Supreme of the Heavenly Realm

If the essence of Martial Arts could be divided into ten levels, then Ye Xuan had already mastered roughly half the essence. The rest would need to be slowly grasped through practice and actual combat.

Very few Mortal-grade Martial Arts possess essence, and the Heavenly Dominator Fist is among the top-tier within its category. Of course, had it not been so outstanding, Ye Xuan wouldn't have committed it to memory.

"As long as I master the Heavenly Dominator Fist, even when facing a First Grade martial master, I will be able to hold my ground."

Once one reaches the level of a martial master, one can externalize True Qi and practice Earth-grade Martial Arts. The manipulation of True Qi is far beyond what those in the Martial Apprentice Realm can compare to; therefore, even Ye Xuan didn't dare claim he could defeat a First Grade martial master, at most he could compete with one.

Without giving it further thought, Ye Xuan began practicing move by move, with swirling qi flows, his fist shadows looming like mountains, and his momentum fierce as a tiger, the strikes growing faster, moving fluidly in every direction, the surrounding air bursting, dust flying about.

The practice of the Heavenly Dominator Fist was extremely difficult; an average person might take a long time just to get started, but Ye Xuan, in less than half a day, had already begun to grasp the first three moves.

In this manner, continuously for two days, Ye Xuan practiced his boxing in the drill ground, and in these two days, he finally became proficient in the first three moves of the Heavenly Dominator Fist.

On the third day, Ye Xuan was still prepared to head to the martial training field to practice, but before he could leave the house, he was called upon by a servant who had come to summon him.

"Young Master Ye Xuan, the family has matters to discuss today, the Family Head has sent me to invite you over," said the servant with a bow, his attitude extremely respectful. He was aware that Ye Yan, who was always arrogant and unbridled, had been beaten up two days ago. The person who had knocked his teeth out was none other than Ye Xuan, the one standing before him, infamously known as a failure. This incident was already the talk of the entire Ye family. The Ye Xuan of today was not someone a mere servant could afford to offend.

If it had been the Ye Xuan of the past, he wouldn't have held such respect. Strength determined one's status, this could be considered an everlasting iron rule.

"Family matters for discussion?"

Hearing this, Ye Xuan was somewhat surprised. He hardly ever had a role in family council matters, although he too was a direct descendant of the Ye family. With his low strength, lack of parents, and absent authority or influence, naturally, he wouldn't be included in such gatherings.

However, his memories of the Family Head Ye Tianxiong were still vivid – that grandfather, albeit subtly, did take good care of him. But as the head of the family, with many family affairs to attend to, and coupled with Ye Xuan's slow progress in cultivation, eventually leading to his own resignation, Ye Tianxiong's attention towards him had naturally waned.

But since it was Ye Tianxiong who had asked for him, he decided he might as well go and see what was required.

...

The Ye family mansion was among the most luxurious architectures in Tianyang County. It covered a vast area, easily exceeding ten thousand acres, with contiguous fields, connected courtyards, pavilions beside water, and towers with upward-curving eaves, indeed bearing the grandeur of a prominent family.

At the center of the mansion complex stood a tall spire-like building, immensely imposing. This was the nerve center of the Ye family, the place where discussions took place.

When Ye Xuan arrived at the entrance of the hall, there were already a good number of figures inside. Clearly, they had all arrived before him, the other primary members of the Ye family.

As soon as Ye Xuan entered the hall, those gazes immediately fell upon him. The owners of these gazes were the elite members of the Ye family; if one was not a high-ranking family member or a direct descendant, one would not have entered this council hall.

"You little beast!"

No sooner had Ye Xuan stepped over the threshold of the hall than he faced a harsh rebuke. A burly middle-aged man seated at the foremost left-hand seat stood up, his eyes cold and fixed on Ye Xuan, "As a member of the Ye family, you actually went so far as to grievously injure your cousin Ye Yan. Do you realize he is still bedridden and can't get up to this day?"

In response to such scolding, Ye Xuan merely smiled coldly, "He lacks skill, so it's my fault? Tell me, uncle, haven't I been beaten enough in the past?"

The middle-aged man berating him was none other than Ye Yan's father, Ye Hai.

"Presumptuous!"

The last seat on the right was occupied by a burly teenager—Ye Ba, the top prodigy of the Ye family. Although he was part of the younger generation, his exceptional talent meant he was a key figure being groomed by the family. Thus, he had a seat in the council hall, unlike the other Ye family youths who all stood.

"Ye Xuan, how dare you speak to your Third Uncle in such a manner? You injured your cousin, the fault is yours, so why aren't you kneeling and apologizing immediately?"

Ye Ba's appearance didn't quite match his name; he wasn't rough but rather delicate, with very thin lips and a refined face, even somewhat scholarly. But everyone knew that Ye Ba was a man who hid a knife behind his smile. On the surface, he appeared upright, seemingly possessing the grandeur and magnanimity of a future Clan Leader, but in reality, he was petty and vengeful.

"What, were you all calling me here today just to chastise me? What a grand spectacle. I wonder, if I were the one injured, would anyone stand up for me? Ye Ba, you are merely a junior member of the family yourself, what right do you have to point fingers at me?"

Ye Xuan coldly sneered. Did Ye Ba really think he could act like he was the heir to the Clan Leader and order him around?

"What did you just say?"

Hearing this, Ye Ba's eyes suddenly darkened. How dare this good-for-nothing, who always cowered before him, talk back?

"Enough!"

At this moment, the figure at the main seat of the hall finally spoke. His rebuke made Ye Ba slightly curb his anger. Seated there was a dignified, black-haired old man who looked to be just over sixty, yet he vibrated with vitality, his spirit and energy both robust.

This black-haired elder was Ye Xuan's grandfather, the Ye family Head Ye Tianxiong. He had reached the cultivation of a Seventh Grade Martial Master and was considered one of the peak powers in Tianyang County. Even throughout the Great Xia Kingdom, there were not many Martial Sect Masters, so a Seventh Grade Martial Master was already an exceedingly high level.

"In this matter, I believe everyone knows who's right and who's wrong without me spelling it out. As for Ye Yan, let him heal properly. We shall not speak of this issue again."

Once Ye Tianxiong spoke, both Ye Hai and Ye Ba had no choice but to suppress their anger—Ye Tianxiong's words were not to be disobeyed.

"Ye Xuan, what's going on with your cultivation? Weren't you struck by Heavenly Thunder half a month ago and severely injured?"

After sending Ye Ba and Ye Hai away, Ye Tianxiong turned his attention to Ye Xuan. The latter was now at the Seventh Grade Martial Apprentice Realm, something he believed he could not be mistaken about. However, just half a month ago, Ye Xuan was clearly at the Third Grade Martial Apprentice Realm. How could he have possibly advanced to the Seventh Grade in such a short time?

"Family Head, indeed I was struck by thunder, but to my surprise, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The tempering of the lightning actually transformed my body, leading to a rapid advancement in my cultivation."

Of course, Ye Xuan wouldn't tell the truth. Since everything originated from the Heavenly Thunder, he decided to fabricate a story around the lightning strike to bluff his way through.

"Is that so?"

Ye Tianxiong was taken aback. The incident indeed sounded quite incredible. However, in the Spirit Martial World, nothing was too strange or unbelievable, and the idea of lightning strikes leading to breakthroughs wasn't completely nonsensical.

The others, including Ye Ba and Ye Hai, had slightly darkened expressions. They hadn't expected this youngster to have such luck. Why couldn't such good fortune happen to them?