He Was Already the Patriarch, No Longer the Little Brat He Used to Be

"Wu'er, my child!"

Xiao Wu was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. From what had just been said, he understood these people's helplessness as well. Faced with the mother before him, her face streaked with tears, he truly did not know what to do.

His mother looked to be only in her twenties or thirties, while he...

Sigh...

Fortunately, he had not been the only one sent away.

Yet he was the only one who had fought through countless hardships and reached his current level.

But no matter what, he simply could not bring himself to call a group of strangers Father, Mother, Aunt, Grandpa, or Grandma.

Did he hate them? He did, yet he did not.

He hated that they had hidden the truth from him all these years.

He did not hate them because, putting himself in their shoes, he truly might not have thought of such a solution.

"Right, do not reveal your relationship with the family you are currently in. Otherwise, it will bring them trouble.

"We will watch over them in secret and will not let them face the danger of destruction."

"Mo... Mother!"

"Wu'er, the clan has wronged you. I beg you, do not hate them. They have their own hardships as well."

After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Wu said, "Yes, Mother. Your son understands."

After quite some time had passed, Xiao Ruoruo immediately shouted outside, "You little brat, get in here already! Take your cousin to meet the younger generation of the clan."

"Got it, Mother! I'm coming!"

At that moment, a middle-aged man at the peak of the Dou Zun realm, dressed in the commander's uniform of the Mysterious Armor Army, came running in with eager little steps.

Xiao Ruoruo's child, Xiao Wuji.

"Greetings, ancestors, Mother, Grandfather, Grandmother, Uncle, Aunt.

"Cousin, I'm Xiao Wuji. Come on, I'll take you to meet those guys."

He was as hasty as his mother.

Nangong Ling'er said helplessly, "Wuji, after you finish introducing him around, bring your cousin back for dinner. Let the family have a gathering."

"Received, Aunt!"

"Greetings, Commander Wuji!"

"Huh? Wuji, who is this?"

"Cousin Wuji!"

"Cousin Wuji!"

Xiao Wuji moved without obstruction, leading Xiao Wu to the plaza.

"Haha, greetings, everyone. Let me introduce you all. This is my cousin, Xiao Wu. He is also your cousin, either older or younger.

"He has traveled outside for many years and rarely met you all. Get to know each other."

Besides those they encountered in the plaza, Xiao Wuji brought Xiao Wu to visit his peers one by one.

Along the way, Xiao Wu looked at the group of powerful second-generation descendants he had already met. Nearly all of them were Dou Zuns, and several were even Half-Saints.

As expected of the Xiao Clan. Yet he also recalled what his nominal father had just said: the bloodline was drying up, and becoming a Dou Saint was difficult.

Not one of these people was a Dou Saint. No wonder those old fellows had prepared for the worst.

Come to think of it, his nominal father was one of the Dou Qi Continent's peak experts and possessed a God-Grade Bloodline.

But his own bloodline... that was difficult to put into words.

Several hundred years had passed, yet he still lingered at the Half-Saint level.

For a Dou God Clan, the Dou Emperor bloodline was truly too important.

They visited nearly several hundred people, men and women alike. Some were only met briefly; after introductions, they hurried on to the next person.

By nightfall, within the Xiao Emperor Hall, in addition to the thirty-three remaining Dou Saints of the Xiao Clan, there were younger Dou Zun descendants and figures of Xiao Xuan's generation who still remained Dou Zuns.

In the spacious main hall, there were dozens of Dou Saints and nearly a thousand Dou Zuns altogether.

"Patriarch!"

Xiao Xuan glanced at Xiao Chen without speaking himself.

Xiao Chen immediately understood and explained, point by point, the opportunities and risks of the Samsara Ancient Tree.

"Therefore, you must consider your choices with the utmost caution.

"One wrong move, and you will not be seeking a breakthrough.

"You will be rushing toward your deaths!"

"Yes!"

Those capable of reaching the Dou Zun realm all understood how to weigh the pros and cons. They would not act rashly.

Xiao Xuan said, "All right. Among you, many were once sent away, then gradually brought back after the clan's circumstances improved.

"This is Xiao Wu, my only son. He was sent away when he was still an infant.

"His aptitude is poor. Even with secret protection along the way, he spent a long time before reaching the Half-Saint realm.

"His aptitude may be poor, but his perseverance certainly ranks among the best of you.

"Although the clan's circumstances have now eased, the problem has not been completely resolved.

"Moreover, as members of the Xiao Clan, no one in the Xiao Realm would dare set their sights on you.

"But once it becomes known that Xiao Clan members are outside, many forces will surely harbor ill intentions.

"For the sake of our clansmen on the continent, I believe you know what to do.

"Keeping them on the continent is also a precaution. If something happens to the Xiao Clan, at least the bloodline will be preserved.

"When the Xiao Clan produces a new Dou Emperor and reawakens the dried-up bloodline, that will be the time for them to return."

After those Dou Zuns left, Xiao Feng asked in confusion, "Why reveal it so suddenly?

"Although most of the Xiao Clan is united as one, with so many people, a few black sheep are always unavoidable."

Xiao Xuan said, "It does not matter. Aside from our bloodline and the number of experts we possess,

"our true strength is enough to protect ourselves.

"Even if it really leaks out, so what? Would the Ancient Emperor Clans dare attack us?

"I was just worried I would not find an excuse to borrow the Ancient Emperor Jade kept by their clans for some research."

Xiao Gong was speechless, though inwardly he sighed. The person before him was no longer the little brat he used to be, but the dignified patriarch of a clan.

In scheming and calculation, he had long surpassed his predecessors.

Still, using his own clansmen as bait was perhaps a little too...

Even Xiao Feng had complicated feelings as he looked at his son.

Seeing through everyone's thoughts, Xiao Xuan smiled. "Do not worry.

"There may indeed be some calculations involved, but they will not come at the cost of their sacrifices.

"If that were the case, I would be unworthy of being the patriarch.

"My realm has long reached a point where it cannot be improved any further. What I am doing is merely convenient.

"I am not in any hurry for the Ancient Jade. A mere few hundred years is something I can afford to wait for."

Yet inwardly, he thought, I may not be in a hurry, but those two from the Hun Clan and Gu Clan certainly are.

Furthermore, judging from the information sent by his clone not long after he emerged from seclusion,

who did not have some thoughts about the Ancient Jade and the Dou Emperor realm? The one in the Dan Tower of the Central Plains and the one in Fenyan Valley were no exceptions.

Especially that man from Fenyan Valley. He had taken plenty of action in recent years and had once clashed with the Stone Clan and Spirit Race. In the end, for some unknown reason, the matter had been peacefully settled.

Xiao Xuan guessed that the Stone Clan and Spirit Race had likely used the Ancient Jade to make that man back down.

Facing pressure from the ancient clans, those two had made their positions perfectly clear.

Time could change everything. When one's realm remained stagnant through endless years, even a person's heart could change.

He remained an observer, but according to the information sent by his clone, the Hun Clan, Gu Clan, Thunder Clan, Flame Clan, and the others had not turned a blind eye.

Especially Hun Tiandi. To him, the Ancient Jade was something he was determined to obtain.

Within the Emperor Clans, it was difficult for him to make a move, restrained by the other Emperor Clans.

But for Ancient Jade outside the Emperor Clans, there was no need to care about any of that.