Seeing the middle-aged man in purple robes appear, Mo Long was ecstatic, as if he had just grabbed a lifeline.
"Strike quickly and kill him for me! I want to tear this bastard to pieces!"
Mo Long glared fiercely at Su Xie and shouted at the man.
Chapter 10: Qin Ying, Princess of Beiwu
"Pseudo-Spirit Gathering Realm?"
Looking at the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the middle-aged man in purple robes, Su Xie narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Haha, Su Xie, in front of such an expert, what does it matter if you are a swordsman? You dared to provoke a disciple of the Liuyun Sect, and today is your day to die!"
The corners of Mo Han's mouth curled up; he could hardly wait to see Su Xie trampled to death by the other party.
Seeing this, the members of the Su Family, whose hopes had just risen, were instantly plunged back into the abyss, and a deep despair appeared on every face.
"Is heaven truly determined to destroy my Su Family?"
Su Xiaofeng spoke in a hoarse, utterly defeated voice, then collapsed to the ground, appearing to age a dozen years all at once.
One had to know that an expert of the Pseudo-Spirit Gathering Realm was the absolute ceiling of combat power here in Beiling City. They were like heavenly gods, invincible!
"Kid, to reach the peak of Houtian at your age, and to be such a young swordsman on top of that—placed within our Liuyun Sect, you would be considered a genius."
"Tell me, would you be interested in joining the Liuyun Sect? I can report what happened earlier back to the sect, and bygones will be bygones."
The middle-aged man in purple robes saw Su Xie's strength at a glance, but instead of blindly following Mo Long's orders, his appreciation for talent was stirred by Su Xie's extraordinary potential.
After all, with his Pseudo-Spirit Gathering Realm strength, he held a certain status within the Liuyun Sect anyway; how could he possibly be at the absolute beck and call of a mere Xiantian realm brat? As long as he ensured Mo Long didn't die, that was enough!
Seeing the middle-aged man in purple robes extending an olive branch to Su Xie, Mo Han instantly panicked: "What on earth is this guy doing? He actually wants to recruit that brat?"
If Su Xie agreed to join the Liuyun Sect on the spot, with the talent he had just displayed, he might completely overshadow Mo Long's prominence within the sect!
Furthermore, not only would they fail to annex the Su Family today, but once this kid Su Xie grew up, he would definitely become a disaster for the Mo Family in the future!
"No! He wants to join the Liuyun Sect? I won't allow it!"
At that moment, Mo Long, pinned beneath Su Xie's foot, had eyes blazing with fire and was consumed with rage.
Yet Su Xie's next sentence immediately filled him with great joy.
"The Liuyun Sect? Forgive my candor, but I haven't really heard of this sect. I suppose even if I joined, it wouldn't amount to much, would it?"
Su Xie said calmly. No matter how down on his luck the Devouring Heaven Dragon Emperor might be, he would never casually join some third-rate ant-like faction.
Besides, the other party had even threatened him while extending the invitation!
"Arrogant! Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeiture, don't blame me for being ruthless and snuffing out a genius like you in your cradle!"
Seeing Su Xie look down upon the Liuyun Sect, the middle-aged man in purple robes flew into a rage and was just about to strike Su Xie when—
"Hahaha! Su Xie, this time you're dead—Ah, ah! Puff!"
At that moment, Mo Long still wanted to sneer a couple of times, but Su Xie directly crushed the life out of him on the spot with a single step.
"Ah, ah, ah! Little bastard, I'll kill you!"
Seeing his family's prodigy fall just like that, Mo Han's eyes split with fury, and he was the first to burst into action, charging forward to kill Su Xie.
"Mo Han, this is a dispute between juniors; if he dies, he has no one to blame but himself. But compared to the local tyrant your Mo Family raised, when all is said and done, it is still the True Dragon of my Su Family that comes out on top!"
At that moment, Su Xiaofeng intercepted him midway, blocking Mo Han with a single palm strike as they began to fight fiercely.
Even though they were facing certain death today.
Being able to mock Mo Han a few times before dying could at least vent this pent-up fury!
"Kid, you have completely angered me!"
Seeing Mo Long crushed to death, the middle-aged man in purple robes wore an extremely sinister expression as he raised his hand, unleashing a terrifying surge of energy that shook the void and slammed toward Su Xie.
"I killed him because I killed him. Could it be that I'd be afraid of your Liuyun Sect seeking revenge?"
Su Xie showed no fear, taking a step back while gripping his long sword tightly, and slashed fiercely toward his opponent.
In that instant.
A crisp chime of a sword rang out and buzzed through the air!
The piercing sword light filled the eyes of everyone present, forcing even Mo Han and Su Xiaofeng, who were locked in combat, to retreat together and temporarily avoid its razor-sharp edge.
Bang!
The peerless sword qi constantly collided with the surge of energy from the middle-aged man in purple robes, whipping up a terrifying wave of air!
From just a single exchange.
The middle-aged man in purple robes actually felt a stinging pain in his palm as he was violently driven back more than ten meters by the relentless, cold sword qi.
As for Su Xie, he abruptly withdrew his sword and involuntarily stumbled back a few steps before steadying his stance.
"This is impossible!"
Seeing that the middle-aged man in purple robes was actually getting the worst of it against Su Xie, Mo Han's mouth twitched violently, feeling as though this were some unbelievable fairy tale.
"Is this Xie'er's true strength?"
"Haha, my Su Family has truly produced a True Dragon! Like father, like son indeed!"
Su Xiaofeng laughed up to the sky, having already made up his mind in his heart: come what may, no matter the cost, he would fight to the death to let Su Xie escape.
Even if it meant sacrificing the entire Su Family!
As long as Su Xie lived, the Su Family lived, and one day in the future, they would rise again!
Meanwhile, on the side of the middle-aged man in purple robes.
After being driven back, his expression turned exceptionally gloomy as he stared dead at Su Xie, looking as though he wanted to devour him the very next moment.
Given his Pseudo-Spirit Gathering Realm strength, the fact that he couldn't even kill a Houtian realm brat not only made him feel thoroughly humiliated, but also intensified his desire to kill.
Just as he was about to strike again—
"Hold on!"
From outside the gates of the Su Family estate, a melodious female voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone looked over.
They saw a young woman and an old man walking in.
The woman was young, clad in silver armor and holding a red-tasseled spear. Her three thousand strands of dark hair were tied into a ponytail, and against her fair skin, her exquisite features revealed an heroic spirit that refused to yield to men!
"Who is this woman?"
"Such a handsome woman in armor. Could she be someone from the imperial government?"
Faced with the appearance of the woman in silver armor and her extraordinary presence, the onlookers could not help but whisper among themselves.
"Silver Cloud Armor, red-tasseled spear... You are Qin Ying, daughter of the Prince of Beiwu?"
The middle-aged man in purple robes glanced at the woman's attire and involuntarily stopped his attack.
"What? She is Princess Qin of Beiwu?!"
Hearing this, everyone from the Su Family present was startled.
One had to know that their Beiling City was a city governed directly within Beiwu Commandery; the name Qin Ying was virtually known to everyone.
It was said that this Qin Ying began practicing the spear at eight, entered the military camp at ten, and mastered the path of the spear at seventeen. Now at the tender age of nineteen, she already commanded a military camp and led three thousand Great Desolate heavy cavalry!
Such a woman was not only a genius in the spear dao, but she was also deeply favored by the current sovereign, hailed as a pillar of the state and an exemplary heroine of her generation!
Thinking of this, everyone wore bewildered expressions.
Logically speaking, Princess Qin should be busy guarding Heavenly Gate Pass at this time; why would she appear here?
Could it be that Heavenly Gate Pass had fallen?
Chapter 11: He Is My Fiancé
One must know that Heavenly Gate Pass was a crucial border fortress of their Desolate Country. Not only was it the gateway of the nation, but it was also located not far from their Beiling City!
Once Heavenly Gate Pass fell, the very first cities to suffer would be these few cities in the vicinity of Beiling City!
"We pay our respects to the Princess!"
Before everyone could overthink it, they bowed to Qin Ying, who was walking over from afar.
Qin Ying gave a slight nod, and with the white-robed old man in tow, walked straight to Su Xie's side.
"Princess Qin, what is the meaning of this?"
Seeing Qin Ying make such a move, the middle-aged man in purple robes furrowed his brow.
Even Mo Han not far away sank his expression, a sudden ominous premonition gripping his heart.
Faced with everyone's puzzled expressions, Qin Ying couldn't be bothered to explain much. She slammed the red-tasseled spear in her hand against the ground and said calmly, "The Su Family is under the protection of my Prince's Estate. Today, whoever goes against them goes against my Prince's Estate!"
"What?"
Beside him, Mo Han's body shook violently upon hearing these words, his complexion turning as unsightly as if he had eaten shit.
He never dreamed that the Su Family actually had ties with the Beiwu Prince's Estate!
Moreover, judging by the heroic and imposing posture of this Princess Qin, she was dead-set on protecting Su Xie!
No matter how powerful his Mo Family was, they wouldn't dare offend the Prince's Estate.
After all, on this patch of land, the Prince of Beiwu was the true master!
"That's wonderful! With Princess Qin stepping in, my Su Family is saved."
Su Yu took a deep breath. Not just her, but the entire Su Family once again saw a glimmer of hope.
However, Su Xiaofeng's expression did not relax. Until the matter concerning Mo Long was thoroughly resolved, the Liuyun Sect would probably never let the matter rest, and the crisis facing his Su Family remained latent.
After all, Princess Qin could protect his Su Family for a moment, but she couldn't protect them for a lifetime.
Seeing this, even Su Xie himself felt somewhat surprised.
Ever since his rebirth, he had never crossed paths with anyone from the Prince's Estate, and the ancestors of the Su Family had never had any dealings with the Prince of Beiwu either.
When unusual things happened, demons were surely at work; he certainly wouldn't believe that this Princess Qin had rushed all the way to the Su Family out of the blue to help him for no reason.
The middle-aged man in purple robes glanced at Su Xie, then at Qin Ying, and cautiously inquired on the spot, "Princess Qin, what relation is this kid to you? Or rather, what is he to your Prince's Estate?"
"What? He is my fiancé. Do you have a problem with that?"
Qin Ying mused aloud, smiling as she glanced at Su Xie beside her, before raising her spear and pointing it at the middle-aged man in purple robes.
"This is impossible! How could Su Xie be the son-in-law of the Beiwu Prince's Estate?!"
Mo Han was utterly dumbfounded.
Had he known earlier that Su Xie was the future son-in-law of the Beiwu Prince's Estate, he would never have rashly brought people over to annex the Su Family!
Not just him, but everyone else erupted into a clamor.
It felt like a fairy tale—by what right could Su Xie become the son-in-law of the Prince of Beiwu? This was simply flying up to the branches to become a phoenix and making it to the top in a single bound!
For a moment, numerous gazes filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred locked onto Su Xie simultaneously.
Hearing Qin Ying introduce his identity in such a playful manner, even Su Xie couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. Although she was merely looking for an excuse to protect him, he was still taken aback.
After all, in the Desolate Country, a woman's reputation was of the utmost importance.
Words spoken were like water poured out; with so many gossiping ears here, word would spread quickly. Before long, people throughout the entire Beiwu Commandery would probably know that he, Su Xie, was the future son-in-law of the Prince's Estate.
Thinking of this, Su Xie could neither laugh nor cry, unsure whether this was a blessing or a curse.
"So he is the Princess's future husband. However, this kid just killed a man from my Liuyun Sect; I need to take him back to the sect for questioning. Otherwise, if the higher-ups blame me, it will be hard for me to explain."
"I hope the Princess can be accommodating. Rest assured, my Liuyun Sect won't do anything to him."
The middle-aged man in purple robes smiled with hypocritical friendliness, clearly not entirely believing Qin Ying's excuse.
Even if the other party really was the future husband of the Prince's Estate, it had nothing to do with him; he only needed to bring the main culprit back to the sect to complete his mission. As for whether it was true or false, that was the sect's problem!
"What? Does my word as Princess no longer carry weight, or is your Liuyun Sect planning to rebel?"
Seeing that the middle-aged man in purple robes was determined to make an arrest, Qin Ying furrowed her delicate brows and raised her spear, erupting with an intensely sharp spear intent!
"Hehe, rebel? My Liuyun Sect wouldn't dare. We merely wish to invite young friend Su to our Liuyun Sect for a cup of tea. Surely that is not forbidden?"
The middle-aged man in purple robes sneered. Finding himself out of options, he looked at Su Xie and directly resorted to a provoking tactic: "What, weren't you quite arrogant earlier? Why are you hiding behind a woman now? Your pathetic, surviving-by-the-skin-of-your-teeth look truly resembles a useless dog!"
"Impudent!"
Qin Ying shouted angrily, and the white-robed old man behind her was just about to step forward and teach him a lesson when—
Su Xie stopped them and said, "I appreciate the Princess's kind intentions, but this old dog has been barking incessantly right here. If I keep hiding, I won't even be considered a man!"
"Today, if you can take this punch of mine, we'll call it even. How about that?"
Seeing Su Xie act so arrogant, the middle-aged man in purple robes immediately clenched his fists tight, producing a crackling sound of breaking knuckles.
"Cut the crap! If we fight, let's fight!"
As soon as Su Xie finished speaking, he brandished his sword and charged forward. With this single sword strike, he directly unleashed his sword technique.
A Single Sword Cuts Heavenly Gate!
Terrifying sword qi soared into the sky, as if seeking to sever and annihilate all enemies!
"Courting death!"
The middle-aged man in purple robes held nothing back either, immediately casting his strongest martial technique, intent on killing Su Xie in a single blow.
"Crushing Star Fist!"
Boom!
The next moment, the middle-aged man in purple robes formed hand seals, and a powerful gale suddenly erupted behind him as a fist print the size of a mountain rapidly materialized.
With a wave of his sleeve, that fist descended like Mount Tai pressing down, roaring toward Su Xie to crush him!
"Not good! This is an intermediate martial technique! Coupled with this guy's Pseudo-Spirit Gathering Realm cultivation, its might is practically comparable to that of a true Spirit Gathering Realm!"
"That fellow is truly determined to kill this kid!"
The white-robed elder behind Qin Ying sank his expression and was just about to make a move when—
The speed of the two of them was simply too fast!
Before he could reach them, the fist and the sword had already violently collided!
Rumble!
Too fast to describe, amid these two powerful air currents, the entire Su Estate shook violently!
Countless roof tiles on the Su Family's eaves were instantly swept up into the air!
Amidst flying sand and rolling stones!
Everyone's breathing tightened involuntarily.
Bang!
Another fierce explosion rang out!
Two figures were violently blasted backward. The sword in Su Xie's hand was shattered to pieces by the opponent's fist print, flying wildly in all directions across the Su Estate!
Chapter 12: Xuan Pavilion Steps In, A Mighty Expert Appears
The sword was shattered!
With a puff!
Su Xie felt a surge of blood churning in his chest and could not help coughing up a mouthful of blood.
Looking over at the middle-aged man in purple robes, however, his face was pale white and his hair was in complete disarray. One of his arms had been violently blown off, and fresh blood spurted continuously!
Seeing this stark scene.
The entire place fell into a dead silence!
Mo Han's eyes were bloodshot as he stared fixedly at Su Xie, his entire body trembling incessantly!
"How on earth did he pull that off? What kind of move was that just now?"
Qin Ying looked at Su Xie in astonishment, feeling as though she were witnessing a miracle.
With the strength of a Houtian peak cultivator, he had actually lopped off one of the arms of a Pseudo-Spirit Gathering Realm expert! Moreover, the attacking power of the other party had nearly reached the might of a true Spirit Gathering Realm!
Even with the bonuses of being a swordsman, it was simply impossible for Su Xie to be this formidable, directly bridging two realms!
"It's a sword technique! This boy has attained extremely high mastery in the sword dao; he is a true sword dao genius!"
The white-robed elder behind Qin Ying looked at Su Xie with growing admiration.
In his heart, he had already made up his mind that, no matter the cost this time, he must pull this sword dao monster over to their side.
"A sword technique! Hiss... Aren't those standard techniques possessed only by Sword Dao Grandmasters? Could this fellow be Senior Ning's disciple?"
Remembering Su Xie's previous relationship with Old Man Ning, Qin Ying could not help revealing a trace of envy.
One had to know that within this Desolate Country, Old Man Ning had never taken on a disciple. Countless sword dao geniuses had broken their heads trying to apprentice under Old Man Ning, yearning for just a word of guidance.
To become Old Man Ning's disciple meant you could walk sideways not just within Beiwu Commandery, but across the entire Desolate Country!
Just as Qin Ying was feeling envious.
The body of the middle-aged man in purple robes gradually began to rage out of control. His eyes were bloodshot, and his expression appeared exceptionally ferocious, like a flood dragon about to go berserk!
"Since your sword severed my arm, you can use your life to pay for it!"
The middle-aged man in purple robes roared sinisterly, channeling his spiritual energy to stem the bleeding of his severed arm, and instantly cast the forbidden technique unique to the Liuyun Sect.
This technique could rapidly elevate a person's combat power to a new level within a short time. Its might was immense, and unless it was a matter of life and death, it could not be used.
Once the battle concluded, it would produce severe sequelae!
At this point, the middle-aged man in purple robes didn't care about any of that anymore. Given the heaven-defying talent Su Xie had currently displayed, if he wasn't completely eradicated, he would surely become the doom of the Liuyun Sect in the future!
"You want to go back on your word?"
Faced with the shameless actions of the middle-aged man in purple robes, the elder in white wore an unhappy expression and was about to make a move when—
"Hold it!"
Suddenly.
A deep, resonant voice rang out from outside the Su Family gates.
"Who is it this time?!"
Mo Han clenched his teeth and looked over.
They saw a squad of guards wearing dark robes charging rapidly into the Su Estate, surrounding everyone present in an impenetrable circle!
"It's people from Xuan Pavilion! Excellent, Xuan Pavilion has finally made a move. Today, even if an immortal descends, this little bastard Su Xie won't be saved!"
Watching Pavilion Master Chen walk straight over, Mo Han was instantly overjoyed, figuring that Xuan Pavilion had come to settle scores.
He knew it!
Since Su Xie had killed someone from Xuan Pavilion, how could the other party let this brat off so easily?
However—
Pavilion Master Chen's next sentence struck him like a thunderbolt, causing him to collapse to the ground once again.
"Hehe, your Liuyun Sect is a renowned major sect within Beiwu Commandery anyway. Since you lost, you lost—why go back on your word, ruin the demeanor of a major sect, and make yourselves a laughingstock?"
Pavilion Master Chen walked up to Su Xie, then swept an imposing gaze over the middle-aged man in purple robes.
"What is the meaning of this, Xuan Pavilion? Are you planning to help this brat as well?"
Seeing Xuan Pavilion step forward, the middle-aged man in purple robes saw his expression sink sharply, turning increasingly unsightly.
If Xuan Pavilion intended to protect Su Xie today, then this matter would become rather tricky. No matter how deep the foundation of his Liuyun Sect was, they couldn't afford to offend a behemoth like Xuan Pavilion!
Even people from the Prince's Estate wouldn't dare easily antagonize Xuan Pavilion!
"Young friend Su, leave this matter to our Xuan Pavilion. With our Xuan Pavilion here today, no matter who comes, they won't dare touch a single hair on anyone in the Su Family!"