“My master indeed bears no grudge against your Li family. I’m not here today to slaughter indiscriminately but to offer you a chance to survive!”
The young man smirked coldly and casually tossed out a letter.
Li Clan Leader Li Yunsheng opened it, and upon reading its contents, his expression shifted dramatically.
“Arrogant! A mere Ninja Clan dares to dream of swallowing our Human Sacred Dynasty? In your dreams!” Li Yunsheng roared.
“Our Ninja Clan hails from overseas, specializing in忍界 (Ninja Realm) martial arts. Though we cannot condense martial souls, we possess忍灵 (Ninja Spirits) just as powerful as martial souls. Unlike your human race, where martial souls have all but vanished, with complete martial souls being rarer than phoenix feathers, nearly every martial artist in our Ninja Clan has a Ninja Spirit!”
The young man chuckled lightly. “Today, the four of us were sent to Tianfeng City to persuade the four major families to surrender. If you refuse, we’ll wipe out your entire clans.”
“Just you lot?” Li Yunsheng couldn’t believe it, no matter how strong this opponent seemed. Eradicating an entire clan wasn’t so simple.
In Tianfeng City, each of the four major families had at least four Martial Masters—martial artists above the seventh stage of the Martial Vein.
“Don’t believe me?”
The young man raised his hand, about to demonstrate.
Suddenly, another figure drifted over.
“Feimu, why are you here? Weren’t you sent to persuade the Wang family?”
“Feiliu, the Wang Clan Leader wouldn’t listen, so I wiped them out on a whim,” Feimu said with a dismissive shrug. “One puppet in Tianfeng City is enough. The Wang family was too weak to be of use.”
“Fair point.” Feimu glanced at Li Yunsheng with a cold smile. “Li Clan Leader, you heard that. Our Ninja Clan hasn’t been in human territory long, but our strength is undeniable. You’ve heard of Baiyun Prefecture’s Tiannin Academy, haven’t you?”
“Tiannin Academy!”
Li Yunsheng was taken aback.
Tiannin Academy was the largest martial arts academy in Baiyun Province—and currently the strongest.
It was teeming with experts. How could he not know of it?
More importantly, the Governor of Baiyun Province was its honorary dean.
And this Governor was said to be a peak ninth-stage Martial Vein powerhouse, so strong he could crush the Li family with a single finger.
Who’d have thought even the Baiyun Governor had sided with the Ninja Clan?
Li Yunsheng gave a bitter inward laugh.
He suddenly dropped to his knees, cupping his hands. “The Li family is willing to submit to the Ninja Clan!”
“Hahaha, now that’s more like it! Don’t worry, the Human Sacred Dynasty is finished. It’ll be carved up by the various races sooner or later. Serve our Ninja Clan well, and your Li family will naturally reap its rewards.”
Feiliu laughed heartily.
“Lord Feiliu, I have an impertinent request.”
“You want to kill that Ling Xiao? No need for now. Ling Xiao has potential, and our Tiannin Academy intends to recruit him. Your grudge will have to wait. Any issues with that?”
Feiliu said calmly.
Li Yunsheng frowned but ultimately nodded in agreement.
“Also, your Li Xinghui isn’t bad either. Have him come with us to Tiannin Academy. He’ll surely become a top-tier martial artist, and reaching Martial Master will be just a matter of time.”
Feiliu added.
“Couldn’t ask for more.”
This was Li Yunsheng’s honest sentiment. He felt no shame in serving the Ninja Clan. If even the Baiyun Governor had submitted, what was there for his small Li family to fuss about?
Besides, Feiliu spoke the truth.
The Human Sacred Dynasty was crumbling, its territories mostly divided among other races. It was a sinking ship with no hope in sight.
He had no desire to go down with it.
More crucially, Tiannin Academy was indeed the strongest force in Baiyun Province. Joining it meant Li Xinghui’s future was limitless. The Li family might even surpass the Shi family in Tianfeng City one day.
“Excellent. Now we’ll see how Feiyun and Feiyu fare.”
…
Elsewhere, after the Tianfeng Grand Assembly ended, Ling Xiao had intended to return to the Ling family with the others.
But before he could leave, he was stopped by Tianfeng City Lord Shi Long.
Shi Long’s face couldn’t be ignored.
He was, after all, the City Lord.
Ling Xiaotian permitted Ling Xiao to stay, though whether it was genuine goodwill was unclear.
After everyone else departed, Shi Yue led Ling Xiao to an opulent hall in the Shi family estate.
There, Shi Yulian had changed into new attire, her graceful steps adding a touch of allure.
Shi Long, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Shi Yulian’s beauty was breathtaking, the kind that stirred the soul.
No man could remain unmoved.
Ling Xiao was no exception. Seeing Shi Yulian all dolled up, his heart couldn’t help but race.
But only for a moment. Under the dual influence of the *Soul Condensation Art* and *Snow Lotus Qi Art*, he regained his calm.
Before such beauty, he saw only a pink skeleton.
Seeing Ling Xiao recover his composure so quickly, Shi Yulian felt a pang of disappointment. She hadn’t just displayed her beauty—she’d deliberately used a charm technique that could sway a martial artist’s soul.
Yet it had little effect.
This man’s willpower was beyond imagination.
And he was just a fourteen-year-old boy—truly astonishing.
“Miss Yulian, where is the City Lord?”
Though Ling Xiao looked at Shi Yulian without flinching, his eyes were clear, devoid of any desire.
“My father went to meet a guest from Baiyun Prefecture. He’ll be back shortly.”
Shi Yulian’s voice grew softer and more enchanting, as if she aimed to melt Ling Xiao with her tender charm.
“Aren’t you satisfied with just me here to keep you company?”
Ling Xiao replied sternly, “Miss Yulian, you jest. Since the City Lord has a guest, I’ll come back another day.”
“Does Young Master Ling Xiao not give Yulian any face? Won’t you even stay for a cup of tea?” Shi Yulian’s brows furrowed slightly.
She was indeed a femme fatale. Every smile, every frown was stunningly beautiful.
Even her furrowed brow carried a unique charm.
And with their proximity, Ling Xiao could smell the distinct fragrance emanating from her.
Her warmth, her breath, her enticing aura—all were vividly clear.
For anyone else, their body would’ve already heated up, blood surging.
A fine young man might’ve turned into a ravenous beast.
Yet in Ling Xiao’s eyes, Shi Yulian was a withered skeleton. No man would lust after a pile of bones.
Even if she was Tianfeng City’s top beauty.
If anything, such a sight would only inspire fear.
“Miss Yulian, please respect yourself.”
Feeling her body brushing against his, Ling Xiao suddenly stepped aside, his tone cold.
As a martial artist, he absolutely couldn’t allow anyone to get so close—even if it was a ravishing beauty.
Such proximity was far too dangerous.
Shi Yulian felt a flicker of displeasure but masked it well. She cursed her charm for not being strong enough to sway this boy.
Or perhaps his willpower was simply too extraordinary, leaving him utterly unmoved.
“Young Master Ling Xiao, do you know why my father asked you to stay today?”
Shi Yulian dropped the flirtation—it was pointless—and got straight to the point.
