Li Xiao did not speak but instead took a seat on an intact chair, crossing his legs nonchalantly.
The alchemist twitched at the corner of his mouth, a fierce glint in his eyes. "Who are you, and why are you interfering in our affairs?"
"Just a mere Dou Spirit dares to speak to Pavilion Master so presumptuously! Scram!"
Ling Long's sharp reprimand sent the man flying, crashing through several walls before coming to a halt, coughing a mouthful of blood.
Everyone's eyes went wide in disbelief, making various strange and incredulous expressions. What kind of strength was this, to send a Dou Spirit flying with just a word?
Xiao Zhan, the head of the Xiao Clan, quickly stepped forward, cupping his hands in a respectful bow. "I did not know a senior was visiting the Xiao Clan. Please forgive me for not welcoming you properly."
Li Xiao glanced at Xiao Zhan, realizing he wanted to rely on Li Xiao's strength to deal with Ao Ba Pa and his men.
"No need for thanks, Clan Leader Xiao. I am here today to make a deal with you."
"A deal?" Xiao Zhan asked, puzzled. "What kind of deal does the senior wish to discuss?"
"I have heard that the Xiao Clan has a piece of ancient jade passed down through generations, carefully kept by each clan leader."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan and the elders' expressions changed. They hadn't expected this person to come for the ancestral jade.
Xiao Zhan replied gravely, "Senior, I don't understand what you mean. Our Xiao Clan has no such thing."
"Oh?" Li Xiao raised an eyebrow. Since the other party was unwilling to give it up, there was nothing left to do. He could wait until Xiao Zhan was dead and then search for the corpse.
"In that case, I apologize for my intrusion. You may continue. I will rest and then leave."
Ao Ba Pa was relieved to hear that Li Xiao wouldn't interfere. His eyes flared with anger. He had initially intended to reclaim the Jia Lie Clan's business without bloodshed. However, now that he had offended Xiao Zhan, he had to eliminate him to prevent future troubles.
In an instant, the two sides clashed, their energies shattering the hall's structure—except for the area where Li Xiao sat.
Meanwhile, Liu Xi's master struggled out of the rubble. Fortunately, the previous strike hadn't inflicted substantial damage to him; otherwise, this fourth-tier alchemist would have been dead.
He had heard the conversation and, seeing that the senior no longer cared about the Xiao Clan, decided to settle this himself.
With the addition of the Dou Spirit, it didn't take long for the Xiao Clan to suffer casualties. Xiao Zhan was also severely wounded, bleeding profusely and with broken meridians.
The Xiao Clan elders lay on the ground, shouting, "Clan Leader, give it to him! If the Xiao Clan is destroyed, what's the use of that item?"
Xiao Zhan, disheveled and bleeding, was furious at the second elder's words. "Shut up! This is the lifeblood of our ancestors. If we give it up, the Xiao Clan will never rise again!"
Liu Xi's teacher laughed heartily. "You still think you can rise again? That's ridiculous. Once you're all dead, what will rise? I will kill every Xiao Clan member before your eyes to avenge my disciple!"
With that, his hand struck down on a Xiao Clan disciple's head. The disciple let out a scream before turning into a mist of blood and disappearing.
"No!"
The two elders' eyes filled with tears as they shouted, "Senior, we'll hand it over to you! Please save us!"
Hearing this, Li Xiao waved his hand. Behind him, Linglong instantly understood his meaning and moved her fingers slightly. The fourth-tier alchemist, who was about to continue his killing spree, suddenly froze in place, as did everyone else.
Ao Ba Pa, lying on the ground, heard his bones crackling under the pressure.
"Senior, what are you doing?" Ao Ba Pa bellowed in pain, "We can give it to you too!"
"Silence!" With a mere flick of her beautiful eyes, another wave of oppressive force descended. Ao Ba Pa's head exploded instantly, and he was silenced forever.
With another slight movement of her fingers, she killed everyone present except for the Xiao Clan members.
The bloody scene terrified everyone present, and Xiao Zhan couldn't help but swallow hard. Who were these two people with such terrifying power?
Li Xiao took a sip of hot tea and said, "Clan Leader Xiao, can you bring it out now?"
"Rest assured, once you hand over the jade piece, I will not harm the Xiao Clan and will even provide you with appropriate compensation."
Xiao Zhan looked around the devastated main hall and the fallen bodies of his disciples, his face filled with pain and helplessness. Yet, he didn't dare to blame Li Xiao. He understood that if Li Xiao hadn't come for the ancient jade, the Xiao Clan might have been exterminated today.
Reluctantly, Xiao Zhan retrieved a box from his storage ring. Inside lay the ancient jade Li Xiao coveted—the Tuo She Ancient Jade. The jade emitted a strange glow, and under the moonlight, its surface seemed to pulse as if it were breathing.
Li Xiao's eyes lit up. This was the key to opening the Tou She Ancient God Mansion. Legend had it that gathering all eight pieces of the ancient jade would reveal the shadow of the Tuo She Ancient God. The mansion's location would be seen in the shadow's eyes. Once the location was found, the jade could be used to open the cave, where treasures that could promote one to Dou God were stored.
However, the other pieces were held by several big families. Attempting to seize them now was unrealistic. Perhaps it was better to auction this piece and bide his time until he had the strength to take the rest by force.
Li Xiao nodded in satisfaction.
"Here are some healing pills and Dou Techniques as compensation for the jade piece. If you ever need anything, you can find me at Heaven Ascending Pavilion in the Magical Beast Mountain Range."
"The Magical Beast Mountain Range? Heaven Ascending Pavilion?" Xiao Zhan looked at Li Xiao in confusion. He had never heard of anyone establishing a force in such a dangerous place.
Linglong spoke softly, "Our Pavilion Master is the owner of Heaven Ascending Pavilion, a place with a history spanning thousands of years. The items auctioned there are rare and priceless."
Hearing this, Xiao Zhan's respect for the two grew. He hadn't expected them to build an auction house in such a dangerous location.
As he watched them leave, Xiao Zhan instinctively used his spiritual power to examine the contents of his storage ring. He was astonished at what he saw.
The two elders approached and did the same, discovering that all the healing pills were of Tier-3 or higher!