Bang!
As soon as Ling Hu spoke, a surge of force shot from Cao Xueqing’s hand, striking his chest. Ling Hu spat out a mouthful of blood, his body slammed to the ground, the iron chains linking him to Ling Zhongqian and other Ling family members causing them all to shudder.
“Ling Hu!” Ling Zhongqian frowned, calling out in concern.
“I’m fine!” Ling Hu struggled against the black iron chains, standing with difficulty, glaring at Cao Xueqing. “You wretch, if you’ve got the guts, release me and fight fair. I’ll kill you in one move!”
“Hmph, you’re not worthy!” Cao Xueqing sneered, unleashing another palm strike. The force hit Ling Hu, sending him flying, only to be yanked back by the chains, crashing half a zhang away, another spurt of blood escaping his mouth.
Yet Ling Hu stood defiantly again, shouting, “Wretch, kill me if you dare, or I’ll end you one day!”
Cao Xueqing’s expression darkened, ready to strike again, but Cao Ting’s shout interrupted, “Enough! Don’t waste time on him. Kill three others first.”
“Hmph!” Cao Xueqing snorted coldly, ignoring Ling Hu, her gaze shifting to the other Ling family Martial Venerables. A glint of killing intent flashed in her eyes, and an icy aura surged from her, sweeping across the square.
Ling Hu’s eyes narrowed, and he roared, “Wretch, if you dare kill my Ling family, when my brother returns, he’ll wipe out your entire Cao family!”
“If he dares come, I’ll kill him!” Cao Xueqing retorted, her palms ready to strike.
“Roar!!!” A powerful aura erupted from Ling Hu, surging rapidly. At that moment, a thunderous voice echoed from the horizon, “Stop!!!”
“Lin Xiao!” Ling Hu’s heart leapt with joy, immediately halting his attempt to burn his essence blood and break the chains to attack Cao Xueqing.
Cao Xueqing paused, looking up, a cold light flashing in her eyes.
The Cao family members and countless onlookers were startled, turning toward the source of the voice. A golden light appeared as a youth’s figure sped toward Ling family city, finally stopping above the square.
Lin Xiao, no longer masked, revealed a clean, resolute face, still carrying a trace of youthful charm despite being under twenty.
“Lin Xiao, you actually dared to show up!” Seeing such a young face, Cao Ting’s expression darkened. A seventh-realm Martial Lord like him had been outwitted by this kid, and the entire Cao family had suffered massive losses because of a youth not even twenty.
Fury radiated from the other Cao family members, their faces flushed with anger.
Cao Xueqing’s icy aura, like eternal frost, swept across the square, chilling the onlookers.
“He’s Lin Xiao? So young? He has the strength to kill Cao Yuhua and stir up such chaos?”
“He looks ordinary, with average charisma. Though his second-realm Martial Venerable cultivation is impressive, I don’t believe he killed Cao Yuhua himself. It must’ve been Mei Tianmo’s doing.”
“Exactly, I don’t believe he has that kind of power or the ability to spark a war between two families. It must all be Mei Tianmo’s work!”
“I think so too, but why is he here alone? Where’s Mei Tianmo?”
“Mei Tianmo’s not a fool. The Cao family’s set up an inescapable trap. Coming here is suicide. Ling Hu is Lin Xiao’s brother, not Mei Tianmo’s. She’s a spirit beast; the entire Ling family could be wiped out, and she wouldn’t care.”
“But the Cao family’s message didn’t mention Mei Tianmo, only that Lin Xiao needed to show up…”
Whispers rippled through the crowd, all curiously eyeing Lin Xiao.
The Su and Guo family members glared with anger. They had witnessed this youth attempt to ally with their families against the Cao family in Su family city, only to kill Xu Wei, luring Xu Qin and their patriarchs to their deaths.
The Ling family’s expressions were complex. Some resented Lin Xiao, but with the Cao family crushing them with a single word, their protests were futile.
“He’s the one who killed Xu Wei?” a Xu family expert in a pale robe sighed in disbelief from the shadows.
“This youth is extraordinary. If he grows, he might not be inferior to Xu Changkong,” said a white-robed elder with an ethereal air beside him.
“No way, is this kid that monstrous?” the pale-robed expert exclaimed in shock.
“Xu Changkong doesn’t have this kid’s boldness. With Cao Tianchao’s temperament, for the Cao family to go to such lengths against a junior, he must have astonishing secrets or extraordinary treasures. Otherwise, they wouldn’t bother,” the white-robed elder said calmly.
“The Void Sky Phoenix Wings under his feet?” The pale-robed elder’s eyes fixed on the wings, a greedy look crossing his face. “Should we snatch him?”
The white-robed elder shook his head. “Let’s wait and see. It’s not just the wings. If he has something that valuable, Cao Tianchao wouldn’t let us take it so easily.”
In the void above Ling family city’s square, Lin Xiao stood on the Void Sky Phoenix Wings, scanning the scene. Seeing Cao Ting, Cao Gang, Cao Dong, Cao Xueqing, and other familiar faces, along with four other Martial Lords and dozens of Martial Venerables, his eyes grew cold.
He hadn’t expected the Cao family to deploy so many experts to deal with him.
The Ling family, let alone facing such a force, couldn’t resist even two Martial Lords.
Against such overwhelming power, escape was impossible.
Seeing hundreds, even thousands, of men, women, and children bound in the square, and Ling Hu’s bloodied mouth, a raging fury surged in Lin Xiao’s heart.
“Cao Ting, your mighty Cao family uses such despicable tactics to lure a junior like me. Isn’t that a bit too shameless?” Lin Xiao’s face darkened as he shouted at Cao Ting, standing at the front of the Cao family.
“Hmph, despicable? When it comes to despicable, I’m afraid neither of our two great families can match you alone,” Cao Ting retorted coldly, his face also burning with anger. But deep down, he quietly sighed in relief. Lin Xiao had finally been lured out. If he’d stayed hidden, even slaughtering the entire Ling family wouldn’t restore the Cao family’s reputation and would give their rivals, the Xu family, leverage in their competition. With Lin Xiao here, they were certain he was doomed.
