“Doesn’t this mean our family’s William now has the ability to challenge beyond his current level?” Uncle Steven Carter exclaimed in amazement.

“Probably, yes…” Edward Carter had never been this happy before. Although his tone was calm, the strands of energy above his head were quivering and dancing, showing off his excitement.

Only Emily Reed, standing outside the door, pursed her lips in disdain. You’re all wrong. Even before his breakthrough, he completely crushed me, who was at the third level of Tianmen. Now, he should have the blood energy of the fifth level.

“Third brother, I’m sticking with you on this psycho-catching mission.” Andrew Carter looked like he was determined to tag along.

“Get lost, brat. Take care of your injuries first.” William Carter scolded with a laugh.

“Got it, got it.” Andrew Carter was truly convinced, nodding quickly and dashing off.

Hahaha…

The whole hall burst into laughter, and the Xiao family was filled with joy.

“William. I just received a notice from the Hai’an Marquis’s residence. They’re preparing to select outstanding young men from the entire county to participate in a talent selection competition at the Marquis’s mansion.

The winner will be specially trained by the Marquis’s residence and directly recommended to our Jiangdu Province’s ‘Nandu Academy’. If he excels in his studies, his future will be limitless.

Any unmarried man aged sixteen to thirty can participate in the county’s preliminary competition.

The top three will enter the Marquis’s mansion to compete for the championship. This is our Xiao family’s chance.

I’ve already asked ‘Qianli Yiri Lou’ to urgently send a message to your Second Brother, telling him he must return within ten days.

At that time, you and your Second Brother will form a double insurance team and strive to break into the county’s top three.” Edward Carter said with a hearty smile.

“Third brother, you’d better do your best, or don’t blame me for stealing your beautiful lady, okay?” Uncle Steven Carter’s son Philip Carter said with a sly grin.

“A competition is a competition. Where’s the beauty? It’s not like beauties are allowed to participate.” William Carter rolled his eyes in annoyance.

“You really are missing a screw. Do you think the Hai’an Marquis has nothing better to do? When have you ever seen him hold a talent selection like this before?” Edward Carter rolled his eyes at his son.

“Could there be a hidden agenda, like a martial arts contest for marriage?” William Carter joked with a smile.

“Son, you’re smart. That’s exactly it.

It’s said that the Hai’an Marquis’s youngest daughter, Sophia Bolton, just turned fifteen and is now of age.

Suitors from the young marquises, sons of dukes, and even the governor’s sons have nearly worn out the threshold coming to propose.

But for some reason, Sophia Bolton isn’t interested in any of them.

And the Hai’an Marquis dotes on this daughter the most. He can’t bring himself to force her, so he probably came up with this idea.

So, if our Xiao family can really form a marriage alliance with the Hai’an Marquis, it would be a great blessing for us.

By then, our Xiao family will surely become the number one family in Tianyang.” Edward Carter laughed heartily.

“Father, do you think the The Thompson Family already knew about this?” William Carter asked.

“Impossible! The notice from the Hai’an Marquis’s residence just arrived at the county office.” Edward Carter shook his head.

“Father, do you remember yesterday when I had just come out of the coffin, that brat David Thompson was so scared he nearly lost his soul? When I pressed him, he mentioned ‘it’s about the Hai’an Marquis’s family’ or something, but then Samuel Thompson interrupted him.” William Carter said.

“Could they really have known in advance, and then staged the Grace Turner incident?

Also, they know you brothers are close, and your Big Brother is hot-tempered, so they took the chance to injure your Big Brother.

That way, your Second Brother had no choice but to go to Honghe to find medicinal ingredients. What a scheme!

In their eyes, my three sons—one dead, one injured, and one unable to return.” Edward Carter was instantly filled with murderous intent. The blood energy of the ‘Tongling Realm’ surged through his body, making his skin faintly show red scales, his muscles tremble, and even the air vibrate.

“With one of the three Tianyang families out of the running, their chances naturally increase. And with Second Brother alone out there, I’m really worried.” William Carter said.

“They wouldn’t dare!”

With a slap, Edward Carter left a clear palm print on the purple sandalwood table beside him, the mark sinking deep into the wood.

Within the palm print, there was even a faint, pencil-lead-thick blood line.

After opening the Tianmen, a Tongling Realm expert must expand the meridians in their body into special channels for internal energy. The internal energy flows like water, and the wider the channel, the faster the flow.

The more water at the source, the stronger the power. The spring’s source is throughout the body. In the Cangyue Realm, the bigger the body, the more energy it can generate.

And Edward Carter had already built a pencil-lead-thick energy channel in his body, which was almost the peak of the Tongling Realm.

The Tongling Realm is divided into four sub-levels: lower channel, middle channel, upper channel, and round channel. A martial artist who just breaks through to the Tongling Realm from the ‘lower channel’ only has a few hair-thin energy channels in their body.

“For the sake of becoming Tianyang’s number one family, what wouldn’t they dare to do?” William Carter’s face darkened.

The three Tianyang families have always been at odds, shaking hands on the surface while kicking each other under the table. It’s nothing new.

Fortunately, the three families are about equal in strength, or else one would have unified everything long ago.

“Old Green, go to Second Young Master’s side immediately.” Edward Carter shouted toward the back of the house.

Soon, the sound of urgent hoofbeats faded away from the back door.

Old Green’s real name is Richard Green. His life was saved by Father, and since then, he has become the Xiao family’s most mysterious and loyal person.