I. Tang Xiangui's Final PlayWithin moments the two Tang operatives lay beaten — a result that exceeded Tang Xiangui's expectations. He sneered from the tower. "Hmph. Strength or not, you can't match the Tang family's legacy." With a single wave the city gates swung wide and dozens of figures spilled out onto the plain."The Ten Sons of the Tang Family!" someone shouted. Tang Shirou's eyes widened; her face drained of color. These were no ordinary fighters. Each one carried overwhelming power, the Tang family's trump cards saved for the family's darkest hour.
When the apocalypse began, every top awakener in Jiangnan flocked to the Tang household for safety. Lacking manpower, Tang Xiangui took many of them as godsons — the group that came to be called the Ten Sons. Now he sent them all out at once, determined to leave Chen Xiao no path of retreat.
From the tower he laughed, voice booming: "Sons — tear him to pieces!" Tang Shirou tried to protest, but Tang Xiangui cut her off with a viciousness that froze her blood. "Shirou, don't overstep. Because of this wild man you would turn against the Tang family? Today you'll learn what happens to those who offend us!" His laughter echoed over the plain like a death knell.
Before Chen Xiao now stood eleven figures: the newly arrived Ten Sons and the wounded Beekeeper. Taunts flew from the ranks: "Ouyang Tu, you really are past it — you can't handle a kid these days." "He looks tender—should be tasty." "I can't wait to break him, to make him suffer."
II. Arrogance on DisplayThe Ten Sons radiated confidence born of unbroken victories. "Father is angry. Don't take this lightly — finish him," Tang Xiangui ordered. The sons, secure in their record, answered with disdain. When the Beekeeper warned them that Chen Xiao might not be ordinary, they only laughed. "You're old, of course you're scared. Watch and learn. We are Old Master Tang's strongest card."
They treated Chen Xiao as if he were already dead. The first to step forward was one called Scorpion — a lithe figure in a tight black suit, a half-face helmet shaped like a scorpion's pincers, with dark-gold, tail-like ornaments. His gloves ended in sharp, sting-like tips: his favored weapon.
Scorpion moved like a shadow at night, stinger stabbing out. Chen Xiao held his ground. All Things Water condensed into a spinning shield, meeting force with force and driving Scorpion back dozens of steps. "Oh? Interesting," Scorpion muttered, surprise flashing across his features.
Next came Insect Armor, hefting a massive blade and charging like an armored battering ram, unleashing a storm of slashes. Chen Xiao's water answered again — this time an invisible net, catching and dispersing every edge of the sword's qi. Panic flickered in the attackers' eyes. "Strike together!" Insect Armor barked, sensing the fight might not go to plan. "Even if a hundred of us jumped in, we'd tear him apart."
III. S-Rank Talents Unleashed — and Chen Xiao's CounterThe Ten Sons began to show their teeth. Scorpion's signature move, Scorpion Shatter (S-rank [Scorpion]), sent a cold, green lancing poison toward Chen Xiao's core. Insect Armor activated Heavy Gear (S-rank [Insect Armor]), his flesh hardening into metal. Crocodile — the one nicknamed Death Roll (S-rank [Death Roll]) — expanded into a spinning vortex that roared through sand and grit, generating a devastating shockwave.
The three S-rank techniques warped space itself and the ground trembled under the force. For a moment a faint numbness brushed Chen Xiao — a hint that a hidden, powerful opponent lurked nearby, something tied to a Black Mountain Goat bloodline. But Chen Xiao abandoned pure defense. All Things Water shifted, becoming a razor-edge long blade that flashed like a meteor. He struck: attack as the best defense.
His water-blade became a streak of light, cleaving through Scorpion's sting, shearing Insect Armor's shell, and scattering Crocodile's roll. Each move was precise, ruthless; each parry turned into a counter that left his opponents reeling. Chen Xiao moved like a storm made flesh — force and grace braided together — and the battlefield tilted in an instant.
IV. Arrogance Crumbles into PanicScorpion, once the picture of swagger, now cried out in alarm: "Why aren't you pressing the attack? What are you waiting for?!" The Ten Sons' chatter dissolved into frantic commands; their cockiness evaporated under Chen Xiao's relentless pressure. Where before they'd treated him as a stepping stone, now they felt the cold hand of dread.
This clash displayed the terrifying adaptability of All Things Water — a force that could defend, entangle, and then pivot into an unrelenting offensive blade. The Ten Sons, for the first time in their careers, discovered a gap in their certainty. What had been a parade of dominance now stood on the edge of collapse.
V. Aftermath and Curtain CallBy the end of the exchange Chen Xiao stood unbowed, a single figure cutting a channel through the Tang family's pride. The Ten Sons' momentary retreat did not heal the deeper problem: Tang Xiangui had unleashed his household's greatest weapons, and the conflict had only begun. For Chen Xiao, today's victory was a warning — the Tang family would not stop until every humiliating branch of their power lay broken. For the Tang family, the blow to their pride could not stand.
This chapter turns the wheel of escalation. It demonstrates All Things Water's lethal versatility and sets the Tang family's hubris as the very fault line that will lead to their undoing.