Yang Pingtian quietly sipped his tea, the discussions around him feeling like they belonged to a different world or dimension.
His expression was calm and serene, as if his heart was as still as a stagnant pool, giving the impression of a person devoid of desires.
“Pingtian, do you have any requests?” Yang Kaitai asked, looking at Yang Pingtian.
“Grandfather, do as you see fit,” Yang Pingtian replied softly. He felt that holding a celebration for breaking through to the Xiantian realm was completely unnecessary, as Xiantian realm was insignificant in the Spiritual Realm.
However, in the secular world, a Xiantian realm cultivator could indeed be considered at the peak.
Yang Kaitai felt a sense of helplessness at Yang Pingtian’s measured tone. How had the man who was once so quick to seek revenge and so free-spirited become this person who seemed to desire nothing?
Of course, perhaps it was precisely because of his unpretentious nature, focusing solely on cultivation and swordsmanship, that he had achieved his current Xiantian realm cultivation?
…
“What? Yesterday, Yang family’s third-generation prodigy, Yang Pingtian, broke through to the Xiantian realm? And a celebration will be held at the Yang family’s residence the day after tomorrow at noon?”
“Yang Pingtian, when did he become a Xiantian realm expert? He’s only around forty years old, isn’t he? His talent is incredible!”
“Yang Pingtian has been keeping a low profile all these years, and suddenly he’s become Xiantian realm?”
“Won’t the Yang family now tower over our families?”
“Who says not? We were all families on the same level, with one or two Venerable Martial realm experts. But now, the Yang family has taken the lead with a Xiantian realm expert, and the gap between us has widened!”
“A family with a Xiantian realm expert might even gain the favor of some cultivation families in the Spiritual Realm!”
“That’s debatable. Even the weakest cultivation families in the Spiritual Realm have Xiantian realm experts and have existed for countless years. They are bound to have married into many cultivation families, which is incomparable to our secular cultivation families. Even with a Xiantian realm expert, the Yang family would merely be a bottom-tier family in the Spiritual Realm.”
“Regardless, the Yang family is insignificant in the Spiritual Realm, merely cannon fodder. But in the secular world, they are truly a top-tier cultivation family! We must attend their celebration and prepare generous gifts to avoid any trouble from the Yang family!”
“Indeed!”
At the same time.
The Xiao family also received the news, and they received more information than the cultivation families with Venerable Martial realm experts.
In the Xiao family’s conference room, representatives from the elder, middle-aged, younger, and youngest generations of the Xiao family were present. However, the atmosphere in the conference room was somber.
“Yang Pingtian, the third-generation descendant of the Yang family, has broken through to the Xiantian realm. Everyone, speak your minds!” Xiao Xuhong, the Old Ancestor of the Xiao family, said gravely.
Normally, he would be in seclusion for cultivation, but upon hearing the news of Yang family’s breakthrough to the Xiantian realm, he naturally had no inclination to continue his seclusion.
“Now that the Yang family has a Xiantian realm expert, we’ll simply send our congratulations,” a middle-aged man from the third generation said.
“Even if our Xiao family was weaker than the Yang family before, the difference was limited. But now that the Yang family has a Xiantian realm expert, their overall strength is far superior to ours. Does anyone think the gap between peak Venerable Martial realm and Xiantian realm experts is not significant?”
“Does the Yang family dare to annihilate our Xiao family? We don’t have any enmity with them!”
“Enmity? It’s not as if there’s none. Have you forgotten that Jingwen was diagnosed with the Moon Spirit Physique a few days ago? The Yang family came to propose marriage, and not just to any young master, but to the foremost genius of the Yang family’s younger generation. Yet, we refused!”
At this, everyone fell silent.
After a long pause, one person spoke up, “At that time, our reason was that Jingwen had a boyfriend. In fact, Jingwen does have a boyfriend, but our plan was to have her break up with him. Because no matter how outstanding that man is, he doesn’t deserve Jingwen. Jingwen has also taken a liking to cultivation now. Why would we recruit a good son-in-law and foolishly choose to marry Jingwen away? If we do that, wouldn’t we lose both the wife and the soldiers? It would be better to marry Jingwen into the Yang family.”
“Who could have predicted that the Yang family would produce a Xiantian realm expert so quickly! Otherwise, we shouldn’t have refused back then!”
“It’s not too late. The Yang family has also specifically mentioned to our people that they want to form a marriage alliance with our family. Refusing before was nothing, but refusing again now would truly offend the Yang family completely. Will the Yang family cause trouble? Once they cause trouble, then our Yang family…”
This person did not finish, but the outcome was clear to everyone, the consequences were unimaginable.
Once the Yang family targeted their Xiao family, the Xiao family would find it difficult to move an inch. Moreover, if the Yang family felt their honor was slighted and eliminated their top combatants, the Yang family would quickly be pushed out of the ranks of top cultivation families!
“Tengfei, what are your thoughts? Jingwen is your daughter.” At this moment, Xiao Xuhong looked at his own grandson, Xiao Tengfei, and asked.
Xiao Tengfei, who was also Xiao Jingwen’s father and the current patriarch of the Xiao family, was not weak in cultivation. He was one of the two Venerable Martial realm experts in the Xiao family, with an early-stage Venerable Martial realm cultivation.
He was a few years older than Yang Pingtian. At forty-seven years old, an early-stage Venerable Martial realm cultivation was considered not bad. However, compared to Yang Pingtian, the difference was as vast as the heavens and earth. Yang Pingtian was six or seven years younger, yet he was already a Xiantian realm cultivator!
Xiao Tengfei doted on his only daughter, treating her as his most prized possession. Therefore, he had never interfered with her romantic choices.
She could do as she pleased!
However, now, as the head of the family, he had to go against his daughter’s wishes, which made him feel extremely stifled and distressed!
Yes, although he doted on his daughter and considered her his treasured pearl, he also leaned towards marrying her off to the Yang family. After all, she wouldn’t be marrying just any young master from the Yang family, but Yang Qingyun, the most outstanding disciple of the Yang family’s younger generation.
“I won’t marry! I’d rather die than marry Yang Qingyun!” At this moment, the door to the conference room was suddenly pushed open, and a woman with tears streaming down her face, yelled in anger.
“Jingwen.”
Everyone looked at Xiao Jingwen standing at the door, and their expressions changed.
No one had expected Xiao Jingwen to be eavesdropping outside.
“Jingwen, this matter…” Seeing his daughter’s sorrowful, angry, and resolute expression, Xiao Tengfei, the doting father, felt as if his heart was being cut with a knife. He stammered, “Your father doesn’t want this either, but…”
“There are no ‘buts.’ You just don’t love me anymore, that’s why you’re marrying me off for an alliance. You’re marrying off a girl for an alliance, where is your dignity?” Xiao Jingwen gritted her teeth, her words like a dagger piercing Xiao Tengfei’s heart.
It also made the faces of the others look very unpleasant.
Xiao Jingwen’s lawless disposition was not solely due to Xiao Tengfei’s indulgence; almost everyone doted on this spirited, and incredibly beautiful girl. However, ever since they learned how extraordinary her physique was, they seemed to have stopped considering her opinions and feelings.
“Moreover, what Yang Qingyun? Compared to the man I’ve found, he’s nothing but trash!” Xiao Jingwen gritted her teeth. “My man is ten times, a hundred times more outstanding than him!”
Regarding Xiao Jingwen’s words, everyone dismissed them as an outburst of anger.