Chapter 91

The hill is a sacred place for the family ancestral hall, so naturally, the family members are not allowed to use magic to fly over it. It is said that there are also some restrictions guarding the area.

Therefore, no matter who it is, they can only climb the hill step by step. Unless there is an emergency on the hill, triggering the restrictions could alarm the entire ancestral land.

The family's Transmission Hall is also at the top of the hill, so most of those walking around here are family members who are dedicated to cultivating Qi and have a strong sense of ambition. Those who have given up on the path of cultivation and only rely on their noble status to enjoy life are too lazy to come and climb the hill.

They only come to the hill once a year, during the family gathering on New Year's Day. Otherwise, they would never come here to suffer.

The hill, about 700 to 800 meters high, has a wide staircase, but the slope is quite steep, almost a 60-degree angle leading straight to the top.

An ordinary person would definitely not be able to climb it in one breath, needing to stop at least ten times and take about half an hour. Fortunately, Zhu Lingwu's body has been trained in martial arts, so climbing the hill is not too strenuous for him. He has already climbed halfway up the hill with ease.

"Huh, isn't this the fifth cousin from the seventh branch? Tsk, tsk, I heard you were practicing some martial arts for commoners. No wonder your steps are so light, you seem to be walking faster than all of us!"

After reaching this point, Zhu Lingwu did not dare to easily release his soul sense. He just kept his head down and climbed, but he unexpectedly heard this voice.

Zhu Lingwu's brows couldn't help but wrinkle slightly, and he sighed inwardly. His initial sense of pride was somewhat diminished.

Actually, when he returned from Tongshan County, Zhu Lingwu had already anticipated being ridiculed. This seemed to be a common plot in many novels.

Zhu Lingwu decided to ignore the gossip and pretend not to hear it. As expected, he heard many sarcastic remarks, but these words were only whispered behind his back. Zhu Lingwu treated them like barking dogs.

After all, he mostly moved between three points in his own residence, rarely stepping out, so he seldom encountered outsiders and naturally didn't hear such remarks.

But he didn't expect that on this rare outing, he would encounter a troublemaker who dared to speak to him face-to-face.

Moreover, they met on the hill's staircase, making it impossible to pretend he didn't hear. He wondered who this unfortunate person might be.

However, Zhu Lingwu was not someone who could be easily bullied. Since he couldn't avoid it, he decided to make a big scene. It would serve as a warning to others, so no one would dare to speak to him like this in the future.

Most importantly, Zhu Lingwu, hearing their young voices, boldly released his soul sense to gauge their strength. There were three young men, one at the fifth level of Qi cultivation, and the other two at the second level.

Such strength was nothing to Zhu Lingwu. The second-level cultivators were not worth mentioning, and the fifth-level cultivator could be dealt with using the Thunder Palm if caught off guard.

If that didn't work, Zhu Lingwu still had five Xuanming Ghost Heads, which should easily take him down.

So, Zhu Lingwu looked up and saw the one who spoke, a young man around fifteen or sixteen years old with a fifth-level Qi cultivation. He was dressed neatly and looked quite proud, though it was unclear which branch of the Zhu family he belonged to.

Indeed, he had reason to be proud. To reach the fifth level of Qi cultivation at such a young age, he must have had a good innate spiritual meridian.

The other two second-level cultivators were also around fourteen or fifteen years old, but they stood beside the young man, looking like his followers.

"Strange, I hear pigs grunting. Hey, did you hear that?"

Zhu Lingwu deliberately ignored the young man and spoke to the other two. He had decided to use them as an example, so his tone was not polite.

The young man was clearly taken aback by Zhu Lingwu's words. He stared at Zhu Lingwu, having only intended to mock him casually. He didn't expect Zhu Lingwu to be so defiant.

He didn't really plan to do anything to Zhu Lingwu. After all, he was a fifth-level cultivator, while Zhu Lingwu was just a nine-year-old child. Attacking Zhu Lingwu would make him seem like he was bullying a child.

So, he held his breath and looked at Zhu Lingwu strangely, saying, "Seventh branch's little cousin, you probably don't know who I am! Ah Tian, Ah Nian, tell our little cousin who I am! Hmph, you're quite a mouthy little kid! But I'm a grown-up and won't argue with a child!"

"Who cares who you are? Why did you provoke me just now? Let me tell you, I am practicing martial arts for commoners. So what? Do you want to challenge me?"

Zhu Lingwu glanced at the young man, and his resolve wavered. The situation was different from what he had read in novels. In those stories, antagonists would often attack the protagonist like school bullies, regardless of their age.

This young man seemed to be a self-important rich second generation, and he didn't dare to act recklessly against a fellow clan member like Zhu Lingwu.

Since that was the case, Zhu Lingwu decided to continue playing the fool, continuing to provoke him. However, he felt a bit ridiculous, as it seemed he was now the one bullying others.

"Haha, martial arts for commoners, haha, Ah Tian, it seems our little cousin has really given up on cultivation. But that's fine. Like those other clan members, he can live a muddled life, relying on the family's wealth. At least he won't waste his time! Seventh branch's little cousin, let me tell you, I am your cousin, my name is Zhu Junyu, from the main branch. Don't be so ignorant. What's the point of your martial arts skills? Hmph, I won't bully a child like you!"

The young man, hearing Zhu Lingwu's provocative words, laughed instead of getting angry. As a fifth-level cultivator, he wouldn't attack a nine-year-old child. Even if he won, it would still look like he was bullying a child.

"Hey, seventh branch's little cousin, I am your cousin from the second branch. You can call me Tianrun. What are you doing here? I heard you asked for a set of cultivation techniques and have been practicing at home. Is it because you feel your cultivation isn't progressing, so you came to seek guidance from the elders in the Transmission Hall?"

The young man called Ah Tian also chimed in, gesturing at Zhu Lingwu.

It seemed he was somewhat familiar with Zhu Lingwu...