Late at night.
The underground chamber beneath Viscount Sky Wind's residence.
Xue Yao sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, lost in meditation. Little Griffin lay beside him, looking as though he had fallen asleep.
Suddenly, the air currents in the chamber wavered slightly.
A tall, thin figure appeared soundlessly in a corner of the chamber.
It was Feng Cang, Godwind Academy's backer and the current head of the Feng Clan.
He was over sixty years old, immensely powerful, and a Soul Douluo at level eighty-three.
After Feng Xiaotian sent the letter back that day, Feng Cang couldn't sit still.
But as head of the Feng Clan, he naturally wouldn't be persuaded so easily.
He decided to come and see for himself, to test the depths of this "Heaven Dou Young Lion."
He had great confidence in his ability to conceal his presence. It was a skill he had honed his whole life.
Forget a level-fifteen Soul Grandmaster—even a Soul Douluo of the same level might not be able to detect him.
He stood in the shadows, ready to observe this legendary genius closely.
Just then,
"Senior, you can stop hiding." Xue Yao didn't even lift an eyelid.
"The wind told me you were here."
As soon as the words left his mouth,
Little Griffin, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes.
"Caw!" It let out a low warning cry.
Its sharp eagle eyes fixed on the corner where Feng Cang was hiding.
Feng Cang's heart jolted.
His face filled with shock as he stepped straight out of the shadows.
He'd really been discovered?
He was a dignified Soul Douluo, yet a six-year-old child had seen through his whereabouts—and even that Martial Soul had pinpointed his location.
What kind of monstrous affinity for wind elements was this? This kid was a freak born for the wind.
"As expected of the Heaven Dou Young Lion."
Feng Cang gave an awkward laugh, his voice carrying genuine admiration.
"The younger generation is truly formidable. This old man has learned something today."
Xue Yao stood up and walked to the nearby table to pour two cups of tea.
"Clan Head Feng, you've come by in the middle of the night, so I assume you've already read Xiaotian's letter."
Xue Yao pushed a teacup toward him and got straight to the point.
"Since you've come in person, I'll be frank."
He held up two fingers.
"The royal merchant guild of the Farack Kingdom will give your Feng Clan twenty percent of its annual net profits."
"Also, we'll set aside a plot in the busiest part of Farack City for you to build a Godwind branch academy and a clan residence."
"You won't have to pay taxes, and you'll enjoy the same privileges as the royal family."
Xue Yao clasped his hands and leaned back in his chair.
"I have only one condition. Protect the Farack royal family."
"That will be our pledge of sincerity as we form a defensive alliance. What do you think, Clan Head Feng?"
Feng Cang picked up his teacup and took a small sip.
He appeared calm on the surface, but inside, his thoughts were crashing like waves against the shore.
He was an old fox, and no one could work an abacus better than him.
A share of the merchant guild's profits and a plot of land—those conditions were certainly tempting.
But the person who truly excited him was Xue Yao.
As long as he protected the boy and let him grow up in peace,
then in the Douluo Continent of the coming decades, both of the world's top wind-attribute geniuses would be in the Feng Clan's camp.
If it worked out, the Feng Clan could proudly declare that all the world's wind-attribute talent came from the Feng Clan. What glory that would be.
Besides, Feng Cang's thoughts turned quickly.
He suddenly realized there was an even deeper angle.
Xue Yao's Martial Soul was a Griffin, after all.
What if, in the future, he found a way to marry the most talented girl in the Feng Clan to him?
As long as the Griffin bloodline remained in the Feng Clan, why would they ever train Gale Demon Wolves again?
Gale Demon Wolves? Never heard of them!
With the Griffin bloodline, the Feng Clan could leap straight into the ranks of the continent's top sects.
By then, that Wind Sword Sect among the Lower Four Sects, which always looked down its nose at everyone, wouldn't even be worthy of tying the Feng Clan's shoes.
At the thought, Feng Cang's heart pounded wildly.
"Viscount, you certainly know how to get straight to the point."
Feng Cang set down his teacup, his face wreathed in smiles.
"Since you've shown us such sincerity, it would be petty of us to keep hemming and hawing."
"Tomorrow, I'll arrange for the clan's core members to head to the Farack Kingdom in several groups."
"With me, Feng Cang, there, I guarantee the Farack royal family will be as safe as a mountain."
Xue Yao nodded in satisfaction. His worries about what lay ahead had finally been resolved.
"Clan Head Feng, you're a man of your word."
Xue Yao smiled, deciding to give the old fox another little sweetener.
"Now that we're allies, I'll give you a little gift as well."
Feng Cang's eyes lit up.
Xue Yao lightly tapped the tabletop.
"That kid Xiaotian has always wanted to know the secret of my First Soul Skill."
"It's nothing I can't tell you."
Xue Yao spoke casually. "My First Soul Ring came from a Mutated Green Wind Falcon. It was around four hundred and twenty years old."
"This Soul Beast is incredibly fast, and its Wind Blades are razor-sharp. Most importantly, its mutated attribute pairs exceptionally well with rapid-burst combo techniques."
"That's the core secret behind how I can stack damage without any windup."
Hearing this, Feng Cang nearly leapt to his feet in excitement. A Mutated Green Wind Falcon! So that was the secret!
He secretly committed the name to memory. Once he got back, he'd dig through the Sunset Forest with his bare hands if he had to, until he found a few Mutated Green Wind Falcons.
Then he could have the clan's younger members who were about to obtain Soul Rings absorb them. Wouldn't that let the Feng Clan mass-produce combo experts?
Watching Feng Cang struggle to contain his excitement, Xue Yao couldn't help chuckling to himself.
He picked up his teacup and gently blew away the foam.
Did Feng Cang think he could copy Xue Yao's special move with just one Mutated Green Wind Falcon?
In his dreams.
That was all thanks to Little Griffin's unique multiple-hit mechanics combined with the god-tier passive skill, "Wind-Riding Combo."
If anyone else absorbed that Soul Ring, the best they could hope for would be a slightly more powerful Wind Blade skill.
Stacking damage seamlessly? Impossible.
But Xue Yao naturally wasn't going to tell Feng Cang that.
If the old fox wanted to waste his time trying, let him.
"Thank you for sharing your knowledge, Viscount!"
Feng Cang stood and gave Xue Yao a solemn bow.
Now, when he looked at Xue Yao, he saw a mountain of gold.
This wasn't just a six-year-old child—he was a bringer of wealth to the Feng Clan. With him on their side, how could the clan fail to flourish?
"Don't mention it. We're all on the same side now." Xue Yao waved a hand.
"It's getting late. You should head back and get some rest, Senior."
"I'll find time to guide Xiaotian."
"Then I won't disturb your rest, Viscount." Feng Cang took two steps back. A breeze swept through, and his figure melted into the shadows once more, vanishing without a trace.
Xue Yao stood up and stretched mightily. Now that his biggest worry had been taken care of, he didn't need to fret over it anymore.
"All taken care of." He rubbed Little Griffin's head, a smile tugging at his lips. "Home's safe now. Next, it's time to focus on getting stronger."
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