Xiao Yan was not the only one up early.
In fact, Madara had risen even earlier than Xiao Yan and headed for the Misty Cloud Sect with Hai Bodong.
As for Xiao Yan, he set out a little later, walking step by step toward the Misty Cloud Sect.
The Misty Cloud Sect was the most powerful force in the Jia Ma Empire. Its uninterrupted inheritance through countless generations had allowed this ancient sect to stand at the pinnacle of the Jia Ma Empire. If not for the sect's rules forbidding it from seizing imperial power, then during several past changes of dynasty, the Misty Cloud Sect would likely have taken complete control of the entire Jia Ma Empire.
Precisely because of this, every generation of the imperial family had been deeply wary of this colossal presence so close at hand. By the time of the current Jia Ma Royal Family, however, they finally possessed some strength capable of making even the Misty Cloud Sect somewhat wary, thanks to the protection of Jia Xing Tian and that mysterious magical beast. Thus, the battle-hardened elite legion stationed by the Jia Ma Royal Family at the foot of Misty Cloud Mountain had remained peacefully in place all this time.
The imperial family had stationed that legion here for many years, and nearly everyone understood its purpose: they were guarding against the Misty Cloud Sect.
The Misty Cloud Sect did not react too fiercely to the imperial family's actions. Aside from some young disciples occasionally going to the military camp to cause trouble in the beginning, the sect's higher-ups remained silent on the matter.
They understood as well that no one could tolerate another sleeping beside their bed. Imperial households were full of suspicion, and they had long grown accustomed to it. As long