Chu Ming walked briskly into the hall. In the hall, besides the maid, there was also a man and a woman. The man was quite tall and vigorous, wearing a sky-blue robe that exuded an unmatched heroic spirit. As he stood there, an indescribable aura of majesty naturally emanated from him. The woman, graceful in appearance, wore a long purple dress, and upon hearing the commotion outside, she became extraordinarily excited.
This man was the patriarch of the Chu Family, Chu Ming's father, Chu He. The woman was Chu Ming's mother, Yu Guxue.
"Greetings, father, mother!"
Chu Ming entered the hall and saw the two. Perhaps driven by his soul, he immediately bowed to them. At the same time, a sense of family warmth slowly welled up in his heart. In his previous life, Chu Ming was an orphan. By chance, he received advice from a great master and, after countless years of effort, he became a Martial Arts Grandmaster without ever experiencing familial warmth.
"It's good to have you back. It's good to have you back!" Yu Guxue said excitedly, stepping forward to help him up.
"Don't stand there, come inside and sit!" Chu He said with a smile, pulling Chu Ming's hand. Chu Ming sat to the side and a maid immediately came over to pour tea.
Chu He and Yu Guxue kept staring at Chu Ming as if there were flowers on his face. Even with Chu Ming's calm demeanor, he still felt a bit uncomfortable.
"Eh? Ming'Er, have you broken through the Transcendence Realm?" Chu He wanted to say something but suddenly noticed Chu Ming's cultivation and asked in surprise.
As soon as he spoke, Yu Guxue also showed a look of disbelief. Obviously, she also noticed Chu Ming's cultivation change. They were well aware that Chu Ming's talent was initially average and his cultivation was merely at the Postnatal Fourth Layer. To reach the Transcendence Realm within a year was incredibly shocking to them.
Even though Yu Guxue, as an Outer Sect Elder of Martial Extreme Sect, had seen many geniuses, she had never heard of someone advancing this quickly.
"Ming'Er, you wouldn't have practiced the Demon Dao cultivation technique, would you?" Yu Guxue said worriedly, placing her hand on Chu Ming's arm. A warm flow of spiritual power slowly entered Chu Ming's body, but Yu Guxue quickly withdrew. Chu Ming had not practiced Demon Dao techniques, and the spiritual power within him was stronger than that of a typical Third Layer Transcendence Realm martial artist, far above that of someone who had just broken through the Transcendence Realm.
Chu Ming had already prepared his explanation and immediately said, "I don't understand how it happened. Suddenly, everything just clicked during my cultivation. Even the most obscure points became clear upon first glance!"
The white light plate in his chest was something he could never tell anyone, not even his closest family.
"How can this be?" Chu He furrowed his brows, murmuring, completely puzzled by the situation.
"Remember, there are numerous late bloomers among great warriors on the continent. In their early years, their talents were average, but later they advanced rapidly, breaking through as easily as drinking water or eating food. Some even became Life and Death Realm kings! Maybe our Ming'Er is such a martial artist!"
Seeing Chu He still smiling bitterly, Yu Guxue quickly explained.
Every parent hopes their children will be exceptional. Hearing Yu Guxue's words, Chu He realized she made sense and decided not to dwell on the issue further, though he felt highly excited inside.
Chu Ming's previously average talent and slow cultivation speed had subjected him to much scorn within the family. Even as his father, Chu He felt ashamed in public. But now, everything was different; his son was also a genius!
"Tell me, what happened at Cyan Yang Sect!" Yu Guxue urged excitedly. Chu Ming smiled and began recounting the interesting events at Cyan Yang Sect. The hall was filled with laughter.
...
At the same time.
In the Chu Family compound, beside a corridor, three youths around the age of seventeen or eighteen walked towards the courtyard gate, chatting and laughing.
"Brother Lin, the clan meeting is just a few days away. Why hasn't Brother Feng returned yet?" one of the youths asked curiously.
These three were Chu Lin, Chu Fan, and Chu Dong. The one who spoke was Chu Dong.
The "Brother Feng" referred to by Chu Dong was Chu Feng, the top-ranked individual under eighteen in the Chu Family, and an Inner Sect Disciple of Burning Fire Valley.
Chu Lin, Chu Feng, and Chu Yong were the sons of the Grand Elder of the Chu Family, Chu Ming's eldest uncle. Chu Lin had the greatest talent, having broken through to the Transcendence Realm last year and entered the inner sect of Burning Fire Valley, classified as a genius. Chu Yong's talent was also remarkable, as he entered the inner sect of Cyan Nether Mountain eight months ago.
Last year-end clan meeting, Chu Feng did not return home, thus first place went to Chu Ru. If he had returned, the competition for first place would have been extraordinarily fierce.
However, no one knew whether he would return this year.
Chu Lin was Chu Feng's younger brother. Asking him might yield some news.
Chu Lin chuckled proudly and said, "You don't need to worry about that. Brother sent a message a few days ago saying he'll definitely be back this year. With him back, first place in the clan meeting is undoubtedly his!"
"Yes, yes, Brother Feng is exceptionally talented, capable of challenging those above his level. First place in this year's clan meeting is definitely his."
"Chu Ru's strength is decent, but compared to Brother Feng, she's still somewhat inferior."
Talking about Chu Feng, admiration flashed across Chu Fan and Chu Dong's faces. Chu Feng held a high status among the younger generation of the Chu Family. Many of the family's younger members idolized Chu Feng and strived to cultivate diligently in his footsteps.
Chu Fan and Chu Dong were the sons of the Second Elder and Third Elder of the Chu Family. Their talent was above average, and they highly revered Chu Feng.
Chu Lin nodded slightly, a proud glimmer flashing across his face.
He pondered for a moment and said, "But we can't be so sure; the Chu Family has many talents. Take Chu Yue and Chu Qiweng, for instance, they are not geniuses?
Then Chu Lin paused abruptly, a hint of mockery flashing across his face. He sneered and said, "I wonder if that waste Chu Ming will return this year. If he does, there will surely be more jokes to enjoy!"
"Chu Ming? Last year, he had the nerve to come back and participate in the clan meeting but was knocked down as soon as he got on stage, becoming the joke of last year's meeting. I doubt he'll have the guts to return this year."
"But if he doesn't return, the clan meeting will be a bit less entertaining!"
"I don't understand what the family is thinking, sending such a waste to Cyan Yang Sect. He's probably bringing shame to our Chu Family there too!"
Chu Dong and Chu Fan shook their heads, as if being in the same family as Chu Ming was highly embarrassing.
"Haha, no worries, I doubt he'll have the guts to return." Chu Lin chuckled and said.
Chu Ming's talents were mediocre, his strength weak, and he was rather timid, often bullied by others. Because of this, he was branded a waste.
Despite this, Chu Ming never gave up on his cultivation. He trained even harder after entering Cyan Yang Sect, but his talent was too poor. By last year-end, he was only at the Postnatal Third Layer, breaking through to the Postnatal Fourth Layer upon returning to the sect.
...
In the hall, Chu Ming finished recounting his experiences at Cyan Yang Sect. Chu He and Yu Guxue listened quietly. After he finished, Chu He's expression became serious.
"Since you've returned, it's time for your mother to talk to the Bai Family about arranging your marriage with Bai Hanyan," Chu He said, moving on to the important matter, looking at Chu Ming.
"Yes, Ming'Er, you're not young anymore. It's time you thought about marriage. Hanyan has been your childhood companion, and you have a betrothal contract. It's time to finalize it." Yu Guxue chimed in, her eyes smiling.
If it were the past Chu Ming, he might have agreed immediately. But now, Chu Ming's heart was set solely on reaching the pinnacle of martial arts, dismissing romantic entanglements. He also felt repulsed by Bai Hanyan.
Bai Hanyan, a prodigy of the Bai Family, was betrothed to Chu Ming at birth by Chu He and Bai Xuefeng. Initially, they got along well, but as time passed, Bai Hanyan's exceptional talent became apparent. Her strength likely rivaled that of Chu Feng. Due to the disparity in their abilities, Bai Hanyan often acted superior, which Chu Ming now saw as contempt.
Being with someone who doesn't like you and whom you don't like is unthinkable for Chu Ming.
"I'm still young and don't want to settle down yet." Chu Ming constantly made excuses.
Yu Guxue wanted to say more but was stopped by a glance from Chu He and swallowed her words.
Afterward, the three talked a bit more. As it was getting late, Chu Ming said goodbye. A maid guided him to the rear courtyard. After Chu Ming left, Yu Guxue complained to Chu He.
"Chu, why didn't you let me persuade Ming'Er further? He might have agreed if we had." she said, with a face full of grievance.
Chu He squinted his eyes and said, "Ming'Er has just come back with his talents fully tapped. If you disrupt his mental state, it could hinder his cultivation."
For a martial artist, a pleasant mood is very important. With a calm mind, focused eyes, cultivation becomes more effective. Even when facing difficult issues during cultivation, they can gradually resolve them.
But if the mind is troubled and the mental path blocked, forced cultivation will be slow, and a heart demon could form.
Thinking about how her words nearly ruined her son's future, Yu Guxue felt a surge of fear.