Yi Huang's Warning

Meanwhile, Yi Huang, who had no idea she had already been thoroughly arranged by a group of elders, was diligently helping the Xiao Clan members raise their strength.

A few days after the Xiao Clan arrived in Wutan City, the Xiao Clan members once again began their blissful, cheat-like lives.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she had been busy for so long, constantly using the Heavenly Flame to help these Xiao Clan members, who had taken large amounts of pills, deal with the aftereffects.

Even though she was already a Five Star Dou Zun now, she still found such enormous consumption somewhat hard to endure.

"This should be the last batch," Yi Huang silently calculated inwardly.

Then she turned and instructed the Xiao Clan members, "You've broken through far too many realms in such a short time.

"You've also taken a bit too many pills. Although I used the Heavenly Flame to purify your Dou Qi, for the next five years, you cannot take any more pills that promote strength growth.

"And you must go through a great deal of combat to help you master your own cultivation."

The Xiao Clan members, who had originally thought themselves rather invincible in the Jia Ma Empire after rising to the Dou Wang and Dou Huang Realms, saw Yi Huang's stern expression.

They all corrected their attitudes in unison. "Yes."

Then, sensing the heavy atmosphere, Yi Huang suddenly smiled. "But you don't need to worry. Your ancestor has already prepared a training ground for you."

That strange smile made everyone feel a chill.

After everyone dispersed, Yi Huang said to Xiao Zhan:

"You're already a Dou Huang now. As your elder, I still have to give you a greeting gift."

Xiao Zhan refused. "Senior, you've already gifted me two One Origin Pills to lay the foundation for Xiao Ding and his brother. I have yet to repay such great kindness, so how could I accept another gift from you?" His expression was solemn.

"Eh," Yi Huang said indifferently. "Those were for your sons, not for you. If I tell you to take it, then take it. Besides, since you regard me as an elder, what does this count for? Don't decline."

Without waiting for Xiao Zhan to refuse, Yi Huang directly struck his chest with her palm.

Feeling that scorching aura inside his body, his Dou Qi was continuously consumed, gradually turning pure from its original mottled state. Xiao Zhan's expression was complicated.

"Many thanks for your gift, Senior."

"No need to thank me. You're still the head of a clan, after all. You can't have the same cultivation as an ordinary clan member.

"This Heavenly Flame Seed should be enough for you to cultivate to Dou Zong. Work hard, strengthen the Xiao Clan, and don't disappoint that guy Xiao Han."

"Yes."

"Also, remember to gather the other Xiao Clan members above Dou Zhe and send them out in separate groups to train in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Xiao Han has already made the arrangements.

"You only need to leave behind a small number of clan members and maintain the necessary family defenses.

"As for those clan members who have already broken through to Dou Wang and Dou Huang, he will secretly arrange for them to go to the Central Region, Langya Pavilion for training in a year, so you can witness the experts of the Central Region.

"All of this must be kept strictly secret from the younger members of the Xiao Clan. You can provide them with resources, but you cannot let them realize the Xiao Clan's strength. Understood?"

"Yes." Xiao Zhan understood very clearly the principle that children spoke without caution. If the Xiao Clan's secrets were exposed by a group of little fellows and drew the attention of powerful enemies, there would be nowhere to regret it.

Yi Huang spoke to Xiao Zhan earnestly:

"You all have to live up to expectations. Although we can raise you to Dou Wang, Dou Huang, or even the Dou Zong and Dou Zun realms, "in the end, what you cultivate by yourselves is still the best. In this regard, there will never be any shortcuts."

Then she paused, her tone carrying a trace of melancholy.

"Although it isn't suitable for me to say this, I still hope you can spare him some worry.

"Everyone in the world knows his talent is outstanding, that he became a Dou Zun Peak before the age of forty, but behind that, he paid even more. In my impression, "Xiao Han was always cultivating, always training. He never stopped, or rather, he didn't dare stop.

"Back then, even with us around him, his heart was always lonely.

"It's only now that he already has cultivation close to the peak of the continent, and it's become difficult for his strength to improve, that he has the time and mood to relax a little.

"And even then, he still has to work hard for you clan members."

Seeing that the atmosphere had been set almost perfectly, Yi Huang made her conclusion:

"The Xiao Clan's rise is not something Xiao Han can accomplish alone. I won't say much more about the rest. You understand it yourself..."

"That's all..."

She left Xiao Zhan standing there, deep in thought.

"Mm, this dose of motivational soup should have worked pretty well." When Yi Huang returned to her room, her Soul Strength covered the Xiao Clan, and she discovered Xiao Zhan standing motionless in place. She immediately smiled in satisfaction.

What she had said just now was partly true and partly false. Xiao Han had indeed broken through to Peak Dou Zun before the age of forty, and he had put in enormous effort for it, also suffering no small amount of hardship.

But it had not been as miserable as she described. That fellow Xiao Han's luck was heaven-defying. While suffering hardship, he always managed to come across plenty of good things like Ruins, just like this secret realm of his.

Because of this, Xiao Han's strength had increased especially quickly. Of the wealth, methods, land, and companions needed for cultivation, he lacked none of the first three. Only when it came to a partner was he stubbornly unenlightened, though he had recently gathered that too.

She said this merely to put a little pressure on Xiao Han's juniors. She did not know why Xiao Han had such confidence in that group of juniors.

He had always firmly believed that among them, there would appear someone capable of contending with the Soul Clan. But since he insisted, Yi Huang simply went along with him.

So she did not hope that these juniors of the Xiao Clan would disappoint Xiao Han, and thus made Xiao Han's experiences sound a little more miserable.

As for Xiao Zhan, he was indeed pondering Yi Huang's words.

To be honest, in less than a month, Xiao Zhan had experienced great rises and falls, and had long since developed a strong heart. He had matured quite a bit as well.

But faced with the temptation of his soaring strength, he could not help losing himself in it, and had even wanted to simply keep going like this.

After all, his many years of cultivation could not even compare to the gains he had made in these past few days, which gradually left him inclined to just slack off.

However, as the clan head, he was also more clear-headed when it came to strength.

If cultivation truly had such a shortcut, then there would not still be people fighting desperately to become stronger, even resorting to any means necessary and daring to do all kinds of things that broke through their Bottom Line.

That was why he had maintained restraint. But the same could not be said for the ordinary clansmen. He had already noticed a few signs.

Putting aside the fact that, because their strength had risen too quickly, they could not control it, and there were often cases of clansmen's auras running wild and almost threatening others—

Even worse, some clansmen had truly sunk into it, not even bothering with cultivation anymore, carrying an air of laziness and leisure.

Presumably, even Senior could not stand to watch this situation continue. If it was not corrected, it would absolutely become even more serious in the future.

Senior was right. The Xiao Clan relying on Great-Uncle alone was far from enough. To forge iron, one had to be strong oneself.

And Uncle Xiao Han had already sacrificed so much for us. How could we blindly rely on the old man? Wouldn't that make us parasites?

At that thought, Xiao Zhan clenched his right fist and slammed it hard into his left palm. He strode away, preparing to go "reason with and have a heart-to-heart" with those fellows who had gotten carried away, letting them experience the clan head's concern.