How Could He Be from the Xiao Clan?

The system's voice rang out in Xiao Xuan's mind.

[The bound target has consumed a fifth-tier medicinal pill, the Mystic Heart Pill. Base strength has increased.]

[The host has received a random feedback reward.]

[Generating feedback...]

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained Alchemy Heat Control.]

Xiao Xuan opened his eyes.

Alchemy Heat Control.

He raised his right hand, and golden flames surged from his palm.

The flames danced in his hand, steadier than before.

His control over their temperature had also become more precise.

If he had previously relied on the system's implanted refining abilities to concoct pills, then now his control over heat had reached an entirely new level.

Xiao Xuan withdrew the flames.

This system's feedback was indeed extraordinary.

He closed his eyes, and the Dou Qi within his body began circulating along the route of his cultivation technique.

He had just broken through to the Six-Star Dou Emperor realm, so he still needed to stabilize his cultivation.

Dou Qi flowed slowly through his meridians.

Again and again.

Xiao Xuan could clearly feel the power within him gradually settling.

Several days later.

The Imperial Capital of the Jia Ma Empire.

The Nalan Clan's main hall.

Nalan Jie sat in the seat of honor, holding a letter in his hand.

His expression changed.

"Father, what is it?" Nalan Su asked.

Nalan Jie looked up at him.

"That young man's identity has been found."

Nalan Su's heart tightened.

"Who is it?"

"The Xiao Clan. Xiao Xuan," Nalan Jie said.

Nalan Su froze.

"The Xiao Clan? Which Xiao Clan?"

"The Xiao Clan of Wutan City," Nalan Jie said.

Nalan Su's mind buzzed.

The Xiao Clan of Wutan City.

The Xiao Clan where his daughter, Nalan Yanran, had gone to break off her engagement.

Xiao Yan's Xiao Clan.

"Impossible." Nalan Su said decisively, "The Xiao Clan of Wutan City is merely an ordinary family in a remote little city. How could they possibly raise a Dou Emperor powerhouse in his teens?"

"The information cannot be wrong," Nalan Jie said.

Nalan Su fell silent.

He recalled what had happened outside the auction house that day.

That young man had stood there and killed four of his Dou Ling-level attendants with a single palm strike.

He still remembered the pressure of a Dou Emperor powerhouse with absolute clarity.

Such a person was actually from the Xiao Clan.

"Father, could there have been a mistake?" Nalan Su still could not believe it.

"Do you think there could be?" Nalan Jie looked at him.

Nalan Su opened his mouth but could not say a word.

That was right.

There was not even a second Dou Emperor in their teens in the entire Jia Ma Empire.

Such a defining trait was far too obvious. How could they have gotten it wrong?

"What do we do now?" Nalan Su asked.

Nalan Jie was silent for a moment.

"Go to the Xiao Clan."

Nalan Su was stunned.

"To the Xiao Clan?"

"Yes." Nalan Jie nodded. "We will apologize in person."

Nalan Su's expression turned somewhat ugly.

"Father, Yanran's breaking off the engagement at the Xiao Clan already cost them greatly in face. And now we are going there to apologize..."

"What do you know?" Nalan Jie cut him off.

Nalan Su did not dare say another word.

"Yanran breaking off the engagement was indeed something our Nalan Clan handled poorly," Nalan Jie said. "Xiao Yan became trash, and we broke off the engagement. Who would not call our Nalan Clan opportunistic if word got out?"

"In the past, it would have been one thing. The Xiao Clan was merely a minor family, so offending them meant little."

"But things are different now."

A trace of gravity flashed through Nalan Jie's eyes.

"The Xiao Clan has produced a Dou Emperor powerhouse in his teens."

"Someone like that must have a great faction backing and training him."

"Our Nalan Clan cannot afford to offend them."

Nalan Su lowered his head, not daring to utter a single word.

"This time, we are going to the Xiao Clan first to apologize for your offense against Xiao Xuan, and second to express our regrets over Yanran breaking off the engagement," Nalan Jie said.

"If we can repair our relationship with the Xiao Clan, that would be best."

"If we cannot, then at the very least, we cannot let the Xiao Clan bear a grudge against us."

Nalan Su nodded.

"Father is right."

"Go make preparations," Nalan Jie said. "We leave tomorrow."

"Yes." Nalan Su responded, then turned and left the main hall.

The Misty Cloud Sect.

Inside the main hall.

Nalan Yanran stood in the hall, looking at the letter in her hand.

Her expression grew increasingly unpleasant.

Her father, Nalan Su, had sent someone to deliver the letter.

The letter said that he and her grandfather were going to the Xiao Clan in Wutan City to express their regrets over her breaking off the engagement.

Nalan Yanran gripped the letter, her fingers tightening slightly.

Why?

What was wrong with her breaking off the engagement?

Xiao Yan had become trash. Why should she marry trash?

She, Nalan Yanran, was a disciple of the Misty Cloud Sect, with outstanding talent and boundless prospects.

If she married a piece of trash with Third Stage Dou Qi, her entire life would be ruined.

She had broken off the engagement for her own future. What was wrong with that?

Yet now, her father and grandfather were actually going to the Xiao Clan to apologize.

What did that mean?

It meant that the Nalan Clan was admitting that breaking off the engagement had been wrong.

It meant that she, Nalan Yanran, had been wrong.

The more Nalan Yanran thought about it, the angrier she became.

She turned and walked out of the main hall, heading toward her residence.

After returning to her room, she sat by the bed, her chest heaving violently.

She could not understand it.

Why had her father and grandfather done this?

The Xiao Clan was nothing more than a third-rate family from a remote little city. What was there for the Nalan Clan to apologize for?

So what if she had broken off the engagement?

Did the Xiao Clan dare retaliate against the Nalan Clan?

Nalan Yanran gritted her teeth.

She decided to return to the Imperial Capital and find out exactly what was going on.

Wutan City.

The Xiao Clan.

Xiao Xuan emerged from his room and headed toward the Cultivation Plaza.

Quite a few Xiao Clan disciples were cultivating in the plaza.

When they saw him approach, they quickly moved aside to clear a path.

Xiao Xuan ignored them and walked straight to the center of the plaza.

Just as he was about to begin cultivating, the system's voice suddenly rang out in his mind.

[Mission issued: Help the bound target, Xiao Xun'er, increase her strength by one level.]

[After completing the mission, the host may obtain one random feedback reward.]

Xiao Xuan looked at the system panel.

Help Xiao Xun'er increase her strength by one level.

She was currently a Seven-Star Dou Zhe.

One more level would make her an Eight-Star Dou Zhe.

Xiao Xuan calculated silently.

Last time, Xiao Xun'er had refined part of the Amethyst Source and broken through to the Seven-Star Dou Zhe realm.

The remaining energy in the Amethyst Source was enough for her to break through to the Dou Shi realm.

She simply needed time.

The system's mission was to increase her by one level.

In other words, as long as she broke through to Eight-Star Dou Zhe, the mission would be complete.

Xiao Xuan accepted the mission.

Just as he was about to look for Xiao Xun'er, a voice came from behind him.

"Brother Xiao Xuan."

Xiao Xuan turned around.

Xiao Xun'er walked in from outside the plaza with a smile on her face.

She walked up to Xiao Xuan.

"Brother Xiao Xuan, are you cultivating here?"

"Yes," Xiao Xuan said.

"Brother Xiao Xuan, the Marketplace is open today. Will you go take a look with me?"

Xiao Xuan looked at her.

He remembered what he had promised her a few days ago.

"Alright."

A smile immediately blossomed across Xiao Xun'er's face.

She linked her arm through Xiao Xuan's.

"Then let's go now."

Xiao Xuan said nothing and allowed her to lead him outside by the arm.

The two left the Xiao Clan and headed toward the Marketplace.

Wutan City's Marketplace was located in the southern part of the city and was the largest trading venue in the city.