Breakthrough

"Send a signal to Xiao Zhan, and notify those guarding the perimeter to come in and finish the job." The Clan Elder continued to issue orders.

"Understood, Clan Elder."

"Hmm, you all keep watch here. I am going to see how things are going with Xiao Zhan."

Without waiting for a response, the Clan Elder spread his Dou Qi wings and shot straight into the sky.

"Farewell, Clan Elder!"

The Great Elder and his group bowed respectfully.

At the Jialie Clan grounds, Xiao Zhan was ordering Xiao Zhen to lead men in hunting down the remaining members of the Jialie Clan.

"Xiao Zhan, it seems everything is going smoothly on your end as well."

A figure streaked down from the sky in the distance and landed beside Xiao Zhan.

"Oh, it is Lord Shan. It seems Lord Shan has already taken down the Aoba Clan." Xiao Zhan said with pleasant surprise.

"I did not fail the mission; Aoba Pa has been captured alive." The old man laughed heartily.

The next day, news that shocked the entire city spread rapidly through Wutan City: the Jialie and Aoba clans had been wiped out by the Xiao Clan overnight!

The various families of Wutan City, upon waking, discovered that the residential compounds and all the family businesses of the Jialie and Aoba clans had been taken over by the Xiao Clan's men. The entire city fell into a deathly silence, permeated by a strange atmosphere.

Suddenly, news arrived that the Xiao Clan Patriarch, Xiao Zhan, was demanding that all the families of Wutan City come to the Xiao Clan for a meeting. Wutan City had only ever been dominated by these three major clans; now that the Jialie and Aoba clans had been exterminated, the remaining small and medium-sized families, upon receiving this news, went to the Xiao Clan in fear and trembling. Before departing, every family head secretly sent their families away, wondering if this god of slaughter from the Xiao Clan intended to wipe out their small fry as well.

The family heads stepped off their carriages in front of the Xiao Clan grounds, trembling. After exchanging bitter, forced smiles, they walked together toward the Xiao Clan's meeting hall.

Xiao Zhan and the elders sat at the head of the hall, watching the family heads take their seats with expressionless faces.

Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, Xiao Zhan coughed, drawing the gazes of the various family heads, each harboring their own hidden thoughts.

"Since everyone is here, let us begin. I have invited you all here today primarily because I, Xiao Zhan, have some good news to share."

"The Jialie and Aoba clans intended to collude with the Demon Thief Mercenary Group, which has been roaming the empire's borders, to launch a surprise attack on our Wutan City. Their conspiracy has been discovered by our Xiao Clan, and their clans have been executed. Now, the influence of the Jialie and Aoba clans has been absorbed by the Xiao Clan. Who agrees? Who opposes?"

As he spoke, Xiao Zhan stood up and scanned the crowd.

The circle of family heads below had long been terrified into silence by the aura of fresh blood still clinging to Xiao Zhan.

"Hmm, good. It seems everyone agrees. Then, that is settled."

Xiao Zhan nodded with satisfaction as he looked at the silent crowd below, then strode away.

The head of the Wang Clan, who operated the largest weapon shop in Wutan City, watched Xiao Zhan's departing figure and said to a small family head nearby with deep concern: "The sky over Wutan City is about to change."

Walking out of the hall, Xiao Zhan instructed the Great Elder at his side: "Great Elder, the assets of the Jialie and Aoba clans must be taken over as quickly as possible. Replace them with our own Xiao Clan people immediately. You must put extra effort into this recently."

"Yes, Patriarch!" The Great Elder replied.

Xiao Yan and Yao Lao watched the various small and medium family heads leaving the Xiao Clan.

"This battle has secured the Xiao Clan's fortune for the next hundred years. From this day forward, the Xiao Clan is the absolute hegemon of Wutan City." Xiao Yan smiled at Yao Lao.

"Your father, Xiao Zhan, certainly has great resolve." Yao Lao affirmed.

"Alright, now that all matters are concluded and you have accumulated enough, it is time to break through and charge into the rank of Dou Practitioner." Yao Lao said with a mysterious smile.

"Yes, Teacher." Xiao Yan responded with pleasant surprise.

Inside the room, Yao Lao held the Bone Chilling Flame in one hand. On the boiling white flames, a pale blue medicinal pill with a slightly uneven surface rolled continuously, becoming smooth and round. A moment later, Yao Lao's left hand suddenly pulled a jade bottle from the table, dropped the pill inside, and tossed the bottle to Xiao Yan.

Watching Xiao Yan, who sat cross-legged and looked at him with eager eyes, Yao Lao laughed: "Since you are going to charge into the rank of Dou Practitioner, you will need this Qi Gathering Powder. See how your teacher's refinement of this Qi Gathering Powder turned out?"

Xiao Yan excitedly took the jade bottle and sniffed it; a familiar, exotic fragrance wafted out, instantly refreshing his spirit.

"Hehe, stop grinning like a fool. Take advantage of your current state and hurry to charge into the rank of Dou Practitioner to condense your Qi Whirlpool. I will protect you." Yao Lao smiled slightly.

"Right, when you absorb the Qi Gathering Powder to compress the Dou Qi in your body later, you must be fast, or you will fall short of success." Yao Lao reminded him again.

"Understood, Teacher."

Xiao Yan gripped the jade bottle, took a deep breath, and swallowed the pill. The moment it touched his tongue, the pill began to melt, and a surge of pure medicinal power began to spread through his body.

Xiao Yan hurriedly activated his Dou Power, absorbing the pure energy transformed from the pill into his meridians. As the energy accumulated in his vessels, Xiao Yan began to actively guide it to circulate through his meridians, striking at the blockages that needed to be cleared to break through to the rank of Dou Practitioner.

Once, twice, three times.

Through Xiao Yan's unremitting efforts, the blocked meridians were finally broken through, and more and more vessels were opened.

"Xiao Yan, quickly! Compress the Dou Power and condense the Qi Whirlpool!"

Yao Lao's reminder echoed in his ears.

Xiao Yan focused his mind and began to use his spiritual power to compress the Dou Power within his body. As Xiao Yan continuously compressed and rotated it, the Dou Qi in his body seemed to break through a boundary; the highly condensed Dou Power began to form a rotating, ribbon-like vortex in his lower dantian.

"Hoo!"

Xiao Yan opened his eyes, exhaled a puff of pale white turbid air, and looked at the old figure before him: "Teacher, I succeeded!"

"Hmm, Xiao Yan, you have successfully broken through to the rank of Dou Practitioner. Even in the Central Plains, where geniuses are as common as rain, you can be considered a little monster."

Yao Lao spoke with a hint of faint pride.

"Hahaha, Teacher, I haven't let you down."

Xiao Yan was full of smug satisfaction.

"Ahem, right, Teacher, since I have already broken through to a Dou Practitioner, can you now let me cultivate that mysterious cultivation method you mentioned last time—the one with the potential for infinite growth?"

Xiao Yan rubbed his hands together in secret, drawing a hearty laugh from Yao Lao.

"Hahaha, I am not trying to deceive you, Teacher; just don't come crying to me with regrets later."

As he spoke, Yao Lao reached into his Storage Ring and pulled out a black scroll.

"Have you thought it through? No regrets?" Yao Lao placed the black scroll in front of Xiao Yan and confirmed once more.

"Disciple has no regrets."

Xiao Yan snatched the black scroll from Yao Lao's hand.

Hehe, this is the legendary Flame Mantra; only a fool would regret this, Xiao Yan muttered to himself.

With that, Xiao Yan opened the scroll and immersed his soul power into it, and a massive amount of information began to flood into his mind.