I Can See Your Combat Power

Chapter 898: Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Two: Turning Point

The appearance of Xu Changge brought a temporary halt to the unfolding events, drawing Xu Feng’s attention to the letter, as of course, his grandson in Longzhou was of greater concern than his unfilial daughter right in front of him.

Although the Heavenly Phoenix Sword Saint was upright and impulsive, often punishing his children and grandchildren for their personal virtues, Xu Feng had high hopes for this grandson in his heart.

It could be said that the vision of three Sword Saints in one lineage from Middle Ying City—envisioning two paths in one family—was just one step away from realization, and he certainly did not want his treasured grandson to be in any danger in Longzhou.

As Xu Feng took the letter passed by Xu Changfeng, he discovered that the letter was not for him, but for his father, Xu Changfeng. The words hinted at a wariness of himself, as if fearing that he would punish her aunt, as though this unfilial daughter who had left Xiling was his relative, while he was a grand demon.

The more he read, the more infuriated the Heavenly Phoenix Sword Saint became, and he flung the letter at Xu Changfeng, bellowing, “Look at your fine son!”

Xu Changfeng took the letter, glanced over it, and could not help but show a bitter smile. He knew his own child well: Xu Changge was carefree and went his own way, unwilling to be confined by strict laws, and although he was eager to do good, he paid no heed to the world’s praises and criticisms. This trait was the complete opposite of Xu Feng’s uprightness and propriety. Since childhood, Xu Changge’s most dreaded figure had been his grandfather, Xu Feng. In his mind, he must have demonized the Heavenly Phoenix Sword Saint to some extent, so making such judgment was not surprising.

Although Xu Changge’s request could be taken as a joke, an important piece of information he mentioned could not be ignored. Six years ago, a tender sprout emerged from the Xu Clan’s Bloodline Spirit Tree, yet despite searching through all of Yuanzhou for kin, not a single Xu disciple awakened to their bloodline. Later, the search was expanded to include the seventy-two royal families by marriage, but still to no avail.

The matter eventually faded into obscurity, but the tender sprout continued to flourish. And in the urgent message Xu Changge sent from the Beast Taming Sect, he stated that the Tang family in Xiling must be recognized as kin by the Xu Clan, because the one corresponding to that tender sprout from the Bloodline Spirit Tree was the eldest son of Xu Shuhui.

The Xu Clan upheld a clan law stipulating that regardless of branch, side lines, or distant relatives by marriage, once someone awakened their bloodline, they qualified to train in the Hall of Supernatural Abilities and to enter the Xu Clan ancestral temple, becoming a direct descendant of the sacred land.

Moreover, Tang Luo was indeed the son of Xu Shuhui, making him a blood relative of a generation in the Xu Clan. Such a talent, should he marry a lady from the Xu Clan, would become a true direct descendant of the clan. Furthermore, intelligence gathered by Dutian Heavenly King suggested that the individual’s talents were extraordinary. Although it was currently unclear which bloodline Tang Luo had awakened, the mere fact that he could overpower the Beast Soul Bloodline was indication enough of his abilities.

Xu Changfeng was about to speak when he suddenly felt a sense of palpitation and turned his head to look. It was a sword cry from the Ying City Sword Pavilion. As the Sword Saint of Ying City, both were all too familiar with this cry.

Exchanging a glance with his father, the two did not even pause before transforming into two streaks of sword light, rushing towards the direction of Ying City Sword Pavilion.

Seeing her father and brother leave, Xu Changge turned her head towards Xu Shuhui and blinked, with a light chuckle she said, “Little sister, that year you said you were borrowing Cloud Tiger to enjoy the spring scenery, but with that one trip, it’s been tens of thousands of miles, and my nephew is nearly twenty now. Have you still not finished enjoying the spring?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ɴονǤ0.сᴑ

Upon hearing her elder brother bring up the past, those memories of Yuanzhou once again surged in her heart. She could never have successfully eloped without the cover provided by her eldest brother, Xu Changfeng, nor without Xu Changge’s Azure Cloud Tiger.

And her little secret, how could it be hidden from the insightful Xu Changge? Yet this considerate brother, seeing through her ruse, did not expose it and even gave her the beast imprint along with the silent understanding. This warmth, no matter how many years passed, would never be forgotten.

Women are always sentimental, especially when past events resurface with an aching in their hearts. Xu Changge then said, “In all these years you’ve been gone, father mentions you at every annual gathering. Though he scolds you severely, the number of women’s seats in the house has grown from three tables to eight, but your chair is never removed. Father always keeps you in his mind; do not let him down.”

With that, he turned to Tang Sen and said, “I believe in my younger sister’s judgment; the husband she has chosen would surely not be a cold-hearted butcher who sees commoners as nothing more than grass dogs. I understand that the struggles of small noble families in the secular world can be truly compelling, and as a warrior of the Tang Clan, you also have your own reluctant burdens. But now that your family is part of the Xu Clan, you will always have unwavering support to face whatever comes your way; any future mistakes would then be a matter of true intention.”

“Moreover, with old Ying in Longzhou, there may be a turning point in this affair. Since you and my sister are finally reunited after so long, I will not disturb you any further.”

…

The Xu Clan practices methods that engage with the world, not methods of retreat from it. Simply put, the Xu Clan has a distinctly different outlook on the treatment of the powerful compared to other holy lands.

In places like Martial Saint Mountain, where some Buzi grandmasters’ martial arts have reached the level of supernatural abilities, they still focus on deepening their own skills, pursuing the extremity of the Dao without seeking agreement from others. In their world, there are only a handful of people qualified to engage in dialogue with them. More often, they revel in the loneliness of being above the others, indulging in the solitude of the powerful.

This is the usual state for most of the powerful, because once you have reached a certain height in a specialized area of martial arts, many things can be implied but not expressed. You will walk the path of the Dao, and it will not make you feel lonely, for every step on that path is fresh and thrilling.

However, the Xu Clan is different. They categorize Sword Saints into two types. One type of Sword Saint, like the isolated researchers, indulges in the refinement and deep involvement in their own path of the sword, caring little for whether their swordsmanship is passed down. They prefer to visit renowned mountains and sects, challenging powerful individuals everywhere to continuously perfect their swordsmanship.

The other type is the lineage Sword Saint. They take disciples and impart their cherished swordsmanship, passing it on and forming their own schools. In the cities of Yuanzhou, you can see swordsmanship schools of various sizes; these are the places where schools pass down their lineage. Thanks to the open-hearted nature of Sage Teacher Xu Feng, who wishes everyone could be as mighty as dragons, the Xu Clan never hoards their swordsmanship. As a result, many sword experts from the Xu Clan do not rely solely on meticulous study to advance their skills, but instead, they constantly gain new insights through teaching.

Both types of Sword Saints are recognized by the Xu Clan, but they tend to favor the latter because, in the eyes of the Xu Clan ancestors, the talent for swordsmanship is a gift. Heaven and earth create talent with the hope that such a person will contribute to the swordsmanship. If such a powerful individual only seeks to strengthen themselves without contributing to the affairs of the world, then the swordsmanship in this world would remain barren. Not to speak of sword cultivators, even warriors who use swords would be extremely rare.

After all, when considering the difficulty of mastering it and its actual power, the sword doesn’t have many advantages compared to other weapons. The prevalence of sword cultivators today is entirely due to the Xu Clan’s open-mindedness.