The Ancient Clan's Predatory Move, A Potential Threat!

"Hiss—"

"Xiao Yan's methods... truly are not simple!"

Ling Ying took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.

He stared fixedly in the direction of Xiao Yan's room, his gaze flickering uncertainly.

"Is there truly an expert helping him from the shadows..."

"Or is it that the item the Clan Head ordered the young miss to find really possesses such heaven-defying power?"

He recalled the mission Gu Yuan had entrusted to him.

Although he did not know exactly what he was looking for, he vaguely understood that it was an extremely important treasure.

If that treasure truly possessed such miraculous abilities...

Then it could be explained clearly.

Ling Ying's thoughts surged.

No wonder a dignified Ancient Clan would go to such great lengths to send Miss Xun'er to infiltrate the Xiao Family since she was young.

That item must be of extraordinary significance!

"However..."

Ling Ying suddenly frowned again, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.

"The Xiao Family's foundation is so weak, why didn't the Clan Head simply destroy the Xiao Family and seize the item directly?"

He was puzzled.

With the strength of the Ancient Clan, wiping out a mere Xiao Family would be effortless.

Why make the young miss infiltrate from a young age and wait for so many years?

"Forget it, forget it."

Ling Ying shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it further.

Although he had followed the young miss for many years, his status within the Ancient Clan was not high; he was merely a small guard.

He could not touch the secrets of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade given his status.

As for the past relationship between the Xiao Family and the Ancient Clan, it was even more impossible for him to know.

"I only need to follow Miss Xun'er's instructions; there is no need for me to worry about other matters."

Ling Ying sighed softly.

Over these years, he had watched the young miss grow up in the Xiao Family and watched her attitude toward that boy, Xiao Yan, become increasingly intimate.

Although the young miss had never explicitly stated it, how could he not see—

His young miss clearly had deep feelings for that Xiao Yan!

"As long as the young miss does not give the order, I cannot take action against the Xiao Family."

Ling Ying's gaze flickered.

Moreover, over these years, the Xiao Family had indeed treated Xiao Xun'er exceptionally well, treating her entirely as one of their own.

Xiao Zhan treated her like his own daughter, and Xiao Yan cared for her meticulously.

He had seen this bond with his own eyes.

"This is also good..."

Ling Ying looked toward the direction of Xiao Yan's room, a trace of complex expectation flashing in his eyes.

"I only hope that you, brat Xiao Yan, can improve as quickly as possible with the help of that fortuitous encounter!"

"Otherwise—"

He paused, sighing inwardly.

"The hurdle of the Ancient Clan will not be easy to overcome!"

As one of the Eight Ancient Clans, the Ancient Clan had always valued bloodline and social standing.

Although Xiao Yan's talent was monstrous, without sufficient strength and background, wanting to gain the Ancient Clan's approval...

It would be difficult!

A mere Dou Wang cultivation level was far from enough!

Ling Ying shook his head, took one last look at Xiao Zhan's retreating figure in the distance as he hummed a little tune, and with a flash, vanished into the night in an instant.

Inside the room.

On the bed.

Xiao Yan quietly opened his eyes, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"So, he is Elder Ling?"

He muttered to himself.

The soul power that had just probed him, though instantly devoured by the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, had still been clearly sensed by him.

A soul fluctuation at the Dou Huang level.

Hidden in the shadows of the Xiao Family.

Loyal to Xiao Xun'er.

Who else could it be but Ling Ying?

"The Ten Thousand Soul Banner is truly a fine treasure."

Xiao Yan lowered his head to glance at the Black Banner hovering beside him, a flash of satisfaction in his eyes.

Under the power of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, even a Dou Huang expert like Old Ling could not pry into anything at all.

"I just wonder—"

Xiao Yan's gaze flickered.

"Will this Old Ling report the matter to Gu Yuan?"

He remembered that in the original story, Ling Ying was fiercely loyal to Xiao Xun'er, even willing to defy the Ancient Clan's orders for his young mistress.

But with Xiao Yan suddenly displaying such outrageous talent, would Ling Ying report it?

Xiao Yan was not certain.

"Forget it, no use dwelling on it."

Xiao Yan shook his head and closed his eyes once more.

"First, consolidate my cultivation and conserve my energy."

"Tomorrow—"

"There is still a good show to perform."

However—

Perhaps because Old Ling's intrusion had reminded him of the potential threat from the Ancient Clan, he found he had no heart left to settle down and cultivate.

"This won't do."

"I must find a way to increase my strength or secure some trump cards as soon as possible!"

The foundation of the Ancient Clan was truly terrifying!

Even though he was now a three-star Dou Huang, possessed the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and the Red Lotus Karma Fire, and had the help of Medicine Elder, the "old grandfather" in his ring, it was still far from enough compared to the "Ancient Clan" currently at its peak.

As for gambling on the promise Gu Yuan once made to the Xiao Family—that he would not move against them?

Xiao Yan dared not.

One had to remember, the Xiao Family was once a genuine Ancient Emperor Clan!

Even if they had fallen to such a state that they couldn't even be considered third-rate—with the highest cultivation in the clan being a mere Da Dou Shi and the highest-level techniques being only Xuan-tier—it shouldn't have happened just because Xiao Xuan failed to break through to the Dou Di realm.

Furthermore, Xiao Xuan had entrusted the Xiao Family to Gu Yuan's care back then. With an Emperor Clan like the Ancient Clan looking after them, who would have dared to target the Xiao Family?

Even if the Hun Clan might have been hunting the Xiao Family down, Gu Yuan was in his prime at that time, while Hun Tiandi had suffered severe injuries... coupled with the experts within the Ancient Clan, if the Ancient Clan had truly stepped in as per the "promise" made to Xiao Xuan, where would the Hun Clan or any other force have found the guts to deal with the Xiao Family?

Therefore, this could only prove one incredibly cruel truth—

The Xiao Family had been secretly wiped out by the Ancient Clan using some despicable means!

"If it weren't for the fact that they couldn't find the Xiao Family's 'Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade', I'm afraid this branch of the Xiao Family in Wutan City would have long since ceased to exist, right?"

Xiao Yan pondered to himself.

The night grew deeper.

Inside the room, crimson flames flickered slightly, illuminating the youth's handsome face.

The Ten Thousand Soul Banner hovered silently, wreathed in black mist, isolating all traces of aura.

"No!"

"Without the strength to contend with the Ancient Clan, I cannot relax for even a moment!"

Xiao Yan knew very well that if the Ancient Clan learned of his situation, they would likely assume he had obtained the "inheritance" of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor from the "Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade" and would definitely "invite" him to the Ancient Realm for tea.

"Old Ling might deliberately help hide it for Xiao Xun'er's sake."

"But—"

"Who can guarantee that Ling Ying is the Ancient Clan's only eye?"

In that instant, Xiao Yan thought of many things.

"Therefore..."

"System, I want to start a lucky draw!"

The only way forward was to use the system's point-based lottery to see if he could acquire more "good things" and increase his trump cards.

Ding--

[Host detected. You have one unused free Supreme-tier draw. Would you like to initiate the draw now?]

The Supreme-tier draw has a 99% success rate, with an extremely high probability of obtaining precious rewards!

Gazing at the various colorful, divine-light-shrouded prizes drifting behind the Supreme-tier draw option—items like the "Heaven Opening Axe," "Immortal Execution Sword Map," "Cangyuan Map," and "Ancestral Witch Essence Blood"...

Xiao Yan couldn't help but swallow hard, a glimmer of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

As expected of a one-million-point Supreme-tier draw, these... are all incredible treasures!