Battle Through the Heavens: Flame Emperor, Please Restrain Yourself—Your Brother Is Really Quite Plainspoken, Chapter 2

After casually leaving behind a remark, Zhang Yuan strode through the gates of Xiao Manor with the bearing of a dragon and tiger.

The guards who recognized his identity naturally did not stop him. Instead, they all became even more alert.

Only after Zhang Yuan and his group had disappeared ahead did someone ask Xiao Boyuan, "Brother Boyuan, what pill did Young Master Zhang Yuan give you?"

"Anything Young Master Zhang Yuan gives won't be bad. Even if it were only a First-grade Blood-Healing Pill, it would still be a great kindness." Xiao Boyuan gave a light rebuke, but he still opened the bottle and took a sniff.

The next moment, his eyes widened in shock. It's actually a Second-grade Thunder-Pattern Pill!

On the Dou Qi Continent, medicinal pills were divided into nine grades. First-grade pills were mostly used to treat external injuries, while second-grade pills corresponded to Dou Zhes and Dou Shis. Only third-grade pills could truly be considered proper medicinal pills.

Slightly higher-end were fourth-grade pills, such as the Qi Gathering Powder, which could guarantee that someone at Nine-stage Dou Qi would break through to become a Dou Zhe, and the Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill, which could allow a peak Dou Shi to break through to Da Dou Shi.

Above those were Dou Ling Pills, Huang Ji Pills, Sect Breaking Pills, and more.

The Thunder-Pattern Pill was hailed as the strongest second-grade pill because it could increase a peak Dou Zhe's chance of breaking through by thirty percent.

Since this pill's effects were not especially outstanding, its refinement difficulty was extremely high, and its materials were uniquely rare, few alchemists were willing to refine it. Even so, its price was comparable to that of a third-grade pill.

"Th-this..."

If he had not been standing guard, Xiao Boyuan would have wanted to kowtow toward the gate several times.

This pill from Zhang Yuan might change the fate of his entire life.

At that moment, a wave of discussion rose from the street.

"That horse is huge. Could it be a magical beast?"

"It's a Silver-Horned Black Rhinoceros Horse, the offspring of a second-tier magical beast, the Silver-Horned Rhinoceros, and a first-tier magical beast, the Black Cloud Horse. It's worth a fortune."

"Gasp, there are dozens of them. Who are these people?"

"You don't even know that? They're the Black Armored Guard, one of the Empire's ten great legions—the elite among elites. Their numbers have always been fixed at ten thousand, and they are directly commanded by one of the Dou Wang lords stationed at the Empire's three great southern border fortresses. They have earned countless merits."

"Why would the Black Armored Guard come to the Xiao Clan in Wutan City?"

"You really are hard of hearing. The person leading them is called Zhang Yuan."

"Zhang Yuan? That name sounds familiar."

"One of the Twin Pride of the Xiao Family—the relative who became a Dou Zhe at twelve!"

"Him? I heard Zhang Yuan died on the battlefield long ago."

"Clearly, that was only a rumor. Not only did he not die, he even joined the Black Armored Guard, which requires at least Seven-star Dou Zhe to enter."

"A sixteen-year-old Seven-star Dou Zhe? Gasp~"

Hearing these remarks, mockery flashed through the eyes of both the Black Armored Guard soldiers watching the horses and Xiao Boyuan standing guard at the gate.

Seven-star Dou Zhe?

Even they could not compare to him. How could someone like that possibly stand shoulder to shoulder with Zhang Yuan?

Meanwhile, inside the Xiao Clan's main hall, the people from the Misty Cloud Sect exchanged pleasantries with the Xiao Clan's upper ranks before stating the purpose of their visit.

It turned out that when the Xiao Clan had still been a Dou Wang family in the Imperial Capital, it had enjoyed friendly relations with the Nalan Family, another Dou Wang family. They had even arranged a childhood betrothal, which had fallen upon Xiao Yan.

Now, however, Nalan Yanran, the girl betrothed to Xiao Yan, had been accepted as a disciple by the Misty Cloud Sect's leader due to her considerable talent, and she had come to annul the engagement.

"Annul the engagement?"

As Xiao Yan's father and the clan chief, Xiao Zhan clenched his fist. The jade cup in his hand exploded into dust.

The entire hall fell silent. The looks everyone gave Xiao Yan carried sympathy, as well as resentment toward Nalan Yanran and the people from the Misty Cloud Sect.

You could annul the engagement if you wanted, but making such a grand show of it and having all the clan's upper ranks and elite disciples witness it—wasn't that just rubbing it in our faces and humiliating us outright?

The three Xiao Clan elders beside Xiao Zhan also looked extremely grim.

There might be some friction and competition within the clan, but when facing outsiders, they had to stand united.

"Was this the Nalan Family's decision, or yours?" Xiao Zhan looked at Nalan Yanran.

Her heart jolted. She did not dare raise her head, instead lowering it deeply. The answer was obvious.

"Clan Chief Xiao, this old man knows that this request is somewhat unreasonable, but for the sake of our sect leader, please dissolve the engagement!" Ge Ye, the Misty Cloud Sect elder accompanying Nalan Yanran, spoke with a trace of sympathy.

In a world where strength reigned supreme, how could the personal disciple of the Misty Cloud Sect leader be matched with a mere pheasant?

Roar!

Xiao Zhan said nothing. His fists clenched tightly as faint green Dou Qi covered his body, and an illusory lion's head gradually formed around his face.

The Xiao Clan's top-tier technique: Mysterious Tier Mid-grade, Raging Lion's Fury!

Ge Ye's expression shifted slightly. Greenish-purple Dou Qi also gathered around his body, while a phantom eagle claw condensed around his hand, emitting fine yet sharp sword qi.

A profound technique of the Misty Cloud Sect: Mysterious Tier Low-grade, Azure Wood Sword Art!

As the two Da Dou Shis confronted each other, the powerful airwaves made the weaker people in the hall turn pale, as though a boulder were pressing down on their chests.

"Clan Chief!"

Seeing Xiao Zhan's aura grow increasingly violent, the Xiao Clan's Great Elder called out.

The matter was indeed infuriating, but the Xiao Clan did not have the strength to confront the Misty Cloud Sect.

Xiao Zhan also knew that he was not only Xiao Yan's father, but also the clan leader of the Xiao family.

Over the years, he had often used his authority to give Xiao Yan special treatment. At a time like this, he could not neglect the clan.

He withdrew his Dou Qi and seemed to age considerably in an instant. No longer looking at Nalan Yanran, he said indifferently, "Niece Nalan, what courage. Nalan Su truly raised a fine daughter!"

Nalan Yanran's delicate body suddenly trembled. For an instant, she felt that she might have done something wrong.

But when she thought of being married off to someone she had never met, she, who wanted control over her own life, felt that she had done nothing wrong.

"Thank you for your understanding, Clan Leader Xiao."

Seeing that Xiao Zhan had tacitly accepted it, Ge Ye revealed a satisfied smile and said, "This time, the Sect Master also knew that this request was somewhat impolite, so he had me bring an item as compensation for young friend Xiao Yan!"

As he spoke, Ge Ye took a jade box with a faint green sheen from his Storage Ring.

When he opened the box, a strange fragrance swiftly spread through the hall, drawing many gazes.

Inside the box was a jade-green medicinal pill the size of a longan.

The Third Elder of the Xiao family's pupils contracted. "Qi Gathering Powder!"

On the Dou Qi Continent, to become a Dou Zhe, one first had to condense a Dou Qi Vortex within the body. This was the first step separating mortals from cultivators, and it held back half the people in the world.

At nine-stage Dou Qi, one could condense a Dou Qi Vortex, but there was also a chance of failure. Failure would cause one to fall back to the eighth stage. If one's talent and foundation were insufficient, or if one was simply unlucky, they might fail over a dozen times in a row. Not only would they lose the best period for cultivation, they might remain that way for life.

The Qi Gathering Powder, however, could allow someone at nine-stage Dou Qi to condense a Dou Qi Vortex with absolute certainty. Truly wealthy clans and powerful sects would prepare this item for their elite disciples.

With the Xiao family's resources, they could naturally afford it. But compared with the number of clan disciples, or even the number of elite disciples, it was far from enough.

When the three elders of the Xiao family thought of their own direct descendants, they were tempted by this pill. But the broken engagement was Xiao Yan's wound. It was one thing that they could not help him, but they would not go so far as to rub salt into that wound.

No one spoke, yet Xiao Zhan's expression grew increasingly livid.

Xiao Yan, who had long been suppressing his rage in the corner, could no longer endure it. He stood up, about to explode.

At that moment, a thunderous boom suddenly rang out from the entrance.

A purple blur flashed, and a figure had already appeared in the center of the hall.

Other than Xiao Zhan, Ge Ye, and Xun Er, no one could see the newcomer's movements clearly.

"On this Dou Qi Continent, any respectable clan or sect knows to offer courtesy before resorting to force."

"Your Misty Cloud Sect is quite impressive. First, you force my Xiao family to break off the engagement, then you bring out this so-called compensation. How is that any different from dismissing a beggar?"

"Misty Cloud Sect, what arrogance!"

"Anyone who didn't know better might think this Jia Ma Empire already bears the surname Yun!"

The unexpected arrival spoke slowly, his voice booming like thunder in everyone's ears.

Every member of the Xiao family had a darker expression, because they realized that the newcomer was right.

Ge Ye's smile froze, because the accusation was far too serious.

His expression shifted slightly as he said, "Who are you? I am discussing matters with the Xiao family's clan leader. What right do you have to interrupt?"

Looking at the newcomer, Xiao Zhan's hands trembled, and his tiger-like eyes grew slightly moist. "Yuan'er, you... you're back!"

"Uncle, it has been a long time. You have grown somewhat more weathered." Zhang Yuan smiled faintly at Xiao Zhan and clasped his fists.

At this point, everyone present recognized Zhang Yuan.

"Cousin!" Xiao Yan's face filled with surprise, and he even forgot his anger.

Xun Er, who had been immersed in her own world all this time, had raised her head at some point. A smile touched her lips, and her eyes were full of joy.

The younger members of the Xiao family were even more excited.

"It's Cousin Zhang Yuan!"

"Cousin Zhang Yuan is back!"

"What disciple of the Misty Cloud Sect's Sect Master? In Cousin Zhang Yuan's eyes, she's nothing but a worthless nobody."

"Cousin Zhang Yuan's talent is among the rarest in the entire Jia Ma Empire."

"Cousin Zhang Yuan has become even more handsome. I wonder how he has been these past few years."

"I wonder what star Dou Zhe Cousin Zhang Yuan is now. Has he already broken through to Dou Master?"

"."

The young people were like fanatical admirers meeting their idol in person, ecstatic beyond measure.

At this moment, after carefully examining Zhang Yuan, Nalan Yanran also said in surprise, "Brother Zhang!"

Ge Ye:?

Xiao Zhan and the others:?

Zhang Yuan: "."