Xiao Clan Branch

Xiao Yan fell silent. He understood that on the World-Creation Continent, perhaps this truly was the best solution. When external forces could not be changed, the best course was to adapt to them.

"What exactly is in the Xiao Clan Branch? What are we supposed to do over these ten years?" Xiao Yan could not help asking Xiao Wanqing.

Perhaps because she had just failed to hold back her laughter, Xiao Wanqing did not refuse. She slowly said, "Originally, I wasn't allowed to tell you, but your situation is rather special, so I can tell you. But I need you to agree to one condition."

"What condition? You're not going to be like your sister and ask me to cut off a piece of flesh, then pay me back with pork, are you?" Xiao Yan asked Xiao Wanqing.

"What if I pay you back with beef? Besides, is your flesh even tastier than pork?" Xiao Wanqing replied as if possessed by a ghost.

Xiao Yan's expression grew uglier and uglier. He had truly gone looking for trouble for no reason. Why had he brought that up again? The two sisters really were cut from the same cloth.

"Go ahead and laugh. Once you're done, talk business." Xiao Yan could not help saying as he looked at Xiao Wanqing, whose face had turned red from holding back her laughter.

"First, you are still to find every possible excuse to refuse Yuting's request to detoxify me. Second, Yuting will enter the branch along with you. From that moment on, she will no longer be a noble. I hope you can take good care of Yuting for me and not let her suffer any grievances," Xiao Wanqing said.

"Didn't you say one condition?" Xiao Yan asked.

"My condition is that you agree unconditionally to these two conditions," Xiao Wanqing said.

"I think if we ever negotiate again, we should find you two sisters. Victory would be guaranteed. One can anger someone to death alive, while the other can devour people without even spitting out the bones," Xiao Yan said to Xiao Wanqing.

Xiao Wanqing merely smiled without refuting him. She had once transmitted her voice to Xiao Yan, telling him that with his current strength, even if he possessed Heavenly Fire, he could not cure her poison. She had been worried that Xiao Yuting might invite someone from the Xiao Clan to kill Xiao Yan and seize the Heavenly Fire. But judging from the current situation, there was no need to worry about that.

Xiao Wanqing also kept her promise and told Xiao Yan some things about the branch.

Other than those holding special positions, the people in the branch who had come to the World-Creation Continent were all from the three Super Lower Planes. Some of them came from continents rich in Emperor-Origin Qi, so their ages varied greatly. The Xiao Clan was still merciful toward children from Lower Planes, providing special institutions to train them. But once they passed twenty, they had to rejoin the adult Dou Emperors. However, after undergoing training, they would become the leaders there. Naturally, the Xiao Clan's education never lacked the ideology that nobles stood above all else.

There was fierce competition there. The Xiao Clan divided a year into two periods, and those in the same period lived together. A dedicated instructor guided them. At the branch, they were given only one meal a day, and each meal contained enough food for only eighty percent of them. In other words, twenty percent would go without food every day. Perhaps one or two days could be endured, but if one went hungry for too long, one would starve to death alive.

They could also choose to enter the forest and obtain food themselves, but then they would lose the Xiao Clan's protection. In other words, once they left the Xiao Clan Branch, whether they lived or died had nothing to do with the Xiao Clan. The Xiao Clan would not care whether they lived or died. At that point, they were merely candidates to become Xiao Clan members; no one would care about a candidate's life or death. After all, every year the Xiao Clan received thousands of Dou Emperors from Lower Planes.

At the same time, the branch also contained all kinds of buildings, such as the Alchemy Hall and the Battle Skill Pavilion. The most popular place in the branch was the Arena. There, they could settle their grudges, with life and death at their own risk. Outside the Arena, they could fight, but killing was forbidden, and anything destroyed had to be compensated for at double the price.

Xiao Clan Branch

In the end, Xiao Yan's conclusion was that this place was Jialan Academy's Inner Academy without Fire Energy or the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. Yet the competition here was more than ten times fiercer, and it was competition between continents. The cruelest part was that Xiao Yan would be like one person fighting five, isolated and without aid.

Back then, Xiao Yan had at least had Xun'er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao to help him establish a faction. Now, everything had to rely on himself. Yet Xiao Yan's eyes were once again filled with fighting spirit. So what if he was isolated and without aid? He had walked through so many storms alone before; how could he fear this because of that? Still, there was a trace of loss in his heart. A graceful figure in white appeared in his mind—the Little Doctor Fairy from Green Mountain Town. During the latter half of his journey on the Battle Qi Continent, the Little Doctor Fairy had accompanied him through almost all of it. When people were isolated and helpless, they always thought of their comrades-in-arms. Will we ever have another chance to fight together?

Xiao Yan was so lost in thought that he could no longer take in anything Xiao Wanqing said afterward.

"Xiao Yan, what's wrong? Are you still unable to adapt to the rules of the World-Creation Continent?" Xiao Wanqing spoke up, interrupting Xiao Yan's thoughts.

"No, I was only thinking about some things. Thank you. I understand what I should do now," Xiao Yan said.

Seeing this, Xiao Wanqing did not say anything more. The group began hurrying toward the Xiao Clan Branch. Before they arrived, they finally caught up with Xiao Yuting, and an enormous structure appeared before Xiao Yan.

It was difficult to imagine that the Xiao Clan had built such a structure in the middle of a forest like this.

Xiao Wanqing seemed to see through Xiao Yan's thoughts and smiled. "When the Xiao Clan pledged allegiance to that great clan, they gave this to the Xiao Clan. Otherwise, with the Xiao Clan's own strength, it would have been impossible to build it here."

Xiao Yan was helpless. So it had actually been a gift from someone else. For some reason, a pang of bitterness rose in his heart. Although he did not yet belong to the Xiao Clan, the thought of his own Lineage having to depend on others still made him deeply unhappy.

With Xiao Wanqing leading them, the group entered the branch smoothly. The accompanying people went off to handle their own affairs. Xiao Wanqing brought Xiao Yan and Xiao Yuting into the main hall. At this moment, there was only one old man in the hall. He was the Xiao Clan elder who had rushed over to provide aid that day, as well as the branch's chief person in charge—Elder Xiao Xuan.

"Elder Xiao Xuan, I've brought Yuting and Xiao Yan back," Xiao Wanqing said to the old man.

"Mhm. Wanqing, leave escort missions to others from now on. This task is no longer suitable for you. There are many other things in the Xiao Clan that you can do." Elder Xiao Xuan sighed. Back then, Xiao Wanqing had been the Xiao Clan's undisputed goddess. Whether in strength or beauty, she had eclipsed all the other women. Yet now, she could be bullied by several people who had only just arrived on the World-Creation Continent. How tragic.

"Wanqing understands." Xiao Wanqing still maintained her smile, but beneath it lay a faint sorrow. Xiao Yuting bit her red lips, her hands clenched tightly into fists.

"Good. Go rest for now. Tomorrow, I will send someone to escort you back to the Xiao Clan Headquarters. You may leave first," Elder Xiao Xuan said. Xiao Wanqing glanced at Xiao Yuting, then at Xiao Yan, before withdrawing.

Xiao Xuan looked at Xiao Yan and Xiao Yuting. "First, I thank you for protecting the Xiao Clan's dignity. But merit is merit, and fault is fault. From today onward, once you join the branch, you must follow the branch's rules. I do not care what status you have. In the branch, strength alone is king. Only strength can allow you to formally join the headquarters." Elder Xiao Xuan's words were naturally aimed mainly at Xiao Yuting.