Imperial Family (Please Bookmark, Recommend, and Invest)

The strange phenomenon in Salt City of the Jia Ma Empire spread like a hurricane throughout the Jia Ma Empire and even the Northwest Continent.

After all, such a commotion had truly alarmed quite a few old monsters who had long remained hidden away.

Such a huge disturbance naturally gave rise to countless speculations. Some said that a high-level Alchemist had refined a high-grade pill.

Others said it was a warning before a rare treasure emerged into the world...

Some said someone in the Jia Ma Empire had broken through to the Dou Zun realm...

After all, the strange phenomena of heaven and earth on the Dou Qi Continent generally fell into three categories.

The first was the birth of a high-grade pill, which would summon pill lightning... The second occurred when someone cultivated into a new realm... though this was generally rare, because those able to reach such a level were exceedingly scarce even across the entire Dou Qi Continent. As for the third, it was the birth of a so-called Heaven-tier cultivation method or Dou Technique. This "birth" generally did not mean that a cultivation method or Dou Technique had seen the light of day again, but rather that it had appeared from nothing—for example, through creation. Only when certain Heaven-tier cultivation methods or Dou Techniques were created would such heavenly phenomena be summoned. The current sky was not overflowing with pill fragrance, so it was clearly not the birth of a high-grade pill...

The earlier commotion had been the second kind of phenomenon. Xiao Chen had entered the nine-star Dou Saint realm.

And he had done so on his own, not through cheats.

The greatest beneficiary of the heavenly phenomenon was naturally the Xiao Family.

In just half a month, the area outside the Xiao Family residence had become packed with visitors. Nearly every force of note in the Jia Ma Empire had sent representatives to "pay their respects."

At the same time, riding this wave and relying on the strength of a Dou Wang, Xiao Zhan had swiftly integrated all forces within Salt City—the Xiao Alliance.

With the Xiao Family at its head, the alliance allowed the Xiao Family to firmly establish itself within the Jia Ma Empire.

At this moment, an exceedingly aristocratic carriage appeared on a bustling street in Salt City.

Before the carriage stood two fine steeds, their coats snowy white without the slightest impurity. On the golden brocade curtains around the carriage was painted a strange beast wreathed in blue flames. The beast was rather large, and its overall appearance was quite ferocious.

It vaguely gave off an intimidating feeling.

"The Imperial Family's emblem..."

Xiao Yan, who was returning to the Xiao Family, stared at the emblem of the unnamed strange beast. As someone from the Jia Ma Empire, he naturally recognized the emblem of the Jia Ma Imperial Family. Around the carriage stood more than ten people wrapped head to toe in black robes. As his gaze swept over them, Xiao Yan's pupils contracted slightly. In his perception, the auras of these black-robed figures were all exceptionally powerful.

"As expected of the Jia Ma Empire's royal clan. Their strength truly cannot be underestimated."

Xiao Yan had now recovered his talent, and his strength had reached the seventh stage of Dou Qi.

His progress could not be called slow, yet with the Xiao Family's vast resources behind them, Xiao Ning and Xiao Mei had already reached the five-star Dou Zhe level.

Soon, the carriage stopped on the street before the Xiao Family residence. A black-robed figure then stepped forward and respectfully lifted the curtain. The moment he did so, Xiao Yan clearly sensed that the other black-robed figures had subtly shifted, swiftly forming a small circle around the carriage. At the same time, sharp, hawk-like gazes shot out from beneath their black robes and repeatedly swept across the crowded surroundings.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a slender hand as white as jade extended from behind the curtain and elegantly grasped the handle by the carriage door. Then, a graceful figure slowly emerged and appeared before all present.

The girl wore a purple gown embroidered with silver patterns. Her exquisite features, tempered by the upbringing of the Imperial Family, carried a faint aura of innate nobility. A purple sash bound her slender waist, perfectly accentuating her narrow figure. She did not seem very old, appearing roughly the same age as Xiao Yan. A faint smile rested on her pretty face, making her seem elegant and tranquil. Yet whenever her gaze swept across the surroundings, Xiao Yan noticed that a strange, mischievous smile would flash through her watery eyes. Clearly, this girl, who appeared so ladylike, was not someone who truly liked peace and quiet.

"Women really can't be judged by appearances..."

With a bitter smile and a shake of his head, Xiao Yan withdrew his gaze and no longer looked at the girl, whose identity seemed anything but ordinary.

Glancing at the increasingly lively street, he planned to enter the Xiao Family through the side entrance.

But after the little princess appeared, a tall woman in luxurious brocade robes also stepped down from the carriage with elegant grace. Her face bore some resemblance to the little princess's, but she possessed an added touch of icy beauty. Beneath that chilliness was even a hint of dignified authority fostered by the Imperial Family.

Compared with the petite and adorable little princess, this woman exuded a cold yet mature charm from head to toe. Every glance from her beautiful eyes seemed naturally alluring.

After the two women stepped down, they did not leave. Instead, they respectfully stood on either side of the carriage.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan stopped in his tracks, while the noisy, chaotic street gradually quieted down along with the scene.

Soon, an old white-haired man dressed in a simple hemp robe stepped down from the carriage with a smiling expression.

"Why is this old monster here?"

Suddenly, in a restaurant along the street, a middle-aged man frowned and spoke in a low voice.

"Who is he, Teacher?"

The young man beside the middle-aged man asked curiously.

Meanwhile, the young woman beside him was staring at the Xiao Family residence in the distance with a complicated expression.

The three were none other than Pill King Gu He, Liu Ling, and Nalan Yanran.

They had arrived in Salt City as early as half a month ago and had personally witnessed the heavenly phenomenon.

It was precisely because of this that Nalan Yanran had begun to hesitate.

Gu He, too, had patiently waited for her.

As for the several letters sent by the Misty Cloud Sect, he had ignored them all.

"The guardian of the Jia Ma Empire—Jia Xingtian."

After speaking, Gu He deliberately glanced at Nalan Yanran, whose expression was impossibly complicated.

Xiao Yan's talent had recovered, and the Xiao Family had established the Xiao Alliance. They were now qualified to rank among the Jia Ma Empire's top forces.

Moreover, many people suspected that the recent phenomenon had been caused by the Xiao Family, further enhancing the Xiao Family's prestige.

The current Xiao Family was like a fierce tiger, continuously swallowing up nearby cities, with every sign of unifying the eastern region of the Jia Ma Empire.

If Nalan Yanran were to break off her engagement with the Xiao Family at such a time, the consequences would simply be unimaginable.

Therefore, no matter how proud and haughty Nalan Yanran was now, she still had to consider the grave consequences of breaking off the engagement.

And those consequences might not be something she could bear.

Thinking of this, Gu He felt somewhat troubled as well. From a selfish standpoint, he hoped that Nalan Yanran would break off the engagement.

But as an elder of the Misty Cloud Sect, he had to consider the Misty Cloud Sect's interests. Even if not for the Misty Cloud Sect, he had to consider Yun Yun.