An Iconic Scene Is About to Strike

Xiao Jin could not possibly break through to the Dou Saint realm within three years, but if the conditions were lowered slightly to Dou Zong, or even Dou Huang, he still had a good chance.

As long as he could refine either the Nihility Devouring Flame or the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame within three years, he would be able to break through to the Dou Huang realm.

By then, he would have a fairly good chance of reviving Yao Chen.

After all, Xiao Yan in the original story had not had the assistance of an Emperor Realm Soul.

Yao Chen understood Xiao Jin's plan, but he did not know why he was in such a hurry.

Xiao Jin's talent was extremely rare, even in the Central Plains, where geniuses were everywhere.

As long as he cultivated step by step, breaking through to the Dou Saint realm in the future would be a certainty.

He met Xiao Jin's gaze and suddenly felt dazed.

A moment later, his gaze cleared again, and a trace of understanding appeared in his eyes.

"Deal." Yao Chen agreed without hesitation. This transaction was mutually beneficial to begin with.

If he could break through to the Dou Saint realm, he could avenge himself against Han Feng and the others.

Xiao Yan was so foolish. Without knowing anything, did you two reach some strange agreement?

The apprenticeship was over, and the deal had been settled. Xiao Yan also left the small courtyard.

After the others had left, the Pill Tower Ancestor finally asked, "Kid, are you reviving Yao Chen because you hope to use him to revive me?"

"That's right. The materials I prepared for Yao Chen are all top-tier. He already had the strength of a Peak Nine-Turn Dou Venerate when he was alive, and after his revival, he might even advance further. If he can become a Dou Saint, the chances of reviving you will increase considerably."

"That is indeed a method, but the chances of success are slim."

"Why?"

"Half-Emperor Remains are not as simple as you imagine. Even if Yao Chen advances to the Dou Saint realm, the power of the Bone Chilling Flame still won't be enough to refine them."

Anything that had the word "Emperor" attached to it was far from simple.

Xiao Jin himself possessed an Emperor Realm Soul, so he understood this better than anyone.

There was also that Emperor Grade Embryonic Pill in Tou She Ancient God's Cave Mansion. It was merely an embryonic pill, yet it had been able to hold off four Nine-Star Dou Saints.

Soul Heaven Emperor, Gu Yuan, the Nihility Devouring Flame, and the Ancient Void Dragon Zhu Kun—three Late Nine-Star Dou Shengs and one Nine-Star Dou Sheng Initial Stage—had all failed to deal with that Emperor Grade Embryonic Pill.

Four against one, and they had nearly been counter-killed. They had only been bullying the Emperor Grade Embryonic Pill because it did not have internet access. Otherwise, it would absolutely have demanded to know whether they even knew how to play.

If not for the restriction left behind by the Tou She Ancient God Jade, Soul Heaven Emperor would never have been able to capture the Emperor Grade Embryonic Pill and advance to the Dou Emperor realm.

The strength of this Emperor Grade Embryonic Pill was actually at the Half-Emperor level.

Xiao Jin fell into deep thought. After a while, he asked, "If I can refine the Nihility Devouring Flame and the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, together with Senior Yao Chen's Dou Saint strength, could we refine the Half-Emperor Remains?"

The Pill Tower Ancestor shrugged casually. "Who knows? Even when I was alive, I never set foot in that realm. Among the four people of my generation, only the now-deceased Xiao Xuan briefly touched that realm. Unfortunately, not long after he broke through to Half-Emperor, he and the entire Xiao Tribe turned to dust in the river of history."

His voice carried a trace of emotion. Clearly, he had thought of the astonishingly talented Xiao Xuan from back then.

A thousand years ago, Xiao Xuan was universally acknowledged as the foremost of the Five Great Supreme Experts in the world.

"Then we'll take things one step at a time. In any case, reviving Senior Yao Chen definitely won't be a problem."

"That's true. With your Emperor Realm Soul assisting you, as long as your cultivation reaches the Dou Huang realm, you should be able to revive him." The difficulty of reviving a Peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng and the difficulty of reviving a Peak Nine-Turn Dou Venerate were worlds apart.

The next morning, when the sky was still dim, someone knocked on Xiao Jin's courtyard door.

Rubbing his eyes, he opened the courtyard gate and immediately saw the graceful figure standing outside.

The girl had already lost yesterday's frustration and sorrow. Her smiling appearance lifted Xiao Jin's mood by several degrees.

"Xun'er, why are you here so early today?"

"Does Xiao Jin brother not know?" The girl tilted her head and asked in confusion.

"Know what?"

"A distinguished guest is visiting the Xiao Clan today."

Reminded by the girl, Xiao Jin finally remembered that today was the day Nalan Yanran would visit the Xiao Clan to break off the engagement.

This was a famous scene from the original story. How could he possibly miss it?

Actually, Xiao Jin did not have much of a favorable impression of Nalan Yanran, but neither did he dislike her.

As a transmigrator, he did not believe there was anything wrong with pursuing the happiness of freedom.

What Nalan Yanran had truly done wrong was disregarding the dignity of the Nalan Clan and the Xiao Clan, relying on the Misty Cloud Sect's influence to forcefully break off the engagement.

That was equivalent to trampling both clans' dignity beneath her feet, repeatedly grinding it into the dirt.

In fact, after Nalan Jie learned that his granddaughter had broken off the engagement, he was so enraged that he nearly died. It directly triggered his Brand Poison.

If not for Xiao Yan, who had refined the Green Lotus Core Flame, stepping in, the Nalan Clan might have lost its only Dou Wang powerhouse. Just like the Xiao Clan before it, the Nalan Clan would have fallen out of the ranks of the three great clans of the Jia Ma Empire.

In her reckless youth, Nalan Yanran had made an impulsive decision that would cause her lifelong regret.

If she had chosen a gentler method and discussed the matter with Xiao Zhan in private, she could have ended the engagement while preserving the dignity of both clans.

After all, Xiao Yan's cultivation talent had not yet recovered, and Xiao Zhan was not an unreasonable man. Ever since his father Xiao Lin had fallen, Xiao Zhan had been well aware of his own circumstances.

Otherwise, he would not have led the Xiao Clan through years of wandering and hardship, moving from the Imperial Capital of the Jia Ma Empire to Wutan City.

If she had preserved the Xiao Clan's dignity and offered a sufficiently substantial gift, Xiao Zhan certainly would not have insisted on the marriage.

Unfortunately, she was still too inexperienced. The result was that Xiao Yan uttered that classic line.

Afterward came the Three-Year Agreement with the Misty Cloud Sect, which eventually dragged in the Soul Hall and the Soul Clan.

To put it more seriously, Nalan Yanran's engagement was the fundamental reason Soul Heaven Emperor's thousand-year scheme ended in complete failure.

If he knew that the great undertaking he had planned for a millennium had actually been ruined by a young girl who only wanted to pursue happiness, Xiao Jin wondered whether he would become so furious that he would send his own coffin lid flying.

"Xun'er, come inside first. I'll get ready, then we'll go over together."

The girl nodded softly and walked into the familiar little courtyard with light steps.

Xiao Jin moved quickly. Few boys would spend a great deal of time washing up. In just five minutes, Xiao Jin was completely refreshed, and he went with Xun'er to the Xiao Clan's Council Hall.

When he entered the Council Hall, every Xiao Clan higher-up inside, except Xiao Zhan, instinctively straightened up.

Xiao Jin was bewildered. What was going on with all of you?

The Great Elder reacted the fastest. He smiled awkwardly and said, "Young Master Xiao Jin is here. Come sit over here."

He pointed at an empty seat beside Xiao Zhan. That had originally been the Great Elder's seat.

The Dou Qi Continent respected strength above all else. As the Xiao Clan's only Dou Wang powerhouse, and someone whose strength had far surpassed the rest, his status had risen as rapidly as if he had taken a rocket.

To put it bluntly, as long as he spoke, Xiao Zhan could now...

Oh, no. Xiao Zhan could not step down yet.

In name, Xiao Jin was indeed Xiao Zhan's son, but he was ultimately an adopted son. On the Dou Qi Continent, he did not possess the right of succession.

But it was certain that Xiao Jin could definitely secure a position as an elder with real authority in the Xiao Clan, just like Hai Bodong in the Mite'er Family.

Although Xiao Jin had no interest in any of that.