Seven: Three-Year Agreement!

The entire hall fell silent at the sight of the young man clutching his arm in unbearable pain.

A moment later, countless astonished gazes turned toward the white-clad youth. With a casual punch, he had crippled a Nine-Star Dou Zhe who had gone all out. Could this monster have broken through again—to Da Dou Shi?!

That was it. They would never catch up to him in this lifetime!

Every young person present, even Xiao Yan, sincerely felt the same way.

From her seat, Nalan Yanran could not help parting her lips slightly at this sudden turn of events, her beautiful eyes filled with shock.

Always proud of being a prodigy, she now felt an abyss-like pressure. Even if she used every trump card she had, she might not be able to defeat Senior Brother Gou with certainty. Yet this boy her age had dealt with him using nothing more than a casual punch...

Terrifying. Simply terrifying!

At that moment, only Xun'er smiled faintly, radiant and captivating.

"Such nerve! Is this how the Xiao Household treats its guests?!"

Still reeling from the shock, Ge Ye slammed his palm on the table and rose to his feet. Green Dou Qi surged around him, his beard and hair flaring as he shouted in fury.

That young man was the beloved grandson of the sect's Great Elder. Now that he had been crippled, how was Ge Ye supposed to explain himself when he returned?

Moreover, Elder Gou's authority was second only to one person!

His strength had also reached the Dou King realm!

"You old bastard, the people of your Misty Cloud Sect really are shameless. He was clearly the one who started it. What, are you blaming me for bullying him now?"

Xiao Dongchen shook his head slightly, a faint smile on his face.

"Mr. Ge, you are being unreasonable. This was clearly a dispute between juniors, and you did not stop it. Now you come demanding an explanation. Don't you find that laughable?"

Xiao Zhan, seated nearby, also slammed the table and rose, his face tinged with anger as tea splashed onto the floor beside him.

"Heh. No matter what, today's matter cannot be settled peacefully. You have offended the Great Elder, so your Xiao Household can just wait to be wiped out!"

Ge Ye curled his lips. He no longer intended to reason with them, and his tone became increasingly overbearing.

"Old bastard, you really don't know when to quit!"

Golden flames blazed in Xiao Dongchen's eyes. He clenched his fist, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

It was only the Misty Cloud Sect. Who gave him such confidence?

"You insolent brat! You insult my sect and disrespect your elders. You deserve a beating!"

Xiao Dongchen kept calling him an old bastard, and Ge Ye finally snapped. He no longer cared about throwing his seniority around. Taking a step forward, he hooked his hand into an eagle claw and pushed out with a palm filled with powerful Dou Qi.

"Xuan Rank Low-Grade Dou Technique—Eagle's Sword Claw!"

Ge Ye shouted lowly, his momentum fierce as sword qi crisscrossed through the air.

"You're still underage! Be careful!"

Just as the eagle claw closed in on that handsome face, Xun'er, seated in the corner, could no longer hold herself back. She hurriedly cried out a warning, her lovely face full of concern.

How could she have expected this old bastard from the Misty Cloud Sect to be so dishonorable, launching a sneak attack on the man she liked? He was absolutely detestable!

"Don't worry, Xun'er. Why would I need to be an adult to deal with such a lowly scoundrel? As long as I have hands, I'm good!"

Xiao Dongchen did not panic in the slightest. His lips curled upward as golden Dou Qi surged forth. He still answered with the same fierce, straightforward punch.

Perfect. I can use this chance to test the attribute boost of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame!

His small, jade-like fist met that large, aged eagle claw, creating a strikingly bizarre contrast.

Yet in an instant, the green Dou Qi melted away like mice encountering a cat. Ge Ye, whom the Xiao Household had regarded as overwhelmingly powerful, was actually forced back by that punch.

Even more shocking, the punch was so tyrannical that its remaining force did not diminish. It rose like a dragon lifting its head and smashed directly into Ge Ye's eye socket.

"Shoryuken!"

With an easy expression, Xiao Dongchen spun gracefully back into place and stood with his hands behind his back. By then, the old bastard he had beaten already had a swollen eye.

Had he not restrained his Dou Qi in that punch, Ge Ye's eyeball might have been blasted apart on the spot!

Hiss~

Everyone present drew in a sharp breath, too stunned to recover for a long while.

Damn, a thirteen-year-old had defeated a Dou Ling expert with a simple punch. Was he even human?

"You... I..."

Ge Ye covered his eye, his face filled with humiliation.

"Say one more word, and I'll blow you up. Believe it or not!"

Xiao Dongchen looked at him coldly, lightly clenching his fist. Once he opened his mouth, it truly seemed as though another glance would make Ge Ye explode.

"Damn it... ah..."

Ge Ye gritted his teeth. Though his face had been violently smashed, he still wanted to say a few words and warn the other party to know his place.

But when he saw that golden-glowing fist, he trembled violently. He swallowed with difficulty and miserably swallowed all his threats as well.

"Go! We're leaving!"

Having lost all face and filled with dread, he did not wait for Nalan Yanran or that Gou disciple to react. His withered hands grabbed both their arms as he fled the hall in panic.

Seeing Ge Ye's frightened behavior, not a single member of the Xiao Clan found it surprising. All their shock had been completely reserved for that elegant white-clad youth.

"Worthy nephew, this..."

Only after quite a while did Xiao Zhan recover from his shock. After pondering for a moment, he prepared to ask about it.

"It was just luck."

Xiao Dongchen waved his hand, appearing unconcerned.

He was merely a One-Star Dou Ling. Even without relying on the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, Xiao Dongchen could beat him with his eyes closed.

"Uh, haha..."

Xiao Zhan scratched his head and did not pursue the matter further.

After all, the young man before him was already extraordinary and filled with secrets.

He could not help but sigh inwardly. This worthy nephew certainly had admirable composure, though his strength was somewhat absurd.

If Xiao Dongchen knew what he was thinking, he would definitely mock him. If your son had not met me, his future strength would have been absurd enough too. A Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereign, eventually becoming the ruler himself, with a Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus in hand capable of blasting apart the Great Thousand World. Your vision is still too limited!

"Wow, so handsome!"

Just as Xiao Zhan was sighing inwardly, the talented young women of the Xiao Household all cried out at once, their eyes sparkling.

Xiao Mei's heart fluttered as well, but she did not dare look at him directly. She could only steal glances while feeling inferior.

Only Xiao Xun'er let out a long breath and smiled knowingly. Like a crescent moon emerging for the first time, her pretty face was full of pride.

Xiao Dongchen did not forget to turn his head and strike a pose, blinking once. He saw that the girl, beneath the sunlight, was like a violet lotus—pure, elegant, and incomparably beautiful.

What a profit!

All those years of nourishing Dou Qi had been completely worth it!

Since that was the case, he had to keep showing off to the very end!

As though he had thought of something delightful, a proud smile appeared on Xiao Dongchen's face.

He raised his head slightly, revealing that handsome face with sword-like brows and starry eyes, then slowly spoke.

"Did I just hear that old bastard say he was going to wipe out the Xiao Household? Something about offending some damned Great Elder?"

His tone was calm and graceful, rich with magnetism.

"That's right. How dare that old bastard say such a thing!"

Hearing this, Xiao Zhan recalled those words as well. He slammed the corner of the table, and all respect for the Misty Cloud Sect vanished from his face.

Although the Xiao Household was weak, it had the backing of a mysterious figure. They had nothing to fear at all!

"That is indeed the case. It truly is infuriating!"

The three elders exchanged glances and nodded.

"Heh. Interesting. Very interesting."

Xiao Dongchen merely smiled faintly, then turned toward the thin youth beside him. "Xiao Yan, what do you think?"

"Huh? Me?"

The sudden question completely stunned Xiao Yan. He pointed at himself while his mind raced furiously.

Big brother, don't joke around. Our backer is the mysterious person behind you. What we do depends on what he thinks.

According to my cheap old man, that person could walk through the void. A Dou Zong was already powerful enough!

Good heavens, don't tell me you want that person to flatten the Misty Cloud Sect? With that kind of boldness, I really don't dare say anything.

"Fine, I roughly know what you're thinking, but don't think that way just yet..."

Seeing the ruthless glint in Xiao Yan's eyes, Xiao Dongchen felt a headache coming on. Had this kid lived too oppressively these past few years? His thoughts were far too dangerous. Xiao Dongchen still wanted to have a romantic encounter with Dou Emperor Yun Yun.

Damn it. If he had known, he would not have thought about tempering Xiao Yan's character before.

"Sigh, I actually think that line of yours, 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river,' makes a lot of sense. For such a small matter, I think I should resolve it personally."

"Isn't that Elder Gou a Dou King? The Three-Year Agreement—after three years..."

Xiao Dongchen's gaze was firm as he smiled faintly.

"Yes, exactly. After three years, worthy nephew, you can defeat him personally. I believe in you!"

Xiao Zhan was greatly comforted by this. Picking up the thread of the conversation, he smiled warmly.

The latter could already instantly defeat a Dou Ling with one hand. In three years, defeating a Dou King would be easy!

Revenge must be taken personally. What extraordinary spirit!

"We believe in you too!"

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

The three elders echoed in unison, followed closely by the cheers of the young men and women.

At this moment, Xiao Dongchen's strength had completely won them over.

With strength so far beyond their reach and such a mysterious, powerful background, all they could do was worship him!

"Uh."

Faced with everyone's enthusiasm, Xiao Dongchen simply shook his head with a smile and finished what he had been saying.

"After three years, that Elder Gou will be left to Xiao Yan!"

Caw~

Hiss~

Holy crap!

At that instant, the cheers throughout the hall abruptly stopped. Everyone first glanced at Xiao Dongchen, then focused entirely on Xiao Yan, their faces filled with uncertain disbelief.

"Huh? Me?"

Xiao Yan, already dumbfounded, became even more dumbfounded. His mind spun frantically, yet he could not figure out what was going on.

Who understood this? He had only just advanced to Dou Zhe, yet in three years he was supposed to challenge a Dou King, and an established one at that. Wasn't this setting him up?

Who would believe that? Even he felt it was far too outrageous!

"Tsk, tsk."

Seeing everyone's expressions, Xiao Dongchen shook his head again, secretly chuckling inwardly.

Flame Emperor, Flame Emperor, your vision is still too limited. If I told you that in three years, with all your trump cards, you could even fight a Dou Zong, would you still fear a mere Dou King?

Young man, show some courage. Just charge forward!

"I believe in him. If I say he can do it, then he can do it. Who agrees? Who objects?"

Without another word, Xiao Dongchen made the decision.

For a moment, the entire hall was silent.

After a long while, everyone finally heard a firm, resolute voice. "I'll give it a try. What if I get lucky and win too?"

At that moment, everyone looked over once more. The thin youth's brows now carried a terrifying confidence and steadiness.

If Brother Chen says I can do it, then I definitely can!

I cannot let myself fall so far behind that I cannot even follow him, damn it!

Xiao Dongchen turned his head as well, his face full of gratification.

He's back. Lucky Brother, let's fight side by side again!

Hearing you say that makes me feel fired up too!

"Very good. Leave Elder Gou to you. I'm at ease!"

"Then spread the word! The opponent in my Three-Year Agreement will be the former sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect—Yun Shan!"

"I will fight him personally!"

In the center of the hall, the handsome youth with sword-like brows and starry eyes clenched his fist. Golden flames blazed fiercely within his eyes!

Standing there, with his momentum soaring, he looked down upon the world!