Amidst the applause, Tang Long called out in a low voice, "Ruoxue, come up here, quickly!"
Tang Ruoxue smiled gracefully and walked up the steps toward the high stage.
"Wait! I object!"
A furious shout rang out as Tang Feng stepped forward.
The crowd stirred again, buzzing with discussion.
The three sect elders were quite surprised, but as this was ultimately a private family matter, it wasn’t their place to interfere.
"Tang Feng, this is a unanimous decision by the Elder Council! The council was established by your father, the old Fortress Master, so its decisions are as good as the old Fortress Master’s own!"
Several Tang Family elders frowned in displeasure.
Tang Feng snorted. "Hmph! And what about the old Fortress Master’s will? Does that count for nothing?"
"One must be flexible. The Elder Council made this decision for the good of the Tang Family! The position of Fortress Master can only be held by someone with immense ability and talent!"
"That’s right. Although Yi Xiaoyao can cultivate now, he only has a third-grade Immortal Soul. The Tang Family Castle won’t get far in his hands."
Everyone, including the members of the Elder Council, had already concluded that the Third Realm of Qi Condensation cultivation Yi Xiaoyao had previously displayed was the result of a third-grade Immortal Soul.
Hearing the elders’ words, Tang Feng’s eyes widened in fury. Just as he was about to erupt, Yi Xiaoyao appeared and stopped him.
"Uncle, the elders have a point. After all, they’re thinking of the Tang Family’s future. There’s no need to argue with them."
Yi Xiaoyao said with a faint smile to Tang Feng as he stepped before the crowd.
Tang Feng froze. ’Didn’t Yi Xiaoyao say he was going to reclaim the position of Fortress Master? Why would he say something like this?’
The elders smiled in satisfaction. "Since the former Young Master of the Castle agrees, then it is settled."
But before the words had even faded, they all frowned.
"When did I agree?"
Yi Xiaoyao’s voice was tinged with ice.
Everyone stared in confusion. Weren’t his words just now a sign of his agreement?
Seeing Yi Xiaoyao stirring up trouble, Tang Ruoxue, who stood on the high stage, frowned deeply, her expression turning foul.
"Yi Xiaoyao, I know you’re bitter that I took your place! You’re still not over me, and you’re just doing this to get my attention, but making a scene won’t do you any good! Our aptitudes say it all. The difference between us is as vast as heaven and earth. We’re not from the same world! Just give up!"
Tang Ruoxue spoke loudly, and everyone present finally thought they understood why Yi Xiaoyao was acting this way.
No one thought Tang Ruoxue was being cruel; they only saw Yi Xiaoyao as a man who didn’t know his place.
Hearing the crowd’s one-sided murmurs, a smile touched the corners of Tang Long’s mouth.
"Xiaoyao, everyone in the Tang Family knows how well Ruoxue has treated you over the years, even if you won’t admit it. I myself have treated you like a son. I never imagined that you, in your quest for a status you don’t deserve, would be so cruel to Ruoxue!"
’Cruel?’ Yi Xiaoyao’s expression hardened. A wave of disgust washed over him as he looked at Tang Long’s sanctimonious act. ’This man is utterly despicable and treacherous, completely twisting right and wrong.’
Tang Long wasn’t finished. He continued his act, sighing dramatically at the sky. "You yourself destroyed your engagement to Ruoxue! You grew jealous when she replaced you as Fortress Master and turned on us. Not only did you try to poison my daughter and me in secret, but you also went around spreading rumors that we were the ones who were cruel to you! And after I treated you like a son for all these years... It truly breaks my heart!"
In all his life, Yi Xiaoyao had never met someone so utterly base. ’No wonder his daughter, Tang Ruoxue, is so vile,’ he thought. ’With a father like that, constantly under his influence, it would be a miracle if she weren’t.’
Tang Long’s display of sorrow and heartbreak was all a ploy to salvage Tang Ruoxue’s image and win over the people.
And for those who were unaware of the truth, his unscrupulous tactics had an immediate effect.
Everyone present now felt sympathy for Tang Long, and they looked upon Yi Xiaoyao with contempt. All sorts of ugly insults and curses filled the air.
In an instant, Yi Xiaoyao had become a villain for the ages in the eyes of the crowd. No one would believe him even if he tried to explain.
However, he had no intention of explaining himself now, because the truth would come to light soon enough.
Yi Xiaoyao simply looked at Tang Long and said coolly, "Are you and your daughter finished with your performance?"
A subtle, sinister smile touched Tang Long’s lips. ’Public opinion is set,’ he thought. ’Let’s see how you’ll compete with Ruoxue now.’
"Yi Xiaoyao, you lack the ability to serve as Fortress Master," several elders added, frowning. "Even if you object, you cannot change the outcome."
The corner of Yi Xiaoyao’s mouth lifted into a slight smile. "Since the elders wish to see ability, does that mean I only need to defeat Tang Ruoxue to take back the position of Fortress Master that is rightfully mine?"
His words were met with a roar of laughter, and countless jeers erupted from the crowd.
"Tang Ruoxue is at the Eighth Realm of Qi Condensation! This waste is unbelievably arrogant!"
"Looks like Tang Ruoxue was right. This waste just won’t give up."
"I hope Tang Ruoxue accepts his challenge and thoroughly humiliates him!"
A Tang Family elder raised his hand to quiet the crowd. After exchanging a look with the others, he finally nodded at Yi Xiaoyao.
Yi Xiaoyao smirked and walked to the very center of the training grounds.
With his back to Tang Ruoxue, he growled, "Get down here now!"
Standing on the high stage, Tang Ruoxue knew, of course, that Yi Xiaoyao was yelling at her. She curled her lip in disdain, but she knew that to inherit the position of Fortress Master, she couldn’t avoid this challenge.
And so, amid the crowd’s eager anticipation, Tang Ruoxue descended from the stage without hesitation.
The three sect elders on the high stage couldn’t help but ask Tang Long, who had come up to speak with them, "Who is that young man?"
"Just a waste with a third-grade Immortal Soul, grandstanding for the crowd. Pay him no mind, elders," Tang Long said to the three sect elders with a hearty laugh.
Just then, an ordinary-looking young man stepped out from the crowd and glared at Yi Xiaoyao with a hostile expression.
"Who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to challenge Ruoxue? I could beat you with one hand!"
This was none other than Tang Ji, the one who had obtained the sixth-grade Immortal Soul.
Tang Ji had harbored a crush on Tang Ruoxue since childhood. Although she had rejected his marriage proposal a few days prior, after hearing Tang Long’s sorrowful speech, he now directed all his animosity toward Yi Xiaoyao.
He believed that if he helped Tang Ruoxue defeat Yi Xiaoyao, he would not only satisfy his own resentment but also win her favor.
Tang Ji walked up to Yi Xiaoyao and barked, "If you want to challenge Ruoxue, you’ll have to get past me first!"
Yi Xiaoyao acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, casually wiping his Bloodthirsty Sword as he waited for Tang Ruoxue’s arrival.
The crimson blade of the Bloodthirsty Sword was covered in a light layer of dust.
But Yi Xiaoyao paid the dust no mind, just as he paid no mind to Tang Ji standing before him.
Both were insignificant, and therefore, beneath his notice.
"You bastard, how dare you ignore me!"
Tang Ji felt deeply insulted. Yi Xiaoyao hadn’t spared him a single glance from start to finish, an attitude that naturally sent him into a rage.
His face twitched, and he let out a furious roar.
With a flicker of movement, Tang Ji gathered Spiritual Power into his right fist and threw a punch straight at Yi Xiaoyao’s face.
Yi Xiaoyao’s brow furrowed slightly. When dust threatens to get in one’s eyes, one simply brushes it away.
Sensing the rushing wind of the attack, Yi Xiaoyao’s gaze turned cold. Instantly, a dense and Dark Spiritual Power flared to life in his palm.
Just an instant before Tang Ji’s fist, propelled by a fierce gale, could strike his face, a hand wreathed in Dark Spiritual Power shot out and clamped down on it.
"What?!"
Tang Ji’s expression changed drastically. He felt the Spiritual Power in his fist being frantically devoured and destroyed by the Dark Spiritual Power in Yi Xiaoyao’s palm. When he tried to pull his hand back, he found himself unable to break free from Yi Xiaoyao’s grip.
The next moment, Yi Xiaoyao suddenly applied force, twisting sharply and snapping Tang Ji’s entire right arm like a dry twig.
CRACKLE!
A series of sickening cracks rang out.
"AHHH!!!"
A bloodcurdling scream erupted as Tang Ji’s face flushed and contorted in agony.
"Crippling an arm is a fitting punishment for disrespecting the Fortress Master!"
At that moment, Yi Xiaoyao had brazenly declared himself the Fortress Master.
THUMP!
With a flick of his arm, Yi Xiaoyao tossed Tang Ji aside.