The situation in Central State suddenly became turbulent, but for the time being, it hasn't had a negative impact on Purple Firmament Pavilion. Instead, it's given Chen Xiao a pleasant surprise.
He walked quickly towards the backyard, the familiar aura growing stronger.
Arriving at a courtyard very similar to the Xiao Family's small courtyard from back then, Chen Xiao gently pushed open the door.
The furnishings in the courtyard were the same as before. Chen Xiao remembered them clearly, without the slightest change.
The only difference was the addition of a beautiful figure beside the stone table in the courtyard.
She was wearing a cyan dress, sitting at the stone table, like a graceful green lotus. Since she was facing away from Chen Xiao, he could only see half of her delicate and flawless face.
She held an ancient book in her hands, reading it with great interest. This scene made Chen Xiao feel as if he had returned to the past.
He remembered that when he was in the Xiao Family, he often saw Xun Er like this. So many years had passed, and Xun Er had become even more beautiful and moving, and her strength had become even more powerful, but some things had not changed at all.
A frivolous person appears shallow even when living in a luxurious mansion, while a calm person possesses a clear brilliance even when living in a humble room. At this moment, Chen Xiao felt that Xun Er was radiating such a moving light.
"Xun Er…" Chen Xiao called out softly.
The beauty beside the stone table trembled almost imperceptibly upon hearing this, and suddenly turned her head to look over.
The moment their eyes met, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, followed by a sweet smile. That smile instantly lit up the entire courtyard, as if the surrounding plants and trees had become more vibrant because of it.
"Chen Xiao-gege, you're back."
Her voice was as soft as the evening breeze. Even though it was a reunion after a long separation, there was no sense of unfamiliarity. Only the long-lost warmth of years of companionship, instantly dispelling all the waves and dust in Chen Xiao's heart.
Chen Xiao nodded gently, walked forward, and sat down beside Xun Er. A stomach full of words seemed to be stuck in his throat, with thousands of thoughts, he didn't know which one to start with.
Xun Er understood his thoughts even better. Seeing his hesitant expression, she opened her mouth with a playful smile: "Chen Xiao-gege, do you want to guess why Xun Er came this time?"
Chen Xiao snapped out of his brief daze, and after a little thought, he had a clue. This question was not difficult to guess.
"Is it because of the Soul Hall?" he asked.
Xun Er didn't intend to keep him in suspense. She just wanted to use this to start a conversation, and nodded immediately upon hearing this: "Medicine Venerable of Starfall Pavilion has noticed the secrets of the Soul Hall. They have been capturing so many soul bodies in order to extract the origin of their souls."
"This matter probably involves something deeper. If left unchecked, the balance of the major ancient races will definitely be broken. The Soul Hall's ambition has always been great."
"Therefore, including our Ancient Clan, after receiving the Pill Tower's message, we all sent people to verify the situation, and also to discuss a way to deal with it."
She said here, a trace of cunning flashed in her eyes: "Also thanks to this matter, I have an excuse to come to Central State openly."
The Soul Hall's collection of soul origins had already been exposed, but Xun Er didn't know that Chen Xiao was the beginning of it all.
The fact that she was confiding in him so unreservedly at this moment showed that she completely trusted Chen Xiao, without any precautions.
Chen Xiao couldn't help but smile wryly when he heard this, and said, "I didn't consider it so thoroughly before. If I had known that the Soul Hall's collection of soul origins would cause such a big commotion, I should have taken action against them sooner."
Xun Er was stunned when she heard this, and looked up at Chen Xiao, a trace of doubt flashing in her eyes: "Chen Xiao-gege's words mean… the Soul Hall's matter, could it be related to you?"
Chen Xiao met her clear gaze, nodded frankly, with a faint smile on the corner of his mouth: "When Yao Chen was captured, I happened to be there. I originally planned to use him to find the location of the Soul Hall, and then uproot it, and also get some benefits from it. The soul origins in the destroyed branch hall were obtained by me. I have been absorbing and refining them these days. Xian'er is back, haven't you talked about this?"
Just now, when he returned to Purple Firmament Pavilion, Chen Xiao noticed that, in addition to the surprise of Xun Er, everything else was as usual, so he rushed to see her as soon as possible.
Chen Xiao spoke lightly, as if he had only done a trivial thing, but these words made Xun Er's heart tremble slightly.
She looked at Chen Xiao's calm face, and suddenly understood that the savior that Yao Chen had been unwilling to mention was him.
Thinking of the young man who had to endure for several years in order to avenge the murder of his father, now he had the ability to make a behemoth like the Soul Hall suffer a big loss. The smile on Xun Er's pretty face couldn't be suppressed, adding a bit of glory.
"Chen Xiao-gege actually did such a big thing without saying a word. When Little Fairy Doctor came back, I met her once, but she was about to break through at the time, so she didn't say too much."
Little Fairy Doctor is in seclusion preparing for a breakthrough?
Chen Xiao was overjoyed, this was undoubtedly another good news!
The cultivation speed of the Woeful Poison Body never failed to impress.
Perhaps, the old Dragon Emperor's guidance also played a role in it, which made Chen Xiao have an idea.
Anyway, the old Dragon Emperor had nothing to do all day long. If he had time in the future, he could bring more people over to chat with him!
Temporarily suppressing this thought, Chen Xiao picked up his teacup and gently touched Xun Er's: "Anyway, being able to use this opportunity to let you come over can be considered a lucky accident."
Xun Er's cheeks were slightly red, and she nodded gently in agreement.
Skipping this topic, Xun Er looked outside the courtyard and chuckled: "When I was in the Ancient Clan, I heard Old Ling report that Chen Xiao-gege is quite famous in Central State now, and has replaced Wind and Lightning Pavilion as one of the new Four Pavilions."
"At that time, I really wanted to come and see. This time, I just took the opportunity to fulfill my wish. I really didn't know until I saw it. Chen Xiao-gege's Purple Firmament Pavilion is much stronger than I imagined!"
Xun Er's strength has always been a mystery.
But in terms of knowledge, even Chen Xiao now admits that he is not as good as her.
With Xun Er's eyesight, she could naturally see that this seemingly inconspicuous Qifeng Mountain was actually as solid as a rock. Without the strength of a Dou Sheng, it would be impossible to break through!
And within the Purple Firmament Pavilion, there were several Dou Zun powerhouses sitting in town. This strength had already left the other three pavilions far behind.
"Purple Firmament Pavilion can have today, it is not my achievement alone. It is not appropriate to say that it is 'my Purple Firmament Pavilion'. Zi Yan and Cai Lin are all the masters here. In the future, there should naturally be a share for you, Xun Er."
Such straightforward words made Xun Er's pretty face blush slightly, and her ear tips were slightly hot, but she didn't say anything to refute it.
Chen Xiao looked at her like this, and continued to smile: "The stronger you are, the more you can appreciate the unfathomable nature of the ancient races. I once promised Xun Er that I would meet you at the top, and I will naturally not break my promise."
"It's just that relying on me alone is too light. Purple Firmament Pavilion may still seem weak in front of the Ancient Clan, but it is also a solid force. This force will become stronger and stronger, until one day, it will make the Ancient Clan pay attention to it. At that time, I will be able to take you there in a dignified manner!"
When he said this, his eyes were bright and firm, reflecting the sky light in the courtyard, as if he had clearly spread out that distant future in front of him.
Xun Er gazed into his earnest eyes, and her heart felt as if something had gently bumped against it. The shyness she had felt earlier gradually faded, replaced by an indescribable warmth and resolve.
Xun Er's jade hand quietly covered Chen Xiao's palm, her tone firm and gentle, "To have achieved so much in just twenty years, Chen Xiao-gege is already extremely remarkable. Even among the Ancient Clan, there isn't anyone of your age who can compare to you. Chen Xiao-gege doesn't need to put too much pressure on himself. No matter when or where, Xun Er will always stand by your side."
Her palm was warm and soft, and her words carried an undeniable strength, like a warm current slowly flowing into Chen Xiao's heart.
In fact, with Chen Xiao's current strength, he would not be afraid to face the challenges of the younger generation even if he went to the Ancient Clan.
But to gain the approval of those older, more influential figures in the clan, he still had a long way to go.
Don't think that Xiao Yan made it look easy in the original timeline, because Chen Xiao's situation is completely different from his.
Xiao Yan had the added advantage of being an Alchemist, as well as the lingering goodwill from the Xiao Family.
Although many Ancient Clan Elders no longer cared about the Xiao Family, there were still some who would speak up for him.
But what about Chen Xiao?
Apart from relying on his own strength, he had no other advantages to count on.
Therefore, if he wanted to bring Xun Er out of the clan openly and honorably, he still had to work harder.
At the very least, he had to have the strength of a Dou Sheng level before those old guys would budge!
The strength of a Six-Star Dou Zun was indeed a long way from the Dou Sheng realm, but Chen Xiao was not too worried.
Xiao Yan had his own unique strengths and advantages, and Chen Xiao naturally had his own confidence and resources.
Casting aside the distracting thoughts in his mind, Chen Xiao's face returned to a smile.
"How long has Xun Er been at Purple Firmament Pavilion?"
Hearing this, Xun Er couldn't help but smile, teasingly saying, "Is Chen Xiao-gege worried that my meeting with Cai Lin and the others will lead to unpleasantness?"
Caught in his thoughts, Chen Xiao chuckled awkwardly, his face showing a bit of unease.
Although he understood the personalities of the women and knew that they were unlikely to do anything irrational, he would be too thick-skinned to not feel any tension in this situation.
Xun Er looked at his expression, her smile deepening, and continued, "I arrived at Purple Firmament Pavilion the day Little Fairy Doctor returned. I've met Cao Ying these past few days, and I've also seen Cai Lin and Yao Yao..."
At this point, she paused deliberately, her eyes falling on Chen Xiao's slightly tense face. Seeing that he did indeed show some nervousness, she pursed her lips and smiled softly, "It's been quite pleasant. Yao Yao is a lively and adorable child, I like her quite a bit. As for Cao Ying, she always seems to avoid eye contact whenever she sees me."
The reason for this was actually quite simple.
The Cao Family went to the Northwest because they received news about Xun Er and Qing Lin, intending to trade for the Green Lotus Core Flame, but no one expected that things would gradually develop to this point.
Therefore, in front of Xun Er, Cao Ying felt somewhat guilty, as if she had taken something that belonged to Xun Er.
Of course, the main reason was that they were not familiar with each other.
Like Qing Lin, Cao Ying would gradually let go of her reservations after interacting with her for a long time.
Seeing Chen Xiao's expression change from tense to relaxed, Xun Er changed the subject, her tone softening, "Chen Xiao-gege, just relax. I said last time that as long as Chen Xiao-gege doesn't mess around, I won't make things difficult for you."
Hearing Xun Er mention this again, Chen Xiao's heart finally settled down.
With the tension in his heart gone, Chen Xiao became more talkative.
They had been apart for nearly three years, and even just talking about their respective experiences during this time would take a while to finish.
In comparison, Xun Er's cultivation life in the Ancient Clan was rather monotonous, with not much new to talk about.
On the other hand, Chen Xiao's various adventures were of great interest to Xun Er.
Chen Xiao did not hide anything, starting from their separation at Falling God Ravine, talking about his search for the Netherworld Poison Flame for Little Fairy Doctor in the Black Water Heavy Abyss, and also mentioning the False Heaven in the Extreme Northern Land, even talking about his gains in those places one by one.
The only thing he glossed over was the whereabouts of the White Tribe.
Not only because he had promised the White Dragon Honored One, but also because he did not know the whereabouts of the rest of the White Tribe, except for the branch that remained in the Northern Continent, and he had not deliberately sought them out.
The sunlight streamed through the branches and leaves in the courtyard, casting mottled shadows on their clasped hands, quiet and warm, as if even time had slowed down at this moment.
By the time Chen Xiao had finished recounting his experiences over the past three years, the sky was already tinged with the colors of dusk, and the sunset glow was particularly dazzling, like someone had splashed a large amount of rouge across the horizon, dyeing half the sky a brilliant and captivating color.
"I felt earlier that the Thunder Pagoda seemed a bit out of place in the pavilion. It turns out it was left behind by Wind Thunder Northern Pavilion. I've mostly stayed in the backyard these days and haven't had a good look at Purple Firmament Pavilion yet. Chen Xiao-gege, why don't you give me a tour?"
Xun Er invited, and Chen Xiao naturally wouldn't refuse.
He smiled and stood up, casually picking up the empty cups on the stone table, "That's exactly what I wanted to do, and let them get to know Xun Er."
Xun Er's pretty face flushed slightly, but she didn't refuse.
Chen Xiao stood up and took Xun Er's hand, walking out of the backyard together, not hiding their close relationship along the way.
Before long, all the disciples and Elders of Purple Firmament Pavilion knew that they had another Pavilion Master's wife!
And in the backyard, it wasn't until Chen Xiao and Xun Er left that the tightly closed courtyard door of Cao Ying's residence opened, and Cao Ying and Qing Lin walked out together.
"Sister Ying, Sister Xun Er is a very nice person."
Looking at Cao Ying, who was acting like a thief, Qing Lin couldn't help but giggle.
Cao Ying nodded in agreement, "I've known that for sure after these few days, but I just didn't want to disturb them. It's fine that Little Fairy Doctor is in seclusion, but look at Cai Lin's side, she didn't get involved either. It's rare for Xun Er to come back, let them spend some more time together."
"Let's go, let's go visit Cai Lin. Cai Lin said that the gift Xun Er gave Yao Yao seemed too expensive, and she asked you to come over so she could ask you about it."
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