Xiao Tian observed the blood seeping from Ling Quan's chest, though the wound was not overly deep. "Are his robes forged from something special?" he mused aloud, but he did not grant his opponent a moment to recover. The sword in his hand swept forward again, pressing Ling Quan without pause.
Ling Quan desperately drew a long blade to parry, yet each of Xiao Tian's strikes bore an unrelenting flame that clung and burned, compounding the severity of his injuries. With a final heavy blow, Xiao Tian drove him into the earth. Ling Quan spat fresh blood, crumpling onto the ground as he struggled in vain to rise.
Xiao Tian had long since found this man insufferable. If he did not beat him into submission now, the fellow would surely become an irritant when he later set foot in the Gu Clan. The Heaven Slaying Divine Sword disappeared from his grasp, and in its place he summoned a Black Demon lightning—a force potent enough to obliterate even a Half‑Saint. Step by step he walked toward the fallen Ling Quan, each footfall carrying an immeasurable weight.
He focused that Black Demon lightning onto the tip of his finger and touched it against Ling Quan's body. The man convulsed without end; the spot where the finger met flesh hissed and sizzled. Xiao Tian watched the twitching form, a soft laugh escaping his lips—yet to Ling Quan's ears it was the whisper of a devil. Again he gathered the lightning, bringing it close, and the instant it touched him, Ling Quan's body jerked violently, his desperate attempts to escape proving utterly futile.
"Stop! Stop shocking me!" Ling Quan cried out in terror, his eyes brimming with despair and agony. Each convulsion left him more dishevelled than before.
Xiao Tian withdrew the lightning and gazed down at the man before him. No trace of neatness or handsomeness remained; he was utterly bedraggled, wisps of smoke rising from his hair. Yet the cultivator's hair proved resilient—where an ordinary person would have stood on end, his merely smouldered. The wound on his chest was already charred black, the exposed flesh faintly carrying the scent of roast meat.
Xiao Tian planted his foot upon Ling Quan's head and regarded him with playful scorn. "Didn't you intend to teach me a lesson? How is it that you fell first?"
"In the future," Xiao Tian continued, "do not be so arrogant merely because you hold some small position. Today is only a token lesson. I will take your right hand as repayment for your disrespect to the Xiao Clan. Do not let me set eyes on you again, or I shall let you taste that lightning once more. And tell your clan elder this: I am the Xiao Clan's chef, and no matter how weak we have become, we remain the Ancient Xiao Clan. In time, I shall come to collect the interest on the Heavenly Tomb Key, for it belongs to us. If you dare hinder me, then try. I do not desire war, but my Xiao Clan fears no one. If we fail to reclaim what is ours, then war between the Xiao Clan and the Gu Clan shall be inevitable. Just because Gu Yuan is a late nine‑star Dou Sheng does not grant him the right to do as he pleases. He does not even know why he cannot become a Dou Di, nor why my ancestor—the mightiest among us—perished while he still lives."
With those words, the Black Demon lightning reappeared in Xiao Tian's hand, crackling with a sharp sizzle. Ling Quan's entire body trembled at the sound, and the next moment his hand was severed.
Xiao Tian kicked him onto the back of the remaining flying magical beast. The beast cast a glance at Xiao Tian before carrying the broken, severely injured Ling Quan back the way they had come.
Before long, the flying beast rejoined the main party. The other Black Annihilation Army members stared at the dishevelled, grievously wounded Ling Quan on its back and hastened to his side. "Deputy Commander, were you attacked?"
Xun'er's cold voice cut through. She observed Ling Quan's injuries, the missing hand, and the lingering aura—and coupled with the earlier sounds of battle, she instantly understood that Xiao Tian had dealt these blows. "Everyone, return to your posts now. We head back to the clan."
Hearing Xun'er's command, the other Black Annihilation Army soldiers could only administer a pill to Ling Quan and resume their original positions. Ling Quan himself longed for nothing more than to leave this nightmarish place as swiftly as possible.
After all had departed, Xiao Tian stood with his hands clasped behind his back upon the high mountain, gazing into the distant sky in the direction Xun'er had gone. A figure appeared behind him, and an aged hand patted his shoulder.
"Not bad. Plenty of spirit—though a touch impulsive."
"I am not afraid," Xiao Tian replied. "Should they seek revenge, I am indeed no match for them at present. But if I conceal myself in some place they cannot find and cultivate for ten years or so, what can they do to me?"
He was not troubled by this conflict with the Black Annihilation Army. Gu Yuan had always been a man who weighed advantages above all else. The talent Xiao Tian had displayed already far exceeded that of a deputy commander and whatever face the Black Annihilation Army wished to preserve. Moreover, a single deputy commander could not represent the entire army.
And if he were truly cornered, he would break the seal of the Demon Flame Realm and release the hundreds of servants of the Purifying Lotus Demonic Flame. His ancestor Xiao Chen was also present there, though Xiao Tian lacked the strength to control them now, and thus he did not wish to open that door just yet.
"As long as you know what you are doing. Young people are indeed wonderful. I look forward to the day you stand at the peak of this continent." The elder chuckled. "Tomorrow is the Heart Flame Body Tempering; after that, it will be time to lift the seal. The initial preparations are nearly complete—we are only awaiting the arrival of your Pure Heaven Divine Palace."
Xiao Tian looked at Su Qian. "How long does the Heart Flame Body Tempering take?"
Su Qian thought for a moment. "Based on past instances, usually three days."
"Three days, then. They will arrive by then, and we can begin breaking the seal."
Xiao Tian nodded slightly at the proposed time.
Seeing that everything was settled and trusting Xiao Tian's character enough to believe he would not abandon him, Su Qian chuckled again, gave Xiao Tian's shoulder a light pat, and then walked off into the forest.
Xiao Tian faced the sky toward the Black‑Corner Region. The matters at Jia Nan Academy were largely resolved; Pure Heaven Divine Palace would have an abundance of fresh blood in the future. All that remained now was the Black‑Corner Region itself.
After standing there a while longer, Xiao Tian unfurled his Dou Qi wings and flew back to his room within the pavilion. Then he entered the Pure Heaven Divine Realm. Seeing that he returned alone, everyone understood that Xun'er had departed.
One by one, they gathered around to comfort him. Xun'er had already told them she was returning to her clan. Even Queen Medusa, though she did not approach, watched Xiao Tian from a distance with a flicker of concern in her eyes. When their gazes met, she abruptly looked away.
The girls pressed close, tugging at him or wrapping their arms around him, murmuring soft reassurances.
"Do not worry. I will bring Xun'er back very soon. I believe we shall be reunited quickly," Xiao Tian said.
"Mm, mm, I believe you. Sister Xun'er said she would wait to come back," Ya Fei replied, hugging his arm and leaning deeply into him, a gentle smile on her face.
Xiao Tian looked at the understanding souls around him, and a relieved smile bloomed on his own face. The group sat together in the pavilion, chatting and laughing, and the sorrow of Xun'er's departure slowly faded.
Queen Medusa, too, was swept up by the atmosphere. Even her ordinarily cold and beautiful self could not help but cherish this feeling, and the corner of her lips curved faintly upward. Yet when her gaze fell upon Xiao Tian, she saw him constantly embracing the girls, chatting and jesting about the world—but his hands were far from idle.
Feeling an inexplicable displeasure, she spoke teasingly, "Xiao Tian, Xun'er mentioned that you are keeping another beauty hidden away in the academy. When do you intend to bring her in for us to meet?"
Medusa's words instantly turned the collective attention of the girls upon him. Four small hands crept stealthily toward the soft flesh at his sides, poised and ready to twist.