Episode 14: Sworn Enemies Meet Their Match

  A few days ago, he was cultivating at home and didn't go out. Duan Yue still didn't know that outside, because of his promotion to the Xiantian realm, it was making a big fuss. He calculated in his heart that now he also had some strength, it was time to use these to earn some money, improve the family's life, and let his mother not suffer so much.

  Gently pushing open the courtyard door, what enters one's line of sight is an extremely large manor. Although this is only a distant branch of the Duan family, the Duan family's power is robust, and even its branches are not ordinary. Even in a small city like Blackstone City, there is a high-ranking warrior who has reached the tenth layer of post-heavenly cultivation as the general manager guarding it.

  "Hey, isn't this the legitimate 'Duan Yue Duan Da Young Master' from our Duan family's headquarters in Nanyue City?"

  At this moment, a yin-yang tone with a hint of surprise sounded in his ear. Subconsciously, Duan Yue furrowed his brow and turned his head, the sharp light in his eyes flashing by and disappearing into the depths of his pupils. His gaze swept over to the front, where on the road not far away, there were about ten or so servants dressed in green robes and hats, staring at him with a look of astonishment, as if they found his appearance extremely surprising.

  "It's been a whole month, right? Haha... I said 'Master Duan', you're so heavily injured but still not dead. Honestly, your life is really tough enough!"

  "I really didn't expect him to still have the face to come out and lose face? I truly admire!"

  "If I were him, being expelled from the family's direct line of descent, having someone come to break off the engagement, and having my martial arts skills abolished, I'd rather die by smashing my head against something!"

  Not far away, a wave of sarcastic comments spread through the crowd of attendants, making a loud noise. Although it was unclear due to the distance, every sentence felt like a knife slashing at Duan Yue's heart. Clenching his fists tightly, a fierce killing intent suddenly burst forth in Duan Yue's eyes. At this moment, he really had an urge to kill someone!

  However, he understood that now was not the best time to reveal his true strength. To reclaim what he had lost, he would have to wait until the Family Trial Competition in a year's time. The power dynamics within the Duan family were complex and multifaceted, with unclear divisions between different factions, even in the memories of the tragic hero. If he suddenly revealed his full strength, it would inevitably cause a huge stir. A tree that stands out in the forest will be uprooted by the wind, and Duan Yue did not want to become a lightning rod for attention.

  "It's just a pack of mad dogs barking, why bother reasoning with them?" Duan Yue muttered to himself, casting a calm glance at those guys, the killing intent in his eyes disappearing without a trace. He let out a cold snort and turned to leave immediately. However, although he had already left, the piercing jeers behind him seemed to have not dissipated with his departure, still echoing clearly, as if right beside his ears.

  Unfortunately, some things are always at odds with one's wishes. Duan Yue suppressed the impulse deep within his heart, not wanting to stir up trouble, but it still fell from the sky and landed right on his head.

  "Hey! Isn't this the number one genius of our family's direct line? How come you don't even greet us when we meet?" Just then, several figures appeared in front of Duan Yue.

  "Duan Heng, is that you? What do you want?" Looking at the figures blocking his way, Duan Yue furrowed his brow.

  Duan Heng, the only son of Duan Shi's branch family vice president in Blackstone City, although not a core member of the Duan family, possesses extraordinary strength comparable to that of the family's direct descendants. At just 16 years old, like Duan Yue, he already has the power of the sixth layer of acquired realm and has become one of the three candidates for the family's direct line. As long as his cultivation advances further and reaches the seventh layer of acquired realm, he can formally become a member of the Duan family's direct line and enter the family's true management level, becoming a key figure in the family!

  When Duan Yue was still a tragic man, when the tragic man was still the first genius of the family's orthodox school, that year at the annual meeting, he accidentally broke through Duan Heng's arrogant and domineering scheme, and with great momentum, he gave him a good scolding. However, unexpectedly, the next year the tragic man failed to break through to the post-heavenly realm, causing his cultivation to remain stuck at the peak of the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage, unable to make any further breakthroughs. Although Duan Yue's diligent cultivation never ceased for a moment, unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much effort he put in, he was still unable to break through to the post-heavenly realm.

  As the saying goes, a dragon playing in shallow waters will be teased by shrimps, and a tiger falling on flat ground will be bullied by dogs. The former tragic hero, as the first genius of the family's direct line, was once so mighty! However, when his cultivation stagnated and he was gradually surpassed by others, those who were once suppressed by him changed their humble attitude towards him, ridiculing and humiliating him in every way. And Duan Heng, undoubtedly one of the most active among them, has never stopped humiliating the tragic hero since his own cultivation surpassed that of the latter. Every year at the annual meeting, when he comes to Nanyue City, he continues to mock the tragic hero without restraint.

  "Haha, what's with the attitude? I didn't think much of it, just came to take a look at our Duan family's first great genius. Haha... everyone take a good look! This is our Duan family's first great genius, who completed his foundation cultivation in over a year, but has made no progress in over ten years, unable to condense true energy, and now has been expelled from the family's main line." Pointing at Duan Yue, Duan Heng loudly said to the people beside him, with a playful expression on his face.

  As soon as the words came out, those people's eyes lit up instantly, and their gazes gathered over, curiously looking at the young man, as if they were looking at a rare treasure.

  Looking coldly at the people around him with sarcastic eyes, Duan Yue's eyes were like blades, firm and determined. His heart suddenly shook violently, as if he had already gotten used to such gazes, as if he had also gotten used to such scenes. He didn't care about others' opinions. In his tragic memories, how much ridicule and mockery had he suffered over the years? He couldn't remember anymore. From the moment his family's top expert determined that he would never be able to condense true energy and break through to the post-heavenly realm, he had been living in their shadow.

  But now all of that is in the past, the original Tragic Hero has ascended to heaven, and now Duan Yu has taken his place, grasping the power of summoning space, and has already broken through to the Xiantian realm. To say nothing of a mere Post-Heaven sixth layer like Duan Heng, even his father Duan Jinbei, who had reached the Post-Heaven ninth layer and was the deputy leader of the branch sect, is not worth mentioning in Duan Yu's eyes. If he wanted to take action, just using one little finger would be enough to crush them to death.

  Doing so would certainly allow him to vent his emotions and feel relieved, but Duan Yue understood that this was not the best time for him to show off his skills. So he had to endure it for now, and soon he would be able to shake off the title of "useless person". Thinking this way, Duan Yue's heart gradually calmed down, ignoring Duan Heng's shouting as he continued walking forward.

  "Hey... what's the rush, let's take a good look, my friends have been wanting to see you for a long time, haha... come on, introduce yourself, how did you cultivate, ten years of being stuck in the same place, you're quite talented!" Duan Heng laughed loudly as he pulled back Duan Yue who was trying to squeeze out.

  "Get out of the way!" The voice was tinged with a hint of indifference, three parts coldness, as Duan Yue harshly shook off Duan Heng's hand. A killing aura began to condense around him, although it was intangible and invisible, but it made his expression appear extremely ferocious.

  "What? Still not convinced? If you have any opinions, speak out directly!" Having his hand flung off by Duan Yue, Duan Heng also had a hint of anger, his face instantly turning cold. He raised Duan Yue's head with his hand, and asked indifferently.

  The scene froze for a moment, the atmosphere was suffocating, and the change in the situation here also attracted the attention of other servants and outer disciples of the Duan family in the Zhī Jiāng Manor. Unbeknownst to them, about a hundred people had gathered around.

  The crowd was abuzz with whispers, looking at Duan Yue surrounded in the middle. Soon, they recognized his identity. Seeing that the people surrounding him were Duan Heng, the whispering voices came again, and the eyes looking at Duan Yue changed from mockery to some sympathy. In the past, Duan Yue would suffer humiliation from Duan Heng even in Nan Yue City, let alone these ordinary disciples who had always been in the Zhi Mai family. But due to their strength, they could only dare to be angry but not speak out against Duan Heng's tyranny!

  One of the three main candidates for the Duan family's direct line, not someone that ordinary branch members like them can afford to offend. Looking at Duan Yue, he could only silently sigh, knowing that today he was out of luck.

  "Let go!" He roughly pushed away Duan Heng's hand, Duan Yue's voice was low and his heart was already suppressing the turmoil within him. The tragic memories of the male lead had an immense impact on his personality.

  He glared at Duan Heng, his eyes filled with a fierce light. As for this guy's increasingly overbearing behavior, Duan Yue had already harbored murderous intentions. To be honest, he really wanted to slap this arrogant guy to death with one palm!

  "Good... very good! I see you've eaten leopard's gall today, huh? Dare to go against me?" Seeing Duan Yue actually dare to resist, Duan Heng was furious and laughed instead. In front of so many people, being resisted by a publicly recognized waste, this made him feel that he had lost all face. His face turned savage as he stared at Duan Yue, clenching his fist and preparing to strike out.

  Watching the fist quickly approaching him, a hint of ferocity flashed in Duan Yue's eyes, and he raised his hand to prepare for a counterattack.

  For a moment, the atmosphere reached a boiling point, and everyone's eyes widened in shock. Some looked at Duan Yue with incredulity, he actually wanted to counterattack, and dared to oppose Duan Heng.

  "Duan Heng, what are you doing!"

  The villain finally makes an appearance! Brothers, in order to make it more enjoyable, Chi Hong has no choice but to ask for clicks again. If you like this book, you can join group 244131267 or group 245806487 and verify with a screenshot of your vote!