The Shocked Experts of Wutan City

"Is it... over?"

As the river of sword energy dissipated, the Jialie Clan had been reduced to a pile of ruins.

Looking at the devastation beneath his feet, Xiao Zhan sighed with emotion.

Had this clan, which had been passed down in Wutan City for a thousand years, really been destroyed by his own hands?

It still felt like a dream.

"Clan Head, now that the Jialie Clan has been destroyed, shouldn't we take action?" an elder of the Xiao Clan whispered in his ear.

"Action? What action?" Xiao Zhan asked, confused. Hadn't their mission to attack the Jialie Clan already concluded?

What else was there to do?

Suddenly—

He looked down at the ruins of the Jialie Clan, and as if realizing something, a strange smile curled the corners of his lips. "You're right, we should indeed take action."

"Everyone listen up, clear the battlefield immediately!"

"Take everything you can see and carry, and move it all back to the Xiao Clan!"

"Remember! Don't leave a single thing behind!"

Xiao Zhan looked down at the Jialie Clan, rubbing his hands together in excitement.

The Jialie Clan had been established in Wutan City for a millennium and possessed countless resources. Even though it was now a ruin, who knew what valuable items might have survived?

Thinking of those abundant resources, Xiao Zhan couldn't help but drool.

He understood the principle that the winner takes all and the strong only grow stronger.

When a whale falls, a new ecosystem thrives.

The fall of the Jialie Clan would cement the Xiao Clan's position as the hegemon of Wutan City!

Following Xiao Zhan's order, the experts of the Xiao Clan rushed into the ruins, their eyes filled with greed as they scavenged every inch of the ground.

"Hmm?"

Just as Xiao Zhan was directing his clansmen to clear the battlefield, he suddenly sensed a powerful surge of energy rapidly approaching the Jialie Clan's location.

Within a few breaths, a dozen figures with robust auras appeared at the site.

Xiao Zhan was very familiar with these people.

They were all renowned Great Dou Masters of Wutan City.

Among them were representatives from the Mittel Auction House, the Oba Clan, and other famous independent Great Dou Masters—twelve in total, representing the peak combat power of Wutan City.

They had been drawn here entirely by the overwhelming sword energy; anyone with eyes could see the terrifying, lingering sword scars that still marred the sky.

"Clan Head Xiao? Why are you here?"

"What exactly happened here just now? Why has the Jialie Clan been reduced to this state?"

"And where is Clan Head Jialie Bi and the rest of the Jialie clansmen?"

The speaker was an expert from the Mittel Auction House.

No one knew his real name; everyone simply called him Elder Meng. His cultivation was formidable, having reached the terrifying peak of a nine-star Great Dou Master, with one foot already in the realm of a Dou Ling.

In terms of cultivation, he could be considered the number one person in Wutan City!

It was precisely because of his presence that the Mittel Auction House had been able to dominate Wutan City. For over a hundred years, the Mittel Auction House had firmly held the top spot.

Their annual auction event was known for showcasing many shocking treasures.

"So it is Elder Meng of the Mittel Auction House. I didn't expect that even you would be alarmed..." Xiao Zhan stepped forward, smiling and cupping his hands in greeting.

"Hmm?" Elder Meng let out a soft sound of surprise, looking at Xiao Zhan with a puzzled expression.

For some reason, he felt that today's Xiao Zhan was somewhat different from the man he knew.

In the past, whenever the man saw him, he was, if not deferential, at least full of respect. Yet today, there was none of that; it was as if he possessed absolute confidence.

"Strange..." Elder Meng didn't dwell on Xiao Zhan's oddity. After muttering a few words to himself, he cast the thought aside.

After all, compared to the Jialie Clan being reduced to ruins, Xiao Zhan's minor change in demeanor was completely insignificant.

If Xiao Zhan knew his thoughts, he would certainly scoff. Having just wiped out the Jialie Clan, his self-confidence had inflated to the extreme.

Never mind Elder Meng; even if the Emperor of the Gama Empire were standing before him, he would dare to stand tall and would never bow his head.

And all of this stemmed from the ancestor standing behind him!

"Patriarch Xiao, do you know exactly what happened here?"

"And where did that powerful sword aura that just blanketed Wutan City come from..."

"I hope Patriarch Xiao will enlighten us."

Elder Meng looked at him with a grave expression; that sword aura which had just enveloped the entire city made even a powerhouse like him, a nine-star Great Dou Master, feel incomparably terrified.

The surging sword intent was still branded deep within his heart.

He felt like a struggling ant, terrified and desperate for survival.

"This world-destroying sword aura must have been unleashed by some terrifyingly powerful expert."

"To have such a powerhouse in Wutan City, I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse!"

A thick sense of worry rose in Elder Meng's heart.

It was not just him; the other powerhouses of Wutan City also revealed solemnity and anxiety in their eyes. They lived in the remote corner of Wutan City and had never seen such a terrifying scene before.

For the sake of Wutan City's future, and their own lives, they had hesitated for a while before finally deciding to come and take a look.

Yet, they never expected to see members of the Xiao Tribe at the scene, and it seemed the Xiao Tribe had some connection to the terrifying event that had just occurred.

Could everything that happened here be related to the Xiao Clan?

The powerhouses present could not help but let this thought arise, and they all looked toward Xiao Zhan, waiting for him to provide an answer.

Stared at by a group of Great Dou Masters, Xiao Zhan felt his skin crawl.

Just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by an angry voice: "Xiao Zhan! Why are the people of your Xiao Tribe here?"

"Does everything that happened here have something to do with you?"

"Could it be that your Xiao Clan wants to take advantage of the Jalie Clan's misfortune to loot the burning house?"

"I'm telling you, with me, Aoba Pa, here, I will absolutely not allow your Xiao Clan to touch a single hair on the Jalie Clan!"

"I advise you to abandon such thoughts as soon as possible."

"Hmph!"

From the crowd, a short, stout, and wealthy-looking middle-aged man stepped out sternly. He was none other than the patriarch of the Oba Clan, one of the three great families of Wutan City, and he was also a five-star Great Dou Master.

He looked at the members of the Xiao Clan busily working amidst the ruins of the Jalie Clan, a flicker of greed flashing in his eyes.

Now that the Jalie Clan had met with disaster, those vast resources should naturally be taken over by his Oba Clan.

Oh, no, it shouldn't be called taking over.

That would be too blunt.

It should be that his Oba Clan is 'temporarily keeping' them for the future Jalie Clan.

As for when the future Jalie Clan would be rebuilt, that had nothing to do with him.

In his heart, he had long since considered the Jalie Clan's belongings as his own, and he was naturally very dissatisfied with the Xiao Tribe members scavenging through the ruins.