Xun Er's True Identity

Xiao Lin remained in the Black Corner Region for a while longer, directing the Three Elders to gather the Xiao Family disciples and arrange their departure from the Black Corner Region.

Jia Nan Academy had initially kept a close eye on Xiao Lin, but as their investigation continued, they finally discovered the place where Han Feng had used the Sea Heart Flame to battle the Falling Heart Flame.

With such obvious Sea Heart Flame fluctuations, suspicion against a supreme expert like Xiao Lin was cleared.

In truth, it was not that Jia Nan Academy was ungrateful and suspected their benefactor. Heavenly Flames were naturally born and raised treasures, incomparably precious. Even a powerful figure like Xiao Lin might have been tempted by them.

And once Han Feng was confirmed as the culprit, Jia Nan Academy immediately issued a wanted notice. They wanted him alive or dead, launching a pursuit of the famed Medicine Emperor Han Feng.

Xiao Lin, meanwhile, led the Xiao Family members onto the road home.

Before this trip, he had still been wondering why Xiao Yan had yet to obtain the Falling Heart Flame and become a Dou Wang, forcing this old man to act personally.

But now that their journey through the Black Corner Region was over, he had to thank Xiao Yan for not getting his hands on it so soon. Otherwise, it truly would have been impossible to reap these two Heavenly Flames!

The first was Han Feng's own Sea Heart Flame. He would give this Heavenly Flame directly to Xiao Yan to raise his realm, allowing Xiao Lin to gain the chance to challenge the Dou Zun realm through the advancement reward.

The second was the Falling Heart Flame. This Heavenly Flame was also known as a cultivation cheat. Xiao Lin directly kept it as a treasure of the Xiao Family, temporarily refusing to let Xiao Yan devour it and using it first to strengthen the Xiao Family.

Naturally, the Xiao Family would not make a grand show of this in Wutan City.

Back then, they had done so to avoid the crisis brought by the Misty Cloud Sect, and in recent years, to resist the Soul Hall, which could arrive at any moment.

The Three Elders and Clan Leader Xiao Zhan had also established more than a dozen Xiao Family branch compounds. Some were located in major cities, while others were hidden deep within remote mountains and forests, known to very few.

Xiao Lin planned to hide the Falling Heart Flame in a Xiao Family Villa deep in the mountains, carrying out the enhancement plan in secret.

Xiao Lin was quite pleased, but his grandson Xiao Yan was far from happy. For one, he had not obtained a single Heavenly Flame. For another, he had already learned that Xun Er had left.

Within the convoy traveling across the Black Region Great Plains, Xiao Yan leaned against the last carriage, a blade of grass between his lips and a letter clenched in his palm. His gaze was distant, bitterness filled his heart, and his mind had long since wandered elsewhere.

When Xiao Lin arrived, he felt it was time to give his grandson some motivation. Ever since the Three-Year Pact ended, the Xiao Family had not suffered any calamity, and the brat's drive to cultivate had weakened considerably.

Now that Xun Er had left, it was the perfect opportunity to raise Xiao Yan's enthusiasm for cultivation.

"Do you still remember what I said at the Xiao Family gathering that day? Our Xiao Family merely occupies a remote corner of the land. The true center lies in Middle Continent."

Xiao Yan came back to his senses. Hearing the deeper meaning in his grandfather's words, he put away Xun Er's letter and looked toward him.

"Grandfather, do you know where Xun Er went?"

"Xun Er returned home this time—her true home. She had been away since childhood for more than ten years, and her family could not stop worrying about her, so they sent people to bring her back.

"Heh heh, those old fogeys of the Gu Clan had other intentions when they sent Xun Er here, yet they ended up giving away their own young lady instead. Yan'er, tell me—do you like Xun Er? Do you wish to marry her?"

Xiao Lin chuckled and looked at Xiao Yan. His immense Soul Power carried an overwhelming majesty, forcing Xiao Yan to confront the question.

"Yes!" Xiao Yan answered without the slightest hesitation.

"Back when I spoke with you all, I said that Middle Continent was the stage of this world, where powerful forces such as One Hall, One Tower, Two Sects, Three Valleys, and Four Pavilions stood!"

"But now, I must tell you that those are merely what is visible on the surface. Just like the Jia Ma Empire today—on the surface, the imperial family and the Mite'er Family throw their weight around, but that is only because our Xiao Family has chosen to lie low and conceal ourselves."

"The same is true of Middle Continent. On the surface, those forces command awe across the land, but in reality, Middle Continent's true peak powers are unknown to ordinary people. They are the Eight Ancient Clans and the Three Great Magical Beast Clans. Among them, Xun Er was born into one of the Eight Ancient Clans—the Gu Clan!"

"I can tell you this: in forces of that caliber, Dou Wangs and Dou Emperors are as common as dogs, while Dou Zongs and Dou Zuns are everywhere.

"Even becoming a Dou Saint would merely earn you a second glance from them, and nothing more!

"Only by reaching the upper ranks of Dou Saint, or even Half Emperor—like Jing Lian Yao Sheng in the past—would one be qualified to speak with the Gu Clan on equal footing!"

"Do you still wish to marry Gu Xun Er? What you will face is the most powerful force on this continent. Think it through!"

One sentence followed another from Xiao Lin, like machine-gun fire, his words pouring forth as pressure crashed down upon Xiao Yan like a landslide and tsunami.

Yet as the true protagonist and the future Flame Emperor, how could Xiao Yan be so easily crushed? His expression was terrifyingly calm.

He cast every emotion beyond the clouds. There was no hysteria, no emotional outburst—only utter, extreme rationality. Looking at his grandfather, he said word by word:

"Grandfather, once I have made my decision, not even life and death can change it. Xun Er will certainly marry into our Xiao Family. If becoming a Dou Saint is not enough, then I will cultivate until I reach the legendary Dou Emperor! Since someone in this world once climbed to that realm, I believe I can do the same!"

"Good! Worthy of being a son of the Xiao Family—what ambition! Though our Xiao Family cannot compare to the Gu Clan at present, our ancestors were once glorious as well. We were one of the Eight Great Ancient Clans: the Xiao Clan!"

A satisfied smile appeared on Xiao Lin's face. Young people should be full of fighting spirit. Cultivate and break through sooner, go to Middle Continent to see Xun Er sooner, and let me obtain my breakthrough reward sooner.

"Our Xiao Family has declined and cannot provide you with too many treasures, but we can still give you one Heavenly Flame—the Medicine Emperor Han Feng's Sea Heart Flame, ranked fifteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!"

The amount of information in Xiao Lin's words was staggering. The Xiao Family had actually descended from one of the Eight Ancient Clans and was the successor to a distinguished lineage?

And the Sea Heart Flame—wasn't that Han Feng's? How had Grandfather obtained it?

Xiao Yan was not the only one stunned. Yao Lao, who had been eavesdropping nearby for a long time, was equally shocked. His Soul Power even spilled out from Xiao Yan's body.

Soon, they saw a familiar figure. The Medicine Emperor Han Feng, who had dominated Jia Nan Academy just days ago, was now neither clearly alive nor dead, utterly incapable of resistance as he lay sprawled in the carriage like a dead dog.

On the Dou Qi Continent, Heavenly Flames were exceedingly rare, but after being refined, there were still two methods of transferring them.

The first was forcible seizure. This brutal method required the person being stripped of the flame to be completely unable to resist. Moreover, once the Heavenly Flame was successfully taken, its former owner would gradually die as the flame left their body.

Therefore, this method was generally used by ruthless people willing to stop at nothing to obtain a Heavenly Flame.

The second was inheritance of a Heavenly Flame, and this method likewise required an enormous price.

For example, Fentian Valley, a sect famed across the continent for wielding fire, had always passed down a certain Heavenly Flame. Only the Valley Master was qualified to inherit it. Passed from one generation to the next, it became the sect's strongest safeguard.

But whenever the previous Valley Master passed it on to the new one, their own strength would plummet by more than half. With even the slightest mishap, their life could be endangered. Such incidents were almost commonplace throughout Fentian Valley's inheritance.

These two methods of transferring Heavenly Flames were common knowledge across the continent. Most powerful experts who had reached a certain level knew something of them.

Now, Han Feng, completely incapable of resistance, lay before them...