People in Doupo: The beginning of the game intercepts the rich woman Xun'er

"The Xiao clan was once closest to the Gu clan, but this closeness only lasted for years when the two clans were evenly matched."

The man, whose face held a hint of frivolity, curled the corners of his lips into a smile, his tone laced with cold indifference.

"If it weren't for the strong opposition from several elders within the ancient clan, even the tomb left by Senior Xiao Xuan in the ancient realm would probably have been forcibly broken open by those radicals..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping out the window, a hint of sigh in his voice: "After all, the tomb of a peak Dou Sheng expert is an irresistible temptation, even for ancient clans with deep foundations."

"We can't generalize and condemn everyone. Not everyone in the ancient clans is so eager for quick success and instant benefits. There have always been dissenting voices."

The man in the white robe shook his head, stretched, and the warmth of the cup still lingered on his fingertips. His words, however, held a hint of anticipation.
"Compared to these, I am more concerned about the Heavenly Tomb, which opens once every twenty years. Although the Heavenly Tomb is hidden deep in the ancient realm, according to the agreement made by the eight clans back then, each clan has the right to enter. Senior Xiao Xuan's tomb is also among them... I really don't know if anyone can truly break into the deepest part of the Heavenly Tomb this time."

“That’s right.” The man with the thick eyebrows nodded emphatically, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes. “I wonder if the people from the other races have arrived yet? Normally, they would never be absent from such an important event concerning opportunities.”

"Whether they come or not, fewer people means fewer competitors." The man in white curled his lip, said no more, and got up first to walk out of the pavilion. His robes swept across the corner of the chair, stirring up a wisp of breeze.

The group behind them exchanged glances and followed at a leisurely pace, their steps light yet steady, clearly showing their anticipation for the upcoming trip to the Heavenly Tomb.

……

After leaving the pavilion, Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan strolled around the surrounding streets.

Although there were many stalls along the way hawking their wares, displaying all kinds of pills, ores and cultivation scrolls, the two only stopped occasionally to glance at them and did not linger, treating it as a way to pass the time.

But as they ventured deeper into the woods, the noise was gradually replaced by the sound of the wind in the forest, and before they knew it, they had come to a secluded forest path.

Ancient trees line both sides of the path, their intertwined branches blocking out most of the sunlight. Patches of light fall on the bluestone path, adding to the tranquility.

Just as the two were walking side by side, their steps stopped almost simultaneously.

An undisguised malice suddenly struck, like a needle chilled to ice, piercing straight into Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan.

The relaxed expressions on their faces vanished instantly, their brows furrowed simultaneously, and their fighting spirit unconsciously rippled slightly.

The two turned their heads in the direction from which the malice was coming, their gazes piercing through the dense foliage of the forest path and landing on the shadows entwined with branches and leaves ahead.

There, three figures in black robes stood casually in the depths of the shade, their wide robes trailing on the leaf-strewn ground, their faces hidden in the shadows of their hoods, making them indistinct. Yet, a faint aura of danger spread like vines, entangling the two figures and making the surrounding air seem heavier.

"You must be Xiao Ling of the Xiao clan. As for the person next to you, he also seems to be from the Xiao clan. Aren't you going to introduce him?"

Of the three figures, the one standing at the front spoke first.

His black robe trembled slightly with his movements, and a slightly sinister laugh slowly emanated from it. It did not sound old at all, but rather carried a youthful arrogance. Clearly, its owner was no old monster who had been living in seclusion for many years.

As he finished speaking, his gaze, hidden beneath his hood, seemed to linger on Xiao Ling and the other person for a moment, then intensified, like a cold snake's tongue licking at one's skin.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling's expression remained unchanged. He merely glanced at the three figures in black robes, his tone devoid of any emotion yet carrying an undeniable sense of oppression: "There's nothing to talk about with you cowards who hide in the gutter."

The faint red flame at his fingertips flickered silently. Although his battle aura was not fully revealed, it already caused subtle scorching fluctuations in the surrounding air: "Considering that this is the territory of an ancient clan, and I don't want to cause trouble for no reason, I will let you go today. If this were outside, with your little bit of malice just now, you would already be three cold corpses by now, and you wouldn't have the right to say anything here."

As he finished speaking, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He showed no fear whatsoever, instead looking at three insignificant ants with the same composure and dominance that caused the sinister laughter of the man in black robes opposite him to freeze abruptly.

"Insolence! How dare you insult my Soul Clan! You have already committed suicide!"

As soon as Xiao Ling finished speaking, the other two men in black robes immediately shouted, their voices filled with offended hostility.

Before they finished speaking, the two simultaneously extended their sleeves, and two jet-black chains suddenly shot out from their sleeves. The chains were also wrapped in wisps of gray-black mist, carrying a bone-chilling aura, and shot towards Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan at such a speed that they left only a blur.

Xiao Ling's gaze remained unchanged. He casually raised his right hand and lightly swung it at the incoming chains. The movement seemed effortless, yet it carried the weight of a thousand pounds, and a pale red wave of flame quietly spread out.

"clang!"

Two crisp, ear-piercing collision sounds suddenly rang out. The moment the black chains collided with the wave of flames, they were as if they had hit an impenetrable wall, and were instantly blasted back several feet.

Immediately afterwards, two crisp "crack" sounds rang out, and the seemingly sturdy chain shattered into several pieces, with wisps of blue smoke rising from the broken ends, turning into specks of gray mist and dissipating into the air.

The shockwave from the shattering chains struck, causing the two men in black robes to feel a sudden tightness in their chests and let out a low groan. They instinctively took a half-step back, their faces under their hoods turning grim. They never expected that their all-out attack would be so easily neutralized by the other side.

The surrounding air seemed to be disturbed by the sudden commotion. Fallen leaves in the forest were swept up by the air currents and swirled into the air. Even the birds perched on the branches in the distance were startled and scattered in all directions. The originally quiet path was instantly filled with a tense and solemn atmosphere.

"Hehehe... In all these years, you are the first person to dare to speak arrogantly to our Soul Clan."

Faced with the exchange just now, the leader of the black-robed men simply smiled faintly, as if his companions' defeat and the shattered chains had nothing to do with him.

He slowly raised his head, and his wide black cloak slipped down slightly, revealing a pale, almost bloodless, gaunt jawline. Even the curve of his lips exuded a chilling coldness, and on that exposed part of his face was a chilling smile.

"I'm not here to attack you today." His voice was still gentle, but it carried an undeniable air of authority. "I'm just offering you a piece of advice, as is customary: those who oppose my Soul Clan never have a good ending. Your ancestor Xiao Xuan was like that, and you are no exception." "I really don't know who gave you the confidence to have such inexplicable self-assurance."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling merely smiled calmly, his tone unhurried. His gaze fell upon the pale chin revealed by the leader of the black-robed men, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt and mockery.
"If the Soul Emperor knew that his clansmen were such ignorant fools as you, he would probably be so angry that he would jump out of his long slumber long ago."

He paused, the faint red flame at his fingertips flickering gently, his tone becoming somewhat nonchalant: "But then again, a nobody like you probably doesn't even deserve a second glance from the Soul Emperor. You're only fit to use the Soul Clan's name to intimidate people. But I'm sorry, I'm not buying it."

After being repeatedly mocked by Xiao Ling, the previously composed leader in black robes finally lost his temper. His pale face turned ashen, and his breathing became heavy.

But he ultimately suppressed the surging anger within him, his knuckles turning white from clenching his fists, his soft voice filled with chilling intent:
"How dare you address that lord by his given name! You're utterly courting death!"

He took half a step forward, and the gray-black mist around him suddenly thickened, malice surging towards Xiao Ling like a tidal wave:

"You'd better remember your arrogant words today! The methods of my Soul Clan are far beyond your imagination. Sooner or later, you will pay the price for your arrogance today. Even if you beg for mercy on your knees then, you will have no chance of survival!"

As he finished speaking, he glared fiercely at Xiao Ling, his eyes filled with resentment and threat that were almost overflowing.

Seeing his embarrassed yet forcedly fierce expression, Xiao Ling's mockery deepened, and her tone carried a hint of nonchalant ridicule:
"What? All you can do is stand here and spout toothless threats? If you're really capable, then try and teach me a lesson."

These words were like a needle, piercing the heart of the leader in black robes. He was first taken aback, then burst into a furious laugh, a sinister laugh filled with gritted teeth: "Fine! Very well! I'll see how long you can keep up this stubbornness!"

He stared intently at Xiao Ling, his gaze beneath the hood almost spitting fire, and the threat in his tone intensified:

"The Heavenly Tomb will open soon, and I'm actually looking forward to it. I hope you can last long inside and not lose your life as soon as you go in; that would be too boring. After all, I'm waiting to see you pay the price in blood for your arrogance today!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the leader of the black-robed men suddenly chuckled, a laugh that was chilling to the bone.

With that laughter, his figure gradually became ethereal, as if swallowed up by the forest mist, his outline growing fainter and fainter.

In a short while, his figure mysteriously disappeared completely into the depths of the path, leaving only a cold voice that slowly echoed in the air: "Remember my name, Soul Cliff. Among those who severely injured your ancestor Xiao Xuan and ultimately forced him to his death, there was my ancestor."

"So this time..." the voice paused, adding a touch of mocking malice, "the one who finishes you off might also be me. It's fate, you can't escape it, heh..."

Once the laughter completely subsided, the forest returned to silence, but the chilling aura belonging to the Soul Clan lingered in the air like a persistent infection.

Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan's gazes both fell on the depths of the forest where the three had disappeared earlier. For a moment, only the rustling of leaves in the wind echoed in the path.

Xiao Yan's face was so solemn it was almost dripping with sweat. His hands clenched involuntarily, his knuckles turned white, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. The words Hun Ya had just spoken weighed on his heart like a boulder, making even his breathing heavier.

The threat of the Soul Clan had never been so real. The sinister malice and the oppressive sense of destiny made his whole body tense, and even his fingertips felt slightly cold.

However, compared to Xiao Yan's tension, Xiao Ling's reaction was completely different.

He gazed in the direction where Soul Cliff had disappeared, his expression showing no sign of solemnity; instead, the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, forming a faint arc.

His encounter with the Soul Clan just now was like casually swatting away a few annoying flies; the so-called "fateful threat" was more like a trivial joke.

In Xiao Ling's opinion, people like Soul Cliff are only fit to be jokes for people to laugh at.

His previous merciless mockery was merely a casual remark that revealed his true thoughts. He genuinely found it laughable. If he were the Soul Emperor, seeing his juniors as such brainless and arrogant fools who relied on their backgrounds, he would probably personally take action and slap these disgraceful menaces to death.

It's no wonder that Soul Emperor was able to harden his heart and sacrifice his own kind. It must be because there were too many arrogant but powerless and brainless people like Soul Cliff that even Soul Emperor himself couldn't stand. That's why he thought of making use of them and sacrificing them all to improve his own strength.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, trying to suppress the surging heaviness and doubt in his heart, and turned his head to look at Xiao Ling beside him.

Seeing that the other party remained calm, as if the confrontation with the Soul Clan was nothing more than a trivial matter, he finally couldn't suppress his doubts and asked,
"Cousin, what should we do about those Soul Clan members? Judging from their words, they probably won't let us off easily during our upcoming trip to the Heavenly Tomb."

Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xiao Ling withdrew his gaze from the depths of the forest and came back to his senses.

He waved his hand dismissively at Xiao Yan, his tone completely nonchalant.
"Just take those clowns' words as a joke. If they dare to provoke us again once we get to the Heavenly Tomb, I can easily kill them with a single slap. I'll just wipe them out without bothering to deal with them."

"Don't overthink it. If anything happens, I'll protect you and make sure you don't suffer any losses." Xiao Ling said, raising his hand to pat Xiao Yan's shoulder. The warmth from his palm eased Xiao Yan's tense nerves slightly.

He chuckled softly, no longer mentioning the Soul Clan, and turned to walk towards the side room, his robes brushing against the fallen leaves on the ground, making a soft sound.

Xiao Yan was slightly stunned. He looked at Xiao Ling's composed back before he came to his senses and quickly followed.

Although she felt that Xiao Ling's tone was a bit too arrogant, she thought again that her cousin was always confident and must have a good reason for being so sure.

He sighed inwardly, realizing that he had indeed overreacted and been disturbed by the harsh words from the Soul Clan. With his cousin around, there was no need to worry too much.

At the same time, Xiao Yan secretly sentenced those three Soul Clan members to death. Of all people to provoke, why did they have to provoke his own cousin, a chosen one with overwhelming luck?

These three are probably just low-level fodder sent to gain experience; if we really fight them, they're nothing more than trouble my cousin can easily handle. (End of Chapter)