[Host has slain the Ouyang Clan's Old Ancestor. Achievement rating: Legendary.]
[Reward granted: Four-Star Dragon Fist Domain.]
[Mission settlement complete. Please continue your efforts, host.]
The system hurried to finalize the settlement, almost as if afraid Yang Cheng might achieve something even greater and force it to upgrade the reward again.
Four-Star Dragon Fist Domain?
A sharp gleam flashed through Yang Cheng's eyes.
The power of the Two-Star Domain was already terrifying beyond measure.
If he unleashed a Four-Star Domain… just thinking about it made one's scalp go numb.
In the Wasteland Realm.
"The Western Luo army has reached the foothills of Fire Dragon Mountain. Once Fire Dragon Mountain falls, all of Mozhou will be under our control," a Western Luo officer reported to Ouyang Xun.
Hearing this, both Ouyang Xun and Ouyang Yi were visibly excited.
"How long can Fire Dragon Mountain hold out?" Ouyang Xun asked.
"No more than seven days," the officer replied.
"Good. Go tell your emperor that the Ouyang Clan will continue to support him. Tell him to attack with full force," Ouyang Xun said calmly.
"Yes, ma'am."
The Western Luo soldier bowed and withdrew.
Ouyang Yi's face was filled with anticipation. "Aunt, if we take down the Great Zhou, can we capture Yang Cheng alive?"
"You're still obsessed with him?" Ouyang Xun's tone was cool. "If the Great Zhou falls, what will Yang Cheng count as? Taking him down will be child's play."
"Aunt, when that happens, please let me handle him personally," Ouyang Yi said through gritted teeth.
"I said that's a trivial matter. You don't need to ask," Ouyang Xun replied indifferently.
A moment later, Ouyang Yi left the hall and went to meet Yu Yuan, Chen Tingfeng, and Liu Zhenglin.
"Ouyang brother, what brings you here today? Your Ouyang Clan has been busy dealing with the Great Zhou Empire lately," Yu Yuan said with a grin.
"The battle against Great Zhou is basically settled," Ouyang Yi replied casually. "There's no suspense left, so I don't need to pay it much attention. Tell me, have you kept track of that Yang Cheng recently? What's he been doing?"
"He hasn't been at the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy," Chen Tingfeng said. "He probably went back to the Great Zhou."
"Even if he did, it's pointless," Liu Zhenglin added with a laugh. "Give it a little time and we'll be hearing that he's become your prisoner, Ouyang brother."
The others chuckled, their tone filled with flattery.
The Ouyang Clan was already powerful. If they conquered Great Zhou, they'd only become stronger. None of them wanted to offend Ouyang Yi now.
Just then, Yu Yuan's expression suddenly froze. He had received a message.
First came disbelief, then an odd look as he turned toward Ouyang Yi.
Ouyang Yi frowned. "Yu Yuan, what's with that look?"
Normally, Yu Yuan would have feared angering Ouyang Yi, but right now, his face was strangely conflicted—with a hint of pity.
That only made Ouyang Yi more irritated.
Before he could snap, both Chen Tingfeng and Liu Zhenglin received the same message.
Their reactions were identical to Yu Yuan's.
"What's going on with you all?" Ouyang Yi demanded.
Liu Zhenglin swallowed hard, his throat dry. "Ouyang brother… your Ouyang Clan… has been destroyed."
"Ridiculous!" Ouyang Yi roared, slapping Liu Zhenglin across the face. "How dare you curse my Ouyang Clan! Just because I've treated you like a brother, you think you can say whatever you want now?"
"Damn it!" Liu Zhenglin shouted back, clutching his face. "Ouyang Yi, who the hell do you think you are? Your Ouyang Clan's gone, wiped out! I haven't even started mocking you, and you're still acting like some young master!"
"Yeah, that's right!" Yu Yuan sneered. "You've always had a bad temper, Ouyang Yi. We've tolerated you for long enough. If we hadn't, who do you think you'd be barking at?"
"Ouyang Yi, wake up," Chen Tingfeng added coldly. "The Ouyang Clan's been annihilated. You're no longer the mighty young master you once were."
Their words struck like hammers.
Reality—cruel and undeniable—had spread faster than the wind.
In the past, they had flattered Ouyang Yi only because his background was far stronger than theirs.
Now that the Ouyang Clan was destroyed, Ouyang Yi's status had fallen below theirs.
And since he'd always had a bad temper, they had only tolerated him out of fear. Now, with his family gone, there was no reason to endure him anymore.
Ouyang Yi felt as if struck by lightning. His face twisted. "Impossible! How could my Ouyang Clan possibly be destroyed?"
But seeing the same expression on all three of their faces, he suddenly realized a horrifying truth—the Ouyang Clan might really have been wiped out.
Otherwise, they wouldn't all act like this. They wouldn't dare.
"Ouyang Yi," Liu Zhenglin said mockingly, "the fact that you haven't heard anything while we have proves it. Your clan's gone. They can't even get a message to you."
He gave a cold snort. "For the sake of our old friendship, I'll forget about the slap you gave me. But from now on, whatever friendship we had—it's over."
Ouyang Yi's expression turned ashen.
Just then, a spirit pigeon descended from the sky, landing on his shoulder.
He opened the message, and the handwriting inside made his hands tremble.
It was from Ouyang Xun: 'The Ouyang Clan has been annihilated by Yang Cheng. Flee at once. Hide your name and identity forever.'
Ouyang Yi's body went cold.
The stronger a clan was, the more enemies it had.
Before, those enemies didn't dare touch him because the Ouyang Clan stood behind him.
But now that the clan was gone, they would definitely come for him.
And worse—Ouyang Xun's letter revealed something even more terrifying: the one who destroyed the clan was Yang Cheng.
Ouyang Xun would never lie about something like this.
That realization made his heart sink completely.
It was the Ouyang Clan that had led the campaign against the Great Zhou.
Now that Yang Cheng had the power to destroy their entire clan alone, the backlash he and his aunt would face would be unimaginable.
If he didn't escape fast enough, he wouldn't even have a chance to regret it.
The moment that thought hit him, he turned and fled without hesitation.
At the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy, Ouyang Xun sat in silence, her expression blank.
Regret gnawed at her heart like billions of ants devouring her soul.
Who could have imagined things would turn out like this?
The Ouyang Clan had been fighting the Great Zhou in the Wasteland Realm, yet Yang Cheng, all by himself, had gone to the Horn Constellation Realm and wiped out their clan entirely.
When she first heard the news, she couldn't believe it.
But as she saw the looks in the eyes of the other lecturers and instructors—those subtle, knowing, pitying looks—she knew it had to be true.
How could Yang Cheng be so terrifying?
And yet, until today, she had never taken him seriously.
If she'd known he was this powerful, even with a hundred lives, she would never have dared to target the Great Zhou.
So why wasn't she running now?
Because she couldn't.
"Ouyang Xun!"
A stern voice rang out as the Head of the Law Enforcement Hall appeared before her.
"You are charged with multiple violations of the Dao Academy's laws. By order of the Enforcement Hall, you are under arrest."
Ouyang Xun laughed bitterly.
The Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy was no longer the same as it once was.
Plenty of people broke the academy's rules every day—but she had always been protected by her background.
Now that her backing was gone, she was nothing but a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
She only hoped that Ouyang Yi had escaped. If he could live, at least one spark of the Ouyang Clan might survive.
At the foot of Qilin Volcano.
Run.
Ouyang Yi was running for his life, stumbling and gasping, his heart pounding in terror.
He had to hide.
Ten years, maybe eight—he'd stay buried until the storm passed, then emerge again.
"Virtuous nephew."
A calm voice stopped him in his tracks.
A figure appeared before him—a middle-aged man.
It was Li Tong, a respected teacher of the Fist Institute at the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy, and an old family friend of the Ouyangs.
"Uncle Li!"
Ouyang Yi's eyes lit up with desperate hope. To him, Li Tong was a savior sent by the heavens.
After all, the Li and Ouyang families had been close for generations.