Volume One, Chapter Two: There Are Blossoms Everywhere Beyond the Horizon

Xu Family Main Hall.

“This marriage will not be called off! Your Zhu family is a small household and relies heavily on the support of the Xu family. We have already accepted one million spirit stones as betrothal gifts. The person is still being treated in the medical hut. If you want to break off the engagement, you have some nerve.”

“How many days does Xu Que have left to live? I, Zhu Yanran, have already been accepted into the Xuantian Sacred Land. The dead should not hinder the future of the living!”

Members of the Xu family and Zhu Yanran glared at each other, neither side yielding an inch.

Suddenly, a faint voice came from the side.

“Who said I’m dead?”

Xu Que’s appearance immediately caused everyone in the Xu family to stand up. Wasn’t he still being treated in the medical hut?

Xu raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

“I will handle my own matters,” he said.

Zhu Yanran panicked, “Xu Que, you are so badly injured and yet still alive?”

“Are you disappointed that I’m not dead? It’s only been three days, and Zhu Yanran, you’ve already abandoned me?”

The young woman before him wore a crimson skirt and jacket, her slender figure elegantly outlined, with jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall down her back and delicate, refined features.

Yet the shock in Zhu Yanran’s eyes dimmed her beauty somewhat.

“Why have you lost your cultivation?” Zhu Yanran immediately changed the subject, sensing no spiritual power radiating from him.

Seeing Xu Que reduced to a mortal, her initial shock quickly turned into relief and disdain, even a secret sense of joy.

“Surviving a place where even immortals perish without a trace is already a miracle,” Xu said calmly. “Even my once-proud Divine Martial Bone was shattered.”

“In that case, you might as well settle down as a wealthy commoner. You and I are done. Don’t delude yourself.”

“Why? Were the vows we made mere empty words?” Xu glared fiercely at Zhu Yanran, clenching his fists.

Though he expected this outcome, he still wanted clarity.

Because he truly loved her—love so deep that betrayal was unbearable.

“I…” Zhu Yanran, feeling guilty, was rattled by Xu’s fiery gaze.

Xu Que had been pursued by many women before, but he had been devoted only to her, obedient and self-sacrificing, even giving her his cultivation resources. He had cherished her like a precious treasure.

Now, the look in his eyes was unlike anything she had ever seen. She opened her mouth but found no words.

Because she knew she was in the wrong, yet didn’t know how to justify herself.

“I’ll tell you why,” suddenly came a sharp voice from nearby. A pale, sallow young man appeared, fanning himself with a folding fan.

Xu squinted and recognized him as Zhu Yanran’s elder brother, Zhu Jingwu.

Zhu Jingwu’s cold eyes were filled with scorn as he looked at Xu Que.

“Xu Que, I’m not afraid to tell you—Yanran’s current beloved is Young Master Duanmu of the Xuantian Sacred Land!

“Yanran has also broken through to the third layer of the Martial Sect realm and will leave for the Sacred Land to cultivate in a few days, soaring to great heights!

“You, now powerless, without your Divine Martial Bone, are nothing but a worthless shell compared to her!”

Young Master Duanmu… Duanmu Xiong!

Being fellow disciples of the Sacred Land, Xu Que knew well who he was. Clenching his fists tightly, anger burned in his eyes.

The Duanmu family had deeper roots, belonging to a traditional noble line of the Sacred Land.

Duanmu Xiong himself was no ordinary figure, ranked in the top ten of the Sacred Land’s prodigies and possessed secret pupil techniques.

He had truly climbed to a higher branch.

“Fine, I’ll grant your wish. There are plenty more flowers in the world. Don’t think your Zhu Yanran is so precious. I’ve also brought a letter of divorce.”

Smack!

A tattered cloth inscribed with the character “Divorce” was thrown hard onto Zhu Yanran’s face.

“Ah!” Zhu Yanran was caught off guard, wiping the cloth away.

“You’re asking for death,” Zhu Jingwu roared angrily, ready to strike.

Clang!

Several elders of the Xu family immediately took a defensive stance, their mere presence suppressing Zhu Jingwu from moving.

Xu Que shouted angrily, “This is the Xu family. You have no right to be so insolent. Kneel!”

Thud!

Suddenly, Zhu Jingwu felt an immense pressure, his knees buckled, and he dropped to his knees.

He tried to resist but was crushed by an even greater force, his forehead striking the ground.

Zhu Yanran scowled, forcing down her dissatisfaction, “You’re wise. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other.”

She was about to turn and leave.

“Wait,” Xu said again. “Ninety percent of your current Martial Sect realm cultivation is due to me! Since you want to break off the engagement, return the one million spirit stones betrothal gift the Xu family gave you, along with all the cultivation resources I have provided over the past three years.”

Zhu Yanran’s face tightened.

“Xu Que, accepting your gifts doesn’t mean I accepted you.

“In marriage, the woman is always the one who loses out. There’s no such thing as returning betrothal gifts.

“That money compensates for the damage to my reputation.”

Xu sneered, “You ruined your own reputation, but what about mine? In five days, I will come to collect all the cultivation resources I gave you over the years. If not, I won’t rest until I get them.”

Zhu Yanran was ashamed and angry. “No, wait! Xu Que, are you even a man? Haven’t you benefited from me all these years? How dare you speak like this?”

Xu said coldly, “Oh! How could I forget? The Tianxiang Tower’s courtesan charged one hundred spirit stones for a night. Let me convert that for you—consider it five thousand spirit stones.”

“You! You shameless man!” Zhu Yanran was deeply insulted. Xu had just compared her to the head courtesan of a brothel!

“This is just about breaking the engagement. You weren’t like this before.”

“You men are truly cold and heartless.”

Zhu Yanran’s eyes reddened as she put on a pitiful expression.

This had always been her trump card against Xu Que, and he would be flustered, trying desperately to soothe her with endless emotional comfort.

But Xu waved his hand, “Show them out!”

“Yes, young master,” an elder responded.

Before the siblings could react, a powerful spiritual force blasted them out, sending them sprawling with faces bruised and swollen, limbs flailing.

The two siblings helped each other up from the ground and shouted toward the Xu family gate, “Xu, just you wait! Young Master Duanmu will make you pay!”

But no one in the Xu family paid them any heed.

After dealing with the broken engagement, everyone in the Xu family stared at Xu Que in surprise.

Because when he ended things with Zhu Yanran, he was so decisive.

In the past three years, Xu Que had been a renowned prodigy of Shengjing and infamous as a lovesick fool.

Now, he had awakened.

Even in a breakup, he would no longer feign magnanimity. Every bit of what belonged to him he would fight to reclaim, ruthlessly punishing that wretched woman.

“Xu Que, are you alright?” The family head stepped forward, feeling around Xu Que with a mixture of surprise and joy at his recovery.

Xu Que looked at the family head and elders, saluting each in turn.

“Sorry to worry you all. I’m fine, except I lost my Divine Martial Bone and Divine Fire Martial Vein.”

Everyone comforted him. Losing innate talent was not the end. The Xu family had abundant resources; even those with average aptitude could one day become Martial Kings and regional powers.

But Xu Que only told half the truth.

Though he lost the talent he once prized, he had gained an invincible divine body envied by all heavenly prodigies.

And the mysterious Heavenly Refining Gourd born hundreds of millions of years ago.

Having experienced the loss of his Divine Martial Bone and Vein once, Xu Que preferred to keep a low profile.

“By the way, young master, weren’t you cultivating near the Immortal Annihilation Forbidden Land? How did you end up inside it?” an elder asked.

Xu Que shook his head in denial.

“I didn’t enter it willingly. After being ambushed and crippled, I was thrown in. My soul was almost destroyed…” Xu changed tone, “But somehow, a force threw me back out, and I survived.”

Everyone marveled at Xu Que’s great fortune.

At the same time, they were furious at whoever had tried to assassinate him.

An invisible murderous aura spread. If the culprit were known, the elders would have already mobilized.

The family head immediately issued a strict order: “Send people to investigate who passed near the Immortal Annihilation Forbidden Land half a month ago. We must uncover the truth. Anyone who dares to harm our young master thinks the Xu family is a joke!”

The elders nodded in agreement.

After a long while, everyone calmed down.

Xu Que said, “I’ll handle the matter of breaking off the engagement myself. I don’t want to trouble the elders.”

The family head promptly rejected this.

“That won’t do. We learn from past lessons. Even if you go to the Zhu family, an elder must accompany you. Who will go with you to retrieve the betrothal gifts in five days?”

Many elders raised their hands to volunteer.

But then a clear, authoritative voice came from outside.

“Stop arguing. I, Xu Que’s Aunt, will go.”

Seeing the visitor, Xu Que’s heart lifted in joy.

“Aunt.”