Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor
Chapter 41: Forty-one: In Dire Straits

Chapter 41: Forty-one: In Dire Straits

"I do not seek great fortunes, I hope sir can take me as a disciple!"

Xue Qi’s statement sounded somewhat fantastical, but upon closer consideration, it aligned with her personality, for this woman was always fond of reaching for higher branches.

Wasn’t her initial betrayal of Shang Li and his family done to climb towards Shang Huiyu, the esteemed young master of the Shang Family? Now presented with an even better opportunity, how could Xue Qi not make an attempt?

Although such words could provoke the anger of the tall and thin elder, Xue Qi had thrown caution to the wind, and she believed the chance of success was not low, because that elder seemed unusually attached to that blood-red jade.

"Girl, you’ve got guts. Aren’t you afraid I’d kill you right here?"

Regarding Xue Qi’s request, the tall and thin elder did not agree immediately. Instead, a sharp light flashed in his eyes, and he coldly uttered these words.

This tone further solidified the thoughts in Xue Qi’s mind, and she quickly responded, "I believe sir wouldn’t do such a thing, and I am confident that within the entire Shang Family, no one else but me knows the whereabouts of that blood-red jade!"

Xue Qi was certain that the tall and thin elder would not give up searching for the Blood Moon Jade, and knowing that Yun Xiao and his family would not reveal its location, she was indeed very confident.

"Not bad, you’ve got the courage and wit, though your cultivation is a bit weak, with my guidance, you’ll surely stand out!" The tall and thin elder suddenly revealed a smile, and upon hearing these words, Xue Qi’s heart soared.

It was clear from the elder’s words that he had agreed to Xue Qi’s earlier request. Compared to the Shang Family, the strength of this tall and thin elder was many times more formidable. It seemed she had truly attached herself to a higher branch.

"Girl, now you can tell me the whereabouts of that blood-red moon-shaped jade, right?" After all was said and done, the elder still hadn’t forgotten his primary intention. As for taking a girl from the Hidden Dragon Continent as a disciple, it was hardly a significant matter to him.

"Master, that blood-red moon-shaped jade is in the hands of Yun Xiao!"

Seizing the opportunity, Xue Qi immediately changed her address to "master," and as the words left her mouth, she pointed towards a young man in coarse clothing with a somewhat pale complexion.

"Yun Xiao?"

Suddenly hearing this name, several areas abruptly stirred, among them the most vehement were the Shang Family, or more specifically, the Family Head Shang Yan.

Truth be told, Shang Yan had been unaware of the intentions of the tall and thin elder and these powerful beings. Seeing their ruthless and murderous demeanor was utterly baffling to him.

Now, it seemed that the disaster inviting the powerful was brought by Yun Xiao, and Shang Yan, who had never liked Yun Xiao, now hated the young man to the bone.

It’s worth mentioning that when Xue Qi uttered "Yun Xiao," those in black clothes beside the tall and thin elder also shifted their gazes onto the young man in coarse clothing.

The black-clothed man who spoke earlier muttered, "Is that boy Yun Xiao? Only at the Middle Stage of the Meridian Introduction Realm, indeed a waste. How could such a waste be worthy of the young lady?"

The muttering of the black-clothed man seemed not to have reached the elder’s ears, as his gaze was already fixated on Yun Xiao, unwavering.

"Are you saying his surname is Yun?"

The focal point of the tall and thin elder seemed oddly bizarre, confusing Xue Qi who heard the question, but then she seemed to recall something, and quickly replied.

"Correct, Yun Xiao’s mother is of the Shang Family lineage, but his father has always been unknown!" As Xue Qi recalled her knowledge of Yun Xiao and his family, she revealed these secrets without any sense of remorse.

"Ha ha ha, truly a fortune found without seeking! Effortlessly gained!" Having received the answer he desired, the tall and thin elder laughed uproariously, his voice echoing throughout the Arena Hall, his delight unmistakable in his laughter.

"Sir, before you came, those three family members... have already been expelled from the Shang Family. So, they have no more ties to our Shang Family. Could you perhaps..."

At this moment, Shang Yan, like a drowning man grasping for a straw, hurriedly stepped forward to salute.

In Shang Yan’s view, as long as the Shang Family was not linked to that detestable youngster with the whereabouts of the blood-red jade in his hands, perhaps they could avoid disaster today.

Yet, while Shang Yan humbled himself, the tall and thin elder did not even glance his way and strode directly forward toward Yun Xiao and his mother, his gaze filled with unfathomable curiosity.

"Hand over that jade, and I promise not to kill you for now!"

The tall and thin elder outstretched his hand, and the words he spoke allowed Shang Yan, standing not far away, to sigh in relief once again. This formidable being was willing to spare Yun Xiao; surely he wouldn’t demand the lives of these unimportant individuals from the Shang Family, right?

But the tall and thin old man did not anticipate that as he extended his arm, Gao Li also stretched out her hand, and with the surge of Meridian Qi, she firmly pressed her palms onto the backs of Yun Xiao and Yun Wei.

Huff... Huff...

Shang Li had exerted all her strength in those two palms, sending two silhouettes soaring towards the doors of the Arena Hall like flying through clouds and mist, even surpassing those black-robed men lined up in a row.

"Courting death!"

This sudden change enraged the always composed tall and thin old man, who raised his right palm high, seemingly intending to smash Shang Li’s head into pieces. However, at the last moment, it seemed as though he remembered something, and transformed his palm into a finger, pressing it onto Shang Li’s abdomen.

A wave of numbness and weakness hit her, causing Shang Li to collapse weakly to the ground, though her life was not endangered. It appeared that the tall and thin old man had merely sealed her acupuncture point, sparing her life for the time being.

"Yu Qian, stop that boy!"

After dealing with Shang Li, the tall and thin old man turned back and seeing the figures of the Yun siblings nearing the doors of the Arena Hall, he shouted out once again.

Hearing this command, the chief of the black-robed men shuddered and did not dare to delay. With slight movements, he swiftly crossed the distance and caught up to Yun Xiao and his sister.

"Sister, you go first, run towards the direction of Snake Nest!"

Sensing the powerful presence looming behind him, Yun Xiao, without overthinking, pushed Yun Wei out of the Arena Hall’s doors just like their mother would.

At that moment, Yun Wei did not act coy. She knew that this opportunity had been hard-fought by her mother and younger brother. Staying here would only be a burden.

Although Yun Xiao’s push had sent Yun Wei outside, he had inadvertently brought himself within the attacking range of the black-robed men.

Fortunately, without the tall and thin old man’s command, the black-robed men did not dare to deliver a lethal blow, but the palm strike they did release was not something Yun Xiao could withstand. It seemed they had decided to severely injure Yun Xiao first, then hand him over to the tall and thin elder for disposal.

Yun Xiao knew he had no more chances to escape and seized the moment to swing his right arm in a reversal, clashing with the incoming right palm of the black-robed man.

Seeing this, the black-robed man couldn’t help but reveal a cold smirk. As a practitioner in the Spirit Vein Realm, how could he possibly care about confronting an opponent who was merely in the Middle Stage of the Meridian Introduction Realm?

Bang!

Unexpectedly, when the palms met, Yun Xiao’s right arm indeed broke instantly, but the black-robed man also did not have an easy time. He felt an intensely hot power emanating from the palm of this young boy, which startled him.

"Good lad, you even possess an Ancestor Vein, and it’s a Fire Attribute Ancestor Vein at that!"

Feeling the scorching sensation in his right palm, the black-robed man was secretly shocked, but the next moment, an excruciating pain emanated from his palm, causing this Spirit Vein Realm powerhouse to momentarily freeze.

Seeing the black-robed man’s state, Yun Xiao, bearing the severe pain of his broken arm, flashed a cold smile in his eyes and then dashed towards the outside of the Arena Hall without looking back.

"Boy, stop struggling. Come with me, and perhaps your life could be vastly different!"

However, just as Yun Xiao thought he had forged a slim chance of survival, a familiar and aged voice already resonated beside his ear, if not the tall and thin old man then who could it be?

Speaking of the tall and thin old man’s strength, he was definitely far stronger than the black-robed man in the Spirit Vein Realm, and it’s unknown how he managed to move from Shang Li’s side to the Arena Hall door in an instant. In any case, Yun Xiao’s situation seemed absolutely grim.

Yun Xiao was already severely injured, and with the black-robed man’s palm strike breaking his right arm further, he was already at the end of his tether.

Let alone the tall and thin older fighter far surpassing those in the Spirit Vein Realm, even if the young prodigy Shang Huiyu from the Shang Family came over, likely he could easily slay Yun Xiao.

"Could it be that I, as the mighty Long Xiao Battle God reincarnated, am fated to perish within this insignificant Shang Family?"

Yun Xiao felt an immense unwillingness in his heart. In his previous life, he was the undefeated Long Xiao Battle God, who mastered the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, yet he tragically fell due to betrayal by his brother and wife, leaving behind just a wisp of a remnant soul barely clinging to life, reborn in this young Yun Xiao.

However, fate seemed to mock him, as after his rebirth, Yun Xiao not only contended with a group of malicious family members from the Shang Family, but now, due to certain reasons, he faced the threat of his life once again. How could he possibly reconcile with this?

But what could he do about his dissatisfaction, when the elder’s strength was likely unmatched by the entire Shang Family combined, and furthermore, none from the Shang Family would dare to challenge such a formidable figure over a boy like Yun Xiao.