Chu Yang, who stood behind Li Dao, was puzzled. The treasure bone was right there, so why had Li Dao not made a move?
Could it be because of the Rain Clan?
After a moment's thought, he decided that this guess came closest to the truth.
Li Dao was afraid of offending the Rain Clan, so he had let Yu Xiao carry the treasure bone away.
Chu Yang found Li Dao's behavior perfectly understandable.
After all, the Rain Clan was a dominant power in the Great Wilderness, and its ranks had once produced a divine ancestor.
Treating them politely to avoid drawing fire upon oneself was a wise choice. In his place, Chu Yang probably would have done the same.
Just as he thought he had seen through Li Dao's intentions, his mind filled with questions.
"Brother Li, where are you going?"
Seeing Li Dao follow Yu Xiao, keeping neither too close nor too far behind as he slowly left the crowd, Chu Yang was utterly bewildered.
Before long, however, his question was answered.
An enormous, imposing blessed grotto, with immortal cranes and divine birds soaring above it, appeared before them.
Seeing the words "Rain Clan" carved before its magnificent gates, how could he fail to realize where they had come?
When Li Dao showed no sign of stopping, Chu Yang's expression changed. He hurried forward from behind him and said,
"Brother Li, haven't we come to the wrong place?"
"This is the Rain Clan's blessed grotto! If we offend them, the consequences will be unthinkable!"
Li Dao merely smiled and replied carelessly,
"No, this is the right place."
"I left something of mine inside. I'm going to get it."
"Brother Chu, stand farther away. I don't want you getting hurt."
The two heavily armored figures before the magnificent gates saw two boys whispering outside and immediately stepped forward.
"This is the Rain Clan Residence. All unauthorized persons must leave at once!"
Their voices rang like Yellow Bell and Great Lü. Their eyes betrayed no emotion as they looked at the two boys, as though regarding a pair of insignificant ants.
Li Dao paid no heed to what these gatekeepers thought. He stepped forward and said calmly,
"I came only to retrieve what belongs to me."
"Anyone uninvolved, step aside!"
The guards holding long halberds thought they had misheard that young voice.
"Huh? Boy, what nonsense are you spouting?"
"If you don't leave now, you and the clan behind you will be reduced to ashes!"
Li Dao shook his head. He had finally seen what it meant for dogs to swagger on their master's strength. Even two mere gatekeepers behaved with such lofty arrogance.
They threatened to slaughter entire families at the drop of a hat. Still, this erased the last trace of guilt in his heart.
"Get lost! Don't you understand human speech?!"
Bang! Bang!
Two dull impacts rang out. The pair who had been so haughty an instant earlier flew backward, smashing the gates open.
The Rain Clan disciples cultivating in the training grounds saw the gates violently smashed open and two figures crash heavily onto the grounds.
They all turned toward the entrance and saw a handsome but youthful little boy in blue robes walk inside.
Under everyone's gaze, the child showed not the slightest panic. He walked straight onto the training grounds and declared,
"Yu Xiao, get out here!"
At Li Dao's young yet ringing voice, every Rain Clan disciple present went blank with shock.
Someone had actually come knocking at their door!
Then fury surged through them. When had a mighty clan like theirs ever suffered such treatment?
Someone had fought his way into their residence. Was this not a slap in the Rain Clan's face?
"Arrogant brat! Do you know where you are?"
"Trespassing on the Rain Clan Residence is punishable by death!"
"Go fetch the elders! Someone has attacked our residence!"
"Who are you? How dare you trespass on the Rain Clan Residence!"
"..."
Li Dao remained utterly composed as he watched the indignant Rain Clan members. Chu Yang, following behind him, went deathly pale.
Only one thought remained in his mind: We're finished!
Several furious Rain Clan disciples saw the contempt in Li Dao's eyes and immediately charged at him.
"Sword Rain Treasure Art!"
"Torrential Rain!"
"..."
As divine power surged within them, dazzling treasure arts hurtled toward Li Dao.
"Hmph. Parlor tricks!"
"Law-Suppressing Stele! Suppress!"
A sharp gleam flashed through Li Dao's eyes as he watched the treasure arts sweep toward him, blotting out the sky.
He raised his hand and tapped the empty air before him, like an immortal placing a stone on a game board.
The next instant, the imposing Law-Suppressing Stele appeared above the training grounds, wreathed in chaos energy.
Hum!
Strange ripples washed outward, rapidly spreading across the entire grounds.
Wherever the ripples passed, the menacing treasure arts instantly shattered and unraveled, dissolving into wisps of golden light in midair.
The Rain Clan disciples who had been glaring indignantly at Li Dao were pressed flat against the ground in an instant.
Their faces flushed crimson. Like snakes seized at their vital point, they wanted to rise but could do nothing.
"I came only to retrieve what belongs to me. Don't push me too far!"
Yu Li struggled to his feet, his expression ugly as he heard those words.
Who was pushing whom too far???
Who was pushing whom too far?! Weren't the Rain Clan disciples sprawled all over the ground proof enough?
"Boy, do you know what you're doing?"
"You dared attack our Rain Clan. Your death is imminent!"
Seeing Yu Li stand up, excitement flashed through the eyes of the Rain Clan disciples.
Yu Li was a gifted disciple whom the Rain Clan had devoted considerable resources to nurturing. They could already picture him turning the tide.
"So you aren't all useless."
Li Dao was not surprised to see someone withstand the pressure and rise to his feet.
Hearing that casual remark, Yu Li felt as though his dignity had been pinned to the ground and trampled.
"Boy, stop looking down on me! Take this!"
He launched a sudden attack. Upon realizing he could not use his treasure arts, he immediately drew a pale blue longsword and charged at his opponent.
He leaped into the air and brought his sword down with the force to cleave Mount Tai. Sword light sliced through the air with a series of piercing whistles.
A vicious gleam flashed in his eyes. When had he ever suffered such humiliation? Only blood could wash away this dis-
grace!
Watching the sword light descend toward him, Li Dao slowly raised his hand.
Whoosh-
He took a deep breath and moved like lightning, catching the descending blade between two fingers.
"What?!"
Yu Li's eyes widened until they nearly split. Before he could react, Li Dao gave a sharp tug.
Yu Li lurched in midair and stumbled toward Li Dao.
Li Dao drove his left elbow forward, striking Yu Li squarely in the chest.
Crack, crack, crack!
The crisp, tooth-grating sound of bones breaking echoed across the training grounds. Every Rain Clan disciple felt their scalp prickle.
Some even wet themselves a little, unable to believe what had happened before their eyes.
He had caught a longsword between two fingers and felled Yu Li in a single move!
Where on earth had this monster come from?
Pfft!
Yu Li flew backward and spat out a mouthful of blood. The moment he hit the ground, he dissolved into streaks of spiritual light and vanished.
He had been forcibly beaten offline!
Just as Yu Li dissolved into spiritual light and disappeared, a furious shout rang out.
"Brazen scoundrel! How dare you attack our Rain Clan disciples!"
"Surrender at once!"
"Such audacity! This is blatant contempt! Even ten thousand deaths cannot wash away this humiliation!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh-
Several whistles cut through the air, and a few elders with white beards and eyebrows appeared overhead.
As soon as they arrived at the training grounds, their bodies sank slightly. Their faces darkened at the sight of the Rain Clan disciples sprawled on the ground.
They glanced at the Law-Suppressing Stele above them, and a trace of greed flashed through their eyes.
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