Cleaning House Still Had to Be Done by One's Own Hand!

[Ding, detected host has consumed a large quantity of natural treasures. Physical body recovery progress +3.88%. Current remaining progress: 92.74%]

Seeing the system's notification.

Xiao Xuan froze.

He had thought that all the natural treasures in this warehouse would increase his recovery progress by at least five percent!

He hadn't expected it to be less than four percent.

Still.

Compared with searching for natural treasures here and there, this had increased his progress by more than a hundred times!

Thinking about it...

Xiao Xuan rubbed his chin, a new idea taking shape in his mind!

But before he could put it into practice, he had to wait for the cooldown on the possession technique to end!

In the meantime!

He planned to return to the Black-Corner Region and claim the Sea Heart Flame, ranked fifteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking.

Then he would find a chance to sneak into Jia Nan Academy.

Meanwhile.

Jia Ma Empire, Misty Cloud Mountain.

In a quiet little courtyard!

A cute little girl was cultivating in the pavilion!

In the distance, a little boy's head poked over the wall.

He called out to her, "Little Sister Xun'er, why do you hide in the courtyard all day? Come on! Let's go out and play together."

"Cousin Xiao Yan, I still have to cultivate. Please don't bother me again, or I'll tell my teacher."

Xun'er didn't even lift her eyelids, her tone cool and distant.

Xiao Yan was rejected and gave a cold snort. "Tch, what are you so proud of?"

Only after making sure he had left

did Xun'er slowly open her eyes.

"Elder Ling, have you found any trace of my teacher?"

From the shadows cast by a nearby tree, Ling Ying's figure emerged.

Ling Ying bowed respectfully to Xun'er.

"I'm sorry, young lady. The only thing I've learned is that when the Snake-People Tribe came over, they spoke of a mysterious powerhouse. That powerhouse should be your teacher."

As he spoke, Ling Ying changed tack.

"However, that person's strength is far too formidable. He comes and goes without a trace. Let alone a small Dou Huang like me—even a Dou Sheng, or anyone on the entire Dou Qi Continent, would struggle to track someone of his caliber."

Xun'er's brows furrowed slightly.

Ever since he accepted her as his disciple, Xiao Xuan had disappeared.

He hadn't even taught her.

The two of them had hardly spent any time together.

Besides, all the gifts Xiao Xuan had given her for accepting her as a disciple were Dou Techniques and cultivation methods from the Ancient Clan!

As far as she knew, those had been the compensation her father gave the Xiao Clan that day.

For a while, Xun'er couldn't fathom Xiao Xuan's true intentions.

"By rights, he should have known long ago that I'm Gu Yuan's daughter. Given how he acted in the Ancient Clan, he should have sent me away! Why didn't he just let me stay, but even agreed to take me as his disciple?"

Xun'er looked at Ling Ying.

"Elder Ling, do you know why?"

"This..."

"Speak freely."

"Young lady, this is what I think."

Ling Ying shared his theory.

"Although the Ancient Clan broke its word back then... failed to honor its promise, and the resurrected Xiao Xuan discovered it, our Ancient Clan is now stronger overall than the Xiao Clan. So even someone as powerful as Xiao Xuan couldn't simply send you away, for fear of completely falling out with the Ancient Clan."

"And by agreeing to take you as his disciple, I think... he may also be trying to mend relations with the Ancient Clan."

Ling Ying had come to this conclusion because, on that day in the Ancient Clan, Xiao Xuan had only injured people—he hadn't actually killed anyone!

He had left himself a way out.

Xun'er nodded thoughtfully.

That was true. The Ancient Clan was far stronger than the Xiao Clan now!

It was the only force on the entire continent capable of standing up to the Hun Clan!

No matter how powerful Xiao Xuan was, he was still only one person!

If he wanted revenge on the Hun Clan, the Ancient Clan was the obvious choice of ally!

That only strengthened Xun'er's resolve to stay!

Northwest Continent.

Black-Corner Region.

It was a region renowned across the continent for its chaos, filled with death, challenges, and temptation.

Maple City was one of its most important cities!

All because Medicine Emperor Han Feng lived there!

The city had even been named after him.

At the very center of the city stood a bamboo grove.

It was so heavily guarded that not even a fly could get inside.

In a building deep within the bamboo grove,

a man in an alchemist's robe, a "Maple" embroidered on the back, studied a medicinal formula as he asked,

"Han Beng! Is everyone here?"

"Master, everyone is here."

Han Beng knelt on one knee and replied respectfully.

"Good!"

Han Feng put down the formula.

He had only just stood up

when his expression froze!

Someone had appeared right in front of him, though he had no idea when!

"Who are you? When did you break in?!"

Han Beng glared coldly at Xiao Xuan!

"Quiet!!"

Xiao Xuan merely willed it.

Bang!

Han Beng instantly turned into a cloud of blood mist, becoming fertilizer for the bamboo grove!

Han Feng sucked in a sharp breath!

He stared in terror at Xiao Xuan, who had appeared like a ghost.

His entire body trembled with fear.

He was a Peak Dou Emperor!

Yet he hadn't even seen how the other man had attacked!

Han Beng, a Dou Wang, had been killed in an instant!

Han Feng stammered, "W-who are you?"

"You're Han Feng?"

Xiao Xuan asked calmly.

Seeing that the other man knew who he was, Han Feng took a careful look at his face.

It wasn't Venerable Wind.

Nor was he one of his teacher's friends!

Han Feng relaxed a little.

"I... I am. A-are you... here to ask for a medicinal pill?"

He asked tentatively.

At the same time, he prayed frantically that the answer would be yes!

He felt an unprecedentedly terrifying pressure radiating from Xiao Xuan!

He had no doubt that with the slightest movement of the other man's finger, he would end up like Han Beng, without even a trace of bone left!

Xiao Xuan clasped his hands behind his back.

"No. I'm here to borrow two things from you!"

"What things?"

Han Feng's heart filled with unease!

An icy chill rose from the soles of his feet!

Xiao Xuan didn't answer.

He curled his hand into a claw and suddenly sucked inward!

Whoosh!

Han Feng felt a terrifying force pulling the Sea Heart Flame out of his body!

He hurriedly begged for mercy!

"Ah! M-my lord, spare me... spare my life!"

Xiao Xuan ignored him.

He pulled with his hand again!

Boom!

The deep-blue flame was yanked out of Han Feng's body!

The surrounding air instantly heated by several degrees!

At first, the Sea Heart Flame struggled wildly.

After a few struggles,

it became as docile as a little lamb!

"Pfft!"

Seeing that things weren't going his way, Han Feng quickly changed his hand seal.

Then he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"M-my lord, I... I've severed my connection to this Heavenly Flame. It's yours now—n-no, I mean, it belongs to you."

Han Feng knelt on the ground, begging Xiao Xuan for his life like a dog.

Xiao Xuan said calmly, "Don't worry. I never planned to kill you."

"Thank you, thank you..."

Han Feng kowtowed repeatedly.

"Cleaning house still had to be done by one's own hand!"

With one hand, Xiao Xuan controlled the Sea Heart Flame. With the other, he pulled Han Feng's soul out of his body!

He put it in a jade bottle!

After finishing, Xiao Xuan vanished in a flash.