"I've already carried thorns on my back to apologize. What more do you want from me?" Xiao Ting, brimming with youthful fire, couldn't help demanding.
Xiao Wei reacted at once, hurrying over to Xiao Ting and kicking him hard as he cursed, "You unfilial brat! Even if the Young Clan Leader doesn't forgive you, you're not allowed to say something like that."
"Ah!"
The kick seemed to have landed hard. Xiao Ting immediately let out a cry of pain so loud it nearly split his throat.
Xiao Yao knew this was the same as before—a scheme by the First Elder to put on a show of suffering.
He also knew the First Elder was genuinely laying into him, kicking Xiao Ting almost to death. It was as though Xiao Ting weren't his own eldest son, but the enemy who'd murdered his father and stolen his wife.
What a ruthless man!
The First Elder was truly ruthless!
But Xiao Yao wasn't afraid. On the contrary, as he watched Xiao Wei prepare to continue beating Xiao Ting, he spoke with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "First Elder, stop!"
"You unfilial brat, hurry up and thank the Young Clan Leader, or I'll beat you to death!" Xiao Wei's voice rang with force. His tone was stern as he glared at Xiao Ting.
With ten thousand grievances in his heart, Xiao Ting could only force himself to endure it. His voice came out weak and tearful. "Y-Young Clan Leader, th-thank you!"
"There's no need to thank me so quickly. After all, I haven't forgiven you."
At those words, Xiao Wei felt a jumble of emotions. He hadn't expected the Young Clan Leader to be so cold-blooded, completely unmoved by his display of suffering.
Xiao Ting's body trembled slightly. He cried out helplessly, "Are you going to kill me? I don't want to die yet."
"Hey! We're all loving members of the same clan. How could I kill you?" As he spoke, the smile on Xiao Yao's face grew brighter.
In the eyes of the Xiao Clan members, it was a smile like a demon's.
"But you refused to speak up for me in front of everyone and even mocked me. If I don't punish you for that, the elders of the clan won't stand for it."
"First Elder, don't you agree?"
Feeling Xiao Yao's gaze on him, even Xiao Wei, a man of vast experience who had weathered countless battles, began to shudder with fear.
He hurriedly replied, "Yes! Yes! The Young Clan Leader is absolutely right!"
"In that case, seven days from now, Brother Ting, I'll face you in a duel at the Martial Arts Hall. If you win, we'll wipe the slate clean. But if you lose, I can do whatever I want with you."
Everyone stared at Xiao Yao. Even Dongfang Xuetong couldn't understand why he'd said something so plainly impossible to win.
Was he trying to do the Xiao Clan's First Elder a favor, giving Xiao Ting a way to save face?
After all, if the Xiao Clan lost Xiao Wei now, it might not be able to function.
While the Xiao Clan members relaxed, Xiao Wei remained weighed down with worry. He felt there was more to this than met the eye.
"Brother Ting, prepare well. Don't say your older brother didn't give you a chance."
With a smile, Xiao Yao headed toward the gates of the Xiao Clan residence, looking every bit like a villain who'd gotten his way.
[Beep! Congratulations, host. You have completed the mission: refuse to forgive Xiao Ting and challenge him to a match seven days from now. You have received 500,000 Low-grade spirit stones.]
"Is this a great reward?" Xiao Yao grumbled inwardly.
[Beep! Is it not? If Shātu Demon Sage makes a move in secret and lures your master away, you'll be able to activate Heavenly Net's explosive state five more times!]
"Uh... Looking at it that way, it really is a great reward."
A short while later, Xiao Yao and the Lotus Sword Emperor, Dongfang Xuetong, had disappeared from sight.
Shātu Demon Sage Zhu Ding swept his arm, and a plume of purple-black aura surged toward Xiao Ting, finally enveloping his entire body.
The aura was incredibly powerful. Even Xiao Wei, who was at the ninth level of the King Realm, didn't dare approach. He could only watch from where he stood, his expression tense.
The thorny brambles were burned to ashes. Then every wound on Xiao Ting's body vanished, leaving not a single scar.
More astonishingly, Xiao Ting's figure became even more perfect, his face more handsome, and the aura around him continued to climb.
In the end, Xiao Ting's cultivation reached the Peak of Transcendent Realm Ninth Layer.
Whoosh!
The purple-black aura vanished. Zhu Ding fixed his gaze on Xiao Ting and said, "For the next seven days, I'll teach you everything I can."
"Master, I won't let you down." Xiao Ting's heart was full of rage. Seven days from now, he would make Xiao Yao feel the pain of the humiliation he'd suffered today.
Zhu Ding was overjoyed. This was exactly the result he wanted.
According to his conversation with Lord, it was highly likely that Xiao Yao would be the one to fight Wang Teng three months from now.
Given the terrifying power of the Chaos Body, there was a fairly good chance Wang Teng would lose.
So it would be better to make Xiao Yao perish without anyone realizing, ideally in a way that looked like an accident.
Inside the courtyard of the Xiao Clan's Young Clan Leader.
Dongfang Xuetong had just entered when she immediately asked, "Disciple, what do you plan to do next?"
"For these seven days, Master, I hope you won't hold back. Use every method you can to make me stronger."
Xiao Yao's gaze was resolute, as though he would accept any method as long as it made him stronger.
Dongfang Xuetong thought highly of this disciple and wanted to do just that, but there was something she needed to tell him first.
"Disciple, do you know why I took you as my disciple?"
Xiao Yao looked puzzled and ventured, "You wanted to pass down your legacy?"
"No. Guess again." Dongfang Xuetong chose not to tell him the answer outright.
Xiao Yao rolled his eyes. He hadn't expected his master, a Great Emperor, to be so playful and mischievous.
After thinking it over, he asked curiously, "Master, am I your first disciple?"
"Yes," Dongfang Xuetong replied.
Xiao Yao's eyes lit up. He immediately said, "I know! You've cultivated for so many years without a disciple, so your Dao has been incomplete. That's why you wanted to take on a disciple."
"Not that either. Guess again," Dongfang Xuetong replied with a smile.
At that, Xiao Yao gave up entirely. Pouting in frustration, he said, "I know so little about you. If I keep guessing, I'll just be wasting time. I'm done! Let whoever wants to guess do it!"
Dongfang Xuetong wasn't angry. On the contrary, she was delighted, believing this showed that Xiao Yao trusted her.
She placed a delicate hand on Xiao Yao's head and gently stroked it to comfort him as she explained, "Disciple, this is a contest between me and the Demonic Path forces."
"A contest?" Xiao Yao tilted his head slightly, looking curious.
"To be precise, it's a contest between me and the Ghost Fiend Demon Emperor. We've each won once, and this final round will be a contest between our disciples. So far, only the Ghost Fiend Demon Emperor has confirmed which disciple he'll enter."
As soon as Dongfang Xuetong finished speaking, Xiao Yao asked, "Who is it?"
"I heard it's Wang Teng, a man with the Bearing of an Emperor," Dongfang Xuetong replied.
What?
Wang Teng?
And he had the Bearing of an Emperor?
How come Wang Teng, with the Bearing of an Emperor, was everywhere!
[Beep! How is he everywhere? There's only one Wang Teng with the Bearing of an Emperor, isn't there?]
"System, I mean that this name and background have appeared way too many times in the novels from my previous life," Xiao Yao explained inwardly.
[Beep! Those were just novels. Host, this is reality, and there's a big difference.]
"True!"
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Dongfang Xuetong's captivating voice rang out. "Disciple, are you willing to fight Wang Teng three months from now?"
[Beep! Host, you absolutely have to take this on!]
"You just keep telling me to take it on. Do you know how deep these waters are?" Xiao Yao grumbled inwardly.
If he didn't fight Wang Teng, at least Shātu Demon Sage wouldn't target him, and he'd have plenty of time to grow stronger.
But if he did, he'd have to stay on guard against Zhu Ding at every turn—and even against the unscrupulous Ghost Fiend Demon Emperor.
[Beep! No matter how deep these waters are, can they be deeper than you, with this system at your side?]
[Beep! Host, the more famous your opponent is, the richer the rewards you'll receive for completing the mission.]
At that moment, Xiao Yao was tempted!
But to make sure nothing could go wrong, he still needed to ask more questions.
"Master, what will happen if I refuse?"
As soon as he finished asking, Xiao Yao felt as though he'd been plunged into a land of extreme cold. His master's gaze on him grew more and more terrifying.
Before you continue