"Xiao Ding! Xiao Li! Come out at once and surrender! Otherwise, today we'll flatten the Xiao Family!"
Jialie Bi's arrogant, murderous roar crashed over the Xiao Family's ancestral estate like a rolling thunderclap, sharp enough to make everyone's eardrums ache. The heavy thud of marching feet followed, along with the clang of armor and weapons and the piercing hum of surging Dou Qi. The sounds mingled into a raging tide that swept in from every direction, completely surrounding the Xiao Family's ancestral estate.
At that moment, the gates of the Xiao Family's ancestral estate were firmly shut. A thick defensive barrier stood between the estate and the outside world like a massive shield. It flickered violently, its light waxing and waning as it endured wave after wave of fierce attacks. Each blow made the barrier shudder, as though it might shatter at any moment.
Inside the barrier, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li led from the front, commanding every Xiao Family member capable of fighting. Gripping their weapons, they stood resolute and unyielding, guarding the key passageways like a series of impassable fortresses. The women, children, elderly, and infirm had been gathered in the safest place, the Inner Academy. Fear and despair were written across every face, and their eyes brimmed with dread of the unknown fate awaiting them.
Ya Fei stood silently on the steps before the main hall. Her pale moon-white palace gown fluttered gently in the night wind, like a white lotus blooming in the darkness. Frost clouded her lovely face. Her usually captivating eyes were now cold as blades as she stared at the three powerful figures outside the barrier—
Jialie Bi, a peak Da Dou Shi. Earth-yellow Dou Qi roiled around him like raging waves, and his eyes brimmed with venom, as if he meant to devour every member of the Xiao Family.
Aoba Pa, also a peak Da Dou Shi, gripped a long flaming blade. The fire leapt and flickered along its edge, illuminating his ferocious grin and making him look like a demon from hell.
Luo Bu, the City Lord's Mansion's commander, was a terrifying One-Star Dou Ling! His aura was as weighty as a mountain, pressing down on the entire Xiao Family until it was hard to breathe. Behind him stood several hundred fully armed guards from the City Lord's Mansion, murderous and cold-eyed, weapons in hand like a pack of hungry wolves ready to pounce on their prey.
"Miss Ya Fei!" Luo Bu spoke with the stiff formality of an official, his voice authoritative and laced with an unquestionable pressure. It rang in Ya Fei's ears like a thunderclap. "By order of the city lord, I have come to arrest the traitorous suspects Xiao Ding and Xiao Li! If the Mittel Auction House insists on shielding them, do not blame me for treating you as their accomplice and arresting you as well!"
"Commander Luo Bu certainly knows how to throw his weight around!" Ya Fei's lips curled into a cold smile. Her voice, sharp enough to pierce through the barrier, rang clearly in every listener's ears. "If you want to frame someone, you'll never lack an excuse! Your City Lord's Mansion and the Jialie and Aoba Families are all in cahoots, working hand in glove. You're certainly practiced at framing the innocent. Do you really think the Mittel Family is some soft persimmon anyone can squeeze? I've already sent word to our Heiyan City branch. Reinforcements will arrive shortly! Let's see who dares lay a finger on a single member of the Xiao Family today!"
"Heiyan City?" Jialie Bi's mouth twisted into a sneer. A trace of apprehension flashed in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant, replaced by greed and madness. "By the time your reinforcements finally arrive, the Xiao Family will have been reduced to scorched earth, with not a blade of grass left! Ya Fei, don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Attack! Blast that coward's shell open with everything you've got!"
"Yes!" the City Lord's Mansion guards shouted in unison, their voices ringing like a great bell. Then an even fiercer barrage of Dou Qi attacks rained down, smashing into the defensive barrier. It swayed violently like a guttering candle in a storm, its light rapidly dimming. It looked ready to go out at any moment, unable to withstand the relentless assault.
"Prepare to fight to the death!" Xiao Ding's eyes blazed red as he shouted himself hoarse, his voice seemingly ready to pierce the heavens. Lightning flashed around Xiao Li like a lit fuse, and the Heavy Xuan Ruler struck the ground with a deafening boom. In the eyes of every Xiao Family member, young and old, male and female, the flames of a last stand had ignited—fierce with the will to survive and loyalty to their clan.
Ya Fei bit down on her red lips until a trace of blood seeped from their corners. Her delicate hands clenched into fists, nails digging deep into her palms and sending a stab of pain through them. She knew that her shadow guards needed time to "manufacture evidence" and spread rumors, while the reinforcements from Heiyan City would take at least half a day to arrive... Could the Xiao Family really hold out that long?
At that critical moment, just as the defensive barrier was about to break and everyone had sunk into despair—
A sudden change struck!
Hum—!!!
A terrifying pressure beyond words descended without warning over the skies of Wutan City, as if some ancient giant god had awoken from slumber, bearing the force to destroy heaven and earth. The pressure pressed down like an invisible mountain, leaving everyone breathless, as though the entire world had stopped.
Time seemed to be seized by an unseen hand, freezing completely in that instant.
The Dou Qi attacks pouring down like a torrential rain froze in midair, like a deadly painting suddenly brought to a standstill. Each streak of Dou Qi gleamed with a cold, dangerous light, yet none could move forward even a fraction, as if an invisible giant hand had pressed pause. The City Lord's Mansion guards, who had charged forward like tigers descending a mountain, abruptly stiffened. Their arrogant, domineering expressions were replaced in an instant by boundless terror, as if they had seen the most horrifying sight in the world.
The surging Dou Qi around Jialie Bi and Aoba Pa was snuffed out in an instant, like flames doused by a basin of cold water. The ferocity and madness on their faces gave way to terror, their eyes filled with panic and helplessness. Before this sudden, dreadful pressure, the weighty aura of Luo Bu, a Dou Ling, was as frail as a candle flickering in the wind. It collapsed instantly and vanished into the air like a wisp of smoke.
"Thud!" "Thud!" "Thud!"
A series of muffled thumps rang out, as if invisible hammers had slammed into everyone's knees. Luo Bu, the Dou Ling, and every member of the City Lord's Mansion guard, the Jialie Family, and the Aoba Family surrounding the Xiao Family crumpled to the ground in waves, helpless as wheat swept by a gale. Their knees struck the stone pavement again and again, the relentless thuds sounding like fate's merciless verdict.
Jialie Bi and Aoba Pa bore the brunt of the pressure, taking most of its force. It felt as if a ten-thousand-zhang mountain had come crashing down on their backs. Their internal organs screamed in agony, and darkness swam before their eyes, as though they had fallen into an endless abyss. Their throats turned sweet, and with a simultaneous "Wah!" they spat out mouthfuls of blood. The bright red splattered across the stone pavement like flowers. Pinned to the ground like a pair of dead dogs, they could not even lift their heads and could only struggle helplessly.
All of Wutan City fell into deathly silence, as if time itself had stopped flowing. Everyone who felt the pressure, wherever they were and whatever their cultivation, trembled with fear from the depths of their souls. It was instinctive reverence, like ants gazing up at the heavens: they had no choice but to submit.
"Wh-what kind of power is this?!" Luo Bu was pressed to the ground, his face mashed against the cold stone. The chill seeped into him through his cheek, yet it was nothing compared to the terror in his heart. His eyes were filled with boundless horror and disbelief, and his voice shook like a wind-tossed leaf. A Dou Emperor? No! This pressure was far beyond a Dou Emperor's. Could it be a Dou Zong?! How could someone as legendary as a Dou Zong appear in a remote place like Wutan City?!
Inside the Xiao Family's ancestral estate, the defensive barrier that had been on the verge of shattering silently dissolved beneath the pressure, like a soldier who had fulfilled his duty quietly leaving the stage. The Xiao Family members were unharmed. They, too, had been stunned by the sudden, terrifying pressure, but more than that, many felt a familiar warmth and excitement deep in their blood, as if a long-lost relative had returned, bringing boundless comfort and strength.
Xiao Ding and Xiao Li both snapped their heads up at almost the same moment, their eyes blazing as they stared into the deep sky. Ya Fei's delicate body shook violently, as though struck by lightning. Her captivating eyes flew wide as she stared at the direction from which the pressure had come, as if she could see through the void.
In the night sky directly above the Xiao Family's ancestral estate, space rippled like a calm lake struck by a boulder, wave after wave spreading slowly outward. A figure seemed to step out of the boundless void, then hovered there in silence, like a god who had walked out of antiquity.
He wore a plain blue-green robe. It was unadorned, yet he possessed an otherworldly air. His face was resolute, its lines as sharply carved as if by knife and chisel, radiating an unshakable determination. His eyes were deep, like a boundless starry sky, concealing endless mysteries and majesty. He released no earth-shattering aura. Yet simply standing there, he seemed to merge with heaven and earth, becoming the absolute center of this world. The terrifying pressure that made all things bow came from him!
"F-Father?!" Xiao Ding and Xiao Li's voices trembled with overwhelming disbelief and joy, as though they had suddenly seen the first light of hope in the darkness. Their words brimmed with longing for their father, relief from the family's crisis, and boundless hope for the future.
"C-Cian... Clan Leader Xiao?!" Ya Fei's red lips parted slightly, and her beautiful eyes blazed like brilliant stars. Excitement, joy, grievance... all kinds of emotions tangled in her heart, leaving her speechless for a moment. She could only stare blankly at the figure, tears welling in her eyes.
The one who had arrived was Xiao Zhan! He had finally returned at the family's most desperate hour!
Xiao Zhan's gaze was as cold as ice as he slowly surveyed the people sprawled below like mud. His eyes brimmed with contempt and scorn. At last, his gaze settled on Jialie Bi, Aoba Pa, and Luo Bu, regarding them as three insignificant ants he could crush whenever he pleased.
"I've been away for only a few days, and the vermin of Wutan City already dare to come crawling to my Xiao Family's doorstep?" His calm voice was like a cold wind from the depths of the netherworld, carrying a chill that froze the soul as it rang in everyone's innermost being. His words held fury at these petty villains and a fierce defense of his family's dignity.
"D-Dou Zong, spare me! Spare me!" Luo Bu broke first. He struggled desperately to raise his head and howled through his streaming tears and snot, utterly wretched. "I-It was the city lord! The city lord took bribes from the Jialie and Aoba Families! I was only following orders! Spare me!" His voice was filled with terror and despair, as though he were clinging to the last straw that could save his life.
"Clan Leader Xiao! It was a misunderstanding! A complete misunderstanding!" Aoba Pa was so terrified that his soul nearly fled his body. His face was as pale as paper as he desperately tried to explain, but fear made his voice stutter and his words incoherent.
"A misunderstanding?" Xiao Zhan's lips lifted into a curve cold as ice, concealing endless killing intent and authority. His gaze pierced the void like a sharp sword and settled on Jialie Bi. His voice was icy as he asked, "Jialie Bi, did you not just threaten to flatten my Xiao Family?"
"N-No! I wouldn't dare! Lord Xiao... Xiao Zhan, spare me! I..." A chill shot from the soles of Jialie Bi's feet straight to his crown. His courage shattered, and he fell to the ground in terror, his words tumbling over themselves like a lamb waiting for slaughter, trembling helplessly before death.
"Too late."
Xiao Zhan's voice was calm, without a ripple, yet it rang like death's verdict, carrying an authority no one could defy. He slowly raised his right hand, the motion graceful and unhurried, as if brushing away a speck of dust. Then he gently clenched his fist in Jialie Bi's direction, as though grasping the fate of the entire world.
There was no earth-shaking sound, no dazzling glow of Dou Qi. Everything happened silently.
The space within three zhang of Jialie Bi was instantly seized and twisted by an invisible giant hand, as if it were being kneaded into an endless vortex.
"Pfft—!"
Before Jialie Bi could even cry out, his entire body burst apart like an overripe watermelon crushed in a fist, instantly turning into a dense cloud of blood mist. A shocking blood-red flower blossomed in the night sky. Even the stone pavement beneath him silently caved in under the terrifying force, leaving a handprint-shaped crater several zhang wide, as if bearing witness to the horror that had just unfolded.
The stench of blood quickly spread, shrouding the skies above the Xiao Family's ancestral estate.
Silence!
Absolute silence!
Everyone was so terrified by the gruesome, uncanny sight that their souls nearly fled their bodies, as if they had seen the most horrifying thing in the world. A peak Da Dou Shi had just been erased without a sound, like a stinking bug crushed beneath a finger, without even a chance to resist.
The might of a Dou Zong was terrifying indeed! This power was already beyond their comprehension, filling them with despair and fear unlike anything they had ever known.
"Hiss—!" Aoba Pa sucked in a breath. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot, his trousers instantly soaked as a pungent reek of urine rose around him.
Luo Bu shook like a sieve, pounding his head against the ground until his forehead bled, yet he seemed not to feel a thing. He pleaded at the top of his lungs, "Spare me, my lord! Spare me! I was wrong! I'll never dare again!" His voice was filled with terror and despair, as though he were clinging to the last straw that could save his life.
Xiao Zhan's gaze slowly turned to Luo Bu, cold and resolute as he stared at a dead man who had already stepped through the gates of hell. There was not a trace of pity or hesitation in his eyes.
"Xiao Zhan! Hold your hand!"
Just then, an anguished shout rang out from the direction of the City Lord's Mansion. The city lord, He Gan (Two-Star Dou Ling), was rushing over with several trusted subordinates. Their faces were as pale as paper, as if they had just witnessed the most horrifying sight in the world. Before they had even arrived, He Gan's voice, full of pleading and panic, reached them: "Brother Xiao! It was a misunderstanding! A complete misunderstanding! I, He Gan, was foolish for a moment and listened to the slander of petty villains! Please, Brother Xiao, show mercy! I'll compensate the Xiao Family for all its losses. If ten times isn't enough, I'll pay a hundredfold!"
He Gan was truly panicking now, filled with endless regret and terror. He had never imagined that Xiao Zhan would suddenly become a Dou Zong! Before an existence as terrifying as a Dou Zong, his position as city lord was a joke—not worth a damn!
Xiao Zhan did not even glance at He Gan. His gaze remained fixed on Luo Bu, cold as ice, as if Luo Bu were the only person in the entire world.
"Those who aid evil must die."
Xiao Zhan's voice was calm and indifferent, yet it rang like death's verdict, bearing unquestionable authority. As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked a finger.
A faint golden ray of finger-force, so fine it was nearly invisible, crossed the boundary of time and space and pierced Luo Bu's brow in an instant. It moved so quickly that Luo Bu had no chance to react.
The terror on Luo Bu's face froze in place. The light in his eyes quickly faded until they were empty. His body crumpled to the ground. A tiny hole pierced his brow clean through, and blood slowly seeped from it.
One finger, and a Dou Ling was dead! This terrifying strength made everyone present tremble with fear.
He Gan had only just flown close when he saw the horrifying sight. His body stiffened in midair as if an invisible hand had seized his throat. His face turned deathly white, and he did not dare utter another word.
Only then did Xiao Zhan slowly turn his cold, indifferent gaze toward He Gan.
"City Lord He."
Just those three words exploded beside He Gan's ears like three thunderclaps. He shuddered as though struck by lightning, nearly tumbling headfirst out of the sky.
"L-Lord Xiao..." He Gan's voice was dry and hoarse, as though scraped by sandpaper, full of boundless terror and despair.
"You failed to govern your territory and let petty villains run amok, framing loyal and innocent people." Xiao Zhan's voice remained calm, yet it carried the weight of an unquestionable judgment. "As of today, you are stripped of your position as city lord. Bind yourself and kneel outside the Xiao Family's gates to await punishment. My Xiao Family will temporarily manage the affairs of Wutan City. Do you object?"
He Gan's face was as pale as paper, his lips trembling uncontrollably. His gaze swept slowly over the scene below—the glaring cloud of blood mist left behind by Jialie Bi, blooming on the ground like a demonic flower, and Luo Bu's cold corpse lying nearby, silently accusing them of the carnage that had unfolded. All his ambition and resentment ebbed like a receding tide, swallowed up completely by boundless terror.
"N-No objection! Thank you, my lord, for sparing my life!" He Gan's voice was dry and shaky, as if every last ounce of strength had been drained from him. He slowly descended from the sky like a deflated ball. Under countless gazes, some horrified and others awestruck, he tremblingly took out a rope, bound himself tightly, and knelt outside the Xiao Family's gates with an ashen face. The trusted subordinates he had brought with him had already been scared out of their wits. They all prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling like leaves in the autumn wind.
Xiao Zhan's gaze swept over the people below, cold as ice. The City Lord's Mansion guards and Aoba Family members kneeling in rows were nothing but lambs awaiting slaughter in his eyes. His voice was calm but icy, as if it came from the depths of the netherworld. "Everyone who took part in besieging the Xiao Family will cut off one of your own arms and get out of Wutan City! Never set foot here again! The Aoba Family will surrender all its businesses and leave the city at once!"
No one dared hesitate in the slightest! Beneath the Dou Zong's deathly gaze, their instinct to survive swept through them like a raging tide, crushing everything else.
"Crack!" "Crack!" The grating snap of bones sounded one after another, accompanied by muffled screams. The guards and Aoba Family members were pale as paper, their eyes full of despair and pain, yet they did not hesitate to slash off their own left arms. Blood sprayed across the ground. Then, like stray dogs, they helped one another and crawled away from the place that had terrified them to their bones. The Aoba Family members looked utterly defeated as they carried the unconscious Aoba Pa away as if bearing a corpse, signaling the end of a family that had once thought itself invincible.
In only a few moments, the desperate standoff that had just seen troops at the gates and swords drawn vanished like a dream or a bubble.
Only He Gan, bound and kneeling outside the Xiao Family's gates, remained, along with the two gruesome corpses and a patch of blood mist that had yet to disperse. They silently testified to the horror of a Dou Zong's wrath, proclaiming to the world that on this continent, a Dou Zong's authority must not be challenged.
Xiao Zhan slowly descended from the sky. Upright and extraordinary, he seemed like a god descending to the mortal world. He landed lightly in the courtyard of the Xiao Family's ancestral estate. Each step seemed to fall upon the heartstrings of those present, making everyone hold their breath.
"Father!" Xiao Ding and Xiao Li could no longer contain their surging emotions. They rushed forward like wild horses breaking free, then dropped heavily to one knee, their voices choked with emotion. Over the past several days, the grievances they had endured had weighed on their hearts like dark clouds, anger had burned in their chests like a blazing fire, and despair had swallowed them like a frozen abyss. But now, it all melted like snow in spring, becoming boundless excitement and deep admiration.
"Get up." Xiao Zhan looked tenderly at his two sons, a trace of comfort and warmth in his eyes, like the gentle sun on a winter's day. "Your father is back." Those few simple words steadied their hearts like a pillar holding back the sea, and the heavy stones weighing on Xiao Ding and Xiao Li's hearts fell away at once.
His gaze drifted past the others like a bird taking flight, finally coming to rest on the moon-white figure standing on the steps. Ya Fei stood there, graceful as a white lotus blooming beneath the moon.
Ya Fei was gazing at him too. Her captivating eyes shimmered with tears, light rippling within them. There was the excitement of surviving a calamity, like wave after wave spreading across a still lake after a boulder struck its surface; the shock of disbelief, as if she had witnessed the most inconceivable miracle in the world; and, most of all, a light shining like a star—her admiration and affection for a powerful man. She drew a deep breath, trying to quiet the tumult in her heart, then descended the steps with the grace of a butterfly.
She bowed elegantly to Xiao Zhan, her figure willowy as a willow branch. Her voice carried a faint tremor, the melody of excitement entwined with nervousness, yet it was gentler than ever, like a spring breeze passing over a flower. "Ya Fei... welcomes Clan Leader Xiao back as a Dou Zong!" Her voice rang like a nightingale's song, clear and lovely, echoing through the silence.
"Ding!" A crisp system notification chimed in Xiao Zhan's mind, its notes dancing one after another. "Ya Fei's favorability +30 (shock, admiration, sense of security). Current favorability: 93/100! She has reached the 'deeply enamored' stage!" In that voice seemed to linger Ya Fei's tender gaze and her shy yet passionate feelings.
"Ding! The host relied on the might of a Dou Zong to turn the tide and reverse the situation, successfully intimidating Wutan City! The family's prestige has risen like the morning sun! The More Children More Blessings System has determined that the family's foundation is now as solid as a boulder, and the environment for the children's growth has greatly improved! Special reward: one random opportunity to improve a child's talent (choose a target: Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, or Xiao Yan)!"
"Ding! Special mission unlocked: Win the allegiance of Queen Medusa (time remaining: 358 days). The host should promptly increase his strength, grow closer to Queen Medusa, and complete this ultimate objective."
The system notifications trickled through Xiao Zhan's mind like a babbling brook. He gave Ya Fei a slight nod, graceful and composed, his gaze deep as the stars in the night sky, concealing boundless wisdom and resolve.
The crisis in Wutan City had faded like smoke, but this was only the beginning of a long journey. The mysterious contract with the Snake-People Tribe awaited someone to decipher it, like ancient runes; Queen Medusa's burning, expectant gaze seemed to pierce through time and space; the shadow of Soul Hall still hung over Dou Qi Continent like a dark cloud; Xiao Yan's path of growth, rising like a star, needed his careful guidance; Ya Fei's admiring gaze warmed his heart like the spring sun... And then there was the Detoxification Spirit Bead, which still needed to be delivered, like a key to a door unknown.
A far greater storm was surging ahead, waiting for Xiao Zhan to stir it up. Dou Zong was merely the starting point on his path to the summit of Dou Qi Continent. Xiao Zhan was like an eagle spreading its wings, only just beginning this journey of challenge and opportunity, soaring with all his might toward an endless peak!
Before you continue