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**
Three days later.
In the Black-Corner Region, atop a mountain not far from Qingshan City.
Human figures surged across the mountaintop. From time to time, faint yet powerful auras leaked out, casting a suffocating pressure over the surrounding forest. The entire area was eerily quiet—no insect chirps or bird calls could be heard.
At the front of the crowd stood a cold-faced young man. Judging by his facial features, he bore a few striking similarities to Xiao Yan.
This man was none other than Xiao Li, and from the faintly emanating aura from his body, he had clearly reached the level of a Dou Wang.
In just over two years, Xiao Li—who had only been at the peak of Dou Shi when he first arrived in the Black-Corner Region, and who later barely broke through to Da Dou Shi—had actually soared all the way to Dou Wang!
Such speed could only be described as absurd.
Over the past two years, Xiao Li's face had also gained a touch of stern maturity.
However, a faint trace of deathly energy lingered between his brows. For those with sharp spiritual perception, this ominous aura was quite apparent.
Clearly, this meteoric rise in strength had not come without a price.
During these years, Xiao Li had also built up a rather formidable force in the Black-Corner Region.
"Second Commander, all Xiao Clan members have assembled. Including the strong individuals we recruited recently, and the three of us brothers, there are a total of eight Dou Wang experts."
"As for the rest, most are elite Dou Ling experts handpicked according to your standards. They are fearless and ruthless—many of them are even at the peak of Dou Ling."
A brawny man strode over and spoke in a deep voice to Xiao Li, who stood near the edge of the mountain.
Xiao Li slowly turned his head. His stern expression remained emotionless as he gave the man a brief glance.
This man's surname was Yao, and he had two blood brothers. Together, they were known as the Three Yao Brothers, all Dou Wang level fighters and quite a notorious trio in the Black-Corner Region.
Now, all three had been subdued by Xiao Yan and served under his banner.
Xiao Li gave a slight nod. "Good work."
With that, his gaze shifted behind him.
There, nearly a hundred shadowy figures stood in eerie silence. In front of them stood seven figures, tall or slender, but all exuding faint, oppressive auras.
These seven were all Dou Wang-level experts.
Despite so many individuals gathered in one place, not a single sound was made. The oppressive atmosphere hung heavily over the entire mountaintop.
This was the force now under Xiao Li's control—his painstaking efforts over the past two years.
Everything… was for revenge!
"Yun Lan Sect!"
His hand clenched tightly beneath his sleeve. A cold gleam flashed in his eyes.
"Are you ready to receive the Xiao Clan's vengeance?"
"Any news from Dark Sky Sect, Luo Sha Gate, and Wild Lion Gang? Why haven't they arrived yet?" Xiao Li withdrew his gaze from the assembled shadows and suddenly frowned, speaking in a low voice.
The burly man—eldest of the Yao brothers—was just about to answer.
When suddenly, a sultry woman's laughter echoed from above. "Fufufu… Little Brother Xiao is really impatient. Leaving the Black-Corner Region this time will take several months at least. If we rush off unprepared, wouldn't we risk coming back to find our turf stolen?"
Xiao Li raised an eyebrow and looked up.
Following the laughter, the sound of air being split rang out in quick succession.
Over a dozen flying magical beasts soared in from the horizon. In the blink of an eye, they descended upon the mountain.
Then, figure after figure leapt down from the beasts, landing gracefully atop nearby treetops.
From a glance, there were nearly a hundred of them—each emanating a formidable presence. Clearly, none were ordinary.
Among the descending figures, three particularly powerful auras flew down only after the others, each with Dou Qi wings flapping behind them.
The three hovered mid-air above the mountaintop. Their eyes scanned the lineup behind Xiao Li, and each showed a flicker of surprise.
The enchanting woman who had spoken earlier smiled again. "Little Brother Xiao is truly capable. To think you managed to gather such a formidable force in such a short time—truly admirable."
Xiao Li swept his cold eyes over the three floating figures. All three were Dou Huang-level powerhouses. A faint smile finally tugged at the corners of his otherwise severe expression.
He spoke casually, as if it were nothing: "With my third brother being a Tier 6 alchemist, having this kind of influence isn't exactly surprising."
At these words, the three Dou Huang experts—Tie Wu from the Wild Lion Gang, Old Yin Gu from the Dark Sky Sect, and Su Mei from the Luo Sha Gate—all had a flicker in their eyes.
Then, each smiled and echoed his sentiment: "Little Brother Xiao is absolutely right. If Sect Master Xiao Yan publicly announced his Tier 6 alchemist status, not to mention a few Dou Wang experts—even Dou Huang experts would rush to his side without hesitation."
In the Black-Corner Region, ever since Han Feng's fall two years ago, there had been no Tier 6 alchemists left—at least, not publicly.
Xiao Li gave a small smile and casually asked, "May I ask how the strength of the forces you've brought this time measures up?"
Hearing this, Tie Wu, Old Yin Gu, and Su Mei exchanged glances, then smiled and replied: "Each of our factions has dispatched two Dou Wang experts, making six Dou Wangs in total. Including ourselves, that's three Dou Huang experts. The rest are all elite members from our respective sects. We're confident this force won't fall short compared to Yun Lan Sect's forces."
"Only six Dou Wangs? That seems a bit underwhelming, considering your status in the Black-Corner Region."
Xiao Li smiled faintly, as if casually remarking.
Dark Sky Sect, Luo Sha Gate, and the Wild Lion Gang were all considered top-tier factions in the Black-Corner Region. Bringing only two Dou Wangs each was honestly a bit lacking.
"Little Brother Xiao, you have to understand our position," Su Mei said helplessly. "The Black-Corner Region isn't like other places. If we take too many elites out at once, we might return to find our home turf wiped clean."
Xiao Li frowned slightly. Though he felt somewhat dissatisfied, he still nodded.
What they said wasn't untrue. After all, they were only here for the benefits—no one would risk their own base's safety. So he had no reason to press further.
Fortunately, these three were all Dou Huang-level experts, which still made them a considerable force.
Moreover, the people gathered here weren't meant to be the main force anyway.
The true trump card was someone else—someone whose presence alone could shift the outcome. So Xiao Li no longer dwelled on it.
Instead, his expression turned serious as he solemnly warned: "Let me be upfront with the three of you. In a moment, someone very important will arrive. You don't have to show excessive respect, but under no circumstances should you speak rudely or show disrespect. If you do, I won't be able to protect you."
"Oh?"
Su Mei and the others were visibly startled. They exchanged glances, eyes filled with doubt and surprise.
Su Mei couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that Sect Master Xiao has invited another powerhouse besides our three factions?"
To this, Xiao Li responded with a mysterious smile and a nod, saying nothing more.
Seeing this, the three narrowed their eyes slightly, exchanging silent glances full of intrigue.
They were clearly curious—who else, in the Black-Corner Region, could be invited by the Xiao Gate to assist in this expedition to the Jia Ma Empire?
For Xiao Li to treat this person with such caution and explicitly warn them not to offend, it was obvious—this person had to be a Dou Zong.
Dou Zong-level experts were exceedingly rare across the entire Black-Corner Region.
Only a few of the long-established factions, such as the Black Emperor Sect or Demon Flame Valley, had reclusive Dou Zong experts hidden within.
As for the likes of the Gold and Silver Elders, while it was said that their combined strength could rival a Dou Zong, in truth, they were merely peak Dou Huang.
Now, they were being hunted by the alliance of Jia Nan Academy and the Xiao Gate, forced to flee in panic. No one even knew where they'd escaped to, and even Feng City had fallen into the hands of the Xiao Gate.
Naturally, the so-called Black Alliance had dissolved as well.
Aside from the three remaining major factions, many other groups that had once joined the Black Alliance under the Gold and Silver Elders were now suffering devastating losses under the combined assault of Jia Nan Academy and the Xiao Gate. Some had even been completely wiped out, such as Fan Lao's Blood Sect, which was now fully under Xiao Gate control.
And those factions didn't have any Dou Zong guardians.
This alone demonstrated the immense deterrent power of a Dou Zong.
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