Chapter 498 - 334: The Annihilation of the Zhe Family

Chapter 498: Chapter 334: The Annihilation of the Zhe Family

Su Xue nodded silently. At that moment, the group was standing on a mountain peak. The sun was setting in the west, and its lingering glow stretched their shadows out long. Su Xue faced the half-sun perched on the ridgeline, her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She calmly gazed down at the tranquil manor below. Most people would probably never imagine that the famous, first-rate Zichuan Zhe Family would reside in a place so much like a mountain village.

Years had passed, and Su Xue was long past the impetuous age of shouting for fights and kills. But the hatred was carved into her very bones! How could she ever forget it, even for a moment? The perfectly hidden flame deep within her eyes was the best proof of that.

"When I was very young, my uncle brought me here once." As Su Xue spoke of her uncle, Ling Xiao noticed a complicated expression flash across her eyes.

’Perhaps, even now, deep in her heart, Su Xue feels no hatred for the uncle who had once doted on, loved, and spoiled her.’

Having been Elders of the Shushan Sword Sect for a few years, Thirteenth Master and Fourteenth Master were far more composed than they used to be. A person’s bearing truly was tied to their character; when the two of them put on a serious face, they actually looked rather dignified and transcendent.

In front of Ling Xiao, however, the two were still rather casual. Thirteenth Master raised one of his long, sparse white eyebrows and sneered, "What’s there to discuss? Let’s just charge right in! Even if Elder Su had no quarrel with them, the members of the Zhe Family deserve to die ten thousand times over!"

Fourteenth Master added, "Exactly. Didn’t they boast that if they saw one disciple of the Shushan Sword Sect, they’d kill one, and if they saw two, they’d kill the pair? This time, we’ve crossed thousands of miles to deliver ourselves to their door. Let’s see if they have the stomach to take us!"

Tiger said nothing. Having spent so many years in human territory, he had grown accustomed to human ways of thinking in many respects. In certain matters, however, he still retained more of his beastly nature. A low growl rumbled in his throat. He couldn’t understand it. ’If you’re going to fight, just charge in. Why all the useless chatter?’

Quefeng stood there with a solemn expression. If, three years ago when he became Ling Xiao’s servant, there had been a shred of reluctance in his heart, the Quefeng of today was completely and utterly devoted. He had even come to see Ling Xiao as the true Guardian God of the Ice Sea Secret Race! From another perspective, Quefeng’s cowardice and cunning could be seen as a form of prudence. Indeed, within the Shushan Sword Sect, if one spoke of martial valor, there were Thirteenth Master, Fourteenth Master, and Tiger. For wisdom and administration, there were Shangguan Yutong and Su Xue. But when it came to mature reliability, no one surpassed Quefeng. Having someone like him around put Ling Xiao’s mind at ease.

Shangguan Yutong felt a little nervous. Strictly speaking, this was her first true battle since her power had surged.

Previous enemy provocations had always been reactive counterattacks. When it came to real combat experience, Shangguan Yutong probably had the least of anyone here. That was why, despite having the power of a Tier Six Sword Emperor, Ling Xiao had still told everyone to protect her.

Once one’s power reached a certain level, their oppressive aura alone could shock an opponent’s mind and scare them into submission. However, an incident like what happened to the young Shushan Sword Sect disciple, Fang Yuan, was not impossible! It was precisely because his combat experience was so lacking that he had made excuses about his opponent using trickery. In reality, it was just as Ling Tianxiao and the others had said: "Trickery? Kid, if this were a real battlefield, you’d be deader than dead! Who would you go complaining to?"

"What are you waiting for?" Shangguan Yutong was clad in a tight-fitting black martial suit, which perfectly accentuated her exquisite figure. Her slender waist made it difficult to imagine what kind of power a woman like her could unleash.

"I’m waiting for them to come out and face us!"

Ling Xiao smiled faintly. They were still several miles from the Zhe Family Manor, with no trace of anyone in the vicinity. ’If there were hidden sentries, how could they have possibly escaped the notice of a group like theirs?’

Shangguan Yutong was therefore a little confused. ’Could the enemy have really detected their approach?’

Sure enough, just as Shangguan Yutong was about to speak, a lone figure suddenly shot up from the distant Zhe Family Manor! Simultaneously, an immense and powerful pressure bore down on them from afar! Immediately following that, another twenty to thirty figures emerged from the manor. Their varying speeds made their different levels of power obvious.

The figure in the lead was none other than the Zhe Family’s Sword Venerable, Zhe Wushuang! He had never expected Ling Xiao to actually have the audacity to bring people to the Zhe Family Manor to seek revenge.

It’s said that even a mighty dragon can’t crush a local snake, yet Ling Xiao’s actions made his intentions obvious—he held the Zhe Family in complete contempt!

This blatant arrogance sent Zhe Wushuang into a towering rage, driving him to the brink of madness. ’To think Ling Xiao could be so conceited!’ He let out a sharp roar as he pushed his speed to the absolute limit.

"Ling Xiao! I will end this with you today! If you have any courage, you’ll face me in battle!"

His voice rolled forth like a clap of thunder, suddenly exploding by everyone’s ears.

Shangguan Yutong and the others’ expressions all changed. They never imagined an expert at the Sword Venerable Realm could be so powerful. The gap between a Sword Venerable and a Sword Emperor was like the difference between heaven and earth!

It was only now that they understood just how terrifyingly powerful Ling Xiao must have been to use an Array to trap and kill the Zhe Family’s Sword Venerable, Zhe Wanqian. No wonder countless other prominent families had coveted the Shushan Sword Sect’s Arrays back then. Even now, there were probably still many who harbored similar desires.

Ling Xiao took a single, small step forward, and the immense pressure bearing down on Shangguan Yutong and the others instantly vanished. Expressions of pure shock appeared on their faces. Since his return, Ling Xiao had never mentioned what realm his cultivation had reached, and no one had ever asked. They all sensed he had changed immensely, but they never expected him to so easily neutralize the oppressive aura of a Sword Venerable expert! And he looked so relaxed doing it. Su Xue breathed a quiet sigh of relief. ’As expected,’ she thought, ’Ling Xiao always puts your mind at ease.’