Nalan Yanran's delicate body trembled slightly. She whispered, "Uncle Xiao…"
It wasn't something she had wanted either. But as a woman, she yearned for the freedom to love. She had never even met Xiao Yan—how could she be expected to grow old with him? In the past, she lacked the power to resist, so she could only accept the arrangement. But now that she had the ability to decide for herself, wouldn't any young woman do the same? Perhaps this was a cruel humiliation to Xiao Yan, but to Nalan Yanran, it was a matter of lifelong happiness and freedom.
"Heh… Just call me Clan Leader Xiao," Xiao Zhan replied coldly, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm not worthy of being called 'uncle.' You're the future leader of the Yunlan Sect, destined to be a prominent figure on the Dou Qi Continent. My son, Yan'er, is just an average talent. He truly isn't worthy of you."
"Thank you for your understanding, Clan Leader Xiao." Hearing that, Ge Ye, who stood to the side, was overjoyed. He quickly offered a flattering smile and said, "Clan Leader Xiao, our Sect Leader is aware that today's request may seem improper. That's why he had me bring a gift as a token of apology."
As he spoke, Ge Ye gently rubbed the ring on his finger. A jade-green, ancient-looking box suddenly appeared in his hand out of thin air.
He opened the box carefully, and a strange yet pleasant fragrance instantly filled the hall. Everyone who inhaled it felt an inexplicable sense of clarity and refreshment.
The three elders leaned in curiously to peer into the jade box. Suddenly, their expressions shifted dramatically. One of them exclaimed, "Qi-Gathering pill?!"
"What a bunch of bumpkins," Goku sneered at the elders' astonishment. "Getting worked up over such a low-grade pill… How pathetic. Only in a place like this would that be impressive."
"Hey! Qi-Gathering pill isn't that bad!" Ya Fei argued. But honestly, her own perspective wasn't all that high yet—she couldn't really refute Goku's words.
"Stop making such a fuss. You're with me now, aren't you? That means you've got some status. I'll show you what real divine pills are like," Goku said with a smirk, patting Ya Fei gently on the shoulder in a way that made it clear he was copping a feel under the guise of sincerity.
Ya Fei rolled her eyes at him, the flirtatious motion full of charm. The look in her eyes made Goku's heart skip a beat.
"Who's with you?" she shot back. "I'm only sticking with you out of necessity. And besides, we're just nobodies—we can't compare to someone as strong as you!"
"Nobodies?" Goku grinned wildly. "If you agree to become my wife, even a Dou Emperor would have to behave in front of you!"
His bold declaration startled everyone present. They all shot him looks like he was crazy. Even Ya Fei couldn't help but give him that exact look.
"Hey, hey! What's with that face? Want me to show you what I'm made of?" Goku said, clearly annoyed, as he rolled up his sleeves, ready to throw down.
"No! No! I believe you, okay?" Ya Fei panicked and quickly grabbed his arm. She still thought he was bluffing—but if he actually did something here, the entire Xiao Clan would suffer.
"I... I really want to kill you right now!"
Suddenly, a chilling voice echoed through the hall. Goku raised an eyebrow and looked toward the source—it was Xiao Yan. His fists were clenched tightly, and his eyes blazed with fury.
"Oh? Looks like they finally pushed him too far," Goku mumbled. But when he saw Nalan Yanran's pale face filled with fear, an inexplicable rage surged in his heart.
Nalan Yanran was a girl he had his eye on! No one else was allowed to bully her! This was one of those "even if others can endure it, I won't" kind of moments. The time had come for a hero to save the damsel!
Goku shoved through the crowd and burst into the hall. Ya Fei tried to stop him but couldn't, and could only follow helplessly.
"Oi oi oi! Do you really think it's okay to say something like that to a delicate young lady like her? Look how scared you made her. I gotta ask—are you even a man?" Goku shouted as he slapped aside a young man who was blocking his path and glaring at him. He strode into the hall with an air of swagger, his words dripping with provocation.
"Say that again… if you dare!" Xiao Yan was trembling with fury, his delicate face twisted with rage. For three years, he'd endured endless ridicule and humiliation. Now, not only had his fiancée publicly annulled their engagement, he was being insulted by a complete stranger. This was the final blow to what little pride he had left—and he exploded!
"This is bad!" Ya Fei thought to herself. She remembered how Primer Tengshan had provoked Goku with just one wrong word and paid dearly for it. Xiao Yan wasn't going to be any luckier.
"Heh, you've got guts," Goku said, his expression calm but his eyes ice-cold. "Everyone who's dared to talk to me like that is already erased from this world. So… are you looking to be erased too?"
He walked toward Xiao Yan slowly. His steps were unhurried, his face tranquil—but the air in the hall turned chilling, and an oppressive force gripped everyone's hearts. Xiao Yan's face turned deathly pale. He collapsed to the ground, already overwhelmed by Goku's mere aura.
How could someone as weak as him possibly withstand even a sliver of Goku's pressure?
"Brother Xiao Yan! Are you okay?" Xiao Xun'er rushed to his side, worried sick. Goku hadn't aimed his pressure at her, which is why she was unaffected—but her concern for Xiao Yan clearly annoyed Goku.
Rivals in love had to be crushed!
He snorted coldly. Just that snort made Xiao Yan feel as if a hammer had smashed into his chest. Blood spurted from his mouth as his face grew even paler. And yet, he refused to pass out. His eyes, burning with hatred, stared at Goku like a beast baring its fangs.
"Please, sir—have mercy!" At the head of the hall, Xiao Zhan hurriedly wiped the sweat from his brow and approached Goku with a lowered posture. "My son is young and ignorant. Please forgive him."
In that instant, Xiao Zhan had felt an overwhelming sense of dread. This was the pressure only a peerless powerhouse could exude. Just what kind of monstrous individual had their Xiao Clan offended today?
"And who do you think you are, to speak to me?" Goku said disdainfully. With a casual flick of his hand, a blast of energy sent Xiao Zhan flying like a broken kite. He crashed into the back wall, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and passed out cold.
"Father!"
"Uncle Xiao!"
Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er both cried out in shock.
Everyone in the room turned pale—but no one dared to stop Goku. In fact, some of the Xiao Clan's rivals even looked smug. Even Ge Ye, who had seemed above it all, now wore a solemn expression. That brief burst of power… it was far more terrifying than even his own Sect Leader's! The man before them was likely stronger than a Dou Huang!
"Trash will always be trash," Ge Ye thought coldly. "Let's see how they clean up this mess now."
"You've gone too far. I don't care who you are—today, you're not leaving," Xiao Xun'er stood up slowly, her voice cold and firm. A freezing aura radiated from her body—she was truly angry now.
Goku remained unmoved. "What gives you the confidence to say something so arrogant? That Dou Huang hiding beside you? He's not enough to stop me."
"What?! There's a Dou Huang beside Miss Xun'er?"
"No way!"
Everyone in the hall was stunned. Even Ge Ye looked shocked.
Suddenly, a ripple appeared before Xun'er. An old man in a black robe emerged, standing protectively in front of her. He stared at Goku and said gravely, "Young man, don't you think you've gone too far? This is the Xiao Clan's business. Why are you, an outsider, getting involved?"
"Young man?" Wukong scoffed. "Think your seniority means anything to me? Get lost—or I'll slap you into the ground."
"If that's the case… then we'll have to fight." The old man's aura surged—he was indeed a Dou Huang! But before he could act, Goku vanished.
BOOM! One punch landed straight in the Dou Huang's abdomen.
"Urgh!" The black-robed elder groaned, doubling over in pain as he crashed to the floor, eyes full of disbelief.
He was a Dou Huang… and got KO'd in one punch?
"You're just a minor character. Stop wasting my time," Goku said nonchalantly. The elder lay twitching on the ground, barely able to breathe. If Goku had used full power, he'd be a mist of blood by now.
One punch. Total silence.
Everyone gasped.
That was a Dou Huang—a figure of legend—and he'd been flattened instantly. How terrifying was this guy's strength?
Not far away, Xiao Mei's eyes sparkled as she looked at Goku's figure. Only a man this strong could match the desire in her heart!
Xun'er, standing nearby, was also shocked—but she wasn't paralyzed by fear. Coming from a distinguished background, she wasn't someone easily frightened. Still, a deep frown crept across her face. The situation had clearly spiraled out of control.
"Hey, Miss Gu Xun'er! Weren't you saying you were going to keep me here? With tricks like that? I'm afraid you'll have to do better!"
Goku chuckled, casually speaking to Xun'er through a hidden voice transmission. To her, his smile looked mysterious and unpredictable.
"You... you know who I am?!"
Xun'er was visibly shaken, a flicker of unease finally creeping into her heart. If he knew who her father was—a Nine-Star Dou Sheng—and still dared to speak like this, then either this man possessed unimaginable power... or a background just as terrifying!
"If you want them to live, come with me quietly. Otherwise, I'll just kill them all."
Goku grinned. Suddenly, a wave of pure, destructive energy erupted from him like a tidal wave. Everyone present collapsed under the crushing pressure, pale-faced and filled with terror. In their hearts, a terrifying thought surfaced: we are nothing but ants compared to him.
Xiao Zhan let out a bitter sigh, his face full of despair.
'What kind of monster have we provoked this time? Is this the end of the Xiao Clan under my watch?'
Seeing the panic on everyone's faces, Goku rubbed his nose and let out a laugh.
"Man, I'm supposed to be the good guy here. Why do I suddenly feel like the ultimate villain?"
---
A ball of pure energy slowly formed in Goku's hand, radiating a wave of destruction so intense that everyone looked on in horror and despair. Even Xun'er's expression changed. She had seen much in her life, but the energy swirling in that orb... it could easily reduce the entire area to ash.
"G-Goku... you're not serious, right? If you throw that thing, will anyone here even survive?"
Ya Fei finally snapped out of her daze and cautiously stepped up beside him, clearly shaken. For the first time, she was truly afraid of Goku. This man's strength was just too terrifying.
"Relax. Worst case, the world gets destroyed. But as long as I'm here, you'll be fine,"
Goku replied casually, flipping the energy orb in his hand like it was a toy. The sight made everyone's hearts skip a beat. They feared that if he lost grip for even a second, the world might literally end.
"World gets destroyed?!"
Ya Fei stared at him, stunned. She rolled her eyes, clearly not believing him—yet she also understood that no one in the city would survive if that orb was unleashed.
Suddenly, she recalled Goku's earlier words: If you agree to become my wife, even a Dou Emperor would have to behave in front of you.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Could he have been serious...?
The thought itself was outrageous, but she couldn't stop it from echoing in her mind.
---
As Goku walked closer to Xiao Yan step by step, Xun'er's gaze flickered. She glanced down at Xiao Yan, who was pale and writhing in pain, then looked back at the energy orb in Goku's hand, pulsing with raw destruction.
Finally, she let out a long sigh and gave in.
"You promised that if I go with you, you'll let Brother Xiao Yan and the others go... right? I'll go with you. Just please... let them live."
"Hmph! I never meant that. I was just saying whatever came to mind."
Goku's expression didn't change. "If I really wanted to take you, who here could stop me? But right now, what I want... is to kill him."
He pointed at Xiao Yan.
This kid was the protagonist of the world—and worse, Goku's greatest love rival! And what do you do with rivals? You crush them before they can rise.
"If you kill Brother Xiao Yan, I will become your enemy for life."
Xun'er's tone was calm, her expression gentle—but her eyes were full of unwavering determination.
Goku frowned.
With how much Xun'er cared about Xiao Yan right now, it really was hard to make a move on him. If he killed Xiao Yan here, Xun'er would probably never love him.
"Damn it... if I had known, I would've come to this world a few years earlier!"
Goku muttered under his breath, clearly frustrated. But after a second, he relaxed again.
"Ah well. The harder the challenge, the more fun it is. A girl who's too easy to win over isn't worth it anyway."
With that, he dismissed the energy orb, and the terrifying aura vanished with it. Everyone around finally let out a breath of relief.
---
"Let's go,"
Goku said flatly, walking toward the outskirts of the Xiao Clan estate. Ya Fei hurried to follow him.
"Goodbye, Brother Xiao Yan. Take care of yourself..."
Xun'er looked back at him, hesitated for a moment, then ran to catch up.
"Xun'er, wait!"
Xiao Yan struggled to push himself up from the ground.
"Are you really going with him?"
"Do I have another choice?"
Xun'er looked back at him, her face full of pain. Even though she had the powerful Gu Clan behind her, Goku wasn't someone to be underestimated either. She couldn't risk bringing disaster upon her family—not until she knew more about who, or what, Goku really was.
Xiao Yan clenched his fists. Rage and helplessness churned inside him. He hated it—hated how powerless he was!
He hated watching the girl he loved walk away with another man... and being utterly unable to stop it. His heart was bleeding. His soul was on fire.
He was drowning in rage.
If not for Yao Lao's voice quietly bringing him back to his senses, he might've lost himself to madness then and there.
____
🎉 Shoutout to Kennedy Jhonson! 🎉
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