"Xun'er... is actually from the Ancient Clan. She came to the Xiao Family to look for something."
She paused, seeming to weigh her words.
"But all these years, Xun'er never truly looked for it, nor did she ever intend to take anything from the Xiao Family."
"Because Brother Xiao Yan is here."
She raised her head, her eyes filled with earnestness.
"No matter what cultivation level Brother Xiao Yan has, no matter what secrets he has, you'll always be the person Xun'er cares about most."
Xiao Yan's heart stirred.
This girl...
He suddenly felt he might have been worrying too much.
Xiao Xun'er's feelings for him had never been because of his talent, nor his cultivation level.
They were because of who he was.
Whether he was a genius or a good-for-nothing, whether he was a Dou Zhe or a Dou Wang, in her eyes, he would always be that same Brother Xiao Yan.
"Xun'er."
Xiao Yan reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
"I know."
"I knew your identity wasn't simple a long time ago."
At that, Xiao Xun'er was slightly taken aback.
"Then you..."
"Because you've never harmed the Xiao Family, and you've never harmed me."
Xiao Yan smiled, his tone calm.
"That's enough."
"No matter who you are, you're still the Xun'er I know."
"Besides—"
"Even after seeing me suddenly become a Dou Wang, you never asked about my secrets, right?"
Of course he could forgive her. It wasn't as if he was the real Xiao Yan, or a member of the Xiao Family.
What the Ancient Clan had done to the Xiao Family had nothing to do with him.
Of course, if the Ancient Clan really was blind enough to come after him, he wouldn't mind using a little trick to flatten the whole clan without eating beef.
After all, he was a great villain!
Heh heh heh...
Hearing Xiao Yan's words,
Xiao Xun'er stared at him blankly, her eyes suddenly growing a little red.
She hadn't expected Xiao Yan to forgive her so easily.
In Xiao Xun'er's eyes, with Xiao Yan's current methods and talent, it was inevitable that he would learn about the Ancient Clan sooner or later.
This time, it had taken all her courage to reveal her identity to him of her own accord.
She had been afraid that if she kept hiding the truth and confessed too late, then once Xiao Yan found out, their relationship might never be mended.
"Brother Xiao Yan... thank you."
Xiao Xun'er murmured softly, her voice full of joy and gratitude, then reached out and wrapped her arms around Xiao Yan's waist.
A fragrant breeze swept into his embrace, bringing with it a unique feeling.
The girl's body was soft and warm. A faint fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, and Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, a warmth beyond words welling up in his heart.
This girl...
Usually, in front of the others in the Xiao Family, she was the aloof, proud prodigy of the Ancient Clan. But now she was like a little sister nestled against her big brother, letting down all her guard and pretense.
Xiao Yan lowered his head and looked at the girl in his arms, her cheeks faintly flushed. He couldn't resist reaching out to ruffle her hair.
"You silly girl."
He chuckled softly.
"What's there to thank me for?"
Xiao Xun'er looked up, her clear eyes reflecting his face, and the corners of her lips curved into a sweet smile.
"Because Brother Xiao Yan is the person in this world who treats Xun'er the best."
After saying that, she buried her face against Xiao Yan's chest again, like a lazy little kitten.
Xiao Yan laughed, but let her be.
The two of them simply held each other in silence as sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows over them.
A breeze drifted past, carrying a faint floral fragrance.
In that moment, it was as if the whole world had fallen quiet.
[Beep—]
The system's alert suddenly exploded in Xiao Yan's mind, shattering the peace.
[The host has been lying through his teeth and has Xiao Xun'er completely wrapped around his finger. She's already deeply in love with you! She even revealed her identity of her own accord because she was afraid of losing you! At this point, even if the host wanted to destroy the Ancient Clan, she probably wouldn't blame you...] [The protagonist of this world's fortune value -1000! The host's fortune value +1000!] [The host has gained 1000 Super Villain Points!] [Please keep up the good work and try to take Xiao Xun'er's first time, truly stealing the protagonist of this world's beloved!] [Heh heh heh... No wonder you're the man the system chose! You've captured the protagonist's beloved confidante so easily!] [To further motivate the host, here's an extra reward—"Indestructible Vajra Technique." As long as the host doesn't want to stop, it will never end!]
Xiao Yan's mouth twitched.
Damn, what on earth did this system think about all day?
"First time"?
"Indestructible Vajra Technique"?
He, the great Xiao Yan... a young man in his prime... needed something like that?
But—
He reflexively glanced down at the girl in his arms, her stunning face, and a thought suddenly popped into his head.
Hmm...
He didn't need it.
But he had a "friend"... who might.
Yes, that had to be it.
Xiao Yan nodded silently to himself, then casually "hid"—ah, no, "tossed"—the Indestructible Vajra Technique into the depths of his system space, out of sight and out of mind.
However—
Just as he was about to turn his attention away from the system's notification, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Wait.
Xiao Xun'er...
Heavenly Flames...
Xiao Yan's gaze fell on the girl in his arms once more.
According to the original story, Xiao Xun'er possessed an extremely powerful Heavenly Flame within her—
the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame!
Fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!
It was far stronger than his Red Lotus Karma Fire, which ranked below it!
Though Xiao Xun'er was still young and her cultivation level insufficient to fully control this power, the Heavenly Flame was unquestionably inside her!
When Xiao Xun'er was little, she used to suffer from chills. In truth, that was connected to the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame. Gu Yuan had wanted to cultivate her into the Ancient Clan's greatest prodigy, giving her the most perfect pure-fire constitution. Instead, he had made her suffer greatly.
That was because the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame was an "extreme yang flame," and Xiao Xun'er herself had a pure-fire constitution...
As the saying went, "when yang reaches its extreme, yin is born." Since Xiao Xun'er hadn't completely mastered the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame or awakened her Dou Di Bloodline, yin-cold energy naturally gathered in her body!
And his Flame Mantra—
just happened to need Heavenly Flames!
The more Heavenly Flames it fused with, and the stronger they were, the higher the technique's grade and the greater his strength!
If he could also take the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame inside Xiao Xun'er and refine it into the Flame Mantra...
Xiao Yan's gaze burned with excitement.
After fusing with the fourth-ranked Heavenly Flame, his strength would surely surge again!
But—
The Heavenly Flame had been with Xiao Xun'er since birth and was closely bound to her life.
If he forcibly took it, he would probably inflict irreversible harm on her.
Xiao Yan furrowed his brows.
Though he didn't consider himself a good person, he wouldn't go so far as to cruelly harm someone he cared about.
He had to find a way to have it both ways...
[Beep—]
[The system has detected that the host covets the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame inside the Daughter of Luck, Xiao Xun'er!] [The system recommends that the host take action and forcibly seize the Heavenly Flame! However, this would have irreversible effects on Xiao Xun'er! At best, she would lose all her cultivation; at worst, her soul would be scattered!]
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