The guard took the gold coins, counted them, and after confirming that there were no errors, he stepped aside to make way for them and gestured with his chin toward the stone door with its floating blue light patterns.
"Go in. Remember, don't move around once you're inside, or the spatial turbulence will tear you to pieces."
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his gaze beneath the bamboo hat calm as still water.
He lifted his foot and walked towards the stone gate, the hem of his black robe fluttering gently with each step.
Just as the sole of his boot was less than three feet from the stone steps leading to the entrance of the stone gate—
"Wait!"
A clear yet arrogant voice boomed from the edge of the square!
The voice wasn't loud, but it carried a domineering air, as if it were used to giving orders.
The sound echoed in the square, attracting the attention of many pedestrians.
Xiao Yan paused, stopping in his tracks. He turned his head slightly, glancing out of the corner of his eye in the direction from which the sound came.
The crowd at the edge of the square parted to both sides like a tide.
A squad of guards clad in silver-white armor emerged from the crowd, their steps precise and their presence imposing.
Leading the group were two guard captains at the Dou Ling level, with standard longswords hanging at their waists and sharp, hawk-like eyes.
Behind them followed eight guards of the Da Dou Shi level, their halberds gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
Surrounded by these guards, a girl in red walked in with her chin held high.
The girl was about sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a bright red, tight-fitting short skirt that reached just above her knees, revealing a section of her fair calves.
She wore a pair of small red leather boots, the heels clicking crisply on the bluestone pavement, a sound that was particularly clear in the noisy square.
The girl was petite, only reaching Xiao Yan's chest, but her aura was astonishingly powerful.
She wore two ponytails, the ends of which were tied with red ribbons, swaying behind her head as she walked.
Her features were indeed exquisite, with willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a straight nose, and bright red lips, but her almond-shaped eyes revealed a fierceness and arrogance that were inconsistent with her age.
She held a long red whip in her hand. The whip itself was only about three feet long, but when she flicked it gently, the tip of the whip made a crisp "crackling" sound as it cut through the air. The sound was sharp and piercing.
Her two ponytails stuck out high behind her head as she held it high. Her gaze swept over the pedestrians in the square with an innate sense of superiority and arrogance, filled with disgust.
"What bad luck! I ran into a bunch of clueless people as soon as I stepped out today, making me wait for so long!"
Luo Xiaoyao was muttering curses under her breath, not loudly, but not deliberately lowered, as if she was cursing at the guards around her, or perhaps at everyone.
Her brows were furrowed, her two slender eyebrows almost twisted into a knot.
"Please calm down, Miss. The Space Wormhole has been opened; we can depart now."
A guard captain behind her spoke Xiao Xin, his voice low, afraid of angering the Little Demoness.
"Do I need to say it?" Luo Xiaoyao suddenly stopped and turned around to glare at the head guard.
The head guard immediately lowered his head, not daring to say another word.
The head guard's forehead veins bulged, and his teeth were clenched so tightly they were grinding.
He already loathed this Little Demoness to the extreme, but her status was undeniable—she was the little princess of the Luo Clan.
The Luo Clan is the absolute overlord in the southeastern part of the Black-Corner Region, with Five-Star Dou Zong level ancestor backing them up. Even Tianya City is dominated by the Luo Clan.
How dare he, a mere captain of the Dou Ling Guard, utter a single word of dissent?
Luo Xiaoyao snorted coldly, turned around, and scanned the square with her eyes.
Her gaze was like that of a tigress surveying her territory, carrying an air of dominance.
When Xiao Yan entered the wormhole earlier, a guard from the plaza happened to be reporting to him and didn't notice her.
As she walked over from the edge of the plaza, she happened to see Xiao Yan standing in front of the stone gate at the entrance to the wormhole.
"Why can he use wormholes while I have to wait here?!" Luo Xiaoyao pointed at Xiao Yan, her eyebrows raised, her voice sharp and piercing.
"Miss, that man is a merchant from out of town who just arrived in Tianya City today. He has already paid the usage fee and is preparing to enter the wormhole to travel to Central Plains."
A guard stepped forward and reported in a low voice.
A glint of excitement flashed in Luo Xiaoyao's eyes.
A malicious smile curled at the corner of her lips.
"Stop! Who gave you permission to open the wormhole? Stop right now!"
Luo Xiaoyao waved her hand, her voice so sharp it almost pierced the clouds above the square.
The guards responsible for protecting the Space Wormhole looked at each other, their faces showing difficulty.
Their responsibility is to maintain the wormhole daily and keep it in order. According to regulations, anyone who pays the usage fee has the right to enter the wormhole, and they have no right to stop them.
However, standing before them was Luo Xiaoyao —the granddaughter of the Luo Clan patriarch and the true young master of Tianya City.
Offending Luo Xiaoyao is tantamount to offending the Luo Clan.
If you offend the Luo Clan, you can forget about getting along in Tianya City and even the surrounding thousands of miles.
"Miss, this..."
The captain of the guards protecting the wormhole steeled himself and took two steps forward, Xiao Xin speaking.
"According to regulations, this guest has already paid the fee, and we have an obligation to..."
"Regulations?" Luo Xiaoyao interrupted him, sneering, her expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.
"In this Tianya City, my word is law! If I say stop, even the King of Heaven himself has to stop!"
The captain of the guard trembled slightly, but ultimately dared not utter another word.
He waved to his men, and the guards who were about to activate the wormhole teleportation array stopped what they were doing and stepped aside.
Xiao Yan stood in front of the stone gate entrance, his brows furrowed slightly beneath his bamboo hat.
He didn't turn around, but merely tilted his head slightly, calmly observing the girl in red through the edge of his straw hat.
Behind the girl stood an old man dressed in a blue robe.
The old man had a gaunt face, sunken eyes, and his hands were tucked into his sleeves. He stood there like a withered tree, and if you didn't look closely, you would hardly notice his presence.
He exuded no imposing aura; he was just like any ordinary old man on the street.
But Xiao Yan's pupils contracted slightly.
Dou Emperor.
Moreover, this isn't an ordinary Dou Emperor; it's at least at the three-star level or higher.
The old man stood there, his aura so concealed that it was impossible for Xiao Yan to detect his true strength unless he possessed a soul perception far beyond that of ordinary people.
Behind the girl, there seemed to be several powerful figures, all at the Dou Ling and Dou Wang levels.
These must be the Luo Clan's guards and retainers.
"Having just arrived, I'm indeed not very familiar with the rules of Tianya City."
Xiao Yan finally spoke, his voice calm as still water, "May I ask, young lady, why did you prevent me from entering the wormhole?"
His tone was neither humble nor arrogant; he neither showed weakness because the other side had more people than him, nor did he reveal the slightest dissatisfaction.
The face beneath the straw hat obscured his expression, but his calm voice earned him silent admiration from many present.
"Rules?" Luo Xiaoyao scoffed. "You, a country bumpkin from out of town, dare to talk to me about rules?"
She looked Xiao Yan up and down, her gaze sweeping unabashedly over his black robe, bamboo hat, and boots.
This person's attire was too ordinary, without any markings of family or power; he was clearly a rogue cultivator with no background.
"What are you looking at? I'm talking to you!"
Luo Xiaoyao flicked her long whip, the tip pointing at Xiao Yan, producing a sharp cracking sound.
"Lift up your robe and take off your hat, let me see who you are!"
Sneaking around like that, dressed like that, he's definitely not a good person!
Xiao Yan did not move.
He simply watched her quietly, his gaze beneath the straw hat utterly calm and undisturbed.
"What are you still standing there for? Didn't you hear me tell you to take off your straw hat?"
Seeing that he didn't react, Luo Xiaoyao became furious and raised her voice even higher, "What are you staring at? Are you deaf?"
"Girl."
Xiao Yan spoke, his tone remaining calm.
"I am on my way to Central Plains, and I am only passing through Tianya City. I have no intention of offending the Luo Clan."
"Please do me the favor and allow me to enter the wormhole, so as not to delay our respective journeys."
"Did it disrupt your schedule?"
Luo Xiaoyao seemed to have heard a funny joke, and tilted her head back and giggled.
"You, a country bumpkin from out of town, dare to mention my itinerary to me?"
My schedule is the most important!
"I'm going to Central Plains for an auction, what right do you have to cut in line?!"
As she spoke, she lashed out with her whip at Xiao Yan's feet!
"Smack!"
The whip struck three inches in front of Xiao Yan's toes, leaving a shallow white mark on the bluestone ground, and sending pebbles flying.
If an ordinary person were standing here, this whip would probably have scared them into taking three steps back.
Xiao Yan didn't even lift his eyelids.
"Judging from your appearance, you're probably some kind of spy, aren't you?"
Luo Xiaoyao narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze sweeping over Xiao Yan's black robe, and suddenly revealed an excited expression as if she had discovered her prey.
She raised her chin and waved to the guards behind her!
"Guards! Seize this suspicious fellow! I want to interrogate him personally and find out who he really is!"
"Miss?" The head guard was stunned.
"If I say it's a spy, then it's a spy!"
Luo Xiaoyao stamped her foot impatiently, "Just take them when I tell you to! Stop with the nonsense! If anything happens, I'll take responsibility!"
Xiao Yan finally frowned.
He was new to the Tianya City and knew nothing about it.
He had no idea what kind of power the Luo Clan wielded in this city, or how deep their influence was.
If he offends the local bullies from the start, it will definitely be detrimental to his future plans.
"Young lady," he spoke again, his voice still calm, "I have no grudge against the Luo Clan, there's really no need for me to—"
"Enough talk! Get them!"
Luo Xiaoyao waved her hand, and the four guards behind her stepped forward and surrounded Xiao Yan in the center.
All four guards were experts at the Dou Ling level, with imposing figures and steady auras.
"My friend, please forgive me. We were just following orders from the young lady."
"If you cooperate, come with us. Once the young lady calms down, everything will be fine."
The head guard said in a low voice, his tone tinged with helplessness.
Xiao Yan shook his head.
"I don't have time to play these pointless games with you."
His tone remained calm, but it conveyed an undeniable firmness.
The head guard sighed and gave his three companions a meaningful look.
All four attacked at the same time!
Four figures rushed towards Xiao Yan at an extremely fast speed, their palms whistling and their fists flying.
Their teamwork was extremely seamless, clearly indicating they were well-trained elite guards.
Xiao Yan did not dodge.
He simply raised his right hand, palm facing outward, fingers slightly spread.
"Bang!"
Yellow, purple, and black!
Five Soul Ring emerged from beneath Xiao Yan's feet and burst forth, an invisible shockwave of Soul Power spreading out from his palm like ripples on water in all directions!
The four guards felt an overwhelming force crashing into them. Their bodies froze in mid-air, and then, as if struck in the chest by a giant hammer, they were all sent flying backward!
"Pfft--Pfft--Pfft--Pfft!"
The four figures landed one after another, rolling several times on the ground before coming to a stop.
Their faces were pale, blood trickled from the corners of their mouths, and they couldn't stand up after several attempts.
The square was deathly silent.
Everyone stared blankly at the figure in black robes, their eyes filled with horror.
In a single exchange, he defeated four guards at the Dou Ling level!
This person...
" Dou Emperor?!" someone in the crowd exclaimed in shock.
Luo Xiaoyao's expression also changed.
She took a step back, a flicker of panic in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by arrogance and anger.
"You... you dare hit my people?!"
I didn't hit anyone.
Xiao Yan withdrew his right hand and said calmly, "I'm just letting them rest for a moment. Miss, I have important matters to attend to and cannot keep you company."
As he spoke, he turned and walked towards the entrance of the stone gate.
"Stop!"