Chapter 13: Confidence

“Neither Bai Zhentian nor the woman in the portrait has appeared since.”

Xiao Li slowly opened his eyes, casting a cold gaze.

The Elder wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his face filled with terror, and quickly relayed some news: “However, it is rumored within the city that Bai Ling issued a severance letter with bloodstains yesterday, divorcing Ji Jiu’er! He has also challenged Ji Jiu’er for tomorrow. Ji Jiu’er, just a few days ago, pledged herself as the closed-door disciple of the current Grandmaster of Shengyuan Immortal Palace! Ji Kun and Bai Zhentian have a close relationship, and it seems that the annulment of the engagement by the Ji family was a decision made solely by Ji Jiu’er and her mother; Ji Kun himself did not agree.”

“This matter is known throughout Liuyue City, spreading like wildfire. Even if I had a thousand guts, I wouldn’t dare to lie. Otherwise… tomorrow, why not invite the three of them to the Ji family for a sit-down?” The Elder, knowing the clan now possessed power equal to Ji Kun’s, grew bolder in his thinking.

Xiao Li’s pupils contracted as he whispered to himself, “The current Grandmaster’s closed-door disciple of Shengyuan Immortal Palace, huh? Then his fellow disciples must also be in Liuyue City!” He gently caressed the spatial ring on his left middle finger with his right hand, a joyous smile spreading across his face.

The Elder shuddered violently upon seeing this smile and instinctively took three steps back. In his memory, Xiao Li was merely a puppet pushed forward by six elders to better control the clan, someone obedient and manageable.

Three years ago, Xiao Li’s father, Xiao Hong, was directly killed by the combined efforts of Ji Kun and Bai Zhentian. At that time, Xiao Li was only at the tenth level of the Initial Origin Realm. After ascending to clan leader, he claimed his cultivation was too weak and went out alone to gain experience…

One year later, upon his return, the strength Xiao Li displayed shocked everyone in the Xiao family. Within two years, he soared to the peak tenth level of the Spiritual Origin Realm. Five fellow elders, each at ninth level Spiritual Origin, were killed instantly by him with a single soul-striking move, leaving him the sole survivor. Even now, he cannot fathom why they spared his life, forcing him to live in constant fear.

The other five elders were once close clan members of Xiao Li.

Looking at the terrified Elder, Xiao Li smiled and said, “The Li family and Ye family also harbor deep hatred for Ji Kun. I’m quite looking forward to seeing who will come out on top! Heh heh…”

The Elder frowned deeply, a look of confusion in his eyes.

Then Xiao Li’s voice whispered close to the Elder’s ear: “Tomorrow, I will go personally. You will represent the Xiao family and bring generous gifts. Whoever wins, the gifts shall be theirs!”

The Elder’s thoughts scrambled as he asked, “Isn’t the plan to avenge Yun’er and kill Bai Ling? If he wins, why offer gifts?”

Xiao Li slowly closed his eyes and replied, “The gifts will be sent after I personally visit to offer thanks.”

The Elder stood rooted to the spot, his heart trembling fiercely. At this moment, Xiao Li’s presence in his mind was magnified infinitely…

…

Three days later, morning sunlight bathed the world in brilliance.

Bai Ling punched a hundred-kilogram boulder, and the tremendous rebound sent numbness through his arm.

Suddenly, a thunderous sound echoed inside him!

The drop of crimson blood hidden near his heart exploded, flowing into his heart and coursing through the meridians of his entire body.

Boom!

He swung his fist again with great force, and the hundred-kilogram boulder instantly shattered into fragments.

Indeed… extraordinary!

Bai Ling casually tossed six sandbags off his back and sat down to sense his entire body.

Moments later, a joyful smile spread across Bai Ling’s face.

His excitement was palpable!

The awakening of his bloodline did not rely on Bai Zhentian’s efforts but rather on the mysterious drop of blood suspended within the seven-colored glazed coffin inside the pendant’s secret space.

He had discovered three days ago that this mysterious blood, although integrated into his body, was secretly stored beside his heart, only dispersing a sparse drop that flowed into his heart.

That alone had propelled him to the first level of the Initial Origin Realm.

Hence, he resorted to a crude method—a grueling, merciless training—to make his heart beat violently, attempting to sense that drop of blood.

After three arduous days, the crimson blood fully merged with his heart and spread throughout his body.

“Strange, why hasn’t my realm advanced? I’m still at the first level of the Initial Origin Realm,” Bai Ling pondered.

Could it be that it only serves to awaken the bloodline?

But just now, one punch shattered a boulder weighing several hundred kilograms.

The power released far exceeded the limit expected of a first-level Initial Origin cultivator.

Could it be that this drop of blood strengthens power rather than elevating cultivation?

Bai Ling’s expression grew even more excited as he looked at the thousand-ton boulder beside him.

He stepped back three paces, leapt up, and threw a punch!

Crack!

The boulder did not explode but was covered in cracks.

“This punch should exceed the strength that a first-level Initial Origin cultivator can unleash,” Bai Ling murmured.

Having just awakened three days ago, Bai Ling was still unclear about the true strength limits of cultivators at the Initial Origin Realm.

But he was certain that this mysterious crimson blood was far more than a mere power enhancer…

His vision flickered, and his consciousness entered the pendant’s secret space. He quietly approached the seven-colored glazed coffin, where the mysterious girl still lay in deep slumber. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest proved she was still alive.

Who are you?

Why do you lie here…

With deep questions in his heart, Bai Ling stared blankly for an hour before exiting the secret space.

He smiled softly, slowly gazing toward the Liuyue City Lord’s Mansion and whispered, “Ji Jiu’er, I’m coming…”

At the foot of the mountain, Bai Ling looked at Bai Zhentian and Xuan Ningyue, a confident smile on his face.

Departure!

As the three entered Liuyue City, several exclamations erupted.

“Bai Ling disappeared for three days. I thought he’d become a coward, but unexpectedly… he really challenged Ji Jiu’er. Hiss… he even went straight to the Lord’s Mansion!!!”

“I think he must have lost his mind. Wait, he actually awakened to the first level of Initial Origin Realm!”

“Heh, so what if he’s first level Initial Origin? I heard Ji Jiu’er is peak tenth level Spiritual Origin Realm. He’s just asking for trouble!”

“If I were Ji Jiu’er, would I even look at Bai Ling?”

“I heard Ji Jiu’er descends from a powerful lineage thousands of years old, a disciple of the current Grandmaster of Shengyuan Immortal Palace, while Bai Ling is just Bai Zhentian’s nephew. In terms of status, power, and background, he’s totally outmatched by Ji Jiu’er!!!”

“What?! Shengyuan Immortal Palace! Isn’t that an even greater power than the Luoxuan Empire?”

“Then what’s the point of Bai Ling’s challenge? He should just bow and admit defeat! Hahaha…”

…

Three days earlier.

In the eyes of the people of Liuyue City, Ji Jiu’er was a peerless beauty with an exquisite figure, the daughter of the city lord Ji Kun. She was also a disciple of the Shengyuan Immortal Palace, a terrifyingly powerful background, and Bai Ling’s fiancée, which made countless men in Liuyue City resent Bai Ling to the core.

The day before yesterday, news spread that Bai Ling had been broken off with, causing countless men to laugh mockingly toward the heavens.

Many young talents even prepared lavish gifts through their families to propose marriage, only for the news to soon follow that Bai Ling had sent a severance letter dripping with blood, directly divorcing Ji Jiu’er.

Bai Ling also issued a bold declaration that from now on, he would rely on himself alone to become the strongest in the world, looking down on all, and even if the most top-tier powers extended olive branches to him, he might not even glance their way!

Such shocking arrogance caused countless people in Liuyue City to despise him, curse him bitterly, and some even secretly rubbed their hands, searching the city for Bai Ling’s figure to challenge him openly on the streets.