"If this Demon Dragon Grudge can be dispelled, I believe the old gentleman's strength will recover to forty or fifty percent of his peak."
Su Xie said with a calm expression, casually picking up a piece of pastry from the table and eating it.
"Kid, don't speak so boastfully. This is the Demon Dragon Grudge, one of the most lethal toxins in the world. Back then, I sought countless physicians, and even when the famous Divine Doctor Niu of the Northern Domain came, he could only prescribe a medicinal formula to ease it."
"How could you..."
Old Man Ning was somewhat angry, feeling that Su Xie was just bluffing him.
Before he could finish speaking, however, Su Xie raised his hand, channeling the Devouring Heaven Formula, and grabbed Old Man Ning by the shoulder, violently pulling out a wisp of billowing black Qi.
The moment the black Qi appeared, a ferocious dragon phantom accompanied it, forcing the surrounding void to begin warping.
Su Xie sneered and raised his hand, extinguishing it right in his palm.
Feeling that the Demon Dragon Grudge—which had entangled him for years like maggots on a bone—had been completely eradicated, Old Man Ning was profoundly shocked.
When he saw Su Xie's palm still faintly steaming with black Qi, Old Man Ning couldn't help his eyelids twitching, and he cursed angrily, "You brat, you've got some nerve! Are you trying to get yourself killed, actually drawing the Demon Dragon Grudge into your own body?!"
"Rest assured, I have my own way to control it. If used well, this Demon Dragon Grudge might even serve as a trump card."
Su Xie said with utter confidence.
At the same time, after purging the Demon Dragon Grudge for Old Man Ning, the benefits to himself were immense.
Although this Demon Dragon Grudge was considered by ordinary people to be a supreme poison of the world, one whose very name inspired terror, to someone possessing the Devouring Heaven Formula, it was no different from a tremendously beneficial treasure.
Just moments ago, he had used the Devouring Heaven Formula to devour thirty percent of it, and his cultivation had advanced to another level once more, breaking through from the previous Houtian Layer 8 to the Peak of Houtian Realm.
As for the remaining seventy percent, it could serve as his trump card to deal a fatal blow when the enemy least expected it.
After all, the might of this seventy percent Demon Dragon Grudge was not to be underestimated. If the timing was right, it would be enough to leave a powerhouse of the Spirit Gathering Realm with no burial site!
"Kid, what kind of monster are you anyway?"
Old Man Ning drew in a sharp breath. He had never expected Su Xie to be so bold and daring as to refine the supreme poison of the Demon Dragon Grudge into a fatal strike.
Under the heavens, this brat was probably the only one who would dare to do such a thing.
Immediately afterward, he patted Su Xie's shoulder, a hint of complexity in his eyes: "Kid, from now on, just call me Old Ning. This time, consider that I owe you a favor."
Seeing Su Xie nod, Old Man Ning suddenly looked spirited and imposing, regaining a trace of his former grandeur.
Now that the Demon Dragon Grudge was removed, his strength had also recovered to forty or fifty percent of his peak. Even so, it was more than enough to deal with the Black Dragon Envoy and his cohorts.
"Leave everything that follows entirely to me."
With those words, Old Man Ning formed hand seals, rapidly opened the barrier, and stepped heavily onto the stone pavilion.
"Black Dragon, since you wanted to see this old man so badly, why play the part of a rat hiding your tail behind the scenes?"
"Come out and fight me!"
Old Man Ning stood with his hands behind his back, his laughter like thunder as he erupted with a transcendent and terrifying aura.
Swish, swish!
Instantly, the lake beneath his feet surged behind him like a stormy sea.
The next moment, Old Man Ning pointed a finger empty into the air, and the churned-up lake water rapidly condensed into a gigantic water sword that blotted out the sky, hanging stagnant in the air and pointing directly into the distance.
At the same time, not far from the outside of the stone pavilion, three figures suddenly emerged upon a rooftop.
These three were none other than the Black Dragon Envoy who had departed earlier, the elderly woman in the black robe, and Pavilion Master Chen, who had been slow to arrive.
The Black Dragon Envoy, who was at the lead, glanced at the transcendent Old Man Ning on the stone pavilion and couldn't help slightly raising an eyebrow.
"What do you make of this?"
The Black Dragon Envoy's face betrayed no emotion as he turned to ask the other two.
The elderly woman in the black robe shook her head: "It seems those rumors aren't entirely reliable. Even though this Ning Xiaoyao had his sword broken by someone, he is still a figure of an era."
"Judging by this fellow's stance, it won't be long before he's no different from his peak. Perhaps his former reputation as a mad swordsman will shake the Northern Domain once again."
Hearing this, the Black Dragon Envoy slowly clasped his hands behind his back and closed his eyes.
"From now on, during the days when this seat is not in the Desolate Country, try your best not to provoke this old madman. As for that young man named Su Xie, he is rather extraordinary—if you can befriend him... then choose to befriend him."
"Understood, Lord Black Dragon."
Pavilion Master Chen and the old woman nodded.
Chapter 8: The Su Family Crisis
Back at the stone pavilion, seeing that the Black Dragon Envoy still refused to appear, Old Man Ning lost his patience and swung his sleeve fiercely forward.
Suddenly, that water sword erupted with heaven-shaking might, slashing precipitously toward the distant rooftop!
Witnessing this sudden turn of events, Pavilion Master Chen and the black-robed old woman changed expression once again.
"Madman Ning, withdraw your sword. We harbor no ill intent."
The Black Dragon Envoy flashed across the space, raising his hand to unleash a surge of spiritual energy that pinned the water sword firmly in place right before him.
"Black Dragon, didn't you want to test this old man's true strength? I'll let you have a good long look!"
Old Man Ning's face turned cold, and he took a fierce step forward.
Boom, boom, boom!
The lake below exploded once more, whipping up towering waves of fury.
Right behind Old Man Ning, three more gigantic water swords surged forth.
This time, they were unprecedentedly fierce and terrifyingly peerless, as if each sword possessed the power to split heaven and earth, ravaging and filling this domain.
"A madman, truly a madman! Didn't this seat merely peer at you for a moment? Is it worth risking your life like this? Who wants to fight you to the death?"
Seeing this, the Black Dragon Envoy, who had been prepared all along, stamped his foot and vanished into a pre-opened void.
Seeing the Black Dragon Envoy disappear on the spot, Old Man Ning gave a heavy sweep of his hand, and the numerous water swords behind him rapidly retracted.
Seeing this, Pavilion Master Chen and his companion, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Madman Ning, green hills remain and green waters flow; this seat awaits you in the Northern Domain. If by then you can reforge that broken sword, this seat will surely come to your door to offer a formal apology."
At that moment, the illusory, ethereal voice of the Black Dragon Envoy drifted down from the distant firmament.
Old Man Ning wore a stunned expression for a moment before murmuring, "Then it shall be as you wish."
Soon after, Old Man Ning gave Su Xie some instructions and left the Xuan Pavilion, beginning to concentrate wholeheartedly on cultivating the Sword-Nurturing Art.
With Old Man Ning standing behind Su Xie, Pavilion Master Chen didn't dare to act presumptuously, leading Su Xie directly into a spacious hall.
"Little Friend Su, I apologize for any offense given earlier. This is a gold card of our Xuan Pavilion, with a credit limit of ten thousand taels of silver, which can be used at any branch of the Xuan Pavilion within the Desolate Country. I present it to you now, and I hope we can let bygones be bygones."
Seated in a chair, Pavilion Master Chen smiled and handed over a golden card.
"Ten thousand taels of silver?"
Su Xie narrowed his eyes slightly, never expecting Pavilion Master Chen to be willing to invest such a massive fortune just to befriend him.
One had to know that the annual income from all the family businesses of his Su Family barely amounted to ten thousand taels of silver.
Su Xie didn't put on airs either; he took the gold card directly, signifying that the previous matters were settled.
"Little Friend Su, did you come to the Xuan Pavilion this time to purchase some treasures?"
Pavilion Master Chen asked.
Su Xie took out the medicinal pills he had refined earlier and cut straight to the point: "I wonder how much these pills can fetch in the Xuan Pavilion?"
"These are actually Qi Gathering Pills?!"
Pavilion Master Chen took a glance and couldn't help standing up.
He never expected Su Xie to possess eight Qi Gathering Pills!
One must know that these Qi Gathering Pills were Tier 3 elixirs, and even among elixirs of the same tier, they were scarce and highly sought-after commodities.
After all, for powerhouses of the Xiantian Realm, these Qi Gathering Pills were no different from treasures; consuming them could greatly increase the probability of breaking through to the Spirit Gathering Realm.
However, remembering that Old Man Ning stood behind Su Xie, Pavilion Master Chen quickly calmed himself.
"Little Friend Su, calculated at market price, a single Qi Gathering Pill is worth thirty thousand taels of silver. If you sell them all, you will receive two hundred and forty thousand taels of silver."
Pavilion Master Chen said with an embarrassed expression.
The moment he thought about Su Xie instantly coming into two hundred and forty thousand taels of silver, he suddenly felt that the gold card he had gifted was completely insignificant compared to the other's wealth.
"Very well, then I must trouble Pavilion Master Chen."
Su Xie nodded. After selling these elixirs and purchasing some treasures at the Xuan Pavilion, he intended to return to the Su Family.
However, just as Su Xie stepped out of the Xuan Pavilion's entrance, the frantic voice of a Su Family member echoed from not far away: "Young Master Su Xie, it's terrible! The Mo Family has made a move against our Su Family!"
"What? Courting death!"
A look of extreme killing intent flashed in Su Xie's eyes as he turned and sprinted wildly in the direction of the Su Family.
Having been the Devouring Heaven Dragon Emperor in his past life, he had always sought revenge for every grievance!
If even a single member of the Su Family was missing, he would slaughter their entire clan!
...
Meanwhile, outside the Su Family residence, quite a number of Mo Family powerhouses had already gathered.
"Su Xiaofeng, that bastard nephew of yours killed members of my Mo Family. Today, if you cannot give me an explanation, your Su Family can wait to be exterminated!"
The head of the Mo Family roared angrily, raising a hand to blast open the gates of the Su Family compound with a single palm strike.
Inside the Su Family estate, many family members were already gripping weapons, standing ready in strict formation.
However, having suffered heavy casualties in the previous civil war, the Su Family's foundation was far inferior to before, and in terms of the number of powerhouses, they fell far short of the current Mo Family.
Su Xiaofeng's expression was extremely ugly: "Mo Han, if you are determined to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. You've made such a grand and aggressive entrance merely to annex our Su Family—why bother inventing such an excuse?"
"Heh, I am not fabricating things at all. That bastard nephew of yours did indeed kill members of my Mo Family. But more than that, he was so audacious as to kill people from the Xuan Pavilion!"
"I suppose that little bastard has already been decapitated and left without a burial site by now?"
Mo Han wore a mocking expression as he walked step by step toward Su Xiaofeng.
Hearing this news, Su Xiaofeng's heart sank, and his hands clenched tightly into fists.
"That's impossible! My brother would never be killed by people from the Xuan Pavilion!"
Su Yu's face turned pale as she bit her lower lip, utterly disbelieving.
Yet within the Su Family compound, Su Xie's figure remained absent, and she finally couldn't help her eyes turning red, instantly welling up with tears.
Looking at the silent Su Xiaofeng before him, Mo Han spoke triumphantly: "Now, I'll give your Su Family two choices."
"First, starting today, all the gold mines controlled by your Su Family will be entirely handed over to my Mo Family to manage. The males will all cripple their own cultivation, and the females will all serve as slaves in my household!"
"Second, death!"
With that, Mo Han smiled and stretched out his hand, giving Su Xiaofeng two backhanded slaps across the face.
"Mo, you go too far!"
Seeing their family head humiliated, a Su Family member could no longer hold back, rushing forward to curse him.
"Impudent! Is the head of my family speaking a place for you to flap your tongue?"
The next instant, a Mo Family elder leapt out from behind Mo Han, violently bursting forth with a wave of energy, and with a single raised hand, he struck the Su Family member down, killing him on the spot.
Witnessing this, the members of the Su Family were thoroughly enraged, wishing they could charge over right now and fight to the death!
Su Xiaofeng was burning with fury, glaring dead at Mo Han: "If you fight my Su Family to the bitter end now, aren't you afraid of both sides suffering and letting the Jiang and Xu families reap the benefits as fishermen?"
"Heh, reap the benefits? With me here, those two families don't have the guts!"
Just at that moment, an arrogant man in a green robe stepped out from behind Mo Han.
Chapter 9: Flowing Cloud Sect
"It's Mo Long, the pride of the Mo Family!"
Outside the Su Family gates, the onlookers grew more and more numerous, and someone even recognized the green-robed man at a glance.
Mo Han smiled triumphantly: "To tell you the truth, as early as a year ago, Mo Long had already entered the gates of the Flowing Cloud Sect, becoming the personal disciple of the sect's Sixth Elder!"
"What? This Mo Long actually joined the Flowing Cloud Sect?"
"Hiss, that Flowing Cloud Sect is a famous major power in our Beiwu County!"
"No wonder the Mo Family is so fearless, relying on the Flowing Cloud Sect as their backing! Looks like the Su Family is finished this time!"
Outside the Su Family estate, an uproar instantly erupted.
Hearing this, everyone in the Su Family turned ashen.
"Family Head, why waste so much breath with these country bumpkins? Just wipe them out directly!"
Mo Long said with extreme displeasure.
"Very well!"
Mo Han immediately waved his hand, and the numerous Mo Family powerhouses behind him charged forward instantly.
"Fight them to the death!"
Su Xiaofeng hardened his heart, leading all the Su Family members into battle.
For a time, the entire Su Family echoed with unending cries of slaughter as a chaotic melee broke out.
At this moment, Mo Long strode directly toward Su Yu, his gaze greedy as he said, "Stinking bitch, that trash Su Xie actually dared to kill my younger brother Mo Hu. Even if he's dead, I'll make him pay the price!"
"Bah, shameless scoundrel!"
Su Yu wore an expression of deep disgust, raising her long sword to attack, only to be struck flying to the ground by a single palm strike from Mo Long.
"Animal, you dare!"
Seeing Mo Long move to attack his daughter, Su Xiaofeng was filled with raging fury as he threw a punch forward.
"An old fellow at mere Houtian Layer 8 dares to strike at me? Courting death!"
Mo Long's gaze was full of disdain as he spat a mouthful of saliva and countered with a punch of his own.
Boom!
The two fists collided fiercely, erupting with a wave of explosive shockwaves!
Su Xiaofeng proved no match, coughing up a mouthful of blood as he was sent flying directly backward.
"He actually reached the Xiantian Realm!"
Seeing this, everyone in the Su Family fell into absolute despair.
Within Beiling City, aside from the Xuan Pavilion, the Xiantian Realm was virtually an invincible existence!
"A dragon has emerged from the Mo Family! They've actually produced a Xiantian powerhouse. It seems Beiling City will belong to the Mo Family from now on!"
Outside the Su Family gates, the onlookers cried out in shock.
Some spectators, eager to see even more drama, smiled and said: "This Su Yu is quite a beauty, too. I really hope this proud talent of the Mo family can..."
Before the man could finish speaking, however, a cold sword pierced through his chest from behind, sending blood spraying wildly!
"You!"
The man turned deathly pale, turning around to see a pair of indifferent eyes staring straight at him.
"Foul-mouthed, you deserve to die!"
Su Xie pulled the sword out expressionless, and the man collapsed into a pool of blood with a heavy thud.
Before dying, the man was filled with boundless regret.
He never expected that he had merely come to watch the commotion, only to lose his life in the process!
"You... Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
Some of the onlookers blocking the entrance wanted to shout in reprimand, but they were abruptly slashed down by Su Xie's sword, carving a bloody path right through them.
Behind them, those who had still wanted to come watch the spectacle were frightened into scattering like frightened birds!
"Su Xie, you actually didn't die?!"
Seeing Su Xie walking all the way forward holding a bloody sword, Mo Han's face was filled with utter shock.
How could this be possible?
He had killed someone from the Xuan Pavilion—how could the other party let him return alive so easily?
"You... truly deserve to die!"
Looking at the family members slain all along the way within the Su Family compound, as well as his heavily injured uncle and cousin, a flash of violent fury crossed Su Xie's eyes.
"Su Xie, you bastard killed my brother Mo Hu, I think you're the one who..."
Flames of fury burned in Mo Long's eyes, but before he could finish speaking, Su Xie vanished into thin air.
"What, where did he go?!"
Faced with this bizarre scene, Mo Long couldn't help but look stunned.
The next instant, however, a chill ran down his spine.
Before he could even react, Su Xie kicked out fiercely!
Bang!
With this kick, even the surrounding void was crushed to pieces!
Mo Long's expression changed drastically. He had no time to dodge and was directly kicked flying, heavily shattering several sections of a brick wall.
"This is impossible! Mo Long is a Xiantian Realm powerhouse—how could he be no match for a single kick from him!"
Witnessing this sudden turn of events, Mo Han found it hard to believe.
"Bastard, I'll kill you!"
With disheveled hair, Mo Long pulled his battered body back up to his feet, his eyes extremely gloomy as he raised his hands to unleash a martial art technique.
Hum!
In an instant, a terrifying gale surged into the sky from beneath his feet, rapidly and aggressively slaughtering toward Su Xie!
Clearly, having witnessed Su Xie's extraordinary strength, Mo Long did not dare to be careless, directly executing a fatal technique!
"It's an intermediate martial art! Excellent, that little beast is dead for sure!"
Feeling the might erupted by Mo Long's technique, Mo Han was overjoyed, filled with boundless confidence.
"Such minor tricks, and you dare to show off before me?"
Facing the terrifying gale sweeping toward him, Su Xie sneered, shifted his footing, and stepped heavily forward.
Boom!
Suddenly, the ground beneath Su Xie's feet rapidly cracked apart, raising an overbearing and peerless wave of qi that instantly engulfed the area!
The terrifying, unceasing aftermath forced Mo Long to spit out a torrent of blood, slamming flat onto the ground like a dead dog.
"Quick, quickly protect Mo Long!"
Seeing that Su Xie had killing intent in his eyes, Mo Han's eyes turned bloodred as he roared repeatedly at the surrounding Mo Family powerhouses.
Mo Long was the only hope for his Mo Family to dominate Beiling City; he absolutely could not die!
"Those who stand in my way, die!"
Faced with the continuous assault of the surrounding Mo Family powerhouses, Su Xie wore an arrogant expression, raising his sword to charge and slash.
An extreme cold light flashed!
It was practically a kill with every sword stroke, taking a life with every step!
In just a few breaths, more than ten Mo Family powerhouses met a tragic end beneath his blade.
"Sword Qi! He's actually a sword cultivator!"
Seeing the Sword Qi encasing Su Xie, Mo Han's expression turned ashen to the extreme, and the remaining Mo Family powerhouses trembled all over, no longer daring to step forward.
One had to know that the might of a sword cultivator was simply beyond their imagination, with a minimum baseline starting at the Xiantian Realm!
"Su Xie, you cannot kill me! My backing is the Flowing Cloud Sect—if you dare to kill me, you can just wait for..."
Seeing Su Xie walk forward with a murderous aura, Mo Long shivered all over and hurriedly shouted out his background.
Before he could finish his words, however, Su Xie stepped squarely onto his left hand, producing a chorus of shattering bones!
"I detest being threatened more than anything else in this life!"
Su Xie's voice was cold and clear as he raised his sword to strike.
Boom!
Suddenly, a terrifying force blasted through the air, forcefully driving Su Xie back.
"Brash brat, you dare!"
At this moment, a middle-aged man in purple robes walked out from outside the Su Family gates.
"It's the guard secretly deployed by my master! Excellent!"