In the evening, in the meeting hall of the Lu family's residence in the eastern suburbs of Yunxi City.
Lu Zhaoyuan, the head of the Lu family, who was nearly fifty years old and had a cultivation base at the peak of the neutralizing Jin realm, sat on the main seat of the hall with a dignified expression. The eight neutralizing Jin elders sat on the left and right according to their strength and status in the family.
On the main seat, Lu Zhaoyuan's gaze darkened. He looked at the elder who was ranked first in the hall and said awkwardly,"Great Elder, why did you call for an emergency family meeting?”
Wherever there were people, there would be conflicts and factions. Martial arts aristocratic families were no exception.
The Lu Family was roughly divided into three factions. The Old Family Faction led by the Supreme Family Head Lu Wutao, the Family Head Faction led by the Family Head Lu Zhaoyuan, and the Elder Faction led by the Great Elder Lu Zhaonan.
The clan elders were detached from the world and devoted themselves to cultivation. They rarely interfered with the clan's affairs.
The Clan Head Faction and the Elders Faction were in charge of the internal and external affairs of the clan. Because of their political differences, there were deep contradictions and disputes from time to time.
First Elder stood up slowly and bowed to Lu Zhaoyuan, who was sitting on the main seat.""Reporting to the family head, the position of the young family head has been vacant for a long time. The hearts of the people are moved and will definitely shake the foundation of the family. As the Great Elder, for the rise and fall of the family, I have the obligation to supervise the family head and determine the young family head candidate as soon as possible.”
Lu Zhaoyuan's face was filled with displeasure as he brought up the past. He said in a dignified tone,"Among the younger generation of the Lu Clan, Qingcheng is undoubtedly number one in terms of martial talent and comprehension. The Grand Supreme Clan Leader once said that Qingcheng is a rare martial genius that only appears once in a hundred years in the Lu Clan. She has the chance to break through to the Extreme Jin Realm before the age of thirty.”
Lu Qingcheng was the proud daughter of the Lu Clan. She had successfully broken through to the early stage of the HuaJin realm at the age of 15. She was currently 17 years old and was currently studying martial arts at the Canglan Martial Arts Academy. She had a high chance of breaking through to the intermediate stage of the HuaJin realm before the age of 18. Such a young grandmaster martial artist was rare even in the entire Jiangnan Province. She could be said to be extremely talented, and her future could only be described as limitless.
More importantly, Lu Qingcheng was Lu Zhaoyuan's only daughter. For both public and private reasons, Lu Zhaoyuan wanted to pass the position of the young master to her so that she could inherit his position in the future.
He had originally planned to wait until his daughter had broken through to the middle stage of the Huajing realm before applying to the Grand Master and the clan elders. That was why the position of Young Master had been vacant.
However, the elders in the clan were pressing on step by step, to the point where they could not afford to delay.
As soon as he said this, more than half of the elders 'faces immediately darkened, especially the First Elder. His face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
A few elders who were deeply dissatisfied with this proposal cast their gazes at the Great Elder one after another, secretly signaling him with their eyes, hoping that he would stand up and take charge of the overall situation.
The Great Elder understood and thought about his words before retorting,"Although Qingcheng's talent in martial arts is outstanding, she's still a girl after all. In the future, she'll have to marry someone else and definitely isn't the best candidate for the position of the young clan head.”
"Great Elder is right. The Lu Clan of Yunxi has existed for more than 300 years. The position of the Young Clan Head has always been inherited by a male without exception.”The Second Elder was the first to agree.
"If the position of the young master is given to a woman, it will definitely attract the ridicule of the martial arts world. Our Lu family can't afford to lose this face.”Immediately after, the Third Elder also seconded.
The other elders in the elders 'seats also expressed their opinions one after another. Even the elders of the family head faction who had always supported Lu Zhaoyuan also made their stand clear. They opposed Lu Qingcheng as the young family head.
Since ancient times, there had been a tradition of men being superior to women in the martial arts world of Huaxia. This was the case for the top families in the country, and the Lu family, the number one martial arts family in Yunxi City, was no exception.
The reason why such a custom was formed was that martial arts had extremely high requirements for the physique of the cultivator. Most men were inherently superior to women in terms of physique, which led to the large pattern of men being stronger than women in the martial arts world.
Martial arts aristocratic families were similar to feudal dynasties. The family head was equivalent to the emperor, and the young family head was equivalent to the crown prince.
In this world of martial arts where men were superior to women, it was considered natural for a man to be the emperor. If a woman wanted to be the emperor, she would attract a lot of scolding.
Looking at the angry crowd, Lu Zhaoyuan felt that he was in the wrong and was forced to change his original intention. He snorted coldly and said,"Grand Elder, since Qingcheng isn't suitable, who do you think is more suitable?”
The Great Elder coughed lightly and said arrogantly,"Among the younger generation below the age of twenty-five, besides Qingcheng, Shaohong is the most talented in martial arts and also the most hardworking. In this old man's humble opinion, the position of young master should be inherited by Shaohong.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaoyuan almost exploded in anger. He cursed in his heart,""Your good-for-nothing son is almost twenty-three years old and has yet to break through to the HuaJin realm. How dare he compete for the position of the young master?”
The Lu family's martial arts could barely be considered a third-rate technique, and the progress of cultivation was very slow. Under normal circumstances, it would be good if one could break through to HuaJin before the age of 30.
Lu Shaohong had cultivated to Half-step HuaJin at the age of 21. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be able to break through to HuaJin Grandmaster before the age of 25 without any pressure. Although his cultivation speed was not outstanding, he could be considered young and promising.
However, in this era, there was a monstrous figure in the family, Lu Qingcheng. In comparison, Lu Shaohong seemed to be a lot more useless.
"Other than Qingcheng, Shaohong can be said to be the male with the highest talent in martial arts among the younger generation. He has already reached Half-Step HuaJin, and he will definitely reach the Grandmaster Realm in half a year's time.”The Second Elder was the first to support the First Elder.
"This child, Shaohong, is kind-hearted. Over the years, he has contributed a lot to the family and should inherit the position of young master.”Immediately after, the Third Elder also chimed in.
The other elders also nodded in agreement. It seemed that only Lu Shaohong was qualified to inherit the position of the young master.
Lu Zhaoyuan sighed deeply. He knew that there was nothing he could do, but he was unwilling. He said coldly and mockingly,"Third Elder, your cultivation hasn't improved, but your ability to lie through your teeth has become more and more proficient. In recent years, Shao Hong has either gathered in a crowd to fight against Ou or flirted with innocent women. If it wasn't for you guys cleaning up his mess behind his back, he would have been punished by the Martial Inspectorate long ago.”
The Third Elder was not angry at being ridiculed in public. He argued,"Shao Hong is indeed causing trouble outside. All the elders present are experienced. Who hasn't been young before? Who dares to say that they haven't done such shameful things when they were young?”
In Third Elder's opinion, although Lu Shaohong was arrogant and despotic outside, he was respectful and respectful in the family. He had always been respectful to the elders, unlike Lu Qingcheng, who was arrogant and looked down on everyone because of her high martial talent and her father being the family head. If she became the young family head, wouldn't the Lu family be overturned?
Although Third Elder's words had some sophistry, it was also the truth. Lu Zhaoyuan choked on his words and snorted coldly."Let's not talk about character first. Shao Hong has indeed made some contributions to the family over the years, but it's not enough to make him the young family head.”
Hearing this, the Elders Faction was overjoyed. They had been waiting for Lu Zhaoyuan to say this.
Seeing that the time was right, the First Elder went straight to the point and said," Although the Lu Clan's martial arts are not bad, there are still many shortcomings. We need to find another high-tier martial arts to make up for the shortcomings. I'm sure everyone knows this.”
These words were true. Everyone present, including Lu Zhaoyuan, nodded in agreement.
"According to the spy, the Zhou family recently obtained a secret martial arts book, the Xuantian Martial Code. Rumor has it that this martial art code is a divine art created by Old Man Xuantian. It is profound and powerful. If Shao Hong can obtain this martial art code for the family, will he be qualified?”
From the start, Lu Zhaoyuan had felt that there was something fishy about today's clan meeting. It turned out that they were waiting for him here. If Lu Shaohong could really snatch the Xuantian Martial Code from the Zhou family, it would indeed be a great merit. It would be unwise for him to object again.
On the surface, the head of the Lu family was the head of the Lu family, but in fact, he was not the highest decision-maker. The core power had always been in the hands of the Elder Association led by the head of the family.
The young master had been idle for many years, and several elders were already dissatisfied with him. If he continued to act willfully, he would be considered to have reached the end of the position of the master.
Under the pressure, Lu Zhaoyuan was forced to compromise. With a dark expression, he nodded his head, indicating that he agreed with First Elder's words.
Seeing that the situation had been decided, the First Elder revealed a smile of success on his face. He asked the Third Elder softly,"Third Brother, how is the progress of the matter of snatching the Mysterious Heavenly Martial Canon?”
The Third Elder was the elder in charge of intelligence work in the Lu family. He was in charge of this operation. After thinking for a moment, he replied,"First Elder, don't worry. Shao Hong has always been reliable. He should be on his way back and should be arriving soon.”
In the Third Elder's opinion, Zhou Zhengtian was the only one who was above the level of Internal Force in the Zhou family. Other than Zhou Chunhua, the others were all useless. According to the information sent back by the spy, Zhou Zhengtian had returned from his old injury. After handing over the Xuantian Martial Manual to Zhou Chunhua, he had started to recuperate in seclusion.
Lu Shaohong was meticulous in his actions and had never made any mistakes. He had led four of the clan's elites to the Zhou Clan's estate. No matter how monstrous Zhou Chunhua was, she was no match for the five of them. The Xuantian Martial Scripture would definitely be within his grasp.
In order to prevent the Family Head Sect from causing trouble, Elder Chu did not publicize this matter. Only he and the Great Elder knew about it. Even if the Family Head Sect wanted to secretly sabotage it, they did not have time to react.
That was why the Lu family had put on a scene where the elders had already begun to pave the way for Lu Shaohong before they had even obtained the martial arts manual.
Bang!
As soon as the Third Elder finished speaking, a loud noise suddenly came from the door of the meeting hall. The sound was like thunder and shook the surroundings.
The door was shattered by a huge force. An old man with white hair and a beard, carrying five people with him, strode into the meeting hall like a meteor. The person who came was Zhou Family's Supreme Martial Artist, Zhou Zhengtian.
Extreme Jin Revered Martial Artist, the first rank of Yunxi City's combat strength. He was extremely powerful. With a stomp of his foot, Yunxi City would tremble three times.
With the arrival of the enemy, everyone from the Lu family was instantly shocked. They stood up one after another and were on full alert. A battle was about to break out.
Zhou Zhengtian walked into the hall as if there was no one around. With a wave of his right hand, five heavily injured and unconscious Lu Clan disciples floated to the center of the hall.
Lu Shaohong was supposed to be back, but he really came back. Unfortunately, he didn't come back standing up, but lying down.
Looking at the pale faces and weak breathing of the five clan elites, the Great Elder felt like his heart was about to burst. He quickly walked up to Lu Shaohong. After a round of investigation, he found that his son's Qi acupoints were broken and his cultivation had disappeared. His eyes immediately became bloodshot.
Lu Zhaoyuan was ecstatic. He had a deep conflict with the First Elder. He was originally bound to lose, but he had inexplicably won. Moreover, he had won while lying down. If it was not for the sake of the family head's image, he would have laughed out loud.
The other seven elders were all confused, especially the third elder. He never expected that the elite of the family he had carefully selected would return in such a way.
The Great Elder could not hide the anger in his heart. His eyes were about to split open as he said,"Revered Martial Brother Zhou, as an elder, why did you cripple Shao Hong's cultivation?”
Zhou Zhengtian raised his eyebrows and chuckled."You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want.”
Hearing this, everyone from the Lu family looked at each other in confusion.
Lu Shaohong had gone to the Zhou Family's villa to snatch the Xuantian Martial Code, causing his cultivation to be crippled. From a subjective point of view, the people of the Lu Family believed that the person who crippled Lu Shaohong's cultivation was undoubtedly Zhou Zhengtian.
However, from Zhou Zhengtian's tone, there seemed to be something else going on.
What kind of status did a Supreme Realm expert have? This kind of person naturally had his own pride and arrogance. He did not bother to lie at all, and there was no need to lie.
Lu Zhaoyuan secretly felt that something was amiss. He slowly stood up and glanced at Lu Shaohong and the others who were seriously injured and unconscious. He said in confusion,"Elder Zhou, what do you mean by this!"
"Lu brat, with your cultivation and knowledge, can't you tell who did it?" Zhou Zhengtian laughed.”
After Zhou Zhengtian reminded him again, Lu Zhaoyuan immediately realized that something was wrong. After some investigation, he said with a solemn expression,"What pure energy! There was actually such an expert in the world! In my humble opinion, Elder Zhou doesn't seem to have such skill!”
Everyone present was not stupid. They immediately understood that the person who seriously injured Lu Shaohong and the other family disciples was not Zhou Zhengtian, but the expert that Lu Zhaoyuan had mentioned.
The truth was out. Zhou Zhengtian was too lazy to stay and turned to leave.
Originally, he had come to find trouble with Old Lu. In the end, he had already smashed the door, but Old Lu still did not appear. Clearly, Old Lu was not around.
Since the person in charge was not here, it would only be a waste of time if he continued to stay. He was not that free.
However, at this moment, the path was blocked by the Great Elder. Following that, the Great Elder's questioning voice was heard,"Zhou Wuzun, Shao Hong and the others met with an accident in your Zhou family's territory. Even if you are not the murderer, you still have an unavoidable responsibility. If you do not give us a satisfactory explanation, you can forget about leaving this place alive today.”
Zhou Zhengtian, who had originally planned to settle the matter peacefully, was immediately furious. He released his Supreme Realm pressure and snorted coldly,"What a joke! You sent people to attack my Zhou family's villa, and you still have the face to ask me for an explanation. Do you really think my Zhou family is easy to bully?”
The pressure of a late-stage Supreme Realm expert was like a mountain pressing down on him.
In the meeting hall, the First Elder, who had attained the level of a transformed Jing, was the closest to the group. He was the first to face the pressure, and his face was flushed red. His breathing was chaotic, and his knees went soft as he knelt on the ground.
The three elders of the early stage of the neutralizing Jin realm, who had a lower cultivation base, were also pressed to the ground, unable to move.
Although the four middle-stage HuaJin elders were barely able to hold on, their faces were pale and their backs were covered in sweat.
Lu Zhaoyuan's cultivation was the highest, so he was still quite far away. He still felt his Qi being obstructed and his breathing becoming labored.
"An explanation, right? I'll satisfy you now." Zhou Zhengtian's eyes gleamed coldly as he raised his right palm. Energy gathered rapidly as a terrifying energy fluctuation appeared in his palm. The martial technique, Flowing Cloud Palm, was ready to be unleashed.
Lu Zhaoyuan could not help but curse the First Elder for his stupidity. The other party was a Martial Honor who had been famous in Yunxi City for many years. Even if the nine of them joined forces, they would not be his match.
Although the Lu Family also had Martial Honors, it just so happened that the Grand Supreme Family Head was at a critical moment of breaking through to the late-stage of Extreme Jin. In order to prevent any changes, the elders were guarding him. Zhou Zhengtian's arrival was too sudden and caught them off guard. The elders did not have time to rescue him.
If he could not win, the only way out was to sue for peace. Lu Zhaoyuan made a prompt decision and hurriedly bowed."Elder Zhou, please calm down. Today's matter was indeed my Lu family's fault. In the future, I will definitely strictly restrain my clansmen and not cause you any more trouble. How about we let this matter go?”
Seeing that the Lu family had compromised, Zhou Zhengtian felt that his goal had been achieved. He withdrew his Supreme Realm pressure and the force in his palm slowly dissipated. He snorted,"This venerable self is also a reasonable person. Since you've already said so, let's forget about today's matter. I hope there won't be a next time.”
Lu Zhaoyuan quickly promised," Elder Zhou, forgive me. This time, I was negligent in disciplining you. I guarantee on my honor that there will definitely not be a next time."”
"I hope so!" Zhou Zhengtian snorted coldly, waved his sleeves, and strode out of the meeting hall, flying away.
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