Deep within the Su Family estate, the cultivation chamber remained silent.
A young man stood in the center of the room in a strange stance.
His legs were bent.
His waist was lowered.
Both hands were held before his chest while his entire body remained completely motionless.
It was a pile stance.
Yet the seemingly simple posture placed enormous pressure upon his body.
The young man's muscles bulged visibly beneath his skin.
Veins crawled across his arms and neck like tiny snakes.
Sweat continuously rolled down his forehead.
His breathing became increasingly heavy.
Inside his body, his Qi-Blood surged violently.
It was like a raging river repeatedly crashing against the walls of his meridians.
The young man's expression became strained.
"Calm..."
He gritted his teeth.
"Control it."
His consciousness sank inward.
He carefully guided the raging Qi-Blood through his body, repeatedly circulating it through his muscles and bones.
Little by little...
The violent fluctuations began settling.
His muscles gradually relaxed.
His breathing became steadier.
After nearly an hour...
The young man finally opened his eyes.
A faint gleam flashed within them.
His aura had become noticeably stronger.
He slowly straightened his back.
Then...
He clenched his fist.
The muscles across his arm tightened instantly.
Boom!
His fist shot forward.
The air trembled slightly.
The young man didn't stop.
One punch became two.
Two became ten.
His movements gradually accelerated as he began practicing a powerful fist technique.
Every punch carried the weight of his entire body.
His feet remained firmly rooted while his waist and shoulders coordinated with every strike.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The quiet cultivation chamber soon became filled with the sound of fists colliding with the air.
Several hours passed.
Only then did the young man finally stop.
His chest rose and fell heavily.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead before reaching toward the sword resting beside him.
The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt...
His entire temperament changed.
His movements became lighter.
His body shifted repeatedly across the room while the sword in his hand traced graceful arcs through the air.
Sword Physique.
This was another external martial art he had been practicing.
Although his cultivation progress remained far behind what the Su Family had originally expected from its young master, he had never completely abandoned martial arts.
After years of struggling against his blocked Innate Acupoints...
He had finally managed to reach the Major Accomplishment of Muscle Refining.
If compared with internal martial cultivation...
His current level was roughly equivalent to the peak of the True Qi Realm.
It was far from impressive.
For an ordinary martial artist, reaching this level at his age could already be considered respectable.
For the young master of the Su Family...
It was rather lackluster.
Especially when compared with the younger generation of the other major families.
Compared with Liu Ruyan...
The gap was practically the distance between heaven and earth.
Yet the young man had never completely given up.
He knew his own limitations.
He simply continued cultivating.
One day...
Perhaps his blocked acupoints would open.
Perhaps they wouldn't.
He could only keep moving forward.
Just as he prepared to continue practicing...
The cultivation chamber's doors suddenly opened.
A servant hurried inside.
The young man immediately frowned.
The servants of the Su Family knew that his cultivation could not be disturbed without an important reason.
"What happened?"
The servant quickly bowed.
"Young Master..."
"Something has happened in the receiving hall."
The young man's expression changed.
"What?"
The servant hurriedly explained.
The moment he finished speaking...
The young man's face darkened.
He immediately grabbed his outer robe and put it on.
"Take me there."
Before the servant could respond, the young man had already rushed out.
His speed was astonishing.
The servant stared blankly at his rapidly disappearing figure.
"Young Master..."
"Has he secretly been practicing some movement martial art?"
He quickly chased after him.
...
Meanwhile...
The atmosphere within the Su Family receiving hall had become increasingly tense.
Several elders stared coldly at Liu Ruyan.
One of them finally stepped forward.
"Miss Liu."
"Do you truly believe the Su Family will simply accept this?"
His voice carried obvious anger.
"The Liu Family used to be the weakest among the four great families."
"The reason you were able to rise so quickly..."
"Wasn't it because of the Su Family?"
Liu Ruyan remained silent.
The elder continued.
"Because of the engagement between you and Young Master Su, the Liu Family received countless opportunities."
"Resources."
"Business partnerships."
"Connections."
"Even several cultivation techniques."
"Your family benefited enormously."
He pointed toward the ground.
"And now that you've entered the Jade Sword Palace..."
"You come here and demand that the engagement be cancelled?"
"What gives the Liu Family the right?"
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
Several Jade Sword Palace disciples behind Liu Ruyan exchanged glances.
Even they couldn't deny that the elder's words contained truth.
The Liu Family had indeed benefited enormously from the engagement.
If not for the Su Family's support over the years...
It was unlikely that Liu Ruyan would have received the same cultivation resources.
Liu Ruyan's expression gradually darkened.
Yet she didn't lose her composure.
After several breaths...
She slowly bowed her head.
"Senior is correct."
"I will never deny the assistance my family received from the Su Family."
"I am extremely grateful."
Her voice remained cordial.
"Without the Su Family..."
"The Liu Family might not have reached its current position."
Several Su Family elders snorted coldly.
One of them muttered,
"At least you still possess some conscience."
Liu Ruyan didn't respond to the provocation.
She slowly raised her head.
"But..."
"Today, I am not here as a member of the Liu Family."
The hall became silent.
Her gaze gradually became firmer.
"I came here as a Core Disciple of the Jade Sword Palace."
The moment those words were spoken...
The atmosphere changed.
The Su Family elders understood exactly what she meant.
She was drawing a line.
Whatever benefits the Liu Family had received from the Su Family...
That was one matter.
Her identity as a Jade Sword Palace Core Disciple...
Was another.
The Patriarch's eyes narrowed slightly.
Before he could respond...
Footsteps suddenly echoed from outside.
Several figures entered the receiving hall.
The leading elder wore luxurious robes bearing the insignia of another great family.
Behind him stood a young man.
The moment the Su Family elders saw them...
Their expressions changed.
"The Wei Family."
The Wei Family elder calmly cupped his fists.
"Brother Su."
The Su Family Patriarch's eyes narrowed.
"You arrived rather quickly."
The Wei Family Patriarch smiled faintly.
"We happened to be nearby."
"After hearing that Miss Liu had come to discuss an important matter..."
"We naturally felt that we should pay a visit."
The words were polite.
The meaning behind them wasn't.
Several Su Family elders exchanged dark looks.
This was no longer a discussion between two families.
It was an intervention.
The Wei Family had deliberately arrived at the same time as Liu Ruyan.
And judging by their expressions...
They had clearly known what was about to happen.
The young Wei Family Master stepped forward.
His gaze swept across the room before finally landing upon Liu Ruyan.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Liu Ruyan's eyes flickered slightly.
The Su Family Patriarch noticed the exchange.
His expression became even colder.
"So..."
He slowly spoke.
"This is the reason you came prepared."
Liu Ruyan remained silent.
The Wei Family elder smiled.
"Brother Su."
"Don't misunderstand."
"We merely came to witness the matter."
One of the Su Family elders immediately sneered.
"Witness?"
"Three families gathering in our receiving hall."
"And you call that witnessing?"
The Wei Family elder's smile remained unchanged.
"Sometimes..."
"Certain matters are better settled when everyone understands the situation."
The Su Family Patriarch's aura slowly began rising again.
The receiving hall instantly became heavy.
Everyone understood.
The engagement between Su Yang and Liu Ruyan...
Was no longer merely a marriage arrangement between two families.
It had become a struggle involving the future positions of the four great families of Dongtai Prefecture.
And at this moment...
The Su Family's young master was still rushing toward the receiving hall.