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

Before the air currents from the unicorn's flapping wings had completely dissipated, the snow-white figure had already swept through the morning mist like a streak of light, carrying the three of them to the sky above the palace complex in just a few breaths.

Under Xun'er's gentle command, it spread its wings and slowed down, its four hooves stepping on a faint aura of battle qi, and finally landed slowly in the most central open area of ​​the palace complex, without even disturbing a speck of dust when its hooves touched the ground.

As soon as they leaped off the unicorn's back, a flood of gazes surged towards them. The members of the ancient clan had gathered here for today's coming-of-age ceremony, and now that Xun'er had brought the two of them with her, many of their eyes held both awe for Xun'er and curiosity about Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan. Even the noise in the air seemed to quiet down a bit.

"Let's go." Xun'er seemed oblivious to these gazes. The intimate gesture of holding Xiao Ling's arm had been quietly withdrawn, and the elegant and dignified aura of an ancient goddess reappeared around her.

She spoke softly, her tone still gentle, but with a touch more composure, and then took the lead in walking towards the vast square enveloped in an ancient aura.

Xiao Ling nodded slightly, slowed his pace by half a step, and walked alongside Xun'er, his gaze subtly sweeping over their surroundings.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed the two.

His gaze fell on the row of Black Annihilation Army soldiers dressed in black armor surrounding the square.

The soldiers stood ramrod straight, their sharp, hawk-like eyes scanning the entire area. But when their gaze fell on Xiao Ling, they paused noticeably before returning to normal, without making any further moves.

By this time, many people were already seated on the seats at the edge of the square, and there was a constant murmur of discussion. However, Xun'er did not stop and walked straight towards the front seat in the center of the square.

Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan followed closely behind, the bluestone slabs beneath their feet shining in the morning light, stretching all the way to the core area where the coming-of-age ceremony was about to begin.

"Qiang——!"

Just as Xun'er stepped into the center of the square, a sharp clang of metal clashing suddenly rang out.

Two warriors clad in gilded armor strode forward, their spears crossed to form a chilling barrier, firmly blocking Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan who were following closely behind. The cold glint of their spear tips was particularly dazzling in the morning light.

The sudden obstruction made Xun'er stop in her tracks. Her previously composed face instantly darkened, a fierce glint flashed in her eyes, and her anger rose rapidly like sparks.

She turned to the side, her voice as cold as ice: "Get out of the way."

The two golden-armored warriors were startled by the cold shout. Their grip on their spears loosened slightly, and they hesitated. On one side were the clan rules, and on the other was the noble Miss Xun'er. They were at a loss for what to do.

Just then, a soft laugh came from the seats in front: "Miss Xun'er, there's no need to make things difficult for them." Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw an elderly man standing with his hands behind his back slowly walk out. His face bore some resemblance to Gu Qian from before, and his brows carried a touch of aloof authority.
"This area is the core of the ancient clan's coming-of-age ceremony. According to the rules, those who are not direct descendants of the clan or specially invited are not allowed to enter. We hope you will understand, Miss."

Xiao Yan's gaze swept over the old man's composed face, then over the hesitant or tense expressions of the surrounding golden-armored warriors. He instantly understood that this was not following the rules at all; someone was clearly trying to embarrass Xiao Ling.

His lips twitched involuntarily as he thought to himself, "It seems my cousin has already encountered someone deliberately making things difficult for him as soon as he arrived at the ancient clan."

He was all too familiar with this kind of drama where the protagonist is manipulated by the "rules," but now he was just following behind and seemed to have been dragged into this farce as well.

Xiao Ling didn't care much, and had no particular attachment to this so-called "special area".

But Xun'er didn't think so. Since Xiao Ling had come to the ancient clan with her, she wanted to make sure he wasn't slighted in the slightest. Seeing that he was being stopped, her anger flared even more, and her fingers had unconsciously clenched tightly.

This spot was already a prominent place in the square, and with Xun'er present, the moment the commotion started, all eyes turned to her like a tidal wave.

Many members of the ancient clans turned their gazes to Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan, their eyes filled with a hint of amusement. Whispers drifted over, making the atmosphere suddenly become somewhat subtle.

“Miss Xun’er, what my brother said is true.”

Another voice came from the side; it was Elder Gu Qian, who had tested Xiao Ling yesterday. He walked out slowly, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan with a hint of barely perceptible disdain.
"Although Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan are young lady's good friends, there are rules in place for the core area of ​​the ancient clan's coming-of-age ceremony. They ultimately did not meet the entry requirements and it is really not appropriate for them to enter."

He paused, his gaze shifting to the crowd seated in the square, his voice rising a few decibels as if to ensure everyone could hear him.
"Those present today are all distinguished guests sent by various ancient races, of noble status. These two... are probably not qualified to be in the core area with these distinguished guests."

Upon hearing this, Xun'er's aura instantly turned cold. Her originally elegant face completely froze, and a faint golden flame flickered in her beautiful eyes. It was one thing for her to stop him earlier, but now Gu Qian was publicly belittling Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan, clearly a deliberate attempt to embarrass her.

The elders' repeated harassment finally ignited her anger. Her skirt clenched under her fingers, becoming slightly wrinkled, and even the fighting spirit flowing around her took on a sharp edge.

Xiao Ling saw the situation clearly; Gu Qian and the old man were clearly working together to target him.

Yesterday, Xun'er mentioned to him the attitude of the ancient clan towards the relationship between the two. Most people remained neutral, a few explicitly supported it, but there was another group that held strong opposition, and the number of opponents was slightly more than the number of supporters.

It seems he wasn't very lucky. Just as he was about to take action, he ran into this group of people who were full of hatred towards him, and Xiao Yan was also innocently dragged into it.

Xiao Ling was not the type to accept things passively. Yesterday, she was tested and made difficult by Gu Qian, and today she was stopped and belittled in public. Her dissatisfaction had been surging in her heart.

He raised an eyebrow, took a half step forward, and fixed his gaze steadily on the old man, his tone carrying a hint of cold laughter.
"Heh, judging from this elder's words, the seats in this core area are only for distinguished guests from ancient races? Then am I, Xiao Ling, a member of the Xiao clan, not qualified?"

He paused, his voice deepening, each word clear and distinct.
"Furthermore, our Xiao clan and the Gu clan have a long and close relationship, and Xun'er and I have known each other since childhood. Could it be that the Gu clan no longer recognizes our Xiao clan's identity?"

These words not only pointed out the origins of the two clans, but also implied that the other party's actions disregarded ancestral ties. They maintained their composure while cleverly throwing the problem back at the old man, causing the old man and Gu Qian beside him to freeze for a moment.

However, the old man was experienced after all, and he quickly recovered after a brief moment of stunned silence.

Gu Qian took half a step forward, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Ling, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, and a cold sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Heh, Xiao Clan, a thousand years ago, the Xiao Clan was indeed qualified to stand on equal footing with my ancient clan, and could be considered a powerful ancient clan. But now—" His tone suddenly changed, and his eyes became even colder, "I'm afraid they are no longer qualified to be compared with our various ancient races."

"I believe that as an ancient race, with the noble bloodline of a Dou Di flowing in their veins, they should have the strength to match their status."

Gu Qian's gaze swept across the crowd in the square, as if he wanted everyone to hear him clearly.
"If a clan doesn't even have a semi-saint level expert to hold its position, it would have long since lost its status as an ancient race. Otherwise, mentioning the name 'Xiao Clan' now wouldn't be about glorifying our ancestors; it would be about disgracing them!"

Gu Qian didn't speak too confidently. He knew that although he had the support of the Gu Clan, he was still stuck at the Dou Zun realm at his advanced age. In terms of strength, he might not be able to surpass Xiao Ling at the moment, so he naturally didn't dare to put on too much of a show of force.

In his view, among the remaining members of the Xiao clan, Xiao Ling is probably the strongest, but even so, he can only reach the Dou Zun realm at most.

Perhaps with the talent Xiao Ling has shown, he will have the opportunity to break through to the level of a half-saint in the future, but at present, the threshold of "half-saint" is ultimately out of reach for Xiao Ling.

By saying this, he subtly mocked the current weakness of the Xiao clan, but also left himself some room for maneuver, so as not to end up losing face if Xiao Ling were to surpass him in the future.

"Gu Qian! Gu Xu! You two old geezers, have you no shame?"

Just as Xiao Ling had quietly gathered his fighting spirit in his palm, ready to unleash his strength and teach these two troublesome old guys a lesson, a furious curse suddenly rang out across the sky. The familiar tone made Xiao Ling pause and slightly bewildered.

The voice continued its angry shout: "I don't care if you bully people in private! But now you dare to set your sights on Canaan Academy? Do you really think I'm made of clay and easy to bully?"

The voice was deep and powerful, carrying an undeniable authority that instantly drowned out the whispers in the square. Even Gu Qian and the old man named Gu Xu subconsciously frowned and looked in the direction from which the voice came.

"The Mangtian Ruler?!"

While Xiao Ling was still stunned by the familiar voice, Gu Qian and Gu Xu's expressions changed drastically. They looked at each other and saw astonishment in each other's eyes as the exclamation escaped their lips.

The atmosphere in the square changed accordingly. Many people subconsciously looked up at the sky when they heard the words "Mangtian Ruler". Even the ancient tribesmen who originally came with the intention of watching the excitement became more solemn.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the sky seemed to be being groped and kneaded by an invisible giant hand, creating layers of eerie ripples.

In an instant, an old figure dressed in a simple robe, with white hair and beard, slowly emerged from the distorted space.

The moment he appeared, lightning surged around him, and a chilling sense of oppression filled the air.

As soon as the man appeared, he suddenly raised his arm, and lightning condensed in his palm into two thick streams of energy, each carrying immense fighting spirit, which shot towards Gu Qian and Gu Xu with a destructive force.

"How dare you!" Gu Qian and Gu Xu were caught off guard by the sudden attack, and were both shocked and furious.

But they had no time to shout or curse. In the face of crisis, they could only retreat quickly with grim faces, trying to avoid this fierce attack.

Their figures moved like lightning, leaving a trail of afterimages in the square, and cracks were left on the bluestone slabs beneath their feet.

"laugh--"

Two streaks of lightning, like shooting stars chasing the moon, streaked across the sky, carrying a sharp whistling sound, and instantly caught up with Gu Qian and his companion.

Just as the lightning bolts were about to strike their backs, an invisible force suddenly spread out from the space, transforming into a transparent energy shield that steadily blocked the two men, clearly intending to intercept Mang Tianchi's two lightning bolts in advance.

With his keen senses, Xiao Ling instantly detected the hidden aura of a Dou Sheng. This person's cultivation was unfathomable, and his intention to stop them was obvious. He simply did not want Gu Qian and Gu Xu to be injured in front of everyone and lose face for the Gu Clan.

But how could Xiao Ling let them have their way? He had been holding back his anger and wanted to vent it after the two of them had made things difficult for him in public. Even though Mang Tianchi suddenly appeared and interrupted his plans, he did not intend to give up.

At that moment, with a slight thought, his natal talisman within his Niwan Palace quietly began to circulate, and an invisible spatial force suddenly spread out.

At the same time, another special soul force also precisely entangled the lightning bolts that Mang Tianchi shot towards the two of them.

The lightning bolt, already imbued with vast battle energy, was amplified by this special spiritual power, causing its power to surge instantly. The previously stagnant light suddenly became intense, and the surrounding air seemed to be distorted by the heat.

This sudden change happened in the blink of an eye, and Xiao Ling's methods were extremely covert. Apart from a gaze that had been watching from afar and clearly captured his subtle movements of activating his mental power, no one present noticed anything amiss.

The Dou Sheng expert who had secretly made his move also instantly sensed something was wrong. The Dou Qi barrier he had casually set up suddenly began to fluctuate inexplicably, and the unfamiliar spatial rhythm made him slightly lose his composure.

In that instant of stagnation, a crack appeared in the defense of the battle qi barrier, and the two lightning bolts of Mang Tianchi, which had been blocked, were now enhanced by spiritual power, and their speed increased to a point that was almost impossible for the people present to catch. Like two golden lightning bolts, they went straight towards Gu Qian and Gu Xu, who were still retreating rapidly!

Before the two could even react, or even utter a proper exclamation, a deafening roar erupted as lightning exploded on them, unleashing a torrent of violent energy.

Golden lightning bolts lashed out wildly, tearing their robes apart and even cracking their sturdy inner armor, leaving charred marks that spread from their shoulders to their waists.

Gu Qian and Gu Xu's bodies flew backward like kites with broken strings, crashing heavily onto the bluestone slabs of the square with a dull thud.

The stone slab shattered with a crash, and amidst the billowing smoke and dust, the two coughed up blood, the blood oozing from their mouths mingling with the acrid smell of burnt flesh, making even the slightest movement of a finger extremely difficult.

Their chests heaved violently, their breaths as faint as candles flickering in the wind; clearly, they had suffered extremely severe injuries and were on the verge of death. There was no trace of their earlier arrogance in dealing with their enemies. (End of Chapter)