Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain

"If I'm not mistaken, your flame should be Fallen Star Flame, ranked fifteenth on the Heavenly Fire list..." A man in splendid robes walked over from behind Xiao Yan, smiling as he spoke.

"Isn't that a name from the Otherworldly Flame list?" Xiao Yan asked in confusion. Fallen Heart Flame and Fallen Star Flame differed by only one word, yet the difference between them was as vast as heaven and earth. One was an Otherworldly Flame, while the other was a Heavenly Fire from World-Creation Continent.

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

"Murong Clan?" Xiao Yan sank into thought. If what he held truly was Fallen Star Flame, then why had it appeared on the Battle Qi Continent?

"Your strength is not bad, but you failed to seize the opportunity. If you had chosen to join the nobility today, your life would have been better. It would be best not to use Heavenly Fire lightly. 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.

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

"Miss originally wanted me to tell you, but I'm not in a very good mood today. So I won't say it. Maybe after Miss scolds me a couple of times tomorrow, my mood will improve." The man in splendid robes patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder before leaving.

When he had overheard Xiao Yuting and the others talking, he had become wary of Xiao Yan. He had happened to witness everything. He could not say that he disliked Xiao Yan, nor could he say that he liked him. He simply felt a degree of admiration for him.

"You're Huang Feng? Why..." Xiao Yan was utterly speechless before this man in splendid robes. Was there really a need to be so willful? Being scolded improved his mood? That was far too bizarre.

"If you had seen the moment Xiao Wanqing astonished 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 are interested in joining the nobility, you can come find me. That Xiao Ming has a powerful background in the Xiao Clan, but he cannot cover the sky with one hand. Although the Dragon Spirit and Phoenix Spirit Continents do not permit outsiders to join, they will still lend a hand to exceptional outsiders." Huang Feng left after speaking, leaving Xiao Yan with a belly full of questions.

"Looks like I have even more trouble now." Xiao Yan rubbed his head. He truly had the fate of a busy life. Seeing that he could not pry out any more information, Xiao Yan could only sit down where he was and familiarize himself with his abilities.

Xiao Yan and Huang Feng had not deliberately lowered their voices. Today, Xiao Yan had already been invited twice to join the nobility. Yet Xiao Yan had given no answer. Although they did not know what tangible benefits came with joining the nobility, judging from the attitudes of those nobles, if they wanted to enjoy anything, they had to join the nobility. Amid their envy, they entered a state of 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. "You're both 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 for 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."

"Enough, Yuting. We have proper business to attend to." Xiao Wanqing rolled her eyes at Xiao Yuting helplessly. "What happened yesterday was Wanqing's fault. Wanqing apologizes to you. But in the Xiao Clan, there are some rules that we can only obey even if they are unreasonable, because we cannot change them."

Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain

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

The five of them all fell silent. They knew that they understood nothing about this continent right now. The best thing they could do was keep their mouths shut and say nothing.

"Today, we will head to the Xiao Clan branch, Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain. You will have ten years to train at Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain. If, within those ten years, you can reach the Mid-Grade Emperor King Realm and defeat a noble who ascended at the same time as you, then you may officially register and join the Xiao Clan. But if... do your best." Xiao Wanqing still did not say the words that would break their hearts.

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

"Sorry, that falls outside the rules, so I can't tell you. If you can cure my sister, then perhaps if I'm in a good mood, I'll tell you." Xiao Yuting said.

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

"That truly cannot be said. But Wanqing will give you one sentence: Take one step back and the sea will be wide and the sky vast; endure for a moment and wind and waves will be still. There, you must learn patience." Xiao Wanqing said.

"Xiao Yan, how about you help my sister remove her poison? 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 shrugged helplessly and said nothing.

Seeing this, Xiao Wanqing also let out a sigh of relief. She had been afraid Xiao Yan would be unable to hold himself back and say it aloud.

"Alright, since everything has been dealt with, we can leave." Xiao Wanqing glared helplessly at Xiao Yuting, though she also liked this version of Xiao Yuting. She was no longer that silent girl.

"Miss, should we wait another day? Their injuries..." Huang Feng came before Xiao Wanqing and spoke softly.

"There's no need to wait. We brought this upon ourselves. We don't need Miss Wanqing's concern." Seeing Xiao Wanqing hesitate, one of them spoke up. After a day of reflection, they had also discovered that Xiao Wanqing was different from the other nobles, and their tone had improved considerably.

"Distribute the pills prepared for them. I'll go speak to that side." Xiao Wanqing thought for a moment before speaking to Huang Feng again.

"But, Miss..."

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

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

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 Magic Beasts here have reached the Peak Emperor King Realm. What we need to do is cross 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 of heaven again. I just wonder whether Miss Wanqing still has the same courage she had a year ago." An exceedingly gloomy voice rang out.

At those words, a trace of anxiety appeared on Xiao Wanqing's breathtakingly beautiful face. Meanwhile, Xiao Yuting's eyes turned bloodshot.