Crash! Clang! Boink!

Several crashing and clattering sounds echoed from the side as Min Rou pretended to slip and throw away the kitchenettes she was carrying as the pandemonium drew everyone's attention before they could land on the embarrassed Min Qing…

​​

Heaving a deep sigh of relief, whilst giving her mother a subtle wink of gratitude which Min Rou subtly returned…

"It was great… Aunt Rou was around all through to look after us, so we had a nice family time…"

Min Hong then pulled the attention back towards himself, and as if sensing that Mu Li was about to ask another cheeky question out of his long list of awkward questions, Min Hong continued;

"Alright, alright, gather around everyone… It is time to take an all-round inventory…"

Making sure that they couldn't dwell on the topic any longer, otherwise painting the curious person as more than being curious, the rest of the group gathered around within Min Hong's living room…

They sat in a round circle by their order of hierarchy from Min Hong's flanks around…

Min Qing on his left and Long Sha to the right, after Min Qing came Qing Tan, and then Kun Lin, whilst Long Sha stood beside Mu Bai and then Mu Li followed afterwards, after he had conceded the spot to his twin brother out of what he claimed to be 'Maturity', then Kun Chao finally closed the circle with Mu Li to his left and his sister to his right…

Then just as they were about to begin their conversation, Min Rou who had prepared a nice fruit drink from the spirit fruits which was within the spatial ring she had given Min Qing back then, [Yep, the ring that contained the Min Family's entire wealth…] came out and served each and every one of them a nice chilled cup which calmed everyone's nerves just from their first sips…

"Min Hong, if this is what you enjoyed for the past seven days, then I don't mind being your surrogate brother… After Long Sha, of course…"

Mu Bai spoke as he clicked his tongue from the sheer sweetness that exploded in his mouth from the moment the juice entered his mouth…

"Hey! Not fair! I gave you the idea!" Mu Li rebelled…

"But I claimed it first…" Mu Bai simply gave him a nonchalant response…

"I'm glad you liked it, there is more where that came from, all you need to do is ask…"

Min Rou smiled slightly once again as she left them to their activities once more…

"Okay, I'll go first… I have reached the Peak of Emperor and Dan Formation stage with Four Daos in the Peak Intent Level…"

Min Hong spoke as if it wasn't too much of a feat to achieve, but rather he was met with total silence which included even Min Qing and the Min Rou who had frozen in her steps right around the corner…

The reason why Min Qing was stunned wasn't because of his cultivation base, but "Four Daos in the Peak Intent Level?!"

She was not sure if that was even human possible at all… It took a great period of silence and mental readjustment before the entire group finally blurted;

"What!?"

They even looked at themselves as their simultaneous exclamations relieved every single one of them that they weren't the odd one out…

"Yep, I was lucky to come across a fruit whilst I was moving into the Empire and from what I could tell back then, I knew it was something extraordinary but I simply knew nothing about it…"

"At first, I was scared of consuming an unknown object, hence the reason I hadn't used it earlier…"

"But now that we have a War God Challenge to win, I had to throw caution into the wind and use it…"

Min Hong completely lied through his beautiful line-up of white teeth…

"Same old ancient fruit, unh... That story is getting really outdated… You will need a more sophisticated lie next time…"

Min Rou rolled her eyes at first before smiling at herself as she muttered;

"Hmph, unfilial brat… Hehe, you will tell me who taught you how to lie…"

She snorted smilingly before going on with whatever it was she was doing as she continued to stew in the shock of how powerful her son had grown…

If everything was fine, by this time, with such amount of power, he would at least be the current head of the Min Family and even an Elder in the Min Clan itself…

But at the same time, she also understood that should everything had gone smoothly, Min Hong might as well not even stepped into the Peak of Emperor stage, not to talk of Dan Formation or far less even talk about him reaching the Peak Intent Level of one Dao...

"You must have really been through a lot… I am so sorry I can't really help you out…"

"It is your parents that is unfilial Hong'er, no one else should let their child go through what you have gone through, despite all you are and all you have…"

A tiny tear drop fell from her eyes as a voice resounded within her mind;

"Alright, that's enough… I can't veil them off much longer…" An old man's voice warned as she rebelled;

"No… Let me stay a little longer with my boy!"

"Silly child, if they sense his aura, then you won't even have a boy to stay with anymore…"

"Sorry baby… I am really sorry… Your mother has to leave once again…"

Then the two voices vanished as Min Rou staggered slightly before she finally came to…

"Urgh, these headaches are back again, even after switching bodies?" "Perhaps, it is a issue that stems from my soul…"

Min Rou mumbled to herself as she shook the giddiness in her head and finally got back to her activities…

"We could stare at each other all day and not make any progress or we could get on with what we are here to do."

Min Hong sat back and crossed one leg over the other as he waited for the conversation to resume…

"Ahem… I am at the 8 Star Dan Formation stage with three Daos in the Fifth Plane Intent Level…"

Min Qing returned Min Hong's earlier favour as she also lied to the group…

"8 Star Dan Formation and two Daos in the Fourth Plane Intent Level…" Long Sha continued…

"5 Star Dan Formation stage and two Second Plane Intent Level Dao…" Qing Tan chimed in…

Just like that all eight of them revealed their cultivation levels, most lied but there was an unspoken understanding amongst them that they were all stronger than they had revealed, but how strong specifically, that was up to them to reveal or not, but sooner or later, they will all eventually find out… Thus, their true total battle power stood at;

Min Hong (15) – 1 Star Saint Stage…

Kun Chao (18) – 5 Star Nascent Soul…

Long Sha (17) – 3 Star Nascent Soul…

Min Qing (17) – 2 Star Nascent Soul…

Kun Lin (17) – 2 Star Nascent Soul stage…

Mu Bai & Mu Li (17) – Peak Dan Formation;

and finally, Qing Tan (15) – 7 Star Dan Formation stage…

This were all their battle powers ranging from the most talented and powerful downwards…

"Good! With these level of battle prowess, we would definitely be able to hold our own in the inner sect…" Mu Li blurted joyfully…

"Yeah, except, how will our recruitment continue if we are all in the inner court… You are obviously not thinking that we would be able to instantly recruit the inner court disciples, right?" Mu Bai smartly interjected…

"Don't worry about all that, I have a plan for that…"

"Mu Li, this plan would be basically centred on you, and it will determine the future of our group…"

Min Hong turned over to Mu Li who fell on one knee and almost swore; "I will definitely accomplish whatever task you have for me, impeccably."