Blood-Stained Splendor

Blood-Stained Splendor

The four of them left the Xiao Clan's main hall in a line and stopped at the entrance to the clan grounds.

Chen Qiye stood leisurely with his hands behind his back. The wind swept over, gently lifting his robes with a rustling flutter.

Behind him stood Xiao Yan, Little Fairy Doctor, and Xiao Xun'er. The bright moon had already been obscured by dark clouds, leaving only a few stars hanging in the night sky, flickering in and out. The surroundings were deathly silent, as though only the sound of the wind remained. Little Fairy Doctor could not help shrinking back slightly, a vague sense of foreboding rising in her heart.

"Teacher, it's far too quiet here..." Little Fairy Doctor said softly.

"Teacher?" Xiao Yan was slightly startled when he heard her address.

Chen Qiye smiled faintly. "Yan'er, she is my newly accepted disciple, Little Fairy Doctor. From now on, she will be your junior sister."

"Greetings, Senior Brother!" Little Fairy Doctor bowed slightly and spoke politely.

"Greetings, Junior Sister!" Xiao Yan returned the gesture with cupped hands.

As they spoke, Xiao Zhan and his group also arrived.

"Master Chen!" Xiao Zhan stepped forward, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Misfortune has befallen our family. Most of the guards were transferred to Wutan City by the Second Elder tonight..."

Aside from the elderly, children, women, and the infirm, only twenty members of the Xiao Clan truly possessed combat ability within the clan grounds. Of them, merely four had reached the Dou Shi realm or above.

As his words fell, the First Elder and Third Elder wore exceedingly ugly expressions. Most of those present were Xiao Clan members who had come to attend the meeting, yet neither of their personal guards had remained behind.

"No matter! In this battle, those below the Da Dou Shi realm are practically meaningless. You all need only guard this place. I will handle the rest!" Chen Qiye said calmly, his gaze sweeping across the fanatical Xiao Clan members.

"But..." Xiao Zhan trembled at his words, only for the words at his lips to be interrupted again.

Chen Qiye's proud voice rang out. "Clan Chief Xiao, those Xiao Clan members who can stand here today are clearly warriors willing to give their lives for the clan. But their strength is insufficient to face the danger before us. Why let loyal clansmen throw away their lives for nothing?"

"Besides, after today, the Xiao Clan will dominate Wutan City. Every aspect will require clansmen worthy of trust..."

Chen Qiye's words reached the ears of every Xiao Clan member behind him, stirring them deeply. It was the feeling of being trusted, of being valued—especially when those words came from the mouth of a Dou Ling expert.

"Ding! Emotion points from Xiao Zhan: +800!"

"Ding! From..."

Another wave of emotion points came in. With a thought from Chen Qiye—

Host: Chen Qiye

Realm: Sixth-Rank Martial General (Six-Star Da Dou Shi)

Experience: 18000/80000

Cultivation Technique: Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms

Great Teacher Points: 116

Great Teacher Level: Two-Star

Current Plane: Battle Through the Heavens

Disciples in This Plane: Xiao Yan, Little Fairy Doctor

Current Item: Dou Zong Aura Card

Current Mission: Twin Stars Shine

Disciple Reputation Points: 0

At that moment, a figure emerged from the darkness ahead. As he walked, he clapped his hands in front of him, producing a series of piercing slaps. He sneered, "Master Chen truly lives up to the name of a wandering poet. You certainly have a way with words that bewitch people's hearts."

"Jia Lie Bi!" The Xiao Clan and Jia Lie Clan had fought for many years; they knew each other all too well.

As Jia Lie Bi appeared, gleaming blades emerged as well. More than twenty men in black robes approached from the darkness with sabers in hand. Their uniform black attire and long blades made for an especially terrifying sight.

"Hahaha, the Xiao Clan wants to dominate Wutan City? After tonight, this clan will cease to exist." A burst of laughter rang out as several more figures emerged from the mountain path on the other side.

At their head were none other than Ao Ba Pa, Ao Ba Ka, and a group of Dou Shi experts from the Ao Ba Clan.

"The Jia Lie and Ao Ba Clans have sent out all their elites. You truly think highly of our Xiao Clan!"

Xiao Zhan took a step forward as faint green Dou Qi began gathering around him. His cold gaze swept over the more than forty elite fighters from the two clans, all at the Dou Shi realm or above, and his expression gradually turned grave. Faced with such a powerful lineup, the Xiao Clan members could not help trembling slightly.

"Yan'er, Xian'er, Xun'er, step back."

Chen Qiye remained calm, utterly unafraid of the formation before him. After giving the order, he slowly paced forward, taking one step at a time. "As a teacher, one should possess a compassionate heart. Leave now, and I will spare your lives. Otherwise, do not blame me for showing no mercy beneath my palms."

"Hahaha!"

Jia Lie Bi, Ao Ba Pa, and the others immediately burst into laughter. Jia Lie Ka shook his head as he laughed. "Chen Qiye, I don't know whether you're stupid or arrogantly ignorant. A mere Dou Shi dares to speak such wild words? No wonder you dared offend the Misty Cloud Sect... You truly don't know the meaning of death."

As Jia Lie Ka spoke, his Dou Qi suddenly condensed. By the time his final words, "You truly don't know the meaning of death," fell, his body was already covered in faint green Dou Qi, resembling a ghostly green flame in the darkness.

"Chen Qiye, die!"

Jia Lie Ka strode forward, the long saber in his hand reflecting a cold gleam. As the saber flashed, the force of his Dou Qi tore a long streak of emerald lightning through the air, shooting straight for Chen Qiye's neck. He clearly intended to sever his head with a single strike.

At that moment, Jia Lie Bi raised his hand and swung it down. "Kill them all!"

More than forty Dou Shi erupted with Dou Qi at once. In the night, they resembled a coiled azure dragon encircling the Xiao Clan grounds, and a chilling killing intent instantly filled heaven and earth!

Within that frozen killing intent!

Ding!

A crisp sound forcibly shattered the tense standoff.

"Not good!"

Jia Lie Ka's expression changed drastically, his pupils suddenly contracting.

He was a Three-Star Da Dou Shi, and this strike had directly employed a low-grade Xuan-class Dou Technique: Gale Blade!

It was so fast that even a Three-Star Da Dou Shi might not have been able to react in time.

What Jia Lie Ka had not expected was that not only had his saber failed to hit Chen Qiye, but he had been sent flying by a casual palm strike. Even the bones in the fingers gripping his saber had been shattered.

Clang!

The saber fell to the ground, followed immediately by the aftershock of the palm wind crashing head-on toward him.

"How is that possible?!"

Everyone present froze in place. Beneath countless horrified gazes—

Chen Qiye withdrew his palm with the motion. Jia Lie Ka's body spun once through the air, and he let out a shrill scream as his entire body was flung seven or eight meters away like a kite with a severed string.

With a loud crash, he smashed down before Jia Lie Bi!

His chest had completely caved in, crushed flat as though it were foam. Even with the physical resilience of a Three-Star Da Dou Shi, he died on the spot.

"S-so terrifying!"

The power of one palm had instantly killed a Three-Star Da Dou Shi!

Jia Lie Bi, Ao Ba Pa, and the others all turned pale at the sight.

"Those who want to die, come forward!"

At that moment, an icy voice echoed above the Xiao Clan grounds. The many elite Dou Shi fighters could not help drawing sharp breaths, looking fearfully at the young man standing with his hands behind his back.

A streak of blood stained his white robes!

His black hair was like ink!

His eyes were as deep as the stars as he stood there, like an ancient demon god that had existed since time immemorial—unmatched by any!

Such splendor!

Left the Xiao Clan members staring in a daze!

"Ding! Emotion points from Xiao Yan: +1000!"

"Ding! From..."

(End of Chapter)