Chapter 399: Wealth Explosion

"Father... help... help me... save me... I don't want to die... Father... save me... save me!!" Xiao Kuangyun clung tightly to Xiao Juetian's leg, trembling all over. His limbs had long gone numb from extreme fear, rendering him unable to stand. As the young master of the Xiao Sect, accustomed to indulging in everything, he was undoubtedly terrified of death. However, up until now, nothing had ever made him feel threatened by death; only others had feared him.

Xiao Juetian's face turned purple with rage as he watched his son, who had been so frightened he had lost control of his bladder and bowels. He wished he could kick him away. But he was, after all, his own son, and his most beloved one. No matter what, he couldn't just watch him die at Yun Che's hands. Taking a deep breath, he cupped his hands toward Yun Che and said, "Young Brother Yun, I am well aware of the grievances between you and my unworthy son. Although he committed a disgraceful act back then, fortunately, both you and your esteemed family are safe and sound. My son's mistake is not a capital offense. I implore Young Brother Yun, in your great magnanimity, to show leniency to my son. I will be eternally grateful and reward you handsomely."

"Not a capital offense?" Yun Che sneered. "Then do you know why the Burning Heaven Clan was annihilated? Compared to your son's actions, their crimes were far less severe! But the result... from their Supreme Elder Fen Yijue and Clan Master Fen Duanhun, to all disciples bearing the Fen surname, over seventy thousand lives from top to bottom, all perished without a burial ground!"

Yun Che's words sent a chill down the spines of everyone present from the Xiao Sect. Some began to tremble uncontrollably, and even Xiao Juetian's face turned pale... He knew very well that Yun Che's strength had significantly increased since his wedding a few months ago, even surpassing his power when he annihilated the Burning Heaven Clan. Given his terrifying growth rate, his current strength must be even more unfathomable... Wiping out the entire Xiao Sect would be entirely within his capabilities. After all, the Xiao Sect's strength was comparable to that of the Burning Heaven Clan. If, in a fit of rage, he were to target the entire Xiao Sect... Xiao Juetian had considered this worst-case scenario many times. Now, finally facing Yun Che, who had come to collect his debt, he no longer dared to think further. He lowered himself as much as possible and pleaded, "Young Brother Yun, my unworthy son's transgression is indeed unforgivable, and I am deeply ashamed of my failure to properly raise him. However, given your current status and power, even if my son were ten times stronger, he could no longer pose the slightest threat to you, nor would he dare to offend you again. If you were to strike at my son, I fear... I fear it might tarnish your reputation... If you could show great mercy today and spare my unworthy son, my Xiao Sect will be eternally grateful. From now on, we will regard Young Brother Yun with the utmost respect, and should you give any command, my Xiao Sect will go to any lengths within our power, even if it means facing certain death!"

Although Xiao Juetian was verbally pleading for Xiao Kuangyun, everyone knew he was actually pleading for the entire Xiao Sect. With the Burning Heaven Clan as a precedent, it was absolutely possible that Yun Che, in a fit of rage, could wipe out the Xiao Sect too. After all, what Xiao Kuangyun had done back then was far more offensive to Yun Che than the Burning Heaven Clan's actions. While Yun Che's two relatives had been abducted by the Burning Heaven Clan, they were quickly rescued and unharmed. However, Xiao Kuangyun had caused Yun Che to be driven from his home, and his two relatives were imprisoned for three full years.

Yun Che's next words made Xiao Juetian almost disbelieve his own ears.

"Hmm... Sect Master Xiao seems to have a point. If I were to kill your son, I would not only dirty my hands but also gain nothing. But if I don't kill him..." Yun Che rested his chin in his hand, striking a thoughtful pose.

Xiao Juetian felt as if he had heard divine music. Yun Che's words clearly indicated a willingness to spare Xiao Kuangyun and the Xiao Sect... Naturally, this would come at a significant price for them. At this point, Xiao Kuangyun's death was secondary; the safety of the Xiao Sect was paramount! If he could appease this harbinger of death with sufficient "benefits" and free the Xiao Sect from his shadow, he would accept any enormous cost... After all, any price, no matter how great, was tens of millions of times better than the sect's annihilation.

"As long as Young Brother Yun is willing to spare my unworthy son, even if it means my Xiao Sect has to climb a mountain of swords or brave a cauldron of oil, we will not hesitate!" Xiao Juetian said urgently.

"Heh, Sect Master Xiao exaggerates. How could I, a junior, possibly ask your esteemed Xiao Sect to go through such extremes for me? I can spare your son's life, but..." Yun Che narrowed his eyes. "It depends on how much the Xiao Sect is willing to pay for his life!"

Xiao Juetian paused, slightly stunned. He hadn't expected Yun Che's words to imply a desire for money. But he quickly understood... Yun Che was clearly on his way to the Divine Phoenix Empire, which housed the headquarters of the Black Moon Merchant Guild and countless rare treasures that were unattainable in the Azure Wind Nation. To acquire these things, the most crucial element was sufficient wealth! If this disaster, which had cast the shadow of annihilation over their sect, could simply be resolved with money, Xiao Juetian would naturally be overjoyed. However, he couldn't be sure whether Yun Che would demand an astronomical sum that the Xiao Sect simply couldn't afford. Holding his breath, he asked with extreme caution, "May I ask... how much would my Xiao Sect need to pay to buy my unworthy son's life?"

Yun Che looked at Xiao Juetian and slowly extended a single finger.

Xiao Juetian's heart leaped. He asked, incredibly cautiously, "Ten... ten thousand Purple Profound Coins?" Ten thousand Purple Profound Coins... that was one hundred million Yellow Profound Coins, an astronomical sum that an ordinary Azure Wind citizen could only dream of in a lifetime.

Yun Che sneered, "Your son's life is only worth a mere ten thousand Purple Profound Coins? It's ten million!! Ten million... Purple Profound Coins!"

"Wh-what?!" As a figure of paramount authority in the Azure Wind Nation, Xiao Juetian possessed mental fortitude far beyond that of ordinary people, yet he still gasped in shock upon hearing that figure. The Xiao Sect disciples behind him were utterly dumbfounded by the number. Ten million... and still Purple Profound Coins! That was one billion Azure Profound Coins, or one hundred billion Yellow Profound Coins!!

"What's wrong? Your reaction... are you implying your son's life isn't worth this much?" Yun Che said indifferently.

Xiao Juetian said painfully, "Young Brother Yun has given my unworthy son a chance to live, and I am immensely grateful. However, ten million Purple Profound Coins, this figure... my Xiao Sect is but a small family business, we simply..."

"You'd better not tell me your Xiao Sect can't afford it." Yun Che's chilling voice interrupted Xiao Juetian. "If you tell me that a sect with a thousand years of accumulated wealth cannot produce ten million Purple Profound Coins, then you are insulting my intelligence! Your son's life, of course, is not worth that much. So... is your Xiao Sect worth ten million?"

Xiao Juetian's heart clenched tightly, his breath suddenly caught, and cold sweat instantly drenched his forehead. The Xiao Sect could indeed produce ten million Purple Profound Coins... Given the Xiao Sect's strength, influence, and power, its annual income was an astronomical sum. However, its expenses were also enormous. To maintain the sect's peak strength, a vast sum was spent each year on cultivating its members, with even greater investments made in young talents or those with special status. Despite its income and expenses, the Xiao Sect's annual surplus was only several hundred thousand Purple Profound Coins. Yun Che's demand of ten million Purple Profound Coins at once... that was wealth the Xiao Sect would take decades to accumulate! But now, facing this astronomical sum, Xiao Juetian dared not utter a single negative word, nor even show a hint of hesitation, because Yun Che was clearly using the entire Xiao Sect as leverage. He glanced at Xiao Kuangyun at his feet, his chest swelling as if about to burst, veins protruding all over his body. He almost wished he could tear his son into pieces with his own hands. He also hated himself for doting too much on his youngest son, allowing him to become a debauched good-for-nothing obsessed with pleasure... ultimately causing such a monstrous disaster. As Xiao Kuangyun's father and the sect master, he no longer had the face to continue in his position.

"Sigh..." Xiao Juetian let out a long sigh and said, "If these ten million can make Young Brother Yun willing to befriend my Xiao Sect, then my Xiao Sect..."

"Let's forget about becoming friends. I, Yun Che, am just a humble individual from Floating Cloud City; how dare I befriend your esteemed Xiao Sect? However, as for this grievance, I can indeed forget it. As long as I never see Xiao Kuangyun again, I can pretend that nothing ever happened, including the accidental death of... Xiao Wuyi!"

The moment Yun Che uttered his last sentence, the expressions of everyone from the Xiao Sect drastically changed. Xiao Juetian's spirit tensed, and he dared not utter another word. He turned to the elder behind him and transmitted a message: "Immediately... by any means necessary, gather ten million Purple Profound Coins and bring them here within fifteen minutes... Go now." The elder immediately nodded, not daring to say anything more, and quickly departed... In less than seven and a half minutes, he hurried back, holding a shimmering purple-gold card. Carrying a massive fortune, the old man, who had weathered a century of trials, trembled uncontrollably, as if holding a colossal mountain in his hands.

Yun Che extended his palm and instantly drew the purple-gold card into his hand. Then, he scanned the amount within it with his consciousness... It contained exactly ten million Purple Profound Coins... not a single one missing! For the Four Great Sects of the Azure Wind Nation, this was an undisputed astronomical sum, let alone for a single individual! If he weren't still facing a large group of Xiao Sect members, Yun Che would have been unable to resist throwing his head back and laughing wildly. This sum of money, even in the Divine Phoenix Empire, would be enough for him to spend lavishly. To gain such a fortune from the life of a scoundrel was truly a worthwhile deal. In truth, he had never intended to annihilate the Xiao Sect from the very beginning. Although both had violated his taboos, the two situations were not the same. On the Xiao Sect's side, only Xiao Kuangyun had harmed him, his grandfather, and his aunt. He wouldn't go so far as to direct his anger at the entire Xiao Sect for that. But the Burning Heaven Clan was different! Abducting his family and doing everything to kill him was a decision made by the entire upper echelon of their sect! They had even pushed him to his limits of endurance time and again. If he didn't wipe them out, they might very well retaliate in the future. As for the Xiao Sect, no matter what, their attitude was still good, and they had been thoroughly terrified, absolutely daring not to oppose him.

Yun Che put away the purple-gold card, then forcefully pushed his palm forward. With a dull thud, Xiao Kuangyun was sent flying through the air, spitting blood violently. By the time he hit the ground, he was unconscious. "Yun'er!" Although Xiao Juetian was furious with Xiao Kuangyun, he was still his own son. He quickly rushed forward and saw Xiao Kuangyun covered in blood, with an unknown number of broken bones.

Meanwhile, Yun Che had already ascended into the sky on the Snow Phoenix Beast. His arrogant voice echoed from mid-air: "Don't worry, he won't die. But for the next few months, he'll be confined to his bed. And from now on, he won't be able to enjoy the pleasures of humanity! Such a dog-like wretch doesn't deserve to have descendants! The Xiao Sect had better ensure he never steps outside the sect's gates again. If I ever see his face, you can expect to pay even more money to redeem his life!!" The Snow Phoenix Beast was incredibly fast. Yun Che's voice quickly faded, and Xiao Kuangyun's body swayed before he violently spat out a mouthful of dark blood.

"Sect Master!" The surrounding elders quickly gathered around him. "Hoo... I'm fine." Xiao Juetian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and waved his hand. He closed his eyes and said weakly, "It's fine. At least, the Xiao Sect is saved, and I can finally sleep peacefully... Take Yun'er to Elder Wuji."