Chapter 4: The Martial Arts Hall

  A wave of disappointment rose slowly in Xia Yan's heart. Xia Zixing was indeed no longer the Xia Zixing of before.

  "Brother, will you teach me how to climb trees?" Xia Yan's mind recalled a long time ago, Xia Zixing tugging at his clothes with an innocent face full of pleading expressions, and he let out a melancholic sigh in his heart.

  "Xia Zixin, Xia Zixin, do you really underestimate me that much? Are you just like them, thinking I'll always be a useless person? A useless person the entire Xia family doesn't want to see? A useless person everyone looks down on? Haha, no way! I, Xia Yan, will become the Master of the Holy Temple and control the entire Jade Water City!"

  He suddenly lifted his head, a proud look on his face, and straightened his back. Then, Xia Yan strode into the spacious Summer Family Martial Arts Hall.

  The martial arts hall was very large, more than twice the size of the council hall. After Xia Yan entered, he saw that inside the martial arts hall, more than a dozen excellent younger disciples were practicing with some weapons.

  Soon, everyone else also saw Xia Yan suddenly appear. Everyone's gaze was concentrated on Xia Yan in an instant. Because they had never seen Xia Yan in this place before. In their subconscious mind, Xia Yan should not have appeared in this place at all.

  Xia Guqiu also saw Xia Yan! Xia Guqiu is the son of the great elder Xia Lai. One of Xia Guqiu's arms was crippled, and he could only use his right arm! Xia Yan had heard from Third Grandfather Xia Changhe that Xia Guqiu and Xia Yan's father were once the two most outstanding disciples of the Xia family, because they were similar in age and generation, it was inevitable that they would have a competitive mentality. Later, during their competition, Xia Guqiu suddenly went mad and seemed to want to kill Xia Yan's father Xia Dongsheng, but as a result, Xia Guqiu's left arm was crippled.

  From then on, Xia Guqiu and his son had a great estrangement from Xia Yan's father, even almost like enemies.

  "What are you doing here?" Xia Guqiu's face turned iron-green as soon as he saw Xia Yan.

  Xia Yan looked at Xia Guqiu and said: "I want to come to the Martial Arts Hall to learn martial skills!"

  Dead silence!

  "Hahaha... "

  Xia Guqiu was the first to burst out laughing, and the other young men of Xia's age also followed suit, bursting into loud laughter. Their expressions were the greatest mockery of Xia Yan.

  Xia Yan's body shook violently, but soon he suppressed the anger in his heart. He knew that the angrier he was, the happier others would be. He had to pretend to be completely unbothered, so that these people couldn't see the result they wanted.

  As expected, seeing Xia Yan's indifferent expression, Xia Guqiu and others stopped their laughter.

  "Xia Yan, do you know that you are not qualified to enter the Performing Martial Hall?" Xia Guqiu raised her eyes and gave Xia Yan a disdainful glance, saying stiffly.

  Xia Yan said: "I will work hard to cultivate."

  "Xia Yan, how many of your 108 meridians have you opened up?" Xia Guqiu didn't speak, but another young member of the Xia family looked at Xia Yan with a mocking expression. This person was one of the strongest among the younger generation of the Xia family, named Xia Liu.

  Everyone in the Xia family knew that Xia Yan had been cultivating for ten years, but hadn't even managed to open up a single meridian! By asking this, Xia Liu was trying to embarrass Xia Yan.

  Even if it's the worst person, after cultivating for ten years, it's impossible that not a single meridian can be opened. Therefore, Xia Yan is actually also considered a waste by the Xia family.

  "A useless thing that can't even open up a single meridian, actually wants to enter the Martial Hall for cultivation? Haha... " Xia Liu saw Xia Yan remain silent and not speak, so he continued.

  Xia Yan's face was expressionless, and he didn't get angry. Before coming here, Xia Yan had already prepared himself to be ridiculed by these people. As long as he could enter the performance hall to practice, he didn't mind being ridiculed every day. As long as he had enough strength, these people would eventually shut their mouths.

  "Maybe I'll be the first to clear all 108 levels!" Xia Yan's voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to stop the laughter of the crowd. Everyone stared at Xia Yan in surprise!

  This Xiaoyan, really has a problem with her brain, right? She even dares to say something like that?

  "You should at least open up one meridian before spouting nonsense? Xia Yan, don't say any more, entering the Martial Hall requires the clan leader's consent. I think that with your abilities, the clan leader won't agree either. You'd best leave quickly and not waste our time learning and practicing." Xia Guqiu gave Xia Yan a cold glance, waving his hand impatiently as if shooing away a beggar on the street.

  "Scram! Trash!" Xia Liu sneered, holding up the long sword in his hand. "Do you know how many meridians I've opened? Heh heh, let me tell you, I've already opened eighty-seven martial arts meridians. Trash, do you think that with your zero meridians opened, you can learn martial skills? Dream on! Martial skills require inner energy to unleash their power."

  Xia Liu said, with a long sword in his hand, he shook out several sharp sword flowers, as if to pierce Xia Yan.

  "Good words!"

  Suddenly, a stern voice came from behind, Xia Yan heard the voice and knew that it was San Ye Ye Xia Changhe who had arrived. Turning around to look, it was indeed Xia Changhe.

  When he saw the three elders, Xia Liu hastily put away his long sword and showed a respectful attitude. No matter how arrogant he was, he didn't dare to be disrespectful to the elder.

  Xia Changhe glanced at everyone in the martial arts hall and then said to Xia Yan: "Xia Yan, come with me!"

  Xia Yan furrowed his brow, thinking to himself, "It seems like Third Grandfather wants to say something to me?" Yesterday, Third Grandfather said that the Great Elder would speak on his behalf at today's Elders' Meeting, but it appears that not only did the Great Elder not speak on his behalf, he even said some opposing words.

  Xia Changhe took Xia Yan away, and only then did the Xia family disciples in the performance hall reveal their disdainful gazes once again.

  "Hmph, practicing for ten years and not even opening up a single meridian, what a waste. Even if you practice for another hundred years, it's hard to make any progress." Xia Liu said disdainfully.

  "Haha, if trash can unblock the meridians, I'll kowtow to him three times in front of everyone from the Xia family! From now on, whenever I meet him again, I'll lower my head and take a detour to avoid him!" Another young disciple tapped his single-edged sword and sneered at the people beside him.

  In the Xia family, it seems that everyone looks down on Xia Yan! Yet Xia Yan is known by all. Because Xia Yan's father, Xia Dongsheng, was once the most outstanding son of the Xia family, and Xia Yan's mother was a demoness from the Dark Night Continent! These two factors have destined that Xia Yan will leave a deep impression in the minds of all members of the Xia family.

  Following Xia Changhe, Xia Yan left the martial arts hall and headed towards the backyard of the Xia family.

  After a good while, Xia Yan and Xia Changhe finally returned to Xia Yan's humble abode.

  Xia Changhe let out a deep sigh, then looked at Xia Yan with a serious expression, his eyes flickering several times.

  "Xia Yan, don't mention your mother's spirit tablet again. Xia Yan, as long as you live well, your mother will definitely be at peace." Xia Changhe said with a somewhat disheartened expression, and only in front of Xia Yan would he reveal such an expression.

  Xia Yan knew Xia Changhe had done his best for this matter.

  "Ah, I have a ring here that I'll give to you!" Xia Changhe suddenly changed his breath, single-handedly reached into his collar and pulled out a black ring, handing it over to Xia Yan's face. The surface of the ring was as black as ink, and its material couldn't be seen.

  Xia Changhe took out the ring, but his expression was unusually solemn. Xia Yan thought to himself, "This ring, could it be something precious?"

  "Xia Yan, do you know how many years our Xia family has existed on the Dragon Continent?" Xia Changhe suddenly looked at the purple Tonghua flowers outside with a hint of melancholy.

  Xia Yan said of Xia family's history, "Our Xia family has existed for over 400 years!"

  Some books in Xia's family have historical materials about Xia's family, and Xia Yan is familiar with these books, of course.

  However, what made Xia Yan unexpected was that Xia Changhe shook his head and looked at Xia Yan with a bitter smile.

  "In fact, our Xia family has existed on the Dragon Continent for over 4,000 years!" Xia Changhe took a deep breath.

  "Ah?" Xia Yan couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

  Even if he was calm by nature, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise at this moment.