Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

"I know my strength is meager, far inferior to yours, but my heart, Xu Hongzhuang's heart, is clear for all heavens and earth to see!"

Xu Hongzhuang didn't pay any mind to the mockery in Yun Xiao's words; instead, she stiffened her neck and stared at the person before her, then, as if making another decision, she spoke.

"Yun Xiao, after all, he is my father. If you must kill him today, you'll have to step over my dead body!"

Xu Hongzhuang stared unblinkingly into Yun Xiao's eyes, her resolve unwavering and clearly visible, and upon her declaration, all the cultivators of Lingyun Sect were profoundly moved.

"Hongzhuang, get away from me right now!"

Xu Lingsong was terrified, his soul almost flying out of his body. Wasn't his decision for suicide made to prevent his loved ones from being harmed by Yun Xiao? Yet, to his disbelief, his precious daughter had thrown herself into the fray.

The Sect Master of Lingyun Sect was unaware of the relationship between Yun Xiao and Xu Hongzhuang and truly feared that Xu Hongzhuang's words would infuriate Yun Xiao. At that moment, he believed the youth, known for his decisive killings, wouldn't harbor the slightest bit of pity or mercy.

"Xiaolan, you... what are you doing?"

From a distance, the Sect Master's wife's face drained of color, but at this moment, she could do nothing—or perhaps wanted to do nothing—because she knew no matter what she did, it would be futile. Everything depended on the decision of the young man in plain clothes.

"Xu Hongzhuang, you think too highly of yourself. Do you believe you can make me forget the vengeance for my mother's disappearance and my sister's scattering?"

For some reason, seeing Xu Hongzhuang's eyes, which so closely resembled those of his wife from a previous life, Qinwan, Yun Xiao suddenly felt a surge of anger. He stepped forward and placed the Dragon Taming Sword right at her shoulder and neck.

"Yun Xiao, let's talk this through!"

At that moment, Xu Lingsong seemed to have forgotten the deep-seated hatred with Yun Xiao. He was well aware of how sharp the seemingly dull Wooden Sword was. Perhaps a gentle slice was all it would take to sever his daughter Xu Hongzhuang's head, wasn't it?

"Talk this through? Ha ha, Sect Master Xu, back when your Lingyun Sect annihilated my Shang Family, killed my sister, and kidnapped my mother, did you ever consider talking it through? Isn't it a bit too late for such an act now?"

Yun Xiao, overcome with rage, let out a bitter laugh. The thought of his mother enduring inhuman torture, provided he did not know where, filled him with unstoppable anger, and all of it was closely tied to Lingyun Sect.

"Yun Xiao, do it. I, Xu Hongzhuang, will have no complaints dying by your sword!"

On the contrary, Xu Hongzhuang, the one being threatened with the Dragon Taming Sword, was much calmer than her father and even had a touch of contentment in her beautiful eyes.

"Hmph, you think your life is enough to erase such deep hatred and grievance? It's not that easy."

Yun Xiao, feeling a moment of irritation, coldly snorted the next moment. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the Dragon Taming Sword gently tapped Xu Hongzhuang's right shoulder.

Although it looked like a gentle tap, Xu Hongzhuang, who was only at the Peak of the Meridian Union Realm, couldn't withstand it. With that tap, she staggered away several meters.

Bang!

The next moment, after knocking away Xu Hongzhuang with a single sword movement, Yun Xiao swung out his right leg, striking Xu Lingsong's lower abdomen with great force. The violent power poured out, kicking the already seriously injured Sect Master of Lingyun Sect more than ten meters away.

"Ptui!"

Xu Lingsong spat out a mouthful of fresh blood in midair, but what truly terrified him was the chaos in his Meridian Qi, especially when he sensed that there was no Meridian Qi left inside his Dantian, he realized what Yun Xiao had intended with that kick.

"Father!"

Seeing this, Xu Hongzhuang was horrified, fearing that Yun Xiao had knocked her aside in order to take her father's life. With a heartrending cry, she hurriedly ran to Xu Lingsong's side.

"Hongzhuang, I... I'm alright... cough cough..."

Supported by Xu Hongzhuang, Xu Lingsong's eyes showed a trace of relief because it seemed he understood Yun Xiao's intention. Since his cultivation was ruined, perhaps their feud could be considered to have come to an end.

"Xiaolan, for your sake, I shall spare his life for now. But if anything happens to my mother, I, Yun Xiao, will inevitably come back to claim this life!"

With a kick that crippled Xu Lingsong, Yun Xiao struggled within his gaze, but ultimately held back his killing intent. As his words were spoken, all the cultivators of Lingyun Sect heaved a sigh of relief.

If Yun Xiao could spare Xu Lingsong's life, he probably wouldn't strike at the lesser members of the sect. This young man named Yun Xiao was truly terrifying.

Indeed, with Xu Hongzhuang beside him, Yun Xiao really found it difficult to proceed with killing Xu Lingsong. Of course, the biggest reason why he could spare Xu Lingsong's life was that his sister was not dead yet, and his mother was likely still alive.

As for the members of the Shang Family, Yun Xiao felt no affection towards them and saw no need to avenge them. In a certain sense, when that tall and thin elder and Yu Qian led their team to annihilate the Shang Family, they did indeed save his life.

"Former Sect Master Xu, from now on, you will take the helm of the Lingyun Sect. I hope that the incidents of the past will not recur!"

Yun Xiao did not glance at Xu Hongzhuang and her father again, but turned his head towards Xu Qingyuan. He still held no ill will towards this former Sect Master of Lingyun Sect who had a deep connection with his maternal grandfather.

"Yun Xiao, as for the matters of the past, they have also reached a fitting conclusion. You and Hongzhuang…"

"There's no need to mention this anymore!"

Yun Xiao cut off Xu Qingyuan abruptly by waving his hand while the latter was about to say something. Even if his sister and mother were still alive, he knew well that he and Xu Hongzhuang could never be together again.

Moreover, having caused such chaos in the Lingyun Sect today, incapacitating Xu Hongzhuang's father, Xu Lingsong, the gap between them was now irreversible. If they were to be together again, this chasm could never be closed.

Hearing Yun Xiao's words, Xu Qingyuan and the wife of Lingyun Sect's Sect Master naturally felt a sense of disappointment, while Xu Hongzhuang, who was supporting Xu Lingsong, trembled, filling the heart of the Sect Master with even more regret.

In a certain sense, the actions of Xu Lingsong and the Great Elder Yu Qian not only destroyed the entire Lingyun Sect, but also ruined the happiness of his daughter's life.

Xu Lingsong was not only unfit to be the Sect Master of Lingyun Sect, but he was also unfit as a father. It was just too late for any regrets, as the spilled water could not be collected again.

"Take heed of this lesson!"

After these words, Yun Xiao had no desire to linger and feel the peculiar atmosphere here. After all, he had just turned eleven Elders into ash and crippled the Sect Master; he knew very well how unwelcome he was in this place.

Regarding the other cultivators of Lingyun Sect, Yun Xiao did not care too much. First, these people truly had no knowledge of the annihilation of the Shang Family; second, with the top eleven Elders killed, Lingyun Sect would likely fall to second-rate status within the Lingtian Empire.

After making his point, Yun Xiao did not delay any further. He reached out towards the sky, and a huge red shadow descended from above—it was the Blood Winged Fire-Eyed Lion.

Feeling the majestic aura emanating from the Blood Winged Fire-Eyed Lion, everyone remembered that Yun Xiao was accompanied by such a Seventh Rank Vein Demon. This young man had single-handedly defeated the Lingyun Sect without even utilizing the power of the Seventh Rank Vein Demon—what a formidable prowess that was!

"Squeak!"

The Fire Cloud Rat Chi Yan leapt up from the back of the Blood Winged Fire-Eyed Lion, seemingly discontent that Yun Xiao had not let it take part in the battle. But how could the current Yun Xiao pay much heed to this?

The colossal form of the lion shot into the sky, quickly shrinking into a tiny black dot. Observing the spot disappearing into the distant sky, everyone affiliated with Lingyun Sect stood frozen in place, unable to snap back to reality for a long time.

"Ha, Li Feng's suppression of evil, the sword's laugh for Hongzhuang—it now seems nothing more than a huge joke!"

After a long while, Xu Qingyuan's self-deprecating voice suddenly rang out, prompting everyone present to recall the matchmaking that was once hailed as a beautiful story.

The relationship between Xu Qingyuan and Yun Xiao's maternal grandfather had been profound, and the so-called "sword's laugh for Hongzhuang" had begun since then, even before the birth of Yun Xiao and Xu Hongzhuang.

Even though there was a vast disparity in strength between their respective families, it was probably never in Xu Qingyuan's heart to call off this engagement, right?

Regrettably, Xu Lingsong's decision had single-handedly destroyed what could have been a perfect union, potentially leaving both Yun Xiao and Xu Hongzhuang in pain for a lifetime.

"Hongzhuang, father... I'm sorry!"

With his meridian Qi now wasted, Xu Lingsong's years of ambition seemed to have vanished entirely. At this moment, he was just a father, filled with an indescribable sense of guilt.

"What's the point of saying these things now?"

Although Xu Hongzhuang was full of resentment, this was still her birth father. She could not bring herself to strike him down, and instead would step forward to protect him in times of life-threatening danger.

"Father, mother, grandfather, I've decided to accept Elder Meng Liyang's invitation!"

Just as everyone was deep in thought, Xu Hongzhuang's eyes fixed with determination, and her words surprised those around her, prompting them to realize something.

It turned out that after the end of the Countries Hidden Dragon Conference, Elder Meng Liyang of Demons Mountain had extended an invitation to Xu Hongzhuang, but she, aware of many unresolved major issues, did not immediately accept.

Demons Mountain on Tenglong Continent was an immensely powerful force, brimming with Beast Vein Masters whose Demon Taming Techniques were unmatched. It was uncertain what they saw in Xu Hongzhuang, as she was not a Meridian Refining Master.

Only after today did Xu Hongzhuang understand the immense gap between herself and the man she yearned for. Staying in the Hidden Dragon Continent, she would perhaps never be able to catch up with him in this lifetime. That's why, at this moment, she made such a decision.