Hun Xuzi

"Senior, what did you need to tell me?" Xiao Yan asked curiously after watching the two women leave.

"Mm, it's not truly urgent, though it is important. Besides, it wouldn't have been appropriate to say it in front of them." Xiao Xuan gave a sly smile. "No matter what, whether out of sentiment or reason, you must give that little girl from the Yao Clan a proper answer."

"Ancestor, are you really this concerned about such matters?" Xiao Yan grinned bitterly. He naturally understood Yao Ling's feelings for him very well. However, if he accepted her feelings, he would likely face many difficult problems in the future. Neither the Gu Clan nor the Yao Clan—both colossal forces—was something he could handle alone.

"Sentimentally, she saved your life and helped you merge four bloodlines. The Yao Clan has helped you greatly, so you cannot chill their hearts. Rationally, while the Yao Clan's hard power may not rank among the top of the Eight Clans, their ability to cultivate talent is unmatched among them. If we can establish ties with them, the revival of our Xiao Clan will proceed faster." Xiao Xuan said seriously.

"Mm, I don't want to let Xun'er down." Xiao Yan did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"Tsk, young people shouldn't be so rigid. The greater one's ability, the greater one's responsibility. I never intended for you to build some harem, but often, refusing another person's goodwill is the greatest form of contempt." Xiao Xuan said seemingly casually.

"Mm, then I'll think about it some more." Xiao Yan smiled awkwardly upon hearing this.

"Good. I have nothing else to tell you. Little fellow, run forward. I believe you will surely restore the glory of our Xiao Clan." Xiao Xuan smiled gently. "These old eyes of mine have never misjudged a person!"

He then casually pointed into the void, and a spatial tunnel appeared within it.

"I will not disappoint the faith Ancestor has placed in me!" Xiao Yan respectfully gave Xiao Xuan another deep bow, then darted into the spatial tunnel without looking back. He understood that only through diligent cultivation would he be worthy of Xiao Xuan's expectations...

A day later, a spatial rift roughly a hundred zhang wide suddenly appeared above the Ancient Realm. This seemingly abrupt sight did not stir the slightest reaction among the crowd nearby. It seemed they had long expected it.

"Your great name has long been known to me, Senior Hun Xuzi. I truly did not expect you to personally come to receive these juniors." Elder Tong Xuan spoke respectfully. Even with his exalted status within the Gu Clan, it was difficult for him to meet such a renowned great expert of the current age.

"What senior? I'm only taking my child home." Hun Xuzi chuckled. The moment he mentioned his child, his voice became much lighter. "Hun Ya is the fourth son born to my wife. Among all my children, he is the most outstanding. I specially obtained a quota for him to enter the Heavenly Tomb because I wanted to see just how much he could improve through this experience."

Several dazzling bolts of lightning burst from the spatial rift, and two figures immediately shot out of it. Their auras had improved greatly compared to before they entered the Heavenly Tomb.

"These two young people from the Lei Clan have improved considerably." Elder Tong Xuan nodded. In half a year, they had leaped directly from the initial stage of Seven-star Dou Zun to the peak. Such progress was truly enviable.

"Hun Ya should not be inferior to these two young people either," Hun Xuzi said proudly.

"Of course," Elder Tong Xuan replied with a conciliatory smile.

As they chatted, several more figures emerged from the spatial rift. A soul imprint drifted out alongside them and landed in Hun Xuzi's hand.

"My son, how did you suffer so much?" Hun Xuzi clasped the soul imprint in both hands, his expression changing drastically. He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, his eyes filled with rage. He hurriedly took several pills that shone with an unusual radiance from his Storage Ring and attached the soul imprint to them.

In but an instant, the pills vanished without a trace, turning into countless motes of light. In the next moment, those motes assembled into a human figure. The figure let out a weak groan, bringing tears streaming down Hun Xuzi's aged face.

"Ya'er, you have suffered..."

He turned his gaze toward the people who had just emerged from the spatial rift, fury blazing in his eyes. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before them and spoke in an extremely hostile tone:

"Little girl, you have tormented my son terribly!"

"Senior Hun Xuzi, we all respect your age and reputation. But this time, Hun Ya harbored ill intentions toward the two of us and attacked first. If not for the fact that you are the Hun Clan's chief alchemist, the Gu Clan would have taken you down long ago for such rudeness!" Xun'er said, forcefully suppressing her anger. Facing the acting Clan Leader of the Hun Clan, she remained fully courteous and polite despite her immense fury.

"Are you that little girl from the Yao Clan?" Hun Xuzi neither acknowledged nor denied her words, for he knew perfectly well that he could not touch Xun'er in the slightest. He turned and glared fiercely at Yao Ling.

"It is my honor to be recognized by Senior Hun Xuzi. But even someone as distinguished as you likely has no right to do anything improper to me in front of so many people." Yao Ling smiled sweetly and spoke calmly.

"A sharp tongue is no good thing. Little girl, it is not that retribution does not come—it is simply not yet time. One day, I will make you serve as a slave and a maid, begging for death but unable to die." Hun Xuzi said coldly. With a sweep of his sleeve, he vanished into the void together with Hun Ya, leaving only the furious group standing where they were.

"The Hun Clan has truly become more and more arrogant these past few years," Xun'er said to the people who had just emerged from the Heavenly Tomb. At her words, everyone nodded. The Hun Clan had originally been one of the Ancient Races that lived in seclusion and stayed aloof from worldly affairs, but in recent years, it had become increasingly domineering and overbearing.

"Little Sister Xun'er, don't dwell on such unpleasant matters. Hun Ya may deserve death, but Senior Hun Xuzi merely spoke in anger." Yao Ling comforted her. She did not truly believe Hun Xuzi would be able to do anything to her, because the entire Yao Clan stood behind her.

"Heh, I suggest Sister should not let down her guard." Xun'er gave a strange smile. "Let me tell you a secret. My father said long ago that Senior Hun Xuzi's methods and strength are far greater than what he shows on the surface."

"Mm, thank you for your kindness, Little Sister Xun'er." Yao Ling nodded. Hun Xuzi presented himself as a Mid Six-star Dou Sheng, and even within the Yao Clan, only a handful could stand on equal footing with such strength. Having heard this today, she became even more wary of him.

"You two, let's go." Yao Ling beckoned to the two members of the Shi Clan. "The Clan Leader has likely been waiting for you for quite some time."

"If there's a banquet, how could Sister leave me behind?" Xiao Yan laughed heartily. "I believe Clan Leader Yao Dan would be quite pleased to see me as well."

"Tsk, you really are frivolous, boy." Yao Ling cast a sidelong glance at Xun'er and pretended to scold him.

"Brother Xiao Yan, if you want to go, then go." Xun'er forced a smile. "You have already done so much for me. Don't let me hold back your path to becoming stronger. Once I reach Dou Sheng, I will come find you, Brother Xiao Yan."

"It's getting late. Let's go." Yao Ling's tone became much lighter. "The scale of that banquet will not be much inferior to our clan's Yao Dian."

With a slight wave of her hand, the figures of the group flashed as they flew toward the exit of the Ancient Realm.