Has the Xiao Clan Taken Out Even the Ancient Jade?

Xiao Zhan did not even have time to straighten his robes. His face was piled with the humblest smile possible, his steps unsteady, as he hurried out to greet them in utter trepidation.

Having led the Xiao Clan for many years, he had seen his share of the world. Yet when his gaze fell upon the three figures walking through the Void overhead, his heart still clenched violently, and he unconsciously softened his breathing.

Ling Yuan stood at the very front, tall and straight, his azure robes stirring despite the absence of wind as he gently held Zi Yan's hand in his right.

Ling Yun stood half a step behind Ling Yuan, his eyes lowered and his aura restrained. Yet an imposing pressure that could not be underestimated radiated from him, making him seem like an accompanying guard.

Without needing to think much, Xiao Zhan determined at a glance that this seemingly young man was the true person in charge.

He forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart, his gaze unconsciously sweeping over Ling Yuan as astonishment surged within him.

A Dou Zong! There were no Dou Zongs in the entire Jia Ma Empire! This young man looked barely twenty, yet he had actually reached such a realm!

Unless he was some reclusive old monster who had cultivated a disguise technique and deliberately taken on the appearance of a youth, he had to be a genius from some top-tier major faction who had come out to train.

Either way, he was not someone the Xiao Clan of Wutan City could afford to offend.

When Ling Yuan's group descended, Xiao Zhan hurried forward two steps, bending so deeply that he was almost at a ninety-degree angle. His tone was respectful to the extreme.

"Lord Dou Zong! Your arrival at the Xiao Clan is an honor beyond measure. I failed to welcome you properly, failed to welcome you properly! Please come in, please come in!"

As he spoke, he carefully turned sideways to lead the way, only daring to secretly observe Ling Yuan from the corner of his eye.

After entering the main hall, Xiao Zhan personally stepped forward and brushed the dust from the seat of honor. His tone became even humbler. "My lord, please take a seat."

Ling Yuan gave a faint nod and led Zi Yan to sit beside the seat of honor. Zi Yan obediently sat at his side, still curiously examining everything in the hall.

She did not understand why Ling Yuan had come to such a small clan, but she did not ask. She simply ate medicinal pills quietly.

In order to help Zi Yan grow up faster, Ling Yuan had never been stingy with medicinal pills.

Zi Yan also wanted to grow up quickly and repay Ling Yuan...

Ling Yun never sat down. He merely stood silently behind Ling Yuan, as upright as a pine, his sharp gaze sweeping across the hall.

That immediately made everyone in the Xiao Clan nervous.

Neither Xiao Zhan nor the elders dared to sit.

Xiao Zhan instructed the servants to bring out their finest tea, while he stood at the side with his hands lowered. The smile never left his face, though a trace of barely noticeable unease hid in his eyes.

Only after the servants served the tea and withdrew did Xiao Zhan cautiously speak. His tone remained respectful, even carrying a hint of careful apprehension.

"My lord, your visit to the Xiao Clan is our honor. If there is anywhere we have been remiss or failed to attend to you properly, I beg you to forgive us. I will certainly do my utmost to make amends."

Seeing that Ling Yuan did not react, Xiao Zhan paused, drew a deep breath, and continued with forced courage.

"May I ask whether you have any instructions for visiting the Xiao Clan this time? Our Xiao Clan has some foundation in Wutan City. Whether it is finding an item, locating someone, or anything else within our means, so long as you give the word, the Xiao Clan will certainly give it our all and never shirk the task!"

His palms were sweating as he said this.

A Dou Zong-level expert would not come to a tiny clan in Wutan City without reason. He must have had some purpose.

If the Xiao Clan could help this lord and establish some initial goodwill, then Xiao Zhan could ask him to treat Xiao Yan afterward.

Ling Yuan did not look at the teacup on the table.

"While traveling through this area, I happened to hear that Clan Leader Xiao has a son who has been stuck at the third stage of Dou Qi for several years and has been unable to break through no matter what. I found it somewhat interesting, so I came to take a look."

The moment those words fell, Xiao Zhan froze completely, and the humility on his face was instantly replaced by delight.

He had never imagined that this Lord Dou Zong had come for Xiao Yan!

And he had even taken the initiative to offer to examine Xiao Yan's condition!

On the way here, Xiao Zhan had been anxiously wondering how he could gather the courage to ask this expert to take action and examine the hidden affliction plaguing Xiao Yan.

Over the years, for Xiao Yan's sake, he had sought out renowned physicians throughout the Jia Ma Empire and expended no small amount of the Xiao Clan's resources, yet he had never found any clue.

As a father, the urgency and pain in his heart were something others could never understand.

Now, this Lord Dou Zong had actually brought up the matter himself and even said he was "quite interested"—it was simply a blessing sent from heaven!

Xiao Zhan's eyes reddened slightly, and only one thought remained in his heart: Yan'er could be saved! Yan'er could finally be saved!

Unable to suppress his excitement any longer, he hurriedly ordered a maid, "Someone! Quickly! Go bring the young master here! Hurry!"

At the same time, he began telling Ling Yuan about his son's condition.

"My lord, you do not know this, but my son Xiao Yan was once an exceptionally gifted child!"

Xiao Zhan's voice carried both reminiscence and bitterness. "At only eleven years old, he broke through to the Dou Zhe realm. He was a genius unseen in Wutan City for a hundred years. But who could have imagined that not long after he became a Dou Zhe, the Dou Qi in his body began dissipating for no reason? His realm fell again and again until it finally stopped at the third stage of Dou Qi, unable to advance even half a step further."

Ling Yuan nodded from time to time, making Xiao Zhan think he was listening.

Xiao Zhan said, "Over these years, I took him everywhere to seek treatment and tried countless methods. We tried medicinal pills too, but nothing ever worked. Every time he cultivated, the Dou Qi he painstakingly gathered would inexplicably vanish, as though something were siphoning it away."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Zhan waved to those behind him and said in a deep voice, "Bring everything up!"

Soon, several Xiao Clan servants entered carrying numerous wooden chests and carefully placed them on the floor.

When the chests were opened, they revealed cultivation techniques, Dou Skills scrolls, and a pile of glittering gold coins. There were even several medicinal pills. They were the Xiao Clan's accumulated wealth over the years, practically all of its valuables.

Looking at these things, Xiao Zhan drew a deep breath. A resolute look appeared on his face, and with a thud, he dropped to his knees before Ling Yuan.

His forehead pressed tightly against the ground, his voice filled with pleading. "My lord, I beg you to save my son! So long as you can cure his hidden affliction and allow him to cultivate again, all of this will be yours! The Xiao Clan's cultivation techniques, Dou Skills, gold coins, and even my life, Xiao Zhan's life—so long as you ask, I am willing to give anything!"

That kneel stunned not only the servants present, but even the Xiao Clan elders standing nearby. Their expressions changed drastically.

They had not known beforehand that Xiao Zhan would do this.

These things were the lifeblood accumulated by the Xiao Clan over generations, the foundation that allowed it to stand in Wutan City. How could they all be given away because of Xiao Yan alone?

But Xiao Zhan had already spoken, and none of them dared step forward to object, afraid that Ling Yuan might slap them to death.

Xiao Zhan did not care what the elders thought. There was only one thought in his heart: as long as Yan'er could recover his Dou Qi, what did it matter if he gave away the clan's cultivation techniques, Dou Skills, or anything else?

Ling Yuan swept a glance over those cultivation techniques and Dou Skills. He merely glanced at them indifferently, with not the slightest interest in his eyes.

Ling Yuan would even find them too space-consuming to store in his storage ring.

But just as he was about to shift his gaze away, an ancient jade tablet in an inconspicuous wooden box abruptly seized his attention.

The jade tablet was entirely azure, its surface carved with several indistinct patterns. It did not emit the slightest fluctuation of Dou Qi and looked utterly ordinary, yet Ling Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted.

Holy shit, isn't this the Tou She Ancient God Jade?