Xiao Chen, Stop Right There

The Great Elder struck out with his palm, the wind of his blow whistling as it hurtled toward Xiao Chen's chest.

A full-force strike from a five-star Dou King was enough to kill him; the surrounding mercenaries turned pale as they felt the pressure of that aura.

"Xiao Chen, watch out!"

Xiao Ding shouted.

Xiao Li also clenched his fists, desperate to rush forward and help, but he could not move; the pressure exerted by the Dou King expert made it difficult for him even to breathe.

The surrounding mercenaries retreated one after another, none of them holding out any hope for Xiao Chen.

"It's over, that youth is done for."

"That's a Dou King expert; there are only a few in the entire Jia Ma Empire."

"How could a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy possibly withstand that?"

The mercenaries whispered among themselves, all shaking their heads.

The Great Elder's palm wind slammed into Xiao Chen, yet Xiao Chen stood rooted to the spot, not moving an inch.

The palm wind dissipated, and Xiao Chen had not budged at all.

The Great Elder's pupils constricted violently. "How is this possible?"

He had used his full strength in that strike; even a Dou King of the same level would not dare to take it head-on, yet this youth had neutralized his attack while standing there doing nothing.

The Great Elder's expression turned unsightly.

Yue Mei stood to the side watching this scene, a flicker of complexity flashing through her eyes. She had long known that Xiao Chen was strong, but she had not expected him to be strong to this degree.

The Great Elder was a five-star Dou King, second only to Queen Medusa in strength within the Snake-Person Tribe. If even he could not harm Xiao Chen in the slightest, just how powerful was this human?

"Attack together!"

The Great Elder roared.

The elite Snake-People behind him immediately charged forward; over a dozen Dou Ling experts attacked Xiao Chen simultaneously, their Dou Qi surging.

Xiao Chen looked at them and sighed. He raised his hand and struck out with a palm, a terrifying burst of Dou Qi erupting from his palm and blasting toward the elite Snake-People.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Several muffled thuds rang out almost simultaneously. The elite Snake-People at the front were sent flying backward, crashing to the ground and lying motionless.

The remaining Snake-People's expressions changed. They swarmed him, attacking Xiao Chen from every direction.

Xiao Chen's figure flickered, dodging several attacks before casually striking out with another palm, sending another Snake-Person down.

He didn't even look, striking out with a backhand palm—the third, the fourth, the fifth.

In less than a few breaths, all dozen elite Snake-People lay on the ground, not one of them able to crawl back up.

The Great Elder watched this scene, completely stunned. Those elite Snake-People were all Dou Ling-level experts.

In the Snake-Person Tribe, every one of them was an elite, yet they couldn't even last a single move in front of Xiao Chen.

"Stop!"

The Great Elder shouted.

Xiao Chen ignored him, walking toward the last remaining elite Snake-Person and striking out with a palm.

That elite Snake-Person was sent flying, crashing to the ground where he twitched twice before going still.

The Great Elder's face turned livid. "Did you not hear me tell you to stop?"

Xiao Chen turned his head to look at him. "I heard you."

"And you kept killing even after hearing me?"

"Just because you say stop, I must stop?"

Xiao Chen said indifferently, "What kind of thing do you think you are?"

A flicker of rage flashed in the Great Elder's eyes, but it was overshadowed by fear.

This youth's strength far exceeded his imagination; he was either at the peak of the Dou King realm or a Dou Emperor.

A fifteen or sixteen-year-old Dou Emperor—there were barely any to be found in the entire Dou Qi Continent.

Xiao Chen walked toward him. "It's your turn."

The Great Elder took a step back, the Dou Qi within his body surging wildly. He struck out with his palm, using every ounce of his strength, but Xiao Chen didn't even look as he threw a punch.

Fist and palm collided with a muffled thud. The Great Elder's body was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground as he spat out a large mouthful of blood.

He lay on the ground, his face deathly pale and his eyes filled with terror. One move—it had taken only one move, and he, a five-star Dou King, couldn't even withstand a single strike.

The surrounding mercenaries watched this scene, all of them dumbfounded.

"That youth... he won?"

"He injured a Dou King expert."

"Heavens, just who is he?"

The mercenaries' discussions were filled with shock.

Xiao Ding and Xiao Li stood rooted to the spot, their mouths agape, unable to utter a single word.

They knew their cousin was strong, but they had never imagined he was strong to this extent.

A five-star Dou King could not even withstand a single move before him.

Xiao Li recalled how he had sparred with Xiao Chen earlier to test his strength, and his face burned with embarrassment.

The man had been going easy on him; if Xiao Chen had been serious, he wouldn't have been able to take even one strike.

"Too strong."

Xiao Ding muttered to himself.

Qing Lin stood to the side, watching Xiao Chen with eyes full of adoration; the Young Master was indeed incredibly powerful.

Xiao Chen walked up to the Great Elder and looked down at him; the Great Elder lay on the ground, his eyes filled with terror as he gazed at Xiao Chen.

"You... you cannot kill me."

The Great Elder's voice was trembling.

"Why?"

Xiao Chen asked.

"I am the Great Elder of the Snake-Person Tribe. If you kill me, Her Majesty the Queen will not let you off."

Xiao Chen did not speak.

"Her Majesty the Queen is a peak Dou Emperor powerhouse; you cannot defeat her."

The Great Elder said, "Let me go, and I can pretend that nothing ever happened."

Xiao Chen looked at him, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, "Are you finished?"

The Great Elder was stunned for a moment.

"If you're finished, then go to your death."

Xiao Chen raised his hand, about to strike down, but then lowered it again; he turned around to look at the surrounding mercenaries.

"Who has a sword?"

The mercenaries looked at one another, and no one spoke.

"Lend it to me for a moment."

Xiao Chen said.

A young mercenary hesitated for a moment before unbuckling the longsword at his waist and handing it over; Xiao Chen took the sword and nodded.

"Thanks."

He turned around and walked toward the Great Elder.

The Great Elder looked at the sword in Xiao Chen's hand, his face turning deathly pale, "What... what are you doing?"

Xiao Chen did not answer.

The Great Elder struggled to crawl backward, but his body would not move, "I beg you, do not kill me. If you let me go, I guarantee the Snake-Person Tribe will never trouble you again."

Xiao Chen looked at him, "Now you know how to speak softly?"

"I... I can give you money, give you medicinal herbs; whatever you want, I will give it to you."

The Great Elder's voice was shaking.

"It's too late."

Xiao Chen raised the sword and swung it down; a flash of light swept past, and the Great Elder's snake tail was severed at the root, blood spraying out and staining the yellow sand of the ground red.

"Ah!"

The Great Elder let out a miserable shriek, his voice trembling; he lay on the ground, clutching the wound of his severed tail, his entire body shivering.

"Spare me... I beg you, spare me."

The Great Elder's voice was weak and powerless.

"Xiao Chen, that's enough."

Yue Mei spoke up.

Xiao Chen turned his head to look at her.

"Her Majesty the Queen will not let you off."

Yue Mei said, "Her Majesty the Queen is a peak Dou Emperor powerhouse; you cannot defeat her. If you kill the Great Elder, the Snake-Person Tribe will pursue you to the ends of the earth."

Xiao Chen looked at her, "Are you finished?"

Yue Mei gritted her teeth, "Do not be ungrateful."

Xiao Chen ignored her and turned his head back to look at the Great Elder.

The Great Elder lay on the ground, his face deathly pale, his eyes filled with terror, "No... I beg you, no."

Xiao Chen raised his sword and pierced it straight through the Great Elder's chest.

The Great Elder's eyes widened, his mouth agape as if to say something, but not a single word escaped; his head lolled to the side, and he breathed his last in an instant.

Yue Mei stared at the Great Elder's corpse, completely stunned; Xiao Chen had truly killed the Great Elder, and right before her eyes at that.

Yue Mei looked up at Xiao Chen, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Xiao Chen did not look at her, instead returning the sword to the young mercenary. "Thanks."

The young mercenary's hands trembled as he took the sword back.

The surrounding mercenaries were all dumbfounded by the scene; a Dou King expert had just died like this, slain by a single sword strike from a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth.

"Good heavens, what did I just see?"

"That youth killed a Dou King expert."

"Who on earth is he?"

The mercenaries' whispers were filled with shock and terror.

Xiao Ding stood where he was, watching Xiao Chen, a surge of complicated emotions rising in his heart.

Xiao Li stood to the side, silent for a long time; he recalled how he had just patted Xiao Chen on the shoulder and suggested a spar, and now, the thought alone made him feel ashamed.

Qing Lin gazed at Xiao Chen, her eyes brimming with adoration.

Yue Mei stood her ground, gritting her teeth as she looked at the Great Elder's corpse; she turned around, unfurled her Dou Qi wings, and shot into the sky, flying off in the direction of the Tagor Desert.

She had to return and report this to Her Majesty the Queen!