"Yulang, my dear nephew, Ao'Er doesn't know any better. You're the bigger person, please don't stoop to his level."
Long Haoshi was utterly stunned. Even now, he couldn't believe why his grandson would challenge Long Yulang out of the blue.
An Innate Martial Artist.
Long Yulang was a true Innate Martial Artist. In one year, no matter how fast Long Ao's Cultivation was, it would be impossible for him to reach the Innate Realm. Once they fought their life-and-death battle, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
But things had already come to this. There was no way Long Yulang was going to just let it go. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "As for the Innate Beast Pill, I investigated it last night. It truly had nothing to do with you. However, I have no intention of backing out of my one-year agreement with Long Ao. Farewell."
As Long Yulang stood to leave, he let out a smug laugh.
"In one year, I will show you the difference between a man and an ant! Hahaha!" With another wild laugh, Long Yulang strode out of the main hall and quickly departed.
"Seventh Brother, you were far too reckless this time."
Long Ying's expression was grim. As the foremost member of the Long Family's third generation, his strength was undeniable. But even he wouldn't dare challenge Long Yulang.
On the Celestial Martial Continent, might was revered, and the hierarchy of power was rigid. Challenging someone from a higher level was considered almost impossible.
Everyone knew what Postnatal and Innate Martial Artists represented. In the eyes of an Innate Martial Artist, a Postnatal Martial Artist was nothing but a joke. In all of history, there had never been a single instance of a Postnatal Martial Artist defeating an Innate one.
For this very reason, no one thought Long Ao stood a chance against Long Yulang. They all believed he was courting death.
"I know what I'm doing."
"Ao'Er, I don't know what happened between you and Long Yulang last night, but let your grandfather tell you one thing: a Postnatal Martial Artist can never defeat an Innate Martial Artist. That is an immutable truth that no one can break."
"Is that so?"
Seeing Long Ao so stubbornly insistent on his reckless course, everyone laughed in exasperation. He was truly overestimating himself.
Long Haoshi understood his grandson's personality better than anyone. This was a young man who had persevered for ten years, toiling away despite endless humiliation, never once giving up. Once he made up his mind, it was nearly impossible for anyone to change it.
"Have you really thought this through?"
"Yes, Grandfather. I've made my decision. No matter what, I will keep our appointment one year from now. And in that life-and-death battle, I will defeat Long Yulang."
"Alright. Since you are my grandson, Long Haoshi's grandson, then I have no choice but to support you."
"Grandfather."
Waving his hand to stop Long Ying, who looked like he was about to speak, Long Haoshi continued, "From this day forward, for one year, the family will pour all of its resources into your training. Whatever you need, just tell your Second Uncle. This is all the family can do for you."
"Thank you, Grandfather."
Long Ao knew his grandfather and the family had already gone above and beyond for him. After all, their opponent was the Sixth Level Long Family from Thundercloud City.
After leaving the main hall, Long Ao returned directly to his private courtyard. Just then, Long Fu's voice sounded.
"Master, I have already refined the Innate Beast Pill you gave me into pure energy and infused it into your body. You may begin your Cultivation."
Nodding, Long Ao didn't hesitate. He immediately sat down on the floor and began to cultivate, drawing on the power from the Innate Beast Pill. Undeniably, the energy refined from the Innate Beast Pill was immense, and fusing with it was quite difficult.
Normally, if a Postnatal Martial Artist tried to forcibly absorb an Innate Beast Pill, there would only be one outcome: their body would explode, killing them instantly.
But his situation was different. With Long Fu's help refining it within the Dragon Seal Space, the Innate Beast Pill was processed by the Blood Pool into the purest form of energy.
This was why Long Ao was confident he could defeat Long Yulang in their life-and-death battle one year from now. 'So what if he's an Innate Martial Artist?'
News of Long Ao's challenge to Long Yulang spread through the Long Family in the blink of an eye. In less than an hour, it had reached every corner of Red Fire Town. Everyone who heard about it assumed that Long Ao could no longer bear the years of humiliation and his reputation as a good-for-nothing and was simply trying to get himself killed.
Long Yulang was a genius from a Sixth Level Clan in Thundercloud City who had reached the Innate Realm at a tender age. In a place like Red Fire Town, he was an existence at the absolute peak. Even the strongest experts of the Four Great Clans couldn't be mentioned in the same breath as him.
For a time, the hottest topic in all of Red Fire Town was the duel between the Long Family's good-for-nothing and the genius from Thundercloud City's Sixth Level Long Family, Long Yulang.
The Long Family remained silent amidst the town's gossip. However, rumors began to circulate that ever since Long Ao issued his challenge, the family had started pouring resources into his training, hoping he could defeat Long Yulang in one fell swoop a year from now.
A joke. In the eyes of everyone in Red Fire Town, the Long Family's efforts were nothing more than a joke.
A Postnatal Martial Artist defeating an Innate Martial Artist?
A good-for-nothing defeating a genius?
Was that even possible?
Not a single person in all of Red Fire Town believed in Long Ao. Some had even started taking bets with 100-to-1 odds against him, wagering that Long Ao would not only lose but be beaten to death by Long Yulang.
In the face of all this, both the Long Family and Long Ao himself chose to remain silent.
「Within a dilapidated courtyard of the Long Family.」
"Profound Celestial Finger, First Finger."
Long Ao leaped into the air. With a single, mid-air point of his finger, a stream of white energy shot out. It passed straight through a giant boulder in front of him. Without a sound, a small hole appeared in the rock.
Landing on the ground, Long Ao stared at the small hole in the boulder, his heart filled with delight. 'The Celestial Profound Finger is truly powerful,' he thought to himself.
The Celestial Profound Finger was a Martial Art that Long Ao had comprehended from the Celestial Profound Nine Transformations. After a full night of Cultivation, he was finally able to execute its first move. Its power was far greater than that of his Heart-Locking Palm.
The Celestial Profound Finger consisted of nine "fingers," each more powerful than the last. Long Ao grew excited just thinking about it. 'I wonder how powerful the ninth finger will be,' he mused.
He didn't continue his Cultivation. Instead, Long Ao left the family estate and headed for the marketplace. As per their agreement, he was meeting Wang Yuyin today to practice the Wang Family's Martial Art, the Great Compassion Hand.
Since accepting Wang Yuyin, Long Ao had grown to truly appreciate the innocent girl. Before long, he arrived at a relatively secluded courtyard house in the market district.
It had been Wang Yuyin's idea to meet here. She didn't want anyone to know that he was also practicing the Wang Family's Martial Arts. After all, such techniques were of the utmost importance to a family, and even a son-in-law wasn't supposed to learn them.
KNOCK KNOCK.
Hearing the knocking, Wang Yuyin opened the door. Seeing the young man standing before her, she said with delight, "Hurry, come in! I have good news for you."