However, Xiao Xuan merely smiled faintly at the words:
"Little Fellow..."
"Although my Soul Power has recovered eight or nine-tenths, I am ultimately just a masterless Soul..."
"While my Nine-Star Dou Sheng can crush some small fry, against a strong cultivator of the same Rank with a Physical Body, it is still useless..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi naturally understood that the strong cultivator of the same Rank with a Physical Body Xiao Xuan referred to was Hun Tiandi... Xiao Xuan finished speaking, turned to look at Xiao Yi, paused, and then said:
"Little Fellow..."
"Whether the Xiao Clan can be revived now depends on you..."
"I know that such a responsibility, for you at present, only adds pressure, but there's no other way..."
At this point, Xiao Xuan couldn't help but sigh again.
If he could, he would also hope that the younger generation of the Xiao Clan could Cultivate peacefully, relying on the Family's resources, like the disciples of other ancient Families... But a thousand years ago, the Xiao Clan's Dou Di Bloodline was already nearing exhaustion. If Xiao Xuan back then hadn't chosen to go all out and impact the Dou Di Rank!
Then, once the Family's Dou Di Bloodline dried up, the Xiao Clan would still not escape the fate of decline... "Bringing you to the Xiao Realm today is also because there might be some ancestral Opportunities here that are useful to you..."
"But before that, perhaps these things are also what you want to know..."
As Xiao Xuan's words fell, Xiao Xuan gently raised his hand, and a gentle Qi emerged from his palm, instantly spreading throughout the now desolate Xiao Realm!
However, the next second, after being touched by that Qi,
the Xiao Realm, which was originally full of Death Qi and desolation, instantly transformed back to its appearance a thousand years ago... Like the Ancient World, the surrounding air was filled with Spiritual Qi so dense it was almost substantial.
The land underfoot was no longer barren scorched earth but contained endless vitality.
It was even more prosperous than the Ancient World... But Xiao Yi also knew that this was merely a fantasy constructed by Xiao Xuan... Xiao Xuan smiled faintly, then softly said:
"This is what the Xiao Realm truly looked like a thousand years ago..."
"Little Fellow, you must have some understanding that various Family forces, with Dou Sheng strong cultivators in their Family, will construct an independent Small World..."
"And the Xiao Clan, as one of the Eight Great Ancient Families, has undergone countless generations of ancestral maintenance and expansion to achieve the size you see before you..."
"A thousand years ago, I was tested by the Family Elders and found to possess the purest Dou Di Bloodline!"
"They even believed that my Bloodline was close to that of the Xiao Clan's ancient Dou Di ancestors, considering me a Genius rarely seen in the Xiao Clan for a thousand years..."
"And I also displayed extremely outstanding Cultivation talent..."
"At your age, I had already advanced to the Rank of a Dou Sheng strong cultivator and, without a doubt, became the new Clan Chief of the Xiao Clan..."
"After I took over as Clan Chief, in just a hundred years, I reached the Late Nine-Star Dou Sheng stage, combined with an Emperor Realm Soul... I became a top strong cultivator on this continent in one step, and at the same time, I led the Xiao Clan to become the most powerful existence among the Eight Great Ancient Families..."
"At that time, it was no exaggeration to call the Xiao Clan the strongest force on the continent; even the Hun Clan was extremely wary of my Xiao Clan..."
"Just as I thought I would lead the Xiao Clan to stabilize its position, information about the Xiao Clan's Dou Di Bloodline nearing exhaustion was finally discovered by the Family..."
"I, Xiao Xuan, have lived my life only for the revival of my Clan, but I ultimately became the sinner of the Xiao Clan; it was I who pushed the entire Clan into that abyss of eternal damnation..."
Xiao Xuan's voice grew increasingly desolate, and as his words fell, Xiao Yi's Soul seemed to be drawn away.
He slowly entered a light screen.
However, just as Xiao Yi's Soul slowly opened his eyes again,
he saw that the surrounding environment had changed again. Xiao Xuan sat majestically on the central high platform, his face solemn!
Below the platform were many people dressed in uniform dark robes, who were the Clan members and Elders of the Xiao Clan a thousand years ago!
"Is this the Xiao Clan from a thousand years ago...?"
"The ancestor with a Physical Body truly deserves to be the strongest person on the continent at that time..."
Xiao Yi murmured to himself as he looked at the scene before him.
The scene before Xiao Yi's eyes was merely an illusion from a thousand years ago.
Xiao Xuan intended for Xiao Yi to understand the truth of that period a thousand years ago through this illusion... In the great hall, an old man with white whiskers gently stroked his beard and was the first to speak:
"Clan Chief, now our Xiao Clan's Dou Di Bloodline is becoming increasingly thin, and the Hun Clan's actions are becoming more overbearing and tyrannical..."
"Now, only if you achieve a Breakthrough to Dou Di can you bring new Dou Di Bloodline to our Xiao Clan and continue the Xiao Clan's Legacy..."
The speaker was Xiao Kong, the Grand Elder of the Xiao Clan! An Eight-Star Dou Sheng!
"But Grand Elder, have you ever considered the consequences of failure...?"
Xiao Hao, the Third Elder of the Xiao Clan, frowned deeply and spoke in a deep voice.
Xiao Hao was a Seven-Star Dou Sheng of late-middle stage strength... Seeing this, Xiao Yi couldn't help but tremble slightly.
The six heroes of the xiao clan back then, Eight-Star Dou Sheng, Seven-Star Dou Sheng... The top combat power of the Xiao Clan at that time was not weak at all...
And the Grand Elder Xiao Kong in the illusion, upon hearing this, took a deep breath and spoke again:
"If this succeeds, our Xiao Clan will be able to produce another Dou Di, and the Dou Di Bloodline will be replenished!"
"But if we are afraid of failure and dare not try, will we ultimately let the Bloodline dry up, allowing the Hun Clan to devour us, becoming their running dogs?"
"Clan Chief, for the future of the Xiao Clan, you must take this gamble!"
After Xiao Kong finished speaking, he looked up at Xiao Xuan on the high platform, his eyes filled with expectation.
After all, as the Grand Elder, he could only offer some opinions; the final decision ultimately rested with Xiao Xuan.
And Xiao Xuan merely looked quietly at Xiao Kong and the other Xiao Clan members below the platform, without speaking.
Xiao Xuan also knew very well that he was only half a step away from achieving the Dou Di Rank, but that half-step was so close, yet so far; the distance between them was like a chasm.
However, the next second, a tall, dignified figure, whose age was not much different from Xiao Xuan's, slowly walked out in the hall and looked at Xiao Xuan, speaking in a deep voice:
"Clan Chief, now that the Xiao Clan has reached this point, no matter what your decision is, I will support you unconditionally..."
"Regardless of success or failure, we can all bear it!"
And the speaker was the last surviving top strong cultivator of the Xiao Clan, also one of the six heroes of the xiao clan, and Xiao Xuan's cousin, Xiao Chen, the Blood Axe, a Five-Star Dou Sheng!
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuan on the high platform finally made a move.
Xiao Xuan slowly stood up, still quietly looking at the crowd below.
Xiao Kong's expectation, Xiao Hao's worry in his eyes, and Xiao Chen's unconditional trust in him... At this moment, Xiao Xuan was still somewhat conflicted, as this matter was too uncertain, but the crisis of the Dou Di Bloodline drying up was already imminent... For the Xiao Clan, there was no turning back... Seeing this, Xiao Yi finally felt how "helpless" Xiao Xuan was back then.
As Clan Chief, facing the Family's crisis, that sense of powerlessness...