Shen Xiang took a few quick steps forward, his hand resembling a dragon's claw, extending rapidly to firmly grasp the flying long sword. An explosive force surged, and with just a tremor of his arm, he blocked the true energy erupting from the sword, standing there as steady as Mount Tai.
In a cold voice, Shen Xiang said, "I am Shen Xiang, a member of the Shen family! Who are you? State your names quickly, or I will treat you as assassins!"
This startled Xu Ming and Xu Zhilang; Shen Xiang was clearly provoking the Yao family's caravan. They knew that the Yao family had sent many experts to protect their talented member, and that sword attack had left them trembling; if it were them, they certainly wouldn't have been able to withstand it.
"Little Brother Xiang!" Just then, a melodious voice came from the caravan, and a graceful figure suddenly leaped over, moving so quickly that it was breathtaking. Those with poor eyesight wouldn't be able to see the person's face at all.
But Shen Xiang could see clearly; it was Xu Xianxian. Her lightness skill had reached an extraordinary level, making even Shen Xiang marvel.
Xu Xianxian effortlessly soared through the air, covering a hundred or so zhang in an instant, landing in front of Shen Xiang and the others, smiling brightly, "Little Seven, Little Eight, you're here too!"
Xu Ming and Xu Zhilang's faces turned gloomy. Xu Ming said, "Little girl, don't call us that in front of outsiders; it's embarrassing!"
Xu Xianxian stuck out her tongue at them, then giggled softly, revealing two adorable dimples on her beautiful face.
Shen Xiang pinched Xu Xianxian's delicate face and smiled, "How can you be with the enemy of your future husband? I was almost killed by that group just now."
Xu Xianxian wrinkled her nose and laughed, "I knew Little Brother Xiang was very strong; that sword just now was released by a Yao family elder."
Recalling the terrifying true energy from earlier, Shen Xiang agreed it was formidable, at least the strength of someone at the seventh level of the Common Martial Realm, but he could easily withstand it with his Five Elements True Energy.
The Yao family caravan had now stopped, and a few individuals stepped down from a carriage, seemingly waiting for Shen Xiang and the others to approach.
"Little Brother Xiang, let's go over!" Xu Xianxian whispered.
"But there's no need," Shen Xiang replied coldly, gazing at the caravan. Thinking of the merciless sword that had just attacked him made him angry; was it fair for an ordinary person to die unjustly?
"Young disciple of the Shen family, hurry and pay your respects to the elders of the Yao family!" someone shouted impatiently from the other side.
"I will not pay respects to those who tried to kill me, and there is no rule in the Shen family stating that younger members must pay respects to the elders of the Yao family!" Shen Xiang coldly retorted.
Xu Ming and Xu Zhilang looked at each other in admiration, astonished that Shen Xiang dared to confront the Yao family's people, especially in front of one of their elders!
"Hmph, just a weakling who talks big. Let's continue on our way!" a haughty voice came, sounding weak but still managing to reach Shen Xiang and the others, indicating that the speaker was not an ordinary individual, as they were at least a hundred zhang away.
Xu Xianxian frowned and huffed softly, then linked arms with Shen Xiang, whispering, "Ignore him!"
Shen Xiang chuckled coldly, gripping the sword he had just caught tightly, then infused it with true energy, tossing it back toward the caravan. The long sword, enveloped in azure true energy, shot like a beam of blue light toward one of the wheels of a carriage, embedding itself dead center. Following this, it exploded, shattering the wheel completely, though the luxurious carriage, having four wheels, did not topple.
Xu Ming, Xu Zhilang, and Xu Xianxian were all stunned! They hadn't expected Shen Xiang to repeatedly provoke the Yao family! They were shocked by the force of the sword he threw, which was even more powerful than the one released by the Yao family elder earlier.
"Sorry, just returning your sword, but no one is here to catch it," Shen Xiang said indifferently, his voice echoing provocatively.
"You're looking for death!" Yao Tianhua roared in anger, but he didn't continue, clearly stopped by someone.
The caravan continued on its way, as if nothing had happened.
"My father is still in the carriage! I need to go keep him company; I might not have many opportunities to stay with him in the future," Xu Xianxian said, a look of worry spreading across her stunning face.
Shen Xiang gently ruffled her hair, saying softly, "Go on!"
As Xu Xianxian floated away, Shen Xiang pondered her retreating figure, wondering, "Why might she not have the chance to accompany her father in the future?"
Xu Ming furrowed his brow and said, "Brother Shen, have you heard about the martial arts sects on those celestial mountains? This little girl might be sought after by those sects and could be recruited into one of them."
Those powerful martial arts sects were where the strongest practitioners gathered, places many martial artists yearned to enter, and it was best to get in from a young age.
"If you want to join those sects, it's best to be at the ninth level of the Common Martial Realm; otherwise, it will be difficult to mix in there," Su Meiyao suddenly said.
Shen Xiang did indeed want to enter those sects, as that was where he could encounter many powerful martial artists, and the rich spiritual energy there would allow him to fully unleash the potential of his Yin-Yang Divine Pulse.
Shen Xiang entered Wo Hu City with Xu Ming and Xu Zhilang. The Xu family also had some enterprises in Wo Hu City, so they declined Shen Xiang's invitation to visit the Shen family villa.
The Shen family villa was bustling with activity, as the banquet was only three days away. After Shen Xiang returned and greeted Shen Tianhu, he hurried back to his residence.
"I'm now at the sixth level of the Common Martial Realm; I can start trying to refine mid-grade common-level pills now!" Shen Xiang looked at the two beautiful women enjoying fragrant tea.
Bai Youyou said, "Although I don't refine pills, I know that the materials needed for a second-grade common-level pill are very expensive for you. If you want to try refining, it will cost you quite a bit of spiritual money."
Su Meiyao took a sip of tea and smiled, "That's not a problem. Don't you still have half of the Hell Spirit Herb and a thousand-year Blood Spirit Herb? Selling a little of those two spirit herbs should be enough."
Shen Xiang certainly hadn't forgotten about those two precious herbs. He smiled, "Sisters, don't you have any treasures or items with you? I don't even have a decent weapon right now."
Su Meiyao sighed lightly, "All my storage treasures were taken by that enemy; thankfully, I had a ring that stores life. But there are only some clothes in the ring, nothing else."
Mentioning this matter made Bai Youyou's cold, enchanting face filled with anger; she crushed her teacup, showing that they had many good items in their storage treasures.
"You cultivate the Four Symbols Divine Skill; the best weapon for you should be the Four Symbols Divine Weapons, but they're hard to find, as each one is a divine item!" Su Meiyao's words made Shen Xiang feel a bit excited.