Han Feng's Death

Xiao Lin had arrived in the Black Corner Region quickly enough, but when it came time to leave, there was an entire family to bring along, plus all manner of property and valuables. They could only form a caravan and transport everything back slowly.

With the journey there and back, more than a month passed before Xiao Lin and his group returned to the Xiao Family.

Over the past month or so, the Xiao Family had become the center of attention among Jia Ma Empire's upper circles.

Hai Bodong had personally conveyed the wishes of the Xiao Family Supreme Elder, the Jia Ma Empire's sole Dou Zong: he intended to establish a faction within the Jia Ma Empire!

Everyone wanted to know whether the Xiao Family intended to become the next Misty Cloud Sect. The Jia Ma Royal Family, the Mu Family, and many other factions kept a close eye on Wutan City, the Xiao Family's home base.

Thus, when Xiao Lin returned to Wutan City with a caravan, the entire upper echelon of the Jia Ma Empire learned that the Xiao Family Supreme Elder had returned.

Within a grand hall of the imperial palace in the Jia Ma Imperial Capital, a man and a woman stood with deeply furrowed brows, quietly discussing something.

That man was Jia Xing Tian, the guardian deity of the Jia Ma Empire's royal family and a Half-step Dou Zong.

The woman was Yao Ye. As a royal princess, she was highly likely to become the Empress who would one day rule the Jia Ma Empire.

The only matter worthy of discussion between such major figures was the Xiao Family.

Jia Xing Tian's expression was grave as he slowly said,

"The Xiao Family Supreme Elder has already returned to Wutan City. He previously sounded us out through Hai Bodong. Before long, he should invite all the major factions over. By then, we may be facing another Misty Cloud Sect. What do you think we should do?"

"Back when Xiao Yan went to the Misty Cloud Sect to fulfill the Three-Year Pact, the Xiao Family actually produced two Dou Emperors and one Dou Zong. Such strength surpasses even the Misty Cloud Sect at its peak by a great deal."

Yao Ye analyzed the intelligence they had gathered. Before the people from Soul Hall appeared, Jia Xing Tian and the other two Dou Emperors had already left the main battlefield.

Therefore, she did not know that Xiao Yan could also unleash the aura of a Dou Zong. Otherwise, she would have raised her estimation of the Xiao Family's strength by another level.

"Those two Dou Emperors are not members of the Xiao Family, but people from Heavenly Snake Manor. Still, as long as the Xiao Family Supreme Elder remains..."

Jia Xing Tian let out a long sigh. Yun Shan had been a Dou Zong as well, yet the Misty Cloud Sect had ultimately been destroyed and Yun Shan had died. This Xiao Family Supreme Elder was clearly no weakling even among those of the same rank.

"The Xiao Family's actions are open and aboveboard. They are riding the tide of the times, and they happen to have the Sect Tournament as an opportunity. Even if our royal family has objections, the other factions will very likely support the Xiao Family."

This was what gave Yao Ye the greatest headache. The rankings at the Sect Tournament represented a nation's level of strength.

If no faction from the Jia Ma Empire attended this time, then for the next few years, the entire Jia Ma Empire would become the laughingstock of other nations.

It might even lose the qualifications to participate in the Northwest region's Sect Assembly, held once every five years.

From that perspective, the Xiao Family's willingness to step forward and lead the Jia Ma Empire was indeed a great thing.

It truly was as the saying went: the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility.

"Fine, then. When the Xiao Family summons everyone for a meeting, we will see their plans with our own eyes before deciding."

Jia Xing Tian sighed, then suddenly thought of a nation similar to the Jia Ma Empire and said,

"It is not only our Jia Ma Empire. I have heard that the Chuyun Empire has undergone considerable changes in recent years. It originally had countless factions of all sizes, but they have been wiped out one after another over the past few years. Now, only one massive faction remains within the empire."

"Yes, I have heard about it as well. That faction seems to be called the Poison Sect. Not only is it inscrutable and strange, but it is also extremely powerful. According to intelligence reports, the mysterious sect master of that Poison Sect may possess terrifying strength capable of contending with a Dou Zong.

Perhaps at the next Sect Assembly, it will rise in one leap into a formidable faction capable of rivaling Heavenly Snake Manor and Thunder Sect. By then, the Chuyun Empire will likely become unbearably arrogant..."

At the mention of this, Yao Ye's expression darkened slightly. The Chuyun Empire and the Jia Ma Empire were bitter enemies. Conflicts broke out along their borders almost every year, and neither side could stand the other.

"So we can only rely on the Xiao Family Supreme Elder."

Jia Xing Tian spoke helplessly. If the Jia Ma Empire showed signs of decline at this Sect Tournament, what awaited them might be invasion by neighboring countries.

The Poison Sect did not sound like a faction to be trifled with just from its name. Moreover, compared with its approach of swallowing up other factions one after another, the lofty Xiao Family, which remained above the worldly fray, was far more reassuring and trustworthy.

With the return of the Xiao Family Supreme Elder, similar conversations took place not only within the imperial palace. Many major factions throughout the Jia Ma Empire convened overnight meetings to discuss the matter.

A single sentence from Xiao Lin stirred up the entire Jia Ma Empire, as though a storm were about to descend.

It was obvious that the Xiao Family now held a truly unparalleled position within the Jia Ma Empire. Even the royal family could hardly compare.

While a group of Jia Ma Empire experts lost sleep and appetite over Xiao Lin's words, he was currently watching Xiao Yan seize a flame.

Wutan City, Xiao Family headquarters, a specially constructed secluded cultivation chamber.

Han Feng was bound tightly to a pillar. He was no longer the high-spirited figure of the Black Corner Region. His clothes were tattered, his face pale, and he no longer possessed the slightest strength to resist.

As a Rank 6 Alchemist at the peak of the Dou Emperor realm, Han Feng naturally knew what he was about to face.

Standing before him were three figures: Xiao Yan in fitted martial attire, Yao Chen in his incorporeal soul form, and Xiao Lin in white robes.

Unlike the expressions of vengeance finally fulfilled on Xiao Yan and Yao Chen's faces, Xiao Lin was relatively calm as he idly played with a dark blue storage ring.

Storage rings also came in varying grades. High-grade storage rings were extremely rare; even in the Black Corner Region's auction houses, they were priceless and unavailable.

The storage ring in Xiao Lin's hand had been stripped from Han Feng. It was a high-grade storage ring named the Nether Sea Storage Ring.

With a sweep of his powerful spiritual strength, Xiao Lin erased Han Feng's soul imprint.

Xiao Lin gave it a cursory glance. The storage ring was packed full. After all, the things Han Feng had plundered in the Black Corner Region over the years were simply too numerous to count.

There were quite a few medicinal ingredients that were exceedingly rare in the outside world, while all kinds of cultivation methods and Dou Skills scrolls were casually strewn about.

Clearly, these were all items exchanged by those who had come to ask him to refine pills.

Together with the Dou Skills and cultivation methods obtained from destroying the Misty Cloud Sect, the foundation of our Xiao Family has become quite substantial.

Just as Xiao Lin was thinking this, Han Feng, who was bound tightly to the pillar, began to wail and scream himself hoarse.

He clearly knew that his soul imprint had been erased and that death was drawing ever closer.

"Teacher, a teacher for a day is a father for life! I was only deceived by others into attacking you. It was not my true intention!"

"Teacher, I was wrong! Do not kill me! You watched me grow up. Please, spare my life!"

"Teacher! Spare me!"

Han Feng screamed until his voice grew hoarse, tears streaming down his face. Even he, the Medicine Emperor, could not bear the torment of approaching death. He was on the verge of collapse.

Yao Lao's soul fluctuations rose and fell repeatedly. As he watched Han Feng collapse, what came to mind was a time several decades ago.

He had pulled an infant still wrapped in swaddling clothes from cold ruins, treated him as his own son, cared for him meticulously, and raised him as his most perfect successor.

Yet what greeted him had been an ice-cold betrayal, from Han Feng, whom he had regarded as his own child!

Had luck not been on his side, Yao Lao would never have become what he was now, neither alive nor dead. He would have long since died at Han Feng's hands.

"Hu..."

After letting out a long sigh, Yao Lao cast one final glance at Han Feng. Without even saying a word, he had Xiao Yan make his move.

There was no sorrow greater than a heart gone dead.