In the Blood Battle Group's rugged territory, the air was thick with dust and the scent of freshly unearthed minerals. The sound of pickaxes clashing against rock echoed through the mining site, where dozens of cultivators toiled, their clothes soaked in sweat.
Nie Yong stepped behind the Hu sisters, hands in his pockets, not giving one care to anyone here.
"Grandpa Long!" Hu Mei'er chirped as they entered the main cavern, waving her hand excitedly at a tall, broad-shouldered old man with a white beard and sharp eyes.
Long Zai Tian, Vice Head of the Blood Battle Group, looked up from a set of jade slips and gave a warm chuckle. "Oh, hi, little Mei'er. A little girl like you shouldn't come to a dirty place like this. Why are you here?" His voice was gruff but carried a note of fondness. He stroked his beard with one hand, his other still clasping a scroll.
Then his sharp gaze slid to the other sister, and his tone subtly shifted. "Oh, Miss Jiao'er. You're here as well."
Unlike her bubbly sister, Hu Jiao'er gave a polite nod, her expression calm and composed. Though they were twins, the two could not be more different in temperament. Hu Jiao'er was the pride of the Blood Battle Gang, a true prodigy already standing shoulder to shoulder with High Heaven Pavilion's icy genius, Su Yan.
Hu Mei'er, while less respected for her cultivation, was no less talented. Most knew she had simply never taken it seriously. Even so, she was already at the Initial Element Stage without real effort — a silent threat that few dared underestimate.
"We're here because this young man needs some Yang Seeds," Hu Jiao'er explained, keeping her tone neutral. She had no intention of revealing their recent entanglement with Nie Yong, not here of all places.
Long Zai Tian stroked his beard again, his expression thoughtful. "Yang Seeds, hm? That's not something we can sell to an outsider—"
"Yes, our husband needs Yang Seeds!" Hu Mei'er declared proudly, stepping beside Nie Yong and grabbing his arm.
Hu Jiao'er stiffened. "Mei'er—!"
"H-H-Husband?!" Long Zai Tian's face turned bright red. The scroll dropped from his hands as his beard trembled with outrage. "Whose husband?! This brat?!"
Every miner in the vicinity paused. Heads turned. Pickaxes stopped mid-swing. Even the beasts used to transport minerals looked up.
Hu Mei'er beamed. "Yes! He's our man now. We accepted him as our husband."
"Our?!"
"Of both of you?!"
The shocked cry rippled through the mine as cultivators whispered in disbelief. Long Zai Tian's jaw dropped further, his face contorting in both shock and fury.
A pounding headache bloomed behind Hu Jiao'er's temples. This was exactly what she had wanted to avoid. She glared at her sister, who smiled innocently, still clinging to Nie Yong's arm.
"This… this is unacceptable!!!" Long Zai Tian roared, veins bulging on his forehead as his Qi erupted in a wave of violent pressure. Without warning, he shot forward, fist cocked back with killing intent. He wasn't holding back — that blow could pulverize boulders, and he was aiming it straight at Nie Yong's chest.
"Grandpa Long! Stop it!" Hu Mei'er shouted, panic in her voice.
"Vice Head Long, you're exaggerating now!" Even Hu Jiao'er called out, stepping forward, her voice sharp and commanding — but it was too late. Long Zai Tian wasn't listening. He couldn't listen. Rage burned in his eyes. This brat dared to take both of the Sect Master's daughters? What would happen to the Blood Battle Group's future?! His own sons were supposed to marry them. It was his plan for years — to take charge of the Blood Battle Group.
And now this outsider ruined everything!
But just as the punch was about to connect—
"Phantom Gale Wrath Arts: Phantom Breeze Step."
Nie Yong's calm voice whispered like wind through reeds. His body blurred, vanishing in a swirl of eerie, translucent wind.
Whoosh!
Long Zai Tian's fist hit nothing but air. His eyes widened as he stumbled a step forward, stunned. The boy had been right there — so how could he disappear?
"I'm here, old fart," Nie Yong's voice came from behind him, cool and mocking.
The older man spun, fury reigniting. "You bastard! What trick did you use?!"
Nie Yong stood a few meters away, looking completely calm, though in truth, his insides were churning. That one move had burned through nearly all of his Qi. In a direct confrontation, he'd be crushed in a heartbeat — Long Zai Tian was an Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator, the strongest in this small world. But this wasn't about winning a fight. This was about making a statement.
He smiled, eyes gleaming with mischief and confidence.
He wasn't afraid.
Not because he could win, but because of Heaven's Luck — the trait he inherited from Yang Kai himself. A divine protection of fate. No matter what, he would find a way to survive. Basically... plot armor.
Long Zai Tian caught sight of him and dashed forward again, faster than before, killing intent surging.
The disciples around them gasped, frozen in awe and fear. No one dared interfere.
Nie Yong didn't move. He was out of energy. But he kept smiling.
"Stop it, Long Zai Tian."
The voice came like thunder rolling through the mining site.
Long Zai Tian stopped mid-step, his foot hovering in the air before he slowly dropped it to the ground. His Qi receded slightly as he turned toward the voice, his brows furrowed.
Nie Yong's smirk widened. He knew it. Plot armor was the ultimate weapon.
A tall figure stepped on the mining site, the sunrays projecting on his face, his presence like a looming mountain.
The disciples bowed instantly, recognizing the man.
"Sect Master Hu Man…" someone whispered in awe.
"Long Zai Tian..." Hu Man began, his voice both teasing and imposing, "Getting humiliated by a brat like this? Are you sure you're the Vice Head of my sect?"
To be continued...
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