Chapter 14

 A calm, commanding voice echoed through the grand hall, cutting through the chaos like a blade.

"Did you just say I was trash?"

The words were spoken without anger, yet the suffocating weight behind them made everyone's breath catch.

"And are you planning to destroy my family?"

The crowd turned, their eyes drawn toward the entrance. A young man had appeared, though no one noticed when he had arrived. His presence was otherworldly, his appearance striking. He had flawless, porcelain-like skin, and his phoenix-shaped eyes held a deep, hypnotic gaze that seemed to peer into one's soul. His sharp, angular features, paired with a perfectly sculpted jawline, were the epitome of elegance.

His long, silky black hair was tied into a high ponytail with a jade ornament, the dark strands gleaming under the flickering lantern light. He wore a flowing white robe embroidered with intricate golden patterns, radiating nobility and power. A faint smile tugged at his lips, exuding both charm and an undercurrent of danger.

The room was frozen, the air heavy with disbelief. Whispers broke the silence.

"Who… Who is that?"

"Is he a celestial being? How could a mortal have such a presence?"

The young man's steps were unhurried as he crossed the hall, each step carrying an unspoken authority. He stopped in front of Li Jian, the head of the Li Family, who had fallen to his knees from the sheer pressure emanating from this enigmatic figure.

The young man's sharp gaze bore down on him.

"Did you say you were going to kill my entire family?"

His voice was calm, eerily calm, yet it carried a biting edge that made the temperature in the room plummet.

"T-that… I… I…" Li Jian stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence under the young man's gaze.

"What's wrong?" the young man tilted his head slightly, his smile widening into something both mesmerizing and terrifying. "Why are you suddenly stuttering?"

Desperation flickered in Li Jian's eyes. Gathering what little courage he had left, he managed to croak, "W-who are you?"

"Me?" the young man chuckled softly, the sound both soothing and unsettling. "I'm nobody. Just the trash you spoke of earlier."

Gasps erupted from the onlookers.

"Trash?" someone murmured.

"Impossible! This man can't be that trash!"

Li Jian's eyes widened in disbelief. "You… You're Xiao Ming?"

The name sent shockwaves through the crowd. Even members of the Xiao Family who hadn't seen him in years struggled to believe their eyes. The figure before them was unrecognizable from the Xiao Ming they once knew.

"Indeed," Xiao Ming replied, his tone steady, his gaze unwavering. "It seems your memory isn't as poor as your judgment."

"But… how is this possible? Weren't you just an outer disciple at the Core Formation stage?" Li Jian's voice was filled with disbelief and fear.

Xiao Ming said nothing, but the suffocating aura radiating from him answered the question. This was no ordinary Soul Transformation cultivator. The strength emanating from him was oppressive, like the weight of ancient mountains. Li Jian felt as though tens of colossal dragon elephants loomed over him, ready to trample him into the dirt.

Even Li Jian's status as a Void Ascension cultivator offered no comfort. Beneath this pressure, he felt utterly powerless.

"Brother Ming!" Xiao Mei's voice broke the tension, her face lighting up with joy.

Xiao Ming turned toward his sister, his gaze softening. "Mei'er." He smiled warmly. "Father, sisters, it's been a while." His voice carried a rare gentleness.

He glanced around the room, taking in the faces of his family members. "Don't worry. Let me take care of this first. We'll catch up properly afterward."

The crowd watched in awe, unsure whether to feel relieved or intimidated by his shift in demeanor.

Turning back to Li Jian and the others, Xiao Ming's expression turned cold once more.

The head of the Jin family and Hu's family were, desperate, seeing the tides turning against them, scrambled to speak. "Xiao Ming, this is a misunderstanding! The Jin Family has always been on good terms with the Xiao Family! It was all Li Jian and his son Li Wei's doing!"

"Yes, yes! It was Li Jian and his son, Li Wei!" the Hu Family head chimed in, eager to distance himself from the Li Family. "We were forced to cooperate!"

Xiao Ming's gaze flickered to Li Jian, who was now visibly trembling.

Realizing the others were abandoning him, Li Jian panicked but tried to appear defiant. "Xiao Ming, even if you're powerful and have backing, don't forget—my son's master is a Transcendence realm cultivator and the leader of the Roaring Lion Sect!"

"You dare shift blame now?" Xiao Ming's voice was soft, but it carried a dangerous undertone. "And you dare threaten me with the Roaring Lion Sect?"

Xiao Ming chuckled, the sound low and menacing. "And Did you misunderstand something?" He raised a hand, snapping his fingers.

ROAR!

ROAR!

ROAR!

The deafening sound of nine roars shook the heavens. An overwhelming aura descended upon Moonshade City, suffocating everyone beneath its might.

"Look in the sky!" someone cried. "Is that… a dragon?"

"Dragons? No, wait… those are flood dragons! And there are nine of them!"

"Above Void Ascension… No, they must be at least in the Transcendence realm!"

"Are Spirit beasts? Attacking the city?"

Nine enormous flood dragons descended, their shimmering scales reflecting the sunlight. Each exuded the aura of a Transcendence-level beast. The crowd below quaked in fear, some collapsing to their knees.

"Wait! Look closer—they're actually pulling a chariot!"

The golden chariot gleamed as it descended, flanked by elite guards clad in resplendent armor. The Xiao Family Mansion became the epicenter of awe and terror.

Li Jian could no longer speak. His lips quivered as he stared at the scene before him.

"This pressure…" Xiao Ming said, his voice carrying through the hall, "isn't from my 'backer'—it's from my ride."

Li Jian collapsed, his courage shattered not just at the sight of the flood dragons but at the golden guards following the chariot. Only core disciples or Holy Sons of the Divine Blue Sect commanded such authority.

"Xiao Ming… this… this is a mistake…" Li Jian stammered, trying to salvage the situation.

SLAP!

The sound echoed like a thunderclap, silencing the entire hall. Xiao Ming's hand, brimming with the overwhelming power of his Immortal Bone and the Sacred Beast's Prison-Breaking Power, struck Li Jian with unstoppable force. The Void Ascension cultivator didn't even have a chance to resist as his body was sent crashing into the wall like a ragdoll. Blood spilled from his lips as he slumped to the ground, unconscious, his aura shattered beyond repair.

Xiao Ming lowered his hand, his expression calm, yet the terrifying pressure he emitted sent shivers down everyone's spines. His gaze turned to the deacon who had accompanied him.

"Deacon Chu," Xiao Ming began, his voice steady but commanding, each word carrying an undeniable authority that brooked no defiance, "from this moment onward, Moonshade City will have only one major family. The Xiao Family. You know what to do with the rest."

Deacon Chu bowed deeply, sweat beading on his forehead. "Yes, Master Xiao. Your will shall be done." he was also very grateful that he followed Xiao Ming here before he had some doubt whether the side he had chosen was right or wrong but now he knows for sure that Xiao Ming will not be satisfied with only core disciple status.

Xiao Ming's lips curled into a faint, chilling smile. "Good." He turned his attention to the golden-armored guards who stood by, their towering presence adding to the suffocating atmosphere. "Golden Guards, you will assist Deacon Chu. Erase the remnants of these people. Leave no room for their return."

The guards thumped their fists against their chests in unison, their voices booming. "Yes, Master!"

The hall fell silent as Li Jian and the other invaders were dragged out like defeated animals. Xiao Ming's presence filled every corner, oppressive and absolute.

Xiao Ming turned back to his family, his gaze softening ever so slightly. 

The air was heavy with awe, none daring to speak out of turn. Even his family, overwhelmed by the sheer transformation of the man they once knew, their eyes filled with equal parts pride and disbelief.