Chapter 21: Rouge Red, Fire Whirlpool

  Xu Qinghe was of a lower status in the Xu family, holding an idle and miscellaneous position, with a great disparity in status compared to Xu Zhengming's father, Xu Qingliu, who was in charge of procurement.

  "Uncle, just say it directly," said Xu Zhengming, "My homework for today is not yet finished."

  "Zhengming is diligent," Xu Qinghe said carefully, "If my two unfilial sons had half of Zhengming's abilities, Uncle would not have to worry so much..."

  He usually likes this kind of praise, but today he encountered a setback. Hearing these words was like being ridiculed, and he couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed, saying coldly: "Uncle is overpraising."

  Xu Qinghe sensed that Xu Zhengming's tone was off and carefully said: "I came to find Zhengming today, it's about my two useless sons..."

  Xu Zhengming said "oh" and asked: "Zheng Fei, or Zheng Duan? What happened?" Xu Zhengfei and Xu Zhengduan had always been Xu Zhengming's followers, usually following him closely, with no merit but hard work. When his younger brothers have something on their minds, the big brother naturally has to handle it properly.

  "Alas, it's still that troublemaker Xu Qingyuan who left behind!" Xu Qinghe said indignantly. "That little beast Xu Yang didn't distinguish between right and wrong, and beat your brother Zheng Fei into a severe injury! Now he can't get out of bed, and at least needs three high-grade spiritual pills to have any chance of recovery. Zhengming, tell me, when did our esteemed Xu family's direct lineage ever get bullied by a fallen, expelled member like him? Hmph?"

  Xu Qinghe's words that followed were not heard by Xu Zhengming, a name like a thunderclap exploded in his ears: Xu Yang!

  It's him again!

  "Zhengming, if I were to take charge of this matter, it would be inappropriate for me to bully someone younger. In the future, when facing Master Lao, I wouldn't have a leg to stand on. After careful consideration, I can only entrust you..."

  Xu Zhengming cut him off and said: "Uncle, what do you want me to do?"

  "A month later, it's the family competition. Uncle wants to arrange you and Xiangyang in the same group...". Xu Qinghe said, looking at Xu Zhengming's face, "At that time, Zhengming, you should be ruthless, I'm sure the family won't say anything..."

  "That's enough!" Xu Zhengming shouted loudly, his face changing color unpredictably.

  Xu Qinghe stared at Xu Zhengming in shock. In his impression, although Xu Zhengming was arrogant, he wouldn't be so disrespectful to him, after all, he, Xu Qinghe, was Xu Zhengming's uncle!

  For Xu Zhengming, the name Xu Yang had long been a deep pain for him. He didn't care who Xu Qinghe was and after scolding him directly pointed at the door saying: "Uncle, Zhengming is not in a good mood today, please forgive me!" The intention to drive the guest away was clear and obvious.

  Xu Qinghe walked out of the gate with a somewhat dispirited and dejected look, and Xu Zheng, who had been waiting at the entrance for a long time, came up to greet him: "Father, how was it?"

  Xu Qinghe flung his sleeve and angrily said: "Hmph, isn't it all because of these two useless things! My father's old face has been completely lost!"

  Returning home, Xu Zhengfei's mother came up with a worried face: "Dad, the gift we sent over was returned by Meng Dan. He also had someone send over a message."

  "What's up?" asked Xu Qinghe.

  "I will never refine elixirs for the Xus in this lifetime!"

  One sentence was like a thunderbolt, Xu Qinghe sighed and his expression seemed to have aged several years: "It's all because of that scourge Xu Qingyuan!"

  "Father, why does Meng Dan have such a deep prejudice against our family, the Xus?" asked Xu Zheng carefully.

  Xu Qinghe said, "This matter dates back to fifteen years ago, Xu Qingyuan... Alas, I don't want to mention the name of this jinx. This Xu Qingyuan somehow had a stroke of good luck and helped Meng Danxi out with a big favor. As a result, not only did he obtain a precious four-product elixir, but he also became sworn brothers with Meng Danxi!"

  Xu Zheng said in dismay: "This is a good thing, why are you now at odds with each other?"

  "This is why our generation calls Xu Qingyuan 'Jietai'! He doesn't know the height of the sky or the thickness of the earth, and he actually pursued a legitimate daughter of the Haoyun Shangguo Mu family, making the Mu family extremely angry and almost exterminating my Xu family! Fortunately, the old master made a decisive decision and expelled Xu Qingyuan from the house, thus avoiding the disaster of extinction."

  After a pause, Xu Qinghe took a sip of tea and said with some resentment: "That Meng Dan was infatuated, but because of this, she hated our Xu family and broke off all contact with the Xu family from then on."

  "Mo Family?" Xu Zheng asked curiously, "Is Mo Family that powerful?" In his heart, the Xu family was already an extremely powerful aristocratic clan with a history of several hundred years.

  Xu Qinghe sighed, "You're just a frog in a well, looking at the sky. The Mo family is a clan that has been passed down for thousands of years, and any guard who comes out is at least at the Xuanzong level of cultivation! The Mo family's children are all over the Haoyun Upper Nation, holding prominent positions. One of their hairs is thicker than our thighs!"

  Xu Zheng was tongue-tied and couldn't say a word.

  Xu Qinghe suddenly stood up and said: "No way, I want to see the old master, can't let Fei become disabled like this!"

  Xu Zheng nodded and said with a smile: "Grandfather's face, I'm sure Meng Dan will still give it."

  In the house of Xu Zhengming next door, a middle-aged man with a dignified demeanor pushed open the door and was shocked to see the room in disarray.

  "What happened tomorrow?" This man was none other than Xu Zhengming's father, Xu Qingliu, who controlled the power of external procurement and purchasing for the Xu family, a master of the late Xuanmen.

  Xu Zhengming sat cross-legged, slowly exhaling a mouthful of turbid air, and suddenly jumped up: "Father, today I encountered an unbelievable strange thing!"

  "Oh? Tell me in detail, then." A glint of sharp light flashed in Xu Qing's eyes as he knew that whatever made his son so angry must be something significant.

  Xu Zhengming then recounted the process of encountering Xu Yang and competing for the strange stone, but was unable to do anything about Xu Yang. The fighting process was described in particular detail.

  "You suspect that the strange stone Xuyang bought contains 'rouge'?" Xu Qingliu's eyes lit up as he asked.

  "The son didn't dare to confirm, but his father had given him an ancient book before, and from it, he seemed to have seen a description of the crimson red: 'Born in stone, its color is like blood, its shape is multifaceted, it must be entered into the body to know, not something that can be understood by appearance.' He had about 50-60% confidence. Originally wanted to buy it down, but unexpectedly was robbed by that kid Xuyang."

  Xu Zhengming said: "Father, you say Xu Yang that kid, really had a strange encounter, and suddenly broke through to the Xuan Shi level? I really can't believe it!"

  Xu Qingliu chuckled: "Son, you were deceived by Xu Yang. You said that in the end, Xu Yang saw through the weakness of 'Tian Wei You Long Bu' and hit you with six punches, right?"

  Xu Zhengming nodded: "Yes. A Xuan disciple can't see through the flaws of Di Jie Bu Fa, so my son hesitated."

  Xu Qingliu said: "You were hit by a mysterious master six times in a row, can you still be alive and kicking here?"

  One sentence was like a thunderbolt, and Xu Zhengming suddenly realized: "That scoundrel, that little bastard is not a mystic after all! I'll go find him tomorrow and humiliate him thoroughly, venting the anger in my chest."

  "This is not urgent," Xǔ Qīngliú stopped Xǔ Zhènmíng, "You are already a Xuan Shi, going to find trouble with Xǔ Yáng, it's a loss of dignity. Don't look at the old master expelling the Xǔ Qīngyuān lineage from the Xǔ family, it was also unavoidable. Normally, the small fights among the Xuan Tu level are not taken seriously by the old master. But if there is a Xuan Shi involved in bullying Xǔ Yáng... I'm afraid the old master will lose his temper."

  He paused, and then continued: "Moreover, fifteen years ago, Xu Qingyuan was the most dazzling genius in Lin Yuan City, and he had many friends. Like Meng Danzhi from the east of the city and Li Zhongxuan from the north, they were all his good friends. Why didn't they care about Xu Yang's affairs? It's like what happened with Lao Yezi, a fight between two Xuantu-level cultivators is not worth their attention."

  Xu Zhengming's eyes widened and he said: "Is there really no way out?"

  Xu Qingliu smiled slightly: "Of course, there is a way. I remember that in a month, it will be the triennial family competition. I will use some means to put you and Xu Yang in the same group. At that time, you will pretend to lose and severely injure Xu Yang. I'm sure the old master and others won't say anything."

  Xu Zhengming let out a sigh and said, "Good... but Xu Yang was able to see through my footwork and still managed to block my palm strike. It's indeed very strange."

  Xu Qingliu smiled and said, "When something unusual happens, it must be a trick. Your one move, 'Mystic Iron Palm', has a force of over 100 jin, and Xu Yang was able to withstand it, he must have relied on the power of some defensive mystic artifact. The family competition does not allow for external assistance, you can rest assured. As for your footwork, don't use it again, perhaps Xu Yang has studied this footwork before. With a speed at the Mystic level, are you still afraid that you won't be able to defeat Xu Yang?"

  Xu Zhengming finally put his mind at ease and immediately slapped his forehead, saying: "If I had known earlier, I should have agreed to Qinghe's uncle's request, and it would be good to owe him a favor." At this point, he informed his father about Xu Qinghe's visit.

  "It doesn't matter, Xǔ Qīng Hé's strength is low and his status in the family is very low. His personal relationships don't count for much. If you want to be thorough, go visit his other residence."

  In Xuyang's house across the street.

  Xu Yang gently stroked the strange stone, still finding it hard to believe in his heart.

  The "rouge" that would cost a thousand gold coins in later generations, fell into his own hands, and at the low price of 20 silver wolf coins, it wasn't even worth a single high-quality spiritual medicine.

  Crimson red, outwardly calm and peaceful, yet inwardly containing extremely violent and mysterious energy, is the best treasure for building a profound foundation.

  "It seems I'll have to condense the Huo Xuan vortex first."

  Xu Yang cultivated the "Mystic Heaven Eight Scenic Sutra", and all eight extremes were cultivated simultaneously, with rapid progress. However, when breaking through obstacles, there were several difficult passes that needed to be overcome.

  The first hurdle is to build the foundation, condensing the vortex of mysterious power. Practitioners of the Eight Extremes must condense eight vortices of mysterious power and then achieve fusion of the Eight Extremes! This step is extremely difficult, and many ancient heavenly clansmen from later generations fell at this pass and became ordinary people.

  Later generations of the Tian tribe, their physique is not as strange as Xu Yang's. At most, they have three or four poles and need to condense three or four mysterious wheels. Xu Yang's physique has eight poles in balance, requiring him to cultivate eight different attribute mysterious force vortex wheels, with a difficulty that can be called the first in ancient and modern times!

  ，！