldly, "Mm. He really is powerful. Watching him fight Yuan Di felt like watching him beat up a little chick. Yuan Di may be one of the Ten Sequences like us, but his strength is less than a tenth of ours. This Divine Son makes me feel an irresistible urge to spar with him." As he spoke, the Black-Yellow Qi around him grew denser, and his powerful presence made the pavilion tremble.

If any other Yuan Clan disciples had been there, they would surely have recognized the two.

Yuan Xingchen possessed the Zhoutian Star Physique and was the Yuan Clan's Fourth Sequence.

The other, Yuan Changkong, possessed the Black-Yellow Imperishable Physique and was the Second Sequence.

"Tsk! Battle maniac. I meant, what do you think of the way he handled things?" Yuan Xingchen said, looking at Yuan Changkong.

Yuan Changkong glanced in the direction Yuan Zhexian had disappeared and said,

"First, he crushed his opponent with absolute power, then suppressed him again with his absolute status, leaving him afraid to voice a single word of complaint. A tactic of killing a man and destroying his heart-interesting. He's only five, isn't he? Although he's the Divine Son now, I won't acknowledge his position until he defeats me."

As soon as Yuan Zhexian entered the Divine Son Palace, he saw two children of about ten standing in the courtyard: a handsome boy dressed in ink-black clothes and a sweet-looking girl in a long, water-blue dress. His grinning grandfather Yuan Xun stood beside them. Yuan Zhexian curled his lip and greeted him.

"Greetings, Grandpa."

Looking at Yuan Zhexian, Yuan Xun could not help showing a kindly smile. He was quite satisfied with his grandson's performance just now. By now, he had brought the wondrous phenomenon of grandparents doting on their grandchildren to its fullest expression. No one could match his affection for Yuan Zhexian.

"Ever since the Divine Son Palace reopened, it hasn't had a single servant. These two children will be your attendants. From today on, they'll stay by your side. If there are any chores in the palace, just give them your orders."

"Greetings, Divine Son."

"What are your names?" Yuan Zhexian was only five and looked as harmless as a porcelain doll, but the nobility he carried was unparalleled. He looked at the pair with his double pupils as he spoke.

"This subordinate is Yuan Zifeng, seven years old, at the first level of the Grotto-Heaven Realm. I mainly cultivate saber intent and the Tyrant Saber Scripture."

Yuan Zifeng was a prodigy from a branch of the Yuan Clan. His understanding of the saber was unlike that of ordinary people, and he was exceptionally gifted. He had comprehended saber intent from a young age. At the first level of the Grotto-Heaven Realm, he had once been able to fight a Divine Ability Realm expert. Had he not become the Divine Son's attendant, he could have competed for a place among the Yuan Clan's Ten Sequences.

"This subordinate is Yuan Yan'er, seven years old, at the first level of the Grotto-Heaven Realm. I mainly cultivate the Primal Origin Scripture and the water-attribute Three Thousand Weak Waters Art."

Yuan Yan'er also came from a branch of the clan. Although she was not as gifted as Yuan Zifeng, she was meticulous in her work and perceptive. Born with a Water Spirit Physique, she had an innate and exceptional ability to comprehend the laws of water.

"Mm, Grandpa, as it happens, this Divine Son Palace was just short a few attendants. These two aren't bad," Yuan Zhexian said calmly.

"All right, they'll both stay with you. At least we can rest easier knowing they'll look after your daily needs. Handle everything else as you see fit. If you need anything, just tell Grandpa."

"All right, now that this matter has been settled, I should be going."

With that, Yuan Xun turned into a streak of golden light and vanished from where he stood.

A disciple standing guard outside came to report, "Lord Divine Son, the Second, Fourth, and Seventh Sequences have come especially to pay their respects to you."

"I didn't expect them to come so soon. Let them in."

Yuan Zhexian spoke calmly.

Yuan Changkong, dressed in black and yellow, arrived before Yuan Zhexian along with the one in the starry robe and another person in a black robe, also about fifteen or sixteen. Yuan Zhexian looked at the Seventh Sequence in the black robe, who had an ordinary appearance and radiated intense battle intent. He thought, Yuan Pojun, born with a Battle Physique, cultivates the Battle Scripture. He disdains the weak and is full of battle intent toward the strong—a thorough battle maniac, one of the clan's warmongers.

The three bowed slightly and cupped their fists. "Greetings, Divine Son." Yuan Zhexian looked at the three before him and said, "Elder clansmen, what brings the three of you here?"

"Well, none of us three had ever met the Divine Son before. Now that the Divine Son has appeared, we were curious what sort of person you were, so we came to pay our respects."

"Secondly, we have long heard that the Divine Son's physique defies the heavens, and that the ancestors named you Divine Son the moment you were born, so we came especially to seek your guidance. I see that your cultivation is now at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm. I can suppress my cultivation to the peak of the Body Tempering Realm and fight you. Surely the Divine Son wouldn't refuse someone's challenge?"

"Oh... you want to challenge me? And suppress your realm to the same level as mine before challenging me? It's a good idea, but I'm very busy! Why should I agree? And just because you come to the Divine Son Palace and say you're challenging me, I have to accept?" Yuan Zhexian asked, smiling at the three.

"Could it be that the Divine Son is afraid to fight?" Yuan Pojun said. "Then again, you've only just left the ancestral land. Defeating Yuan Di is nothing much; he's far too weak and falls far short of us. Besides, you're still too young and haven't weathered the storms of the outside world. So it's understandable if you're afraid to fight."

Yuan Zifeng and Yuan Yan'er, standing to the side, looked at the arrogant Yuan Pojun with anger on their faces. After all, they were now Yuan Zhexian's attendants. To them, Yuan Zhexian was their master. With their master being questioned, they were bound to be angry too. Then Yuan Zifeng said, "Why use an ox-cleaver to slaughter a chicken? If you want to challenge the Divine Son, get past me first."

"Oh... who are you?"

Yuan Pojun asked in confusion. "I am Yuan Zifeng, the Divine Son's attendant. If you want to challenge the Divine Son, defeat me first." Looking at the person before him, Yuan Pojun laughed disdainfully. A mere attendant dared to challenge him. If this had not been the Divine Son Palace, Yuan Pojun would probably have struck already.