"I said I would go back by myself, so why did you all come all this way?"
Xun'er's expression was quite cold due to Ling Quan and the others' arrival, which interrupted her time with Brother Tian, so even her words carried a chill.
"The Clan Elder ordered it, so we could only obey," Ling Quan smiled slightly, then looked at Xiao Tian and asked with a smile, "You must be Master Xiao Tian of the Xiao Family. The Clan Elder ordered that if we saw anyone from the Xiao Family, we could inquire about the key's whereabouts. Would you mind telling us where the key is?"
Xun'er, standing nearby, tensed up momentarily and glanced at Xiao Tian without showing it.
Xiao Tian frowned, looking at him in confusion. "Key? Have the dogs of the Gu Clan become so arrogant that they openly demand the Xiao Clan's key? It seems that living in your secret realm, you've forgotten that you were once nothing but ants before my Xiao Clan."
Ling Quan was angered by the insult, but he could not say anything about it.
"No matter, my main task this time is to bring Miss back to the clan. The Clan Elder misses Miss Xun'er dearly," Ling Quan smiled slightly, stepped aside for Xun'er, and said respectfully.
Xiao Tian glanced at Xun'er beside him, directly wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her into his embrace. Ling Quan, seeing Xiao Tian's action, instantly turned grim.
Xiao Tian and Xun'er both felt the faint fluctuation of Dou Qi, but neither paid it any mind. The current Xiao Tian gave Xun'er ample confidence.
Xiao Tian gently stroked Xun'er's smooth hair, buried his head in her beautiful hair, took a deep breath of her body and hair scent, and whispered softly in her ear, "You cultivate well in the Gu Clan. I'll come to pick you up soon. No one will be able to stop me."
By the end of his words, Xiao Tian's tone carried an incredibly firm resolve.
"Okay, I'll wait for you!" Xun'er thought of Xiao Tian's current cultivation speed, realizing it wouldn't take long for him to reach Dou Zong or even Dou Zun, so she nodded heavily, her heart full of anticipation.
"However, when I'm not around, you have to restrain yourself a bit. Otherwise, don't blame me for ignoring you."
Xun'er, thinking of Xiao Tian's philandering nature, "gritted her teeth" and whispered something in his ear. After saying this, her tone instantly changed, becoming bashful. "Once I reach Dou Sheng, we can…"
When Xiao Tian heard the words Dou Sheng and her bashful words, he knew what she meant. He caressed her waist and chuckled mischievously. "Can what?"
"Oh, Brother Tian, you're too naughty…" Xun'er saw Xiao Tian's expression and knew he must have guessed what she meant.
She stomped heavily on Xiao Tian's foot, then, with a slight blush, pushed him away. Tapping her toes, a pair of golden wings appeared behind her. With a gentle flap, Xun'er's delicate body quickly flew toward a flying magical beast, landing steadily on its back. Then the flying magical beast flapped its wings, carrying Xun'er as it soared into the distant sky.
The other Black Annihilation Army members and flying magical beasts quickly followed, escorting the flying magical beast carrying Xun'er.
Xiao Tian watched the departing Xun'er and called out, "Xun'er, wait for me!"
"Brother Tian, Xun'er will wait for you forever!"
Xun'er's clear yet trusting voice came from afar, creating echoes.
Hearing Xun'er's words, Xiao Tian's lips curled into a slight smile. He looked at Ling Quan, who was still standing in place, raised an eyebrow, and said indifferently, "What, Deputy Commander Ling Quan, aren't you leaving yet?"
"I'm not in a hurry," Ling Quan's perpetually smiling face no longer pretended to be amiable. He instantly became grim, his eyes cold as he stared at Xiao Tian. "With your current background and strength, you are simply unworthy of Miss. Your Xiao Family is now like a stray dog, and your Xiao Clan has declined. Only true powerhouses on the continent are worthy of Miss. You still…"
Slap!
Before Ling Quan could finish speaking, a slap landed on his face before he could react.
It was Xiao Tian who struck. He shook his hand. "Watch your words. If you don't know how to speak, I can teach you for free. Also, I am currently the Xiao Clan's chef, and my status is the same level as Gu Yuan and all the Ancient Clans' chefs. You are nothing but a younger generation to me. If you dare to disrespect me, then I will destroy your nine generations."
Ling Quan, who was sent flying, stabilized himself after tumbling a few times in the air. This was only possible because he was a Dou Huang; anyone else would have been rolling on the ground. There was a clear slap mark on his face, and his eyes were filled with shock and fury as he glared at Xiao Tian. "You… you dared to lay a hand on me!"
Ling Quan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Hearing Xiao Tian's words, the anger in his heart intensified. He, who had always been proud, had never suffered such humiliation. The fire-attribute Dou Qi throughout his body constantly surged, and the aura of a Six-Star Dou Huang continuously erupted.
"With Miss protecting you, I won't kill you, but I'll give you a lesson you'll never forget, so you learn to behave yourself from now on. I will become your nightmare."
Ling Quan's body surged with killing intent, and his heart was boiling with murderous rage.
"Oh, I'd very much like to see that."
After Xiao Tian finished speaking, he simply raised one finger toward the sky.
In an instant, a single bolt of pure, multi-colored lightning tore through the clear sky and descended with a deafening roar. The colored lightning was extremely condensed and carried an extremely pure and destructive aura.
Ling Quan's pupils shrank violently.
"Colored lightning… Pill Lightning?!"
The surrounding Gu Clan members, including the Black Annihilation Army experts who had not yet flown far, all turned their heads in shock. Their faces were filled with disbelief.
"How is this possible?!"
"That is pill lightning only seen when refining high-grade pills… and he summoned it with just a raise of his finger?!"
"A Xiao Clan member… can actually control Colored Lightning of this level?!"
Even Ling Quan, who was a Six-Star Dou Huang, felt a deep sense of dread rising from the depths of his heart. The single colored lightning in the sky was not ordinary. Its pressure alone made his soul tremble.
Xiao Tian looked at Ling Quan with piercing eyes, completely calm.
Just as Ling Quan was about to make a move, the colored lightning above suddenly contracted and shot downward like a divine spear.
"Mortal World Destruction!"
The single bolt of multi-colored lightning crashed down with overwhelming force.
Ling Quan could only watch helplessly as the colored lightning descended. At the last moment, he unleashed his full power and Dou Technique in an attempt to resist, but the lightning had already arrived. He had no time to properly block it and could only condense Dou Qi in front of his chest.
The colored lightning instantly shattered his defense. The powerful impact sent him flying like a broken doll, crashing heavily into the ground and creating a deep crater.
"This… how is this possible? Impossible, absolutely impossible…"
Ling Quan struggled to push himself up from the ground, his eyes filled with pure disbelief as he stared at the residual multi-colored lightning still flickering in the air.
Far in the distance, Xun'er and the other Black Annihilation Army members felt the powerful energy fluctuation behind them. When Xun'er sensed the auras of Xiao Tian and Ling Quan mixed with the terrifying presence of the colored lightning, she slightly frowned, a complicated look flashing through her eyes.