Chapter 131: Xia Jiguang

Xia Yumo had never seen her father like this before. She had initially thought Xia Deshou was just joking to make her take things seriously.

But in the current situation, it was clear that her father was truly afraid of this Mr. Lin. Her sense of security had always been anchored in the Xia family, and now that even the head of the Xia family was kneeling and bowing his head, her former pride was shattered in an instant.

"Are you not going to kneel yet?" Xia Deshou snapped again.

"Oh." Xia Yumo offered a bitter smile, her body trembling as she slowly knelt down.

Xiao Qian, sitting on the bed, dangled her feet and asked, "How long do you intend to make them kneel?"

Lin Yi shook his head. "You’ve got it wrong. From beginning to end, I never told them to kneel."

***

At the Jianguo Hotel, Liao Mei looked at the man in white robes before her and said affectionately, "Senior Brother, you’ve finally arrived. Someone has been bullying your junior sister."

This man in white robes was Liao Mei’s senior brother, Xia Jiguang.

"Master has already told me the whole situation. This Lin Yi has gone too far. Does he really think my Red Skull organization is filled with nobodies?" A flash of anger crossed Xia Jiguang’s eyes, and then he asked, "Where is Bi Deming?"

Liao Mei pursed her lips and pointed toward the bed. "Isn't he right there?"

"I'll go check on him."

Xia Jiguang walked to the bedside and saw Bi Deming staring at the ceiling with a look of utter defeat.

"Are you alright?" Xia Jiguang asked with concern.

"Senior Brother Xia, you must avenge me," Bi Deming said, his voice filled with resentment.

"Rest assured," Xia Jiguang comforted him.

Bi Deming added a warning, "Senior Brother Xia, be careful. This Lin Yi is incredibly strong. I only lost because I underestimated him."

Before Xia Jiguang could speak, Liao Mei sneered, "Do you think my Senior Brother is a useless weakling like you?"

"You!" Bi Deming glared at Liao Mei in fury.

Liao Mei remained indifferent. "Hmph, you’re in such a state and you still have the energy to glare at me? Looks like you're not doing so badly after all."

Xia Jiguang stepped in to play the peacemaker. "Alright, stop arguing. Bi Deming, focus on recovering. Junior Sister, let’s go find this Lin Yi now; it’s better to get this matter over with quickly."

"Yes," Liao Mei nodded obediently.

As they reached the door, Xia Jiguang suddenly stopped. He turned back to the bedside and took out a golden pill. "This is a top-grade Dragon-Elephant Pill. Even though you cannot cultivate internal energy, it will still help you temper your body."

Bi Deming looked as if he had grasped a lifeline, his eyes flickering with hope again. "I understand. Thank you, Senior Brother Xia."

"It's nothing, we are all part of the same organization," Xia Jiguang said with a gentle smile.

"Senior Brother, you are truly generous," Liao Mei remarked with a hint of jealousy. This Dragon-Elephant Pill was extremely precious, worth hundreds of billions; she hadn't expected Xia Jiguang to give such a treasure to a waste like Bi Deming.

Xia Jiguang understood the subtext of her words. He gave a faint smile and produced a pink pill. "I discovered this pill a while ago. It's called a Beauty Pill, and it can keep a person’s appearance unchanged for a hundred years."

"Really?" Liao Mei’s eyes lit up with excitement, and she hurried to his side.

"I’m not entirely sure, as I only have this one," Xia Jiguang said.

"Whether it's true or not, as long as it isn't poisonous," Liao Mei said with a beaming smile. She took the pill and swallowed it immediately.

Soon, her already fair and tender skin became even more supple and radiant, as if she were a lotus emerging from water, stunningly beautiful. Xia Jiguang was momentarily dazed.

"Senior Brother, why are you staring at me like that?" Liao Mei asked, feeling shy.

"Nothing, I just noticed that you’ve become much more beautiful, Junior Sister," Xia Jiguang replied, pulling his gaze away.

"Heehee." Liao Mei hurried to the mirror and, upon seeing her reflection, realized she indeed looked even more radiant.

"Alright, enough vanity. Let’s go settle things with that Lin Yi first," Xia Jiguang said with a shake of his head.

"Yes."

The two left the hotel, and Liao Mei drove her Ferrari, arriving at Villa No. 8 in Longhu Bay in less than ten minutes.

"Oh? Senior Brother, look, there are two people kneeling in front," Liao Mei noted with interest.

Xia Jiguang gave a cold glance and ignored them. His target was Lin Yi; he had no interest in anyone else. As they were about to get out of the car, Liao Mei remembered something and warned, "By the way, Senior Brother, there is an illusion array in front of this villa. It’s quite strange."

"Heh, a mere illusion array? I can break it with a flick of my wrist," Xia Jiguang scoffed, not taking it seriously at all.

Seeing his confidence, Liao Mei subconsciously chose to believe him.

Once out of the car, Xia Jiguang headed straight for the villa's courtyard. Seeing this, Ma Feng immediately stopped him. "I'm sorry, you cannot enter without Mr. Lin's permission."

Xia Jiguang glanced at Ma Feng, pointed a finger, and a sharp, violent burst of energy instantly pierced Ma Feng’s shoulder, blood gushing out.

"Since when does a mere doorman dare to stand in my way?" Xia Jiguang said in a cold, detached voice. Only then did he truly look like a high and mighty Spirit Venerate.

Ma Feng was horrified. This man possessed the same miraculous abilities as Mr. Lin. In truth, it wasn't Ma Feng’s lack of judgment; he was merely an underground boss in Lancheng, and the level of power he usually encountered was far below this.

"Get out of the way."

Xia Jiguang flicked his hand, and an invisible force sent Ma Feng flying, where he landed on the ground and didn't move for a long time.

Not far away, Xia Yumo and Xia Deshou exchanged looks; it was clear this man was here to cause trouble.

With Ma Feng no longer in the way, Xia Jiguang walked swaggeringly toward the villa with Liao Mei. After a few steps, the scenery before them shifted abruptly, turning into a purgatory of flowing lava.

Xia Jiguang looked around and smiled faintly. "Interesting. But unfortunately, in the face of absolute power, all of this is just an illusion."

With that, he tapped his finger, and a surge of the world's energy exploded. Unlike Elder Mo, who was a fake Spirit Venerate, Xia Jiguang was incredibly skilled in wielding the power of heaven and earth.

*Bang.*

A golden beam of light pierced the sky, and the purgatory scene shattered like a broken mirror. Breaking Lin Yi’s illusion array in a single strike—the strength of this Spirit Venerate was clear.

With the illusion gone, the villa's courtyard was exposed to Xia Jiguang’s sight. When he saw the fields of spiritual crops, his eyes narrowed. Such a blessed location should belong to him.

"Senior Brother, there’s even a ginseng that has gained sentience," Liao Mei whispered in his ear.

"A sentient ginseng? What a treasure. How does a nobody like Lin Yi deserve to possess so many good things?" Xia Jiguang’s eyes gleamed. He couldn't wait to occupy this place completely.

"Lin Yi, come out!" Xia Jiguang shouted. If it wasn't necessary, he really didn't want to fight here. A Spirit Venerate could utilize the power of heaven and earth, and the destruction would be immense. He feared that if he didn't control his strength, he might ruin this place, which would be a huge loss.

*Click.* The villa door opened, and Lin Yi walked out unhurriedly.

Lin Yi was not surprised that the illusion array had been broken. It was, after all, a low-level formation. It might trap an ordinary practitioner, but against a genius like Xia Jiguang, it was lacking.

When enemies meet, they are particularly jealous. The moment Liao Mei saw Lin Yi, her rage erupted. "Senior Brother, he is Lin Yi!"

Xia Jiguang sized Lin Yi up. He was young, likely only in his twenties, dressed in ordinary clothes. At a glance, there was nothing particularly striking about him.

However, what made Xia Jiguang’s expression grow solemn was that, as a Spirit Venerate, he could not perceive Lin Yi’s strength at all. Lin Yi’s aura was as weak as an ordinary person’s, but that was impossible—if he were an ordinary person, how could Bi Deming have been crippled?

There were two possibilities: either Lin Yi’s strength was far superior to his own, making him unable to gauge it—which was impossible—or Lin Yi had mastered a stealth technique to mask his cultivation.

*This brat actually has a technique to hide his aura,* Xia Jiguang thought to himself. He leaned toward the latter conclusion.

"Lin Yi, our Red Skull kindly invited you to join us. You refused, but then you dared to cripple our people?" Xia Jiguang took a step forward, his aura overbearing.

Liao Mei, emboldened by Xia Jiguang’s presence, chimed in, "Hurry up and return the items from my storage bag!"

Lin Yi showed no sign of panic. He glanced at Liao Mei, then turned his gaze to Xia Jiguang, saying calmly, "So, you’ve come to stand up for them?"

"Of course. If you can take three of my moves, I will cease pursuing this matter. How about it?" Xia Jiguang stared coldly at Lin Yi.

"Not interested," Lin Yi shook his head.

"Heh, Lin Yi, are you afraid? My Senior Brother is not some useless weakling like the Great Elder of the Mo family. He is a genuine Spirit Venerate!" Liao Mei said with a smug smile, already imagining Lin Yi kneeling and begging for mercy.

Lin Yi said faintly, "I remember telling you before: next time you come, bring more good things."

Liao Mei’s expression darkened. *Damn it!* This brat had just robbed her, and now he dared to speak like that in front of her Senior Brother? He clearly didn't know how to write the word "death."

"Senior Brother, stop wasting breath on him. Just break his limbs and drag him back to the organization," Liao Mei said.

"As you wish, Junior Sister."

Xia Jiguang’s gaze turned sharp. He produced a feathered fan and gave it a light wave. Instantly, a storm of flying sand and rocks swept toward Lin Yi, accompanied by countless feathers manifested from the power of heaven and earth.

Lin Yi remained expressionless, letting the feathers strike his body.

In Xia Jiguang’s eyes, it wasn't that Lin Yi didn't want to dodge; he simply didn't have the strength to do so.