"Elder Mang."
Xiao Yan's expression softened a little, and he bowed slightly.
When out in the world, a little humility was still necessary.
"That lad Su Qian told me everything. We will remember your kindness to our Jia Nan Academy until our dying breath." Mang Tianchi smilingly studied Xiao Yan and Nine Nether, who stood before him.
"I knew it. How could a peak seventh-grade alchemist not have a Dou Zun expert protecting him? I was the one who acted rashly."
"This is Nine Nether, a divine beast linked to me through a bloodline bond. She comes from a world beyond this one," Xiao Yan introduced her.
"Beyond this world?"
Mang Tianchi's pupils contracted sharply. Even he struggled to maintain his composure now. This likely touched upon the secrets of the Dou Di. All those Dou Di had disappeared together back then, and even after poring over the Lei Clan's secret records, he had never uncovered the truth.
"Indeed." Xiao Yan smiled.
"Speaking of which, I visited your Xiao Clan back then and witnessed its golden age. Xiao Xuan, Xiao Chen, and the others were still around then. The Xiao Clan, Soul Clan, and Gu Clan stood like the three legs of a tripod. Now, a thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye, as though blue seas had turned into mulberry fields. Yet I never imagined that the Xiao Clan, having lost its Dou Di bloodline, could still produce a young fellow like you. It truly stirs a thousand feelings..." Mang Tianchi sighed softly.
"The Xiao Clan? One of the Ancient Eight Clans?"
Even Su Qian's pupils abruptly contracted as he turned a startled gaze toward Xiao Yan. As Jia Nan Academy's First Elder, he had been raised and trained by Mang Tianchi from childhood. Through constant