Chapter 43: Mystic Ice Spiral Kill!
"Yuan'er!"
Xiao Zhan's expression changed dramatically when he saw what was happening. He immediately gathered Dou Qi again, preparing to unleash his Lion Mountain Break.
The three elders also shouted in fury, "Jia Lie Bi, how dare you!"
But Jia Lie Bi didn't care for these noisy threats. He ignored the worsening internal injuries caused by forcibly stirring his chaotic Dou Qi. In his eyes, there was only Xiao Yuan—and that ever-confident smile of his.
"Brother!"
Xiao Yan also moved quickly, trying to pull Xiao Yuan away from Jia Lie Bi's suicidal counterattack.
"I'm fine!"
Xiao Yuan suddenly grinned. With a thought, he poured the Dou Qi from his remaining three Qi Palaces into the Black Water Qi Palace.
Then, with a burst of soft force from his palm, he pushed Xiao Yan aside. His hands swiftly formed a complex series of seals, summoning another Ice Condensation Mirror before him.
Black mist coiled in the air as a semi-transparent, dark gray mirror formed.
On the surface of the mirror was the distorted reflection of Jia Lie Bi's ferocious face. It completely blocked Xiao Yuan from sight, and the surrounding dark fog gave the mirror an ethereal quality.
Crack!
The mirror—clearly not as solid as before—shattered easily under Jia Lie Bi's attack, bursting into shards of black crystal. His deranged grin twisted even more.
"Die, you litt—"
His words halted abruptly.
Behind the shattered mirror, Xiao Yuan's lips curled in a mocking sneer. A surge of aura comparable to a Dou Shi burst from his body.
The floating black ice crystals reflected Jia Lie Bi's stunned, confused, almost ridiculous expression—each shard a silent mockery.
Xiao Yuan had finished the final seal. The mist gathered into crescent-shaped ice blades that began to rotate around him.
In the blink of an eye, the crescent blades linked together, forming a spiraling ice blade storm.
"Die, old dog Jia Lie!"
Xiao Yuan shouted, stepping back on a thin layer of dark ice beneath him. At the same time, his hand seals changed.
Xuan-Rank High-Tier Dou Technique—Mystic Ice Spiral Kill!
The black ice storm shot toward Jia Lie Bi. The latter, unable to stop himself in time, plunged straight into it.
The moment Jia Lie Bi was swallowed by the spiral, a blood-curdling scream rang out—but it was short-lived, silenced swiftly.
Xiao Yuan's figure swayed, and Xiao Yan caught him just in time. Nearby, Xiao Yu, stunned by the terrifying attack she had just witnessed, ran over, her lips slightly parted.
"Brother/Xiao Yuan, are you alright?"
Both spoke simultaneously.
"I'm fine. I used a secret technique—this time I'm truly out of strength," Xiao Yuan said, steadying himself with a smile and a shake of his head.
His five Qi Palaces were now nearly empty, and he felt waves of weakness in his internal organs.
This was the first time he had used the Qi Palace Infusion technique. It worked well, but the strain on his body was significant. Clearly, he would need to train his physique alongside his Dou Qi.
Xiao Yan checked his condition and frowned.
You call this "just out of strength"? You're completely spent!
"Brother, that was way too reckless!"
Xiao Yan said helplessly.
"Hehe, I mostly just wanted to test the secret technique. Otherwise, I'd have just run. No way I'd have taken him head-on," Xiao Yuan replied, grinning.
Beside him, Xiao Yu hesitated for a moment, then silently placed her soft hand on his back. Her gentle water-attributed Dou Qi began to replenish his energy.
Soothing...
As the nourishing Dou Qi flowed through him, Xiao Yuan's complexion visibly improved.
"You sly brat, hiding all this from us."
Xiao Zhan came up with a strange expression.
"Uh..."
Xiao Yuan closed his eyes and pretended to faint.
"Come on now, even playing dead? You've definitely got a mysterious teacher backing you. Or... are you and Yan'er learning from the same master?"
Xiao Zhan laughed and teased, full of confidence in his "logical deduction."
Xiao Yuan didn't answer, which was as good as a confirmation.
Xiao Zhan chuckled again and stepped aside to reveal the scene behind him.
The three elders were wide-eyed, staring at Xiao Yuan in disbelief.
The ground was ravaged by the aftermath of the ice blade storm. Jia Lie Bi's body, riddled with wounds, was completely encased in a dark ice shell. Under the sunlight, the ice glinted with a sinister shine.
The surrounding mercenaries were dumbfounded. Their gazes toward Xiao Yuan were filled with shock and awe—as if looking at a monster.
Was this kid really just a Fighter? Even a Dou Shi wouldn't be this terrifying!
"Not bad at all!"
Xiao Yuan looked at the frozen statue that was Jia Lie Bi and nodded in satisfaction.
His first use of a Xuan-Rank High-Tier technique—Mystic Ice Spiral Kill—had exceeded expectations.
Even if it had finished off a heavily wounded Da Dou Shi, it was still a Da Dou Shi. In Wutan City, that level was top-tier.
No need to be greedy.
"It's more than just 'not bad.' The Jia Lie family is finished now. Without Jia Lie Bi, the remaining two elders can't possibly match us. From now on, the marketplaces of Wutan City will belong to the Xiao family!"
The First Elder stepped forward, smiling brightly. Xiao Yuan looked more pleasing to him by the second.
His granddaughter had excellent taste. What a loss it would've been to overlook this talent!
"Still, Father, Elders—we must act quickly and eliminate the remaining Jia Lie elders. We can't allow them to flee and ally with the Aoba family. Now that we've made our move, we must strike swiftly and thoroughly.
"If they unite, they'll be far harder to deal with."
Xiao Yuan said solemnly, his arm around Xiao Yan.
His decisiveness caught Xiao Zhan and the elders off guard, but after exchanging glances, they understood.
Striking now would catch the Jia Lie family completely unprepared!
If they absorbed the Jia Lie family's power, within three years, they could drive the Aoba family out of Wutan City entirely.
And then—the Xiao family would reign supreme.
This was a turning point for the Xiao family's future.
Xiao Zhan was never one to hesitate. He immediately summoned a guard and ordered the clan's combat forces to mobilize and prepare to wipe out the Jia Lie family in one swift strike.
(END CHAPTER)
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