"Pfft!!!"
A gaping hole had been punched through his chest, and blood gushed out like a spring.
Hong Chen's eyes bulged, disbelief filling them. He had been killed in a single move without even a chance to fight back.
He was an inner-court disciple of the Wind Lightning North Pavilion, with a bright future ahead of him. He hadn't even gotten married yet. He hadn't even...
Yet that casual finger had easily taken his life. He spat out a mouthful of blood, then immediately stopped breathing.
"Chen'er!"
Hong Li, the Hong Family patriarch, cried out in anguish. Xiao Ze had moved far too quickly—so quickly that no one in the Hong Family had managed to react.
They could only watch helplessly as the most outstanding young member of their clan was killed.
Hong Li could no longer keep his composure. His eyes were bloodshot, and he panted like an ox.
Hatred consumed his gaze. He charged at Xiao Ze like a madman, roaring, "I'll kill you!"
But in the next instant, Xiao Ze merely reached out and gave the empty space where Hong Li stood a light squeeze. Space twisted violently, and countless cracks burst open. Hong Li was torn into a cloud of blood before he could even leave a final word, and even his soul failed to escape.
At the suffocating sight before them, the entire Hong Family turned deathly pale, their bodies chilled to the bone.
Even the dimmest among them could see that this man's strength far surpassed anything they had imagined.
He had killed their patriarch in a single move. Even if their ancestor had come in person, he probably wouldn't have stood a chance.
Since when had the Han Family befriended such a monstrous talent? Why hadn't they heard so much as a whisper about it?
At that moment, they began to regret their actions.
No wonder that elder had vanished without a trace earlier. Before a being like this, even someone as powerful as a Dou Emperor was still as tiny as an ant, as lowly as a blade of grass.
And they had actually been foolish enough to think about revenge? What a joke.
Not long after Hong Li died, the Hong Family's old ancestor finally arrived, very late indeed.
"My son! My grandson!"
Feeling the fading auras in the air, the Hong Family's ancestor was overcome with grief.
He had been only two breaths too late, yet now they were separated forever.
"Give me back my son's life!"
The Hong Family's ancestor had white hair and beard, and a powerful aura radiated from him.
The moment he witnessed his son and grandson being killed, this usually unflappable old man revealed a murderous intent more intense than ever before!
The mighty aura of a Five-Star Dou Zong erupted at full force!
The terrifying surge of Dou Qi put even the void under such strain that it cracked with a sharp snap.
"Ancestor, don't!"
The Hong Family members hurried forward to stop him. The Hong Family had already lost its patriarch, their pillar. They couldn't afford to lose their ancestor as well.
They had felt their opponent's strength firsthand. He was no one their ancestor could contend with.
But they were still a step too late. Xiao Ze's attack had already reached the Hong Family's ancestor.
In an instant, their Dou Techniques collided, and a terrifying explosion erupted where they stood.
Those nearby were blasted to ashes on the spot.
Then a shrill scream rang out. It came from the Hong Family's ancestor.
His aura had dwindled to its weakest.
His full-power attack had been no more than child's play to his opponent. It hadn't even scratched him. Instead, the ancestor himself had been blasted into a cloud of blood and gravely wounded.
"Ancestor, run! The Hong Family can't survive without you!"
The Hong Family members were stricken with grief. Their ancestor was badly injured. If he didn't retreat now, the Hong Family was truly finished!
But the Hong Family's ancestor was already so badly wounded that he had no strength left to run. That last attack had drained all his Dou Qi.
He was now nothing more than a fish on the chopping block, waiting to be carved up.
Besides, Xiao Ze had no intention of sparing him.
Xiao Ze stepped before him, his gaze devoid of emotion as he looked down at the Hong Family's ancestor. He stared at him as if he were already dead.
"The Wind Lightning Pavilion won't let you get away with this!" Sensing the killing intent in Xiao Ze's eyes, the fallen Hong Family ancestor still remembered to invoke the Wind Lightning Pavilion.
To his surprise, Xiao Ze merely smiled calmly. "I look forward to it."
The next moment, he brought both hands down, extinguishing the ancestor's last hope.
The remaining Hong Family members scattered in terror, fleeing in every direction.
With this harbinger of death here, they were better off relying on themselves than putting their hopes in anyone else.
But it was all in vain. Xiao Ze spread out his spiritual perception, and not a single person could hide from him. The power of his Dou Zun cultivation revealed its full edge.
The fleeing crowd hadn't even made it two miles before they burst apart one after another, turning into clouds of blood that vanished from the world.
At that moment, Xiao Ze descended like the god of death, reaping countless lives.
Not a single one of the Hong Family's attackers escaped. Every last one of them was wiped out.
As for the Hong Family's estate, he left that to the Han Family to deal with.
Xiao Ze had acted so quickly that even after it was all over, the Han Family members were still dazed.
From Hong Chen, the rising star of the Hong Family's younger generation, to Hong Li, the family patriarch, and then Hong Xiao, the Hong Family's ancestor—he had wiped them all out in one fell swoop.
From that day on, there would be no more Hong Family in Tianbei City, Central Plains.
"Son-in-law Xiao, what a surprise you've given me." Han Chi had watched the whole thing, and his expression had been a sight to behold.
What a powerhouse. Just as you'd expect of a young man—he didn't hold back at all.
"It was nothing. Miss Han Xue has already given herself to me. How could I bear to watch the Han Family be destroyed?" As he spoke, Xiao Ze slipped an arm around Han Xue's waist. Her pretty face immediately turned red.
Seeing that, Han Chi burst into laughter.
Having Xiao Ze for a son-in-law was a blessing he'd be lucky to receive in three lifetimes.
Afterward, Han Chi personally led a force to attack the Hong Family. With their backbone gone, the Hong Family was no match for the Han Family, and the slaughter continued until late at night.
Only after all this was done did Han Chi lead his people back to the Han Family.
That night, Han Chi held another banquet and introduced his eldest daughter, Han Yue, to him.
After what had happened the night before, he was sure Xiao Ze wouldn't refuse.
Sure enough, when Xiao Ze met Han Yue, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Come, son-in-law Xiao, let me toast you again!" Han Chi kept raising his cup to him, while Xiao Ze was urged to drink countless cups in return.
As for Xiao Yi Xian and the others, they had long since been forgotten in a corner.
Zi Yan grumbled inwardly, Did he come to the Central Plains just to find a wife?
Xiao Yi Xian and the others were at a loss for words.
They knew Xiao Ze's ways well. Wherever he went, he always left something behind. They'd gotten used to it.
Night fell, and after several rounds of drinks, Han Yue personally helped him into the guest room.
Once they reached the bed, before she could even take off his shoes, Xiao Ze grabbed her soft hand.
She spun around three times before the two of them ended up locked in each other's arms.
Feeling the wine on his breath, Han Yue's heart pounded.
"Big Brother Xiao, you're drunk. Shall I help you undress?"
"I'm not drunk." Xiao Ze shook his head, his eyes instantly clear. How could a little alcohol possibly dull a Dou Zun expert's senses?
Looking into Xiao Ze's clear eyes, Han Yue smiled wryly to herself. It seemed she wasn't going to get away tonight.
"Elder Miss Han seems even softer than your younger sister."
Hearing the risqué words come from his mouth, Han Yue's beautiful eyes twitched, and her cheeks flushed crimson.
"Big Brother Xiao, don't tease me." Han Yue's voice was faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"Don't worry. I'll treat you the same way I treat your younger sister. I've never played favorites." Xiao Ze's lips curved into a slight smile.
But she really was softer than Han Xue. He squeezed her slender waist, and it felt wonderful beneath his hand.
Han Yue bit down on her teeth.
She tried her best to stay clearheaded, so she wouldn't make a sound. That would be far too embarrassing.
But Xiao Ze wasn't about to let her go so easily.
With his arms around her waist, he began their little game for two.
A wave of anguish washed over her. Was this what my younger sister went through last night?
Before you continue