Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain

"If I'm not mistaken, your flame should be Fallen Star Flame, ranked fifteenth on the Heavenly Fire Ranking..." A man in splendid robes walked over from behind Xiao Yan and spoke to him with a smile.

"Isn't that a name from the Heavenly Flame Ranking?" Xiao Yan asked in confusion. Fallen Heart Flame and Fallen Star Flame differed by only one word, yet they were worlds apart. One was a Heavenly Flame, while the other was a Heavenly Fire from World-Creation Continent.

"Heavenly Flame Ranking? I don't know about that. Legend has it that this flame was in the hands of an unparalleled genius from the Murong Clan a hundred thousand years ago, but for some reason, that genius vanished without leaving any news behind. If I didn't know you came from a Lower Plane, I would definitely think you were that Murong Clan genius," the man in splendid robes said to Xiao Yan.

"The Murong Clan?" Xiao Yan fell into thought. If what he possessed really was Fallen Star Flame, why had it appeared in Battle Qi Continent?

"Your strength isn't bad, but you failed to seize the opportunity. If you had chosen to join the nobility today, your life would have been better. It's best not to use Heavenly Fire so casually. If word gets out, a group of nobles will come from the Xiao Clan Headquarters to Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain to find you." The man in splendid robes glanced toward Xiao Yuting's room.

"The Xiao Clan Headquarters? Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain?" Xiao Yan asked, puzzled.

"Miss originally wanted me to tell you, but I'm not in a good mood today. So I won't say anything. Maybe if Miss scolds me a couple of times tomorrow, I'll feel better." The man in splendid robes patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder before leaving.

After hearing Xiao Yuting and the others' conversation, he had begun to keep an eye on Xiao Yan. He had happened to witness everything. He neither disliked nor liked Xiao Yan, but he had developed a bit of admiration for him.

"You're Huang Feng? Why..." Xiao Yan was utterly speechless toward this man in splendid robes. Was there really any need to be so willful? Feeling better after being scolded was far too bizarre.

"If you had seen the moment Xiao Wanqing dazzled the Xiao Clan, you would feel that even being scolded by her was a kind of happiness. I am Huang Feng of the Dragon-Phoenix Army. If you're interested in joining the nobility, you can come find me. That Xiao Ming has powerful backing in the Xiao Clan, but he cannot cover the sky with one hand. Although Dragon Spirit and Phoenix Spirit do not allow outsiders to join, they will still help outstanding outsiders." Huang Feng left after saying that, leaving Xiao Yan full of questions.

"Looks like I've got even more trouble now." Xiao Yan rubbed his head. He really was born to be busy. Seeing that he could not learn anything more, Xiao Yan could only sit down where he was and familiarize himself with his abilities.

Xiao Yan and Huang Feng had not deliberately kept their conversation quiet. Xiao Yan had been invited to join the nobility twice today, yet he had given no answer either time. Although they did not know what tangible benefits came with joining the nobility, judging by those nobles' attitudes, they understood that if they wanted to enjoy such treatment, they had to join the nobility. Amid their envy, they entered cultivation.

The next morning, Xiao Yan opened his eyes and saw that Huang Feng's group had already come out.

Xiao Yuting and Xiao Wanqing were watching him from not far away. Xiao Yan awkwardly rubbed his nose and said, "You're really diligent, getting up so early to cultivate."

Xiao Yuting walked straight up to Xiao Yan and said, "My sister and I have waited for you so long. If you can't cure my sister's poison, I'll cripple your battle qi, erase your memories, and make you my poison-testing subject."

"That's enough, Yuting. We have more important matters to attend to." Xiao Wanqing helplessly rolled her eyes at Xiao Yuting and said, "What happened yesterday was Wanqing's fault. Wanqing apologizes to all of you. But in the Xiao Clan, there are some rules that we can only obey even if they are unreasonable and beyond our power to change."

Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain

"The Xiao Clan is actually a family led by the Xiao Clan and composed of five or six smaller clans. Therefore, even if your surname is not Xiao, you are still members of the Xiao Clan. As for erasing memories, it is not something just anyone can do. And whether the Xiao Clan's Elders' Council consists of people from other continents is something you will naturally understand if you ever get the chance to join the Xiao Clan." The smile on Xiao Wanqing's face seemed somewhat more sincere today than it had been yesterday.

The five of them fell silent. They knew that they understood nothing about this continent, so the best thing they could do now was keep quiet.

"Today, we will head to the Xiao Clan branch, Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain. You will have ten years of training there. If, within those ten years, you can reach the Mid-Grade Emperor King Realm and defeat a noble who arrived at the same time as you, you may officially register and join the Xiao Clan. But if..." Xiao Wanqing still did not say the words that would hurt them.

"Then what exactly are we supposed to do at Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain, and what rules must we follow?" Xiao Yan asked. Of the five of them, perhaps only Xiao Yan dared to speak to them like this.

"Sorry, that is beyond what the rules allow me to say. If you can cure my sister, perhaps I'll tell you when I'm in a good mood," Xiao Yuting said.

Xiao Yan was helpless. This Xiao Yuting seemed determined to find every possible way to make him help Xiao Wanqing.

"That truly cannot be said. However, Wanqing will give you one piece of advice: take a step back and the sea will be wide and the sky vast; endure for a moment and the wind and waves will calm. There, you must learn patience," Xiao Wanqing said.

"Xiao Yan, how about you help cure my sister's poison? In exchange, I can help you find the medicinal ingredients you need for alchemy at Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain." Xiao Yuting cast aside her usual silence and spoke to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan helplessly shrugged and said nothing.

Xiao Wanqing sighed in relief when she saw this. She had been afraid that Xiao Yan would not be able to hold himself back and say it.

"Alright, since everything has been settled, we can leave." Xiao Wanqing helplessly glared at Xiao Yuting, though she liked Xiao Yuting this way too. She was no longer that silent girl.

"Miss, should we wait another day? Their injuries..." Huang Feng walked up to Xiao Wanqing and spoke softly.

"There's no need to wait. We brought this upon ourselves. There is no need for Miss Wanqing to worry about us." Seeing Xiao Wanqing hesitate, someone spoke up. After a day of thought, they had also realized that Xiao Wanqing was different from the other nobles, and their manner of speaking had improved considerably.

"Distribute the prepared medicinal pills to them. I'll go explain things over there." After thinking for a moment, Xiao Wanqing spoke to Huang Feng again.

"But, Miss..."

"Enough. Let them suffer a little too, or they'll really think they're the boss," Xiao Wanqing said.

The medicinal pills were redistributed. This time, they did not refuse. From Xiao Wanqing's instructions, they could tell that Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain was no paradise for them. No one wanted to gamble with their own life. Of course, their favorable impression of Xiao Wanqing also rose greatly.

Three days later, under Xiao Wanqing's lead, the group passed through a teleportation array and arrived in a dense forest.

"This is a stretch of the Magic Beast Mountains. The strongest Devil Beasts here have reached the Peak Emperor King Realm. What we need to do is pass through the forest and reach the Xiao Clan's territory," Xiao Wanqing told everyone.

"Hehe, I didn't expect to run into the Xiao Clan's favored daughter again. I just wonder whether Miss Wanqing still has the same courage she had a year ago." A particularly gloomy voice rang out.

Upon hearing those words, a trace of anxiety appeared on Xiao Wanqing's exquisite face. Meanwhile, Xiao Yuting's eyes reddened.