At that moment, in a plaza within the Snow Moon Sect — correction, within the Liuyun Sect — a green-robed man seated cross-legged suddenly flew up and launched a lethal palm strike at Su Xie.
"Great! It's Senior Brother Xu making a move, that brat is dead for sure!"
Some disciples who kept retreating breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the green-robed man make his move.
You must know that this Senior Brother Xu was none other than the proud talent of their Liuyun Sect!
"One Sword Slashes the Heavenly Gate!"
Su Xie took a step back, sword qi sweeping horizontally from his hand, and collided fiercely with that palm strike.
Instantly, sword qi surged brilliantly, and the might of the palm was unending!
The two forces erupted violently, producing a heaven-shaking explosion in mid-air!
With a loud crash!
The green-robed man's expression changed drastically as he was sent flying by Su Xie's sword qi, crashing and collapsing a distant mountain.
"What! Senior Brother Xu is actually no match?"
Looking at the rolling dust from the collapsed mountain in the distance, the many disciples within the Liuyun Sect said in sheer disbelief.
This Senior Brother Xu possessed the strength of the Peak of Xiantian Realm!
Yet he was actually no match for the power of that brat's single sword strike?
At that moment, several streaks of light appeared in the plaza; those people were none other than the elders of the Liuyun Sect.
They glared angrily at Su Xie, then looked toward Old Man Ning in the void and said in deep voices: "Who are you, sir? Our Liuyun Sect has no grievances with you; why bring this brat to kill disciples of our Liuyun Sect?"
"Hehe, this old man has come today to strike only a single sword. With this sword, I will flatten your Liuyun Sect!"
Old Man Ning sat cross-legged in the void, took out his jade gourd, took a lazy sip of wine, and didn't even bother to look at those elders.
"What, is this old man insane? How dare he utter such arrogant words?"
"A single sword to wipe out our Liuyun Sect? He must be daydreaming!"
Hearing Old Man Ning's arrogant words, the many gathered Liuyun Sect disciples burned with fury.
The many elders were also filled with righteous indignation.
Yet not a single person dared to make a move in front of Old Man Ning.
Because, just moments ago during their conversation, they were astonished to discover that they couldn't even probe Old Man Ning's strength!
"Senior Old Man Ning, I wonder how our Liuyun Sect has offended you to warrant wiping us out?"
At that moment, a majestic voice resounded from within the main hall.
As the void trembled, the Sect Master of Liuyun Sect abruptly appeared, changing his tune to ask: "Could it be because of what happened with our sect's elder at the Su Family?"
"Hehe, so what if it is?"
In the void, Old Man Ning glanced at Su Xie: "Brat, come up here. This old man is going to swing his sword!"
Chapter 18: This Sword, Silence to All Living Beings
With those words spoken.
Old Man Ning gave a wave of his large hand, and Su Xie was brought up into the void.
"Hehe, brat, watch how this old man's sword is!"
Old Man Ning smiled smugly, then his figure flashed at explosive speed up to the vault of heaven.
"Not good! Quick, form the grand protective sect array!"
Seeing Old Man Ning's surging sword qi, the Sect Master of Liuyun Sect's expression changed drastically, and he shouted repeatedly to the elders and disciples.
"Understood, Sect Master!"
The members of the Liuyun Sect responded one after another.
No sooner said than done.
As everyone exerted their power, a profound and unfathomable ancient array suddenly erupted within the plaza of the Liuyun Sect!
A blinding ring of light soared into the sky!
An array pulsing with endless spiritual light was summoned at extreme speed, enveloping the entire Liuyun Sect in the blink of an eye!
"A fifth-rank Dharma array, is it?"
In the vault of heaven, Old Man Ning smiled disdainfully, crossed his arms, and flicked his sleeves gently.
Whoosh—
Immediately, the surrounding mountains began to tremble rapidly, and one violent hurricane after another rose, continuously buffeting that array!
Facing the violent tremors of the plaza beneath their feet.
Countless people in the Liuyun Sect lost their footing, desperately channeling their spiritual power, gritting their teeth hard as they tumbled about in the wind!
"Hahaha! This old man was merely stretching, and you already can't withstand it?"
Old Man Ning laughed heartily.
"Ning Xiaoyao, you go too far!"
Just then, an angry voice suddenly resounded from the back mountain of the Liuyun Sect.
"It's the Ancestor!"
The Sect Master of Liuyun Sect immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"We respectfully welcome the Ancestor out of seclusion!"
The many elders and disciples bowed toward the direction of the back mountain.
Swoosh, swoosh!
Instantly, three streaks of light burst from the back mountain, descending right in front of Old Man Ning in a flash.
They were two elderly men—one in white robes, one in blue robes—and an elderly woman in red robes.
All three possessed extraordinary imposing auras; their mere appearance carried an invisible pressure, weighing down upon everyone below so heavily that they could barely breathe.
"Three old fellows above the Spirit Platform Realm, are they?"
Old Man Ning sneered, rapidly pressing his palms together, and a terrifying sword qi suddenly rose behind him.
Under the swirling sword qi!
An illusory giant sword spanned the vault of heaven as if blocking out the sun and sky, its dazzling, bone-chilling cold light casting a radiance over this entire land!
Facing that terrifying sword!
The members of the Liuyun Sect were terrified to the core, a numbness washing over their scalps!
"Is this matter because of that brat?"
Looking at the condensed giant sword, the red-robed elderly woman's expression darkened as she was the first to notice Su Xie standing behind Old Man Ning.
"Brat, is there truly no possibility of putting this matter to rest?"
The blue-robed elderly man stared fixedly at Su Xie as he spoke.
Boom!
Yet Su Xie couldn't be bothered to talk much.
"Brat, watch closely. This sword is named Sword Silence to All Living Beings!"
With that, Old Man Ning swept his large hand, and the giant sword in the sky shot fiercely toward the Liuyun Sect!
"Damn it!"
The white-robed elderly man cursed loudly and quickly made his move.
At this very moment!
It was like a flash of lightning and a spark of flint!
"Activate the array!"
The Sect Master of Liuyun Sect roared.
Meanwhile, the other two ancestors of the Liuyun Sect manifested in front of the sect, each displaying their divine powers!
"Break!"
After unleashing this sword, Old Man Ning stepped upon the void, stood with his hands behind his back, and abruptly spat out a single word.
Rumble!
This sword eclipsed heaven and earth!
In a mere instant, it shattered the grand protective array.
Puff—
With the array shattered, everyone in the Liuyun Sect coughed up mouthfuls of blood as they scrambled away in panic and disarray.
"Ning Xiaoyao, you destroyed my Liuyun Sect! Even if I become a ghost, this daddy will not let you off!"
The blue-robed elderly man was hopping mad. In the face of this sword, he had no power to fight back whatsoever and was instantly obliterated in mid-air.
The white-robed elderly man and the red-robed elderly woman met the exact same fate; no matter what methods they used, they were unable to contend with the might of this sword, and all three perished high in the sky together!
"No!"
The Sect Master of Liuyun Sect wanted to run, but the aftershock of that sword was simply too fast, rushing forward like a supersonic wave.
Bang, bang, bang!
Accompanied by a series of heaven-shaking, earth-shattering explosions!
This sword surged across thousands of miles of mountains!
The massive Liuyun Sect was instantly flattened into absolute nothingness, and even several nearby mountains were leveled to the ground in a flash!
"Sword Silence to All Living Beings?"
Watching the sword that Old Man Ning had unleashed, Su Xie's gaze flickered, and he smiled faintly.
"That's right. This sword is this old man's signature ultimate technique; when not used, so be it, but once unleashed, it brings instant silence and annihilation to all living beings!"
Old Man Ning stroked his beard, his face brimming with a proud and pleased expression.
"Instant silence and annihilation to all living beings? Is it like this?"
Su Xie flicked his sleeve, raised his sword slightly, gathered his entire body's spiritual power onto the blade, and slashed fiercely toward a distant mountain.
Rumble!
With this slash, heaven and earth inverted; the void utterly failed to withstand this terrifying might, bursting forth with a series of sonic booms!
And that distant mountain in the distance was instantly blasted into flat ground by this sword!
Amidst the rolling dust flying about.
Old Man Ning jumped in anger, his entire body trembling as his expression turned as unsightly as if he had seen a ghost. He scolded reproachfully: "You... you brat, how on earth did you pull that off? No wait, you brat stole my ultimate technique!"
"How can there be a sword Dao freak like you in this world?"
Then, Old Man Ning smoothed down his emotions and drew a sharp breath.
You must know that he had only thrown out a single sword, yet within such a brief moment, the opponent had actually seen through the profound mysteries at a single glance and directly stolen it.
Moreover, Su Xie's sword had even captured the very essence; after this sword was slashed out, it bore an eight-tenth resemblance to his 'Sword Silence to All Living Beings'.
To say there was any difference would be inaccurate—it was practically identical!
"Does this count as pilfering a master's craft?"
Su Xie shrugged. Having been the Devouring Heaven Dragon Emperor in his past life, his mastery of the sword Dao had reached an unprecedented level. Leaving aside imitating someone else's sword technique, he could entirely create a brand-new sword technique of his own accord.
"Of course it counts! Since you brat learned this move of mine, you are considered half a disciple of mine from now on!"
Old Man Ning pouted and let out a huff.
Seeing that Su Xie did not object.
Old Man Ning couldn't help but feel a secret surge of joy in his heart, feeling as though he had struck gold.
After all, given the sword Dao potential Su Xie had demonstrated so far, he might well achieve the status of a generation's Sword Saint in the future, and perhaps even have a shot at breaking through to that legendary peerless Sword Immortal!
At the mere thought that such an entity would be his own disciple in the future, Old Man Ning's beard twitched, and the man grew utterly excited.
Right at that moment.
In the sky, chariot after chariot drawn by spirit steeds flew over rapidly.
Those who arrived were none other than Qin Ying and the people of the Xuan Pavilion.
Looking at the distant Liuyun Sect reduced to ruins, the dark-robed elderly woman could not help her pupils contracting, her breathing growing increasingly rapid.
"Ning Mad-Sword's strike probably reached a might surpassing the Spirit Mansion Realm!"
The dark-robed elderly woman turned around, looked respectfully at Old Man Ning, and bowed slightly.
"Hiss, as expected of Senior Ning, to actually flatten this Liuyun Sect with a single sword!"
Beside her, Elder Bai's gaze was filled with worship.
You must know that throughout the entire Northern Wu Prefecture, Old Man Ning was probably the only one capable of achieving such a feat!
Just as everyone was marveling.
Old Man Ning stomped his foot, struck the pose of an otherworldly expert, and flew away on his flying sword, carrying Su Xie with him.
"Senior, wait for us!"
Pavilion Master Chen smiled bitterly.
"Wait for what? If you have anything to say, say it once you catch up to this old man."
Old Man Ning laughed heartily. Having finally learned the three-thousand-mile sword-flight technique from Su Xie, this was precisely the moment for him to show off.
Chapter 19: Dominating Beiling City
Soon, Su Xie and Old Man Ning returned to Beiling City.
After unleashing that sword, Old Man Ning had also consumed a fair amount of vital energy, so he left the Su Family to continue recovering his strength and study sword-nurturing techniques.
Within the Su Family.
Upon seeing that Su Xie had returned safe and sound.
Su Xiaofeng immediately breathed a sigh of relief, patted Su Xie's shoulder, and sighed with emotion: "My nephew has finally grown up now, turning into a towering tree capable of shielding the family from wind and rain."
"If your father and mother knew, they would definitely be proud of you."
Su Xiaofeng smiled with gratified relief.
"Big Uncle, where on earth did my father and mother go?"
Su Xie nodded. In the original owner's memories, impressions of his parents were exceedingly sparse, and he could barely find a few vague shadows in the back of his mind.
Hearing this, Su Xiaofeng froze for a moment, hesitated for a bit, and said: "Xie'er, matters concerning your parents—when you leave the Su Family, I will naturally tell you. Now is not yet the time."
Su Xie: "Leave the Su Family?"
"Haha, exactly. A golden scale is not a creature of a mere pond; with my nephew's heaven-defying talent, how could he remain cooped up in this tiny Beiling City? Only by stepping outside can you witness the vast and boundless world."
"Xie'er, Beiling City is ultimately a place the size of a mustard seed. Once you step outside, there will surely be a bigger stage waiting for you, and that place shall undoubtedly be your home turf."
Su Xiaofeng patted Su Xie's shoulder, his gaze filled with expectant anticipation.
Su Xie nodded and said nothing more. Indeed, just as Su Xiaofeng had said, if he wished to recover his peak strength, it was impossible for him to stay in Beiling City forever.
However, before leaving Beiling City.
He had to sweep away all obstacles that could threaten the Su Family; otherwise, his heart would not rest easy.
Immediately following this, Su Xie led a team of Su Family clansmen on a trip to the Mo Family.
Because the head of the Mo Family, Mo Han, along with several high-ranking figures like Mo Long, had all perished within the Su Family, the entire Mo Family instantly fell into complete disarray and was simply not to be feared.
Before long, in less than a day's work.
Those of the Mo Family who surrendered were absorbed, while those who stubbornly refused to yield were completely eradicated by Su Xie!
With the Mo Family's treasury looted and annexed, the Su Family's foundation also gradually began to improve.
During this period, the other two major families of Beiling City, the Xu Family and the Jiang Family, had also dispatched people to fish in troubled waters, attempting to carve out a slice of the pie.
However, after the Xuan Pavilion intervened, they were shown the door empty-handed.
"The Xu Family, the Jiang Family, is it?"
Su Xie sneered. He hadn't gone looking for trouble with these two families, yet they actually dared to try and reap benefits from his hands; it was sheer wishful thinking.
"Little Friend Su, might you require the assistance of my Xuan Pavilion?"
Pavilion Master Chen walked over and smiled at Su Xie: "My Xuan Pavilion can dispatch a team of powerhouses to help the Su Family suppress the Jiang and Xu families."
"Then I'll have to trouble you. The goodwill of the Xuan Pavilion, I, Su Xie, have noted down."
Su Xie did not refuse. At present, what he wanted was not merely to suppress these two great families, but to directly flatten them and dominate Beiling City!
Only by placing the Su Family in the position of Beiling City's overlord could they achieve a deterrent effect; otherwise, if he wiped out a Xu Family today, some other family would pop up tomorrow.
After all, there were far more than four major clans within the entire Beiling City, and quite a few minor families were eyeing the position of the four great clans with covetous eyes.
With that thought in mind.
Su Xie began to reorganize these two teams.
Meanwhile.
Inside the Xu Family.
Upon learning that the Xuan Pavilion had intervened.
Patriarch Xu Lang of the Xu Family instantly wore a grim expression.
"Father, I never expected the Su Family to have the backing of the Xuan Pavilion and the Prince's Mansion. Even the Mo Family was wiped out by them!"
A purple-robed man walked over and said with deep anxiety: "Now that the Su Family's momentum is so great, I'm afraid our Xu Family is in danger. Wouldn't it be better to negotiate peace with them and live in mutual non-interference from now on?"
"Hmph, I've already sent someone to the Jiang Family. Let's see what the Jiang Family has to say first. Right now, our two families are grasshoppers tied to the same rope!"
Xu Lang glanced at his own son, his gaze flickering as he wondered what was on his mind.
Right at that moment.
Patriarch Jiang Mang of the Jiang Family walked in, leading a group of elders.
Inside the main hall.
The two families looked at each other in dismay, evidently feeling a strong sense of crisis due to the rise of the Su Family.
"Negotiate peace? Then let's negotiate and see how the Su Family wants to talk."
Upon learning Xu Lang's opinion, Jiang Mang's expression turned unpredictable as he casually picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.
"Reporting! Patriarchs, someone from the Su Family has come!"
At that moment, the voice of a clansman reporting from outside the door rang out.
"Su Xie, did the Su Family only send you? Where is Su Xiaofeng?"
Seeing Su Xie barge in alone, the purple-robed man furrowed his brow.
"What? Am I not qualified to represent my Su Family?"
Su Xie raised an eyebrow as well.
"My son, let him enter!"
Inside the main hall, Xu Lang spoke up immediately.
Seeing Su Xie walk over, Jiang Mang said in a deep voice: "You must be that True Dragon of the Su Family, Su Xie, right?"
"That's right, it's me. I am now giving you two paths to take. First, all the gold mines under the control of your two Jiang and Xu families will be entirely handed over to my Su Family to manage, and starting from hereafter, seven-tenths of all industrial revenues from your two families must be paid to my Su Family every month!"
"Second, today, your two families will be directly erased from Beiling City!"
Su Xie smiled faintly, his words carrying a hint of overbearing dominance.
"What? Your Su Family is too overbearing, demanding all the gold mines of our two families—you're opening your mouth like a lion!"
Hearing this, the purple-robed man's eyes blazed with fire, and he was the first to refuse.
You must know that a single gold mine could yield a massive fortune in silver value; they were the most primary source of income for the various major families in Beiling City.
Once the gold mines were gone, the families wouldn't even be able to cover their expenses, and before long, they would completely decline—this was practically no different from being wiped out!
"Hmph, brat, your Su Family has a huge appetite. Is this your personal idea, or the Su Family's stance? I remember that Su Xiaofeng fellow's way of doing things never used to be so ruthless; even if your Su Family's momentum is great today, you would still leave us some kind of leeway!"
"Yet you want to take all the gold mines away completely. How is this any different from taking our lives?"
Xu Lang's expression was incomparably gloomy. He looked at Su Xie with mounting displeasure, and murderous intent began to rise in his heart.
If not for their fear of the Xuan Pavilion and the Prince's Mansion, their two families would have already joined forces to deal with the Su Family!
"Oh? Since we can't negotiate, then let's not talk!"
Su Xie shrugged.
"Get lost!"
The purple-robed man completely lost control of the anger in his heart, raising his hand to unleash his vital Qi as he lunged to kill Su Xie.
However, Su Xie sidestepped to dodge, and two teams abruptly rushed out from behind him, tightly surrounding the entire Xu Family main hall.
Chapter 20: Snow Moon Sect
"This is the Xuan Pavilion's guard unit?"
Glancing at the aggressively advancing force opposite them, Xu Lang's expression became incomparably ugly.
He never imagined that the Xuan Pavilion would help the Su Family to this extent, even dispatching their own personal guards—obviously intending to completely eradicate their two Xu and Jiang families.
"Hehe, it seems your Su Family never intended to negotiate peace with us at all?"
Jiang Mang crushed the teacup in his hand into fine powder, striding heavily toward Su Xie: "However, do you really think that relying on these stray fish and rotten shrimp of the Xuan Pavilion allows you to wipe out our two families?"
"Brother Jiang, what do you mean by this?"
Hearing this, Xu Lang's expression eased somewhat. Could it be that Jiang Mang still had some trump card up his sleeve?
"Brother Xu, fear not. Today, with them here, even if the King of Heaven himself came, he couldn't wipe out our two Xu and Jiang families!"
Jiang Mang laughed with utter confidence, immediately clapping his hands repeatedly.
Clap, clap—
Accompanied by a series of crisp clapping sounds.
Several streaks of light suddenly descended upon the eaves of the Xu Family's main hall!
Everyone raised their eyes to look, only to see seven flower-like, jade-skinned women in white robes standing proudly in the void!
Their garments fluttered in the wind, each wearing a white veil, looking as stunning to the mortal world as seven celestial maidens descending to earth.
"What? These people are actually all uniformly Spirit Gathering Realm powerhouses!"
Feeling the terrifying pressure erupting from them, Xu Lang's expression shifted slightly, filled with shock.
"Haha, wonderful! Now let's see who dares touch our two families!"
The purple-robed man's expression turned one of great joy.
"You are people of the Snow Moon Sect?"
At that moment, outside the Xu Family's main hall, Pavilion Master Chen walked straight in, instantly recognizing the totem on these women's garments.
"Snow Moon Sect?