Back then, Xiao Xuan had been so astonishingly brilliant, so fiercely ambitious.
Under his leadership, the Xiao Clan had reached unprecedented heights, towering over the Eight Clans and striking fear into all directions.
And Gu Yuan, as the Ancient Clan Chief, had been Xiao Xuan's close friend. The two had regarded each other as kindred spirits, sworn to an alliance of mutual aid, and vowed to live and die together, advancing and retreating as one.
But later...
Xiao Xuan had failed in his attempt to become a Dou Emperor, and the Xiao Clan Bloodline had been exhausted. Overnight, the clan had plunged from its peak into the abyss.
The Hun Clan had seized the opportunity and slaughtered Xiao Clan members on a massive scale.
And Gu Yuan had chosen to watch with cold indifference.
It wasn't that he couldn't save them. He simply didn't want to.
The Xiao Clan had been too powerful.
Powerful enough to make even the Ancient Clan feel threatened.
While Xiao Xuan was alive, he had kept the Ancient Clan in check, and they hadn't dared act rashly.
But once Xiao Xuan died, the Xiao Clan became a piece of juicy meat that everyone wanted to take a bite out of.
And Gu Yuan had merely gone with the flow.
Though he had never directly ordered anyone to attack the Xiao Clan, he had deliberately sent Ancient Clan experts to deal with the forces that had stolen the Xiao Clan's treasures. Under the pretense of "avenging" the Xiao Clan, they had secretly plundered a great many of its Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills, as well as rare treasures of heaven and earth, and stored them all in the Ancient Clan's treasury.
The Xiao Clan's former foundations had become nourishment for the Ancient Clan's growth.
As for