"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you that no one was to disturb me while I was healing?" The voice from the depths of the forbidden ground was still icy, now laced with a violent, impatient irritability. It made Ma Kun's face pale with panic and unease.

"Uncle, something major has happened! If it were an ordinary matter, I, Ma Kun, would never dare defy your orders, no matter how bold I am," Ma Kun stammered.

"Major… Speak. What is it?" The cold, irritated voice was silent for a long moment before it finally, and with great effort, suppressed its agitation.

"It's about my grandson, Ma Tiansheng. He carelessly provoked someone tonight," Ma Kun said.

"Provoked someone? You come to me for such a trivial matter? Ma Kun, do you think I, Ma Shihao, am old and easy to trifle with?" A sharp, cold reprimand shot out from deep within the forbidden ground, dripping with extreme impatience.

"No, no, Uncle! Please, let me finish. This is truly not a simple matter," Ma Kun hurriedly interjected.

"Then spit it out! I have no time for your nonsense," the extremely impatient voice boomed from the depths.

Taking a deep breath, Ma Kun chose his words carefully. "My grandson, Ma Tiansheng, provoked a young man with the surname Chen. I just called Chen Yaoyang, the current acting head of the Chen Family, and he said that this young man… he seems to be the very one who severely injured you outside the Black Market Ancient Castle."

At these words, the figure deep within the forbidden ground fell utterly silent. The stillness was so profound you could have heard a pin drop, and it was terrifying. Ma Kun, having blurted it all out in one breath, began to tremble as a chill snaked its way up his spine.

"...You mean to tell me that the monster who injured me as easily as one would beat a dead dog… your idiot grandson had the audacity to provoke him?! Are you insane, or am I? Or has the entire Ma Family gone mad? Do you have any idea what this means?"

Like the calm before a storm, a deep, trembling voice finally emerged from the forbidden ground after a long pause, causing the hair on Ma Kun's entire body to stand on end.

"Uncle, is… is that young man really so terrifying?" Ma Kun asked, his voice shaking.

"What do you think? In my opinion, that kid has the power to obliterate our Ma Family with ease… Ah, forget it. Ma Kun, listen to me now, and you'd better prepare yourself! If you and that imbecile grandson of yours fail to obtain that monster's forgiveness, I swear, I will personally come out, wring both of your necks, and present your heads as an apology! Now get out! Get out of my sight!"

Like an erupting volcano, the man in the forbidden ground finally roared in madness. Yet, the end of his words was tinged with a deep, shuddering tremor, which, combined with his own extreme fear, made Ma Kun's blood run cold.

He understood. The ancestor of their Ma Family was genuinely terrified—terrified of that monstrous young man.

He was terrified because that person possessed the strength to easily annihilate their Hong Kong Ma Family. And because that person had effortlessly beaten the ancestor—who now cowered in the forbidden ground, pathetically licking his wounds—and could just as easily take his life.

Drenched in a cold sweat as if he'd been caught in a downpour, Ma Kun dazedly walked out of the forbidden ground.

"To Hong Kong Island! Get a car ready for Hong Kong Island, now!" Later, his fierce-sounding but inwardly fragile roar echoed through the Ma Family Mansion.

Ma Kun finally understood. He had to obtain that young Mr. Chen's forgiveness, and he had to do it now, with every ounce of effort he could muster. Otherwise, he and his foolish grandson, Ma Tiansheng, would be damned beyond salvation. Even the Ma Family, the foundation of his power, could be implicated, its towering skyscraper of influence crashing down into ruin.

By then, it would be too late. Everything would be over.

「」

About half an hour later, Ma Kun, the current Clan Leader of the Hong Kong Ma Family, arrived by car at a top-tier private club on Hong Kong Island.

Ma Tianfang had also rushed over ahead of time after receiving the call. He was now waiting anxiously in the club's first-floor lobby with his younger brother. His sharp mind had already deduced the severity of the situation; otherwise, his grandfather, a man of his stature, would never have come personally at such a late hour. The mere thought made Ma Tianfang's scalp tingle and his limbs tremble.

"Grandfather, you're here." Just then, he saw a group of the Ma Family's black-suited bodyguards entering the club, escorting a silver-haired old man who strode in with purpose.

Seeing this, Ma Tiansheng didn't think much of it. Believing his savior had arrived, his eyes lit up with hope. He rushed forward and began to plead pitifully, "Grandfather, you have to stand up for me today…"

"Stand up for you? You still want me to stand up for you? How could I, Ma Kun, have such a dim-witted grandson? I'll kill you!" Had Ma Tiansheng kept his mouth shut, it might have been better, but his words immediately uncorked the potent fear and fury brewing in his grandfather's heart.

SMACK!

With a crisp crack, Ma Tiansheng was struck so hard across the face that it swelled instantly, and he was nearly sent flying. Watching from the side, Ma Tianfang felt a chill seep into his bones, his limbs turning to ice.

"Grand-grandfather…" Stunned by the harsh slap, Ma Tiansheng's expression morphed into one of terror. He wasn't a complete fool; he understood what his grandfather's explosive rage signified.

It signified that their Hong Kong Ma Family truly could not afford to provoke that young man. Even his grandfather, Ma Kun, was now afraid, his panic and dread impossible to conceal.

"Grandfather, what's done is done. Hitting him now won't change anything. We should focus on finding a way to earn his forgiveness," Ma Tianfang said, cautiously approaching Ma Kun after a moment.

Ma Kun took a deep breath. "Where is he? Where is that young Mr. Chen?"

Ma Tianfang immediately replied, "He's upstairs. I don't think he's come down yet."

"Upstairs? Good. Let's go…" His expression still trembling slightly, Ma Kun strode briskly toward the stairs. Up on that floor, the birthday party for Wuu Guangbin, the young master of Global Entertainment, was still in full swing.

Meanwhile, inside the club, Chen Fei and his group were gathered in a corner, chatting and laughing with drinks in hand. "Fei Shuang," Chen Fei said with a smile, "how much longer will filming for your movie take? Do you need any help with publicity? I see this Wuu Guangbin's family runs Global Entertainment. They should be able to help, right?"

"It should be about another month, I think? I'm not exactly sure. Sister Yinglan, what do you think?" Gu Feishuang replied, clinging tightly to Chen Fei's arm, a shy blush on her cheeks. She honestly hadn't expected him to bring this up himself.

"Global Entertainment is one of the biggest companies in our industry. If Young Master Wuu is willing to help, it would be absolutely wonderful," Hu Yinglan said with a smile, a flutter of excitement in her heart.

After all, she, Hu Yinglan, also had a stake in the movie Gu Feishuang was filming! If they could get the young master of Global Entertainment to help, a collaboration with their company, Huashu Media, on promotion and distribution would be a priceless opportunity. It would bring immense benefits to every actor involved in the film—truly immense benefits. How could she not be thrilled?

"Brother Fei, you can rest assured! Just leave this matter concerning your sister-in-law to me. If I can't make this movie a massive hit across the board, I, Wuu Guangbin, will answer for it with my head!" Wuu Guangbin immediately slapped his chest, swearing an oath to complete the mission.

Is he kidding? This is Brother Fei, a man even the great Brother Hao of the Hong Kong Chen Family addresses with respect! How could I not take something he personally arranged with the utmost seriousness?

"What 'sister-in-law'? Don't talk nonsense…"

Chen Fei's face reddened slightly, and his gaze began to drift. But in the next instant, his eyes suddenly narrowed. A look of incredulous shock flashed across his face as his focus locked onto an elderly man with a trembling disposition who was rapidly approaching their group. More specifically, he stared at the man's thumb.

On the silver-haired old man's thumb was a Jade Ring.

A truly extraordinary Jade Ring.

"Brother Fei, what's wrong… C-Clan Leader Ma!" Chen Hao, surprised by Chen Fei's sudden change in demeanor, followed his gaze. The moment he saw the approaching figure, his expression froze, quickly replaced by one of profound shock and awe.

He… He actually came in person?

Ignoring Chen Hao completely, Ma Kun walked straight past him, came before Chen Fei, and bowed respectfully. "Mr. Chen, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Ma Kun, the current Clan Leader of the Hong Kong Ma Family. Regarding what happened earlier, I offer my deepest apologies. It was my failure to teach my grand—"

Before he could finish, Chen Fei interrupted him, his face etched with a strange intensity. "Take that ring off your thumb and let me see it."

"Ah? What?" Ma Kun blinked, not comprehending.

"I said, take the Jade Ring off your thumb and let me have a look!" Chen Fei's tone grew stern. "Or do I have to do it myself?" At that moment, he had no patience for dawdling.

"Oh! Right, right, I'll take it off now…" Snapping back to his senses, Ma Kun jolted and, without the slightest hesitation, quickly removed the Jade Ring from his thumb and respectfully handed it over, as if terrified that a moment's delay would provoke Chen Fei's anger.

"It really is… It's one of those…" Chen Fei murmured as he took the Jade Ring, feeling the powerful surge of qi flowing within it.

Suddenly, a jolt of excitement shot through him, and his expression went slack with astonishment.

Huh? A… a breakthrough!?

He realized with a start that the Spiritual Energy contained within the Jade Ring had provided the very catalyst he had been waiting for. Just in that instant, he had finally broken through the bottleneck at the Peak of the Qi Refining Third Layer, advancing to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. He was now a true Cultivator at the Mid Stage of Qi Refining.

With this, he had finally, if just barely, stepped through the gates of the Cultivation World.

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