Dongli City.
The voices of the crowd rose in a boiling roar, and the streets bustled with activity.
Yet the very next moment, the crowded people on the street grew somewhat quiet.
They raised their heads to look toward the sky.
The originally clear sky actually gathered dark clouds at this time, turning gloomy.
Such a sudden scene did not resemble the coming of a violent rainstorm, either.
Just as everyone stood in a daze, abruptly, a frightened scream rang out from among the crowd:
"Look, everyone, what is that thing?"
The crowd looked toward the direction pointed by that person, only to see a giant finger parting the clouds and mist, pressing down toward below.
The destructive aura contained within that giant half-finger caused everyone in Dongli City to choke with breath and tremble with terror.
This bizarre and terrifying scene threw the common folk across the entire street into complete chaos.
Frightened screams echoed up and down the street.
It resembled an apocalyptic catastrophe.
The common folk on the street scattered and fled in all directions, hiding inside the shops.
In no more than a dozen breaths of time, the bustling street transformed into a desolate appearance.
Meanwhile, a sparse few figures still remained upon the street.
These people wore brocade robes and possessed extraordinary temperaments, recognizable at a glance as belonging to immensely wealthy and noble households.
The plump, round-featured elderly man leading them among them was an Elder of the Aocheng Family.
Accompanying him was a man of equally extraordinary bearing and sharp gaze who wore a deep black robe; this person was the Liu Family Head.
Within Dongli City, aside from the ruling Xiao Family, the most formidable forces were the Liu Family and the two households of the Aocheng Family.
These two families, together with the Xiao Family, were collectively known as the three major families of Dongli City!
However, in recent years, the Xiao Family grew powerful; whether in commerce or family influence, both families suffered no small amount of suppression from the Xiao Family.
Consequently, the two families also huddled together for warmth, jointly resisting the Xiao Family.
Under this situation, a delicate balance of mutual restraint formed among the three major families of Dongli City.
In this circumstance, the malice of the two families toward the Xiao Family grew day by day.
Once they caught the slightest hint of trouble, they would rack their brains to find trouble for the Xiao Family.
Aocheng Nan and Liu Qing both looked at the giant finger in the sky, their expressions shaken.
Aocheng Nan said with a grave expression:
"Such an aura, such might—even an expert at the Grandmaster realm could never possibly pull this off, right?"
Beside him, Liu Qing also nodded gently, yet as his gaze shifted downward, the corners of his mouth curled into a trace of a smile:
"That terrifying technique is clearly descending upon the Xiao Family."
"This is extremely likely because the Xiao Family provoked some figure who must not be provoked."
Hearing this, Aocheng Nan also chuckled softly:
"It seems this Xiao Family probably won't be able to last much longer."
"To provoke super experts of this caliber twice in succession."
The two smiled knowingly.
Two months ago, a terrifying aura erupted within the interior of the Xiao Family.
That sort of aura not even only pressed down upon the entire Xiao Family, but even passersby outside the estate were affected to a certain extent.
The Aocheng and Liu Families, who kept their eyes fixed on the Xiao Family at all times, naturally would not miss this intelligence and immediately bribed the junior members of the Xiao Family.
Upon learning that no one knew whence this aura originated, and that the Xiao Family juniors had only witnessed ten thousand swords slaying toward the Xiao Family Hall, they guessed that the Xiao Family had very likely provoked a super expert of the Grandmaster realm and received a warning from that expert.
Having acquired this news, the Aocheng Family and the Liu Family naturally would not let slip this opportunity to kick a man while he was down.
They immediately ordered men to seize the Xiao Family market and contend for the Xiao Family's goods within Dongli City.
This sequence of events had indeed caught the members of the Xiao Family off guard, allowing them to seize no small amount of benefits.
Now, the Xiao Family had evidently once again enraged this expert.
Judging by the might in the sky, today was probably an annihilating disaster for the Xiao Family!
Aside from rejoicing, the two family heads also harbored varied thoughts.
Judging by today's circumstances, the Xiao Family was bound to fall.
This kind of terrifying might in the sky was difficult to reach even for the Grandmaster realm.
And what sort of concept was a Grandmaster in Dongli City?
Let alone Dongli City, not even a single Grandmaster could be found in the entire Jiangnan Province.
Such an expert, even if they merely displayed malice toward the Xiao Family, was enough to cause countless experts to take action against the Xiao Family merely to curry favor.
At this thought, the Clan Leader of the Aocheng Family immediately issued an order:
"Since the Xiao Family has been warned by such an expert, we no longer need to hold back."
"Speed up the original plan!"
Xiao Family Hall.
Xiao Zhan and the others walked out in a panic, looking toward the horizon.
Gazing at the terrifying momentum of the giant finger in the sky, they were all too stunned to speak.
Even if one searched through the history of Dongli City, a terrifying aura like this heavenly phenomenon could not yield a second example!
Xiao Zhan's expression was somewhat heavy:
"The person executing this possesses a strength far surpassing the Innate realm! I'm afraid even a Grandmaster expert might not necessarily be able to create such a commotion!?"
"I only wonder whether the appearance of such a mighty figure in Dongli City is a blessing or a curse for our Dongli City."
Hearing this, the Three Elders were startled once more.
However, the First Elder suddenly paused, immediately reacting:
"Clan Leader, you don't suppose this wondrous sight was caused by Huohuo's master, do you?"
The remaining three pondered this for a moment, their eyes successively lighting up as Xiao Zhan slapped his palm and said in pleasant surprise:
"That's right, how could I have forgotten about Huohuo's master!"
The smile on his lips lingered and refused to fade, and as he looked back up at the giant finger in the sky, he still felt his scalp tingle somewhat before finally speaking after a long while:
"This sort of might is far more terrifying than the one Huohuo's master unleashed two months ago."
"It seems everything Huohuo's master said was true."
"The so-called Grandmaster realm strength was merely what he attained on his very first day of cultivation."
"His strength far exceeds anything we can imagine."
The Second Elder also spoke to himself, both joyful and startled:
"Even though I knew it long ago, it is only today that I dare to believe there is genuinely such a terrifying person in this world."
Xiao Zhan and the others also laughed and chimed in one after another:
"Huohuo truly is the fortunate star of our Xiao Family, to actually bring back such a Peerless Expert for our Xiao Family."
Compared to the lively trio, the Third Elder remained silent off to one side.
Staring fixedly at the sky and pondering for a long time, he suddenly said somewhat strangely:
"Clan Leader, you guys... this finger in the sky, could it possibly not be the expert teaching Huohuo martial arts?"
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