The Dou Qi Continent Had Been Quiet for Too Long. It Was About to Get Lively!

The horrifying sight scared Aoba Pa so badly he wet himself.

Jia Liebi was trembling all over, completely at a loss.

But strangely, it was as if the terrifying sound could tell people apart!

It had killed everyone from the Jialie Clan and Aoba Clan except their two clan leaders!

The Xiao Family had come through unharmed!

What was going on?

As everyone wondered, a figure in green appeared in the hall like a ghost.

It was Xiao Xuan.

He sized up Xiao Zhan. "Are you the current patriarch of the Xiao Family?"

"Thank you for saving our lives, Senior. I am Xiao Zhan, current patriarch of the Xiao Family."

Xiao Zhan bowed, his manner exceedingly respectful.

Xiao Xuan nodded. "Your strength is a little weak, but at least you've got backbone!"

"I'm ashamed." Xiao Zhan smiled wryly.

At the sight of Xiao Xuan's sudden appearance, Jia Liebi could barely get his words out.

"You—you—you... are you human or ghost?"

Hearing him, Xiao Xuan turned to Jia Liebi and Aoba Pa. "I'll give you a chance to live! Defeat Xiao Zhan!"

"Senior, you mustn't! They're both three-star Da Dou Shi, and Xiao Zhan would have little chance against the two of them!"

The Xiao Family's three elders hurriedly objected.

Xiao Xuan ignored them and repeated, "You get one chance!"

"Really? Fine. We... we accept."

Jia Liebi and Aoba Pa exchanged glances. As if they'd grasped a lifeline, they agreed at once without stopping to consider whether it was genuine.

"This..."

The three Xiao Family elders worried that they were letting tigers return to the mountains.

But then they remembered Xiao Xuan's terrifying strength and realized they were worrying over nothing.

Xiao Xuan turned and rested a hand on Xiao Zhan's shoulder. "You have to avenge this grudge yourself and overcome the demon in your heart."

"I understand."

The instant Xiao Xuan's hand touched Xiao Zhan's shoulder, Xiao Zhan felt an extraordinarily gentle force flow into him, like sunlight bathing his body!

In that moment, he felt full of strength!

He could kill a third-tier magical beast with one punch!

"Who is this man?"

"Could he be a friend of Patriarch Xiao Lin?"

"Very likely. But I heard him say 'the Xiao Family I'm protecting'... Do you think he might be some reclusive expert from our Xiao Family?"

"That doesn't sound right. I heard him say, 'the Xiao Family I want to protect.' But if that's true, our Xiao Family might be saved!"

"Maybe our Xiao Family can reclaim the glory it had when Patriarch Xiao Lin was here!"

As the Xiao Family members whispered among themselves,

Xiao Xuan patted Xiao Zhan on the shoulder. "Go on. Remember, mercy to your enemies is cruelty to yourself!"

Xiao Zhan nodded and stepped forward. "Jia Liebi, Aoba Pa, get up and face your deaths!"

Jia Liebi and Aoba Pa rose to their feet. After exchanging a glance, they attacked Xiao Zhan from both sides!

Bang!

Bang!

But no one expected that even though all three were three-star Da Dou Shi—and it was two against one—

Neither man could withstand a single move from Xiao Zhan!

They were killed in an instant!

To their dying breaths, they had no idea why!

The Xiao Family members froze for a moment.

Then deafening cheers erupted!

Only then did the Xiao Family's three elders come back to their senses.

They exchanged glances, each seeing the same disbelief in the other's eyes.

The difference in Xiao Zhan's strength before and after was simply too great!

They didn't need to guess what had caused such a disparity.

It was surely this mysterious man before them!

Who was he?

Why was he helping the Xiao Family?

"Not bad!" Xiao Xuan said with satisfaction.

Xiao Zhan bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your help, Senior. May I ask your name?"

Xiao Xuan took the seat of honor and pondered for a moment before speaking. "Everyone else, leave. For now, I'll tell this only to you."

After the Xiao Family's three elders had left,

Xiao Xuan used his soul power to seal off the area.

Only then did he slowly speak:

"A thousand years ago, I was the patriarch of the Xiao Clan. But later, I was injured after failing to break through. Someone whose strength was nearly equal to mine ambushed me and trapped me in one place for a thousand years. I only managed to escape recently."

What?!

The patriarch of the Xiao Clan... from a thousand years ago?!

Xiao Zhan felt a storm raging in his heart!

His mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg!

What kind of strength did it take to live a thousand years?

Was he a legendary Dou Zong? Or even a Dou Venerable?!

With his limited knowledge, Xiao Zhan couldn't even begin to imagine.

"Ancestor, please accept Xiao Zhan's bow."

Xiao Zhan's eyes blurred with tears. He dropped to his knees with a thump and kowtowed heavily.

Xiao Xuan gently raised a hand, lifting Xiao Zhan back to his feet.

Then he continued, "I've returned this time to lead the Xiao Clan and restore its former glory! I'll completely destroy the culprit who brought our Xiao Clan to ruin!! But remember, don't let anyone besides yourself know that I am Xiao Xuan!"

"Rest assured, Ancestor. I'd die before telling a soul!"

Xiao Zhan was overcome with excitement.

Xiao Xuan nodded with satisfaction.

"Ancestor, what should we do next?"

"Have Xiao Yan come here. I need to speak with him."

"Yes, Ancestor. Please wait here. I'll get him right away."

Xiao Zhan hurried out to find Xiao Yan.

He found Xiao Yan.

On the way to the reception hall,

Xiao Zhan kept reminding him, "Yan'er, when you meet that... that Senior, make sure you show respect, understand? Don't offend him..."

Xiao Yan interrupted, unconcerned. "I know, Father. You've said it more than ten times."

Xiao Yan was five years old. He had begun cultivating last year, and had already reached the Dou Qi Second Stage!

He was far ahead of children his age.

It was only natural that he had grown a little proud.

He didn't take the Senior his father mentioned all that seriously, either.

In a quiet courtyard of the Xiao Family,

a little girl in a pale purple dress held a book and read with great interest.

She was Gu Yuan's daughter, Gu Xun'er.

"Ding-a-ling."

Suddenly, the two tiny green bells hanging at Xun'er's slender, fair wrist rang out with a crisp, ethereal chime.

The figure appeared again.

Xun'er kept her eyes on her book. "Elder Ling, how did it go?"

"Miss, the crisis... has been resolved."

"Did you step in?"

"No, it wasn't me. I saw that Xiao Zhan had lost and was about to intervene, but..." Ling Ying trailed off.

"But what?"

Xun'er put down her book and looked at Ling Ying.

Ling Ying's expression turned odd. "A mysterious force appeared and killed everyone from the Aoba Clan and the Jialie Clan! But I didn't see who was behind it. When I tried to find out, I discovered the meeting hall had been sealed off. I couldn't get in."

Elder Ling was a Dou Huang expert. For someone to create a barrier he couldn't enter—

How powerful would they have to be?

Xun'er's delicate brows knit together. "Could the Xiao Family have a reclusive expert?"

As she pondered, several lines of small writing appeared on the Ancient Jade her father had left her.

Xun'er's expression changed instantly!

After a moment's thought, she used her finger as a pen and quickly wrote on the Ancient Jade.

[Father, in that case, I won't return for now, so you don't need to come get me. I want to stay with the Xiao Family and see what he plans to do. That way, I can inform you right away.]

Once she had finished, Xun'er put the Ancient Jade away.

"Elder Ling, do you know who saved the Xiao Family just now?"

"I'm sorry, Miss. I can't guess."

Xun'er didn't say who it was. She only remarked meaningfully, "The Dou Qi Continent has been quiet for too long. It's about to get lively!"