You've Gone Too Far

Xu Feng's pupils contracted in an instant.

Was the Pavilion Master of Xiaoyao Pavilion really this young?

And his surname was Xu. Was he connected to the Sun Moon Empire?

"Did you have someone use a Limit Douluo's aura to force me out?" Xu Feng laughed in fury. "Kid, this is the Heaven Dou Empire, and my Xuanming Sect's territory. Even if we can't beat you, we can always ask the Body Sect for help."

Xu Yanli didn't answer. He merely turned slightly to the side and gestured for him to come in.

Then, without paying any attention to the people behind him, he headed for the reception hall.

"Come inside and talk, Sect Master Xu. Discussing matters out here would be undignified," Xu Yanli said softly.

Xu Feng snorted and followed him. His words might have been sharp, but deep down, he knew a Limit Douluo could kill him without breaking a sweat.

The moment he entered the hall, Xu Feng felt a terrifying aura lock onto him.

It was the same Limit Douluo aura he had sensed earlier.

Long Xiaoyao still wore his mask, standing silently in the corner of the room like a statue.

But that very silence made Xu Feng break out in a cold sweat, a chill crawling down his spine.

"Sit." Xu Yanli pointed to the chair across from him.

Xu Feng hesitated for a moment, then sat down.

Though he was a Super Douluo, before a Limit Douluo, he was no more than a slightly stronger ant.

All the arrogance he'd shown earlier had vanished.

"Sect Master Xu, I invited you here because I only want to ask you one thing." Xu Yanli poured Xu Feng a cup of tea himself. "Why did you refuse to work with me?"

Xu Feng sneered. "Do I need a reason? Your Xiaoyao Pavilion is nothing but a merchant organization. What makes you think you're qualified to work with my Xuanming Sect? Our sect has been passed down for thousands of years. How could we compare you to upstarts like yourselves?"

Xu Yanli nodded without arguing.

"Then, Sect Master Xu, do you know that although my Xiaoyao Pavilion was established only six years ago, it now controls the entire civilian Soul Tool market in the Original Three Kingdoms?"

"So what?"

"Then do you know that behind our Xiaoyao Pavilion, there's also a Limit Douluo?"

Xu Feng's expression shifted.

"What are you getting at?"

Xu Yanli lifted his teacup and gently blew away the foam.

"I mean, you didn't just tear up a piece of paper." His tone remained gentle, but his gaze had turned cold. "You tore up my Xiaoyao Pavilion's dignity—and the dignity of a Limit Douluo."

"Did you think you were only refusing a business deal?"

"Did you think you were only defending the dignity of the Xuanming Sect? Or that your son's wager was nothing but a game?"

Xu Yanli set down his teacup and raised his eyes to look at Xu Feng.

His eyes were calm, betraying not a hint of emotion, yet Xu Feng inexplicably felt a pang of fear.

"Do you know how many eyes are watching this?" Xu Yanli's voice was soft, but every word was clear. "You refused to work with us. Tomorrow, all of Heaven Dou City will know that the Xuanming Sect wouldn't give the Xiaoyao Pavilion face. The day after, the entire Heaven Dou Empire will know. And after that, what will the other factions think?"

"They'll think that if the Xuanming Sect can slight the Xiaoyao Pavilion, then so can they."

"They'll think the Xiaoyao Pavilion is nothing special, just a merchant organization they can bully at will."

"They'll target our business partners, attack our enterprises, and treat the Xiaoyao Pavilion like a piece of fat they can carve up however they please."

Xu Yanli rose and walked to the window, turning his back to Xu Feng.

"Sect Master Xu, with that one tear, you tore down the reputation my Xiaoyao Pavilion spent six years building. You tore apart countless people's livelihoods. You tore down the dignity of me, Xu Yanli."

He turned around. Sunlight streamed through the window beside him, illuminating his face in half-light and half-shadow.

One half basked in the sun, the other sank into darkness.

"Tell me, how do you think we should settle this?"

Xu Feng's face turned ashen, but he couldn't utter a word.

He realized he'd made a fatal mistake.

He had thought the Xiaoyao Pavilion was just an ordinary merchant organization. He had thought Xu Yanli was merely a talented young man. He had thought this would amount to little more than offending a rising faction, while also giving the Xuanming Sect a chance to show off its strength.

He hadn't expected a Limit Douluo to stand behind the Xiaoyao Pavilion.

And having a Limit Douluo behind it meant there were many more Titled Douluo behind him as well. This time, he'd kicked an iron plate.

"What do you want?" Xu Feng asked through gritted teeth.

Xu Yanli sat back down. The coldness on his face vanished, replaced by his usual warm smile.

"It's very simple."

He held up three fingers.

"First, the Xuanming Sect will publicly apologize to the Xiaoyao Pavilion and admit its mistake."

"Second, the Xuanming Sect will formally establish a partnership with our Xiaoyao Pavilion. From now on, we'll need the Xuanming Sect to protect our enterprises in the Heaven Dou Empire."

"Third..."

Xu Yanli paused, his gaze settling on Xu Feng's face.

"Sect Master Xu will personally visit the Body Sect and introduce me."

Xu Feng shot to his feet. "You've gone too far!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the temperature in the room plunged.

Long Xiaoyao's aura pressed down on Xu Feng like a tangible weight, leaving him unable to move.

"Gone too far?" Xu Yanli chuckled. "When Sect Master Xu was destroying things, why didn't you consider whether you were the one going too far?"

He rose and walked over to Xu Feng, looking up at the Titled Douluo.

"I'll give you two choices."

"First, do as I say. The Xuanming Sect will continue to exist and prosper; it'll just have one more business partner."

"Second..."

Xu Yanli's voice was as light as a breeze, yet it sent a chill through Xu Feng.

"I'll find another sect master willing to work with me."

Xu Feng's pupils contracted sharply.

He understood.

This young man wasn't threatening him. He was stating a fact.

A Limit Douluo had more than enough power to replace a sect master. If he were more ruthless, wiping out an entire sect wasn't impossible.

"You... You dare?" Xu Feng's voice trembled.

Xu Yanli tilted his head. His smile remained gentle, yet Xu Feng had never felt such fear before.

"Sect Master Xu, do you think I dare?"

Xu Yanli watched Sect Master Xu leave, then slowly sat down and drained his tea.

Long Xiaoyao suddenly spoke from the side. "I'll protect you until you become a Titled Douluo."

Xu Yanli raised an eyebrow and looked at Long Xiaoyao, studying his features closely.

Then he let out a soft laugh, a trace of helplessness crossing his face, before rising and heading for the room at the back.

"Teacher," Huo Yuhao couldn't help asking, "aren't you worried that Sect Master Xu will go back on his word?"

Xu Yanli withdrew his gaze and looked at his disciple.

"Go back on his word?" He chuckled. "He won't."

"Why not?"

"Because he's a clever man." Xu Yanli leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "Clever people know that some choices, once made, leave no room for turning back."