Xiahou Ying had always been spoiled with a young lady's temperament. Back when Jiang Chen had made such a stunning impression at her birthday banquet, he had caught her attention.
A young woman's heart could be a strange and fickle thing. When every man around her was fawning over her, trying to please her, she wasn't necessarily all that happy or thrilled about it — she had long since grown accustomed to that kind of adulation.
But when someone entirely different from the rest appeared in her field of vision, it was only natural that she'd feel something new.
Curiosity, the desire to explore the unknown — these were precisely the things a woman like Xiahou Ying lacked most in her daily life. Once that kind of itch was scratched, her motivation knew no bounds.
And so she had extended one olive branch after another to Jiang Chen — testing him, attempting to recruit him, sending him messages — all under the Xiahou family's name.
Unfortunately, Jiang Chen had never deigned to give any of Xiahou Ying's olive branches so much as a second thought. Even when they were face to face, he made no effort to conceal his disdain for her.
During his last visit to the Eternal Sacred Land in particular, Jiang Chen had openly mocked her. All of Xiahou Ying's curiosity and desire to understand him had transformed into a seething hatred.
Ever since she was a child, Xiahou Ying had been surrounded by admirers like the moon attended by stars, showered with universal affection. It had bred in her a thoroughly pampered, prideful temperament.
To suffer such a humiliating defeat at Jiang Chen's hands — the bitterness in her heart was beyond imagining.
So when Xiahou Zong asked her about what had upset her, how could Xiahou Ying possibly refrain from piling on the embellishments? Even before her brother had emerged from seclusion, she had been desperate for him to come out soon so he could avenge her grievance on her behalf — beat that arrogant brat into the ground, preferably trample him underfoot so he could never rise again, and then let Xiahou Ying step forward to humiliate him properly. Only then would the rage in her heart be quelled.
After hearing her tale, Xiahou Zong's brows furrowed slightly.
"Shao Yuan?" Xiahou Zong was somewhat puzzled. Even though he had spent the last few years in seclusion, he still maintained a solid grasp of the landscape among the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms.
Among the major powers of the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms, there was no clan by the name of Shao. As for a person called Shao Yuan — he had never heard of him.
But Xiahou Ying claimed this man had risen from the ranks of rogue cultivators, which made Xiahou Zong all the more perplexed. What was the caliber of a rogue cultivator? In Myriad Abyss Island, rogue cultivators had always been a disadvantaged group.
It wasn't as if the rogue cultivator community never produced geniuses, but the probability was vanishingly low. And even when a handful did emerge, their worth could absolutely not be compared to those nurtured by great powers.
Xiahou Zong's instinct told him something was off about this whole situation. But then again, Xiahou Zong's personality had always been one of supreme self-confidence — he considered himself the finest under heaven.
No matter who you were, what genius you might be, or where you came from, he simply did not care.
"Ying'er, don't be upset. As long as that brat participates in this year's Genius Sword Summit, your brother will make sure he regrets ever setting foot in the Eternal Divine Kingdom."
"Brother, don't underestimate him. That guy's no pushover. The Eternal Sacred Land's Nine-Bend Cloud Grotto — the entrance trial. Since ancient times, nobody had ever passed through all nine grottoes. But that brat cleared all nine in a single go, achieving a perfect sweep. He's the talk of the town right now. Word is the Sacred Land is going to pour resources into his cultivation. Who knows — he might become a real threat to you in the future."
Xiahou Ying's goading was rather subtle.
Xiahou Zong heard her out and burst into laughter. "A real threat? Of course I'll have rivals — but not in the Eternal Divine Kingdom. Your brother's goal is to dominate the Grand Genius Tournament of the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms three years from now. When that day comes, I'll make every last genius across all ten kingdoms grovel at my feet and tremble. I will become their lifelong nightmare!"
There was no denying it — Xiahou Zong was insufferably arrogant. His confidence, though thoroughly irritating, was not something one could simply ignore.
Xiahou Ying grinned. "I knew it! My brother is the greatest brother in all the world. This time, you absolutely have to teach that arrogant punk a lesson. Otherwise, people will start saying that no matter how strong Xiahou Zong is, he's still no match for the geniuses of the Eternal Sacred Land."
"Hmph. The Eternal Sacred Land. Which of their so-called geniuses would dare act high and mighty in front of me?" The Sacred Land had what they called the Five Great Young Masters.
Xiahou Zong was well aware of that.
But what were the Five Great Young Masters, really? Not a single one of them had the guts to challenge him, Xiahou Zong, to a proper contest.
The so-called Five Great Young Masters were nothing more than a self-consolation, a self-proclaimed title within the confines of the Sacred Land. They rarely had the chance to measure themselves against one another.
This year's Genius Sword Summit in the Eternal Divine Kingdom would provide just such an opportunity. Xiahou Zong could barely contain his anticipation.
These years of seclusion had been preparation — for the Genius Sword Summit and the Grand Genius Tournament.
It didn't matter who his opponents were or where they came from. What Xiahou Zong intended to do was sweep aside every last rival and make them all tremble at his feet.
His path to greatness as a genius was destined to be built upon the corpses of other geniuses. This was Xiahou Zong's ambition, and the most unwavering conviction on his path of martial cultivation.
He had always believed that the rise of a true genius necessarily required others to serve as stepping stones. Xiahou Zong was absolutely certain of this.