The Confrontation
Li Qiao seemed to want to say something more, but at that moment, a gentle cough echoed throughout the venue. Li Han, who was on the high platform, had already stood up and walked a few steps forward to the edge of the platform. His gaze swept across the crowd, finally resting on Li Yi with a somewhat pleased expression. He spoke softly, "All of you are the fresh blood of our Wanchao Li family and the foundation on which our family has stood for a thousand years. Thus, you all understand how important today's clan assembly is. Our Li family is different from others; we don't fancy complicated formalities. In our family, only the strong can have everything. Therefore, as per our tradition, we will have one-on-one duels. The winners will become important figures in our Li family. The losers, if under twenty years old, can return next year for another challenge."
"Since everyone is clear, let's begin!" With Li Han's command, the training ground fell into utter silence. The duels in the Li family's clan assembly were determined by random draw, so no one knew who their opponent would be. If lucky, they might face a weaker individual, but encountering a stronger one would mean lamenting one's bad fortune.
As the assembly began, Li Qiao lost his interest in troubling Li Yi, his gaze also focusing on the high platform. For an ambitious person like him, winning over the family's strong members seemed more important than troubling Li Yi. An elderly and thin figure, the Fourth Elder of the Li family, who had always been in charge of the family's Penal Hall, slowly floated out onto the platform. Known for his impartiality, he had always been the judge at these assemblies. His skill was exquisite, clearly possessing the strength of a Warrior, and his control over his fighting energy was evidently very proficient. The guests in the VIP seats nodded in approval, and the younger Li family members looked on enviously. After all, with such skills, even a member of a collateral branch could become an elder and have the right to manage the family's affairs.
The usually reticent Fourth Elder seemed completely oblivious to the various gazes around him. He swept his eyes over the crowd, then pulled out a roster from his bosom. His cold voice sounded, determining the fate of two individuals. As time passed, dozens of Li family's younger members had their fates decided on the stage. The winners naturally showed joy, but the losers looked ashen, especially those for whom this was their last chance, their expressions particularly ugly.
Standing far away at the edge of the training ground, Li Yi watched the fights on the stage with a faint smile. The fighting techniques of these Li family youngsters, though they seemed powerful, were full of flaws in Li Yi's eyes. Eventually, he almost wanted to find a place to sleep. However, such arrogant thoughts could only be entertained. Acting out in such an atmosphere would make it difficult to avoid attention.
"Li Nana! Li An! Face off!" The cold voice of the Fourth Elder rang out again. The names piqued Li Yi's rare interest. His gaze slowly landed on the stage, where he saw a slender figure in light blue, Li Nana, jumping onto the stage amid the cheers of the crowd. Opposite her stood a young man with a flattering smile, Li An. His eyes roamed over Li Nana, not hiding his admiration, and he said loudly, "To encounter Cousin Nana is my fortune. Please be merciful, cousin, be merciful."
Li Nana's charming face showed a sweet smile, "Cousin Li An, please be merciful as well... I've longed to enter the Wuyu Pavilion for quite a while, I wonder if you could let me have my wish today?" The Wuyu Pavilion, a significant place in the Li family, was open only for three days after the annual clan assembly. It housed various techniques and fighting skills collected by the Li family over a millennium, and only the winners of the clan assembly could enter to learn.
Seeing Li Nana's coquettish look, Li An was momentarily dazzled, but being able to appear in such a setting, he was someone of substance and knew how foolish it would be to lose this rare opportunity over a woman. He shook his head slightly and said, "That's not possible. I, too, would like to visit the Wuyu Pavilion, so I'm afraid I can't let you have this opportunity." Li Nana smiled indifferently, "Then, you'll need the ability to do so, cousin."
Li An gently shook his head, raising his hands slightly in a peculiar embracing gesture. He whispered softly, "Then let's find out through a trial!" With a gentle clap of his palms, a faint Yuanqi seemed to emanate from the center of his hands. He took a deep breath, his figure shooting towards Li Nana. His palms waved, enveloping Li Nana's entire body, followed by a fierce shout, "Bone Shattering Palm!" The Bone Shattering Palm was quite popular among the younger members of the Li family, many of whom could perform it, so this fighting technique wasn't particularly unusual. However, Li An had clearly devoted some thought to this technique, making his strike seem sharper and more formidable than Li Qiao's had been on a previous day. On the stage, Li Nana saw the attack but displayed a look of disdain. With a flick of her hands, red flames began to appear between her fingers.
"Gentle Fire!" With a slight touch of their palms, Li An rapidly retreated. Although his expression remained indifferent, his retreating figure betrayed a hint of clumsiness. Li Nana seemed somewhat surprised by this. She appraised Li An briefly before saying softly, "Cousin Li An is indeed formidable. Quietly, you've reached the realm of eight crystals in Yuanqi." Li An chuckled bitterly, "No matter how formidable, I can't compare to cousin Nana. Your Gentle Fire move, I admit I can't counter. But you also be careful, cousin, I won't hold back anymore!"
As he spoke, Li An's body shook slightly, and a faint Yuanqi flowed out. He quickly moved to Li Nana's side again, but this time he didn't press in, instead circling around her continuously, a tactic best suited against someone slightly more formidable than oneself. However, Li Nana wasn't fooled by this strategy. With a slight shift, she seemed to anticipate Li An's approach perfectly, cutting off his momentum with a gentle turn of her right hand. Although Li An managed to dash away at the last moment, his figure appeared even more disheveled.
Observing Li Nana's skillful moves, Li Yi nodded slightly, understanding that Li An's defeat was inevitable. Sure enough, before he could even complete his thought, Li Nana suddenly surged forward. Her delicate hand, like white jade, flashed with a faint firelight. When the firelight faded, her right hand had already landed on Li An's chest. With a "Puff," Li An spat out blood, retreating several steps on the stage and finally falling to his knees. Despite his defeat, his expression remained composed. He nodded to Li Nana and said solemnly, "Cousin Nana is truly the foremost of our younger generation. I am thoroughly convinced by my defeat!" After saying this, he shook his head slightly and slowly left the stage.
Li Nana watched his retreating figure, her face showing a thoughtful expression, before she smiled softly, "Cousin, you are very strong as well!" Her charming smile seemed to melt the hearts of many around her, including the defeated Li An, who couldn't harbor any resentment. The male members of the family gazed at her face, almost drooling. From a distance, Li Yi shook his head, pondering that cousin Li Nana was indeed very kind to others, but if she saw him, her smile would surely turn sour. Thinking back to a previous day when she had refused to let him massage her, he felt it was a pity. His gaze then drifted towards Li Nana's chest, his lips curving into a faint smile.
Suddenly, Li Nana felt a chill and quickly turned around. When her eyes met Li Yi's, she darted off the stage like a startled deer. Li Yi couldn't help but roll his eyes – was he really that frightening? Just then, a gentle male voice spoke up, "Cousin Li Yi, it seems your interest in cousin Nana is as strong as mine, undiminished. You seemed indifferent to the other fights, but you paid a lot of attention to this one, huh... Hahaha…" The speaker, a handsome youth around seventeen or eighteen years old, approached Li Yi, his mouth curving into a meaningful smile.