150: Chapter 150 Selection of the Young Master

The gate featured carved beams and painted rafters, the height of luxury.

On the plaque above the lintel, the two large characters for "Xiang Mansion" were written with powerful strokes.

One look was enough to sense the majestic aura of a prestigious and powerful Family.

"Prince~" the two guards at the gate called out upon seeing him.

They hurriedly bowed in greeting, their expressions extremely respectful.

Xiang Tian waved his hand.

"There's no need to be too formal. After all, the Old Ancestor of our lineage also came from this Xiang Mansion back in the day."

With that, led by the servant...

...he stepped through the main gates of the Xiang Mansion.

As soon as he entered, Xiang Tian couldn't help but give a low praise.

"Oh, not bad!"

The air was thick with dense Spiritual Qi.

It was even more mellow and rich than the Spiritual Qi in his own prince's mansion.

As he went deeper, he encountered more and more Xiang Family Disciples along the way.

They moved in small groups through the courtyards and corridors.

Each possessed a steady aura, with a hint of the pride typical of children from a prominent Family in their expressions.

Just then...

...an aged voice rang out, accompanied by the sound of rhythmic footsteps.

"This humble one greets the Prince!"

Xiang Tian looked up.

An old man with white hair and beard, dressed in a cyan brocade robe, appeared.

Behind him followed a group of Xiang Family Disciples wearing uniform attire.

They approached and bowed.

"Mhm, you may all rise," Xiang Tian said, gesturing for them to stand.

However, among the crowd, several Xiang Family Disciples looked on with disdain.

Far from showing any respect, they began to whisper among themselves.

"Hmph! He just got lucky. How is he worthy of being a Prince?"

"Exactly! With a mere Martial King Realm cultivation, he can't even compare to me. To think His Majesty actually made him a Prince—it's laughable!"

"Not just any Prince, but a Prince of Equal Status! He really struck gold with that luck!"

"Look at his Physique—it's mediocre, worse than even an ordinary Disciple's. He's absolute trash. I don't know what His Majesty was thinking!"

"..."

Although the mocking voices weren't loud, every word reached Xiang Tian's ears clearly.

Xiang Tian's brow furrowed slightly.

It was one thing to mock his low cultivation, but they were actually resorting to personal attacks?

Yet he didn't get angry; instead, he let out a scoff.

He glanced over at the whispering Disciples, his voice not loud but clearly reaching everyone present.

"It's only natural that you don't accept me."

"This Prince is magnanimous and won't bicker with you over such petty talk today."

He paused.

"But if you're truly dissatisfied, then let's see the truth on the arena stage. That would be much more interesting than hiding in the crowd and wagging your tongues like a bunch of buffoons."

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man beside him suddenly released a majestic pressure.

He barked, "All of you, get the hell out of here!"

"The Prince is right. Our Xiang Family has always respected strength above all; everything is decided by fists!" The old man's sharp gaze swept over the Disciples.

"If you don't leave now, don't blame this old man for cleaning house and crippling your cultivation!"

The pressure was like Mount Tai crushing down, turning the whispering Disciples' faces pale with fear.

They didn't dare to be even slightly arrogant anymore.

They hurriedly bowed and scattered in a panic.

"Yes, Grand Elder!"

In an instant, they were gone.

Only then did the old man withdraw his pressure, turning to Xiang Tian with a sheepish smile.

"Forgive them, Prince. They are just a bunch of ignorant brats who don't know when to shut their mouths. Please don't take it to heart."

He was calculating very shrewdly in his mind.

Regardless of whether Xiang Tian really became a Prince by luck...

...his status as a Prince of Equal Status was the real deal.

If he could get Xiang Tian to return to the main branch of the Xiang Family, their status in the Imperial City would surely soar.

Even if he didn't want to return, they absolutely could not make an enemy of him.

Otherwise, if word got out, other families would only laugh at the Xiang Family for being ungrateful.

This series of thoughts flashed through the Grand Elder's mind in an instant.

Xiang Tian, naturally unaware of his thoughts, simply gave a casual wave of his hand.

Afterward...

...led by the Grand Elder, the two walked toward the inner depths of the manor.

Before long...

...they arrived at a place bustling with noise and packed with people.

"Prince, this is the Xiang Family's Martial Arts Square. The Young Lord Selection Tournament will be held here," the Grand Elder said, stepping aside to lead the way.

He introduced the place respectfully.

Then, he shouted to the crowd in the square, "Everyone, quiet down!"

The noisy square immediately quieted down significantly as everyone turned to look.

Their gazes fell upon Xiang Tian and the Grand Elder.

"Hmm? Grand Elder, do you have something to tell us?"

"Who's that person next to the Grand Elder? He looks very unfamiliar. Could he be some important figure?"

"He looks a bit familiar, like I've seen him somewhere before..."

The murmurs started up again.

Everyone's eyes focused on Xiang Tian, filled with curiosity.

The Grand Elder raised his hand to quiet them.

He announced loudly, "Everyone, let me introduce you. This is the Prince of Equal Status personally appointed by His Majesty—Prince Xiang Tian!"

As his words fell, the square instantly erupted into chaos.

Commotion broke out, and voices of mockery and doubt swept through once more.

"Holy crap! So it's that guy who got lucky?"

"I heard that during the last trial in the Phantom God Forest, Xiang Yuan and the others gave him all the Spirit Beasts they caught. That's how he stood out and got noticed by His Majesty!"

"Oh? That's true! My older brother told me as well; his actual strength doesn't even reach the Peak of the Martial King Realm!"

The crowd's gazes became increasingly hostile.

Their mockery was blatant.

Xiang Tian's expression remained unchanged as he took a step forward.

His voice was resonant, carrying across the entire square.

"I'm well aware that you have issues with me. But if you have the ability, come up on stage and defeat me. Don't just hide in the crowd and spout useless nonsense."

His words immediately drew laughter from many Xiang Family Disciples.

A burly man with a fleshy face...

...was the first to jump out, pointing at Xiang Tian with a look of disdain.

"You? A tiny piece of Martial King Realm trash thinks he's worthy of me stepping onto the stage to trade blows? It's an insult to me!"

"Xiang Ben, have you lost your mind? How dare you defy the Prince like that!"

"Exactly! Be careful, or the Prince might get angry and order the Patriarch to enforce Family discipline on you. You'll be in for it then!"

"Haha... true. Maybe the Prince really will do that; after all, he's best at using his status to suppress others!"

"..."

The cold mockery from the Xiang Family Disciples...

...showed no sign of stopping.

Xiang Tian chuckled, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"Go ahead and mock me. Today, I'll show you whether this so-called 'luck' can defeat you self-important trash. Lest in the future, you still think my title as Prince was just blown out of hot air."

His current apparent cultivation was indeed only at the Martial King Realm.

But as long as he used this tournament to fight a few more matches...

...raising his cultivation would only be a matter of time.

All this ridicule would sooner or later turn into slaps to their faces.

"Prince, please come with me," the Grand Elder said, quickly stepping in to smooth things over.

He was also uncertain; these Disciples were all reasonably talented within the Xiang Family.

Since Xiang Tian was only at the Martial King Realm, it was hard to say if he could win.

He could only lead him to a safer area first.

Afterward, Xiang Tian followed the Grand Elder to the back of the hosting platform.

In front, there was a separate seat where a middle-aged man in a brocade robe sat.

Behind him sat a row of Elders in various outfits, all possessing steady temperaments.

Seeing Xiang Tian approach, the middle-aged man immediately stood up.

He stepped forward quickly and bowed.

"Greetings, Prince!"

The Elders behind him also stood up one after another upon seeing this.

They bowed in unison, "Greetings, Prince!"

Xiang Tian's eyebrows quirked, and he waved his hand.

"No need to be so formal. I am, after all, a descendant of the Xiang Family. In terms of seniority, you are my Elders."

"The Prince is too kind," the middle-aged man said as he straightened up.

The Grand Elder hurried forward to introduce them.

"Prince, this is our current Patriarch of the Xiang Family; and these are the Second Elder, Third Elder... and Seventh Elder."

Xiang Tian gave a slight nod.

"Elders, I haven't come here today as a guest, but to compete for the position of the Xiang Family's Young Lord. Now that I'm here, how will my entry into the tournament be arranged?"

Upon hearing this, Patriarch Xiang turned to look at the Second Elder behind him.

He commanded, "Second Elder, you are presiding over this Young Lord Selection Tournament. Please take the Prince to collect his entry number."

The Second Elder nodded.

He said "This way, Prince" to Xiang Tian and led him away.

Once the two were far enough away, the Third Elder looked at Xiang Tian's back, his eyebrows twitching.

He spoke up, "Patriarch, in my opinion, we should just let Xiang Tian be our Young Lord. He's now a Prince of Equal Status and the Prince Consort. With him, it would be effortless for the Xiang Family to establish itself in the Imperial City or even reach new heights. This is a once-in-a-lifetime Opportunity!"

Patriarch Xiang shook his head gently.

"Third Elder, I understand your thinking. But the Foundation of a Family is unity. If we manipulate things behind the scenes to let Xiang Tian win without a fight, once it's discovered, the Disciples will surely be dissatisfied, and the Family will fragment. It wouldn't be worth the loss."

"But if we miss this chance..." The Third Elder still wouldn't give up.

"Xiang Tian's status is extraordinary. If we miss him, it will be hard for our Xiang Family to ever have such an Opportunity again!"

"Whether it's an Opportunity depends on his own destiny," Patriarch Xiang sighed, his brow furrowed.

"Ultimately, Xiang Tian's Aptitude is still too poor. He's only at the Martial King Realm now. Even with the boost from his status, it will be hard to convince the masses. It's a pity for all his opportunities."

"Patriarch, I heard from Xiang Yuan's report that Xiang Tian repeatedly performed miracles in the Phantom God Forest, slaying high-level Spirit Beasts with low-level cultivation. Perhaps Aptitude isn't the most important thing?"

The Third Elder spoke again, trying to persuade the Patriarch.

Patriarch Xiang glanced at him, his tone carrying a hint of a rhetorical question.

"In the path of cultivation, Aptitude is the Foundation. Do you really believe Aptitude isn't important?"

That one sentence left the Third Elder speechless.

He could no longer find any words to argue back.

"Alright, none of you need to overthink it," the Fourth Elder couldn't help but interject.

"With Xiang Tian's Martial King Realm cultivation, it's unlikely he'll even make it to the end of the selection tournament, let alone become the Young Lord. There's no point in talking about behind-the-scenes manipulation. Let's just wait and see."

Hearing this, everyone shook their heads helplessly and said no more.

On the other side...

...Xiang Tian followed the Second Elder and quickly received his entry number.

It was a black wooden token engraved with the number "99".

Just then, the Second Elder's figure blurred...

...as he flew onto the hosting platform, raising his hand to signal for silence.

He announced loudly, "Disciples, quiet! The new Xiang Family Young Lord Selection Tournament officially begins!"

"This tournament will use a single-elimination format with no chance for revival. Participating Disciples with adjacent numbers will face each other. Winners advance to the next round, while losers are immediately eliminated!"

"I won't say any more unnecessary words. Now, the first match officially begins!"

As soon as he finished, two figures blurred and leaped onto the Martial Arts Arena.

Immediately after, a light barrier slowly rose around the arena.

Bang!

The two moved almost simultaneously, their fists colliding and causing Spiritual Qi to erupt.

The battle was instantly underway, and cheers and shouts immediately rang out from below the stage.

Holding his wooden token, Xiang Tian found an open spot with a good view below the stage and sat down.

His eyes were fixed on the match on the stage, a sharp glint flashing in them.

This was a perfect Opportunity to raise his cultivation and accumulate face-slapping points.

He had to observe carefully to figure out the strength and Martial Skill patterns of these Xiang Family Disciples.

The two contestants on the stage were both at the Peak of the Martial King Realm, their auras powerful.

Their strikes were full of force, but their Martial Skills...

...appeared much more amateurish and riddled with flaws compared to the short sword in Xiang Tian's hand.

Xiang Tian thought to himself: Looking at it this way, the opening matches might be much simpler than I imagined.

As long as he could steadily win the first few matches...

...raising his cultivation would only be a matter of time.

His gaze didn't just fall on the contestants on the stage...

...but also occasionally swept over the spectators below, carefully observing every Disciple with an extraordinary aura.

Soon...

...he discovered several Disciples hidden in the crowd with steady and restrained auras.

The Spiritual Qi fluctuations surrounding them were clearly far beyond those of an ordinary Martial King.

They were actually at the Martial Emperor Realm!