A Forceful Slap in the Face, Nalan Yanran Was Stunned

Lin Yang raised an eyebrow slightly. "Primordial Yellow Flame—not bad. Perfect for testing how much the Holy Sun Fire-Swallowing Art can improve by devouring flames."

Muttering to himself, Lin Yang looked toward Cloud Mist Mountain. Then, without lingering any longer, he tore open space and headed for the Cloud Mist Sect.

Cloud Mist Sect.

Located beside the Jia Ma Imperial Capital, it was the empire's strongest sect, with several Dou Kings and two Dou Emperors.

To the Xiao Family, it was indeed an insurmountable behemoth. But to Lin Yang, it could be destroyed with a flick of his finger. It was only useful for farming system rewards, nothing more.

Above the Cloud Mist Sect.

Lin Yang tore open space and descended above the main hall, releasing the pressure of a Dou Saint.

Below, the disciples and elders who had been cultivating felt an earth-shattering pressure crash down upon them, as if the sky itself had collapsed. Their bodies and souls felt as though they were about to be crushed flat. Many disciples fainted in an instant.

Inside the main hall, Sect Leader Yun Yun was covered in sweat. She had never heard of, much less seen, such pressure before. She could not even discern the cultivation level of the person who had arrived.

Yun Yun wanted to rush outside and cautiously ask what was going on. However, the pressure had directly frozen the Dou Qi within her body, leaving her unable to move at all.

In a secret chamber of the Cloud Mist Sect, Yun Shan sat cross-legged in cultivation, preparing to break through to the Dou Ancestor realm.

Suddenly, a pressure descended out of nowhere. Yun Shan's heart jolted, and he nearly suffered a cultivation deviation. He bit through his tongue fiercely before finally catching his breath.

Still, as a peak Dou Emperor, Yun Shan could barely walk under the pressure. His steps were unsteady, as if he might collapse at any moment.

The reason he could move at all was mainly because Lin Yang had held back. Otherwise, not a single person in the Cloud Mist Sect would have been able to move.

Suppressing his fear, Yun Shan walked out of the secret chamber. Seeing the figure floating in the sky, his heart trembled. He clenched his teeth and shakily flew upward, cupping his fists toward Lin Yang.

"Se-Senior, may I ask why you have come to the Cloud Mist Sect? Has the Cloud Mist Sect offended you in some way?" Yun Shan lowered his posture to the extreme.

"Heh." Lin Yang sneered and spoke coldly. "You're Yun Shan, right? Your Cloud Mist Sect elder sure has a big mouth. The engagement cancellation failed, and now he wants to wipe out my brother-in-law's family? Was that your idea?! Or your disciple Yun Yun's?!"

Yun Shan's heart shuddered. The thing he had least wanted to happen had happened. Suppressing his panic, he hurriedly explained, "Se-Senior, please calm down. Yun Shan never had such intentions. It must have been someone under me acting on his own, grown arrogant from borrowing the Cloud Mist Sect's prestige. Please see the truth, Senior. I will punish him severely and definitely give you an explanation. Please calm down."

"Heh." Lin Yang sneered again. "Yun Shan, do you think I'm that easy to fool? Still, I can give you a chance. When Ge Ye returns later, kill him personally. Also, strip Nalan Yanran of her position as Young Sect Leader, expel her from the Cloud Mist Sect, and kneel to apologize. Then I may spare your Cloud Mist Sect this once."

Yun Shan's expression darkened. If he did that, the Cloud Mist Sect would lose all its face. But if he did not, the sect likely would not escape disaster.

Yun Shan clenched his teeth, his heart full of unwillingness and hatred. Yet he did not dare reveal the slightest bit of it on his face. For the sect to survive, he could only grit his teeth and accept such humiliating conditions.

"Alright, Senior. Yun Shan agrees," Yun Shan said tremblingly.

Half a day later.

Ge Ye returned to the Cloud Mist Sect in a rage, bringing Nalan Yanran with him.

The moment they returned, both of them clearly sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere.

However, Nalan Yanran did not think much of it. She headed straight for the main hall to find Yun Yun and have her order the Xiao Family wiped out.

Nalan Yanran entered the hall and saw both Yun Shan and Yun Yun seated inside. She froze for a moment. Why has the old sect leader emerged from seclusion? Did something happen to the Cloud Mist Sect? But she quickly recovered and did not dwell on it. Crying, she walked into the hall.

"Master, Grandmaster, the Xiao... the Xiao Family has gone too far..."

Before Nalan Yanran could finish, Yun Shan suddenly roared, "Hmph! Kneel!"

Nalan Yanran jumped in fright. What was going on? Before she could understand, her legs gave way under Yun Shan's vicious glare, and she collapsed to her knees.

"Grandmaster, wh-what happened?" Nalan Yanran cried.

"Hmph." Yun Shan snorted again. "Nalan Yanran, look at the mess you've caused. From today onward, you are stripped of your position as Young Sect Leader. Get out of the Cloud Mist Sect and return to your Nalan Clan. My Cloud Mist Sect does not welcome you."

Nalan Yanran's expression trembled. Her face was filled with disbelief, and her entire body shook as she sobbed, "Grandmaster, what exactly happened?"

Yun Shan did not want to explain. Just thinking about this matter made him agitated. He waved at Yun Yun. "Take her away and throw her out."

Yun Yun's expression was complicated, but she did not dare say anything. She hurriedly pulled Nalan Yanran to her feet, flew to the Cloud Mist Sect's mountain gate, and threw her onto the ground.

At that moment, Lin Yang descended from the sky with a smile, his face full of mockery. "Nalan Yanran, why are you lying on the ground again?"

When Nalan Yanran saw Lin Yang, she froze slightly. Then she suddenly understood, as though struck by lightning.

"Th-this is impossible. You... how could you..."

Before she could finish, Lin Yang slapped her across the face. "Nalan Yanran, surprised? The engagement cancellation failed, and you still wanted to destroy the Xiao Family? I'm leaving you with your worthless life today. In three years, Xiao Yan will personally come to the Nalan Clan and take your wretched life. Go back and enjoy the rest of your days. Get lost."

Nalan Yanran was dazed by the slap. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to say something.

But seeing the coldness in Lin Yang's eyes, she forcefully swallowed her words.

Lin Yang sneered and raised his hand again. "Still not leaving?"

Nalan Yanran trembled slightly and shrank back. Gritting her teeth, she got to her feet and ran crying down Cloud Mist Mountain.

Watching Nalan Yanran flee, Lin Yang sneered once more. His figure flashed, and he appeared before Yun Shan.

At that moment, Yun Shan was in Ge Ye's courtyard. He had just slapped Ge Ye across the face.

Ge Ye was completely dumbfounded.

Before he could react, Lin Yang suddenly appeared behind Yun Shan.

Ge Ye's heart trembled, and he understood instantly. "Lin... Lin Yang, you..." His words came out brokenly, and he could not finish speaking.

Lin Yang waved at Yun Shan. "Enough. Kill him."

Yun Shan hurriedly nodded, then slapped Ge Ye across the face. Ge Ye was sent flying backward.

Blood poured endlessly from his mouth, and he instantly fell silent.

"Se-Senior, are you satisfied now?" Yun Shan knelt at Lin Yang's feet, trembling slightly.

Lin Yang nodded faintly. "Fine. That vented some of my anger. But as sect leader, you failed to discipline your people properly. You still need to punish yourself."

Yun Shan's heart relaxed, and he hurriedly kowtowed. "Senior is right to reprimand me. I apologize to Senior with these kowtows."

After kowtowing several times, Lin Yang received the system reward notification and did not linger any longer.

He waved his hand. "Enough, get up. I'm leaving. You people of the Cloud Mist Sect should behave yourselves. Don't provoke people you shouldn't provoke again."

"Yes, yes."

Lin Yang did not linger. He tore open space and returned to Wutan City, intending to first have a proper talk with Xiao Yan about personally going to the Nalan Clan in three years to take Nalan Yanran's wretched life.

Just then, the system issued another notification for a new mission.

Lin Yang opened the panel and gave it a casual glance, seeing its contents.

The conflict with the Cloud Mist Sect has concluded. The system has randomly generated a new mission. Host, proceed to Green Mountain Town and win over the Little Fairy Doctor. Mission reward: Netherworld Poison Flame.

"Winning over the Little Fairy Doctor should be easy. I'm somewhat interested in her too. But System, why is the reward another Heavenly Flame? Shouldn't you give me a Heaven-tier Dou Skill first?" Lin Yang complained slightly.

"Ding! This system's rewards are generated strictly according to the mission's contents. If Host is dissatisfied, you may choose to skip the mission next time and proceed to the next one. However, Host should be reminded that once a mission is skipped, its corresponding reward will not appear a second time."

"Sigh." Hearing this, Lin Yang sighed. "Fine, System. I'll return to the Xiao Family first and go to Green Mountain Town tomorrow. When generating missions next time, try to give me rewards with Heaven-tier Dou Skills."

"Ding! Understood, Host. I will do my best."

Lin Yang said nothing more.

However, what Lin Yang had not noticed at the Cloud Mist Sect was that Heron Protector, an Iron-ranked Protector of the Soul Hall, had been hiding nearby and had personally witnessed Lin Yang descending upon the Cloud Mist Sect.

At that moment, Heron Protector was rushing toward the Soul Hall headquarters to report the situation. Before long, Soul Hall Dou Venerates, or even Dou Saints, would likely descend upon the Jia Ma Empire to investigate Lin Yang.