"Elder Shen Yun? It seems your strength is nothing special after all, struggling so hard against even my family's young girl. Are all the elders of the Feng Lei Pavilion of this caliber nowadays?" Now that the Han Family and the Feng Lei Pavilion were openly hostile, Han Chi no longer saw any reason to continue to fear the Feng Lei Pavilion. After all, the Han Family was not what it once was.
"Hahaha."
"I thought this old guy was supposed to be formidable, but it turns out he's pretty weak."
"I'm about to die of laughter here. I'm starting to wonder if this guy is just playing the fool to amuse us."
The people of the Han Family couldn't help but snicker, and the heaviness in their hearts gradually lightened considerably. No one wanted to face a battle without hope, but now they were beginning to feel hopeful once again.
They had thought this would be an unprecedentedly fierce battle, yet a Dou Zong expert had exhausted his wits and still hadn't even touched a hair on Han Yue's head, leaving them so shocked their eyes nearly popped out.
At the same time, they were also astonished by the changes in Han Yue. Han Yue's "cultivation level" clearly hadn't reached the Douwang, and although her Dou Qi was very refined, it definitely should not enable her to stand up to a Dou Zong expert. However, at this moment they weren't dwelling on it; in times like these, they wished for Han Yue to be even stronger—preferably strong enough to single-handedly take down the old coot Shen Yun. Although the Han Family also had a Dou Zong expert, the gap between them and Shen Yun was too large; if they couldn't kill Shen Yun, the Han Family would inevitably face defeat in the end.
In Tianbei City, many experts who had come to scout information and observe the situation witnessed this scene; they wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. No matter the outcome for the Han Family, Elder Shen Yun was going to lose face big time, becoming a laughingstock.
"Han Yue? Han Chi? Very well, very well!"
"Your Han Family daring to humiliate me like this, I, Shen Yun, swear that I will utterly annihilate everyone in your Han Family, leaving you in pieces. If I break this oath, may I be struck by heavenly thunder, blasted to death by the five thunders!" Shen Yun was so angry that his blood boiled, and a mouthful of fresh blood rose in his throat but was forcibly suppressed back down.
As an elder of the Feng Lei Pavilion, he hadn't faced such a huge loss in many years.
Each elder of the Feng Lei Pavilion was a highly respected figure, with countless major families hoping to cozy up to them. The Han Family was just a small clan; how dare they insult him like this?
"Elder Shen, our Hong Family stands with you forever. If we join forces, the Han Family won't last long. I've observed that the girl from the Han Family seems to only have that weird power to protect herself, with no real offensive capabilities. We can eliminate the others first, and then find a way to deal with the girl."
"The Han Family doesn't show any sign of fear facing so many of us; they must have a backup plan."
Hong Li always felt a sense of unease, as if a powerful hunter had set his eyes on him, and he wasn't the only one—Shen Yun and some other Dou Huang level experts had the same feeling. These people, having walked the thin line between life and death, had an extremely acute sense of danger.
"There must also be a powerful figure firmly established in the Han Family, and I'm afraid his strength is not inferior to mine," Shen Yun calmed down at this point.
His perception of danger was much keener than that of Hong Li and the others. That presence felt like a primeval beast, far more formidable than the aura from Han Yue. And now he felt as though he was the one being watched.
"Who exactly is playing tricks here? If you have the guts, come out and face me directly!" Shen Yun's vigorous Dou Qi amplified the sound of his voice as it carried into the distance.
His complexion was unsightly.
The Han Family wouldn't be so arrogant without something to rely on. That a single girl from the Han Family could be so strange had to do with the mysterious backer behind the Han Family.
"Playing the ghost? I'm sorry, you're not qualified to have me do that."
With Han Xue in tow, Xu Ran crossed the kilometer distance within a few steps, arriving beside Han Chi and the others. That ghostly figure caused everyone present to shrink their pupils. Such speed was something they found hard to achieve.
"Young Master Xu."
Many elders of the Han Family had been briefed by Han Chi and were aware that Xu Ran was no ordinary person, so they were not too surprised. They couldn't help but anticipate how strong this mysterious expert really was, wondering if he could help the Han Family escape this calamity.
Seeing Xu Ran's arrival, Han Yue, disregarding the modesty befitting a young lady, ran directly to Xu Ran's side in just a few steps.
"Xu Ran, quickly deal with these guys for me, especially those two old fools—they're so hateful," Han Yue said, clearly incensed, her chest heaving with anger. If it were not for her insufficient strength, she would have wanted to take them down herself. It was a pity she had met Xu Ran too late, unable to compare with Xun Er and the others. If she had known Xu Ran earlier, diligently practiced "Cultivation", plus Xu Ran's "Cultivation Techniques" and "Fighting Techniques and Martial Skills", she might not necessarily lose against a "Dou Zong Expert".
"Then, tonight..." Xu Ran, entirely indifferent to the envious and resentful glances around him, embraced Han Yue in his arms.
"Just as you say," Han Yue replied in a low voice, her face flushed as she hastily responded.
She knew Xu Ran's temperament all too well, not daring to bargain with him. Even if she refused, Xu Ran would certainly help, but she worried that Xu Ran might take advantage of her on the spot.
As long as Xu Ran made a move, even if the entire Feng Lei Pavilion showed up, they wouldn't be able to turn the tide. The Han Family could eliminate these enemies without expending a single soldier.
"Ahem." Witnessing Han Yue's closeness with Xu Ran, Han Chi felt a hint of sourness in his heart. A daughter is a father's temporary guest, and though he knew the day would come when she'd marry, the realization felt somewhat hollow inside.
"Father." Hearing the cough from behind, Han Yue broke free from Xu Ran's embrace, stuck out her tongue at Han Chi apologetically, and obediently ran to her father's side.
"Uncle, there's no need for your intervention; I alone will handle these people," Xu Ran said, curbing his overfamiliarity in front of Han Chi, recognizing that respect for his elders was necessary regardless of how strong he was.
"Then we'll have to trouble you, young master," Han Chi replied quickly, not daring to act arrogantly in front of Xu Ran. He couldn't afford to ruin the great marital prospects of his two precious daughters.
"Hiss!"
"Who is this person? Why does the Family Head of the Han Family regard him so highly?"
"One person wants to take on Elder Shen Yun and so many experts from the Hong Family alone? What audacity."
Everyone listening to the exchange between Xu Ran and Han Chi was flabbergasted, some even questioning if they had heard wrong.
Wasn't the Han Family at a life or death moment right now, with Elder Shen Yun and numerous experts from the Hong Family about to commence a bloody slaughter? Why did the plot seem to be taking an unexpected turn?