"What was that?!"
The Jialie Family members poured out of the hall in a swarm.
But when they reached the courtyard, they didn't see a single soul.
Then they looked up and spotted a misty figure standing beneath the bright moon.
Moonlight streamed down like a silver waterfall, revealing a pair of emerald-green Dou Qi Wings.
"Dou Qi Wings... A Dou, a Dou Wang?! It's actually a Dou Wang!"
Every member of the Jialie Clan stared in shock, overcome by a fear unlike anything they'd ever felt!
The figure reminded them of Xiao Clan Patriarch Xiao Lin, the old man who had kept the Jialie Clan and the Ao Ba Family suppressed for years!
Only after that old bastard died twelve years ago had they finally gotten a chance to breathe!
Now, another Dou Wang had appeared—one with an even stronger aura, and who was much younger!
While everyone trembled in fear, Jialie Bi, the clan patriarch, forced down his own terror, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully.
"Senior Dou, Dou Wang, may I ask your name? And why have you come to visit the Jialie Clan in the middle of the night?"
Though he did his best to remain calm, his voice still quavered.
Then the figure high in the sky spoke.
"My name is Gu Yue Fang Yuan. I've come to borrow something from you all."
"...W-what?"
"Your lives!"
A flicker of emerald flame leaped in his pupils, making him look all the more sinister.
His voice rang across Wutan City in an instant. Members of nearly every family rushed outside and caught sight of the arrogant figure standing in the sky.
That should be enough to draw everyone out to watch, right?
Xiao Yuan muttered to himself.
That's right. The Dou Wang visiting the Jialie Family was none other than Xiao Yuan, who had snuck out of the Xiao Clan that night.
He had only one goal.
He wanted everyone to witness the Jialie Clan's destruction. That way, the false identity created with the Disguise Mask could completely distance the Xiao Clan from the whole affair.
Heh, I really am clever. Behold my double!
What he didn't know was that a graceful figure sat atop a distant rooftop, chin resting in her hand as her limpid eyes watched him without blinking.
A pair of golden Dou Qi Wings had formed behind her, too.
"Gu Yue Fang Yuan... Hehe, as expected of Brother Xiao Yuan. That really is his style. Still, it would be even better if he relied on Xun'er a little more."
The girl's sigh faded into the night.
Meanwhile, the Jialie Family members were scared out of their wits.
"Se-Senior... Please calm your anger. We don't know how our Jialie Family offended you. Could there be some misunderstanding? Could you give our family a chance? We can prepare a feast and invite you to sit down and talk..."
Jialie Bi was practically on his knees, close to weeping.
It was bad enough that his son had angered that little fiend Xiao Yuan of the Xiao Clan during the day. Why had a Dou Wang come to wipe out the Jialie Family that very night?
Who on earth had the Jialie Family offended?!
What he hadn't expected was that his plea would be utterly useless.
One sentence from the other man shattered his hopes on the spot.
"Sorry, I don't eat beef."
"???"
Before Jialie Bi could figure out what that meant, the man above clapped his hands together, gathering a mass of black qi between his palms.
"Dreams entwine, the winds and clouds surge; the stars round, the earth square, the altar spans three realms.
"The gate to life and death swings open; the killing calamity begins anew, washing away all dross!"
In an instant, sinister winds rose and black clouds blotted out the sky.
The spreading black mist gathered into clouds overhead, veiling the sun, moon, and stars as it slowly ground across the heavens like a millstone.
Amid the chilling winds came the wails of countless wronged ghosts, as though the gates of hell had swung wide!
Then a long banner emerged from the roiling black clouds.
Its pole was made of Ten Thousand Year Profound Yin Wood, its soul banner hung with Soul-Hooking Chains. Its surface was like green silk dyed in ink, with ghastly white skulls rising across it, ghostly green flames dripping from their eye sockets. Ancient script reading "Profound Yin Ten Thousand Ghosts Devouring Heaven" hung from its corners.
It was the Ten Thousand Soul Banner!
The enormous character for "soul" filled their vision.
Just one look at the banner left them dazed and their souls unsettled, as though they could be sucked inside at any moment!
"P-Patriarch, what is that?"
One of them asked.
But neither Jialie Bi nor anyone else could answer. They were rooted to the spot by the vision before them.
It was completely beyond their understanding.
Or rather, beyond the understanding of everyone in Wutan City.
"This Dou Technique is truly bizarre!"
Even Yao Chen was shaken to his core at the sight. With all his knowledge, he still couldn't identify its rank!
Most alarming of all, he sensed a powerful threat coming from the swirling black clouds.
Especially from that long banner. It seemed as though it could swallow his soul form!
He could feel a distinct force pulling at him!
"Souls come, lives come! Everyone, please enter the Human Emperor Banner for a chat!"
Xiao Yuan's voice echoed across heaven and earth.
The long banner fluttered, dancing without a breeze.
The next second.
The Ten Thousand Soul Banner that had emerged from the black clouds suddenly shot out a chain, striking the person who had just asked the question.
With a clatter of links, the man's soul was ripped right out of his body!
"Run! Get out of here!"
Someone shouted, and every member of the Jialie Family scattered at once.
Many had already reached the street, racing toward the gates of Wutan City.
Run!
They had to get away, no matter what!
That Dou Wang and that Dou Technique—neither was something they could handle!
"Hmph. Since I've come, none of you are leaving!"
(Translation: Now that I'm here, nobody's getting away!)
Xiao Yuan gave a cold snort, raised a hand toward the sky, and then swung it down hard.
Clatter!
The chains rattled again, this time from within the black clouds, like thunder building as it circled overhead.
Then they fell like a torrential downpour!
Thousands upon thousands of chains burst from the black clouds at once, piercing the bodies of everyone trying to flee. The chains passed straight through their chests!
Their souls were all torn out and sucked into the banner.
A few breaths later, the Jialie Family members lay motionless on the ground.
The black clouds dispersed, and the night sky cleared.
Looking at the banner wreathed in living souls, Xiao Yuan swept out a hand and grasped its slender pole.
In an instant, pure, immense soul power flooded into his sea of consciousness!
"Ugh..."
Xiao Yuan couldn't help letting out a muffled groan as his body swayed.
Moments later, a cool sensation spread from his soul through his whole body. It felt as though everything around him had become clearer!
He'd broken through!
Not in cultivation, but in his soul!
The four realms were Mortal, Spirit, Heaven, and Emperor. Xiao Yuan, who had been in the Mortal Realm, had now stepped straight into the early stage of the Spirit Realm!
No wonder Hun Tiandi had the Soul Hall gather souls on such a massive scale. It really does work for breaking through to the Emperor Realm!
He gently stroked the banner's black-qi-wreathed surface, finding it almost impossible to put down.
"Mm, the Grandmist Purple Qi has grown a little deeper, too. Not bad.
"But my business here is finished. I'm off!"
His wings beat once, and he shot away as a streak of light, vanishing into the night.
"Ugh... Father, Uncle... H-how could this happen?!"
After Xiao Yuan left, Jialie Ao—who had finally endured the effects of the Joyous Union Powder—stumbled and crawled into the courtyard. Seeing the bodies covering the ground, he sobbed until he could barely breathe.
"It must've been Xiao Yuan! It must've been that bastard Xiao Yuan! Jialie Ao and Xiao Yuan are sworn enemies for life!!!!"
His heart-wrenching wail echoed through the night sky.
"Oh?"
A soft chuckle suddenly came from overhead, and Jialie Ao collapsed to the ground in terror.
"W-who's there?!"
"Hehe, I nearly forgot about you. Soul, come!"
The black banner flashed past.
Clatter!
The black-qi-wreathed chains descended once more, and snatched Jialie Ao's soul away on the spot.
Family ought to stay together, after all.