"Oh? Patriarch Gu Yuan, are you saying you're refusing?"
Gu Yuan's sigh came as a surprise to Chen Xiaoming. But after thinking for a moment, he could understand.
In the original story, Xiao Yan had struggled through countless tribulations, spending ten long years to break through to the level of Dou Venerate before finally earning Gu Yuan's recognition.
A discarded bloodline, ten years of cultivation, reaching the rank of Dou Venerate—even among the ancient clans, few could rival such progress.
Gu Yuan saw Xiao Yan's potential and was naturally inclined to approve—after all, his own daughter was deeply in love with the boy.
But the current Xiao Yan was not the same. He was only a Dou Grandmaster, whereas Xiao Xun'er was on the verge of breaking through to the Dou Saint realm. The difference between them was like heaven and earth.
Bloodline or not, Gu Yuan would have to think this over carefully.
The gap in power was too wide. Gu Yuan couldn't possibly be willing to let his daughter follow someone who was merely at the level of a Dou Grandmaster.
In such a pairing—who would protect whom?
"Father…"
Xun'er puffed her cheeks, surprised and frustrated that even her own father would oppose her. Her eyes, filled with helplessness, turned toward Chen Xiaoming with a pleading look.
Right now, only Chen Xiaoming could help her. Otherwise, under these circumstances, she and her Brother Xiao Yan would stand no chance at all.
"Brother Chen, I believe you understand where I'm coming from," Gu Yuan said.
Chen Xiaoming nodded. While Gu Yuan's concerns weren't without reason, his perspective was limited.
If it were just an ordinary person, it would be impossible to catch up from the Dou Grandmaster level.
But Xiao Yan wasn't ordinary—he was a member of Class Two, the protagonist class!
"Of course, I understand. However, Patriarch Gu Yuan, I've already promised Xun'er. Today, she will get her wish."
Chen Xiaoming chuckled lightly. He felt the gaze from Xiao Xun'er behind him and turned slightly to give her a reassuring glance before looking back at Gu Yuan with a teasing smile.
He had no interest in playing nobleman's games with Gu Yuan. As someone who preferred to avoid hassle, Chen Xiaoming believed that if he agreed to finish something today—he would absolutely finish it today.
That way, tomorrow, he could relax!
As his words fell, the atmosphere inside the great hall instantly froze. A terrifying pressure spread out, descending heavily upon Chen Xiaoming.
"Teacher!"
Xiao Xun'er, sensing something was wrong, cried out. But the next second, Chen Xiaoming turned his head and smiled gently at her.
"No need to worry."
Turning around, Chen Xiaoming slowly stood up from his seat and faced Gu Yuan and the nine clan elders. Shaking his head slightly, he said:
"Care to place a bet?"
"Oh? What kind of bet?" Gu Yuan's eyes flashed with restrained anger.
As the Patriarch of the Gu Clan, he stepped forward, sharp gaze locked onto Chen Xiaoming's. A faint ripple emanated from within him, and the surrounding space began to distort.
"All of you come at me. If I win, then everything proceeds my way!"
Feeling the energy coursing through Gu Yuan's body, Chen Xiaoming's own blood began to surge. After immersing himself in cultivation through breathing techniques for so long, he hadn't had a proper battle in ages. Now, facing such a powerhouse as Gu Yuan, he was eager.
"And if you lose?" came the hoarse voice of an elder who had remained silent until now—a Seven-Star Dou Saint. His dim eyes flickered with interest, evidently confident in Gu Yuan's strength.
Chen Xiaoming chuckled. Lose? A walking cheat like him—lose?
"I'm not going to lose. Even if I stand still, you won't be able to win."
He shook his head. Among these people, only Gu Yuan could put a bit of pressure on him. The rest? He didn't even feel like lifting a finger.
"Arrogant fool! I'll make you understand…"
The Seven-Star Dou Saint elder erupted with fury. At his level, when had he ever been treated with such disrespect? Not even Gu Yuan dared speak like this!
Just as he was about to strike, Gu Yuan raised a hand to stop him.
"Since Brother Chen is so eager, allow me, Gu Yuan, to give it a try."
As Gu Yuan finished speaking, he and Chen Xiaoming locked eyes. With a light step, Chen Xiaoming's figure vanished, appearing high above the Gu Realm.
Ripples surged around Gu Yuan as well. In the blink of an eye, he too vanished and reappeared above the palace.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Figures shot out of the hall one after another. Xiao Xun'er and the clan elders rose into the sky, gazing at the two figures now facing off overhead.
Fwooosh…
A soft wind stirred. Though the two men hadn't yet made a move, the space behind them was already trembling. Two immense auras clashed invisibly in the heavens.
"Father… Teacher…"
Xun'er looked up at them, heart full of worry. Though she knew it was just a friendly sparring match, with powerhouses like these, a single misstep could lead to disaster.
If either of them got hurt, it would be a terrible outcome for her.
Above in the sky, Chen Xiaoming's Dou Qi surged within him. Over the past year, while little else had changed, his cultivation had soared—from a Five-Star Dou Saint to the Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint, just one step away from standing atop the Dou Qi Continent.
"Brother Chen, please."
Gu Yuan gazed at him. At that moment, the sky darkened around him, and a boundless surge of heaven and earth energy gathered behind him, connecting the heavens and the earth. From afar, it resembled an endless tidal wave of pure power.
With a thunderous stomp, the energy behind Gu Yuan roared like a stormy sea, rising into a colossal energy palm tens of thousands of feet tall. It descended directly toward Chen Xiaoming, its passage causing space itself to shudder violently.
"Perfect."
The tidal wave of energy squeezed the air around it. A gleam flashed in Chen Xiaoming's eyes. Brilliant silver light erupted from his body, condensing into his right hand with the vast might of a Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint. In a flash, he launched upward as the void cracked beneath his feet.
"Break!"
With a single punch, a silver fist-light burst forth, carrying the force of a raging ocean. Space itself couldn't withstand the force, and fine cracks began to appear.
The fist-light and the tidal palm closed in, their energies distorting the space between them.
Boom!
But the expected thunderous crash never came. Instead, there was only a muffled thud. The energy of the tidal palm churned like a storm surge…
While the silver fist-light erupted with radiant brilliance—scorching as the rising sun.
Space crumbled quietly. Veins of black space fractures hundreds of feet long spread outward, releasing waves of soul-shaking destructive power.
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