The Beginnings of Xiao Sect

The atmosphere within the Divine Temple of Snake People Holy City shifted subtly after Xiao Chen's casual yet earth-shattering finger strike. The hostility that had previously been on the verge of erupting had not entirely vanished, but it had transformed into a reverent silence.

Queen Medusa stood where she was, her ample chest rising and falling slightly. Color had gradually returned to her breathtaking face, yet the shock and complexity in those violet snake eyes lingered for a long while. She stared deeply at the calm young man in green before her, clearly understanding for the first time the weight carried by the words "Dou Zun." It was an absolute gap in Life Level.

"...What do you wish to discuss?" After a long while, Queen Medusa finally spoke. Her voice still carried its usual chill, but it no longer had that razor-sharp edge that kept others at a distance. She waved for the Snake People warriors, who had been standing ready for battle, to withdraw. Circumstances were stronger than people; before absolute strength, she had to make the most rational choice.

Xiao Chen smiled faintly. Rather than acting overbearing because of her concession, he spoke calmly. "First, it concerns my younger brother, Xiao Yan. I know that because of the evolution matter, Your Majesty has formed a somewhat... special connection with him."

Queen Medusa's gaze shifted slightly, but she did not deny it. Her soul was intertwined with that of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, and the python was intensely dependent on and close to Xiao Yan. That had made her feelings toward Xiao Yan extremely complicated as well.

"This connection stems from mutations caused by Heavenly Flames and the soul. Fortune and disaster go hand in hand," Xiao Chen continued. "I have no intention of interfering with the karma between Your Majesty and Brother Yan. I only hope Your Majesty understands that Brother Yan is my, Xiao Chen's, reverse scale. No matter how your relationship develops in the future, I do not wish for him to suffer any harm—whether physical or... emotional."

His words were calm, yet Queen Medusa heard an unquestionable warning and protectiveness in them. She snorted coldly. "How This King acts is not for others to criticize. That brat Xiao Yan... This King knows the limits." Though she said so, her heart tightened, and she committed Xiao Chen's warning to memory.

"That would be best." Xiao Chen nodded and did not pursue the matter further. Then he changed the subject. "Second, it concerns the future of the Snake People Race."

At the mention of her people, Queen Medusa's expression turned solemn as she fixed Xiao Chen with a sharp gaze.

"The Snake People Race has long been trapped in the desert, lacking resources. Your Majesty is a leader of great vision and has always wished to find suitable land for your people to settle upon. Is that correct?" Xiao Chen laid bare Queen Medusa's greatest wish in a single sentence.

"So what if it is? Human forces occupy Jia Ma Empire. Why would they allow the Snake People Race to establish itself there in peace?" Queen Medusa's tone carried a trace of mockery and helplessness.

"Perhaps it was impossible before, but now, I can make it happen." Xiao Chen's words brimmed with powerful confidence. "The Misty Cloud Sect has fallen, and the structure of Jia Ma Empire is about to be reshuffled. My Xiao Family will consolidate its resources and establish a new force. If Your Majesty is willing, the Snake People Race may become an ally of the Xiao Family."

"An ally?" Queen Medusa raised a brow. The word took her somewhat by surprise. She had thought he would propose terms of vassalage or something similar.

"That is right, an equal ally," Xiao Chen affirmed. "The Xiao Family can provide a portion of relatively fertile land near water sources as a temporary or permanent habitat for the Snake People Race. We can also provide a certain amount of resources to help the Snake People recover, flourish, and raise the next generation. In return, when the Xiao Family's forces require it, the Snake People Race must provide the appropriate military support and assistance. Both sides benefit."

The terms could not have been more generous! They practically resolved the Snake People Race's greatest current survival crisis! Queen Medusa's heart thudded hard several times, but she did not let herself be swept away.

"What are your conditions? What do you need This King... what do you need the Snake People Race to do?" she asked coolly. There was no such thing as a free lunch.

"I need a stable, reliable ally to face the storms ahead together." Xiao Chen's gaze was profound. "The threat of the Soul Hall has not been eliminated. Beyond Jia Ma Empire lies a broader and more dangerous world. The Xiao Family needs to grow, and it also needs companions. Your Majesty and the powerful Snake People warriors are precisely the help we need."

He paused before adding, "Naturally, the details of our cooperation can be discussed gradually. Your Majesty may consider it carefully, or you may first send an envoy to Wutan City to see the Xiao Family's sincerity and development with your own eyes."

Queen Medusa fell silent. The conditions Xiao Chen had offered were entirely different from what she had expected. It was not annexation, but cooperation; not enslavement, but mutual benefit. Her resolve to resist him forcefully began to waver. For the survival and development of her people, this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity...

Watching Queen Medusa sink into thought, Xiao Chen knew he had achieved his goal. The seed had been planted; it simply needed time to take root and sprout.

"Your Majesty may consider this matter at your leisure. Xiao Chen will take his leave first. Wutan City will always welcome Your Majesty or an envoy of the Snake People Race." Xiao Chen cupped his hands and did not linger. His figure flickered, and he vanished from the Divine Temple as though merging into space itself.

He had come abruptly and departed with effortless grace.

Only after Xiao Chen's aura had completely disappeared did the oppressive feeling in the Divine Temple suddenly lift. Several Snake People elders immediately gathered around.

"Your Majesty, this matter..."

Queen Medusa raised a hand to stop them. She looked in the direction Xiao Chen had vanished, light flickering in her violet snake eyes before finally turning into a complicated sigh.

"Pass down the order. Summon the leaders of every tribe for discussion."

"Also... make preparations. In three days, This King will personally make a trip to Wutan City."

She had to see for herself whether that Xiao Family, and that Xiao Chen, were truly worth staking the future fate of herself and the entire Snake People Race upon.

At the same time, at the Xiao Family in Wutan City.

Xiao Chen's figure appeared soundlessly within the family council hall. Xiao Zhan and several core elders were discussing family affairs, and they all rose when they saw him return.

"Chen'er, how did it go?" Xiao Zhan asked with concern. Though he did not know where Xiao Chen had gone specifically, anything that required him to act personally could not have been a minor matter.

"Rest assured, Father. Initial contact has been made with the Snake People Race. They pose no threat for now, and they may become allies in the future." Xiao Chen gave a brief explanation before sweeping his gaze across the group. "How has the family been during the days I was away?"

An elder hurriedly reported, "Reporting to the Family Head, the first batch of resources promised by the Misty Cloud Sect has already arrived. The quantity is immense, and the quality is extremely high—far beyond our expectations! Elder Hai Bodong has also successfully coordinated with the Mite'er Family and begun taking over the Misty Cloud Sect's secular holdings. The family disciples have been cultivating in the Spirit Gathering Array and advancing at remarkable speed. Several have already broken through!"

"Very good." Xiao Chen nodded in satisfaction, then announced an even more important decision. "Resources, talent, and the external environment are all in place for now. I have decided that, from this day forth, we will establish the 'Xiao Sect'!"

"Xiao Sect?" Everyone froze, then their eyes burst with brilliance! This meant that the Xiao Family would no longer be merely a family. It was about to advance toward becoming a true and formidable power!

"With the Xiao Family as its foundation, the newly established Xiao Sect will recruit loyal and reliable vassals and allies. Father will serve as Sect Master, while Brother Yan and I will temporarily hold the positions of elders. We will establish the Alchemy Hall, Martial Hall, Discipline Hall, and External Affairs Hall, each performing its respective duties..." Xiao Chen laid out the framework he had devised in an orderly manner.

Everyone listened with surging excitement, as though they could see a vast empire slowly rising before their eyes.

"The purpose of Xiao Sect is to unite every force that can be united, gather resources, nurture the strong, protect everything we cherish, and establish an unshakable foundation upon this Dou Qi Continent!"

Xiao Chen's voice rang with force and carried an unquestionable determination.

"And the first step for Xiao Sect will be to seize complete control of Jia Ma Empire. Then... we will advance into Jia Nan Academy and obtain the Fallen Heart Flame for Brother Yan!"

The outline of Xiao Sect was formally drawn within this council hall, by the hands of this returning wanderer. An era belonging to the Xiao Family—and even more so to the brothers Xiao Chen and Xiao Yan—was about to begin.