Return to Wutan City, Resolve the Crisis

The Xiao Family of Wutan City.

Xiao Zhan slammed a palm onto the table.

"Damn it, where on earth did Jalie Bi manage to find a first-tier alchemist! Over the past few months, the revenue from our Xiao Family Market has plummeted by eighty percent! If this continues, our Xiao Family will be relegated to a second-rate force in Wutan City."

Upon hearing Xiao Zhan's words, the First Elder also said indignantly, "If there's no other way, let's just finish off that fellow named Liu Xi. That would nip the trouble in the bud once and for all."

The Second Elder nodded as well, his eyes bulging as he said, "If it really comes to it, I'll take care of it myself. He's only a Dou Zhe; there's no way he could survive under the hands of a Da Dou Shi like me."

Xiao Zhan shook his head; this plan was not feasible.

"Not to mention that the Jalie Clan will surely have people guarding him strictly, but I fear that Liu Xi's master is not someone to be trifled with either."

Hearing Xiao Zhan's words, the expressions of those present turned grim. They could neither fight nor hide; the Xiao Family had been forced into a perilous situation.

At this moment, the Second Elder inadvertently muttered, "If only Xiao Yan and that master of his were here."

With the Second Elder's mention, everyone present recalled Xiao Yan.

Xiao Zhan's thoughts drifted away as well. He wondered where little Yan was now.

Xiao Family Market.

Xiao Ning had been knocked to the ground by a punch from Jalie Ao.

Xiao Yu hurried over to help Xiao Ning up.

"Jalie Ao! Are you declaring war on our Xiao Family!" Xiao Yu glared fiercely at Jalie Ao.

Liu Xi said with a lecherous expression, "Young ladies, would you care to join me for a stroll?"

Xun Er looked at Liu Xi with utter disgust; if not for the many people watching, she would have killed him long ago.

Xiao Yu said, "Let's ignore them. We should leave these matters for our elders to handle when we get back."

Jalie Ao, however, called out to stop them.

"Wait, you can't leave yet. Master Liu Xi still wants to invite you both for a stroll."

Liu Xi nodded immediately.

Looking at Jalie Ao's punchable face, Xiao Yu said angrily, "You'd better behave yourselves. Don't think that our Xiao Family has no one left."

"Hahaha, the Xiao Family? I'm afraid your Xiao Family will be a second-rate force from now on, won't it? By then, even if you come begging me, I'm afraid you won't have the chance."

Listening to Jalie Ao's lewd words, Xiao Yu's face turned bright red with anger.

"You're courting death!"

Just as Xiao Yu was about to rush forward to fight them, a thick, steady palm pressed down on her shoulder.

"As a girl, you should be a bit quieter. Just let me handle these things."

Hearing this familiar voice, Xiao Yu turned around and saw it was Xiao Yan; she was so moved she nearly burst into tears.

However, Xiao Yu didn't soften her tone.

"Who asked a little hooligan like you to help me?"

Xiao Yan smiled and looked toward Xun Er.

"Xun Er, have you missed me this past year?"

Xun Er lowered her head and whispered, "Brother Xiao Yan is so bad!"

Veins popped out on Jalie Ao's forehead. He looked at the scene before him and said angrily, "Can you two pay attention to the occasion? Don't you see how many people are here?"

Xiao Yan looked at Jalie Ao with a smile.

Jalie Ao was so intimidated by the stare that he took a step back, but he noticed that no one else was standing around Xiao Yan.

"Xiao Yan, it seems that Dou Ling expert didn't come back with you. In that case, you still dare to show your face?" Jalie Ao said arrogantly.

When Xiao Yan first arrived, he had let the three of them go off on their own. After all, Wutan City, where the strongest were only Da Dou Shi, could no longer pose a threat to Xiao Yan.

"Jalie Ao, I remember beating you up last time and telling you not to come to the Xiao Family Market again. Now that you have violated that rule, you must be punished."

Jalie Ao said disdainfully, "You think you can punish me? Who do you think you are?"

After speaking, he waved his hand, and a dozen men from the Jalie Clan holding iron rods stepped up from the surroundings.

Every single one of them was a four or five-star Dou Zhe.

Jalie Ao felt more confident and said arrogantly, "Oh? Didn't someone say they were going to punish me? I'm standing right here, let's see what you can do."

"Jalie Ao, do you know what the punishment is for violating the rules I set for you?" Xiao Yan gave a wicked smile that made people feel uneasy.

However, Jalie Ao remained completely unfazed; after all, with so many people present, what could Xiao Yan possibly do to him!

The next second, Jalie Ao, who was about to retort, widened his eyes, for Xiao Yan had already arrived right in front of him.

And Xiao Yan's right arm had pierced through Jalie Ao's body.

Xiao Yan whispered into Jalie Ao's ear, "The punishment is the death penalty."

Then, to the astonishment of everyone present, Xiao Yan tossed the lifeless Jalie Ao onto the ground.

The surrounding crowd erupted into chaos, and the members of the Jalie Clan began to scatter in every direction.

Xiao Yan seized the moment, grabbing Liu Xi by the throat, and said, "You had better pray your teacher doesn't come looking for trouble with me, or he will be joining you in the afterlife."

With that, he snapped Liu Xi's neck.

Xiao Yu spoke with a slight tremor, "Xiao Yan, how could you kill them all?"

Xiao Yan smiled and replied, "They were just a few pieces of human trash; killing them is no big deal."

Even Xun Er looked stunned as she said, "Brother Xiao Yan, you seem to have changed quite a bit during this year away."

A roar echoed from the distance.

"Xiao Yan! How dare you kill my son!"

Xiao Yan offered a faint smile; he knew that old scoundrel Jalie Bi had arrived.

Jalie Bi was on the same level as Xiao Zhan, both being five-star Great Dou Masters.

His wind-attribute cultivation technique granted Jalie Bi impressive speed, and within two breaths, he appeared before Xiao Yan.

"Great Wind Rending Hand!"

Jalie Bi unleashed a Profound-tier low-level Dou Technique right from the start, clearly enraged by the death of his son.

Xiao Yan was certainly no pushover either.

"Mystic Divination Palm!"

A massive palm print, resembling a Bagua disc, struck out toward Jalie Bi.

The collision of their two Dou Techniques created a shockwave that sent everyone present flying.

This was the first time Xiao Yan had fought a human of the same Great Dou Master rank; after all, he had previously only clashed head-on with Magical Beasts.

After this blow, Jalie Bi's right hand went numb.

He thought to himself, How is this possible! I am a dignified five-star Great Dou Master, and I even used a Profound-tier Dou Technique, yet I can't even take down a little brat!

Xiao Yu covered her mouth, unable to believe that Xiao Yan could actually contend with a Great Dou Master.

Xiao Yan brushed the dust off his clothes and said with a smile, "Clan Leader Jalie, your strength is nothing special; you couldn't even succeed with a sneak attack."

"You're courting death!"

Jalie Bi channeled his Dou Qi into both hands, and immense wind pressure began to swirl around him.

Xiao Yan's eyes hardened as he gathered all his Dou Qi into his right fist.

"Wind Sweeping Clouds!"

"Heaven Collapsing Technique!"