I'll Step In

"G-Good..."

Long Xiao froze. He had not expected Xue'er's cooking to be this good. It was far better than Xiao Xixi's. That chicken soup last time had nearly poisoned him to death.

"That's wonderful... Jiaojiao taught me how to make it. Xue'er will brew it for you every day from now on, okay?" Qian Renxue beamed like a flower.

"Ah?"

Drink this stuff every day? Was he really that weak?

But it was true. His cultivation was currently inferior to theirs.

"Ahem, Miss Hong Chan, I imagine you came here for something as well?" Long Xiao hurriedly changed the subject.

"As expected, nothing can be hidden from you, Senior."

Hong Chan smiled helplessly.

"Hong Chan came to investigate the War Behemoth invasion of Azure City by the Demon Cloud Sect some time ago. I heard it was defeated by a mysterious giant called Ultraman, and Demon Cloud Sect Elder Mo Duo was killed as well."

As she spoke, she unrolled a portrait depicting an Ultraman.

She had asked many powerful cultivators about this creature, but none had ever seen one.

At the side, Mo Duo kept his head down and shoveled food into his mouth. Food was all he could see, while he constantly prayed in his heart: Don't look at me, don't look at me. This is too humiliating.

"Oh~ So this is Ultraman."

Qian Daoliu, Gu Rong, and the others wore strange expressions. Ever since Jiaojiao and Xu Zhong had told them about him, they had been curious.

"You've seen him?" Hong Chan's face was full of suspicion. Could they really have encountered this mysterious creature?

She had taken out the portrait because she wanted to ask Long Xiao about it. Perhaps this expert had seen it before.

Bibi Dong lifted her chin and said proudly, "We do know him. This Ultraman is my Sect Master's little brother. The Sect Master happened to be in Azure City that day, so he called upon his little brother to resolve the crisis."

"As for why the Sect Master did not act himself, you should understand. If he were to act with his cultivation, it would surely shake heaven and move ghosts. The losses would outweigh the gains."

The way Bibi Dong spoke at that moment was like she was showing off her most treasured possession to Hong Chan.

Smack!

Hong Chan slammed her palm angrily against the table, cracking it open.

"So that's how it is. The Demon Cloud Sect is truly vile. They disregarded the lives of an entire city's people—this is plainly an attempt to challenge the dignity of the imperial family!"

"Senior, the Demon Cloud Sect is the foremost demonic sect within the dynasty. Having grown increasingly powerful in recent years, they have begun to ignore the imperial family's authority."

Bibi Dong smiled calmly. "Oh? Is that so? Actually, Mo Duo isn't dead. Look, isn't he over there eating? He has been moved by the Sect Master's personal charm and turned over a new leaf."

Mo Duo: "???"

Hey... what are you doing?!

I was just peacefully eating. Why did you drag me into this again?

Hong Chan was greatly surprised. So he really was Mo Duo. Back in the restroom, she had thought she had mistaken him for someone else.

"Don't ask."

Before Hong Chan could speak, Mo Duo cut her off.

"First, I have already been won over by Sect Master Long's personal charm. I am now the Divine Sect's restroom elder."

"Second, just as you analyzed, sending the War Behemoth to attack Azure City was meant to test the imperial family's attitude."

"Third, from what I know, the Demon Cloud Sect will soon take retaliatory action."

After speaking, Mo Duo continued eating.

The moment his words fell, two figures rushed hurriedly into the dining hall from outside.

"Sect Master Long, something terrible has happened!"

The newcomers were Xu Zhong and Cai Yuntian.

"Hey, hey, what do you mean, something terrible? How did you two get in? Did you register?"

Tang San stood up, walked over, and blocked their path.

"Register?"

Xu Zhong and Cai Yuntian looked bewildered.

"That's right. Divine Sect rules state that everyone who enters must register. Hurry and come with me to register at the gate. Go, go, go."

As Tang San spoke, he shoved the two men toward the entrance.

The gate guard carried himself with imposing authority.

Now that he knew the Sect Master's strength, he had to suck up to him.

Since everyone was present, he had to maintain a professional attitude to earn recognition, even if he was only a guard.

The scene left everyone dumbfounded.

Before long, Tang San returned with Xu Zhong and Cai Yuntian after registering them.

The moment Xu Zhong saw Long Xiao, he looked utterly aggrieved. "Sect Master Long, something terrible has happened. Because of the previous incident, the Demon Cloud Sect sent Azure City a warning letter, saying they would destroy our city. We have sent word to the higher-ups so many times, yet there has been no response. The imperial family has done nothing. The people of this city can only rely on you now!"

"That's right, Sect Master Long. Azure City cannot be destroyed." Cai Yuntian chimed in.

"Ahem."

Hong Chan spoke up to remind Xu Zhong and Cai Yuntian.

But Xu Zhong merely glanced at her, treating her as another one of Long Xiao's women, and continued pouring out his grievances to Long Xiao.

"Father, this sister is the imperial envoy sent by the imperial family." Xu Jiaojiao could not stand it any longer and spoke up to remind him.

"Ah!"

Only then did Xu Zhong and Cai Yuntian turn around, staring at Hong Chan in shock.

"No, no, Lord Imperial Envoy, this is a misunderstanding. I was talking nonsense just now!"

Xu Zhong frantically waved his hands.

Imperial envoys were His Majesty's trusted aides, and every one of them possessed formidable strength!

Hong Chan rolled her eyes at the two men, then casually explained the whole story.

Since they had some connection to Long Xiao, she naturally could not say much.

"So that's what happened. With Lord Imperial Envoy here, why the hell should we fear the Demon Cloud Sect?" Cai Yuntian said excitedly. He was friends with Old Xu and naturally did not want anything to happen to Azure City.

That was why he had gone up the mountain with Old Xu to ask the Divine Sect for help.

"City Lord Xu, let me see that letter." Long Xiao lightly tapped his fingers against the table.

"Alright."

Xu Zhong hurriedly took out the letter he had prepared beforehand and handed it over.

Long Xiao accepted it, unfolded it, and swept his eyes over it twice. His brows rose slightly.

"Xu Zhong of Azure City, you wretch. First, you destroyed our sect's subordinate Black Mountain Stronghold. Then, you killed an elder of our sect. The Demon Cloud Sect will surely avenge this grudge. In three days, we will level Azure City."

Smack!

Hong Chan angrily slammed the table again, cracking it even further.

"The Demon Cloud Sect has some nerve. City Lord Xu, rest assured. With me, the imperial envoy, here, I will not allow anything to happen to Azure City."

Smack!

Tang San also imitated Hong Chan and slapped the table hard.

Table: I cracked again, again, and again.

He stood up and declared heroically, "Who cares what Demon Cloud Sect they are? With one Blue Silver Bindings and one Unfixed Storm, Third Brother will send every last one of them fleeing with their tails between their legs!"

With such a powerful Sect Master backing him, what was there to fear?

The others also looked eager for a fight. Ever since arriving here, they had barely had a chance to make a move.

They wanted to earn merit!

"Father, don't worry. The Sect Master definitely won't stand by and do nothing." Xu Jiaojiao was now a devoted little fan of the Sect Master.

"Mm, this matter did indeed begin because of me. City Lord Xu, send them a reply as well. Otherwise, we might seem rude and uncultured."

Long Xiao took out paper and a brush, then wrote four bold, spirited characters before handing the paper to Xu Zhong.

Xu Zhong took it. When he saw Long Xiao's writing, it felt as though his head had been struck, and the corner of his mouth twitched. "C-Cultured?"

"What's wrong with you?"

Noticing Xu Zhong's reaction, Cai Yuntian leaned over to take a look and was stunned as well.

"Destroy your mother's pen..."

Xu Zhong could not help asking, "Sect Master Long, aren't you afraid this will completely provoke them?"

After all, they were the foremost demonic sect of the Big Dipper Dynasty.

Long Xiao merely smiled calmly, as if nothing in the world mattered to him.

"It doesn't matter. I'll step in."

Hiss...

Those seven casually spoken words left everyone present utterly astonished, and they sharply sucked in a breath of cold air.

That aura of invincibility was truly worthy of Sect Master Long!

Qian Renxue and the other women, as well as Hong Chan, all had a strange gleam in their eyes.

Tang San began fantasizing that one day, he too would say something so domineering.

P.S.: Brothers must be tired of me. Not a single one of you is sending any support. If this is your attitude, perhaps you should just let me go. It really does make me seem rather unreasonable... Fine... fine. Brothers are usually this carefree anyway. It only leaves me suffering a little. I should be satisfied if you could at least tap the button to urge an update, otherwise I would seem rather petty.