Word Count: 2,804 Words
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If someone still hadn't emerged by the time the Heavenly Tomb fully closed, there was only one conclusion left.
They were dead. Even their bodies had been wiped out, not a single bone remaining!
Members of the Dou God Clans like the Yao, Lei, and Shi could not help glancing, one after another, at Xiao Yan. Competition between Dou God Clans was normal, and they did fight each other over resources, but Hun Ya and Hun Li both possessed Grade 8 bloodlines and were peak 8-star Dou Venerates.
Even if they wanted to kill them, they simply did not have that ability. Among everyone present, only Xiao Yan had the motive, the strength, and the opportunity to slay Hun Ya and Hun Li inside the Heavenly Tomb.
Two streams of black mist halted in the sky, then solidified into a pair of black-robed elders. Blood gradually filled their eyes, turning them crimson. The people around them hurriedly retreated, afraid these two old monsters might suddenly lose control and lash out.
The two elders stared, panting like enraged bulls. After a few breaths, they exchanged a look, and their gazes snapped upward, locking directly onto Xiao Yan's position high in the air.
Before Hun Ya and Hun Li had entered the Heavenly Tomb, they had told these two elders that they intended to use the clan's methods laid down on the third level to kill Xiao Yan inside. Yet now, Xiao Yan had not only walked out intact with his strength clearly grown, while the two Hun Clan prodigies had perished so completely that not even their bones remained. Faced with that outcome, it was impossible for these two elders not to focus their suspicions on Xiao Yan at the first instant.
"Xiao Yan!"
Their vicious gazes fixed on him. After a long, trembling silence, one of them finally could not restrain himself any longer. A low, murderous roar reverberated across the sky.
Xiao Yan shifted his calm gaze toward them and said mildly, "Do the two Hun Clan elders have some guidance for me?"
"A life for a life!"
The black-robed elder's face darkened to the color of ink. As his last word fell, he flicked his sleeve. A pitch-black chain brimming with sinister chill tore through the void and shot straight at Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan's expression did not change in the slightest. He didn't even lift a finger.
A deep thud rang out as a figure stepped silently into place before him. Elder Tong Xuan's broad hand swept through the air, and the Dou Qi attack shattered into fragments. The two elders were only at early-stage Half-Saint. Even together, they were nowhere near his match.
This was the third time Tong Xuan had appeared in front of Xiao Yan. The first time, he had protected Ling Quan and taken Xun Er away. The second time, he had received a palm from Xiao Yan. This third time, he stood with his back to Xiao Yan, shielding him.
Three appearances. Three completely different results!
"Hun Lin, the Heavenly Tomb has always been treacherous. The third level, especially, is filled with all manner of Dou Saint-level energy bodies. In past years, there have been more than a few cases of entrants being killed by them." Tong Xuan clasped his hands behind his back as he looked at the Hun Clan elder.
"More importantly, this is the Gu Realm. Xiao Yan is half a member of my Gu Clan. This is not a place where you can run wild as you please."
The meaning was obvious. Over the past half-year, the Gu Clan's attitude toward Xiao Yan had clearly solidified. On top of that, Xiao Yan was an alchemist capable of refining nine-colored Pill Beasts. Whether in public interest or in private, by reason or by emotion, they had to protect him!
"Hmph! Tong Xuan, our Hun Clan's people died in your territory. Don't think you can wash your hands of this so easily!" the elder addressed as Hun Lin snarled.
"Xiao Yan, I advise you to come back to the Hun Clan with us obediently. If you truly did not kill Hun Ya and Hun Li, we certainly won't make things difficult for you," the other black-robed elder called coldly.
Tong Xuan hadn't yet opened his mouth when Xiao Yan let out a short, cold laugh. "Going to your Hun Clan isn't impossible. Have your Clan Head, Hun Tiandi, come personally to pick me up."
Even Tong Xuan nearly jumped. A mere Dou Venerate provoking Hun Tiandi?!
You're really not afraid he'll come knocking personally?
"Good, good, good! What a Little Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan! When our Clan Head arrives in person, I hope you're still this sharp-tongued!" Hun Lin bared his teeth. He knew there was no way to touch Xiao Yan in the Gu Realm and could only leave in humiliation.
With the Hun Clan withdrawing, the other Dou God Clans also found it inconvenient to remain and successively departed the Gu Realm.
Only when everyone had left did Tong Xuan finally speak in a low voice. "Little friend Xiao Yan, would you like to remain in the Gu Clan for a while? I fear the outside world is not very peaceful right now."
Xiao Yan's brows furrowed. "What happened?"
"Half a year ago, the Ling Clan did not arrive for the Heavenly Tomb opening, so our clan sent people to the Ling Realm. We discovered its entrance sealed. The entire Ling Realm had vanished without a trace. We have no idea where it went."
Xiao Yan and Xun Er's expressions changed at once. An entire world, gone…?!
Xiao Yan fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Then all the more reason I can't stay here. If something happens to the Yan Alliance, they'll need me there."
"Xiao Yan ge-ge…" Worry clouded Xun Er's eyes. She now understood some of the burdens he carried.
He smiled. "Don't worry. No matter what happens, I won't die."
"Hehe, in that case, please remain in the Gu Realm for one night, little friend Xiao Yan. Tomorrow, our Gu Clan will send you to the Yan Alliance's territory," Tong Xuan said with a laugh once he saw Xiao Yan had made up his mind.
Xiao Yan had no objections to Elder Tong Xuan's arrangements. With a Dou Saint escort, the journey would be much faster.
…
Moonlight spilled like water from the sky, blanketing the tranquil, verdant mountains in a soft silver glow. After bidding farewell to Xun Er, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged in his wooden hut to cultivate. He had stayed one day longer in the Gu Realm because he was waiting for someone.
Deep into the night, his eyes slowly opened. He rose from the bed and pushed the door open with a soft creak. A middle-aged man stood outside with a faint smile, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
Gu Yuan. Clan Head of the Gu Clan, Xun Er's father, and Xiao Yan's father-in-law.
"Greetings, Clan Head Gu." Xiao Yan cupped his fists in salute.
"Peak One-Change Dou Venerate. You've met Xiao Xuan, haven't you?" Gu Yuan gave him a brief once-over and immediately stated his cultivation.
"Mm. I have."
Gu Yuan studied him for a long while, then sighed. "Though the Xiao Clan has completely fallen, having a talent like you appear means there is still hope for its revival."
"When your Xiao Clan's bloodline was about to wither, a Xiao Xuan emerged. Now you, Xiao Yan, have emerged. Perhaps your Xiao bloodline hides something invisible and intangible that even we cannot see."
Even Gu Yuan couldn't help marveling inwardly. The Xiao Clan was like an unkillable cockroach. When everyone thought the Xiao Clan was about to completely collapse, a Xiao Xuan appeared and forcefully prolonged its life by several centuries. Though his final breakthrough failed and the clan was destroyed by the Hun Clan, a thousand years later when the world had long forgotten the Xiao Clan and assumed it had vanished completely, out came a Xiao Yan!
It was as if the Xiao Clan truly could never be stamped out. They could be reborn from the ashes time and again, growing braver with every setback, fiercer with every battle. It truly left one baffled!
Xiao Yan smiled lightly. "Clan Head Gu flatters me."
"You already know about Xun Er's bloodline. I don't oppose you two being together. But there are some matters that must wait until after you reach the Dou Saint realm. I hope you don't mind."
Xiao Yan coughed lightly, a bit embarrassed, then nodded with a wry smile. With Xun Er's talent, reaching Dou Saint was only a matter of time. They had already waited this long; what was a little while more?
"Good. I only came to tell you this. As Xun Er's father, I hope you can both live in happiness and peace." Gu Yuan nodded faintly. His figure slowly turned translucent, then faded away altogether.
"Also, thank you… for saving Xun Er's life back then."
A strange light flickered through Xiao Yan's eyes as he slowly shook his head. He understood that Gu Yuan knew the truth. From beginning to end, Gu Yuan had never once asked about the Tou She Ancient God's Jade.
Xiao Yan had greeted him as 'Clan Head Gu' because he was speaking in the capacity of the Xiao Clan's Little Clan Leader. Handing over the Ancient Jade to the Hun Clan had not been his personal whim. There were matters where, as Little Clan Leader, he had to weigh the clan's interests.
'Sigh, is this one life for another, or simply repaying a life-saving debt?'
…
Early the next morning, a Gu Clan elder escorted Xiao Yan out of the Gu Realm.
On a mountain peak within the Gu Realm, Xun Er stood quietly, watching Xiao Yan's figure recede into the distance. Even after he vanished completely, she did not move.
Space twisted with a low hum. Gu Yuan appeared at her side, his gaze following the direction Xiao Yan had departed.
Once Xiao Yan was gone, Xun Er's smile gradually faded, replaced by her usual cold detachment, a demeanor that made strangers hesitate to approach. Even facing her own father, there was a faint distance in her eyes.
"He has deep ties with the Hun Clan," Gu Yuan said slowly.
Xun Er did not answer. She had long known this, even as far back as their days at Jia Nan Academy.
The reason was simple. Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength had grown far too quickly. Across the entire Dou Qi Continent, only the Pill Tower and the Hall of Souls could raise one's soul realm so fast, and it was really only the Hall of Souls that devoted itself so fanatically to the cultivation of the soul.
"The Xiao Clan and the Hun Clan, joined in alliance… what else in this world is truly impossible?"
Gu Yuan looked at Xun Er seriously. Hesitation flickered in his eyes. "Xun Er, the clan elders don't know about this yet, but I doubt we can hide it for long. The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame will appear soon."
At the mention of those four words, a different light flashed through Xun Er's gaze. A thread of Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame rose from her body.
Both she and Gu Yuan knew exactly what the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame represented.
Xun Er slowly lifted her right hand. On her jade-like finger rested a beautiful butterfly-shaped ring, pure white as snow, flawless and breathtaking. One glance was enough to tell how much effort and heart's blood Xiao Yan had poured into refining it.
Even if he advanced to tier 9 in the future, he likely would never again be able to create a Pill Beast that surpassed perfection to this extent.
Her cold expression softened by degrees as her fingertips gently traced the ring. The butterfly-shaped ornament stirred to life, slowly spreading then folding its wings, fluttering them with a faint, crystalline tremor.
"I understand, Father," Xun Er said quietly. She knew very well that if she wished to walk with Xiao Yan, there was only one path she could take!
The breeze stirred by that butterfly's wings had long since sent this world sliding toward an unpredictable future. The world had already grown chaotic.
Gu Yuan sighed inwardly. He had never expected that after hiding the truth from the clan elders and sending Xun Er to the Xiao Clan—the place furthest from the Gu Realm—hoping she could sidestep it all, fate would twist and turn only to bring everything back to the starting point.
Destiny could not be controlled. Not even by him, a peak 9-star Dou Saint.
…
At the border of the Yan Alliance, space distorted, and two figures emerged from the twisted void. They were Tong Xuan and Xiao Yan.
"Little friend Xiao Yan, I'll leave you here." Tong Xuan cupped his hands.
Xiao Yan returned the gesture. "Many thanks for the escort, Elder Tong Xuan."
After Tong Xuan departed, Xiao Yan turned his head and looked toward the distant Gu Realm. His journey to the Heavenly Tomb had ended, but some matters were far from over.
'The Ling Realm was a world created by a Dou God. To erase an entire world, leaving nothing behind… only the main body of the Nihility Devouring Flame would have that kind of power.'
He couldn't be absolutely certain, but his instincts pointed in that direction. Swallowing a chunk of space and taking everything within it away… hadn't Mao Wu used that move more than a few times?
Even the Earth Seed Flame of the Nihility Devouring Flame possessed that ability. How terrifying, then, must the true main body be?!
And Mao Wu had only one way to evolve into a Heaven Seed Flame: devour other Seed Flames!
Every Seed Flame had been split from the main body. They all contained an extremely faint trace of its essence. Reaching the Heaven Seed realm required not just immense energy, but that core Nihility Devouring Flame essence as well.
Put simply, the path from Seed Flame to Earth Seed Flame to Heaven Seed Flame was nothing more than a process of constantly drawing closer to the main body.
'It looks like Hun Tiandi has already begun moving to collect the Tou She Ancient God's Jade.'
There was only one reason for the Ling Clan to be attacked by the Nihility Devouring Flame: they possessed a piece of the Ancient Jade and were the weakest among all the Dou God Clans.
'The Shi Clan will probably be next…'
Xiao Yan shook his head. Knowing was one thing; what could he do with that knowledge? Forget his current strength, even if Ancestor Xiao Xuan came back to life, Xiao Yan did not believe they could reverse the tide of the era.
The Hun Clan and the Gu Clan would inevitably clash. And he had a soul contract with Hun Tiandi that simply could not be dissolved.
'I should return to the Yan Alliance first.'
He did not linger. After confirming his bearings, his figure transformed into a streak of rainbow light and shot northward. In the blink of an eye, he vanished at the edge of the sky.
It didn't take long for him to return to the Yan Alliance. He landed in the Xiao Clan's compound atop Misty Cloud Sect. From a distance, he spotted a slender figure cultivating on Misty Cloud Mountain.
Who else could it be but Nalan Yanran? The Flower Sect had already stabilized, and for convenience, Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran had even opened a direct spatial passage between the Flower Sect and Misty Cloud Sect.
Nalan Yanran had also smoothly inherited the position of Misty Cloud Sect Leader, finally advancing from Little Sect Leader to full Sect Leader!
A flicker of secret joy flashed through her eyes when she saw Xiao Yan return. Then she snorted and turned her head away.
"Alright, keep practicing then." Xiao Yan smiled, entirely used to her tsundere temperament by now.
He actually turned to leave! Nalan Yanran bit her lip and called out, "Wait."
"Oh? Little maid, you're not asking for another spanking, are you?"
"What do you mean, spanking! One day I'm going to beat you!" Nalan Yanran stamped her foot in anger but quickly reined herself in. "Ya Fei was looking for you. Something about a spatial trade fair."
Xiao Yan's brows drew together. He had never heard of a 'spatial trade fair,' but Ya Fei had always been responsible for the Yan Alliance's intelligence and economy. More importantly, he had once asked her to investigate news of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame's map fragment.
'A spatial trade fair... could it be related to the map fragment?!'