C6 Kneel down or Break Your Hand

"Mother, no matter what happens, I will never allow anyone to humiliate you!" Xiao Yu declared, his expression icy as he stepped forward to stand between the young man and Lin Yurou.

Lin Yurou's heart swelled with pride as she watched Xiao Yu. She understood his character well. Despite lacking any cultivation over the years and enduring constant bullying, he remained fiercely stubborn, never once bowing to anyone.

Yet, Lin Yurou couldn't help but worry. Xiao Yu had no cultivation to speak of, and although the other party was not a direct descendant of the Lin Family, he still possessed considerable strength. How could Xiao Yu possibly stand a chance against him?

"Hey, we didn't bother you in the past because you were in the Inner Mansion, and we held back out of respect for the Lin Family. But now you dare to strut around in the Outer Mansion? Do you really think we're afraid of you?" the young man scoffed.

"You have two options. Either kneel and apologize to my mother, or I will break your hands. The choice is yours," Xiao Yu stated coldly.

He could not stand by as a mere servant dared to insult Lin Yurou.

In the past, although he was often the target of bullying, those were members of the Lin Family. The Lin Family's servants might not have cared for him and his mother, but they wouldn't dare to offend them outright.

But now, outside the Outer Mansion, even a servant dared to lord over them!

"Kneel and apologize? With what right, you crippled outsider? And what did I say that was wrong? Since your mother married out of the Lin Family, she's an outsider there. Yet she shamelessly returned, bringing along a bastard like you to freeload off the Lin Family for years. Isn't that despicable?" the youth said with contempt.

"Do you have any idea how outsiders talk about you and your mother? They say she was abandoned and had no choice but to come crawling back to the Lin Family, bringing a bastard child with her. Because of that, the Lin Family has been the subject of gossip, all thanks to you. To the Lin Family, you and your mother are nothing but an embarrassment!"

"If it weren't for the old times' sake, do you think the Lin Family would have taken care of you for all these years? Now that you've arrived at the Outer Mansion, your mother still craves beast meat, acting as if she's still part of the Lin Family's main branch. Isn't that the height of shamelessness?"

The youth spewed a torrent of words, his face twisted with disdain and mockery.

"Silence!" Xiao Yu could no longer bear the insult from a mere servant and charged at the young man.

Though he was merely at the second tier of the Spirit Origin Stage, his identity was not to be underestimated. As the Ninth Heaven Sovereign of a bygone era, his movements were as swift and forceful as thunder.

"You think you can take me on, you piece of trash?" The young man stood his ground, ready to confront Xiao Yu.

Within the Lin Family, even the servants had access to cultivation techniques, and some particularly gifted youths possessed remarkably high levels of cultivation.

Having been relegated to the Outer Mansion by the Lin Family, and with his reputation as a good-for-nothing well-established, it was no surprise that the young man did not fear him.

"Trash? Let's see if you still think that after witnessing my power!" Xiao Yu's eyes glinted with a frosty light as he extended a finger.

In that instant, the twin Spirit Rivers within him surged, channeling their combined force to the tip of his finger, which now shone with a blinding radiance.

His finger, aglow with brilliant golden light, seemed to transform from flesh to metal.

"What kind of Battle Spell is this?" The young man, sensing the formidable energy at Xiao Yu's fingertips, was taken aback, but he steeled himself for the confrontation.

"Open Mountain Palm!" he bellowed, unleashing the Battle Spell he had learned from the Lin Family.

Battle Spells were typically reserved for direct disciples of a family, yet this servant had mastered one, indicating his unusual standing within the Lin Family.

Nonetheless, Xiao Yu was undeterred. His golden finger, unwavering, collided directly with the young man's palm.

"Puff!"

A faint sound echoed as the young man's face instantly contorted with terror and sweat. Shock etched deep on his features as he realized the gravity of the situation.

Xiao Yu's pointed strike, sharp as a blade, had pierced right through his palm, leaving a bloody cavity from which blood steadily oozed.

"A Grandmaster Battle Spell? Impossible! How could you possibly wield a Grandmaster Battle Spell!" The young man's face was etched with unspeakable astonishment.

The term "Battle Spell" refers not to a method of cultivation but to an array of techniques employed during combat. These Battle Spells are categorized into three levels: Human Level, Grandmaster Level, and King Level. Possessing a potent Battle Spell can significantly influence one's combat prowess. Even with modest cultivation, a sufficiently powerful Battle Spell can enable one to overcome an adversary.

During their recent skirmish, the young man had clearly observed that Xiao Yu manifested only two Spirit Rivers, indicating his cultivation was at the second tier of the Spirit Origin Stage. Yet, the young man himself had advanced to the third tier of the Spirit Origin Stage. Despite relying on a low-grade Human Level Battle Spell, his cultivation should have made him unbeatable by any ordinary Battle Spell. Astonishingly, Xiao Yu had effortlessly shattered his Battle Spell.

The ease with which Xiao Yu dismantled his Battle Spell, despite the disparity in their cultivation levels, suggested that Xiao Yu must have employed a Grandmaster Level Battle Spell. But how could that be? Even the Lin Family didn't have access to such a spell, which was typically the preserve of the three great families. How could Xiao Yu possess one?

Moreover, wasn't Xiao Yu notoriously known as the Lin Family's incapable member, unable to cultivate? How then did he suddenly achieve the second tier of the Spirit Origin Stage?

"Now, I ask you," Xiao Yu said icily, not bothering with explanations, "will you kneel and apologize to my mother, or will you choose to have your hands broken?"

As the Ninth Heaven Sovereign from millennia past, was he ever in want of combat techniques? To him, even the coveted King Level Battle Spells were plentiful.

The Battle Spell he had just utilized was, for him, quite mundane—the Dragon Breaking Finger. Yet, this 'ordinary' spell was, to the average person, profoundly formidable.

"You!" The youth's complexion fluctuated between pallor and flush. He had initially dismissed Xiao Yu's threats, but now, witnessing Xiao Yu's true strength, he was forced to seriously contemplate his options. Should he refuse to kneel, Xiao Yu would undoubtedly make good on his promise to sever his hands.

"Yuer, have you... have you formed a Spirit River?" Lin Yurou, standing beside Xiao Yu, gazed at him in stunned silence.

Her eyes brimmed with complex emotions, and a mist of tears began to form.

"Mother, once I gain more strength, I will take you away from here, so you'll never have to endure the Lin Family's mistreatment again!" Xiao Yu nodded, confirming her inquiry.

Lin Yurou's unexpected display of emotion puzzled him. She had always carried herself with grace and poise, maintaining her composure in any situation. It was rare to see her this stirred up, yet now her excitement was unmistakable.

Was Lin Yurou keeping something from him?

"Yes! Yes!" Lin Yurou nodded repeatedly, tears quietly trailing down her cheeks. She swiftly turned away, dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve, and soon regained her usual calm demeanor.

Witnessing this, Xiao Yu felt even more convinced that Lin Yurou's agitation meant she was concealing something from him. However, this was not the moment to inquire.

Turning his attention to the young man clutching his palms, he said, "Have you decided? Will you sever your arms, or will you apologize to my mother?"