A mere Soul Grandmaster at level 29. If he died, then he died.
People died every day in Star Dou Forest, and there were countless nobodies like Xu Xiao.
In Tang Lie's eyes, dying at the hands of the Clear Sky Sect was an honor.
Xu Xiao sized up the group.
Aside from Tang Lie and the four capable-looking people at his side, the rest were just little weaklings. It seemed Tang Lie had brought them here to hunt Soul Rings.
Xu Xiao watched them in silence.
"Has the Clear Sky Sect always been this overbearing?"
Xu Xiao spoke coldly, glancing toward the direction Yu Luomian had gone. He was already far away and probably wouldn't notice what was happening here.
Even if he did notice, he wouldn't dare do anything. After all, they were the Clear Sky Sect—he couldn't afford to provoke them.
"Heh. Overbearing?"
"The Clear Sky Sect is the most reasonable sect there is."
"Whatever the Clear Sky Sect says is reason. If you think it isn't, then that's your problem."
"Now, I'm telling you to think about how you want to die. Do you think that's reasonable?"
Tang Lie produced his Clear Sky Hammer and slammed it heavily into the ground. His taunting gaze fixed on Xu Xiao as if he were already dead.
Anyone who dared eavesdrop on the Clear Sky Sect was certainly bold.
Since he'd done it, he would have to pay the price.
The Clear Sky Sect was not a sect one could afford to offend.
"Hahahaha, look at him! He's scared!"
"A wandering Soul Master dares eavesdrop on the Clear Sky Sect? He's practically begging to die."
"No need to kill him just yet. Let's have some fun first. He's rather pretty, if you ask me!"
"..."
Listening to them, Xu Xiao sneered inwardly. The Clear Sky Sect truly was a pack of beasts.
They threw their weight around against people without backing, yet still showed some hesitation when it came to Blue Lightning.
Xu Xiao swept his gaze coldly over them.
He'd thought he could just avoid them when he ran into them, but they'd still found him. Since they had, they could all die.
If Yu Luomian and his people hadn't left so quickly, who knew how many would have died today?
"Tang Lie, Tang Lie. Tell me, if you die here today, will your ancestor avenge you? Will he find me?"
A sinister smile appeared on Xu Xiao's icy face, both eerie and horrifying.
In an instant, Xu Xiao summoned his Martial Soul.
When Tang Lie saw the little pagoda, he paused, then exclaimed, "You're actually from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
He quickly recovered. "So what if you're from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? You're going to die today!"
Tang Lie was even less afraid now. A mere support-type Soul Master from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had no fighting power. Even if he died, who would know the Clear Sky Sect had done it?
Even if you were from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Clear Sky Sect didn't fear you.
"Heh. Do you think your sect master will avenge you?"
Tang Lie laughed as he threw Xu Xiao's own words back at him. Now, let's see what he'd do.
The Clear Sky Sect's people all burst out laughing, as if Xu Xiao were their prey.
They'd thought he was some powerful Soul Master, but it turned out he was just a support-type from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Did he really think the Clear Sky Sect wouldn't dare touch someone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
Heh. What a joke.
Xu Xiao mourned them for a second. Not only had they mistaken him for someone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they were brainless fools besides.
That worked out well. What did it matter to him if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had done it?
"Boy, say your last words!" Tang Lie raised his Clear Sky Hammer and aimed it at Xu Xiao.
Xu Xiao chuckled and lightly tapped his Spirit Pagoda.
In an instant, a world-shrouding pressure poured down, crushing the Clear Sky Sect's people to the ground.
A flood of vines immediately wrapped around all twelve of them.
"Emperor, kill everyone except this one!"
Xu Xiao spoke coldly, his composure frightening.
The Blue Silver Emperor hesitated, but ultimately followed Xu Xiao's instructions. Her vines tightened slightly, and everyone except Tang Lie had their heads crushed off.
Tang Lie trembled from head to toe. His legs had gone limp, and he'd wet himself in terror.
"Heh. The Clear Sky Sect? My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has offended you. What are you going to do about it?"
"Tang Lie, say your last words!"
Xu Xiao threw Tang Lie's own words back at him.
But Tang Lie was so terrified by now that he couldn't get a single word out.
Xu Xiao snorted. He'd thought the Clear Sky Sect had some backbone. So this was all they had?
What a disappointment.
If they hadn't found him and drawn him out, perhaps they might have survived today.
Now, all he could say was that they had brought this on themselves.
"L-let... me go. If I die, the Clear Sky Sect won't let your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect get away with it."
Tang Lie swallowed repeatedly, stammering out those words.
But all he got in response was Xu Xiao's strange smile.
"I just want you dead!"
Xu Xiao's icy words passed sentence on Tang Lie. He had a bit of a reputation, but why did he have to go around picking fights?
He'd kindly killed him, saving him from having to see the Clear Sky Sect beaten into seclusion, and from watching his son get killed.
No, he probably didn't have a son yet. But it didn't matter. In your next life, don't be so arrogant.
"Too bad you got unlucky."
As Xu Xiao spoke, the Spirit Pagoda in his hand suddenly grew larger. He swung it down at Tang Lie.
Once, twice, three times!
He smashed him ten times in all, beating Tang Lie to death.
You wanted me dead. Whatever your reason, I had no choice but to kill you.
Xu Xiao let out a breath, feeling thoroughly refreshed.
See? If you wanted to kill me, you still needed the strength to do it.
"Emperor, release the pressure of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Put a little pressure on this thing, then let's hurry out of here!"
Xu Xiao called out at once. The Blue Silver Emperor didn't ask any questions. She released the pressure of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, pressing it down for a moment, then turned and entered the Spirit Pagoda.
Xu Xiao didn't hesitate either. He turned and ran, found somewhere to take a nice bath and change his clothes, then headed for Sunset Forest.
It seemed none of this had anything to do with Xu Xiao anymore.
It wasn't me who killed them. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect did it. What does that have to do with me?
Tang Lie himself had confirmed that I was from the Seven Treasures. See? It was the Seven Treasures' business, not Xu Xiao's.
They'd never be able to trace it back to him. At most, they'd think a Soul Beast had done it. Star Dou Forest was so vast—could they really find anything?
Maybe they'd even find Di Tian. That would be fun.
But none of that had anything to do with Xu Xiao anymore.
He'd wiped out people from the Clear Sky Sect on his first outing. That had been pretty thrilling.
Three days later, the bodies of Tang Lie and his group were discovered. The news quickly reached the Clear Sky Sect.
At that time, the Clear Sky Sect's sect master was still Tang Chen.
"Zhan'er, investigate this yourself."
"With Lie'er's abilities, helping those youngsters hunt Soul Rings should have been a piece of cake."
"A Soul Beast did this? Heh. Do they really think the Clear Sky Sect is easy to bully?"
"Investigate at all costs. Even if it's Spirit Hall, I'll make them pay dearly!"
The old man seated in the place of honor spoke coldly. A thick, fierce aura rolled off him in waves. His voice was booming, filled with unquestionable authority.