Inside the Gu family's main hall, the Gu family's patriarch, Gu An, once again gathered all the members of the Elder's Association.
His current expression was incomparably unsightly, as if he had eaten a few flies, making him feel indescribably uncomfortable.
He sat on the main seat with a sorrowful expression and said, "Elder Gu Ming and the others … they are all dead!"
As soon as he said this, the expressions of all the seated elders became abnormally unsightly. At the same time, there was also a hint of surprise.
They were very clear about the strength of the Gu Ming. There was another consecrator elder with them, a total of twenty-two people, all of whom were first-rate experts in their clan, but all of them had fallen.
This made them feel incredulous and shocked at the same time.
"What the hell is going on?
Isn't that Ling Xiao only at the middle stage of the Empyrean Realm?
Even if he's strong, it's impossible for him to make Elder Gu Ming and the others stay! "
"That's right, is there something wrong? Even the real Mystic Thearch would have to go through a lot of trouble to make them stay, let alone kill them all. This is impossible!"
"Could it be that Ling Xiao really has three heads and two arms? If that's really the case, we might have to ask the Supreme Elder to come out of seclusion."
"I think it's better to send someone to find out the truth first before making any plans. That Ling Xiao is rebuilding Hell City, I don't think he will leave in a short period of time."
…
The elders present were all talking at once, causing the main hall to become noisy.
Gu An frowned and shouted, "Enough, all of you, quiet down!"
Gu An had spoken, and everyone quietened down once more.
Gu An continued, "The fall of Elder Gu Ming and the others is an indisputable fact. According to the time of departure, they should have been killed after arriving at Hell City, so … This time, we underestimated Ling Xiao's strength. What do you think we should do?
If this gets out, our Gu family's face will be completely lost. "
Some of the elders were dissatisfied and thought, "You underestimated yourself, not us. I told you to ask the Supreme Elder to come out earlier. Now that something has happened, you can't drag us down with you!"
An elder stood up and said, "There must be something fishy about this matter. Why don't we send someone to investigate the situation first before making a decision?"
Gu An said unhappily, "Could it be that we're going to let that bastard continue acting arrogantly?
What will others think of our Gu family? "
Indeed, as one of the Eighteen Great Forces, the Gu Clan had sent out the Gu Kill Order. Now that they were aware of Ling Xiao's movements, they would be laughed at if they did not do anything.
For a moment, all the elders were at a loss for words.
At that moment, a voice sounded from outside the hall, "You don't have to worry about this matter. I'll go and kill that brat and take back the Golden Dragon Spear."
As the voice faded, an old man entered the hall with a beautiful young lady.
If Ling Xiao was here, he would definitely recognize this old man. It was the Supreme Elder of the Gu Clan, Gu Xing, whom he had met at the Enlightenment Pool. He was a true Mystic Thearch, and the person beside him was Gu Xiaohe.
Gu Xiaohe's figure was still as graceful as a snake, and her body was curvaceous. Any man who laid eyes on her couldn't help but steal a few glances. However, her originally beautiful face had become incomparably cold, and she gave off a feeling that she was a thousand miles away. Her originally soft golden hair had actually turned silver-white.
It was a breathtaking coldness and a devilish coolness. Compared to when she was in the Chaos Abyss of War, she had changed a lot.
After not seeing her for almost two years, her strength had actually exploded to the strength of a high-level Heavenly Venerable. This speed was truly shocking!
When the Gu Clan's elder saw the newcomer, he immediately bowed and greeted, "Greetings, Elder Xing!"
Gu Xing's expression was filled with displeasure. "What's the point of discussing here? That brat is so free and unfettered outside. Can't you come up with any ideas?
Our Gu Clan isn't that easy to kill. Since we know where he is, we should have sent a large number of people to deal with him. Isn't sending a few pieces of trash a disgrace to our Gu Clan? "
Everyone lowered their heads at Gu Xing's words, not daring to utter a single word.
Gu An spoke up, "Fifth Grandfather, that Ling Xiao is only a mid-level Heavenly Venerable, but he was able to kill Gu Ming and Zhang Shi. Could there be something fishy about this?"
Gu Xing furrowed his brows. "Ling Xiao is the disciple of the Demonic Thearch, so he must have some trump cards. Moreover, he has our Gu Clan's Golden Dragon Spear. It's not difficult for him to fight above his level. Moreover … that Dao En from the Spiritual Martial Court might be supporting him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to occupy a city so openly and let everyone in the Central Region know about it."
"Dao En from the Spiritual Martial Court?" Gu An's expression changed.
The other Gu Clan Elders' expressions also changed.
If the Spiritual Martial Court got involved, then it would be difficult for the Gu Clan.
Gu Xing said, "Don't worry, Dao En is only repaying the Demonic Thearch's kindness. He doesn't represent the Spiritual Martial Court's will. There's no need for you to discuss this matter any further. I will personally take that brat's head to wash away the humiliation of our Gu Clan!"
At this time, Gu Xiaohe said coldly, "His head is mine!"
At the same time, a strange aura bloomed, startling all the elders present.
Their eyes flashed with astonishment as they thought to themselves, 'Could it be that this girl has inherited our ancestor's legacy?'
…
Yang Xianfeng and the others killed the Gu Clan's Ancient Ming and obtained Ling Xiao's approval.
Yang Xianfeng and Wang Teng originally thought that it would be good enough if they could catch Ling Xiao's attention and enter the inner palace.
However, when they received Ling Xiao's reward, they were so happy that they almost cried.
Not only did Ling Xiao arrange for them to enter the inner palace as elders, but he also gave each of them a supreme-grade Mystic Thearch Elixir.
This sudden bonus really made the two of them feel like they were about to faint from happiness.
It was as if they had been pulled from hell to heaven in an instant.
The two of them were extremely grateful to Ling Xiao. They finally knew that they had followed the right master.
Reaching the Emperor Rank was actually so close at hand. If they had chosen to ally with Yao Kuang and the others, only death would have been waiting for them. If they had not come to seek shelter, they would not have had the chance to obtain the supreme-grade Mystic Thearch Elixir.
They were really exclaiming in their hearts, "We're so lucky!"
Although Ling Xiao had incorporated the Gale Mercenaries, he did not disperse them. Instead, he assigned the other three mercenary groups that had surrendered to Yang Xianfeng and Wang Teng, and they were divided into two teams.
On one hand, it was to increase the city's defenses, and on the other hand, it was to continue hunting spirit beasts and searching for spirit herbs to enrich their wealth.
A small number of people were also assigned to repair the city.
In the short span of two months, Wind Cloud City had changed completely.
It was no longer a dilapidated city. All the buildings had been renovated, and there were many more people on the streets than usual.
Originally, only martial artists stayed here, but now, there were many more merchants and commoners.
Many of them came from nearby cities and villages, and there were also many who came from faraway cities.
A newly built city would definitely bring about huge business opportunities, and there would be many empty spaces for them to rest in.
The reason why they dared to settle down here was because they relied on Ling Xiao's reputation and the series of preferential policies that he had implemented to manage the city. Moreover, the auction was the most important thing.
Wind Cloud City's first auction would be held next month. At that time, there would be the Spring of Life Liquid, half-tier sage artifacts, seventh-tier elixirs, and a series of other rare treasures.
The Spring of Life Liquid was a peerless elixir that could bring people back from the dead. It could improve one's physique and increase one's lifespan. Even ten thousand crystals would be hard to come by.
Half-tier sage artifacts were also extremely precious. Normally, only the 18 major forces would have them, and to them, they were also clan guarding sage artifacts.
There was no need to mention the value of a seventh-tier elixir, and one could imagine how tempting the supreme-grade Mystic Emperor Elixir was to many Half Emperors.
When these three items were publicized, it caused a frenzy in many places in the Central Region.
Many people from various forces and powerful itinerant cultivators brought along huge sums of money and started to gather in Wind Cloud City.
In an instant, Wind Cloud City's reputation spread to almost every corner of the Central Region, and the City Lord, Ling Xiao, became a household name.
Not only did his glory as the First Martial Emperor and Elixir Association's champion make him famous in the Central Region, but the Ancient Killing Token also made him a well-known public figure.
Furthermore, the battle outside Wind Cloud City had caused his name to spread far and wide.
There were more and more rumors about Ling Xiao.
Some said that he was the only disciple of the Evil Emperor and that he would become a new legend. Some said that he was the reincarnation of the True Dragon Son of Heaven because every time he fought, a Golden Dragon would appear. Some said that he was the disciple of an Alchemist Saint because he was already a seventh-tier alchemist …
In short, there were different legends about him.
His name could be considered to have caused a stir in the Central Region.
…
Ji Beixin, who was in the Feng Family, had already received news of everything that Ling Xiao had done in Wind Cloud City.
She was proud of him, and she could not wait to rush to Ling Xiao's side and live with him forever.
Feng Yaxin quietly appeared behind Ji Beixin and smiled. "Little Sister Xin, are you thinking about that heartless man again?"
The two women's beauty was unparalleled, and when they stood together, it was quite an eye-catching sight.
Ji Beixin put away the zither that Ling Xiao had given her, and a charming smile appeared on her face as she said, "Sister Yaxin, you're speaking ill of him again. I don't think he's offended you, right?"
Feng Yaxin chuckled, "What's wrong? Are you worried about him?"
Ji Beixin pouted. "I am going to ignore you!"
"Haha, I have good news for you today." Feng Yaxin stopped teasing Ji Beixin and changed the topic.
"What good news?
Did something thrilling happen to him? "Ji Beixin asked with a joyful expression.
Feng Yaxin smiled. "You really want him to cause more trouble before you are satisfied." She paused for a moment before continuing, "The family sent us to Wind Cloud City to participate in the auction. Now you can see your heartless man!"