Late at night.
The moon shone bright, and few stars dotted the sky.
"What?"
"Father, you mean our Xiao Clan is going to attack the Jialie Clan tomorrow?"
"You're not joking, are you?"
Xiao Yan had been lying in bed, focusing on his recovery. The moment he heard that the Xiao Clan planned to attack the Jialie Clan the next day, he immediately rushed over to his father without a second thought.
Looking at his dignified father before him, he wanted to say, "Father, have you lost your mind?"
"When did our Xiao Clan ever become evenly matched with the Jialie Clan?"
"And now we're going to attack tomorrow?"
"How is that any different from throwing ourselves to the slaughter?"
He really wanted to urge his father to think it over carefully.
But the words reached his lips, and he swallowed them back down.
Because he knew that one reason the Xiao Clan was going after the Jialie Clan was because of him.
If Jialie Ao hadn't injured him, his father wouldn't be in such a hurry to move against the Jialie Clan.
"Yan'er, don't worry. The decision to attack the Jialie Clan was made after discussion by the entire Xiao Clan."
"Though I am the clan leader, I can't dictate the will of the entire clan."
Xiao Zhan patted Xiao Yan's shoulder with satisfaction. His son had finally grown up and learned to consider things from the clan's perspective.
Good, good!
He could certainly take over from him and become the next Xiao Clan leader!
"Father, the Jialie Clan has been established in Wutan City for over a thousand years, while our Xiao Clan has been here for only a century."
"Isn't acting this way a little too hasty?"
Deep concern still lingered on Xiao Yan's face.
He had no objection to taking on the Jialie Clan, but wasn't the preparation time far too short?
They were attacking tomorrow?
How was that any different from blindly going all in?
For a matter that concerned the survival of an entire clan, shouldn't they think it over carefully for a long time?
"Yan'er, don't worry. The decision to attack the Jialie Clan was also approved by our esteemed ancestor," Xiao Zhan said with a smile.
"Oh? Will the esteemed ancestor fight tomorrow?" Xiao Yan felt a little relieved.
From his teacher, Elder Yao, he already knew the esteemed ancestor's strength.
A Dou Huang expert.
If he was willing to act, the Jialie Clan could be wiped out with a flick of his finger.
"No!" Xiao Zhan shook his head. "The esteemed ancestor won't act tomorrow."
"What? The esteemed ancestor won't act?" Xiao Yan's heart, which had just settled, immediately leapt back into his throat. He was about to say something else when his father continued.
"Although the esteemed ancestor doesn't plan to act, he bestowed this sword upon me."
"He said that we can use it to break through the Jialie Clan tomorrow!"
As he spoke, he placed the Taixiao Sword, which Xiao Ze had given him, in front of Xiao Yan.
The moment Xiao Yan's gaze fell on the long sword, Elder Yao's voice suddenly rang out from the depths of his sea of consciousness. "A sixth-tier sword?!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk—"
"Little Yanzi, this ancestor of yours is no ordinary man!"
"There probably aren't even a few weapons of this level in the entire Jia Ma Empire."
Hearing Elder Yao's words, Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Teacher, what's a sixth-tier sword?"
"A sixth-tier sword... How should I put it?" Elder Yao fell silent for a moment, then said, "Weapons in this world are divided into nine tiers. You can think of a sixth-tier sword as the exclusive weapon of a Dou Huang expert."
"But ordinary Dou Huang experts don't have a sixth-tier weapon at their disposal."
"A single sixth-tier weapon is valuable enough to buy several Wutan Cities!"
Hearing his teacher's answer, Xiao Yan's eyes widened, and he sucked in a sharp breath.
This ordinary-looking long sword right before him—
It could actually buy several Wutan Cities???
How terrifying! How truly terrifying!
After marveling silently for a moment, he suddenly thought of something and hurriedly asked, "Teacher, can a single weapon really help us defeat the Jialie Clan?"
As soon as the words left his mouth,
Elder Yao's mocking laughter rang out from the depths of his sea of consciousness.
"You brat, what are you thinking?"
"No matter how powerful a weapon is, it's still just a weapon!"
"Without someone wielding it, it's a dead object. How could it possibly fight for you?"
"Ah?" At those words, the hopeful light in Xiao Yan's eyes gradually dimmed. His voice carried a hint of disappointment. "So what the ancestor said was a lie!"
"Who said it was a lie?" Elder Yao's voice rang out again, soft and measured.
"Didn't you just say that, Teacher?" Xiao Yan furrowed his brow.
"I only said a weapon can't fight on its own. I never said it couldn't kill anyone." A trace of amusement crept into Elder Yao's voice.
"If my senses aren't mistaken, this seventh-tier sword contains a sword aura infused into it by your ancestor."
"Just activate it, and forget a mere Jialie Clan—even ten Jialie Clans would have no choice but to wait obediently for death."
"So, in a sense, what your Xiao Clan's ancestor said wasn't false."
"This sword really can help you defeat that Jialie Clan!"
After hearing Elder Yao's words, Xiao Yan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, settled back into his stomach. So that was the purpose behind the esteemed ancestor bestowing the sword.
That made sense. With the esteemed ancestor's formidable strength as a Dou Huang, he really didn't need to act in person.
A single sword in his hand was enough—
"Yan'er, Yan'er?"
Just as Xiao Yan had fixed all his attention on the Taixiao Sword before him, his father's call brought him back to his senses.
"Yan'er, did you sense anything amiss about this sword?" Xiao Zhan asked with a frown.
"No," Xiao Yan replied with a smile and a shake of his head. "I was thinking that since the esteemed ancestor left this sword with you, it means he's very confident about tomorrow's battle."
"Of course. The esteemed ancestor's strength is unfathomable. He must have had his reasons for bestowing this sword upon me. We, his descendants, need only obey."
Xiao Zhan was quite glad that this ancestor had suddenly appeared in the Xiao Clan.
After all, as the saying went, the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility.
He had once been the Xiao Clan's leader, and his cultivation had been the strongest in the clan, so he had borne the burden of many hardships alone.
Perhaps only he himself understood how heavy that pressure had been.
But things were different now. The Xiao Clan had gained a powerful ancestor.
For him, that was undoubtedly wonderful news.
From now on, all those major matters concerning the clan's survival that he shouldered could be dumped on the esteemed ancestor all at once.
At last, he could free himself of the burden.
Looking at his father's relaxed expression, a few smiles spread across Xiao Yan's face as well. Thinking of tomorrow's battle, he spoke up. "Father, there's something I'd like to say, but I don't know if I should."
Xiao Zhan smiled and waved his hand. "Must you be so polite with your own father?"
"Just say it. I'll agree to it!"
"Then I'll say it." Xiao Yan took a deep breath, his expression turning solemn. "Father, I want to take part in tomorrow's battle too!"
"What?!!!"
Before you continue