The Young Won't Fight, So the Old Steps In?

The sky above the Ling Realm plaza was filled with dark clouds. Thunder and lightning roared as fierce winds swept through, stirring up the dust from the ground into small tornadoes. The air was thick with the scent of blood, making anyone nearby frown in discomfort.

In the center of the plaza stood Gu Yuan, his luxurious robes fluttering in the wind, his authoritative gaze scanning the surroundings.

At one moment, his eyes stopped on a specific area in the space, his brows furrowing slightly.

Suddenly, the space there began to twist violently, like ripples on water. Soon after, a massive crack in the space slowly tore open, flashing with blinding white light.

"Heh, this guy... always makes such an entrance!" He muttered under his breath, a small smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

As Lei Ying appeared, his towering frame seemed to contain boundless power, and each step he took caused the ground to tremble slightly.

Behind him followed thousands of Lei Clan experts, their bodies flickering with lightning, radiating an imposing aura.

Gu Fei frowned slightly, thinking, 'So, this is the famous Lei Ying.'

"Gu Yuan, Ling Yuan!" His thunderous voice echoed across the plaza. "Is the news you sent really true?"

Though he knew they wouldn't joke about such matters, he couldn't help but ask for confirmation.

His sharp, lightning-like eyes gleamed with seriousness, aware of the gravity of the situation. This matter could lead to a catastrophic war between the ancient clans. It was best to be sure.

Ling Yuan's beautiful eyes flashed with sorrow as she spoke, "Lei Ying, the lives of a million of my people do not lie..."

Her small frame trembled as she pointed to one side of the plaza.

Following her finger, he saw piles of corpses at one end of the square, the sight utterly horrifying. Countless bodies of the Ling Clan members were neatly arranged, some already disfigured and missing limbs.

Seeing this, a flicker of guilt passed across his resolute face. He turned to see that her eyes had already moistened with tears.

In that moment, the Lei Clan leader was stunned. 

"My apologies. That was insensitive of me," with his towering frame, he bowed deeply to her.

Despite his usually bold and straightforward nature, even he couldn't handle the sight of her tears. It was clear he regretted his earlier words.

"No matter. This is a grave matter. Without clarity, the world might think we are speaking nonsense," Ling Yuan said softly, wiping the tears from her eyes and suppressing the pain in her heart.

"We swear it upon the heavens!" At that moment, many elders and members of the Ling Clan stood forth, their expressions solemn, eyes filled with resolve as they spoke in unison.

Seeing this, Lei Ying quickly waved his hands. "Stop. There's no need for that. I never doubted you."

At this point, he completely believed in their plight. His sturdy frame trembled slightly as a flash of anger appeared in his eyes.

Indeed, the Hun Clan had gone too far. This couldn't be tolerated any longer.

"If that's the case, the Hun clan must be exterminated!" A few of the Lei Clan experts behind him suddenly spoke, their voices filled with killing intent, as if they wanted to tear the world apart.

"Exactly! Only by eradicating them can there be peace on the continent!" A clear voice rang out, and a handsome young man stepped forward- it was Lei Dong.

"You've grown quite well over these years," Gu Yuan remarked, nodding slightly as he looked at him.

"Hardly. Compared to your boy, he is still lacking," Lei Ying shook his head with a hint of complexity in his eyes.

Though his words were modest, they made Lei Dong's face a bit awkward. Over the years, he had constantly heard stories about Gu Fei. Initially, when their cultivation levels were close, he was not convinced and had thought of challenging him.

But after learning that he had already reached Seven-Star Dou Saint, he completely abandoned that idea.

'Sigh...' Lei Dong smiled bitterly at the thought.

As the crowd continued to talk, a tall figure slowly approached. It was none other than Gu Fei.

Dressed in a black and gold robe, exuding an extraordinary aura, his eyes were sharp, and a powerful, intimidating presence radiated from him.

"Old friend, this is my clan's young talent," Gu Yuan introduced him to Lei Ying as soon as he saw him.

His lightning-like eyes swept over Gu Fei, a hint of surprise flashing in them. To have reached the Seven-Star Dou Saint realm at such a young age was nothing short of monstrous.

"I've heard much about you. Care to spar with me?" He asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

This unexpected challenge left everyone stunned. No one had anticipated that the Lei Clan leader would want to spar with someone so young.

Even Ling Xi, standing behind Gu Fei, was astonished, her clear eyes wide with disbelief.

Gu Yuan and Ling Yuan merely smiled, as if they had expected this. As fellow leaders of the ancient clans, they knew his battle-hungry personality. He had even challenged Xiao Clan's leader, Xiao Xuan, in the past, though he had lost miserably. It was just who Lei Ying was.

"Senior, you're much stronger than me. I wouldn't stand a chance," Gu Fei said humbly, smiling.

Clearly, he had no intention of fighting him.

But Lei Ying wasn't satisfied with that response. "In cultivation, there's no such thing as seniority. Treat me as an opponent and let's have a fair match!"

With that, his towering frame leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere in the plaza became tense.

Everyone held their breath, their gazes darting between them.

Before anyone could say anything further, Lei Ying stepped toward Gu Fei. In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder roared above the Ling Realm plaza. A powerful pressure swept through the air, kicking up dust and scattering the stones on the ground.

It seemed that the battle-hungry maniac, had no intention of backing down.

Gu Yuan, standing nearby, remained silent, casting a glance at him.

'Sigh...' Gu Fei smiled bitterly. It seemed there was no avoiding it.