"Ling Fan brother, is my sister really, really amazing!"
Liu Xiran tilted her head slightly, her face, like a finely carved jade, beamed with sunshine as she looked at Ling Fan with great pride.
"Little girl, you haven't seen how formidable our master is..."
Liang Hugu snorted, clearly unconvinced, wanting to put Liu Xiran down a peg.
However, before he could finish speaking, he caught Ling Fan's gaze and wisely shut his mouth.
Liu Xiran asked, "Uncle, what were you about to say?"
Liang Hugu replied perfunctorily, "Nothing! Just praising your sister, saying she's the best in the world."
The little girl, with her innocent heart, believed Liang Hugu genuinely thought her sister was incredibly powerful and couldn't help but beam even brighter.
"What are you smiling about, looking so happy?"
Liu Xiwei walked over, her face radiant, and pinched Liu Xiran's tender cheek.
"Of course, it's because you won, sister!"
Liu Xiran said, "Ling Fan brother and Uncle were just praising you too, saying you're the best in the world!"
Liu Xiwei frowned slightly upon hearing this and her gaze fell upon Ling Fan.
She held her chin high, exuding an air of aloofness and coldness that kept people at a distance. "Do you think a few compliments will change my opinion of you? Stop wasting your efforts. You and I are from different worlds. It was blind of Lan Xueyi to fall for you, but I am not blind!"
"Also, I warn you to stay away from my sister. You, a mere fop, don't corrupt her."
With that, Liu Xiwei, without further ado, forcibly pulled Liu Xiran away.
"Hahaha! Look at him, the overconfident fool, getting utterly crushed by our young lady."
"He actually wants to pursue our young lady? A toad wanting to eat swan meat, he should look in the mirror and see his pathetic face."
"He's already struck gold by marrying Lan Xueyi, does he think all women are so easily fooled!"
A group of the younger generation from the Liu family erupted in scornful laughter, immensely pleased to see Ling Fan flustered.
Liu Yubei, the patriarch of the Liu family, sat at the front of the Liu residence. He merely glanced back with a cold sneer, making no move to intervene.
"Damn it! This woman is too narcissistic."
Liang Hugu's eyes widened, looking utterly dumbfounded.
Did she think she was a celestial fairy, that every man should secretly admire and pursue her?
Who was their master?
He was a peerless figure, like a banished immortal, possessing vast divine abilities and unfathomable depths. Not only was he more than worthy of a mere city maiden like Liu Xiwei, but he was also more than capable of matching the daughters of royal families or the prodigies of sects.
In fact, it was they who were fortunate to be associated with the master, not the other way around.
Where did this Liu Xiwei get her confidence from!
Furthermore, she was overestimating herself. Clearly, the master had no interest in her, yet she had conjured a grand drama in her own mind.
"Ptooey!"
The more Liang Hugu thought about it, the angrier he became. He spat a mouthful of aged phlegm onto the ground in a show of indignation.
"Master, this woman is too ridiculous, what is she even considered! If I hadn't received your permission, I would have revealed your true strength to everyone, letting them know you are a divine dragon among men, not someone these mortals can trample upon."
Liang Hugu grumbled, his heart filled with resentment.
Ling Fan's expression remained calm, like a deep, unfathomable abyss. He paid no mind to Liu Xiwei's disparagement or the others' mockery.
He smiled faintly and said, "When you stand at different heights, you see different scenery. The sky of a sparrow is only as high as an elm tree, and the world of a frog in a well is only as wide as the well's opening. What is the point of arguing with a sparrow about the height of the sky, or with a frog in a well about the vastness of the sky?"
"Hugu, if your gaze were set upon the Heavenly Origin Realm, the Giant Spirit Realm, or even the Condensing Core Realm, you wouldn't care about these people's cold taunts now."
Ling Fan's gaze was distant as he smiled at Liang Hugu.
Liang Hugu trembled violently, feeling as if his soul had been shaken by Ling Fan's words.
He felt a sense of sudden enlightenment!
It was as if his previous fifty years had been lived in vain.
Petty struggles were not worth mentioning.
Reaching the peak of the Profound Gang Realm had already made him ecstatic and complacent.
His ambition for martial arts had long since faded.
Yes.
The Profound Gang Realm was far from the end of the martial path.
After the Profound Gang Realm came the Heavenly Origin Realm, and above that was the Giant Spirit Realm.
In this lower realm, the Giant Spirit Realm was already considered a formidable figure, a worldly king. However, in the eyes of those peerless experts above the Giant Spirit Realm, the mere Giant Spirit was just the starting point for becoming a strong individual, and the road ahead was still long.
True powerhouses aspired to the martial path, focusing their minds and pouring their hearts into it. How could they be disturbed or hindered by such trivial matters?
He straightened his attire and bowed deeply to Ling Fan, his attitude extremely humble and his heart filled with submission. "Today, Hugu truly understands the height of Master's state of mind. Hugu has learned much, thank you, Master, for your guidance."
"No need."
Ling Fan waved his hand dismissively.
He continued to watch the matches on the combat stage.
However, his conversation with Liang Hugu was seen by the younger generation of the Liu family, which only made them laugh even harder.
"This guy is really putting on airs, like a pig's nose stuffed with green onions! Does he really think he's some peerless expert, spouting nonsense like a madman? Isn't that just making a fool of himself?"
"Tch, if he were truly a peerless expert, I'd be a celestial being."
"This guy is such a good actor. I actually pity that Profound Gang realm cultivator. He's clearly so powerful, yet he has to act alongside a good-for-nothing every day. It must be exhausting."
"Forget it, let's not watch this idiot. I think there's something wrong with this guy's brain."
After their laughter subsided, the younger generation of the Liu family shifted their attention to the combat stage.
And at that very moment.
A fierce battle unfolded, immediately capturing everyone's attention.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The sound of sonic booms echoed incessantly from the combat stage, as if two humanoid behemoths were clashing wildly. Every blow caused the stage to tremble slightly.
One of the combatants was Deng Wu, a top genius from the Deng family.
His strength was at the peak of the Qi Refining Realm, and even among those at the peak of the Qi Refining Realm, he was considered a formidable fighter.
The other combatant, however, was somewhat unexpected.
It was a rogue cultivator.
The rogue cultivator was bare-chested, revealing skin as bronzed as copper. He wasn't the type with bulging muscles, but his physique was lean, and every muscle fiber seemed like tempered steel wire, appearing incredibly robust.
Deng Wu wielded a sword, a low-grade Yellow-tier spiritual weapon, which possessed considerable power.
The rogue cultivator, on the other hand, was fighting bare-handed. Forced by the sharpness and might of the spiritual weapon, he was in a rather desperate situation.
"Master, it's that kid!"
Liang Hugu exclaimed in slight surprise.
Ling Fan also nodded.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
Deng Wu's strength was formidable, and his swordsmanship was superb. His movements were as swift as lightning. Ordinary martial artists could not even track the trajectory of his sword, only seeing flashes of sword light appearing on the combat stage.
After dozens, even hundreds, of thrusts, even though the wild youth's physique was incredibly tough and his movements as agile as a monkey, he was still struck numerous times. Countless wounds appeared on his body, and blood splattered everywhere.
"Good!"
"Young Master Deng's swordsmanship is truly divine."
"They say the Deng family's swift sword is unparalleled in Star Sand City. It truly lives up to its reputation, like lightning and wind, elusive and unpredictable!"
"That wild kid named Ji Hong is in danger. If he doesn't kneel and beg for mercy soon, Deng Wu will slice him to pieces."
The crowd exclaimed in awe.