Emerging from Seclusion

Feeling Xiao Yan's stabilized aura, Xiao Xuan and Xun'er secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Their strength had increased by three stars, but thankfully, this level should be within Xiao Yan's control.

Xiao Yuan nodded slightly. Nine Stars Dou Zun. That was within expectations.

After this, I should probably make a trip to the Bodhi Ancient Tree.

Having more strength is advantageous.

When Xiao Yan's breathing stabilized completely, his eyes, which had been closed for a year and a half, finally trembled slightly. A moment later, under the watchful eyes of the three, he suddenly opened them!

"Laugh!"

With his eyes open, two beams of crimson-gold light shot out from Xiao Yan's eyes like tangible bolts of lightning, blasting a Heaven Supporting Stone Pillar in the main hall into dust with a loud bang.

A burst of light shot out, which gradually subsided after a moment, but in Xiao Yan's originally dark eyes, there was a faint hint of crimson gold, giving him a rather eerie look.

"Call"

A breath of hot, turbid air was slowly exhaled from Xiao Yan's throat. Feeling the endless, abundant Dou Qi within his body, like a vast ocean, an extreme sense of exhilaration arose spontaneously.

"Haha, that's great!"

Xiao Yan laughed loudly, slapped the water's surface with his palm, and his body flashed out, landing lightly beside the blood pool. He stood upright, and an incredibly powerful and terrifying aura, like a storm, swept out from his body.

"Congratulations, Brother Xiao Yan."

Seeing Xiao Yan successfully emerge from seclusion, Xun'er smiled Nalan Yanran.

Xiao Yan chuckled and stretched, casually grabbing at the air in front of him. The space around him caved in, and feeling the immense power surging within him, Xiao Yan was confident that if he faced the Gu Yao again, he could defeat it within ten rounds, even without using any Dou Technique! Nine Stars Dou Zun —he had now truly caught up with the top geniuses of the Ancient Clan races like the Ancient Race in terms of level!

"Thank Ancestor!"

Xiao Yan turned his gaze to Xiao Xuan beside him, flicked his sleeves, and knelt down before the latter without hesitation, saying in a deep voice.

Regardless of seniority, even if it were for the sake of preserving the last bloodline of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Xuan had waited alone for countless years, he was still worthy of Xiao Yan's kneeling!

Xiao Xuan smiled with relief, helped Xiao Yan up, and said with a faint smile, "There's not much I can do; it's mostly up to you to work hard."

Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback. He looked up and realized that Xiao Xuan had returned to the young and dashing appearance he had when they first met.

"What are you daydreaming about? You don't actually think that losing a little bit of essence blood will make Xuan Ge'er age like that, do you? He's just teasing you. Right now, he's in much better condition than the teacher who drained your Dou Qi in the ring back then!"

Xiao Yuan shook his head and explained.

"Ah?"

Xiao Yan was stunned upon hearing this.

Was this Ancestor really that "wicked"? "If both of you can reach the Emperor Realm, the abandoned bloodlines within the Xiao Clan members will regain their vitality, and will be even stronger than before! This is truly the only hope for the revitalization of the Xiao Clan!"

Xiao Xuan suddenly became serious and said earnestly.

Xiao Yan nodded silently, gently touching his chest. He could faintly sense his heart beating strongly, each beat seeming to cause waves of blood to ripple throughout his body.

"Furthermore, you should be extra careful of the Soul Clan. I have dealt with them quite a bit. This race is rather mysterious and strange. Even when the Xiao Clan was at its peak, they could only barely keep pace with them. Among the Ancient Eight Clans, the Xiao Clan had a period of great prosperity. At that time, among the Eight Clans, the Xiao Clan was the strongest, followed by the Ancient Clan, but the Soul Clan was the most strange."

Based on my guess, the Soul Clan is probably stronger than the Ancient Clan.

Xiao Xuan's expression was solemn. Back then, the Xiao Clan fought a great war with the Soul Clan and even recruited many allies, but they never gained much benefit. This alone was enough to demonstrate the strength of the Soul Clan. Moreover, the Soul Clan had a long history, but they had never experienced the depletion of their bloodline. This had always been a mystery to Xiao Xuan.

Upon hearing Xiao Xuan's words, both Xiao Yan and Xun'er's expressions changed slightly. Xun'er knew the strength of the Ancient Clan all too well. In recent years, the Ancient Clan and the Soul Clan had fought each other, but the Ancient Clan had won more often than it had lost. Therefore, when she heard Xiao Xuan say that the Soul Clan might be stronger than the Ancient Clan, she found it hard to accept.

"The Ancient Clan is indeed the most stable race among the Eight Clans, but the Soul Clan is too mysterious. There are probably only a handful of people in this world who truly understand them." Xiao Xuan sighed, and seeing the furrowed brows of Xiao Yan and Xiao Yuan, he waved his hand and said, "Anyway, before you reach the Dou Sheng, be as careful as possible. You also have the Tou She Ancient God Jade in your possession. Although the Soul Clan is not sure which of the two of you is carrying the Ancient Jade, Xiao Yuan is strong enough to protect himself now. You still need some time, so you must be extra careful."

Xiao Yan nodded. He knew in his heart that no matter if it was because of the grudges between the two Soul Clan or other personal reasons, these guys would not let him off easily. But how could he let the Soul Clan off the hook?

"You have been in the Heavenly Tomb for two years now, and in almost another year, you will be teleported out. During this year, cultivate diligently and adapt to this surge in power."

Xiao Xuan patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder, then clenched his fist, and a scroll painted with various flame patterns appeared in his hand.

"This is the complete version of the Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Transformations, and it also has the final step in cultivating the Clan Mark. If you successfully cultivate it, you will be able to successfully cultivate the Clan Mark. Combined with the power of your bloodline, you will be able to unleash the power of the Clan Mark to its fullest extent."

Hearing what Xiao Xuan said, a burning light appeared in Xiao Yan's eyes. The Clan Mark... he was finally going to have it too! "Hehe, speaking of the cultivation technique you practice, it is indeed very strong. Although it is not the highest-level technique I have ever seen, its growth potential is quite terrifying. Relying on devouring Heavenly Flames to gain power is undoubtedly walking on the edge of a knife. Such a technique is dangerous and domineering." Xiao Xuan smiled and continued, "Back then, when I controlled the three Heavenly Flames, I relied entirely on my own strength to forcibly control them. I did not devour or refine them. People who have reached that level can forcibly suppress even Heavenly Flames."

Xiao Yan nodded in agreement upon hearing this. The powerhouses at that level were truly terrifying! "I don't think you'll need the cultivation techniques, but these Dou Technique will be of great help to you. Take this year to study them carefully."

As he spoke, Xiao Xuan pointed a single finger at Xiao Yan's brow, and a vast amount of information flowed into his mind.

Xiao Yan nodded without saying much. He exchanged a glance with Xiao Yuan, then turned and spoke briefly with Xun'er before sitting cross-legged. He placed the scroll between his eyebrows and absorbed all the information it contained into his mind. "The Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Transformations! First Transformation! Second Transformation! Third Transformation!"

He began to cultivate his Clan Mark!

Six months later.

"Finally, it's successfully activated."

Xiao Yan let out a long breath, and the crimson-gold Xiao Clan Mark appeared between his brows.

Standing up, Xiao Yan shook his body. Hearing the cracking sound from his bones, he smiled slightly. More than half a year of cultivation had not only allowed him to successfully cultivate his Clan Mark, but also restored his Dou Qi over his Dou Qi to the same level as before. Only now could he truly be called Nine Stars Dou Zun!

"Alright, next, it's time to practice your Dou Technique. Yuan Di and I will take turns helping you."

Xiao Xuan revealed a relieved smile, then grabbed Xiao Yan and threw him into the Space Rift.

Xun'er looked at Xiao Yan, who was looking bewildered in the semi-transparent space, and shook her head with a smile.

She had a premonition that Brother Xiao Yan was going to be in trouble! Sure enough, in the days that followed, every time Xun'er opened her eyes, she would see Xiao Yan being beaten up by Xiao Yuan and Xiao Xuan in turn.

In their hands, Heaven Rank Battle Skill are thrown out like they're free.

Xiao Yan also deeply experienced the power of Heaven Rank Battle Skill.

As a result, his combat power continued to grow!

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

"Heh, it's time to leave. Time really flies."

Xiao Xuan looked at his tombstone with a complicated expression and couldn't help but sigh.

Gu Qingyang and the others had already been expelled by Xiao Yuan using the power of the Heavenly Tomb.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but sigh softly. He hadn't expected that three years would pass in the blink of an eye. Although only half a year had passed in the outside world, they had truly spent three years in arduous training! "It is truly a blessing for the Xiao Clan that our Ancestor was able to go out with us this time!"

Xiao Yan said with a smile.

Xun'er's eyes also gleamed with surprise. Although Xiao Yuan hadn't explained the specifics, she knew that Xiao Xuan's ability to escape the Heavenly Tomb was largely due to Xiao Yuan! Xiao Xuan clenched his fist, and a faint black light appeared in his hand, which he then casually tossed towards Xiao Yan:

"Take this. This is the Ancient Insect Emperor Armor. It can be stored inside the body and can transform into ordinary clothes on the body's surface at any time. Although it requires constant support from Dou Qi, it can always defend against attacks from anyone below the level of Half-Saint. This thing is the culprit that trapped you in that crystal wall!"

Xiao Yan curiously reached out and took the ball of black light, gently squeezing it. A smooth, silky sensation came from his palm, extremely comfortable.

"By dripping a drop of essence blood into it, one can absorb it into the body."

Xiao Xuan smiled and reminded him.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan did as instructed and threw a drop of his essence blood onto the black light. The black light immediately began to wriggle, and finally, like liquid, it flowed down Xiao Yan's palm and slowly merged into his hand.

As the black light merged into Xiao Yan's body, he immediately felt a strange energy spreading rapidly across his skin like a spider web, eventually covering every corner of his body. At that moment, a thought struck him, and a faint black light surged out from beneath his skin, quickly condensing into an inconspicuous black garment.

"So this is the Ancient Insect Emperor Armor. It is indeed amazing."

His hand gently stroked the black shirt on his body. The fabric seemed soft, but it gave Xiao Yan an extremely solid feeling, and he couldn't help but praise it.

"Hehe, in ancient times, the Ancient Insect Emperor Armor was basically an essential item for many powerful people. In particular, the Insect Emperor Robe made from the Queen Worm was worth no less than Heaven Rank Battle Skill, and it was something that could only be encountered by chance. After all, such a powerful being as the Queen Worm was not something that could be obtained just by chance. In that case, you should actually thank Xiao Yuan."

Xiao Xuan stroked his beard and laughed.

Xiao Yan nodded. Xiao Yuan had told him about the Queen Worm.

Although the Ancient Insect Emperor Armor requires a continuous consumption of Dou Qi, this consumption is not a burden for Xiao Yan, who possesses a Heaven-rank cultivation technique. Therefore, the Insect Emperor Garment can remain on his body indefinitely. In this way, some unexpected sneak attacks can be quietly resolved, truly saving countless troubles.

"Alright, let's go. It's been so many years since we've seen the light of day. Finally, we can go out and see the world!"

Xiao Xuan's gaze fell on Xiao Yuan.

"Okay, let's go."

Xiao Yuan smiled and snapped his fingers. The surrounding space fluctuated violently, and a spatial gate opened directly in front of them! Xiao Xuan transformed into a beam of light and flew into the Soul Nurturing Ring that Xiao Yuan had prepared.

Xiao Yuan walked in first, followed closely by Xiao Yan and Xun'er, hand in hand.

Amidst the lush mountains, figures floated in the sky, their gazes fixed intently on the distorted space.

"Laugh!"

Suddenly, a black spatial rift opened up in this space, and several figures flashed out from it.

"It seems the Thunder Clan suffered no losses."

Upon seeing the two figures who appeared first, the surrounding figures nodded slowly. Moreover, judging from their auras, they were significantly stronger than when they entered the Heavenly Tomb half a year ago, indicating that they had gained a lot in the Heavenly Tomb.

"The Yan Clan members have also emerged. And there are five members of the Ancient Clan; their auras have all grown significantly!"

Following the two from the Thunder Clan, more people emerged from the space one after another. Most of these people had a stronger aura than when they entered the Heavenly Tomb half a year ago.

But clearly, the biggest beneficiaries were the people of the Gu, Lei, and Yan clans. Thanks to Xiao Yuan, they all advanced to the Star Realm.

As for the members of the Yao Clan and the Shi Clan, apart from one member of the Shi Clan who made a breakthrough, the other three only slightly improved their aura.

A moment later, everyone realized something was wrong.

Why haven't Xiao Yuan, Xiao Yan, Xun'er come out yet? After a while, just as some elders of the Ancient Clan began to panic, a spatial gate appeared, and Xiao Yuan, Xiao Yan, Xun'er walked out from it.

Under the watchful eyes of many, Xiao Yuan and his two companions in the sky looked around and took a few deep breaths of fresh air. After staying in the oppressive Heavenly Tomb for so long, everything outside was breathtaking.