Ten Years Before the Original Story?

Faced with the questions Xiao Xuan had thrown at him, Gu Lie couldn't answer a single one.

His expression was like he'd swallowed a fly that had lodged in his throat, neither going up nor down.

His face flushed red with frustration!

He couldn't exactly say that, under the Ancient Clan's care, the Xiao Clan was full of experts, and its three Da Dou Shi were still no match for the Ancient Clan's gatekeepers.

With the Ancient Clan paying them no heed and focused solely on seizing the Tou She Ancient God Jade, the Xiao Clan had already declined into a small, insignificant family.

Right now, in a remote little city on the Northwest Continent, they were under attack from several Da Dou Shi families and could be wiped out at any moment!

Xiao Xuan stared at Gu Lie. "What? Are these questions so hard to answer?"

"Clan Leader Xiao, this matter... is a long story. Why don't you rest here for a while? Once our clan leader returns, he can explain everything to you himself!"

If Gu Lie told him the truth, he would definitely enrage Xiao Xuan and provoke a battle.

If that happened, Gu Lie would be in trouble if he couldn't win on his own and the clan leader wasn't there.

So he decided to stall for time.

It would be safer to wait for Gu Yuan to return and have him tell Xiao Xuan about the Xiao Clan's situation.

Xiao Xuan narrowed his eyes. "Trying to buy time? Looks like you think I've completely perished, so you've forgotten the agreement between us."

Boom!

A terrifying wave of soul pressure instantly shattered the protective barrier Gu Lie had formed!

It also pressed Gu Lie down so hard he couldn't straighten his back!

"Em... Emperor Realm Soul!"

Gu Lie gritted his teeth, a trace of crimson blood seeping from his mouth.

Only then did he realize that Xiao Xuan might have known about the Xiao Clan's situation all along.

His visit seemed very much like he had come to demand an explanation.

And yet, they had nothing to say in their defense.

Gu Lie gritted his teeth. "Clan Leader Xiao, please show mercy. Your clansmen are all very safe right now. Truly."

He didn't think he was lying.

The Xiao Family was in Wutan City of the Jia Ma Empire, a small city where three Da Dou Shi counted as top-tier experts. They could still dominate the area there.

"Is that so? Then answer the questions I asked earlier!"

Not only did Xiao Xuan fail to withdraw his soul power, he increased the pressure!

Gu Lie was an Eight-Star Dou Sheng, yet his back, already bent beneath the pressure, sank even lower. It felt as though something were desperately dragging his soul out of his body.

The pain was unbearable.

At the same time, several surrounding mountain peaks went BOOM! as if something had slammed into them, and they sank dozens of meters into the earth!

In an instant, dust billowed, blotting out the sky and sun!

Since the Ancient Realm had first been opened,

it had never suffered such terrifying destruction!

This was a brazen slap in the Ancient Clan's face!

And yet, they had nothing to say in their defense!

After all, back then, to secure the Ancient Clan's agreement and ensure they kept their promise, Xiao Xuan had offered many of the Xiao Clan's high-level Dou Techniques and cultivation methods in exchange!

For the first hundred years, the Ancient Clan had indeed kept its word.

But as time passed,

and no more peerless talents emerged from the Xiao Clan,

the Ancient Clan stopped looking after them.

They even expelled the Xiao Clan from the Ancient Realm.

From then on, the Xiao Clan began its long history of wandering.

The Xiao Clan's leaders had gone from Dou Sheng to Dou Zong, then Dou Wang, and finally Da Dou Shi.

"Ah..."

Gu Lie sighed and had no choice but to tell Xiao Xuan everything about the Xiao Clan's current state, holding nothing back!

Xiao Xuan pretended to listen intently.

In his heart, he was calculating what extra compensation he should demand from the Ancient Clan.

"Clan Leader Xiao, although we did fail to look after the Xiao Clan completely, the current situation might actually be the most favorable one for them."

"So I should thank you, then?"

Xiao Xuan raised an eyebrow, his tone icy. He sent another soul skill crashing into Gu Lie's chest.

Gu Lie spat out a mouthful of blood.

The other Ancient Clan elders saw it, but didn't dare say a word!

Xiao Xuan snorted. "Since your Ancient Clan failed to honor its promise, shouldn't you repay the Xiao Clan twice over for what they gave up back then?"

"This..."

"So the Ancient Clan has no intention of repaying them?"

"Clan Leader Xiao, this matter is of great importance. Please wait until our clan leader returns."

"Tell Gu Yuan to come back at once. My patience is limited!" Xiao Xuan snorted.

Gu Lie had no choice but to crush the Ancient Jade and send word to Gu Yuan, saying only that something urgent had come up in the clan and asking him to return immediately.

Then he invited Xiao Xuan to the reception hall.

While they waited,

Xiao Xuan casually asked, "By the way, Gu Yuan isn't here. What about his wife? Doesn't she know to come out and see an old friend?"

"Clan Leader Xiao, not long after giving birth to the young lady, the clan leader's wife accidentally perished while attempting to break through to Six-Star Dou Sheng."

Gu Lie sighed. The clan leader's wife's death had cost the Ancient Clan another top-tier fighter.

It was a real shame.

Xiao Xuan seized the chance to ask, "Gu Yuan has a daughter now? What's her name, and how old is she?"

Gu Lie hesitated for a moment before answering, "The young lady's name is Xun'er. She's four years old."

Only four?

With that piece of information, Xiao Xuan roughly figured out the current timeline!

And the reason Gu Yuan wasn't here

was most likely that he had personally taken Xun'er to the Xiao Family, intending for her to find a chance to take the Xiao Family's Tou She Ancient God Jade... to be precise, steal it!

In other words,

this was about ten years before the original story!

That meant

he had plenty of room to maneuver!

Meanwhile,

on the Northwest Continent, in the Jia Ma Empire,

Wutan City.

Several uninvited guests had arrived at the Xiao Family.

At that moment, the Xiao Family's clan leader, Xiao Zhan, and the family's three elders were cautiously receiving them in the reception hall.

Xiao Zhan was deeply wary of these mysterious strangers who had suddenly shown up!

What he found strange, though, was that they had brought along a girl of about three or four.

The girl had fair skin and a sweet, adorable face. The pair of dimples at the corners of her mouth were especially captivating whenever she smiled.

Her large eyes, glimmering with a hint of gold, curiously studied the four strangers in the room besides her father.

There wasn't the slightest trace of fear in them.

"Don't be nervous. Our two families had quite a connection many years ago," the man in blue robes sitting in the main seat said calmly.

He didn't explain what exactly linked the two families.

Xiao Zhan and the others didn't dare ask.

They could only force out a rather strained smile.

The man in blue robes got straight to the point. "I came here this time because I want Xun'er to spend a carefree childhood with you. I hope you'll take good care of her."

Though Xiao Zhan didn't know why this mysterious man wanted to leave this porcelain-doll-like little girl in the declining Xiao Family,

he had no choice but to agree. "Rest assured. As long as the Xiao Family still stands, we won't let Miss Xun'er come to any harm."

"That's right, that's right."

The three elders nodded repeatedly as well.

Gu Yuan pondered for a moment before saying, "To keep others from finding out and avoid unnecessary trouble, from today onward, Xun'er will temporarily take the Xiao surname. Only the four of you know about this. Don't tell anyone..."

Gu Yuan hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly sensed the emergency communication Jade Tablet he had given Gu Lie being crushed!

Under ordinary circumstances, Gu Lie would never crush it unless he had no other choice!

Could they be under attack?!

The Hun Clan!

Gu Yuan furrowed his brows. Without further hesitation, he gave a few brief instructions, then drew a line through the space in front of him with his finger. A crack appeared in the air.

Gu Yuan quickly darted into the spatial crack, and both he and the opening vanished!

Watching Gu Yuan come and go in such a hurry,

Xiao Zhan and the three elders were stunned!

What level of strength did it take to wield such heaven-defying abilities?