A Small Punishment, a Price to Pay!

As the marriage contract slowly drifted down and landed before Nalan Yanran, she knelt on the ground, her beautiful eyes filled with shock. The blow had struck her hard.

Nalan Yanran had been pampered since childhood. When had she ever been humiliated like this by someone her own age? Her delicate hands clenched tightly as she bit her lip. "Xiao Yan, if you have the guts, fight me three years from now. Hiding behind your Dou Emperor brother only makes me look down on you more."

Xiao Tian frowned slightly. Nalan Yanran certainly knew how to provoke someone. His pressure instantly intensified. "Nalan Yanran, aren't you also hiding behind the so-called Cloud Mist Sect? Once you leave the Cloud Mist Sect, what are you?"

With a gasp, Nalan Yanran's body tipped forward and she was forced down, her slender arms braced against the floor.

Ge Ye received the same punishment. He thought to himself, Why is Nalan Yanran being so stubborn? The other side is a Dou Emperor! If this keeps up, this old man won't be able to hold on much longer.

The two of them had been pressed to the floor the entire time, practically kneeling. Forget humiliating the Xiao Clan—if word got out, they would be the ones utterly disgraced.

"Big Brother, thank you!" Xiao Yan clenched his fists. What had happened today had allowed him to grow once more.

Medicine Elder spoke to Xiao Yan from within the ring. "This is the Dou Qi Continent. Only the strong can control their own fate. Little one, you still have a long, long road ahead of you."

Xiao Yan suddenly turned and dropped to his knees before Xiao Zhan. After such a decision, the Xiao Clan would surely become the subject of ridicule, because no one would believe that a worthless young man truly had the courage to cast aside the next heir of the Cloud Mist Sect.

And as the Xiao Clan's patriarch, Xiao Zhan would naturally become the target of mockery.

Looking at Xiao Yan kneeling on the ground, Xiao Zhan understood everything. He smiled calmly. "I believe my son is absolutely not the trash others claim he is. He will make those rumors collapse on their own."

"Three years from now, Yan'er will definitely go to the Cloud Mist Sect and wash away the humiliation you suffered today." As he said this, Xiao Yan's eyes reddened. He kowtowed heavily to Xiao Zhan.

A trace of complexity appeared in Nalan Yanran's eyes. She did not know whether what had happened today was right or wrong. However, she quickly became certain that everything she had done today was absolutely correct. Nalan Yanran would not regret it now, nor would she ever regret it in the future!

Because she simply did not believe Xiao Yan would be stronger than her three years from now. He would definitely still be exactly as he was today—a complete and utter good-for-nothing young master.

"Tian'er, let them get up." Xiao Zhan sighed softly. He did not intend to offend the Cloud Mist Sect as it currently stood.

Xiao Tian was not afraid. He narrowed his eyes. "Since Father has spoken, I can give you a chance."

"You may leave safely if you take one palm strike from me."

"After all, you came to the Xiao Clan so aggressively to break off the engagement. The impact on us has been far too great."

"And when you leave, you must also say that Xiao Yan was the one who cast aside Nalan Yanran!"

"And for what you did to my father just now, you must kowtow and apologize!"

At these words, Nalan Yanran froze. When she had come to break off the engagement, she had never considered offering compensation or an apology. She had thought it would be simple. With her teacher's words behind her, the Xiao Clan would not dare act rashly.

Yet now, not only had Xiao Yan taken the initiative to cast her aside, she had also been humiliated and forced to kneel and kowtow in apology. Such disgrace was something she could never accept.

Ge Ye's face turned pale with fright. Xiao Tian was actually protecting Xiao Yan so fiercely. As a Great Dou Master, he was like an ant before a Dou Emperor.

Now, only the Cloud Mist Sect could intimidate him. "Lord Dou Emperor, we know that breaking off the engagement today was improper, but Nalan Yanran is, after all, the future sect master of the Cloud Mist Sect. This absolutely cannot happen."

"You are humiliating the Cloud Mist Sect. Do you know what consequences this will bring? It will not benefit the Xiao Clan in the slightest."

"Even if you are a Dou Emperor, you cannot protect the Xiao Clan forever, can you? I am merely reminding you, not threatening you!"

Ge Ye's words filled Xiao Zhan and the Xiao Clan elders with fear. If a conflict truly arose, it would mean utter disaster for the Xiao Clan.

It did not matter much for old men like them, but the Xiao Clan's younger generation would be in danger.

A cold gleam flashed through Xiao Tian's eyes. "Noisy!"

With a casual wave of his hand, a terrifying force burst forth. Ge Ye was sent flying, smashing through the doors in an instant before crashing into the artificial rockery.

With the strength of a Great Dou Master, he could not resist at all.

Pfft!

He spat out blood. Before he could react, Xiao Tian raised his hand, and a terrifying suction force instantly dragged Ge Ye back inside.

Ge Ye's face was deathly pale as he knelt on the ground. "Thank you, Lord Dou Emperor, for sparing my life."

Xiao Tian narrowed his eyes.

"I already said it. The Cloud Mist Sect is nothing. Even if its sect master came in person, they would still have to pay a price."

"Before me, you are no different from ants."

"I do not wish to say it a second time."

Mo Li trembled in terror as well, kneeling on the ground without daring to speak.

"Elder Ge Ye!" Nalan Yanran saw that Xiao Tian had no regard for the Cloud Mist Sect at all and had even attacked. Yet there was nothing she could do against a Dou Emperor. Her fists clenched tightly as humiliation and resentment surged through her heart.

She had never expected the Xiao Clan to dare do this.

To ensure their safety, Ge Ye had no other choice. He immediately knelt and kowtowed. "Patriarch Xiao, what happened today was all our fault. We were wrong!"

Whoosh!

In an instant, the Xiao Clan's main hall fell deathly silent. The clan members' eyes brimmed with tears. At this moment, the Xiao Clan's humiliation had been washed away. As members of the Xiao Clan, they felt proud!

If Xiao Tian had not been here, they could only have swallowed this humiliation today. In the future, they would have been pointed at and mocked by others in Wutan City, unable to hold their heads high.

Xiao Zhan gripped the armrests tightly, his eyes inexplicably growing moist. He had been holding himself back, afraid that he would burst into tears the next moment!

The three Xiao Clan elders likewise felt an inexplicable sense of pride. Originally, after the engagement had been broken off at their doorstep, they had been extremely dissatisfied with the Xiao Clan and its patriarch.

It would have made the Xiao Clan unable to hold its head high in Wutan City. Yet now, the people who had come to humiliate them were kneeling on the ground and admitting their mistakes of their own accord!

Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Tian's towering back, which seemed to radiate a sacred light at this moment. This was his big brother!

From this moment on, he would take his big brother as his goal! He was the hero in Xiao Yan's heart, the all-powerful big brother!

Nalan Yanran gritted her silver teeth, disbelief filling her eyes. "Elder Ge Ye, why are you kneeling? This is an insult to the Cloud Mist Sect."

At this moment, Xiao Xun'er slowly approached with an ancient book in hand. She stood beside Xiao Yan. "Young lady of the Nalan Clan, do not think you can act without restraint just because the Cloud Mist Sect stands behind you. On the Dou Qi Continent, there are countless forces stronger than the Cloud Mist Sect. You should watch yourself."

Nalan Yanran, still kneeling on the ground, shrank her pupils as she looked at the noble and elegant Xiao Xun'er before her. She slowly lowered her head. Whether in temperament or appearance, Xiao Xun'er was in no way inferior to her—she was even superior.

Nalan Yanran clenched her fists once more. Could I be wrong? Xiao Yan is just a worthless young master. As the next heir of the Cloud Mist Sect, I am far beyond his reach!

Xiao Tian folded his arms. "Nalan Yanran, it is your turn!"

Nalan Yanran bit her red lips. "Today's humiliation! I, Nalan Yanran, will repay it a hundredfold someday!"

Left with no choice, she knelt on the ground and lowered her proud head in a kowtow. "Uncle Xiao, Nalan Yanran failed to think things through today and insulted the Xiao Clan. I offer my deepest apologies for this. It was all because I did not consider things carefully!"

As she spoke, aggrieved tears streamed from Nalan Yanran's eyes. This blow was the greatest humiliation of her life!

Ge Ye clutched his chest. This time, he had nearly lost half his life. He sighed softly and shook his head to himself.

After today, the Xiao Clan was truly going to rise!

Xiao Tian said slowly, "Very good. There is still one palm strike left. Then I will temporarily let you go over what happened today!"