Little Sable's Methods, Xun'er's Affection

With Old Yao's appearance, Xiao Zhan and the Three Great Elders were finally put at ease.

Setting aside his elusive and unfathomable methods, the alchemy he had displayed alone was no weaker than that of Pill King Gu He from the Misty Cloud Sect.

Everyone knew the connections and deterrent power possessed by a high-tier Alchemist!

Xiao Family Back Mountain.

Sitting atop the cliff face, Xiao Yan calmly gazed at the steep mountain range shrouded in mist opposite him. That was the Monster Beast Mountain Range, famed throughout the Jia Ma Empire.

"Hehe, Little Yanzi, if I have the timing right, you'll be leaving tomorrow morning, won't you?"

The Alchemist's robe had been casually stored in the Storage Ring, while the illusory elderly figure floated before Xiao Yan.

"This time, I'll have to trouble Teacher to watch over the Xiao Family for two days. I'll return after that."

Xiao Yan nodded. After careful consideration, he had decided not to bring Old Yao with him on this trip to the Profound Sky Continent.

There was clearly something wrong with Yun Leng's head. There was still a chance he might launch a nighttime raid on the Xiao Family, and Ling Ying at Xun'er's side might not necessarily be reliable.

Besides, bringing Father Xiao Zhan along would help the Lin Family establish itself in the early stages.

After some probing, Xiao Yan had roughly figured out the corresponding strength levels between the Dou Qi Continent and the Xuantian Continent.

Dou Qi corresponded to the Body Tempering Realm;

Dou Zhe corresponded to the Earth Origin Realm;

Dou Master corresponded to the Heavenly Origin Realm;

Da Dou Shi corresponded to the Core Formation Realm;

Dou Ling corresponded to the Form Creation Realm...

With that, Xiao Zhan, at the peak of Da Dou Shi, was equivalent to someone at the Great Perfection of Core Formation Realm on the Xuantian Continent—and one only a step away from the Form Creation Realm at that!

Such strength was among the very best in Qingyang Town and even Yan City.

Not the strongest, but enough!

"As long as the Misty Cloud Sect doesn't dispatch a Dou Zong, I can keep the Xiao Family safe. However, if the Misty Cloud Sect truly has a Soul Hall Protector as you said before, then even if I risk these old bones, there will be nothing I can do."

"Those from the Soul Hall possess specialized means to restrain Soul Bodies. Back when my Physical Body was destroyed, they besieged me not long afterward. Although I managed to fight my way out in the end, I was severely wounded as a result. Even after absorbing the Seven Illusory Clear Spirit Saliva, I am still far from fully recovered."

"If I possess someone for battle, I can barely exert strength comparable to an entry-level Dou Zong. But against a Soul Hall Protector who restrains Soul Bodies, I would stand no chance at all."

Old Yao stroked his beard, his eyes narrowing slightly. When the Soul Hall was mentioned, a trace of anger and gloom abruptly entered his voice.

"It's fine. I have a Sworn Brother who can kill a Soul Hall Protector. For now, they aren't much of a threat."

Xiao Yan leaned against the cliff wall, lightly chewing on a green blade of grass. A faint bitterness spread through his mouth.

Soul Hall Protectors were Soul Bodies themselves. As long as they were Soul Bodies, he was confident he could handle them.

Little Sable within the Stone Talisman had long since awakened and had become familiar with Xiao Yan and Lin Dong. As one of the candidates to become Clan Leader of the Sky Demon Sable Clan, one of the Four Overlord Clans of the Demon Domain, even with only a Demon Spirit remaining, he could restrain all manner of Soul Bodies.

Soul Bodies or Demon Spirits, Little Sable ate them directly as food!

A Soul Hall Protector was, by comparison, merely a Nirvana Realm Soul Body. To the current Little Sable, it was absolutely a great tonic.

Having awakened a year early and received Xiao Yan's help, Little Sable had acquired quite a few Spiritual Medicines capable of nourishing Demon Spirits and had recovered a trace of his strength.

Though it was only a trace, with the foundation of his peak Death Profound Realm strength in his prime, along with methods that naturally countered Soul Bodies, killing a Soul Hall Protector would be child's play.

Besides, after crossing over tomorrow, he could collect some Talisman Master Cultivation Methods. One could use another mountain's stone to polish one's own jade; perhaps Old Yao's Soul Power and combat strength could improve?

By then, would Old Yao still be unable to defeat Wu Protector?

"A Sworn Brother?"

"Little Yanzi, I have seen much in my life. If I'm not mistaken, you should possess a key that leads to a Small World, correct?"

"If that's the case, then your Xiao Family is not so simple either. Then again, that makes sense. If it were simple, why would someone from that family be in your Xiao Family?"

Old Yao smiled faintly.

Though the past was unbearable to recall, he had lived in the Medicine Realm during his youth. Xiao Yan disappeared out of thin air once every month, so he must have possessed a method similar to entering a Small World.

Old Yao had originally wondered why someone from the Ancient Clan would come to this godforsaken corner of the Northwest Continent. Now, it seemed the Xiao Family was at least connected to some Dou Sheng.

Only a Dou Sheng possessed the ability to create a small world!

"The family truly isn't as simple as it appears. Teacher, you know of the Eight Ancient Clans, right? My Xiao Family is descended from the Ancient Xiao Clan, which fled to the Northwest Continent after being defeated by the Soul Clan."

Xiao Yan nodded and spoke softly.

If he had not seen the future, even he would have found it hard to imagine that the Xiao Family, whose strongest member was merely a Da Dou Shi, carried the bloodline left behind by an ancient Dou Di.

Even more unimaginable was that within such a weak family lay the Tou She Ancient God Jade, which even a supreme expert like Hun Tiandi coveted!

Could a background like that possibly be simple?

No joke—every force across the entire Northwest Continent put together had never been as prosperous as the Xiao Family's ancestors!

"The Eight Ancient Clans, the Xiao Family? The Xiao Clan?"

At those words, Old Yao's aged Pupils suddenly contracted. A trace of remembrance flashed through his Eyes before he slowly spoke.

"When I was young, I once browsed the Yao Clan Records and learned of the hidden history behind the Xiao Clan's downfall."

"The Xiao Clan once produced a Dou Di. The descendants of your lineage also possessed the Dou Di Bloodline, but by the generation of your ancestor Xiao Xuan, he had completely exhausted it."

"Ever since that Dou Di of the Xiao Clan, the Xiao Clan never produced another Dou Di Expert. The strongest was only your ancestor Xiao Xuan. Yet even after staking everything and fighting with all his might, he still failed to save his thoroughly declining clan. In the end, outnumbered and overpowered, he was defeated by the Soul Clan."

The Dou Di Bloodline allowed its Clan Members to win at the starting line. Before reaching the bloodline's limit, their cultivation speed far surpassed that of ordinary people.

"So the Small World you are going to was left behind by some Dou Sheng from the Xiao Clan?"

A trace of curiosity flashed through Old Yao's eyes.

The Xiao Realm of the Xiao Clan had long since shattered. Most of the Xiao Realm and the Heaven Tomb Space had been incorporated into the Ancient Realm by the Ancient Clan.

Therefore, in Old Yao's view, the world Xiao Yan was heading to should have been created by some Dou Sheng after the Xiao Clan's defeat.

That so-called Sworn Brother was probably also one of the Descendants of the Xiao Clan protected by that Xiao Clan Dou Sheng, wasn't he?

If there were some trump cards left behind by a Dou Sheng, then a mere Soul Hall Protector truly did not count as much of a threat.

"A Small World?"

"Hm? Someone's coming. It's Xun'er."

Shaking his head, Xiao Yan smiled without speaking. He turned and rose to his feet, then headed down the mountain.

The Profound Sky Continent was no Small World. It was an existence on the same level as the Dou Qi Continent.

Of course, strictly speaking, the Dou Qi Continent during Ancient Times had been far more powerful than the Profound Sky Continent. More than a hundred beings at the Dou Di level had appeared there, earning it the name Era of the Ancient Hundred Emperors. By contrast, only one Symbol Ancestor had appeared on the Profound Sky Continent from ancient times until now, and he had come from the Great Thousand World rather than being native to that land.

In terms of foundation, the Profound Sky Continent was indeed somewhat lacking.

Still, a starving camel was bigger than a horse. No matter how lacking it was, it was not something an ordinary Dou Sheng Small World could compare itself to.

"Tsk, your little girlfriend is here. This Old Man won't disturb you."

Old Yao curled his lips, then flashed into Xiao Yan's black Ancient Ring.

"Teacher..."

"You were far more romantic in life than I am, old man. One of the Three Leaders of Pill Tower, the Second Supreme Elder of the Flower Sect—tsk."

Hearing Old Yao's teasing, Xiao Yan helplessly shook his head and could not help grumbling inwardly. He then turned to Looked Towards the mountain path, where a graceful purple figure was bounding over like an elf.

Xiao Xun'er wore a fitting pale green outfit. The light color added a touch of purity to the young woman, while a pair of tight trousers wrapped her slender, long legs, fully displaying their smooth curves.

Long legs, a pert rear, and a slightly developed chest—Xun'er was now brimming with vitality and the alluring aura of youth. That uniquely elegant temperament was something Xiao Yan had never seen in any other girl.

Whoosh—

With a light tap of her toes against the mountain rock, Xiao Xun'er was like a purple butterfly. Her graceful figure traced an enticing arc as she lightly leaped onto the Mountain Top, head tilted slightly as her gaze swept toward the young man by the cliff.

"Brother Xiao Yan, I heard that Nalan Yanran came to break off the engagement today?"

"Xun'er thought Brother Xiao Yan had come up the mountain because he was upset, but looking at you now, it seems you don't need Xun'er to comfort you?"

Cute dimples appeared on Xiao Xun'er's lovely face as she smiled softly.

"Life always brings all kinds of fucked-up things. She was just a stranger passing by, so why should I dwell on it?"

"But you, little girl, where have you been these past few days? I haven't seen you at all."

Xiao Yan smiled faintly, casually straightened his clothes, and walked toward her.

As he drew closer, he looked at Xiao Xun'er, who was already nearly as tall as he was, then glanced at her beautiful yet slightly childish face. Xiao Yan suddenly felt dazed. That little thing who used to run around behind him with a runny nose and bare bottom had grown into such a lively and lovely young woman.

He smiled softly. Warmth filled the young man's gaze as, before the startled girl's eyes, he unceremoniously pinched her tender little cheek and said with a smile:

"Xun'er has grown up too. You have your own secrets now, but don't leave without saying goodbye next time, all right?"

Stunned by Xiao Yan's intimate gesture for quite a while, Xun'er stared with her bright, lively eyes into those pure black pupils, then smiled softly in her heart.

"Not next time."

The young woman spoke as though making a sacred oath, her little face filled with seriousness.

Brother Xiao Yan, you have secrets too.

A mysterious Teacher,

a mysterious way of disappearing,

a suspected Dou Sheng Small World...

Even Elder Ling was injured by your Teacher when he tried to spy on you, nearly drawing the attention of the clan's experts.

Xun'er disappeared these past few days because she returned to the Ancient Realm, covering for you before Father and the clan elders.

Brother Xiao Yan, you really are a blockhead.

Still, Nalan Yanran, I should thank you for withdrawing on your own.

"Hahaha, come on. Let's head down the mountain. I'll take you around Wutan City!"

"Okay."

The sun sank in the West, its lingering rays painting the sky.

The young man and young woman walked down the mountain side by side, brimming with youth and laughter.