"How dare you?" The Second Elder's voice trembled as he watched Li Kai cautiously. The crowd, still stunned by Li Xiaoyao's display of power, suddenly realized that Li Kai had already stepped onto the stage without them noticing. His target? The Second Elder.

"How dare I? Don't tell me you've forgotten what you just agreed to," Li Kai said coldly.

"Li Kai, calm down. Li Ye is still our family's Second Elder, after all. He's done a lot for us. Let's just let him off this time," Li Batian said loudly.

"Let him off? Li Batian, don't you think that's laughable? Just moments ago, you all ganged up on me and my son, Li Xiaoyao. Did any of you stop to think about all I've done for this family? What? Do you plan on going back on your word in front of all these people?" Li Kai's voice thundered, causing Li Batian's face to harden. Everyone saw what happened earlier, and backing out now would make him lose face.

"From this moment on, I hereby strip Li Ye of his title as Second Elder. Also, take my palm strike." Li Kai didn't even look at Li Batian anymore.

"Not a chance!" Li Ye's body shook as he tried to make a run for it.

"Hmph." Li Kai's hands trembled, and the air around them seemed to freeze. The sound of cracking ice filled the air, and Li Ye's movements became sluggish as bone-chilling cold seeped into his body, slowing him down.

"Boom!" A freezing palm slammed into Li Ye's back. His body halted, covered in frost. Even the blood dripping from his mouth froze solid. He crumpled to the ground, shivering uncontrollably, but his eyes still burned with hatred as he glared at Li Kai.

Li Ye was no weakling. He wouldn't have lost so easily under normal circumstances, but he didn't even dare to fight back against Li Kai. Turning his back on him was practically suicide.

The crowd was in shock. They hadn't expected Li Kai to strike so hard. It was clear their clan leader was truly angry this time. He was making a statement, cutting off Li Batian's power and sending a warning to everyone else.

"Take him away. The annual meeting will continue with the Sixth Elder presiding. If anyone has a problem with that, step up!" Li Kai's robe swirled as he walked off the stage, his authority as clan leader on full display.

Li Xiaoyao watched his father with a slight smile. This was the way of the world—respect only came from strength. His father's earlier restraint didn't mean he was weak, he just simply don't give a fuck...

Li Batian and the Grand Elder were fuming, but they had no choice but to swallow their anger.

The battles continued. Li Xiaoyao's group was the weakest, with only Li Dan at the eighth level of Qi Martial Realm. The rest barely reached the seventh level. Yet, to everyone's shock, Li Xiaoyao hadn't lost a single fight. Along with Li Dan, he was the only one from his group to advance. In fact, the finalists from all four groups were basically set: Li Xiaoyao and Li Dan.

In the other groups, Li Xin from the first group hadn't even fought once, with all her opponents surrendering outright. Li Yang from the second group and Li Wu from the third, both seeded competitors, also advanced undefeated. There was one surprise, though: the Sixth Elder's son, Li Hen. He fought steadily and remained unbeaten, though he hadn't faced Li Wu yet.

Although a few battles remained, the qualifiers were pretty much locked in. The first two groups had completed all their matches, while the third and fourth groups were down to their final fights.

"Third group: Li Wu versus Li Hen. Fourth group: Li Xiaoyao versus Li Dan." As the Sixth Elder made the announcement, the crowd perked up. All four were undefeated, and people were curious to see how strong Li Hen really was. As for Li Xiaoyao, most doubted he could defeat Li Dan, who was at the eighth level of the Qi Martial Realm.

But few believed in Li Hen or Li Xiaoyao's chances. Li Wu was a proven talent among the younger generation, while Li Xiaoyao, despite his surprise wins, had only just broken through to the sixth level three months ago. Even if he had improved, he was likely still at the seventh level, maybe the eighth at best. Beating someone like Li Dan, who was already solidly at the eighth level, seemed impossible.

The four fighters stepped onto the stage. Li Hen, however, quickly bowed to Li Wu. "We've both advanced already. No need to fight."

"The spots are set, sure, but I'm not one to back down. Let's show everyone who's the strongest in our group," Li Wu replied with a confident smirk.

"I concede." Li Hen smiled and casually walked off the stage.

"Li Wu wins," the Sixth Elder announced with a wry smile, knowing his own son had backed out.

"Fucking Coward," Li Wu muttered before leaving the stage. Only Li Xiaoyao and Li Dan remained.

"Hah, finally! It's Li Dan against that useless brat. I hope Li Dan teaches him a good lesson," Li Batian said coldly. He had expected Li Xiaoyao to be eliminated in the second round but was shocked at how well the "useless" boy had done. Now, with a perfect record, Li Xiaoyao was on the verge of advancing.

"Don't worry. Li Dan knows what to do. He'll make that brat pay," the Third Elder said confidently. He trusted his son's abilities. The top three might be a stretch, but Li Dan definitely had a shot at the top five.

"We'll see, then," Li Batian nodded in agreement.

Although the slap mark on Li Dan's face had long faded, the sting remained in his heart. He couldn't forget the slap Li Xiaoyao had given him. He hated him, but he also feared him. This former "useless" young master now radiated an aura of mystery. Yan Song, who wasn't any weaker than Li Dan, had been thrown out of a restaurant by Li Xiaoyao. Li Yan, proud of his swordsmanship, found his sword no better than a toy in front of him. Li Dan had no confidence he could beat Li Xiaoyao.

Feeling the eyes of the entire crowd on him, Li Dan's face twitched. He knew everyone was expecting him to teach Li Xiaoyao a lesson, especially his father. But could he really do that?

"We've both already advanced... How about we skip this?" Li Dan's voice was barely audible.

Li Xiaoyao smirked, saying nothing.

"Damn it!" Li Dan cursed under his breath, exhaling deeply before finally saying, "I concede."

"What the?" The Third Elder and the crowd were stunned. Li Dan... conceded?

Just when everyone was hoping to see Li Xiaoyao's true strength, Li Dan, like Li Hen before him, chose to forfeit without a fight.

"what's wrong with him???" Li Batian's face darkened.

"Maybe he's saving it for the finals," the Third Elder offered, though even he didn't believe that.

With the second round over, the fighters advancing were Li Xin, Li Yang, Li Xiaoyao, Li Dan, Li Wu, Li Hen, Li Ying, and Li Li.

The third round, the finals, would be elimination matches. Four would be cut.

Li Ying and Li Li both stared at Li Xiaoyao, silently hoping to be paired against him, thinking it might be their best shot at reaching the top four.

"The first match, Li Xin versus Li Ying," the Second Elder announced. Li Ying's face turned pale immediately. This was the worst possible outcome.

"Li Xin, I know I'm no match for you, but since I've made it this far, I'd still like to have a fight. I want to see your strength firsthand," Li Ying said, determined. She had no other choice but to fight. The crowd nodded in quiet approval; even knowing she would lose, she still wanted to give it a try.

"I'll oblige," Li Xin replied coldly, not even bothering to look at Li Ying.

"Here I come!" Li Ying shouted as she charged at Li Xin without even using her martial soul. She knew she'd lose anyway, so she just wanted to see how strong someone at the Spirit Martial Realm really was.

"Ice Seal," Li Xin commanded. Before Li Ying's hand could even reach her, it felt as if a thousand pounds had suddenly weighed it down.

The moment Li Xin's delicate hand touched Li Ying, her entire body was instantly covered in a layer of ice, frost spreading over her in seconds.

"Defeated," Li Xin declared as her hand trembled slightly. Li Ying collapsed to the ground, shivering uncontrollably, looking just like the Second Elder had earlier.

"So powerful... this is the strength of the Spirit Martial Realm. Glad I didn't have to face her," the others thought, relieved but also feeling a bit sorry for Li Ying.

"The first match goes to Li Xin. For the second match, Li Yang versus Li Dan," the Second Elder continued.

"I forfeit," Li Dan said with a bitter smile. He had no intention of facing Li Yang, and with back-to-back forfeits, he was now out of the tournament.

"Li Yang wins. Third match, Li Xiaoyao versus Li Li."

"Phew... thank goodness," Li Li smiled in relief. He was also at the eighth level of Qi Martial Realm, but against the others, he didn't feel confident. Li Xiaoyao, however, seemed like the easiest opponent to beat—at least in his opinion.