Traceless for Ten Miles put on a weak smile. "I was wondering what you wanted to do when you asked for my name. Did you come here to save your friend? I'm afraid you're too late."

"Where is she?!" an impatient Qingluan demanded.

Xiao Chen didn't waste his breath. He moved his feet, charging into the hall. Traceless for Ten Miles followed suit and blocked him. The two of them collided, causing dust to fly up all around them.

"Move aside!"

Traceless for Ten Miles smiled weakly. "Elder Brother has given that woman to Second Brother. Naturally, you can only enter once he's done with his business."

Qingluan's expression fell. "What did you say?!"

Xiao Chen's murderous aura rose sharply. He abruptly hit Traceless for Ten Miles in the chest but the latter swiftly moved out of the way, avoiding the palm attack. Traceless for Ten Miles chuckled. "I heard you're the strongest among the younger generation in the Violet Manor. I'd love to see how true this is. If you can withstand ten strikes from me, I'll allow you to enter. Otherwise, all you'll be seeing is that woman's corpse."

Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. "You're that desperate to try me, aren't you..."

Traceless for Ten Miles nodded. "Correct."

"Take this then!"

Following Xiao Chen's howl, he stimulated all of his True Energy and summoned the Dragon's Wrath. The world instantly changed before their eyes as the cloudless sky became filled with rolling dark clouds, casting a dark shadow over the earth.

Gale raged all around them. Vital force surged up violently in the air. Turning pale, countless guards began fleeing. Traceless for Ten Miles narrowed his eyes, thinking, "The rumors are true." He moved, charging at him at a lightning-fast speed.

"Roar—"

The ear-splitting howl of a furious dragon reverberated through the air as a gigantic figure of a dragon abruptly dove down. Sensing the terrifying force hidden in the dragon, Traceless for Ten Miles stopped attacking Xiao Chen. He raised his arms and started drawing a spell. Instantly, an earth-shaking power erupted from his palms and lunged at the descending dragon.

A loud explosion resounded as the two strong forces collided. Everything near them was reduced to dust. Several guards who failed to stay out of the way were turned into fogs of blood.

Dust sprang up all around. The entire place was in tatters. Traceless for Ten Miles clutched his chest and coughed up blood. The guards that fled far away were dumbstruck that Xiao Chen defeated Traceless for Ten Miles with just one strike.

To be frank, Traceless for Ten Miles was fast enough that he could have just evaded the dragon's attack earlier. He was just too conceited.

Xiao Chen flicked his sleeves coldly. He said to Qingluan, who stood behind him, "I'm leaving him to you. I'm going to save Ziyun'er." He immediately charged into the hall.

The dozen or so guards swiftly moved forward to stop him. Xiao Chen chided them coldly, "Move if you don't want to die!" He flicked his sleeves and sent the guards flying as if there was a strong gust of wind.

Right then, two silhouettes flew out of the hall. They were Traceless for Ten Miles' Eighth and Ninth Brother, Eight Scarcities Ghost and Nine-patterned Dragon. With two loud noises, they struck Xiao Chen with their palms.

The strong, abrupt attacks forced Xiao Chen to take several steps in retreat. He narrowed his eyes. Once he got a clear look at their fighting styles, he immediately circulated his Qi and unleashed his Immortal-override Steps. He arrived in front of Nine-patterned Dragon like a ghost and landed a kick on his lower jaw, sending the latter flying more than one hundred feet away.

The guards watching from a distance couldn't tell what was going on, except that Nine-patterned Dragon was suddenly thrown. He crashed into an interconnected courtyard, causing it to collapse.

Sensing that things were taking a turn for the worse, Eight Scarcities Ghost swiftly recited a spell. Instantly, a sinister whistling sound echoed throughout the air as eight shadows started plaguing Xiao Chen's back. Xiao Chen, sensing something attacking him with his Divine Sense, whipped around and pushed his palms forward in unison. Two dragon figures emerged from his palms and shattered the shadows with ease.

He disappeared out of view before reappearing in front of Eight Scarcities Ghost in the following second and punching him ten more times. Each of his punches was as furious as a volcanic eruption. He then used his family's ancient martial arts, Gold Break, and sent Eight Scarcities Ghost flying.

His focus had been on cultivating all this while, but he had never gotten about the Xiao family's ancient martial arts.

In the distance, the guards were stunned. They thought to themselves, "Is this the strongest youth of the Violet Manor? He seems invincible."

Flicking his sleeves coldly, Xiao Chen transformed into a swift light and charged into the hall without wasting time. When he was about to arrive in front of a cinnabar door, sword Qi emerged from within to strike him. He leaned backward, carrying himself tens of feet away. An ear-splitting sound of collision reverberated. The sword Qi had struck the courtyard behind him, reducing it to smoke and dust.

"Excellent lightness skill, sir," said an emotionless voice, coming from within the hall.

With a wave of his large hand, a golden dragon figure emerged and crushed the cinnabar door. Amid the rain of wood shavings, a silhouette appeared with a palm aimed at his abdomen.

Xiao Chen swiftly lifted his hand to block the attack. Yet another collision resounded. The shock of the collision caused his Qi and blood to surge violently. He took more than ten steps backward before regaining his footing.

A red-clothed man landed about seventy feet away from him. It was the group's Eldest Brother, One-dot Red. With a faint smile, he said, "Is this all the strongest youth of Violet Manor amounts to?"

Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes, zeroing in on a bound Ziyun'er suspended from the beam of the hall behind him. He couldn't hold back his anger. In a solemn voice, he yelled, "Release her!"

One-dot Red chuckled. "Give me a reason."

"I'll give you one: If you force my hand, you'll incur the extermination of your body and soul!" Xiao Chen howled, unleas.h.i.+ng his Unsullied Sword at the same time. Following a whistle, the sword turned into a white radiance and lunged at One-dot Red.

"Ah." One-dot Red continued to wear a faint smile. He drew a spell with his finger. A purple light soared behind him and began fighting the Unsullied Sword like a crackling bolt of purple lightning.

The handle of the sword was purple. Thousands of years ago, a Celestial Master had forged it out of Vital Flame Essence extracted from stones. Its name was Purple Ying. Invincible against the invasion of all demonic energy, it was considered one of the most valuable Immortal's Swords around.

Even though Unsullied Sword was an Immortal's Sword, there wasn't an immediately clear winner between the two. The guards in the distance watched in awe as the two gleaming swords, one white and the other purple, interweaved in midair.

Their battle had gone on for quite some time without a winner emerging, but their Sword Qi had ruined most of the courtyard under them.

Inside the hall, Double-tailed Crane clutched Ziyun'er's chin and moved her face so that she was facing Xiao Chen. With a sinister laugh, he said, "Your master is here. Hurry up and call him to rescue you."

Ziyun'er's acupuncture points were sealed, making it impossible for her to move. She was in so much anger that she was gnas.h.i.+ng her teeth. She knew that Double-tailed Crane was trying to use her to distract Xiao Chen from his tense fight.

Outside the hall, Xiao Chen saw everything. With a sinister laugh, Double-tailed Crane poked out his tongue and licked Ziyun'er's face. "Kid, if you don't hurry up, your pretty little thing will be bullied by me soon."

"I'll kill you!" Xiao Chen bellowed in anger. Under his control, Unsullied Sword flew into the hall. Now that the Purple Ying Sword lost its target, it immediately lunged at him. It made an opening in his arm with a jeering sound, causing blood to fly in all direction.

Ziyun'er was alarmed. "Ignore me!"

Ignoring her, Xiao Chen continued to control his sword to fly toward Double-tailed Crane. With a cold smile, the latter circulated True Energy in his arms and formed a Protective Barrier to block the ambus.h.i.+ng sword. He pushed, repelling the Unsullied Sword.

Xiao Chen caught the sword that flew back to him. He stared at One-dot Red and said furiously, "What's your purpose? And what's your reason? If you want a fight with me, you can just ask me for one! What kind of a man are you, to capture a girl?!"

One-dot Red smiled faintly. "Reason? Only disciples of so-called cultivators' sects need something like that. We disciples of the Fallen Immortals Sect never need a reason for our actions. Trampling an ant under the feet is an unchanging truth. If you want to save her, you need to be strong enough to do so. Otherwise, on what grounds are you asking me to release her? To give you face? Who do you think you are? Do you think we're in the previous Cultivation Era, where all sects have to be obedient to some Chief of the Immortals?"

Right then, several men walked out of the hall. They were either leaning against trees or crossing their arms as they sneered at Xiao Chen. The contempt in their eyes was obvious.

Xiao Chen clenched his fist so hard that his bones creaked. Even though there was no grudge between them, for some reason he felt like there was a deep enmity between them. From their words, he felt as if they bore an irresolvable grudge against him thousands of years ago.