Xu Tian strolled through the inner clan as if he owned the place. Which, in about five minutes, he fully intended to.
Disciples and servants scattered before him like startled chickens. Some recognized the gray-robed "trash" and froze in confusion. Others felt the faint pressure leaking from his body and instinctively backed away.
He paid them no mind.
His golden eyes swept the ornate buildings, pavilions, and spirit herb gardens with open boredom.
"Ugly architecture. Zero taste. Did a blind man design this clan?"
The system chimed in, voice dripping with dry amusement.
[Host, you just demolished the outer courtyard and hospitalized half a dozen people. Perhaps a little subtlety?]
Xu Tian snorted.
"Subtlety is for people who need to try."
He stopped in front of the grand Patriarch Hall, a towering structure of white jade and golden tiles. Two stone lions guarded the entrance. Several elders and core disciples had already gathered outside, faces grave.
An old man in luxurious purple robes stepped forward. His aura pressed down like a mountain: peak of Qi Condensation realm, the strongest expert in the Xu Clan.
He was Xu Tian's grandfather by blood, the current Patriarch Xu Zhan.
"Xu Tian," the Patriarch said coldly. "You dare cause chaos in the clan? Kneel and explain yourself, or I will cripple your cultivation on the spot.
"The elders behind him nodded, ready to act.
Xu Tian looked up at the Patriarch, tilted his head, and smiled.
It was not a nice smile.
It was the smile of someone who had just remembered a mildly funny joke from ten thousand years ago.
"Cripple my cultivation?" He scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "Grandpa, do you even know what cultivation is?"
The Patriarch's face darkened. "Insolent!"
He raised his hand. Qi condensed into a massive palm shadow that blotted out the sky, slamming down toward Xu Tian.
Everyone expected the trash youth to be flattened.
Xu Tian yawned.
Then he flicked his finger upward.
Ping.
A tiny sound, like flicking a pebble.
The massive Qi palm shattered into countless motes of light, vanishing without a trace.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The Patriarch's eyes widened. His arm trembled from the backlash.
Xu Tian took one step forward.
The stone lions at the entrance cracked from the middle and collapsed into dust.
He took a second step.
The ground of the entire Patriarch Hall square spider-webbed with fissures.
Third step.
Every elder below Qi Condensation coughed blood and dropped to their knees.
Fourth step.
The Patriarch himself staggered back, face pale, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.
Xu Tian stopped right in front of him, looked up with those lazy golden eyes, and spoke in the tone one might use to comment on the weather.
"Old man, your Qi is impure. Too much anger, not enough style. Very disappointing."
Then he patted the Patriarch's shoulder, gently, like consoling a child.
The Patriarch, peak Qi Condensation expert who had dominated Linxu City for decades, flew backward twenty meters and embedded into the hall's front door with a boom. The door cracked. He slid down and sat there, dazed.
Xu Tian turned to the stunned crowd.
"Anyone else want to cripple my cultivation? No? Good."
He walked past the groaning Patriarch and pushed open the broken doors of the Patriarch Hall.
Inside, dozens of high-ranking clan members sat in solemn meeting. They all jumped to their feet when the doors slammed open.
Xu Tian strolled to the highest seat, the Patriarch's throne carved from ten-thousand-year spirit jade, and sat down.
He crossed his legs, rested his chin on one hand, and surveyed the room like a bored emperor inspecting a village.
"Hello, relatives I've never cared about. Family meeting is now in session. I'm the new Patriarch. Objections?"
Dead silence.
An elder with a long white beard finally found his voice. "Y-you… this is rebellion! The ancestors' rules—"Xu Tian raised an eyebrow."
Ancestors? Cute.
"He snapped his fingers.
Crack!
Above the hall, the massive ancestor memorial tablet hanging on the wall split cleanly in half and fell, shattering on the floor.
Gasps filled the room.
Xu Tian grinned. It was a small grin, but it carried the unmistakable flavor of someone who had just broken a toy for fun.
"Oops. My hand slipped."
The system's voice rang in his mind, now openly entertained.
[Host, you are escalating rather quickly.]
Xu Tian replied aloud, causing everyone to flinch.
"Quickly? I'm being polite. Back in the day I would have erased the whole bloodline for wasting my time."
He paused, blinked, then chuckled softly to himself.
"Did I say that out loud? Weird.
"The elders exchanged terrified glances. This wasn't the trash they knew. This was something else wearing his face.
Xu Tian leaned back in the throne, spinning the Void Sovereign Ring on his finger absentmindedly.
It was a plain black ring, but every expert in the room felt their soul tremble just looking at it."New rules," he announced casually. "Rule one: I'm in charge. Rule two: Don't annoy me. Rule three: If you annoy me, I'll turn you into fertilizer for the herb garden. Simple, right?"No one dared speak.
Xu Tian sighed dramatically.
"You people are no fun. Fine, let's make this interesting.
"He pointed at a random core disciple in the crowd, a young man who had once mocked him publicly.
"You. Come here."
The disciple's legs shook as he walked forward and knelt.
Xu Tian looked down at him, eyes gleaming with sudden mischief.
"Remember when you said I should lick your shoes for spirit stones?"
The disciple turned white.
Xu Tian smiled sweetly.
"Well, congratulations. You've been promoted."
He flicked his sleeve.
A golden pill flew out and landed in the disciple's hand.
"Eat it."
The disciple hesitated.
Xu Tian's smile widened, showing a hint of teeth.
"I said eat it."
The disciple swallowed the pill in panic.
Instantly, his aura exploded upward: Body Tempering ninth layer… Qi Condensation early stage… mid stage… peak!The entire hall watched in horror as the young man's cultivation skyrocketed in seconds.
Then he screamed.
His body began to swell uncontrollably, veins bulging, skin turning red.
Boom!
He exploded into a rain of blood and meat.
Xu Tian wiped an imaginary speck of dust from his robe.
"Promoted to fertilizer. Very efficient."
Mad laughter bubbled in his throat, but he suppressed it into a soft chuckle.
"Anyone else want a promotion?"
The hall was so quiet one could hear heartbeats.
Xu Tian stood up slowly.
"Good. Meeting adjourned."
He walked toward the exit, paused, and turned back with a trollish grin.
"Oh, almost forgot. Tell Xu Lingxue I'm waiting for her. The childhood betrothal thing? I've decided it's back on.
"He winked at the stunned crowd."
But only if she can entertain me for more than three seconds.
"Then he strolled out, humming a tuneless song.
Behind him, the Patriarch finally struggled to his feet, staring at the ruined ancestor tablet and the bloodstained floor.
His voice was hoarse.
"What… what kind of monster is he?"
Far away on her mountain peak, Xu Lingxue felt a sudden chill.
Her beautiful face frowned deeper.
"That direction… Xu Tian?"
She gripped her sword tighter.
"Fine. Let's see what game you're playing."
Back near the hall entrance, Xu Tian stopped and looked up at the sky.
The system spoke curiously.
[Host, why the sudden mood swings?]
Xu Tian shrugged, eyes flashing with a glint of genuine madness for just a moment.
"Because pretending to be mortal is boring."
Then the glint vanished, replaced by lazy indifference.
"But pretending to be insane? That might be fun for a chapter or two.
"He continued walking."
Now, where's the clan treasury? I need pocket money.