Xiao Xuan

"For now, we can only fight with everything we have. That is our only chance of survival!" Xun'er's expression turned incomparably grave. This situation was tens of thousands of times more dangerous than before; she could not afford even a moment's hesitation.

"Sister Xun'er, when disaster strikes, everyone must fend for themselves. Whoever can escape, escapes," Yao Ling said heavily. Before such a chasm-like gap in strength, even fleeing for their lives had become a luxury.

Just as Xiao Yan was about to say something, he felt the bloodline within his body suddenly begin to circulate of its own accord. In only a few breaths, the spatial seal around them shattered completely. A middle-aged man dressed in pale green robes abruptly appeared before them, as though he had been standing there all along.

"Xiao Xuan?" Hun Diao cried out as he stared at the middle-aged man's rather ordinary face. This man had once stood at the very pinnacle of the Dou Qi Continent. Even the two of them were not qualified to look up to such terrifying strength.

"You two have quite the nerve, daring to touch a descendant of my Xiao Clan." The middle-aged man spoke, casually pointing at the two of them. A finger a thousand zhang long suddenly took shape and pressed down upon them. In an instant, the two Dou Saint energy bodies that had been flaunting their might moments ago were reduced to dust.

Xiao Xuan did not spare those two energy bodies another glance. After dealing with them, he fixed his gaze on Xiao Yan.

"The moment you entered the Heavenly Tomb, I sensed your arrival. I delayed intervening because I hoped you would gain more opportunities to temper yourself. The revival of the Xiao Clan rests upon your shoulders." Xiao Xuan smiled gently at Xiao Yan. "I have waited bitterly for several thousand years, and at last, I have waited for your arrival."

"This junior, Xiao Yan, pays respects to Ancestor Xiao Xuan!" Xiao Yan knelt excitedly upon the ground and solemnly performed the grand rite of three kneelings and nine kowtows. Whether it was for his ancestor's long wait or for the towering achievements Xiao Xuan had attained in life, Xiao Yan was worthy of paying such respects.

"Hehe, rise. We are family, so why be so formal?" The moment Xiao Yan completed the rite, Xiao Xuan helped him to his feet. His gaze then shifted to the remaining people.

"Juniors of the Gu Clan, Gu Xun'er, Gu Qingyang, Gu Zhen, Gu Hua, and Gu Xing, pay respects to Ancestor Xiao Xuan!" Xun'er and the others did not dare delay, hurriedly performing the most solemn ceremony of the Gu Clan with utmost reverence. They knew perfectly well what astonishing, unparalleled accomplishments Xiao Xuan had achieved on the Dou Qi Continent in those years.

"Juniors of the Yao Clan, Yao Ling and Yao Bei, pay respects to Ancestor Xiao Xuan!" Yao Ling gave Yao Bei a meaningful look and led him in a respectful bow. Though Xiao Xuan had passed away long ago, his aura was still far stronger than Yao Dan's. How could she not pay respects to such an expert?

"Little girl, when you entered the Heavenly Tomb last time, you were merely an ordinary Seven-star Dou Zun. Over these twenty years, you have improved considerably." Xiao Xuan praised Yao Ling. "Your performance in the Heavenly Tomb this time was indeed quite good. My Xiao Clan owes you a debt of gratitude."

"You flatter me, Senior. Yao Ling merely did what she could," Yao Ling said modestly, though inwardly she was overjoyed. How could she not be pleased to receive praise from such a towering figure?

Xiao Xuan smiled faintly and turned his gaze toward Gu Qingyang and the others. "It seems your Gu Clan has not fulfilled the agreement we made before my death."

"Clan Leader Gu Yuan has always honored the agreement he made with you back then. Over the years, some unreasonable people within the clan did wish to violate those agreements, but Clan Leader Gu Yuan stopped them all," Gu Qingyang hurriedly explained, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. After all, Xiao Xuan could crush them as easily as ants.

"Your bloodline bears quite a resemblance to Gu Yuan's." Xiao Xuan ignored his words. Before Gu Qingyang could finish, he turned his head toward Xun'er.

"You have a keen eye, Senior. I am Gu Yuan's daughter," Xun'er replied respectfully.

"Ah, no wonder you possess such a Divine Grade Bloodline. Gu Yuan truly gave birth to a fine daughter. If my Xiao Clan had possessed such a bloodline back then, I would not have needed to risk everything in a desperate battle." A trace of sorrow entered Xiao Xuan's voice. "However, it seems this descendant of mine is even more outstanding than I had imagined."

As soon as he said this, a hint of teasing entered Xiao Xuan's tone. Faint blushes appeared on Xun'er and Yao Ling's faces.

"Heh, enough unnecessary joking. I shall first guide you to my tomb residence. Restricted by the suppression of the Heavenly Tomb, what you see is merely one of my projections," Xiao Xuan said, his teasing expression fading as he grew serious.

Hearing this, everyone was stunned dumb, and Yao Ling's heart jolted. Even while Xiao Xuan had been alive, the Yao Clan had already shown signs of decline and had not set foot in the political center of the Ancient Eight Clans for many years. For that reason, she knew little about Xiao Xuan's circumstances. Only today did she realize that even a projection of the energy body Xiao Xuan had become after death was still stronger than the Clan Leader of her Yao Clan!

"Follow me." Seeing the shock on their faces, Xiao Xuan said no more. He rose and swept toward the deepest part of the Heavenly Tomb. The others did not hesitate and followed after him. Before long, they all came to a stop. In the pitch-black depths of the Heavenly Tomb stood an exceedingly ancient stone stele.

"This stone stele is my tomb residence. Xiao Yan, and the two little girls from the Gu Clan and Yao Clan, come with me. The rest of you may cultivate outside. This is where the energy in the Heavenly Tomb is most concentrated; cultivating here will benefit you as well." There was a touch more firmness in Xiao Xuan's tone.

"Yes." Gu Qingyang and the others did not dare be negligent, responding repeatedly. Before this former peak expert of the Dou Qi Continent, the only thing they could do was obey completely...

Xiao Xuan gently stroked the stone stele, and a mass of light completely enveloped him. When the radiance faded, Xiao Xuan's figure had vanished. The three of them did not hesitate, placing their hands upon the stone stele. In an instant, brilliant light erupted, forcing all three to close their eyes.

When the three opened their eyes again, they saw an ancient grand hall before them. Xiao Xuan stood within it with his hands behind his back, and before him lay a pool of crystal-clear water.

"Tell me how the Xiao Clan has been doing in recent years." Xiao Xuan sighed and spoke in a deep voice.

Without hesitation, Xiao Yan recounted everything that had happened to the Xiao family since his birth to Xiao Xuan. Naturally, he also mentioned Xun'er's help to him, as well as the Yao Clan's angel investments in him over this period.

When Xiao Yan mentioned the past events Yao Dan had told him about, several traces of embarrassment appeared on Yao Ling's face. She had lived in the Yao Clan for so long and knew its chronicles like the back of her hand. Yet she had never known that the Yao Clan and Xiao Clan had once shared such a close relationship...

Clan Leader, you really should fix that habit of yours of talking nonsense, Yao Ling silently complained.