Bluffing

"Senior, your strength is terrifying beyond measure. Yet while my ancestor was alive, he was able to bestow favors upon you? What a towering hero my ancestor must have been in his lifetime! Please, Saint, tell me a little about him!" Unable to suppress his curiosity, Xiao Yan could not help pressing for more.

The first Dou Sheng he had ever seen in person was a Six-star Dou Sheng. And, by sheer coincidence, this Dou Sheng had once been acquainted with his ancestor. How could Xiao Yan not be both immensely excited and curious about his own enigmatic lineage?

"Hehe, little friend Xiao Yan, I had originally intended to tell you these secrets only after you entered the Saint Stage. After all, only upon reaching the Saint Stage would you be qualified to say that you had not disgraced the former glory of your Xiao Clan!" Yao Dan smiled. "This is also why, despite seeing your Xiao Clan decline to such a state, my Yao Clan did not lend a hand. On the Dou Qi Continent, strength is revered. If a clan does not even have a Dou Sheng, or even a Half-Saint, then it truly cannot make us acknowledge that this clan is the Xiao Clan that once aided our Yao Clan so greatly!"

These words left Xiao Yan silent. Though he was already a Dou Zun, he was still far from the realm of a Dou Sheng. What Dan Saint had said today truly showed that he did not think much of Xiao Yan or the entire Xiao family...

Yao Dan took Xiao Yan's silence in at a glance and secretly sighed to himself. This Saint never wanted to speak this way, but those Ancient Eight Clans are simply too inhuman! At this point, I can only explain what needs explaining, then offer the Xiao Clan substantial compensation!

"Though that may be so, I see that little friend Xiao Yan has already become extraordinarily strong at such a young age. Your future is boundless, and advancing to the Saint Stage will be as easy as turning over one's hand. The Xiao family also has great hope of revival! Therefore, today, I shall tell you everything about the Ancient Eight Clans, along with the affairs of your ancestor!" Seeing that matters were taking a turn for the worse, Yao Dan hurriedly tried to patch things up. Then, like beans pouring from a bamboo tube, he laid bare the affairs of the Ancient Eight Clans and Xiao Xuan's past to Xiao Yan.

Naturally, he embellished many matters and fabricated some events that had never existed in ancient times.

"When Xiao Xuan was merely a Three-star Dou Sheng, we were the closest of friends. Setting aside the natural hostility between Ancient Races, we called each other brothers, sharing blessings and shouldering hardships together"—When Xiao Xuan had merely been a Three-star Dou Zun, the two of them indeed had been close friends. But when Xiao Xuan advanced to Three-star Dou Sheng, Yao Dan had just begun secluded cultivation in an attempt to break through to Half-Saint. By the time he emerged after advancing directly to Dou Sheng, Xiao Xuan had already taken over as the Xiao Clan Leader with the strength of a late Seven-star Dou Sheng. Bound by their clans, the two could no longer be said to have any personal friendship.

"Many in my clan had always wanted to seize the Tou She Ancient God Jade in your Xiao family's possession. It was I who overruled all objections and ensured that the Xiao family would not be disturbed"—The Yao Clan itself had "unexpectedly declined to such a state." They would have been burning incense in gratitude if they could merely defend their own territory. How could they possibly have taken the lead in trying to seize the Tou She Ancient God Jade?

"When I first refined a Nine-grade Treasure Pill, I had only just entered the Dou Sheng realm, and my Dou Qi was unstable. It was Xiao Xuan who helped me withstand the Pill Lightning. I have remembered that favor for thousands of years"—That was nothing but pure fabrication. Though Yao Dan had been the Young Clan Leader at the time, there had been far too many elders and seniors in the Yao Clan stronger than him. If the Pill Lightning summoned by the Young Clan Leader's alchemy had needed an outsider to withstand it, where would the Yao Clan have put its face?

Thus, with one wildly fabricated tale after another, Yao Dan continued spinning lies for more than ten days. In Xiao Yan's heart, Yao Dan's image grew ever more lofty: although the Xiao family had fallen so low, the Yao Clan Leader had personally protected the Xiao family as its guardian for thousands of years, shielding them from conflict with certain extremists within the Xiao family. The moment he saw hope for the Xiao family's revival, he immediately stepped in to help. How could such kindness ever be repaid...

Yao Dan sensed Xiao Yan's feelings and secretly rejoiced. It was time to reveal a truly influential trump card and make Xiao Yan thoroughly believe that the Yao Clan was a dependable ally.

"Little friend Xiao Yan, I, Yao Dan, am not some empty-talking fraudster. This time, I have also brought you a meeting gift, to make up for my Yao Clan's regret at being unable to lend a hand all these years." After finishing the twelfth story he had fabricated about the harmonious relationship between the Xiao and Yao Clans, Yao Dan flicked his sleeve.

A strange brown flame shaped like a gigantic turtle surged from Yao Dan's sleeve. It was none other than the thirteenth-ranked Heavenly Flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, the Turtle Spirit Earth Fire!

"Little friend's cultivation technique can advance by devouring Heavenly Flames. As it happens, last year, a complete Turtle Spirit Earth Fire separated from the mother flame within my clan. Consider it a meeting gift for little friend. With little friend's strength, devouring this Heavenly Flame may be somewhat difficult, so I have also prepared an eight-colored, eighth-grade Eight-turn Ice Cold Pill for you." Seeing Xiao Yan's ecstatic expression, Yao Dan deliberately slowed his speech and added in a somewhat heavy tone, "Unfortunately, little friend has only just entered the Dou Zun realm. An eight-colored, eighth-grade, Eight-turn pill is the limit of what little friend can use. Otherwise, I would not hesitate to personally refine a Ninth-grade, Black Demon Lightning Nine-turn Ice Cold Pill for little friend..."

"Saint, I will forever remember this immense kindness!" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan dropped to one knee and cupped his fists toward Yao Dan.