Sunset Clouds

"As Your Highness commands." The Light Punishment Saint smiled faintly.

The next instant, three immense pillars of Dou Qi light burst from his fingertips, then turned into three unbreakable chains of light that bound three figures.

Whoosh! The three figures were dragged straight over, without the slightest chance to resist.

Among the three, Xiao Jiande was right at the forefront.

The other two were naturally the two Dou Huang experts who had gone to Seven Spirit Village that night to carry out the attack.

Though they had concealed themselves extremely well, no amount of concealment was any use before a Dou Sheng.

"X-Xiao Yan! Spare my life! Please, spare me!" Xiao Jiande's face crumpled in despair.

For all his calculations, he had never imagined that Xiao Yan was the Xiao Clan's third Emperor's Son, someone even the Punishment Hall's Dou Sheng experts obeyed without question.

"Heh, if I spare you, who will spare those innocent Descendants?" A mocking smile appeared on Xiao Yan's face.

"When you relied on that so-called power and backing to wreck other people's lives at will, did you ever imagine this day would come?"

His expression returned to calm as he finished, and he spoke with a trace of authority. "Xiao Jiande, you relied on your backing to commit countless evils, harmed the Descendants of our Xiao Clan, and damaged our clan's foundations.

"From this day forth, your Dou Qi shall be abolished, and you shall be demoted to a Descendant, never again to return to the clan genealogy."

With that, a streak of Dou Qi shot from his hand and struck Xiao Jiande's dantian hard. Xiao Jiande spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning white as his aura gradually weakened.

Seeing his own grandson crippled, Xiao Jiande's grandfather could not help roaring, "Xiao Yan!"

"Insolence! Who gave you the nerve to shout at the Emperor's Son?"

The Light Punishment Saint snorted coldly, and the purple-robed elder spat out another mouthful of blood.

"Old bastard, did you think you could get away?" Xiao Yan snorted coldly.

"For ambushing an Emperor's Son of the Xiao Clan, showing disrespect to me, and attempting to shield a criminal, I sentence you to a hundred years of reform in the Demon Suppression Tower."

"You!" Anger flashed across the purple-robed elder's face, followed by fear.

What kind of place was the Demon Suppression Tower? It was the Xiao Clan's prison, a place without daylight where cold, baleful energy assailed the body. Even a Dou Zun expert would lose a layer of skin after spending a hundred years inside.

"Your Highness, Xiao Jiande committed a crime, and you may punish him as you see fit. But isn't this punishment for his grandfather a little excessive?" Xiao Lu said slowly.

An inept Dou Emperor descendant could die without it mattering, but the purple-robed elder was a Seven-Star Dou Zun, a genuine pillar of strength within their branch.

"Keep running your mouth..." Xiao Yan turned his head coldly. "And I'll take you down too!"

Xiao Lu froze, then his face alternated between livid and pale, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Xiao Lu, are you planning to rebel?" The Light Punishment Saint turned and gave Xiao Lu a cold look.

His voice was like ice cast into a raging fire, instantly restoring clarity to Xiao Lu's eyes.

Fortunately, none of the juniors had heard their exchange. He drew a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and settled his expression.

Seeing Xiao Lu's expression, Xiao Yan sneered.

His outburst had not simply been a matter of temper. He also wanted Wen and Wu, the Two Saints behind him, and the Light Punishment Saint to understand his disposition.

Only someone with a temper could earn the respect of those around him and be qualified to command subordinates. Otherwise, no matter how exalted his status, people would eventually begin to look down on him.

In ancient Blue Star, every capable emperor throughout the ages had possessed a ruthless temper, acted decisively in matters of life and death, and allowed no dispute once he had spoken.

As for offending Xiao Lu, that hardly mattered.

An old man who had taken five hundred years of cultivation to become a Dou Sheng-so what if he offended him? As long as Xiao Yan became a Dou Sheng soon enough, these people would feel only awe toward him, not daring to harbor the slightest hatred.

"Though neither of you was the mastermind, you were the ones who carried out the deed. I sentence you to the same punishment as Xiao Jiande. If you must blame someone, blame yourselves for choosing the wrong master."

Xiao Yan fired another two streaks of Dou Qi. The two Dou Emperors behind Xiao Jiande immediately spat out blood, their auras plummeting like deflating balls.

"I personally passed judgment on these three. Once they have been demoted to Descendants, anyone who dares secretly help them will be making an enemy of me!"

Xiao Yan swept an icy gaze over the young members of Xiao Lu's branch.

As his cold gaze passed over them, their hearts trembled, and the looks they gave Xiao Jiande grew increasingly pitying.

Losing his power and backing would have been bad enough, but even his Dou Qi had been crippled. They could easily imagine how miserable Xiao Jiande's life would be from now on.

"Elder Guang, the rest falls under your Punishment Hall's jurisdiction, so I won't interfere. I only hope the Punishment Hall will act in strict accordance with clan law," Xiao Yan said with a faint smile.

"Heh, rest assured, Your Highness. Leave this matter to me. I will certainly handle it according to the rules."

The Light Punishment Saint nodded with a smile.

"In that case, thank you for your efforts, Elder Guang." With that, Xiao Yan turned into a streak of light and flew back.

Only after Xiao Yan had flown far away did the Light Punishment Saint's smiling face return to its usual stern composure.

"Brother Light Punishment." Xiao Lu opened his mouth beside him.

However many Dou Sheng the Xiao Clan possessed, even one or two hundred would have been an impressive number. Naturally, they all knew one another.

"What is it? Do you want to plead for this Dou Zun?" The Light Punishment Saint had already turned toward him.

"Even if he cannot leave the Demon Suppression Tower, it would be good if he could be a little more comfortable inside." Xiao Lu glanced at the purple-robed elder.

"Heh." The Light Punishment Saint sneered. "Younger Brother Xiao Lu, I truly wonder what you've been cultivating all these centuries. Since we know each other, let me offer you a word of advice: don't drag yourself down for the sake of a few worthless juniors."

"If either of the other two Emperors' Sons had come here today, would you still dare say these things?"

With that, he grasped with his right hand, seizing all four men, including the purple-robed elder, without giving them the slightest chance to resist. Then, with a sweep of his hand, they vanished from this space.

Xiao Lu stood where he was, his expression shifting, his thoughts unreadable.

Finally, he glanced at his descendants hovering in the sky and said coldly, "Tonight, all family elders at Dou Zun or above will assemble. We will tighten the family rules!"

Xiao Yan returned to the ruins of Seven Spirit Village. Looking at the white-haired old village chief, he said, "Sir, everything has been resolved. Xiao Jiande and the two men who carried out the attack have had their Dou Qi abolished and been demoted to Descendants.

"I didn't execute him outright because I want him to experience for himself the suffering of those he oppressed. Without Dou Qi or backing, his fate will be even more miserable."

"Thank you, my lord!" The old village chief rose and bowed to Xiao Yan with his hands clasped. Without realizing it, he had changed his form of address from young master to lord.

Behind him, the Descendants also clasped their hands and bowed.

"I was the one who brought this trouble upon you, yet you're thanking me." Xiao Yan smiled as he helped the villagers up, unsure whether he was laughing at himself or at this world.

"Consider these a contribution toward rebuilding your village. Next, I'll purchase this basin. Once it's under my name, few people will dare cause trouble here." With a casual wave of his hand, jade bottles fell into every villager's hands.

The jade bottles all contained fourth-tier pills, already a considerable fortune to many ordinary villagers.

"Thank you, my lord!" The villagers clasped their hands and bowed again.

Xiao Yan merely smiled faintly, then beat his Dou Qi Wings and left.

"Little Yanzi, when did you become an Emperor's Son? How come I didn't know?" Xiao Yu asked curiously.

"Take a guess."

"Guess, my foot!" Xiao Yu rolled her eyes.

Xiao Yan said nothing more, gazing at the sky as he flew.

The sky gradually darkened. Unfortunately, the unimaginative Purifying Lotus Demon Flame would not create romantic sunset clouds.

Perhaps he was too busy standing guard to spare any thought for such things.

It was time to leave the Xiao Realm and take a look at the sunset clouds over the Dou Qi Continent...