My Ares Son-in-Law

At this point, Duanmu Jue seemed to suddenly remember something, and a nearly ferocious smile suddenly appeared on his lips, with a hint of malice flashing in his eyes.

"By the way, since you're a dying man, I'll give you a piece of news for free."

He slightly raised his chin, deliberately amplifying his voice to ensure everyone in the hall could hear him clearly:
"My name is Duanmu Jue, and my ranking on the 'Dragon Kingdom's Celestial Ranking' is..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, relishing the momentary freeze in the hall, enjoying the breathless, shocked expressions on everyone's faces, his arrogance almost overflowing.

"100th place!"

"Hahahaha!"

Arrogant laughter echoed wildly in the hall. Duanmu Jue did not linger any longer. Leading his remaining troops, he strode out of the broken door and disappeared completely from everyone's sight.

Only the words "Top 100 on the Celestial Ranking" weighed heavily on the hearts of everyone remaining in the banquet hall, making it hard for them to breathe.

The soldiers of the Western Martial Arts Army brought by Zhuang Yuan looked at each other, their faces filled with shock and worry.

Ranked 100th on the Celestial Ranking!
That is an authoritative list representing the top strength in the supernatural field in the Dragon Kingdom and even the world. Countless supernatural beings are eager to get into it, and every person on the list is a ruthless character who has proven his path through killing!

Duanmu Jue was actually among them; his strength was simply unfathomable!
Only Xiao Chen seemed oblivious to the rank that would suffocate any ordinary martial artist. He slowly withdrew his gaze, turning to the twilight gradually settling outside the window. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on his face, but left no ripple in his eyes.

Five days later?

He curled his lips slightly, a hint of indifferent disdain flashing in his eyes. Fine, he'd give this fool named Duanmu Jue a few more days to eke out a living.

Zhuang Yuan quickly walked to his side, hesitated, and finally couldn't help but whisper, "Mr. Xiao, the 100th place on the Heavenly Ranking is no small matter. Duanmu Jue's martial arts are all based on the ferocious path of proving one's Dao through killing. His actual combat power is far more terrifying than his ranking on paper. You..."

Xiao Chen turned his head and glanced at Zhuang Yuan indifferently.

His gaze remained calm, yet deep within it seemed to hold the swirling of stars and the desolation of the primordial world, exuding a transcendent air that looked down upon all living beings, causing Zhuang Yuan's words of advice to catch in his throat.

“Zhuang Town Guard,” Xiao Chen began, his voice as soft as the wind yet carrying a penetrating power, “do you know what a ‘list’ is?”

Zhuang Yuan was taken aback and subconsciously shook his head.

Xiao Chen had already turned back, his gaze seemingly piercing through thick walls, directed towards a distant, unknown place, his voice carrying a hint of indifferent sneer:

"It's nothing more than a straw rope used by a frog in a well to measure the depth of the well when it's trying to see the sky."

As soon as he finished speaking, he strode away, his figure disappearing into the chaos of the hall and into the darkness beyond. His back was as straight as a solitary peak, as sharp and cold as a sword, without the slightest hesitation or hesitation.

"Mr. Xiao, this...you..."

Zhuang Yuan hurriedly chased after him, following closely behind until he reached the corner of the fire escape, where he barely caught up with Xiao Chen.

Dusk had completely fallen, and the pale light of the emergency lights in the corridor outlined his furrowed brows. His face was full of undisguised anxiety and frustration, and his throat felt like it was blocked by a burning ember, making his words hot and hurried.

"Why...why did you have to set up this life-or-death battle at Tianque Terrace!" He took a deep breath, as if to expel all the pent-up emotions in his chest, his words flowing so fast they were almost a continuous stream:
“That Duanmu Jue is more than just a core adjudicator in the ‘Prison Suppressor’ sequence! Behind him stands the top power of the entire Dragon Group! That place… is not a place for reasoning or fighting with strength!”

"It's full of ancient monsters who have lived for countless years, whose minds are filled only with so-called 'rules' and 'annihilation'! They only ever use one method to deal with any existence that might disrupt the 'supernatural balance': completely eliminate everything, from the physical traces to the very existence of the being!"

When he got excited, he suddenly grabbed Xiao Chen's arm with astonishing force. His fingertips turned white from the force and trembled slightly. This kind of loss of composure is almost impossible for a seasoned, iron-willed, and composed soldier.

"Outsiders don't know your true strength and only see you as a gifted young martial artist, but I've seen that top-secret assessment! I know you... you may have already surpassed the existing understanding of martial arts!"

Zhuang Yuan's eyes shone with an astonishing light in the dim light, and his anxiety was equally intense.

"But that's precisely why you mustn't expose yourself to those old monsters too early!"

"Duanmu Jue is nothing more than a vicious dog in the open. Killing him would certainly be satisfying, but it would be like directly exposing the hypocrisy of those guys who seem fair but are actually extremely arrogant!"

“They will pounce on you like hyenas smelling blood, using all sorts of unimaginable off-the-books tactics against you, until they list you as the highest threat and use the power truly buried in the shadows of history to strangle you!”

“Mr. Xiao, the Dragon Group is a behemoth that can disregard all worldly rules for the sake of so-called ‘stability in the martial arts world’! If you offend them, you will find it impossible to move an inch in China, or even anywhere in the world where they have a presence!”

Zhuang Yuan finished speaking in one breath, his chest heaving violently, staring intently at Xiao Chen's face, desperately hoping to see even the slightest wavering or weighing of opinions in that deep, calm pool.

Xiao Chen stopped in his tracks.

He did not immediately break free from Zhuang Yuan's hand, but simply turned his head slightly to the side.

The last rays of sunlight streamed in through the high window, casting a clear line of light and shadow on his profile. His eyes were subtly shrouded in shadow, obscuring his emotions but exuding a calm that inexplicably reassured people.

"Zhuang Zhenshou," he began, his voice low but strangely suppressing all of Zhuang Yuan's anxiety, calming the surrounding air, "you say, the Dragon Group exists to restrain and control?"

Zhuang Yuan was taken aback, then nodded subconsciously: "Yes, that's their stated mission: to maintain the boundary between martial arts and secular life, prevent the abuse of supernatural powers, and maintain order..."

“Then,” Xiao Chen interrupted him directly, his tone still calm and even, yet carrying an undeniable penetrating power.

"When their people, under the guise of 'judgment,' commit robbery, treat ordinary people's lives like dirt, and trample on the dignity of martial artists, who are they restraining? Who are they controlling?"

His gaze slowly turned and landed on Zhuang Yuan's face.

In the shadowy eyes, there was a barely perceptible starlight, the light not intense, but with a sharp insight that saw through to the essence of things, which made Zhuang Yuan's heart skip a beat.

"I never intended to follow the rules they set."

"As for offending him?" Xiao Chen's lips curled up slightly, the curve as cold as ice.

"The Dragon Group is a mixed bag, harboring too many corrupt elements. I'm planning a thorough cleanup. Their principles are sound, but some people have already distorted them beyond recognition." (End of Chapter)