The handsome young man in luxurious clothes was Qin Huiran, the youngest son of City Lord Qin Xiaotong. He possessed excellent aptitude and intelligence, but his temperament was that of a violent playboy. With a love for cruelty and conflicts, he was a bully in Qingliu City. Not to mention the general cultivators, even some dignified characters in the city didn’t easily dare to offend this young man. Now that Xiao Xi had killed Qin Huiran's personal escort and enraged him, the crowd reckoned that she, who was clearly not from a big clan, was as good as doomed. “Capture this chick for the young master!” Those guards' faces were hideously ruthless as they approached Xiao Xi. Having keen and experienced eyes, they knew right away from Xiao Xi’s leather outfit that she was not a noble, and instead was most likely from a remote tribe in the vicinity of Qingliu City. Such a small character posed no threat to them at all. The look of anger mixed with panic on her face gave them a sense of thrill, like that of a cat when it toyed with a mouse. They had to admit that the young master had good eyes. The cheap clothing could not conceal the natural beauty of the girl in front of them. She was pretty and full of life, and had a pair of long, straight, and slender legs. In a few years, she would definitely mature into a great beauty that could topple nations. As Xiao Xi was slowly forced into a corner, she shuddered with fury. Seeing that she was about to be surrounded, she couldn't endure it any more, “I'll risk my life with you!” She raised her hands and charged forward. With dao light streaming around her, she looked as though she was putting her life on the line. The guards all revealed looks of disdain. It was truly hard for them to take a small character of the longevity stage seriously. One of the guards struck out, grabbing at Xiao Xi's throat in an attempt to capture her in one go. The moment he extended his hand, however, there was a snap. His tendons and bones had burst and caused his hand to fall limply. He wailed in pain. Immediately following that, the other guards surrounding Xiao Xi issued muffled grunts one by one and collapsed on the ground like all of their bones had been broken. The whole field lurched into silence. The spectators were so appalled by the sudden occurrence that they almost thought their eyes had issues. After all, this was inside the City Lord’s Residence, and all of these guards were its elite soldiers who were above Saint-King Stage. Furthermore, many of them were on the supreme path! Despite that, they had all fallen down without a sound in the blink of an eye! Right at this moment, Lin Xun suddenly appeared and stood in front of Xiao Xi, who had also been struck dumb. He asked in a warm voice, “Are you alright, kiddo?” Looking at him, the panic and anger on Xiao Xi's face dissipated. Her eyes were slightly red as she said, “Big Brother Daoyuan, did I cause you trouble?” Lin Xun was concerned and sorry as he replied, “Trouble? Something this trivial? Just leave it to me.” He then turned around and looked at the finely-dressed youth who wasn’t far away. “What do you want!?” the stupefied Qin Huiran was alarmed. His face faltered as he coldly said, “This is the City Lord’s Residence, yet you’ve not only trespassed without authorization but also injured our guards. Are you tired of living?” With that, he waved his hand, “Men, execute this criminal!” Many guards around the City Lord’s Residence had already been alerted and rushed into the main hall. At the moment, they were all looking at Lin Xun with harsh eyes and their weapons ready. “Sir, are you going to surrender, or do we have to make you?” said one of the guards icily. His voice still echoed when the entire person got sent flying, then fell to the ground paralyzed and could never get up again. Many paled as they hadn't even been able to see Lin Xun’s attack. “I only intend to deal with the one responsible, so do not force me to kill you,” said Lin Xun indifferently. The hearts of the standing guards trembled, their expressions dim and uncertain. "What are you doing?! Attack! Kill him! Quick!" shouted Qin Huiran when he had a feeling that the situation wasn’t good for him. At the same time, he ran toward the doors to the outside. “Little bastard, didn't you say that you make the rules in this City Lord’s Residence? Why are you fleeing?” Lin Xun's eyes flashed with contempt as he grabbed through the air. Instantly, Qin Huiran looked like a small insect being viciously clutched by an invisible hand, which swung him down at the ground before Lin Xun. When he struggled to climb up, Lin Xun stomped on his back. The sound of bones breaking rang out. Despite the unbearable pain he was in, the young master of the City Lord’s Residence maintained a ferocious attitude as he shrieked, ''You're finished, dead! Once my father gets here, both you and that little bitch will die!" Lin Xun's expression was unperturbed. He exerted force in his toes, and Qin Huiran only felt as though a million swords were stabbing his heart. The infinite pain almost tore him apart. He opened his mouth wanting to scream, but he couldn't make a single sound. At this moment, he finally panicked. “Friend, have mercy!” The guards also panicked, worried that Lin Xun would really kill their young master. They now looked at him with shock and apprehension written all over their faces. In all their life, this was the first time they had encountered such a menace who dared to wreak havoc in the City Lord’s Residence. On top of that, the other party looked too calm. He clearly had no fear! “Big Brother Daoyuan, how about we just leave this at that? I'm fine,” suggested Xiao Xi worriedly. Lin Xun gently said, “You have to remember in case you have to face this kind thing again in the future: retreating means weakness. Give these people an inch, they will take a mile and look down on you. Just stand aside and see how I deal with this matter.” As this was Xiao Xi’s first time setting foot out of Yunying Village, her experience and knowledge of the world was no different from a blank sheet of paper. Lin Xun felt the need to teach her some things through this matter, for in the future when he was no longer by her side, she would have no one to protect her anymore. “Mhm,” Xiao Xi took a deep breath and stood to the side. Having calmed down, she understood that Lin Xun was doing this entirely for her sake. “His Lordship has arrived—!” an announcement resounded before long. Instantly, there was a commotion inside and outside the City Lord’s Residence. All the onlookers blocking the neighborhood instinctively moved to make a path. Everyone then saw a dignified man in a violet robe come in stride, followed by a group of subordinates. He was the lord of Qingliu City, Qin Xiaotong, who was viewed as a juggernaut by the citizens. Upon seeing the situation in the main hall, Qin Xiaotong’s expression took on a touch of gravity, and when his eyes fell on Qin Huiran who was under Lin Xun's foot, his face became livid. “Fellow Daoist, you really have no respect for me, committing violent acts in my territory, do you?” Qin Xiaotong's eyes were lightning sharp as he scanned Lin Xun, seemingly trying to figure something out. However, he frowned after seeing how bland and ordinary the latter's aura was. He couldn't judge Lin Xun’s strength at all. “Passing judgment without knowing the full situation first, is this how you normally act, old fogey?” Lin Xun was devoid of emotion. “The reason why I didn't kill this little bastard and waited here is to give you, his father, a chance to redeem for him, but that seems unnecessary now.” Qin Xiaotong's heart tensed up and his expression drastically changed, “Let’s talk it out, Fellow Daoist. As long as you let my child live, I promise that whatever you’ve done will be forgiven!” The crowd around smacked their lips. It was out of their expectation that this young man would still act so tough even in the city lord’s presence. “Brother, show forgiveness where it is possible. If you take a step back, you may find it to be a blessing,” someone couldn't help but advise Lin Xun. “That’s right, this is Qingliu City. The little girl won’t be able to participate in the selection if you offend the city lord.” “Friend, making amends with his lordship and releasing Young Master Qin is the wise thing to do here. Don't act on impulse.” Many chimed in, seemingly to pacify Lin Xun, but it was clear that they were speaking in favor of Qin Xiaotong, the powerful city lord who ruled this place. How could Lin Xun not understand this? He sneered, “How about I take your lives in exchange for this little bastard's?” The crowd shut up at once, their expressions twisting into something unsightly out of mortification. They believed that Lin Xun didn’t know what was good for him, that he clearly had a death wish! “What exactly do you want?” Qin Xiaotong stressed each word with an ashen face. “What I want is simple. If you personally cripple this little bastard’s cultivation, then I'll pretend that our conflict never happened.” “You... Don’t go overboard!” Qin Xiaotong's beard flared in rage, his eyes glowing red. If it wasn't for the fact that Qin Huiran was captured, he would have attacked. Lin Xun smiled faintly, “You think I only dare make such a demand because I have this little bastard as a hostage?” The crowd couldn't help but inwardly roll their eyes. Why is this even a question? Qin Xiaotong was thinking the same thing. The very next second, Lin Xun raised his foot and kicked Qin Huiran. The latter rolled to Qin Xiaotong's feet. “I've changed my mind. Not only do I want to cripple this little bastard, but I also want to cripple you, old fogey,” Lin Xun casually said. Seeing his son being released so easily, Qin Xiaotong was stunned. Then, he laughed ecstatically and said with a savage expression, “What the hell do you think you are? I will send you on your way now!” He strode out and made his move. A vast and violent Emperor aura spread from him, sending chills through everyone in the vicinity. However, Lin Xun merely responded with a palm strike. It instantly shattered the pressure released by Qin Xiaotong and proceeded to slap him to the floor. The man ended up falling flat on his face. The whole audience was quiet, gawking in a stupor. The hallowed city lord of Qingliu City, an Emperor expert with monstrous power and authority, actually got dominated like he’s a little fly? “You...” Qin Xiaotong's face flushed red. Distress surfaced in his eyes as he finally realized that something was amiss. His opponent was not an ordinary person, but instead a well-concealed tough nut! "You’ve only now realized? Too late." Lin Xun's eyes were cold and eerie. He was about to attack, but right at this juncture, an old but vigorous voice rang out, “Young man, it's better to squash enmity than to drag it on. Can you give this old man face and stop here?” In the echo of the voice, the withered figure of a tall old man appeared in the hall. A terrifying pressure also began to fill the grand hall. The spectators inside and outside the City Lord’s Residence stopped breathing in shock and trepidation. Immediately after, they recognized the identity of the old man. Their eyes went wide open as they uncontrollably showed looks of awe. Water Cloud State encompassed over a hundred cities, and Qingliu City was only one of them. Meanwhile, this old man named Huo Xingdu was the lord of Water Cloud State. He was a mighty Emperor Ancestor of monstrously lofty status! ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝•𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝘯𝘦𝘵