"Lei Dong, at that time, you were probably just entering the Dou Venerate stage! How could you possibly compare with Brother Gu Fei?"
Xun'er's questioning echoed through the grand hall.
As her words fell, Lei Dong, who had stood up, had a very unpleasant expression on his face.
The two elders of the Lei Clan quickly looked at Lei Dong, worried that his fiery temper might cause trouble.
However, what Xun'er said was indeed true. After all, when Leidong was Gu Fei's current age, he had only just entered the Dou Venerate stage, while Gu Fei had already reached the peak of Nine-Star Dou Venerate. Comparing the two, the difference in talent was clear.
Even Gu Fei couldn't help but take another look at Xun'er.
However, when he remembered some past events, Gu Fei's emotions gradually returned to calm.
Such a fickle woman was someone he really didn't want to get too involved with anymore.
Who knows if, in the future, she might treat him the same way she was treating Lei Dong today?
Gu Yuan, Gu Lie, and the others were well aware of the difference in talent between Lei Dong and Gu Fei. However, questioning Lei Dong in front of everyone seemed inappropriate.
The Lei Clan had come to propose marriage to Xun'er with full sincerity, and some consideration for their dignity was necessary.
"Haha, Xun'er, everyone has their own destiny. Some may start slow and progress quickly later, while others may start fast and slow down later. Everything is unknown..."
"Lei Dong's future achievements may not necessarily fall short of Gu Fei's. Besides, the Lei Clan is our guest here, and what you are doing now is not the way we treat our guests."
Gu Yuan smiled as he gently admonished Xun'er, advising her not to act so recklessly.
"Oh..."
Xun'er sat down again, glancing briefly in Gu Fei's direction.
Even though the hall was now almost in an uproar, with arguments erupting, Gu Fei, one of the central figures, still sat there drinking as if nothing was happening, occasionally smacking his lips and analyzing the taste of the wine.
Lei Dong took all of this in, and being someone who had been hailed as a genius since birth, he had never been so humiliated.
Even though it was Xun'er who provoked him, Leidong directed his anger toward Gu Fei.
In his mind, Gu Yuan's earlier words were not even meant to support him.
It was merely out of courtesy to preserve the Lei Clan's dignity.
He had not received any recognition, which made him even more furious.
He looked at the indifferent Gu Fei, and his repressed emotions erupted.
The next moment, he laughed loudly, saying, "Patriarch Gu Yuan is right... In the journey of cultivation, the unknown awaits. The future is uncertain, and who can say for sure what will happen?"
"However, I am confident that since I am stronger than Gu Fei now, I will naturally be stronger than him in the future. If he dares to spar with me, I will suppress my cultivation to the peak of Dou Venerate. I just wonder if he dares to accept the challenge..."
As he spoke, Lei Dong turned to face Gu Fei, taunting, "Gu Fei, are you still going to be a coward and hide?"
"If you spend your whole life hiding behind women and elders, you'll achieve nothing in this life..."
"What good is talent if you're nothing more than an eggshell that shatters at the slightest touch?"
Lei Dong's words were pure provocation, and even the usually calm Gu Fei frowned at this moment.
The other party had publicly insulted him; if he didn't respond, he would have no standing in the Gu Clan.
Gu Fei's eyes changed, his previous calmness replaced with sharpness.
His gaze turned cold as he looked at Lei Dong, his aura not yielding at all to Leidong's anger.
Just as Gu Fei was about to say, "If you want to fight, then let's fight- no need for you to suppress your cultivation!" a terrifying pressure swept through the hall.
"Insolent!"
A calm voice sounded.
Although the voice was calm, no one dared to ignore it.
The pressure contained in those simple words made everyone's faces change, feeling as if they were being crushed by a heavy weight.
Because the speaker was none other than the Patriarch of the Gu Clan, Gu Yuan.
In Gu Yuan's heart, he agreed with Xun'er's words, always considering Gu Fei the future leader of the Gu Clan. How could he allow an outsider to act so arrogantly in his domain?
The Lei Clan was a guest, and their purpose this time was to propose marriage to Xun'er. Xun'er's stern refusal was indeed impolite, which was why Gu Yuan had mediated to preserve the Lei Clan's dignity.
But for Lei Dong to publicly reprimand Gu Fei- when had it ever been the Lei Clan's place to scold the Gu Clan?
Moreover, the one he was mocking and provoking was the future successor of the Gu Clan.
Gu Yuan had already given the Lei Clan enough respect.
But Lei Dong's actions showed complete disregard for the Gu Clan.
For such an ill-mannered junior, who wasn't his daughter, Gu Yuan was not inclined to show leniency.
Gu Yuan's aura was so overwhelming that even the recently ascended Three-Star Dou Saint, Zi Yan, appeared like a child before him.
The two elders of the Lei Clan quickly realized something was wrong. Lei Dong's behavior at this two-clan banquet was a blatant provocation to the Gu Clan. They quickly apologized and reprimanded Leidong.
"Patriarch Gu Yuan, please don't be angry. Lei Dong was out of line. Please forgive him."
"He is young and impetuous, eager to prove himself. He didn't mean to disrespect the Gu Clan. We ask for your forgiveness, Patriarch Gu Yuan."
"Lei Dong! Hurry up and apologize to Patriarch Gu Yuan!"
If Gu Yuan truly became angry, the consequences would be unimaginable. The Lei Clan elders couldn't afford to test his patience and quickly urged Leidong to apologize.
Under Gu Yuan's immense pressure, Lei Dong turned pale, feeling as if a ferocious beast had opened its jaws right in front of him, ready to tear him apart with a snap.
"Patriarch Gu Yuan, please forgive me. I was reckless earlier!"
Leidong, his face ashen, bowed in apology. He struggled to maintain his posture, resisting the urge to kneel under the overwhelming pressure.
Facing Gu Yuan's words, no matter how unwilling he was in his heart, Lei Dong had no choice but to submit.
Meanwhile, Gu Fei, another central figure, simply resumed drinking as soon as Gu Yuan spoke, never uttering a word, while others continuously stood up for him.
...
In the grand hall, after Lei Dong apologized, Gu Yuan did not pursue the matter further. After all, he was just a junior, and a show of authority was enough.
After this incident, the banquet grew much quieter.
The younger generation of the Lei Clan drank in silence, while Xun'er's gaze occasionally drifted to Gu Fei, but he never looked back at her.
The Lei Clan elders realized that their proposal was hopeless and that they had even angered the Gu Clan's patriarch. After a short while, they found an excuse to bid farewell to Gu Yuan.
"Patriarch Gu Yuan, we take our leave!"
The two elders of the Lei Clan hurriedly ended the banquet and left with the younger generation.
However, before leaving, Lei Dong couldn't help but glance at Xun'er one last time, only to see her gaze fixed on Gu Fei. Seeing this, Lei Dong clenched his fists tightly.
"When I return from training in the Lightning Demon Pool, I will prove to everyone who the real number one prodigy is..."
As he left, his fists were tightly clenched, his resolve firm.