Chapter 139: By What Right?

More shocked than anyone else was Su Yannan.

No one understood the formidable power of a Martial Venerable better than he did. Yet, facing Ling Xiao at this moment, his own mountain-like strength seemed like a stone cast into the ocean—it vanished without a trace, stripped of all its ferocity.

How could the opponent effortlessly crush his cultivation as a first-tier Martial Venerable?

A sense of despair surged into Su Yannan’s heart. Gritting his teeth, he poured every ounce of his energy into the water dragon, desperate to suppress Ling Xiao with his overwhelming power. But no matter how much he amplified his strength, the water dragon remained immovable.

Ling Xiao reached out and tapped the water dragon lightly.

With that single touch, the massive, ten-thousand-meter-long water dragon began to writhe and twist, turning back to lunge at Su Yannan!

One must understand that Su Yannan was still continuously channeling his true energy into the dragon. For Ling Xiao to seize control of it, he would have to envelop the dragon with power many times greater than Su Yannan’s and force it to yield. The sheer amount of energy required for such a feat was astronomical!

In that instant, Su Yannan was plunged into total despair.

"Run!"

The thought had barely crossed his mind before Su Yannan turned and fled without a second word. He no longer dared to challenge Ling Xiao. This guy was a monster!

But how could Ling Xiao let him escape?

With a slight shift of his gaze, the water dragon accelerated dozens of times over and swallowed Su Yannan in a single gulp.

"No!"

Su Yannan shrieked in terror, "You cannot kill me! You cannot! My second brother is General Su Dinghai of the Dragon Group! If you kill me, you will surely die!"

At this moment, Su Yannan had lost all the grandeur of a Martial Saint of Jiangnan. In the face of death, he was nothing more than a pathetic ant.

However, since Ling Xiao had decided to end him, he would not let him go so easily. He gripped his hand, and with a burst of boundless divine power, he crushed Su Yannan, killing him in a single move.

Bang!

With a thunderous crash, Su Yannan was reduced to a mist of blood. Deprived of his spiritual energy, the ten-thousand-meter dragon collapsed, falling as a torrent of blood-stained rain.

Splash...

Another deafening explosion echoed as the lake erupted into massive waves, sending ripples that shook the hearts of everyone present.

Su Yannan had lost. The Martial Saint of Jiangnan, who had dominated the region for decades, had been defeated by an unknown youth. And even after invoking the name of General Su Dinghai of the Dragon Group, he had still been executed! Heavens, the world had truly gone mad!

Shen Tianjun’s face turned deathly pale. As the strongest among the remaining, he understood the true terror of Ling Xiao better than anyone else. To kill a first-tier Martial Venerable in an instant, especially while the man was being so arrogant—this guy was a monster!

He gave a self-deprecating smile. "How laughable I am. I foolishly thought I was powerful, but I didn't realize that I was already half a step behind Brother Su, and in front of this young man, I am nothing more than an ant. So be it! I shall return to Jiangbei and enter seclusion for fifty years. I will not step out until I have reached the level of a Martial Venerable!"

Su Yannan was dead, and Shen Tianjun was so terrified he had retreated into half a century of seclusion. The silence at the scene was broken only by the whistling wind.

Old Master Su collapsed to the ground, wailing uncontrollably. "Su Yanran, you are the sinner of the Su family! Woe is me..."

Su Yanran’s face was ashen. She stumbled backward, leaning against the body of the stretched Lincoln before sliding down to the ground. Her cheeks were already stained with tears. "It’s impossible! This is impossible! My third grandfather... he couldn't have lost! He wouldn't lose!"

Ling Xiao tapped his toes against the surface and, with a few flashes of movement, arrived on the shore. Everyone immediately retreated, not daring to get close. This was a peerless expert who had just killed a Martial Saint—not someone they could afford to provoke!

Ling Xiao ignored them and walked directly to Su Yanran. "The Su family only needed to pay ten billion. But you were too foolish. From this day forward, all the assets of the Jiangnan Su family belong to me."

The crowd trembled. The Su family was finished. A minute ago, they were one of the top powers in Jiangnan; from now on, they would be nothing more than history.

Old Master Su struggled to his feet. "You! Don't be so arrogant! The Su family will never hand over our assets to you! If you have the guts, kill us all! I want to see how you, alone, intend to seize all our wealth!"

"That's right! And we have General Su Dinghai of the Dragon Group! It is far too early for you to try and destroy our family!"

As soon as he finished speaking, another fleet of Rolls-Royces arrived. The crowd was puzzled. Which great family was this?

As the motorcade pulled up, a young figure stepped out and hurried over to Ling Xiao, bowing low. "Young Master! Wenhe is late; please forgive me!"

The newcomer was Zhang Wenhe. Ling Xiao looked at him with an indifferent gaze. "Why are you here?"

Zhang Wenhe gave a cheeky grin. "Young Master, my grandfather said that since you are new to Jiangnan and unfamiliar with the area, some blind fools might show you disrespect. So, he sent me to be your assistant. If anyone dares to provoke you, just give the order, and I will knock out their dog teeth and wipe out their entire family!"

"I see." Ling Xiao’s brow relaxed, seemingly satisfied.

He glanced behind him and said, "Since you're here, the Su family is yours to handle. Let them leave with nothing. Once the assets are tallied, send them to Ghost Valley."

"Understood!"

With that, Ling Xiao turned and left without a second thought.

Old Master Su roared in fury, "Ling Xiao, by what right? By what right do you take our family's assets? Who do you think you are? I will report you to the Dragon Group! You are oppressing ordinary people; the Dragon Group will deal with you!"

Zhang Wenhe stepped forward and kicked him to the ground. "Stop your incessant yapping. Who the hell do you think you are? Our Young Master is a Major General of the Dragon Group and the Young Master of Ghost Valley! Go ahead and report him if you want, you idiot! Did you really think no one could handle your Su family?"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire crowd was stunned into silence once more. Many people were so terrified they dropped to their knees!

Su Yanran trembled, her mind completely shattered. "Hahahaha... so... so this was his backing! Hahahaha... How laughable that I was so arrogant! I am such a fool! Hahahaha... I am a fool!"

Su Yanran had gone mad, but was anyone else there any saner?

A Major General of the Dragon Group? The Young Master of Ghost Valley?

No wonder he was so formidable! He was a man of the martial arts world!

But even so, wasn't Ling Xiao a bit too young? To reach the rank of Major General at such a young age—if he were given more time, what level would he reach?

The crowd dared not even imagine.