This scene immediately terrified the other Spirit Adepts. They never imagined that such formidable strength could be so fragile, easily killed with a single punch.
"Do you have any last words? Feel free to ask, and I will agree to anything." Zhou Yan said indifferently.
"My... my father... he... he won't let you go..." Zhou Hu raised his head with difficulty, his eyes filled with venom as he stared at Zhou Yan, whispering.
"Then let him come and kill me." Zhou Yan said with disdain.
"Bang!"
Zhou Yan slapped Zhou Hu on the head, knocking him unconscious.
"Senior Brother Zhou Yan is truly formidable."
"Indeed, we never expected our Zhou family to produce another peerless genius!"
"As expected of a genius, he can even defeat a prodigy like Zhou Hu."
"Senior Brother Zhou Yan, quickly subdue him."
"Right, quickly subdue him and then unify the entire Zhou family."
...
These experts, at the seventh and eighth stages of Spirit Adept, all shouted.
These individuals were all followers of Zhou Hu, naturally hoping that Zhou Yan would rise to prominence and lead the Zhou family to become the overlord of Zhou City.
Zhou Yan's gaze swept over everyone, and he said lightly, "Don't worry, I won't kill you. Furthermore, after this battle, you will all be free to leave the Zhou family."
"Senior Brother Zhou Yan, you want to drive us away?" Zhou Hu's supporters looked at Zhou Yan in disbelief.
Zhou Yan nodded, "That's right. If you stay in the Zhou Mansion, you will only become a burden. Only by leaving the Zhou Mansion, leaving the Zhou family, can you live better lives."
This time, no one objected. Zhou Yan was speaking the truth, and they weren't foolish.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Zhou Yan, for your magnanimity!"
"Thank you, Senior Brother Zhou Yan."
"Senior Brother Zhou Yan, you are a good person. I will surely repay your kindness in the future!"
...
The martial artists at the seventh and eighth stages of Spirit Adept immediately flattered Zhou Yan. Then, they all knelt down and kowtowed to him.
Looking at their demeanor, Zhou Yan was slightly taken aback, unsure how to feel.
He had originally just disliked trouble, which was why he chose to expel them from the Zhou Mansion.
However, he never expected that his casual remark would cause all the seventh and eighth-stage Spirit Adepts in the Zhou Mansion to kneel.
"Senior Brother Zhou Yan, we bid you farewell!" At this moment, a man at the seventh stage of Spirit Adept spoke.
"We bid you farewell too." Several others also spoke.
"Wait." Zhou Yan suddenly said, "Since you are leaving, I can offer you a free promise."
"A promise?"
These people were all stunned, unsure of what Zhou Yan's promised was.
"As long as you are willing to return to the Zhou family with me, you will be considered part of the Zhou family. Your treatment will be even more generous than it is now, and you may even gain the favor of the Patriarch!"
"Really? Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Hearing Zhou Yan's promise, these people became excited and quickly said.
"Go!"
Immediately, more than a dozen people stood up and ran outside.
Seeing this, Zhou Yan followed closely behind.
"Whoosh!"
Soon, the two of them caught up with the people ahead, and to their astonishment, their speed continued to increase.
In an instant, they caught up to one of the ninth-stage Spirit Adept martial artists and grabbed him.
"You, what do you want to do!"
This person looked at Zhou Yan in terror, trembling.
"Senior Brother Zhou Yan, didn't you say you would offer us a free promise and help us improve our strength?" A ninth-stage Spirit Adept martial artist beside him also spoke.
"Heh heh, am I not helping you improve your strength now?" Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"Ah!"
Hearing Zhou Yan's words, this ninth-stage Spirit Adept martial artist let out a miserable scream, and then turned to ashes.
"You..." Zhou Hu's eyes widened, looking at Zhou Yan in disbelief.
"You are now subdued by me. Your lives belong to me. I can take them whenever I wish. You have no right to resist."
Zhou Yan said indifferently, his eyes revealing a cold glint. "I know you are unhappy, but this is how the world is. The strong prey on the weak; strength determines everything. Only when I am powerful can I protect you, rather than be bullied by you!"
Zhou Yan was not a cruel person, but in this world, strength was always paramount, and the strong preyed on the weak.
If he were not strong, he was destined to die.
Zhou Yan was also an ambitious person, so he had to become even stronger.
"However, I do not intend to subdue you yet. Do not think of escaping my grasp, or the consequences will be severe." Zhou Yan warned again.
"Yes! We dare not."
"We understand."
All these seventh and eighth-stage Spirit Adept experts respectfully agreed.
Zhou Yan nodded slightly and then looked at those who had not yet left far away, saying loudly, "Today, I have noted what you have done. When we return to the Zhou family, Zhou Yan will surely fulfill his promise."
Hearing Zhou Yan's words, these people breathed a sigh of relief, and then they all quickly turned around and fled out of the Zhou Mansion.
...
"Zhou Yan, what in the world are you doing?"
Inside the Zhou Mansion, Zhou Xiong looked at the seventh and eighth-stage Spirit Adept martial artists kneeling before Zhou Yan, his brows furrowed in confusion.
These were all individuals he had carefully selected, loyal subordinates, yet now they had all been bought over by Zhou Yan.
"Father, these people are my friends." Zhou Yan said.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiong's expression became even gloomier.
He never imagined that this Zhou Yan was so audacious as to try and buy over even members of the Zhou family.
This was simply courting death.
"Father, I know you have your doubts, but you must believe me. I will not betray the Zhou family." Zhou Yan said.
"Hmph! Zhou Yan, you have already betrayed the Zhou family. I will no longer hand the Zhou family over to you. You had better cripple your own cultivation now and get out of the Zhou family!" Zhou Xiong roared coldly.
"Zhou Yan will not cripple his cultivation. Zhou Xiong, I am now a master of the Spirit King realm. In a short time, my cultivation will break through to the Spirit Emperor realm. By then, all of you will be trampled under my feet, and I, Zhou Yan, will become the new Patriarch of the Zhou family!"
"Hahaha, I, Zhou Yan, have finally successfully advanced to the Spirit King realm. Who will dare provoke me then?" Zhou Yan laughed arrogantly.
Zhou Xiong's face immediately darkened, filled with immense anger. He never imagined that Zhou Yan had already broken through to the Spirit King realm, and judging by Zhou Yan's current demeanor, he seemed to intend to break through to the Spirit Saint realm as well.