Chapter 11

"Even if that Huang Wei has a tenth-level martial soul, Father’s actions are still too biased!" Su Yan said discontentedly, "At the year-end assembly, are we really going to let our Xiao Long...?!" As she spoke, Su Yan’s eyes turned red.

"I’ll go talk to Father!" At this moment, Huang Peng suddenly stood up, his face filled with annoyance.

"No need, Father!" Suddenly, Huang Xiaolong spoke, "There’s no need to go to Grandfather!"

Huang Peng and Su Yan couldn’t help but look at their son.

Just as Huang Peng was about to speak, he suddenly saw a burst of martial aura radiate from his son’s body.

"Martial aura, external martial aura?!" Huang Peng and Su Yan were stunned for a moment before they exclaimed in shock, their faces filled with disbelief.

External martial aura, so...?! The thought flashed through Huang Peng and Su Yan’s minds, First Rank Warrior?! Only those who reached the First Rank Warrior stage could externalize their martial aura; even successfully condensing martial aura wouldn’t achieve this.

"Xiao Long, you, have you really advanced to the First Rank?!" Huang Peng asked in a trembling voice. Even though he saw it with his own eyes, he still found it hard to believe, fearing it wasn’t real.

"That’s right, Father, Mother, I have advanced to the First Rank!" Huang Xiaolong nodded. He didn’t want his parents to worry about the year-end assembly, so he decided to reveal part of his strength now.

Hearing their son’s confirmation, Huang Peng and Su Yan finally believed what they saw, and their faces lit up with joy, especially Su Yan, who, overwhelmed with surprise and excitement, even ran over and hugged Huang Xiaolong tightly. "That’s great, that’s great, my son has finally advanced to the First Rank!"

Su Yan started to cry, tears streaming down her face, tears of joy.

Su Yan had a large chest, and hugging Huang Xiaolong tightly made him feel suffocated. After much effort, he managed to break free, and he smiled bitterly in his heart. It’s just the First Rank, no need to react so strongly, right?

However, he could truly feel the love Huang Peng and Su Yan had for him.

After a long while, Huang Peng and Su Yan gradually calmed down from their joy.

"Xiao Long, how did you advance to the First Rank?" Huang Peng asked, voicing his doubts. With Huang Xiaolong’s talent of a seventh-level martial soul, it usually took about a year to advance to the First Rank.

Su Yan also looked at her son, clearly having the same doubts.

Huang Xiaolong didn’t speak but reached into his chest. Under the puzzled gazes of Huang Peng and Su Yan, he pulled out two red fruits.

The red fruits were dazzlingly red.

"Is this, is this a Yang Fruit?!" Huang Peng and Su Yan exclaimed in shock.

"That’s right," Huang Xiaolong smiled. "A month ago, I found them by chance in a valley behind the mountain. There were five in total, and I have already consumed three."

There were indeed five Yang Fruits, but at the time, Huang Xiaolong had only consumed one.

"Consumed three!" Huang Peng and Su Yan exchanged a glance, and at this moment, they finally understood the "real reason" for their son’s advancement to the First Rank.

"Good, ha ha, Xiao Long, I didn’t expect you to have such a great encounter. The Yang Fruit is a rare fruit of heaven and earth, its effects are no less than the thousand-year-old Luo Xin Grass that Grandfather bought for Huang Wei." Huang Peng laughed heartily, feeling delighted. "And it will be of great benefit to your future cultivation!"

Su Yan also had a radiant smile on her face.

"Father, Mother, these two Yang Fruits, one for each of you, consume them for cultivation," Huang Xiaolong said.

Huang Peng and Su Yan’s smiles froze, and they were about to refuse, but Huang Xiaolong interrupted them, "I have already consumed three, and consuming these two more won’t have much effect. These two Yang Fruits will be more useful if Father and Mother consume them for cultivation."

Huang Peng and Su Yan didn’t speak.

After a while, Huang Peng nodded. "Alright." He took the Yang Fruits from his son, looked at them, and took a deep breath, trying to suppress his excitement. He had been stuck at the late Sixth Rank for over a year. With this Yang Fruit, he should be able to reach the peak of the late Sixth Rank within two months.

He indeed needed this Yang Fruit.

Su Yan, looking at the Yang Fruit in her hand, had a similar expression to Huang Peng. She was at the peak of the late Fifth Rank, and with this Yang Fruit, she had a chance to break through to the Sixth Rank.

"Xiao Long, don’t tell anyone about your advancement to the First Rank for now," Huang Peng said, regaining his composure. "Also, although you have advanced to the First Rank by consuming the Yang Fruit, you still need to work hard and strive to break through to the mid-First Rank by the end of the year."

In Huang Peng’s view, as long as his son could break through to the mid-First Rank by then, even if Huang Wei reached the late First Rank, he wouldn’t be able to cripple his son.

The difference between the mid-First Rank and the late First Rank wasn’t significant.

"Father, Mother, rest assured, I won’t let you down," Huang Xiaolong said.

Huang Peng and Su Yan felt reassured upon hearing this.

After a while, Huang Xiaolong left the East Hall and returned to his small courtyard. Back in his courtyard, he continued his cultivation. After breaking through to the Third Rank, he ran the Asura Sutra, and the speed at which his dual-headed snake martial soul devoured the Netherworld Yin Qi increased, and his martial aura grew stronger.

Almost every other day, his martial aura would strengthen.

Huang Xiaolong’s small courtyard was in the far eastern corner of the Huang Family Village, so apart from his parents and sister Huang Min, few people passed by, which made it convenient for Huang Xiaolong to cultivate.

In his relentless cultivation day and night, Huang Xiaolong’s martial aura and inner strength increased at an astonishing rate.

Early Third Rank peak, mid-Third Rank, mid-Third Rank peak, late Third Rank!

When three months had passed, Huang Xiaolong’s martial aura reached the late Third Rank peak, and he was on the verge of breaking through to the Fourth Rank. By this time, there were only a few days left until the family year-end assembly.

However, the Fourth Rank was a turning point. The Fourth Rank barrier was much thicker and more significant than the barriers of the Second and Third Ranks. Breaking through to the Fourth Rank was much more difficult than breaking through to the Second or Third Ranks.

Some disciples in the Huang Family Village with seventh-level martial souls had been stuck at the late Third Rank peak for two years and still couldn’t break through to the Fourth Rank. Even some with eighth-level martial souls usually took about a year to break through from the late Third Rank peak to the Fourth Rank.

The few days passed quickly.

As the family year-end assembly approached, the Huang Family Village was filled with festive cheer. Since the year-end assembly was followed by the New Year, the village was decorated with lanterns and streamers, and the atmosphere was lively. In contrast, Huang Xiaolong’s small courtyard remained quiet and lonely.

"Tomorrow is the year-end assembly," Huang Xiaolong said as he walked out of his room. After more than ten days of intense cultivation, he was still stuck at the late Third Rank peak. It seemed that breaking through to the Fourth Rank would take more than a few days.

Huang Xiaolong strolled out of his courtyard.

"Tomorrow is the family year-end assembly, have you heard? The old village head will also be there!"

"This year is the first time Young Master Huang Wei will participate in the family year-end assembly after his martial soul awakened, so of course, the old village head will attend. Not only that, I heard that the old clan head of the Li Family will also be invited!"

"So the old clan head of the Li Family will come?!"

The Li Family and the Huang Family Village were two major forces in Canglan County, and the old clan head of the Li Family, Li Mu, had always had a good relationship with Huang Xiaolong’s grandfather, Huang Qide.

(Next chapter, the family year-end assembly begins!)

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