Temporarily Strip Elder Position!

"Grand Elder, isn't this a bit too hypocritical? When your grandson beats others, you call it a friendly exchange between juniors. But now that he's been beaten, you're flying into a rage, using your status to bully the young!"

"Exactly! And you call yourself an Elder? So it's only okay for your grandson Xiao Ning to hit people, but no one is allowed to hit back?"

"Bullying the young—what a display of might! If Xiao Ze weren't the Fourth Young Master, and if the Clan Head hadn't arrived in time, you probably would have continued your assault, using your strength as a Dou Grandmaster to suppress a genius of the Xiao Clan!"

The Grand Elder's face twitched. He was old, but he wasn't deaf!

These words pierced his ears like needles, stabbing straight into his heart.

The Grand Elder found the remarks both grating and deeply frustrating.

Yet, the reality was exactly as Xiao Ze had described, and even he couldn't find a way to refute it.

Added to that was the presence of Xiao Zhan, who was currently in a state of explosive rage.

The Grand Elder felt trapped in a dilemma, regretting deeply why he had come here at all, blinded by his own fury.

Thinking of this, the Grand Elder suddenly realized that the root cause of his presence here was Xiao Ning!

That grandson of his, who was usually idle and did nothing but cause trouble!

The Grand Elder cursed Xiao Ning viciously in his heart, yet he remained silent on the surface.

Xiao Ze naturally heard the comments from the surrounding Xiao Clan disciples and smiled faintly.

If an Elder cannot command the respect of the people, then his time in that position has likely come to an end.

"Why the silence, Grand Elder? Are you speechless in the face of the facts?"

Xiao Ze pressed his advantage. The Grand Elder finally managed to calm the surging blood in his body and opened his mouth slightly, intending to offer an explanation.

"Hmph! Grand Elder, there is no need for explanations. Everyone here has seen what happened today!"

Xiao Zhan spoke up suddenly, casting a glance at the Second Elder and Third Elder who had hurried over.

"As an Elder, your conduct fails to command respect. You have openly violated the Xiao Clan rules, bullied the young, and even attempted to stifle a clan genius, hindering the development of the Xiao Clan!"

"In my capacity as Clan Head, I hereby issue the following punishment: you are temporarily stripped of your position as Grand Elder. Should you offend again, your cultivation will be crippled, and you will be expelled from the Xiao Clan!"

"Hiss—"

Upon hearing Xiao Zhan's words, everyone present drew a sharp breath.

The Grand Elder, the person directly involved, was even more shocked, his face contorted with fury as he spoke.

"Xiao Zhan, are you stripping me of my position as Grand Elder just for your son?!"

The two other Elders looked at each other in dismay. They had arrived last and had only seen Xiao Zhan attacking the Grand Elder in anger.

What exactly had the Grand Elder done to warrant such a severe punishment from Xiao Zhan?

The surrounding Xiao Clan disciples were also whispering among themselves.

"Isn't this punishment a bit too harsh for the Grand Elder? Although bullying the young is disgraceful, he is still an Elder, after all."

"Indeed! To strip the Grand Elder of his position for the sake of a genius who hasn't even fully grown yet—doesn't that go against the rules?"

"The punishment issued by the Clan Head is far too extreme. If this continues, who will dare to serve the Xiao Clan with their full heart? Any Elder could be stripped of their position for a minor mistake!"

Hearing the surrounding murmurs, the Grand Elder suddenly stopped panicking.

Although I was at fault first, your handling of this is unjust, Xiao Zhan. A minor fault met with a major punishment will not command respect either.

Sure enough, the other two Elders also stepped forward to persuade Xiao Zhan.

"Xiao Zhan, this punishment is too heavy. While the Grand Elder was in the wrong, it does not warrant stripping him of his position. This will chill the hearts of many in the Xiao Clan!"

"That's right! You are seizing upon a minor error to impose a heavy penalty! Such a punishment is far too unjust!"

Facing the skepticism of the crowd and the persuasion of the two Elders, Xiao Zhan gave a cold laugh.

"Do you all feel my punishment is too severe?"

He scanned his surroundings, and everyone who met Xiao Zhan's gaze instinctively looked away, not daring to stare directly at this enraged lion.

"Ze'er, show them your current strength!"

Xiao Zhan suddenly turned his head and said to Xiao Ze.

Xiao Ze did not waste words upon hearing this; he stopped concealing his true strength.

The aura around Xiao Ze began to climb steadily from its previously unremarkable state.

Soon, those with keen insight keenly sensed that the aura of a Dou Practitioner emanating from Xiao Ze was far too dense—it was not the aura of someone who had just entered the realm!

At the very least, he was a high-level Dou Practitioner, and even among those, he was top-tier!

The two Elders were now dumbfounded. They could certainly distinguish that Xiao Ze's current cultivation was, shockingly, that of a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner!

The Grand Elder's heart shook violently. Xiao Ze was only eleven years old!

Back then, when Xiao Yan reached the level of a One-Star Dou Practitioner at eleven, he was hailed as the greatest genius the Xiao Clan had seen in a century.

So now, what should an eleven-year-old Nine-Star Dou Practitioner be called? The greatest genius in a millennium?

"You have all seen it now—an eleven-year-old high-level Dou Practitioner!"

Xiao Zhan's tone was filled with pride, "If he does not perish prematurely and grows smoothly, he is guaranteed to reach the level of a Dou King in the future."

"There is a high probability he will become a Dou Emperor, and even the legendary Dou Zong is not impossible!"

"If the Xiao Clan has a Dou King presiding over it, we would be considered a first-rate power in the entire Jia Ma Empire! There would be no need for the three families to stand in a tripod formation in this tiny Wutan City; the Xiao Clan would stand alone!"

"If there were a Dou Emperor, we could rank among the top powers of the Jia Ma Empire! It would allow the Xiao Clan to flourish and possess endless resources to provide for your cultivation!"

"As for a Dou Zong, that is too ethereal! I hold no such extravagant hopes, but even so, Xiao Ze remains the hope for the Xiao Clan's future prosperity!"

As Xiao Zhan said this, his tone shifted abruptly, his impassioned voice laced with anger.

"Yet now, the Grand Elder dares to lay a hand on the hope of the Xiao Clan's future!"

"Using the strength of a Dou Grandmaster to strike at a Dou Practitioner! If this isn't a ruthless attempt on his life, then what is? Is this what you call the guidance of an elder?"

Whoosh!!!

The entire hall erupted in an uproar. After hearing Xiao Zhan's explanation, everyone looked at the Grand Elder with resentment and indignation!

This was no ordinary genius; this was a future Dou King, or even a Dou Emperor!

If they had previously held an indifferent attitude, they now felt a sense of shared grievance.

People only truly feel the pain when their own interests are harmed!

They were well aware of the benefits of having a powerhouse guarding the clan; it meant not only a sense of security but also an abundance of cultivation resources!

High-level Dou Techniques, medicinal pills to assist cultivation, and guidance from stronger experts—these benefits were enough to move them.

The other two elders felt this even more keenly; they knew exactly how coveted a clan with high-level powerhouses truly was!

The cultivation resources they desperately craved, and even the pills needed to break through critical bottlenecks, could all be obtained through the presence of a high-level expert.

Higher cultivation meant they could possess a longer lifespan!

And now, the Grand Elder had actually dared to strike at the future of the clan—they hadn't lived long enough yet!

In an instant, even the two elders glared at the Grand Elder in fury!

The Grand Elder was dumbfounded, never expecting that the target of his angry outburst was actually such a peerless talent!

His heart was instantly filled with regret!

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(End of chapter)