Night of Extermination

The night was quiet. Layers of dark clouds covered the moonlight, making the land appear even darker.

At the Xiao Family, two disciples assigned to patrol were wandering outside, both looking utterly exhausted.

A few months ago, to guard against an attack from the Jia Lie Family, the Xiao Family had assigned disciples to patrol every night, leaving everyone on edge.

But in the subsequent battle over the marketplace, the Jia Lie Family had suffered a crushing defeat. The Xiao Family's strength had successfully surpassed the other two great families, becoming the foremost of Wutan City's three major families.

Now that the Xiao Family had transformed into Wutan City's number one family, they were riding high with confidence. The Xiao Family disciples on patrol were not inspecting the grounds very seriously; they did not believe anyone would dare set their sights on the Xiao Family now.

At that moment, one Xiao Family disciple suddenly shuddered. He said to the other, "Hey, don't you feel like something's off?"

"Something's off?"

"I keep feeling like someone's watching us."

"Watching us? Stop scaring yourself. Our Xiao Family is already Wutan City's number one family. Who would still dare make a move against us?"

"You're right. Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive."

The moment he finished speaking, the Xiao Family disciple's ears suddenly caught a faint sound. With his years of experience, he could clearly identify it as human footsteps. The sound immediately put them on guard.

The next instant, sharp blades pierced through their backs and straight into their chests, rupturing their hearts.

"Enemies!" the Xiao Family disciple roared miserably before dying.

Seeing that they had been discovered, the Jia Lie Family members no longer bothered hiding. They looked toward the Xiao Mansion before them and charged straight in.

"Kill!" The Jia Lie Family members rushed into the Xiao Family estate. Killing cries suddenly erupted outside the Xiao Family's main hall, and many Xiao Family disciples were cut down beneath the Jia Lie Family's slaughtering blades before they could even react.

As killing cries rang out beyond the hall, Xiao Zhan and the three elders hurried out to see what was happening. What greeted their eyes was scene after scene of Xiao Family disciples being butchered.

Xiao Zhan glared furiously at the enemies before him, hatred spilling from his reddened eyes. Green Dou Qi gradually covered his body before gathering on his face into the phantom image of a lion's head.

Furious Lion Rampage!

The instant the lion-head phantom formed, it charged forward. Rage had caused Xiao Zhan to lose his reason; Furious Lion Rampage not only inflicted casualties on the enemies before him, but also caused considerable losses among the Xiao Family disciples.

"Everyone, stop!" Xiao Zhan shouted, releasing the imposing aura of a Great Dou Shi.

"Hahaha, Xiao Zhan, it's been a long time!" At that moment, a figure Xiao Zhan knew very well walked in.

"You... Jia Lie Bi! So it was you!" Xiao Zhan looked up and glared angrily at Jia Lie Bi.

"Haha, that's right, it was me. Xiao Zhan, tonight your Xiao Family will cease to exist."

"Jia Lie Bi, I'll kill you!"

As though Jia Lie Bi had provoked him, Xiao Zhan's gaze instantly sharpened. The lion's head condensed once more and charged toward Jia Lie Bi.

Yet before it could even approach Jia Lie Bi, the lion's head was dispelled. To Xiao Zhan's shock, Jia Lie Bi respectfully said to Yan Yang beside him, "Mister Yang, I'll have to trouble you. Once this is over, I will definitely offer the payment you requested with both hands."

"This aura is... a Dou Ling!"

A look of horror appeared on Xiao Zhan's face. Someone capable of effortlessly blocking a Great Dou Shi's full-force strike was conservatively estimated to be a Dou Ling—and most likely a high-level Dou Ling.

The Xiao Family's three elders also revealed horrified expressions. If the Black Robe had been a Great Dou Shi, they might have had some chance of victory if they joined forces.

But this Black Robe was a Dou Ling. Even if they joined hands, they would not be enough for a Dou Ling-level expert.

Had Huo Xuan not told him to conceal his strength and forbidden him from using the power of a Dou Zun, Yan Yang could have killed them with his aura alone.

"Ah, the Xiao Clan's final bloodline is about to be cut off."

Yan Yang waved a hand, and a destructive force spread from his palm as it struck toward Xiao Zhan and the three elders. This attack from Yan Yang was equivalent to a high-level Dou Ling's full-force blow.

Facing such overwhelming power, Xiao Zhan and the others had not even had time to raise their Dou Qi in defense before they were smashed into pools of bloody flesh.

"Patriarch Jia Lie, now that the Xiao Family's upper ranks are dead, I'll leave the rest to you."

"Hehe, many thanks, Mister Yang."

Jia Lie Bi spoke to the Jia Lie Family members present. "Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"

With those words from the Jia Lie patriarch, the Xiao Family's fate was sealed.

The Jia Lie Family members raised their slaughtering blades whenever they saw a Xiao Family member. In the blink of an eye, the entire Xiao Family had turned into a slaughterhouse.

"Jia Lie Family! You'll die horrible deaths!"

"Jia Lie Family! You'll definitely face retribution!"

"I curse you! I curse you!"

"You will surely face heaven's punishment!"

The Jia Lie Family killed with increasing savagery, and more and more corpses piled up on the ground. Occasionally, Xiao Family members rose up to resist, but their resistance only brought even more brutal slaughter.

More and more Xiao Family members began cursing without restraint before they died, each curse more vicious than the last.

Huo Xuan watched the massacre from afar. The Xiao Family disciples' shrill screams and curses drifted endlessly into his ears.

"Heaven's punishment?"

Hearing that, Huo Xuan sneered. He was determined to become a Dou Di; in order to reach that peak, anyone would stop at nothing.

There had been a saying in his previous life: one general's success was built upon ten thousand bones. Behind the glorious achievements of every emperor and general had been countless rivers of blood and mountains of bones. It could be said that they had all trampled over thousands upon thousands of corpses to attain such accomplishments.

Heaven's punishment? Huo Xuan was not afraid of it in the slightest. To borrow Hun Tiandi's words, once one became a Dou Di and stood above this world, who could still condemn them?