The elder was exceptionally burly, two sizes larger than Tai Long.
He had a broad face, with white hair standing up like steel needles, and his tiger-like eyes were wide, exuding an aura of authority without needing to be angry.
Seeing his grandson kneeling and weeping,
the elder raised his hand and delivered a powerful slap.
Pa—!
"How could my Strength Clan produce such a coward like you!"
"It's one thing to lose in strength, but to be beaten by a group of students!"
"It's a disgrace to this old man's face!"
Tai Long clutched his face, not daring to utter a sound.
"Senior Tai Tan..."
Yu Tianheng's face turned crimson.
The immense aura emanating from the elder made it difficult for him to speak, but he managed to force out:
"We were just joking with Tai Long, we weren't serious."
"For a Strength Clan Leader like you to interfere in a playful squabble between students, isn't that bullying the young?"
Tai Tan glanced at Yu Tianheng, then pointed at the four members of Yu Feng, who were stumbling to their feet.
"If it were just a joke, those four wouldn't have just these superficial injuries."
"This old man isn't here for you today. That one named Sword Wine, he injured my grandson's arm with a single punch, it will take months to heal. I am here to find him."
"Go find Sword Wine, and this won't concern you."
"Old scoundrel! How dare you!"
Dugu Yan's eyes flashed with a faint light, and she gritted her teeth.
"Do you really think a Spirit Douluo is invincible? Or are you relying on the name of the God of Strength to act with impunity?"
"Believe it or not, I'll have my grandfather slaughter your Strength Clan!"
Ye Lingling's body was frail and not directly impacted by the oppressive force, but the overflowing Soul Power still made her face pale.
"My Nine Heart Begonia Ye Family is not afraid of the Strength Clan either!"
Yu Tianheng sneered.
"I'll also have to invite my grandfather to have a talk with Senior Tai Tan."
The backgrounds of these three families...
were more astonishing than the last.
Even Tai Tan, whose temperament was as hard as iron, couldn't help but show a series of shifting expressions.
He composed himself and said in a deep voice:
"This old man hasn't harmed any of you three in the slightest, so I don't think your elders would make things difficult for me!"
"I said, today I'm only looking for Sword Wine, it has nothing to do with you!"
Yu Feng, supported by the Shi Brothers, was bruised and swollen, as he had been the most vocal earlier.
Hearing Tai Tan's words,
he spat indistinctly.
"Pah! I thought Senior Tai Tan was a tough guy, but it turns out he's just a bully who picks on the weak!"
"Seeing our three families' power is weak, you dare to act recklessly!"
"But we are students of Huangdou Academy!"
"Does Senior Tai Tan not even care about our academy's three Board of Education Members?!"
Knowing that Tai Tan wouldn't dare to strike hard,
Yu Feng's insults grew bolder.
However, before he could finish speaking, a mountain-like pressure slammed down.
Crack—!
Yu Feng's joints popped.
He was pressed firmly to the ground, his face purplish-red as if bleeding.
"Don't use the Board of Education Members to pressure me. Below Titled Douluo, what do I fear?"
Tai Tan's tiger-like eyes gleamed, and his oppressive aura was overbearing.
"In terms of pure strength, even an ordinary Titled Douluo is no match for this old man!"
Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and Yu Tianheng's expressions were grim.
Tai Tan's words were not false.
Looking across the entire Heaven Dou City, this Strength Clan Leader was indeed extraordinary.
Below Titled Douluo, he rarely met an opponent.
"Hmph... Then... then don't say..."
Yu Feng, pressed to the ground, squeezed out his words one by one.
"If... if you have the guts, then kill us..."
"Betraying... betraying my brothers... I can't do that..."
Oslo and the Shi Brothers were also pressed to the ground, nodding with difficulty.
"No... you're right..."
The four of Yu Feng were in such a sorry state.
The students watching simply couldn't bear it.
Some ran off to find teachers, but the three Board of Education Members were usually not at the academy.
Other students, with the intention of spreading the news, anxiously searched for Sword Wine's whereabouts in the Imperial City.
At this moment,
Li Dixian was eating noodles at a noodle stall.
The old Storyteller at the wine shed across the street had caught a cold and hadn't been performing for two days.
Even the noodles seemed to lack some flavor.
And just then,
two students wearing Huangdou Academy uniforms rushed in.
Spotting Li Dixian, they anxiously lowered their voices.
"Jian..."
"Shh..."
Li Dixian glanced at the diners in the noodle stall.
His identity as "Sword Wine" was currently only circulating within Huangdou Academy.
He didn't want his movements restricted in the future.
Seeing the two students' anxious expressions,
Li Dixian stood up and followed them out of the noodle stall.
"What do you need me for?"
"Tai Long's grandfather has come, specifically asking for you!"
"Yu Feng, Oslo, and the Shi Brothers were beaten terribly, and even Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and Yu Tianheng are being suppressed by his aura!"
Li Dixian's expression changed slightly.
The two students quickly added,
"Sword Wine, we wanted to tell you to leave Heaven Dou City quickly. Tai Long's grandfather wouldn't dare to harm Huangdou Academy students..."
Before they could finish speaking,
Li Dixian had already transformed into a white afterimage,
and was rapidly heading towards Huangdou Academy.
At the entrance of Huangdou Academy,
Tai Tan's authoritative face was now alight with fury.
"Good, good, good!"
"What a deep bond of brotherhood!"
"Do you really think this old man wouldn't dare to strike hard?!"
"Grandfather!"
Tai Long was crying, tears and snot streaming down his face.
"Please don't take this seriously!"
"I... I'm really fine! If you act like this... your grandson will look down on you!"
Tai Tan grabbed Tai Long by the neck like he was a small chicken, tossing him several meters away.
His heavy, mountain-like Soul Power surged again, pressing down on the four members of Yu Feng on the ground.
Just at this moment,
the students watching let out gasps of surprise.
"Sword Wine! Sword Wine is here!"
"Why did Sword Wine actually come?! Didn't you tell him to run away quickly?!"
Amidst a flurry of discussions,
the dense crowd parted.
Li Dixian's expression was cold as he walked forward step by step.
"Li Dixian / Little Brother Dixian, hurry and leave!"
Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and Yu Tianheng cried out in alarm.
The four members of Yu Feng on the ground also stammered out,
"Go... go!"
Tai Tan slowly reined in his Soul Power, his tiger-like eyes fixed on the white-robed youth approaching.
"You are Sword Wine, who injured my grandson and forced Lan Ba Academy to leave?"
Li Dixian's gaze swept over Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the other five.
"I'm here. Release them."
"Heh..."
Tai Tan withdrew his Soul Power pressure.
Instantly,
the oppressive sensation dissipated.
Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the other five slumped to the ground in a sorry state.
Then, they quickly stood up and staggered towards Li Dixian.
"Little Brother Dixian, you shouldn't have come. Rumor has it that the Strength Clan is extremely protective, I didn't expect this Tai Tan to disregard even the dignity of an elder!"
Dugu Yan gritted her teeth and said,
"Little Brother Dixian, hurry and leave!"
"The seven of us can stall him for as long as we can!"
As her voice fell,
she and Ye Lingling were the first to release their Spirits.
The other five, including Yu Tianheng, also didn't hesitate, their Soul Power immediately boiling, and their Soul Rings rising beneath their feet.
All seven of them stood in front of Li Dixian.
Dugu Yan's pupils narrowed into the shape of a date pit.
"Old scoundrel, just see if I tell my grandfather or not!"
Tai Tan's profound gaze passed over the seven and looked at Li Dixian behind them.
"Boy, are you trying to hide?"
This scene
had some similarities to the original plot.
But Li Dixian knew that because of him, there were definitely unknown variables.
Immediately,
he stepped forward.
The Azure Lotus Sword imprint on his forehead flickered.
"Clan Leader Tai Tan, just state your terms."