Hmm?
Hearing the furious shout from outside the courtyard, Xiao Zhan and Xiao Qingxue frowned slightly and led a few Elders out of the main hall.
The rest of the Xiao Family members also rushed over from all directions.
Everyone gathered in the center of the courtyard!
Xiao Zhan glanced at the four figures in the sky, a bad feeling rising in his heart.
’These people are probably here to cause trouble for the Xiao Family.’
Xiao Zhan was wary, but he put on a polite smile and said courteously, "I was not aware of your distinguished arrival, fellow cultivators, and failed to welcome you from afar. I will have my men prepare a banquet at once. Please, come into our residence for a drink and conversation!"
"Heh heh!"
The four of them let out cold sneers.
Zhou Haitong said with a strange, mocking tone, "You must be the Xiao Family Patriarch, Xiao Zhan. You think you’re worthy of inviting the four of us for a drink? Heh, what do you think you are?"
Xiao Zhan’s expression instantly darkened.
’Just as I guessed. These guys really are here with malicious intent.’
A disciple named Xiao Lang questioned angrily, "Do you even know how to talk, old man? Our Patriarch kindly invited you—"
Zhou Haitong looked coldly at Xiao Lang.
Suddenly, he threw a punch!
The Xiao Family members were shocked. They wanted to rush forward and help Xiao Lang block the attack, but they realized it was too late. All they could do was shout a warning, "Xiao Lang, get out of the way! That’s an attack from a Grand Martial Artist!"
Xiao Zhan’s eyes were bloodshot as he questioned furiously, "You are a dignified Grand Martial Artist, yet you would strike a killing blow against an ordinary disciple of my Xiao Family! Aren’t you afraid that if word of this gets out, you’ll be ridiculed by the entire world?"
"Ridiculed?"
Zhou Haitong said disdainfully, "I am the Grand Elder of the Imperial Capital’s Zhou Family. Within the Desolate Empire, who would dare to ridicule me?"
Besides, it wasn’t just that no one in the Desolate Empire would dare to ridicule him.
They planned to annihilate the Xiao Family today, so word of this would never get out. Zhou Haitong wasn’t worried in the slightest.
"What? You’re the Zhou Family’s Grand Elder?"
Xiao Zhan cried out in alarm, instantly understanding what was happening.
’No wonder Zhou Haitong would try to kill Xiao Lang.’
’They’re here for revenge!’
Watching the enormous, immensely powerful fist projection tear through the air with a piercing whistle as it hurtled toward him, Xiao Lang was terrified to his core.
He couldn’t dodge it at all; his only choice was to take it head-on!
"As a member of the Xiao Family, if I’m to die, I’ll die a spectacular death on the battlefield! I will not die a coward’s death! True Dragon Undying Technique, First Form!"
Xiao Lang roared, gritted his teeth, and channeled all the power in his body, throwing a punch straight into the terrifying gust of fist energy!
BANG!
Along with the violent explosion, the gust from Zhou Haitong’s fist instantly engulfed Xiao Lang.
Seeing Xiao Lang engulfed by the fist’s energy, all the Xiao Family members’ eyes turned red.
They were filled with incomparable rage!
Zhou Haitong taunted, "Learn to be smarter in your next life. Don’t be the bird that sticks its neck out, or you’ll be the first to die!"
"Huh? I think I’m okay!"
Before the sound of Zhou Haitong’s voice could fade, Xiao Lang’s voice suddenly came from within the storm of energy.
Everyone looked toward the sound and saw Xiao Lang standing in the same spot, his entire body scorched black and his clothes in tatters. Only the back of his hand was bleeding.
Forget about being dead—he didn’t even have a single broken bone.
The wound on his hand was just a flesh wound.
"How is that possible?"
Zhou Haitong stared at Xiao Lang in utter disbelief, even rubbing his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly.
Although he hadn’t used his full strength in that last punch, it was powerful enough to crush a Martial Artist at the Martial Master Great Perfection Realm as easily as an ant.
But Xiao Lang was only a Late Stage Warrior, and he had actually blocked it.
’This...’
No matter how many times Zhou Haitong rubbed his eyes, Xiao Lang was still standing there perfectly fine. Aside from a bleeding flesh wound, he didn’t even have a single broken rib.
Zhou Haitong stood there, stunned, questioning his very existence.
Xiao Lang was also questioning his existence.
’I actually withstood a punch from a Mid Stage Grand Martial Artist.’
’This is too unreal!’
Xiao Zhan walked up to Xiao Lang and asked skeptically, "Lang’Er, are you sure you’re alright?"
"I’m sure!"
Xiao Lang straightened up and said, "Patriarch, if you don’t believe me, check for yourself! See if I’m lying!"
Xiao Zhan gave Xiao Lang’s body a thorough check and exclaimed, "You really are fine!"
"See? I told you I was fine!"
Xiao Lang’s face was full of excitement.
He also hadn’t expected that he could block a punch from a Grand Martial Artist expert and only suffer a minor flesh wound.
Little did he know, after his Cultivation of the True Dragon Undying Technique, the strength of his physical body had long since reached a terrifying level.
Without using his full power, just with a gust of fist energy, Zhou Haitong really couldn’t do anything to him.
Xiao Lang mocked, "Old man, did your master’s wife teach you how to punch? Why is it so soft? There’s no power in it at all."
"You..."
Zhou Haitong’s old face flushed red with anger and embarrassment, and he began to doubt himself.
’Is it because I’m getting old?’
’But even if I am old and my strength has declined, making me unable to contend with experts of the same Realm, I should still be able to instantly kill a Martial Artist, right?’
’What’s more, Xiao Lang is only at the Warrior Realm—an ant-like existence.’
Zhou Haitong couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
Wei Tianli asked with dissatisfaction, "Hey, Zhou Haitong, are you here to kill people or to perform acrobatics?"
"Hmph!"
Zhou Haitong snorted coldly. "He’s just a wet-behind-the-ears brat. I couldn’t even be bothered to kill him. Otherwise, he’d have been dead long ago."
Although dissatisfied, Wei Tianli was more or less convinced.
’A Warrior withstanding a Grand Martial Artist?’
’That’s completely impossible.’
Zhou Haitong said to Xiao Lang, "Kid, this Elder was merciful, which is why I didn’t kill you with one punch. But you should remember today’s lesson. Mark my words, never stick your neck out again in the future."
Xiao Lang was completely dumbfounded!
’Isn’t this old geezer here to exterminate my clan? Why is he giving me a kind reminder?’
’What the hell is he playing at?’
Wei Tianli said, speechless, "Since you’re unwilling to act, just leave it to the three of us. Gentlemen, who wants to go first?"
"I’ll go!"
"I’ll go!"
Zhao Xu and the Celestial Defect Blade Master both stepped forward at the same time.
"Are you looking to die?"
The Celestial Defect Blade Master stared coldly at Zhao Xu, the great blade in his hand releasing a piercing chill.
"You think I’m afraid of you?"
Zhao Xu snorted. "Hmph, your reputation as the ’Celestial Silkworm Blade Master’ might scare others, but it doesn’t scare me. If we really fight, it’s not certain who will kill whom!"
’Celestial Defect Blade Master?’
Xiao Zhan took a sharp breath and asked, "Dare I ask, Your Excellency, are you from the Celestial Slaughter Hall?"
The Celestial Defect Blade Master replied with cold arrogance, "That’s right!"
Xiao Zhan’s expression changed drastically!
Although he had never had any dealings with the Celestial Slaughter Hall, he had heard of it. It was an enormous and evil organization of assassins.
’To get their revenge, the Zhou Family actually hired the Celestial Slaughter Hall.’
’What are we going to do?’
Zhao Xu sneered, "It’s not just the Celestial Slaughter Hall. We’re from the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion as well. As a Guest Elder, I am here on the orders of the Heaven-Suppressing King to exterminate all nine generations of your Xiao Family!"
Wei Tianli said in a cold voice, "And my Famous Sword Manor is here too. You killed my third brother. Today, I will bathe your Xiao Family in blood to avenge him."
Hearing the three men announce their affiliations, all the members of the Xiao Family were gripped by fear.
They weren’t particularly afraid of the Zhou Family or Famous Sword Manor.
But the Celestial Slaughter Hall and the Heaven-Suppressing Royal Mansion were existences far beyond their reach.
They never expected these two powers to be involved as well.