174: As the Tai Xuan Bell was decreed, Lu Yixuan stepped into the White Jade Palace.

Immediately following that, a Breakthrough!

Crack... crack...

Accompanied by several crisp sounds, the aura surrounding the Great Halberd Ox King shifted abruptly.

A terrifying golden light flashed out instantly.

Martial Ancestor Great Perfection!

Half-step Martial Venerable!

His aura surged instantly, and his injuries healed in the blink of an eye.

In less than half a breath's time, he was a world apart from his previous disheveled state, and his physical stature had ballooned by over three feet.

With a bang, the middle-aged male Cultivator's attack landed on his chest, yet it failed to affect him in the slightest.

Instead, he was sent flying a mile away by a single swing of the ox's halberd.

The Great Halberd Ox King looked at his hands in disbelief.

What's the situation?

Am I still me?

How did I suddenly break through two Realms at once?

And such a dramatic Breakthrough at that.

A kilometer away, the middle-aged male Cultivator was left dizzy and blurred after being struck by the halberd.

It took him a long while to realize that the opponent had actually broken through his cultivation in that instant!

And it was a double Breakthrough!

Jumping straight from the Martial Ancestor Late Stage to a Half-step Martial Venerable.

How terrifying!

Now that the opponent's cultivation had reached Half-step Martial Venerable, taking him down was likely impossible.

But their Young Lord had given an order... At this thought, he couldn't help but frown, unsure of what to do.

The Great Halberd Ox King felt the same; although he had broken through, he didn't want to engage in another life-and-death struggle.

After the recent battle, he was one hundred percent certain that the opponent was indeed a Cultivator from the Upper Realm.

However, in the Xu Family Main City below, countless eyes were watching.

If this matter wasn't handled properly, it would have a massive impact on the Xu Family.

He also felt a massive headache, not knowing how to proceed.

"Envoy, Fellow Daoist Niu."

Just then, another spatial rift opened.

It was the Xunluo Holy Lord who had rushed over.

He was startled at first, but in less than three breaths, he grasped the current situation.

Thus, he immediately acted as a mediator, going back and forth between them.

The middle-aged male Cultivator now had a reason to report back, and the Great Halberd Ox King had an excuse to stop fighting... "You want this Young Lord to personally go find her?"

"How interesting."

Hearing the middle-aged male Cultivator's follow-up words, Lu Yixuan also showed a look of surprise. "Breaking through two Realms in the middle of a battle is indeed quite incredible."

Although he hadn't revealed his identity, if he were to lower himself just because of this, wouldn't it make him, the Young Lord of the Grand Profound Bell Lu Mansion, lose a lot of Face?

Thus, Lu Yixuan waved his hand.

Two Half-step Martial Venerables in the group immediately stepped forward. "Yes, Young Lord!"

"We will definitely bring that Xu Xiaobai here!"

Half a quarter of an hour later, an extremely powerful fluctuation spread throughout the entire Xuanhuan Lower Realm.

Then, the Xuanhuan Lower Realm shook! Treasure light and colorful clouds flew together!

Everyone was shocked.

And that wasn't all.

Next came another roar from the heavens and earth as a golden light shot straight from the Xuanhuan Lower Realm into the nine heavens, manifesting a vast pressure.

Two quarter-hours later, those two returned with bruised and swollen Faces.

At a glance, there was no sign of Xu Xiaobai anywhere near them.

"What happened this time?"

One of them forced a bitter smile. "He became a Martial Venerable."

"...What!"

Lu Yixuan suddenly stood up from the main seat, his eyes filled with utter disbelief.

He looked at the high-ranking members of the Xunluo Holy Land beside him, only to see that they all had their mouths wide open as well.

What was going on?

That big black ox had ascended to become a Martial Venerable?

He had become the cultivation ceiling of the entire Xuanhuan Lower Realm?

Lu Yixuan was no longer calm and quickly asked the Xunluo Holy Land officials if the news had been misreported.

Perhaps the peerless Prodigy they were supposed to report wasn't that Xu Xiaobai, but this Great Halberd Ox King.

Otherwise, how could you explain him jumping from the Martial Ancestor Late Stage directly to Martial Venerable within an hour?

The high-ranking members of the Xunluo Holy Land were dumbfounded and quickly explained.

They didn't know; their intelligence gathering on the Xu Family in the Tianran Prefecture had been quite good.

Although this Great Halberd Ox King was powerful in battle, his cultivation progress could only be described as steady, never having had a sudden Breakthrough.

Who would have thought he'd pull off something this big... After hearing their explanation, Lu Yixuan fell into thought.

Although the Grand Profound Bell Lu Mansion possessed unparalleled power in the Upper Realm, the cost of sending down a Martial Venerable expert was too great and unnecessary.

Right now, even if his entire group combined their strength, they might not be a match for this new Martial Venerable.

It seemed he would have to make the trip personally.

"Set out for the Xu Family in the Tianran Prefecture!"

...On the other side, the Xu Family was exceptionally lively.

Rrip, rrip, rrip.

In the sky, experts constantly tore through the Void Realm, arriving with Faces full of smiles.

They held many extravagant gifts in their hands. "Aiyaya, Venerable Ox, long time no see!"

"It has been five days since we last met; it truly felt like years for this Junior."

"Greetings, Venerable Ox. I am from the Tingyu Prefecture; these are my gifts, please accept them."

"Wuhahaha, Fellow Daoist Niu! Congratulations on also stepping into the Realm of Martial Venerable like us!"

"I hereby invite you to join our Xuanhuan Lower Realm Martial Venerable Association. From now on, the six of us brothers will discuss and decide on all matters, big and small, in the Xuanhuan Lower Realm!"

Countless lords of the prefectures, representatives of hidden forces, and disciples of Immortal Orthodoxies arrived in a steady stream.

With gifts arranged, everyone stepped forward to converse with this new Martial Venerable, their Faces entirely covered in fawning expressions.

Even the Five Great Martial Venerables in the Xuanhuan Lower Realm, who had not yet undergone Ascension, personally came to congratulate this new Martial Venerable.

One must know that the attitude of any single Martial Venerable would determine the future landscape of the Xuanhuan Lower Realm.

That was why they rushed over, just to secure a bit more interest for their own forces.

Everyone was talking at once, and the Great Halberd Ox King, surrounded by the crowd, already had his ox brain overloaded.

Who am I?

Where am I?

What do I want to do?

Moo moo moo???

However, before long, another loud boom echoed from the sky.

Three massive spirit ships crashed through the Void Realm, their dark shadows blotting out the sun.

On the spirit ships stood many figures with powerful auras... "So this is the so-called Xu Family?"

Looking down at the cluster of buildings from above, Lu Yixuan's gaze was filled with disdain and contempt.

A tiny Lower Realm force, and that's all it is.

A mere Martial Venerable? In our Grand Profound Bell Lu Mansion, they are as common as ox hairs.

If this trip proves unsatisfactory, I wouldn't mind showing off the strength of the Grand Profound Bell Lu Mansion.

"Declare our identity and clear the area!"

"Yes, Young Lord!"

Behind him, two maidservants approached with several experts, then took out a simple, grey token.

Its surface was covered in complex patterns, emitting a faint glow.

As soon as this token appeared, an invisible wave instantly spread out, and pressure swept through the entire Xu Family Main City.

The originally bustling Xu Family fell silent in an instant.

Including those Martial Venerable experts, everyone was enveloped by a mysterious pressure; some with weaker cultivation even couldn't help but kneel directly on the ground.

Even the Martial Venerables felt the pressure, while those below the Martial Ancestor level trembled, losing even the courage to lift their heads.

The Grand Profound Bell Command, from one of the Ten Great Immortal Families of the Upper Realm!

Others might not know the layout of the Upper Realm, but those Martial Venerables knew it all too well.

Seeing the other party take out the Grand Profound Bell Command, they instantly understood the identity and origin of the visitors.

On those spirit ships, there must be important figures from the Grand Profound Bell Lu Mansion.

What was the concept of the Grand Profound Bell Lu Mansion to the Xuanhuan Lower Realm?

The Xuanhuan Lower Realm was merely the weakest among the many Lower Realms governed by the Grand Profound Bell Lu Mansion.

One could say the entire Xuanhuan Lower Realm was just someone else's backyard.

"May I ask... Envoy... what orders do you have upon your arrival?"

"It has nothing to do with you. All non-Xu Family personnel, disperse!"

Hearing this, many experts immediately fled as if for their lives, leaving only the members of the Xu Family in place.

After the others had left, they turned to the Xu Family members and said coldly, "We are looking for someone."

The Xu Family members asked in unison, "Who?"

"Xu Xiaobai."

...In front of the White Jade Palace, Lu Yixuan commanded.

"All of you, wait outside!"

"Without my order, none of you are allowed to move."

Behind him, a group of male and female servants stood still with the Xu Family high-rankers, only able to watch as he stepped into the White Jade Palace.

"Grandpa Niu, Xiaobai won't be in any danger, will she?"

Old Coffer couldn't help but ask; beside him, a beautiful woman's eyes were also full of worry.

The Great Halberd Ox King waved his hand, signaling them to be at ease. "With your Grandpa Niu here, Xiaobai won't be in any danger."

"Absolutely not!"

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap... Lu Yixuan walked through the White Jade Palace with his hands behind his back.

It is said that one can see a person's character and temperament from their home decor, and he deeply believed this.

He had originally thought that this so-called number one Prodigy of the Xuanhuan Lower Realm, the Eldest Miss Xu, was some kind of virtuous and refined person.

Now that he was here, her impression score in his heart immediately plummeted.