NOVEL NEXT Not Qualified to Lick His Boots
As the guardian of the Heaven Ascending Pavilion, Niu Meng held nothing but disdain in his heart.
Dou King?
Not even qualified to lick his boots.
Let alone a Dou King, even a Dou Emperor expert would only be worthy of carrying his shoes.
"You broke the rules, so forget about leaving here alive."
Without the slightest hesitation, he raised his palm and slapped down fiercely. In a blink of an eye, the bodies of everyone from the Wolf Head Mercenary Company except for Gan Mu were crushed into bloody pulps.
They didn't even have time to scream before they were sent back to the cycle of reincarnation.
Splattered with blood and flesh, Gan Mu's expression turned to one of horror. His face went as pale as a sheet of paper, his lips trembling uncontrollably. As if the strength had been sapped from his legs, he suddenly fell to his knees with a resounding thump.
"Senior... I was wrong. I'll never dare to do it again. This was all Mu She's doing. If I had known it was you, I would never have come."
Gan Mu pleaded, "Please, spare me. I won't dare to do it again."
Li Xiao leisurely walked out from within the valley, looking at the snot-and-tears-covered Gan Mu with disgust.
A dignified nine-star Dou Fighter, the second in command of the Wolf Head Mercenary Company, who had countless innocent lives on his hands, now begging for mercy?
Had he ever been merciful to those unlucky souls?
"Master," Niu Meng bowed respectfully.
Gan Mu wiped his eyes and quickly knelt in front of Li Xiao again, crying louder, "Senior, I was truly wrong. It was that bastard Mu She who made me come. He said he wanted to avenge He Meng, and I initially refused, but Mu She threatened me with my eighty-year-old mother, forcing me to come against you."
"I was truly wrong."
"So, you're a filial son?" Li Xiao sneered inwardly.
"Yes, yes!" Gan Mu nodded repeatedly, as if clutching at a lifeline. "I have an eighty-year-old mother and young children who need me. They cannot live without me."
Gan Mu knew clearly that if this person spared him, he wouldn't die today. That Dou Wang seemed to respect this man a lot.
If it came to it, he could even take him as a hostage. With a Dou Wang as a bodyguard, this person must be from the royal family or a major clan. He could take advantage of this opportunity to gain a fortune.
Thinking this, Gan Mu's mouth curled into a smile, already fantasizing about lounging in mountains of gold and silver.
However, Li Xiao saw through Gan Mu's scheming and didn't bother with any more nonsense. A minor character wasn't worth his time. He directly looked at Niu Meng and said, "Kill him."
"What?!" Gan Mu snapped out of his fantasy, his face contorting in rage. "You brat, if you show no mercy, don't blame me for being ruthless. Die!"
As he spoke, Gan Mu sprang up like a spring, his right palm turning into a fist aimed at Li Xiao's chest.
Li Xiao didn't do anything to stop his attack, only a mocking smile full of disdain plastered on his face.
With a dull thud, a heavy sound rang out.
Niu Meng shouted in anger, "You beast, how dare you attack the Pavilion Master! You're courting death!"
"You have no chance."
Gan Mu sneered.
But suddenly, Gan Mu felt something was wrong. By rights, even an eight-star Dou Fighter like He Meng might not withstand his punch, but this person was completely unscathed.
Not only that, Gan Mu's expression changed drastically. Intense pain spread throughout his body, and the cracking sound of his bones echoed in the silent night. His once fierce fist felt like it had struck iron, shattering his hand bones instantly.
Gan Mu's own internal energy backfired, boiling his blood, and he fell heavily to the ground, wailing in agony. His body was wracked with pain from his shattered bones.
With his bones shattered and his meridians rupturing inch by inch, his Dou Qi cyclone was directly affected. Just one blow had rendered him a cripple.
Niu Meng, filled with fury, grabbed his head and slammed it fiercely into the ground. In no time, Gan Mu's skull was caved in, his brains splattered—he was unmistakably dead.
Anyone who spoke disrespectfully to the Pavilion Master had to die, and those who dared to attack him would see their entire clan exterminated!
Li Xiao slowly turned around, a voice so emotionless and indifferent came out of his mouth. "There's no need for the Wolf Head Mercenary Company to exist anymore."
Watching the Pavilion Master disappear into the distance, Niu Meng swiftly took to the air and headed straight for the headquarters of the Wolf Head Mercenary Company.
In no time, the sounds of screams filled the air. Within just a few moments, all the strong members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Company, led by Mu She, were killed.
Mu She and his men didn't even know who had killed them before they died.
The next morning, as the rooster crowed to welcome the dawn, the wealth accumulated by the Wolf Head Mercenary Company over the years was brought over by Niu Meng. However, it was only about 200,000 gold coins, along with a few Dou techniques and cultivation methods. They were pitifully poor.
Li Xiao methodically sorted through the trash brought back by Niu Meng, discarding anything useless into the system's recycling function. Although this only yielded a small amount of gold coins, even small gains added up over time.
Eventually, he managed to gather three hundred thousand gold coins. Looking at the system's balance with only a minuscule increase, he felt a bit frustrated. It seemed that only through auctions could he amass a significant amount of gold coins.
With half a year remaining until the next auction, Li Xiao wondered if he could break through to the Dou Master realm during this time.
After organizing the internal affairs of the Heaven Ascending Pavilion, Li Xiao decisively climbed to the top floor of the pavilion. Cultivating here allowed for rapid progress, but required enduring a massive influx of Dou Qi until his body reached saturation.
No one could become an expert overnight, and cultivation was no exception. Despite the speed boost, the Dou Qi within needed to be compressed to form a higher-level Dou Qi vortex.
Only by doing this could he advance to the Dou Master realm.
Seeing their Pavilion Master working hard on his cultivation, Linglong and Niu Meng took charge of security around the Heaven Ascending Pavilion. If anyone attempted to disturb Li Xiao, they would face the full might of two Dou Ancestor experts.
Time flew by.
Before he knew it, half a year had passed.
Outside the Heaven Ascending Pavilion, many powerful individuals had gathered. Even Dou Emperor experts were among them, eager to see if the rumors were true and hoping to obtain valuable items from the auction.
In the room at the top floor.
Li Xiao exhaled a deep breath of stale air. After six months of cultivation, he had reached the nine-star Dou Master level, just one step away from becoming a Dou Grandmaster.
He had broken through to Dou Master within the first half-month of entering the top floor. Determined to grow stronger and master higher-tier battle techniques, Li Xiao continued his rigorous training there.
Finally, the time for the auction arrived.
The anticipation and energy outside the Heaven Ascending Pavilion were palpable, with everyone waiting to see what treasures would be presented and who would emerge victorious in the bidding wars.