A show of might

"***, you owe me an explanation for what happened today."

In the clearing before the Ao Ba Family's gates, Liu Xi's corpse lay sprawled on the ground in a hideous position. The Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family faced off across it.

"You old bastard, have you gone mad? You fought someone over a beast flame at the auction house and got robbed. What does that have to do with our Ao Ba Family?" *** cursed. He was a tall, dark-skinned middle-aged man with a crew cut and bright, piercing eyes.

"Still trying to argue your way out of it." Jia Lie Bi waved a hand, and a steward beside him immediately presented a scroll. He unrolled it before the crowd, revealing a screen of water.

On the water screen, Liu Xi's corpse lay in a dark alley. Beside it, the name "Aoba" had been written on the ground in blood.

"What does that prove?" *** scoffed. "How can you be sure that dead dog wrote it? What if someone was framing us?"

"Someone was indeed being framed, because they left this on the ground." Jia Lie Bi took a Xiao Clan Emblem from his robes and continued sneering at *** with a smug expression. "Did you think we'd fall for such a clumsy trick?"

At the sight of the Xiao Clan Emblem, *** first froze, then sank into doubt.

He had thought the mysterious expert in the private room had set a trap for them, hoping to provoke a war between Wutan City's local powers to achieve some unspeakable goal. But now it seemed...

Could it be...

***'s expression changed drastically. He looked at Jia Lie Bi, who still wore the look of a man holding irrefutable evidence, and shouted urgently, "Quick, take your people back! The Xiao Clan might already be on their way to your compound!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Jia Lie Bi looked at *** in confusion. "Clearly..."

Suddenly, Jia Lie Bi's pupils contracted. He seemed to have figured out the crucial link.

"Damn it!"

But before Jia Lie Bi could gather his clansmen to rush back, he saw a clansman who had been assigned to remain at home running toward him, drenched in blood.

"Clan head! Xiao Zhan brought people to attack our compound! They're slaughtering everyone inside! Hurry back and save them!" the clansman screamed himself hoarse.

"Quick, back to the compound!" Jia Lie Bi could spare no thought for anything else. The moment he shouted, he broke into a frantic sprint toward his family's compound.

With his cultivation as a Da Dou Shi, he naturally raced ahead of everyone else.

What Jia Lie Bi had not anticipated was that the Xiao Clan had exploited his desperation to return and laid an ambush along the way.

Just as Jia Lie Bi put some distance between himself and the Jia Lie Family's elites following behind, Xiao Zhan, two elders, and more than twenty Dou Shi charged out from every direction, unleashing a furious barrage of Dou Techniques at him.

Boom!!!

Xiao Yan raised his head and looked into the distance. The violent fluctuations from the clash shook everyone. His father, Xiao Zhan, must have succeeded. That old bastard from the Jia Lie Family would be crippled if he wasn't dead.

He chuckled. Although he had long known his clan had designs on the other two major families, he had never imagined they had prepared so thoroughly.

Even without the pretext he had supplied last night, the Xiao Clan would probably have found an opportunity to strike at one of the two families, wouldn't they?

Xiao Yan slowly removed his hood and looked mockingly at Second Elder Jia Lie Family, who was locked in fierce combat with Third Elder Xiao.

"Damn it!" Second Elder Jia Lie Family had clearly sensed the fluctuations from the distant battle as well. Seeing Xiao Yan remove his hood, how could he fail to realize his family had fallen into a trap?

"The people in the Heavenly Character No. 1 Private Room at last night's auction were from your Xiao Clan? When did you acquire a Dou Ling?!" Second Elder Jia Lie Family was clearly a clever man. He had guessed that even if the occupants of the Heavenly Character No. 1 Private Room hadn't been from the Xiao Clan, they were almost certainly connected to them.

"What nonsense are you spouting, you old bastard? Our Xiao Clan was seated downstairs at last night's auction!" Third Elder Xiao sneered.

"Exactly. Elder Jia Lie, whatever your name is, you shouldn't make false accusations." Xiao Yan drew the Heavy Xuan Ruler from his Storage Ring. Flames danced in his eyes, making them look almost unnatural, and the aura of a Four-Star Dou Zhe rose from him.

"Xiao Yan, you..." Third Elder Xiao's pupils contracted slightly. Just yesterday, Xiao Yan had stunned everyone with his strength as a Two-Star Dou Zhe. How had he become a Four-Star Dou Zhe today? Such a rate of advancement was truly unheard of!

"Damn it! If I'm dying, I'm taking someone with me!" Knowing death was inevitable, Second Elder Jia Lie Family took a palm strike from Third Elder Xiao head-on, then charged toward Xiao Yan, coughing blood.

Even if he died, he would take someone with him!

"Xiao Clan brat, I heard you've regained your strength. Too bad you'll have to go down below early and wait for your father!" Second Elder Jia Lie Family raised a curved saber and slashed. The power carried by that strike could have cleaved even a One-Star Dou Shi like Xiao An to death.

Xiao Yan, however, had nothing to fear. With Yao Lao beside him, an attack of this level could not possibly kill him. He might as well take the blow head-on.

He wanted to see just how powerful a Da Dou Shi really was.

Two beast flames climbed over the Heavy Xuan Ruler like roaming dragons. In an instant, the temperature around Xiao Yan rose by several hundred degrees, evaporating every trace of moisture in the air.

"Flame Splitting Wave Ruler!"

Flame Splitting Wave Ruler was an Earth-tier Low-grade Dou Technique, a gift Yao Lao had given him on the day he advanced to Dou Zhe. He had barely practiced it yet.

"I'll test it on you today!"

The Heavy Xuan Ruler swung out violently. Two-colored Dou Qi tore through the air with a shriek like the roar of a divine beast.

The weapons clashed.

Xiao Yan felt a tremendous force slam into him. The Heavy Xuan Ruler flew from his grasp, and he was hurled backward. Fortunately, Yao Lao intervened in time, supporting him with soul power as he slid seven or eight meters across the ground, barely stopping before he struck the wall.

At the same time, a piercing pain shot through his arm. The bone had most likely cracked.

"That was far too reckless! Luckily, I helped absorb some of the impact. Once we get back, I'll refine a batch of pills for you, and you'll recover. Don't do anything this crazy again." Yao Chen's slightly angry voice rang out in Xiao Yan's mind.

"Got it, Yao Lao." Xiao Yan grinned, clearly having taken none of it to heart.

On the other side, Second Elder Jia Lie Family had also been driven back three steps by the tremendous force. As he barely steadied himself, he stared in disbelief at Xiao Yan, who appeared completely unharmed.

For a moment, everything fell utterly silent.

Everyone stared at Xiao Yan, who could still stand after exchanging blows with a Da Dou Shi. Their faces were filled with disbelief.

Even Third Elder Xiao momentarily forgot to move in and finish the enemy off.

"Old bastard, have you ever seen this move?!" Once Xiao Yan stood firmly, he curled his fingers into claws and furiously drew Dou Qi from his dantian.

A pink-and-yellow lotus formed, floating quietly in Xiao Yan's hand.

What Dou Technique is this? As Second Elder Jia Lie Family stared at the lotus, his heart pounded wildly with fear.

"Scatter!" Third Elder Xiao suddenly roared.

The Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus shot like an arrow toward Second Elder Jia Lie Family as he tried to dodge. But it was already too late. The flames of the explosion engulfed him in an instant.

Boom!