Harder Than Killing Hun Tiandi

"Rise to prominence?"

Listening to Liu Panlong's laughter, Ao Ba Pa and the many higher-ups of the Ao Ba Clan all wore bitter smiles.

Although both Ya Fei and Liu Panlong had plainly said that becoming vassals of the Xiao Family was no disgrace, but rather an opportunity for a glorious future—

Becoming someone else's servants, with even their lives and deaths under another's control, was ultimately a bitter thing.

Of the two great clans that had once stood alongside the Xiao Family as rulers of Wu Tan City, one had been driven away like a pack of stray dogs, while the other had come of its own accord to bow in submission.

It filled many Xiao Family members with immense pride. The Xiao Family had resolved two great clans without shedding a drop of blood, becoming the greatest clan in Wu Tan City—without equal.

Of course, even in their pride, they did not forget who had brought them this sudden advantage and this sense of glory.

Yet the young man at the heart of it all did not care in the slightest.

Though he had always regarded this small Wu Tan City as his hometown, Xiao Yan's heart could contain the vast universe.

Naturally, he did not pay much attention to these petty struggles in Wu Tan City.

Two months later, at the Xiao Family's Back Mountain.

Whoosh!

A surge of force gathered around her jade-like hand. The girl kicked off hard with her smooth, fair legs, her body darting toward the young man standing opposite her like a nimble swallow.

Seeing the serious look on her face, the young man's lips curled up. He shifted aside with an elusive step, narrowly evading the force. Then the smile on his lips suddenly turned mischievous as he stretched out his hands and caught her slender waist.

With a gentle force from his palms, Xiao Yan dispersed the girl's momentum. He chuckled and pulled the blushing girl into his embrace.

"Not bad, not bad. You've improved quickly lately. You've already reached Dou Qi level 8."

Looking at the girl in his arms, whose chest rose and fell slightly from exhaustion, Xiao Yan reached out and wiped the sweat from her smooth forehead before setting her down beneath her bashful gaze.

"Brother Xiao Yan is so naughty. You never behave yourself when we spar."

After Xiao Yan put her down, Xun'er's pretty face was crimson. Whether from exhaustion or embarrassment, she looked like a ripe red apple, utterly adorable.

"Hehe."

Xiao Yan merely smiled at Xun'er's complaint without denying it. Ruffling her hair, he asked softly, "Have you used up the spiritual liquid I prepared for you?"

Hearing Xiao Yan's question, Xun'er nodded gently. Her deliberately fierce little face instantly softened, and a sweet, elegant smile appeared on her lips.

"I'm almost out. With the spiritual liquid Brother Xiao Yan gave me, my cultivation really has been improving much faster."

"That's good. Try to break through to a one-star Dou Zhe before Jia Nan Academy comes here. Then we can enter Jia Nan Academy together."

Xiao Yan smiled softly.

In his Previous life, he had gone first to the Tagor Desert in search of the Green Lotus Core Flame. But that was because he had truly been weak then, needing Yao Lao's guidance as he accumulated experience step by step.

But in this life, with his incomparably rich experience, he no longer needed to build himself up as he had in his Previous life. All he needed to do was continuously gather Heavenly Flames and accelerate his cultivation.

Therefore, compared with the dry, tedious Tagor Desert, the chaotic yet prosperous Black-Corner Region was perhaps better suited for Xiao Yan to rapidly increase his strength.

Beyond that, Xiao Yan also harbored a somewhat improper thought.

This time, he wanted to rely on his own strength to conquer the Queen who still stood high above the Snake-People Race, openly and honorably, rather than taking advantage of her again through the Fallen Heart Flame.

He also wanted to see what kind of story would unfold with Yun Yun after she met him.

Remembering how, before becoming a Dou Wang in his Previous life, he had received no small amount of help from those two women, a faintly wicked smile unknowingly appeared on Xiao Yan's lips.

In this life, I don't want to live off women anymore. I'll truly use my own strength to capture both your hearts and your bodies.

Seeing the faintly wicked smile at the corner of Xiao Yan's mouth, Xun'er lightly furrowed her delicate brows. In the end, she still pinched him gently.

"Brother Xiao Yan, are you thinking about something bad again? Your grin is practically reaching your ears."

That pinch finally pulled Xiao Yan out of his fantasies. Looking at Xun'er's scrunched-up little face with his dark eyes, a rare trace of the feeling of being caught red-handed flashed through his gaze.

"Xun'er, if I were to have some special entanglements with other women in the future for certain unavoidable reasons, would you hate me?"

Staring into those limpid eyes, Xiao Yan suddenly asked.

"Other women?"

Xun'er was momentarily stunned by Xiao Yan's words, before her lovely face gradually turned pale.

"Other women! You mean that vixen Ya Fei, don't you?

Sister Xiao Yu was right after all. You men are all pigs, even Brother Xiao Yan!"

For once, Xun'er was so agitated that two tears rolled down her face, hanging by her jade-like cheeks like pearls. Though she had yet to grow into a great beauty, she was already heartbreakingly lovely.

"Xun'er, Xun'er, don't be angry. I was only joking."

Seeing the little girl like this, even Xiao Yan's battle-hardened heart trembled. He hurriedly pulled her into his arms and comforted her.

But I wasn't only talking about that one vixen, Ya Fei.

With a bitter sigh in his heart, Xiao Yan finally realized that bringing all of them into one harem was far more difficult than fighting Hun Tiandi—or even the Heavenly Evil God.

After all, what he wanted was not merely their bodies, but their hearts. To love a woman was not only to love her body, but also to protect her dignity.

If a person changed, all that remained would be a beautiful shell. Though all men shared the flaw of lust, when had someone like Xiao Yan ever lacked beauties by his side?

The reason he loved them so much was because they shared beautiful memories, and because they admired each other's character and temperament.

Strength could obtain many things, but fate transcended even that.

After spending a long time coaxing Xun'er back to her room, Xiao Yan was promptly shut outside by the little girl.

"Humph! I'm ignoring you!"

Hearing the girl's aggrieved voice, still tinged with sobs, Xiao Yan could not help sighing. He stood outside the door for a long while before finally leaving with a trace of guilt.

"By my calculations, today should be the day to deliver the goods to Ya Fei."

After leaving Xun'er's courtyard, Xiao Yan gently shook his head. Thinking of Ya Fei's seductive and alluring appearance, he finally eased some of the gloom in his heart.

Yet even he did not notice that shortly after he left, the door opened again, revealing a delicate little face filled with sorrow.

Although this is even harder than killing Hun Tiandi, in this life, I will definitely do it.

Casting aside the distracting thoughts in his heart, Xiao Yan headed toward Liu Panlong's courtyard.

But the moment he entered, he heard Yao Lao roaring.

"Are you a pig? How can you not understand something so simple?!"