The Pride of the Cadillo Family

Youth, high station, and power—how could one not be arrogant?

Cadillo, a prominent figure among the great clans of Heavenly Emperor City, had always acted according to his own whims. This time, he had kept his expedition secret from his family, leading trusted followers deep into the Southern Wastes in search of legendary battle beasts. Yet, after only a dozen days in the wild forests, he had lost most of his men, leaving only five.

This day, he caught sight of the Little Defiant Dragon. With his discerning eye, how could he fail to see its extraordinary nature? After secretly watching it challenge and completely defeat several ferocious savage beasts, Cadillo had already reached a conclusion: this was undoubtedly a king among sub-dragon beasts. It possessed at least a third dragon bloodline—and perhaps was a true dragon that had strayed into the Southern Wastes.

At the thought of the dragons in the Southern Wastes, his blood boiled. Legends said that in the distant past, a few incomparably powerful dragons had escaped the sealing of Dragon Island and hidden themselves in the Southern Wastes. If this little defiant dragon was their descendant...

Cadillo trembled with uncontrollable excitement. A descendant of the ancient supreme dragon lineage that had escaped the sealing calamity—this was the greatest gift heaven could bestow! If he could subdue it, it might be no less than the true young dragon kings emerging from Dragon Island.

A descendant of the supreme dragon lineage!

Having reached this conclusion, Cadillo acted without hesitation. He and his trusted followers immediately surrounded the Little Defiant Dragon, closing in from all directions. To his delight, the little dragon's spiritual senses were incredibly sharp—it detected them at once—but instead of fleeing, it met their gaze with open defiance, actively inviting battle. Such a proud nature only confirmed Cadillo's suspicions.

Act decisively. Do not miss the chance. Do not let it escape.

A battle to subdue the descendant of the supreme dragon lineage began then and there.

But just as success seemed within reach, this outsider had to appear. Cadillo was deeply displeased. Heavenly Emperor City was the greatest city in the Southern Wastes of the Eternal Continent, and his family was one of its most prominent clans. He was used to making others yield—how could he tolerate someone interfering with his good fortune?

Though he could tell that Xiao Chen's cultivation seemed profound, his innate superiority prevented him from respecting ordinary practitioners.

"I'm telling the truth. Look how familiar it is with me. If it were just some ordinary wild beast, how could it accept me?" Xiao Chen made one final attempt. He preferred to avoid conflict if possible.

But the golden-haired youth across from him was clearly not buying it. His demeanor remained haughty and impatient. "Spare me your nonsense. If I've set my sights on it, you think you can contend for it? This is clearly just a wild beast. I don't want to make trouble for you—the ancient road is over there. You can leave, and we won't get in each other's way."

Cadillo's meaning was obvious: get lost. He had taken a liking to this battle beast. If the man didn't leave, he wouldn't be able to leave either.

Xiao Chen understood perfectly. The other party was relying on his status and the experts at his side to forcibly take the Little Defiant Dragon. This was a realistic world, where strength was the only truth. An ordinary young cultivator might have yielded at once, recognizing the family crest embroidered on the brocade-robed youth's left sleeve—the insignia of a major power of Heavenly Emperor City, a grand family that controlled the Colosseum of Beasts, an existence cultivators were very reluctant to provoke.

But Xiao Chen did not know this, and even if he had, what difference would it make? With his temperament and current strength, he would strike just as fiercely. The Little Defiant Dragon was absolutely not something he could give up. The more he learned about this little beast, the more highly he valued it. In his heart, he had always been waiting for some kind of possibility to emerge.

Once he made a decision, he never hesitated. Knowing the other party would not change his mind, Xiao Chen immediately assumed a combat stance. Dazzling light burst forth from his body, like leaping, blazing flames, or like a suit of sacred battle armor. In that moment, Xiao Chen became impossible to look directly at.

"Hey, kid, you've got some nerve!" Cadillo was furious. He was always the one to provoke others; few dared to challenge him. And here was this vagabond-looking cultivator, daring to offend him so blatantly.

Cadillo was a Mortal-Shedding Third Heaven expert, considered a master among the younger generation, especially within the nobility. But 'master' was relative. He did not know how deep Xiao Chen's cultivation truly was, but the man beside him sensed it. That was his shadow, the battle guard who had grown up with him, a Sixth Heaven expert responsible for his protection. Every direct descendant of their family had such a guard trained from childhood—the most loyal of all.

"Young master..." Cadillo's battle guard tugged lightly at his robe and whispered, "This man's battle power exceeds mine. He has already released killing intent."

With that, the battle guard turned to Xiao Chen. "We are the Rigen family. Friend, would you be willing to sell us this battle beast? We will not treat you unfairly." He had clearly sensed Xiao Chen's killing intent and knew the man before him was terrifying. He did not want to fight, for battle guards had grown up alongside their masters and could sometimes speak on their behalf.

"Impossible." Xiao Chen refused outright.

"Seize him!" Cadillo of the Rigen family could no longer bear it and gave the order directly.

The three young women floating in the air were all spiritists. They were beautiful, seemingly of mixed blood, possessing both classical Eastern beauty and the noble bearing of the Western tribes. Yet they could not hide a hint of allure between their brows. Their eyes were limpid, their light blue hair flowing like water waves.

They were collateral branches of the Rigen family, their blood ties to this great clan of Heavenly Emperor City already somewhat thin. But due to their decent strength and striking looks, the family still valued them. They often mixed with the direct descendants of the Rigen family; the elders turned a blind eye to such promiscuous relationships.

The three female spiritists swept down three beams of green light and launched spirit arts at Xiao Chen to initiate the attack.

At the same time, Cadillo raised a sharp sword and charged in person.

Xiao Chen quickly sidestepped, evading the three spiritists' attacks, and rushed directly at Cadillo. He formed sword fingers with his hand, sending out a dazzling beam of sword-light that slashed diagonally at the Rigen family youth.

The sword-light produced a terrifying sound as it rent the air. The battle guard beside him showed a look of alarm, clearly sensing Xiao Chen's dreadful combat power. With a great shout, he pushed his speed to the limit, overtaking Cadillo. The iron sword in his hand, infused with primal essence, became nearly translucent and even began to tremble. Its sword-light blazed brilliantly as it met Xiao Chen's attack.

Chi, chi, chi!

The sound of sword-light tearing through the void was ear-piercingly sharp!

But the battle guard's sword-light could not withstand the golden fingers Xiao Chen extended—fingers like forged gold, from which sword-light burst forth. The golden fingers shattered dozens of beams of sword-light, then struck the sharp sword in the battle guard's hand.

A sound of shattering rang out. The battle guard's sword exploded like fireworks, fragments shooting in all directions along with streams of energy. The battle guard seemed to have been struck by a violent wave; his body shook violently. He could see a golden light surge into the cracked sword hilt in his hand. He retreated rapidly, shaking his right arm repeatedly, using a high-level martial technique to dissolve the terrifying force that had entered his body.

In that moment, he was deeply shaken, clearly realizing he was no match for Xiao Chen. He cried out, "Are you Yuwen Feng, or Dugu Jianmo... or perhaps Zhao Chongyang?"

He named several top-tier young experts of the southern continent. Such battle power made him truly afraid.

But Xiao Chen did not stop. He advanced like a blade, his sword-finger hand suddenly closing into a fist, and punched directly at Cadillo. At that same moment, Cadillo's attack arrived before him.

With a thunderous crash, the long sword shattered. Xiao Chen's fist pierced through the screen of broken light and struck directly against Cadillo's palm gripping the sword hilt.

Crack. Crack.

The sound of bones breaking rang out, especially jarring in this melee.

A spiraling force surged directly into Cadillo's right arm. His arm instantly twisted into a spiral shape—though it did not shatter, it was clearly bent and deformed, utterly ruined.

"Ah..." Cadillo howled in agony, his face contorted.

All of this happened in an instant, too fast for the eye to follow. The three female spiritists in the air and the battle guard had only launched a single attack, far too slow to come to his rescue.

"Go!" the battle guard shouted, pushing Cadillo, who was clutching his ruined arm and screaming in pain, forward. He charged ahead himself, knowing this enemy was far too terrifying—there was no stopping him. The three spiritists in the air swooped down, seized Cadillo, and flew skyward.

The Little Defiant Dragon struck. A beam of divine light shot from its single horn, flashing as it knocked a female spiritist out of the air. Then it pounced ferociously.

At the same time, a figure leaped high from a distant treetop. The Wheel King, who had been hiding there, sprang up and ambushed one of the female spiritists, causing her to stagger in the air. But she did not fall.

Xiao Chen shot forward like a ghost, heading straight for the battle guard who had stayed behind. There was no fancy technique—his palm blade was as sharp as a heavenly blade, its dazzling light colliding directly with the battle guard's fist. Again, the sound of breaking bones, accompanied by a muffled grunt. The battle guard was sent flying.

"Friend, spare us where you can," the battle guard said, clutching his twisted arm in pain.

Xiao Chen was very calm. "If people don't trouble me, I don't trouble them. I gave you a chance, but you forced my hand."

"You... you should know the power of the Rigen family. Cadillo is the patriarch's seventh grandson... deeply favored by the patriarch."

"Precisely because I know you come from a powerful family, I cannot let you go."

The battle guard instantly understood Xiao Chen's meaning. Since he had already struck, there was no turning back. He had to silence them all, eliminate the threat.

"Kill!" The battle guard charged again, fearless.

But it was futile. A fight between a Mortal-Shedding Sixth Heaven and a peak Eighth Heaven expert had no chance whatsoever.

Like a fleeting shadow, Xiao Chen charged forward, his palm blade leading. His entire body seemed to become transparent, transforming into an unbreakable heavenly blade that pierced straight through.

The speed was too great. The battle guard met him head-on. With a "puff," blood sprayed. The battle guard was cleaved in two, his halves falling to either side.

Xiao Chen had passed straight through him, his divine light shielding his body, unstained by even a drop of blood. Such speed and power, if witnessed by his peers, would surely shock them.

He did not stop. Xiao Chen spread his Undying Sky Wings and took flight, giving chase.

A very interesting sight met his eyes. Two female spiritists were frozen in midair, trapped in a sphere of light. It was Keke, returning after searching for heavenly herbs and elixirs, who had discovered them trying to flee and bound them.

Cadillo, meanwhile, had already unrolled a scroll and shot into the high sky, fleeing toward Heavenly Emperor City.

Xiao Chen sneered. With the Undying Sky Wings, how could he let the man escape? Flying at extreme speed, he soon caught up.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Hearing the sudden voice behind him, Cadillo turned his head and nearly lost his soul from terror. Xiao Chen, radiating killing intent and with a pair of sky wings spread wide, was already less than three meters behind him.

He had never imagined Xiao Chen could fly. Such a martial artist was truly terrifying. In that moment, all arrogance left him; what remained in his eyes was only panic.

"You..."

Fear spread. In that moment, Cadillo bitterly regretted his earlier arrogance. If only he hadn't been so overbearing, this terrible thing might not have happened.

He remembered the warnings of the elders in his family: after leaving Heavenly Emperor City, do not lightly make enemies of other cultivators. The family's foundation was in Heavenly Emperor City; the outside world was not entirely within their control.

"Don't kill me!"

"Give me a reason."

Seeing Xiao Chen's icy expression, Cadillo's body trembled. The flying scroll carrying him wobbled.

"I come from the Rigen family. If you kill me, you'll have enormous trouble."

"Not killing you is what would bring trouble!"

Without another word, Xiao Chen struck. A cold, divine light flashed. Blood sprayed. Cadillo's head flew from his shoulders.

The scroll carried his headless corpse diagonally toward the ground.

Xiao Chen turned and flew back along his path.

He signaled Keke to release one of the bound spiritists, intending to test whether the Undying Sky Wings could match a spiritist in speed. The seductive woman shrieked and fled forward through the trees. She had witnessed everything and was already terrified of Xiao Chen to the extreme; all she wanted was to flee back to Heavenly Emperor City.

Clearly, Xiao Chen would not give her that chance. He spread his Undying Sky Wings and flew at extreme speed, catching up almost instantly. In that moment, there was no mercy to be shown. Blood sprayed again. The beautiful female spiritist was cut in half at the waist, her corpse falling into the forest.

Xiao Chen was very satisfied with the Undying Sky Wings. They were the bane of spiritists and spellmasters. He was certain they would become the nightmare of his enemies.

He cleaned up the scene. The three female spiritists, the battle guard, and Cadillo were all slain. Xiao Chen's heart stirred slightly, but he did not think himself cruel—everything was for his own survival.

Having killed these people, Xiao Chen did not set out again immediately. Only after half a month did he slowly resume his journey. Another five days later, they finally emerged from the endless Southern Wastes. Heavenly Emperor City was already in sight.