Chapter 20: I Shape My Own Fate

Chapter 20: I Shape My Own Fate

The entire hall fell deathly silent. It was as though everyone was forcing themselves to believe they had heard wrong... that it was merely a hallucination.

The geniuses gasped in disbelief, their faces pale and stiff. Xiao Lan froze completely, his usual mischievous and rash temperament suppressed by sheer shock. Even in his wildest imaginations, he would never dare speak back to an elder, let alone in such a manner. His twin sister, Xiao Li, stood dumbfounded. Her lips parted as though to speak, yet no words left her mouth.

Xiao Han's face darkened, his fists clenched as his gaze fixed on Xiao Chen. "How audacious" he mumbled under his breath, his heart thundering.

"Brother Chen..." Xiao Rongyu whispered in a trembling voice. Her amber eyes glistened with emotions she dared not express aloud. Shock, disbelief, and worry swirled within them. Among the younger generation present, only she truly understood Xiao Chen... yet even she had not anticipated this.

As for the other geniuses, their faces were ashen. Fear had gripped their hearts so tightly that none dared utter a sound.

The First Elder blinked twice, his aged face twitching slightly. For a brief moment, disbelief overtook him. The arrogant words of Xiao Chen left him stunned. Never in the history of the family had a junior dared speak so brazenly before him. "This brat..."

Sensing the dangerous air growing heavier, Elder Xiao Mei's face paled. She quickly stepped forward, trying to intervene before the situation spiraled beyond control. Her gentle voice trembled slightly as she forced a smile.

"First Elder... please, this child is still young... hot-blooded. Perhaps... he doesn't understand the gravity of his words and is blinded by youthful arrogance. Let us all calm down—this isn't the time to deepen conflict within the family. Cooler heads must prevail..." she pleaded, bowing her head slightly.

However, the First Elder was unmoved. His sharp gaze locked onto Xiao Chen, filled with disdain and rage. "Hmph", You call that arrogance 'youth'? It's nothing but defiance. There's no place for such disrespect in this family," he scoffed.

Still, Elder Xiao Mei clenched her fists. She couldn't simply watch as things escalated. Yet no matter how she tried to reason, the First Elder was determined.

And then—

A cold, mocking voice suddenly echoed through the room, cutting off all words.

"First Elder, don't waste your breath on him! Since no one is willing, this humble one shall personally teach him respect!"

The voice belonged to none other than Deacon Mo. With a twisted grin, his short figure stepped forward. His disheveled hair and unkempt beard made him look more like a beggar than a deacon, yet the wicked glint in his eyes was unmistakable.

His gaze landed on Xiao Chen, filled with disdain and arrogance. He pointed a finger and barked, "You... just who do you think you are? You dare insult an elder of the Xiao Family? You must be punished according to the family's laws!"

Deacon Mo's eyes flashed with cruelty as his aura erupted violently. "Since no one else will do it, I—Xiao Mo—shall teach you proper respect!"

Boom!

The air trembled as his cultivation burst forth—Middle Stage Martial Master Realm!

"Die!" he roared. Spiritual iQ surged around his arm, condensing rapidly. In the blink of an eye, a massive eagle claw materialized around his hand, sharp and deadly. With terrifying speed, he lunged toward Xiao Chen like a bird of prey swooping down on helpless prey.

"Brother Chen!" Xiao Rongyu gasped, eyes wide with horror.

However, Xiao Chen stood firm, his expression cold and indifferent. Without hesitation, his own aura erupted, sweeping across the hall like a raging storm.

"Peak Stage Martial Soul Realm!"

The sudden release of his power stunned everyone. Yet... what shocked them even more was the sheer weight of his aura. Despite being a realm lower, Xiao Chen's presence far surpassed Deacon Mo's. It wasn't just the difference in cultivation—it was something deeper, primal, and oppressive.

Unseen to most, the Heavenly Yin-Yang Dragon phantom shimmered into existence behind Xiao Chen. Majestic and terrifying, its vast silhouette towered above him, filling the space with an ancient might.

The moment Deacon Mo's Eagle Claw closed in, Xiao Chen's eyes turned cold as frost. With a deep breath, he stepped forward, his fist covered in glistening spiritual iQ. Channeling the full weight of his strength, he launched his counterattack.

Boom!

The two forces collided head-on. A blinding light burst forth, and a shockwave erupted, sweeping across the hall and shaking the very foundation.

However, it became instantly clear—Deacon Mo was no match.

Bang!

Deacon Mo's figure was sent flying, faster than he had come. His body crashed hard into the ground, sliding several feet before coming to a stop. Blood trickled from his lips as his knees buckled heavily beneath him.

The hall fell silent once again.

No one could believe what had just happened.

"Impossible..." Deacon Mo gasped, his face pale as he struggled to lift his head. The overwhelming force of that one punch had left his body trembling.

It was unthinkable—how could a mere Peak Martial Soul Realm junior overpower a Martial Master like him?

---

Impossible!! The First Elder roared, his voice filled with disbelief as it echoed throughout the hall. His expression twisted, the wrinkles on his face deepening like dried cracks in a desert land.

"What?!" Elder Xiao Feng staggered back two steps, clutching his chest as if someone had just driven a blade through his pride. His lips quivered, and for the first time, his calm facade broke. He felt as though the very foundation of the world he'd known had begun to crumble before his eyes.

The entire hall was frozen in absolute shock, not even the sound of breathing could be heard. Their gazes were all fixed on Xiao Chen, as though they were staring at a ghost.

However, among them, Xiao Yang's reaction was the most dramatic. "No! This cannot be! It's a lie! It must be a lie!" he shrieked, staggering back. His normally calm and refined face contorted grotesquely. The veins on his neck bulged as he laughed hysterically, his laughter filled with madness. Just moments ago, he had been basking in the imagined glory of his son's rise, of the Patriarch's seat finally falling into his grasp. He had seen the future so clearly—but now, it was nothing more than an illusion. "All gone... gone!" He howled like a wounded beast.

"W-What is happening?" Elder Xiao Jian muttered in confusion. Even his aged eyes failed to comprehend the scene before him.

Madam Xiao Ru, who had remained composed all through, couldn't keep calm either. Her old eyes flickered with astonishment as she stared at Xiao Chen. "How can this be? The boy we all deemed trash suddenly exploding with such power?"

It was then that realization dawned upon them.

"Heaven Rank Martial Spirit... and at its Peak, no less!" Patriarch Xiao Hao's voice trembled with disbelief before suddenly breaking into laughter. "Hahahaha!" All the suppressed rage, pain, and helplessness he had felt moments ago vanished like the morning mist. It was replaced with unrestrained joy and pride. His eyes shone brightly as he gazed at his son. "And not just that… it's a Divine Beast Martial Spirit!"

The words struck like thunder in everyone's ears.

Elder Xiao Mei stood frozen. Her hands trembled visibly as she tried to steady herself. "This boy… it wasn't just his Aura that changed. In one night, he awakened a Peak Heaven Rank Divine Beast Martial Spirit... and his cultivation soared to the Peak of the Martial Soul Realm." She swallowed hard, her gaze burning into Xiao Chen as though trying to unearth the secrets hidden within him. "His foundation... it's terrifyingly solid. I can't even fathom how he accomplished this."

The Third Elder, who rarely spoke, finally opened his mouth. His tone grave, each word heavy with meaning. "Peak Heaven Rank… that is the pinnacle of Martial Spirit potential. Even in the mighty Elemental Dao Sect finding someone of such level would be rare, nearly impossible." He sighed deeply, resuming his bead counting, but his fingers trembled ever so slightly.

The younger generation of geniuses was completely dumbfounded.

"I-Impossible..." One of them whispered, his eyes hollow with despair. "That was a Martial Master and he sent him flying like a mere rag doll. We're all supposed to be the pride of this generation… How can the gap be so vast?" The words echoed the unspoken fear within every genius present.

Xiao Han's eyes widened, his pupils shaking uncontrollably. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. "I-I thought I finally surpassed him, I thought I'd won... Yet now… he's no longer someone I can even chase."

Xiao Lan, the most mischievous of them, slumped to his knees, his lips dry. "He crushed a Martial Master... Brother Chen… w-what kind of monster have you become?"

His twin sister, Xiao Li, stared at Xiao Chen with wide eyes. "Was he ever really just one of us… or was he always above us, merely hiding his light?" she muttered.

Xiao Boyan clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles whitening. "I was already preparing to celebrate Xiao Han's victory tonight… toasting to a new era. What a joke… what a cruel, cruel joke this turned out to be."

Even the most arrogant among them dared not speak. Xiao Chen had become a towering mountain none of them could see the peak of—a dragon finally awakened from its slumber.

Through the stunned silence, a sweet voice broke through. "Brother Chen… I knew something wasn't right that day, I'm so glad… so very glad you could do it." Xiao Rongyu's eyes shimmered with tears as a gentle smile curved her lips.

Xiao Chen turned to her slowly, his cold eyes softening momentarily. "Thank you," he murmured, his lips tugging into the faintest of smiles. It lasted only a heartbeat before his gaze returned to the Elders.

Suddenly, the air shifted as Xiao Chen's aura surged once more. His expression was calm but unyielding as he spoke, his voice clear and resonant. "Listen carefully, all of you. I do not care what decisions you made behind my back. I don't care for your schemes, nor your judgments. What I know… is that I shape my own fate."

As the last word fell, a powerful invisible force swept through the room, causing the walls to tremble lightly as if the heavens themselves bowed to his will. His voice carried a strength, an iron conviction born from the baptism of Long Tianyi's immortal will—a man who defied the heavens themselves.

No one dared speak.

No one dared stop him.

With that, Xiao Chen turned on his heels, his black robes billowing behind him like a soaring dragon ascending to the heavens. Step by step, he walked out of the hall, leaving only silence and awe-struck gazes in his wake.

The hall remained silent long after his figure disappeared. No one moved. No one breathed. They had all just witnessed the rise of a legend.