20demayo 791. To settle a dispute peacefully
791. To settle a dispute peacefully
"You...!" Gu Hua was the first to lose his temper. He had a fiery temper to begin with, and after suffering a loss at Xiao Yan's hands last time, he had been holding back his anger. Now, being publicly humiliated by Lei Jingxiao, both old and new grudges surged up in his heart.
He took a step forward, and the powerful battle qi within him erupted like a suppressed volcano, releasing his semi-saint level aura without reservation. The ground beneath his feet could not withstand this power and began to crack slightly. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Lei Jingxiao, his voice hoarse with anger: "Lei Jingxiao! I respect you as a guest, so apologize honestly to me and I may let this go."
Despite this provocation, Gu Hua maintained his composure, after all, this was an ancient tribe, and it was best to avoid fighting if possible.
The atmosphere was incredibly tense; a great battle was about to erupt.
Lei Jingxiao, of course, had no intention of stopping there and letting the matter rest. Seeing Gu Hua speak up, a hint of satisfaction appeared in Lei Jingxiao's eyes, because if the Gu Clan did not react, he would not be able to continue his attack.
"Hahahaha!" Lei Jingxiao burst into laughter, his mocking voice booming like thunder across the silent square. "Gu Hua, are you deaf? Isn't my meaning clear enough? I'll say it again, so that all you arrogant geniuses of the ancient clan can understand!"
He took a sudden step forward, his imposing aura overwhelming, his voice resounding throughout the arena: "Your ancient clan, relying on your strength to bully the weak, besieging my elder brother Xiao Yan alone, is already a colossal joke! What's even more laughable is that all seven of your so-called commanders combined couldn't defeat my elder brother even with numbers against him! In the end, only with the personal intervention of the clan elders could you barely save face! What do you call this? This is utterly disgraceful! You can't even cover up your own disgrace!"
Every word was like a resounding slap across the face of every ancient person!
Especially the commanders of the ancient clans who had personally participated in that battle felt a burning pain on their faces, filled with shame and indignation. Lei Jingxiao's words had brutally torn open the shame they least wanted to mention, exposing it to the light of day!
"Lei Jingxiao! You're courting death!" Gu Hua could no longer bear it. He roared, his fighting spirit surging like boiling magma. His fists clenched, his bones crackling. He was about to charge forward recklessly.
At this critical moment!
"Gu Hua! Come back!"
A clear voice rang out, not loud but with indescribable power, instantly suppressing Gu Hua's impending outburst of anger.
Following the sound, everyone looked and saw a figure slowly walking out from behind the plaza. The newcomer was dressed in a blue robe, with a gentle and refined face and an elegant demeanor. He was none other than the undisputed number one among the younger generation of the Ancient Clan, the Grand Commander of the Black Annihilation Army—Gu Qingyang!
Gu Qingyang's appearance slightly eased the tense atmosphere. He walked steadily, his gaze calmly sweeping across the entire scene before finally settling on the enraged Gu Hua. His eyes remained gentle, but now held a subtle, almost imperceptible, coldness.
Gu Hua's breath caught in his throat upon seeing Gu Qingyang, but his voice still betrayed his resentment: "Brother Qingyang! This guy has insulted my Gu clan! He has insulted all of us! Are we just going to let this go?"
Gu Qingyang looked at Lei Jingxiao. He hadn't shown himself earlier, but he was well aware of Lei Jingxiao's provocation of the Gu Clan and his intentions. Naturally, he was also dissatisfied. However, as the leader of the younger generation of the Gu Clan, he was even more aware of the consequences of taking action now.
He took a deep breath, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of every member of the ancient tribe: "I said, come back! This is the ancient tribe! The Heavenly Tomb Gathering is about to begin, this is not a marketplace for street brawls."
Lei Jingxiao had expected a fierce battle with Gu Hua, and even the fighting spirit he had cultivated for three years was no longer able to be suppressed. He was somewhat disappointed that Gu Qingyang had stopped him in the end.
Gu Qingyang's gaze swept over Gu Xing, Gu Hua, and the others again, the warning in his eyes unmistakable. Gu Hua's chest heaved violently, his teeth grinding together, but under the pressure of Gu Qingyang's gaze, he ultimately didn't dare to take another step. He unleashed a powerful punch in mid-air, shattering the space around him, before retreating back to his original position.
The other members of the ancient clan also concealed their auras. As the Grand Commander, Gu Qingyang's influence among the younger generation was no less than that of the clan's elders.
With the conflict temporarily abated, Gu Qingyang turned his gaze back to Lei Jingxiao and said, "My Gu clan is not afraid of trouble. If you wish to fight, I will be waiting for you in the Heavenly Tomb at any time."
Lei Jingxiao looked at Gu Qingyang, whose expression was calm yet whose gaze was deep, the arrogant smile on his lips still undiminished. He shrugged, as if the fierce conflict just now was nothing more than an insignificant farce. He said to Gu Qingyang, "Gu Qingyang, I know you didn't attack my elder brother that day. In the Heavenly Tomb, I am willing to fight you fairly."
Lei Jingxiao emphasized the words "fair competition" very much, clearly indicating that he had not given up mocking the young people of the ancient clans. However, with Gu Qingyang in charge, the other young people of the ancient clans dared not make any further moves.
Gu Qingyang simply nodded in agreement with Lei Jingxiao, then quietly sat cross-legged to cultivate. Clearly, although he was a prodigy descended from a Dou Di, he had excellent control over his emotions, and Lei Jingxiao couldn't disturb him.
Seeing that things couldn't escalate any further, Lei Jingxiao muttered to himself, "Brother, I've collected some of the debts for you back then. We'll deal with the rest inside the Heavenly Tomb."
After this incident, no matter how enthusiastic the ancient clan was, they weren't exactly friendly to Lei Jingxiao and his companion. Jiang Yunyan naturally didn't care about these things, but Lei Jingxiao, due to his personality, still found it somewhat boring.
However, they didn't have to wait long before the second group of people arrived at the Ancient Realm.
"They're here." Lei Jingxiao's eyes narrowed, and he straightened up.
Ripples spread through the space, and several figures emerged from them. The leader was an old man whom Lei Jingxiao did not recognize. However, he was familiar with the person following closely behind the old man.
Dressed in red, with a slender figure, she was none other than Huo Zhi, the leading figure of the younger generation of the Yan Clan. However, the Yan Clan team following behind her appeared unusually thin, far less imposing than the Yan Clan teams that had participated in the Heavenly Tomb in the past, exuding an indescribable desolation.
The Yan Clan was ambushed by the Soul Clan, and almost all of its elites were slaughtered overnight. The once-renowned clan is now teetering on the brink of collapse. Huo Zhi, as the only remaining core genius, shoulders the heavy responsibility of reviving the Yan Clan, so even knowing that the Heavenly Tomb is fraught with danger, she still rushed here without hesitation.
Her delicate face had lost its former innocent naiveté, replaced by a resilience and weariness born of hardship. Deep within her bright eyes lay an unquenchable hatred and unspeakable pressure.