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Thinking of the things Lin Feng had stolen, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel both helpless and distressed.
However, being defeated by someone of the same generation—he still couldn't accept it. Although the incident dealt him a heavy blow, it also reignited his competitive spirit.
After all, ever since arriving in Central Plains, even when facing geniuses like Ling Quan from the Gu Clan, whose strength slightly surpassed his own, he could still barely claim victory.
Of course, that was because Gu Xun'er had never told him the full extent of the Gu Clan's true power. If she had, he probably wouldn't have been so proud.
As for Dan Chen and Cao Ying from the Pill Tower—though his alchemy skills couldn't match those two women's, he was confident that in combat, he could easily overpower them.
But ever since encountering Lin Feng, he had felt an unprecedented pressure. Back in the Black-Corner Region, he could still say that Lin Feng only won because of the Life Devouring Pill.
Yet after all this time—during which Xiao Yan had absorbed numerous Heavenly Flames and greatly increased his own strength—when facing Lin Feng again, he still felt utterly powerless.
That feeling was exactly like when he had once faced the Yun Lan Sect before his master's return.
"Brother Xiao Yan, if you want to quickly increase your strength, I might have a way," Gu Xun'er said after hesitating for a moment, biting her lip before continuing softly, "It could help you quickly obtain several Heavenly Flames to absorb and boost your power."
"What way? Xun'er, tell me!"
Xiao Yan knew her well enough to understand she wouldn't speak without reason. So, when he heard her words, his face immediately lit up with excitement. Under that burst of emotion, even his pale cheeks regained a faint flush of color.
Despite his frail condition, he suddenly burst with energy, grabbing Gu Xun'er's shoulders tightly, his eyes filled with urgency. Sensing his excitement, Gu Xun'er paused for a moment before speaking again, her tone calm but heavy.
"Brother Xiao Yan, more than a thousand years ago, the oldest and most powerful human forces on the Dou Qi Continent—those who possessed Dou Di bloodlines—were Eight Ancient Clans."
Hearing the words Dou Di bloodline, Xiao Yan's expression instantly grew solemn.
He was no longer the ignorant boy he once was—he knew very well how terrifyingly powerful a Dou Di bloodline was.
He also understood that the reason the Gu Clan held such an exalted position today was largely thanks to the bloodline left behind by their Dou Di ancestor.
Gu Xun'er continued, "And those Eight Ancient Clans were—the Gu Clan, the Hun Clan, the Yan Clan, the Lei Clan, the Yao Clan, the Shi Clan, the Ling Clan… and the Xiao Clan."
"Huh? There's actually a Dou Di clan that shares my surname?"
Xiao Yan's heart stirred, and he asked in confusion, "Xun'er, I've heard of most of those Dou Di clans you mentioned, more or less. But this Xiao Clan—I've never heard of it before. And wasn't there supposed to be only seven Dou Di clans?"
Gu Xun'er exhaled softly and nodded. "You're right. As of now, there are indeed only seven Dou Di clans remaining."
"But a thousand years ago, there really was a clan named the Xiao Clan—and it was still alive then. In fact, that Xiao Clan… was the very same Xiao Clan from Wu Tan City."
Her tone changed slightly at the end.
After all, the Gu Clan had chosen to sit back and watch during the chaos back then, which had indirectly contributed to the Xiao Clan's downfall.
Later, after the Battle of the Heavenly Tomb between the Xiao and Hun Clans—when the Xiao Clan's experts had been almost completely annihilated by the Hun Clan, and Hun Tiandi himself was severely wounded along with many of his elites—the Gu Clan took advantage of the situation.
They suddenly mobilized their forces, massacring the remaining Xiao Clan experts and descendants within the Xiao Realm, seizing nearly all of the Xiao Clan's wealth and possessions for themselves.
Even the Xiao Realm hadn't been spared by the Gu Clan.
Under the efforts of her father, Gu Yuan, along with many of the Gu Clan's powerhouses, the Xiao Realm had been forcibly dragged over and merged with the Gu Realm—thus forming the current New Gu Realm.
Of course, the current Gu Clan members conveniently chose to "forget" that particular part of history.
In fact, if not for Xiao Xuan—who had, a thousand years ago, used the remaining origin qi in the Heavenly Tomb to forcibly break through to the Half-Step Dou Di realm—then even Hun Tiandi, who had once led his entire clan to ambush the severely injured Xiao Xuan, might have perished alongside him.
That battle had cost the Gu Clan dearly. Nearly ninety percent of their Five-Star Dou Shengs and above had fallen on the spot, leaving the survivors deeply fearful of Xiao Xuan's terrifying power.
Otherwise, those greedy old monsters of the Gu Clan would have long since dug up Xiao Xuan's tomb, hoping to scavenge treasures from within. After all, who wouldn't covet the possessions of a Half-Step Dou Di powerhouse?
"What?!"
Hearing such an unbelievable revelation, Xiao Yan's eyes went wide, his voice filled with utter shock.
He had once imagined that Xun'er might know of some secret treasures belonging to an Dou Di Clan—or perhaps that she could help him exchange for a Heavenly Flame.
But he never expected that the Xiao Clan of Wu Tan City, his very own family, would actually have ties to a Dou Di bloodline!
After all, before his own rise, the strongest member of the Xiao Clan had only been his father—a mere Five-Star Da Dou Shi. Even within the Jia Ma Empire, where the highest experts were Dou Huangs, the Xiao Clan didn't amount to much.
Yet, such a small, insignificant clan… was actually descended from a Dou Di Clan. In other words, from a certain perspective, he himself was technically the young clan leader of a Dou Di bloodline!
After a long silence, Xiao Yan came back to his senses. His gaze locked onto Gu Xun'er, his brows furrowed.
"Xun'er… from what you're saying, could it be that something happened to the Xiao Clan? That they no longer exist in this world?"
"That's right," Xun'er softly replied, though she carefully concealed part of the truth. "Brother Xiao Yan, your Xiao Clan was annihilated by the Hun Clan a thousand years ago."
"The Hun Clan…"
Hearing that name—so eerily similar to Hall of Souls—a deep, instinctive hatred surged in Xiao Yan's heart.
Not only had that clan destroyed the Xiao Clan a millennium ago, turning them from a noble Dou Di bloodline into the humble Wu Tan branch that suffered endless hardships… But even now, their claws reached into his life.
At the mention of the Hun Clan, Xiao Yan couldn't help but think of the Hall of Souls—the very organization that had captured his family members.
"Right," Xun'er added softly, "The Hall of Souls that captured Uncle Xiao Zhan and Yao Zun Zhe… they are the Hun Clan's subordinates."
"Bastards!" Xiao Yan roared, fists trembling with rage. "Hun Clan… I, Xiao Yan, will never forgive you!"
Just the thought of that clan—the ones who persecuted his master, kidnapped his loved ones, and hunted him down for his Heavenly Flame and Flame Mantra—made his blood boil with hatred.
He wanted nothing more than to storm their lair this very instant, wipe them out completely, and rescue his family. But he knew… that was only a dream for now.
Even without the Hun Clan behind them, just the Hall of Souls alone possessed the power to crush him with ease.
"Right, Xun'er," he said after a moment, his voice calming slightly, "Why did you suddenly tell me all this? Could it be… these things have something to do with the Heavenly Flames?"
Xun'er's lips curved faintly, but she didn't answer immediately—only gazed at him with a knowing look.
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