Breaking Through to Dou Di

Xiao Xuan looked at Yao Chen, whose attitude was reasonably sincere and who had explained why he had secretly absorbed Xiao Yan's Dou Qi.

Xiao Xuan said, "To think you're actually from the Yao Clan. Interesting."

Xiao Xuan released Yao Chen.

The Yao Clan and the Xiao Clan were both among the Eight Ancient Clans, and their relationship back then had been fairly good.

Yao Chen's current plight also reminded Xiao Xuan of the Xiao Clan's present circumstances.

Both had once been glorious and were now fallen, and the Hun Clan's shadow lurked behind both their misfortunes.

Yao Chen and the present Xiao Clan could be considered fellow wanderers fallen on hard times at the ends of the earth.

Moreover, Xiao Xuan could tell that although Yao Chen had absorbed Xiao Yan's Dou Qi for three years, he had exercised restraint. He had never truly intended to harm Xiao Yan, merely absorbing a little Dou Qi to sustain his soul form.

After all, with Yao Chen's abilities and resources as a Dou Zun, if he had truly wanted to restore his soul form quickly, he would not have needed to absorb Xiao Yan's Dou Qi for three years. He could have drained Xiao Yan dry in one go, and even possessing his body was not beyond him.

Taking that into account, Xiao Xuan spared him.

Just then, another system notification sounded in Xiao Xuan's ears.

"An eighth-tier alchemist with immense growth potential, Yao Chen, has been detected. Host, please bring him under your command and keep him in the Xiao Clan. He can provide high-tier pills for the Xiao Clan and help it grow rapidly."

"Complete the mission to receive rewards: [Upgraded Xiao Clan Inherited Cultivation Method-Xiao Clan Imperial Silence Heart Sutra], [Ninth-Tier Soul-Restoring Golden Pill], [Dou Di Points +1,000]!"

The system had issued another mission.

This time, the system wanted Xiao Xuan to keep Yao Chen in the Xiao Clan and have him work for the clan, refining pills to accelerate its advancement.

This really is a good thing, Xiao Xuan thought.

After all, a thousand years later, the Xiao Clan's foundations were now far too weak, and it did not even have a proper alchemist.

Although Xiao Xuan could also refine pills, he was a Nine-Star Dou Sheng and the Xiao Clan's patriarch. Surely he could not spend every idle day personally refining pills for these Xiao Clan juniors to consume?

Bringing an eighth-tier alchemist like Yao Chen under his command would indeed be immensely useful.

Moreover, Yao Chen had said that he had left the Yao Clan in his early years. Alone and without the Yao Clan's formal inheritance, he had explored the path of alchemy and become an eighth-tier alchemist entirely through his own efforts. Clearly, he was an alchemical genius.

It was fair to say that Yao Chen would surely become a ninth-tier alchemist in the future, and ninth-tier alchemists were rare even in the Central Plains and in the Yao Clan, whose alchemy reigned supreme among the Ancient Eight Clans.

Such talent was indeed worth recruiting.

And now, Xiao Xuan happened to have leverage over Yao Chen. It would be a waste not to use it.

Thus, Xiao Xuan said, "Although you didn't truly harm Xiao Yan, you still acted against a member of my Xiao Clan. You may be spared death, but you cannot escape punishment."

Yao Chen said, "I am willing to answer for my wrongdoing. Whatever punishment Lord Xiao Xuan imposes, I will willingly accept."

Yao Lao also knew he was in the wrong. Xiao Xuan sparing his life was already a courtesy to the Yao Clan, so punishing him now was entirely reasonable.

Xiao Xuan said, "Since you were once an eighth-tier alchemist and have left the Yao Clan, your punishment will be to remain in my Xiao Clan forever after your physical body is restored, serving as a guest elder and refining pills."

Yao Chen had thought Xiao Xuan would punish him severely. After all, this was a towering figure at the Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint level. Having meddled with the descendants of someone of that stature, it was already merciful that Xiao Xuan had not simply crushed him to death. Wouldn't a severe punishment be perfectly normal?

Yao Chen had never expected Xiao Xuan's punishment to be... so light?

This could not even be called a punishment. It was a reward instead.

The Xiao Clan was one of the Ancient Eight Clans. Although it had now declined, with Xiao Xuan's heaven-defying return and a peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng presiding over it, its return to its former heights was surely just around the corner.

Yao Chen hardly dared imagine how much his status would rise if he could join the Xiao Clan.

It would certainly be a thousand, ten thousand times better than when he had been Venerable Yao in the Central Plains at his peak.

After all, he would be a guest elder of the Ancient Xiao Clan.

This was punishment in name, but a reward in disguise.

Moreover, did Xiao Xuan mean that he would even help restore his physical body? That kindness was simply too great.

Yao Chen immediately dropped to his knees.

"Lord Xiao Xuan, I have no way to repay such immense kindness. From this day forward, I willingly serve the Xiao Clan as an ox or a horse to repay this great debt."

Yao Chen had been harmed by Han Feng and the Hun Clan, escaping by sheer luck with a wisp of his remnant soul. He had not even known whether he would ever be able to take revenge in this lifetime.

Now Xiao Xuan had descended from the heavens and rescued him from fire and flood. How could Yao Chen not be grateful?

In Yao Chen's eyes at that moment, Xiao Xuan was no different from a parent who had given him a second life. Besides, how was staying in the Xiao Clan to refine pills any different from passing the civil service exam and landing a secure government post?

How is this merely Lord Xiao Xuan?

He's my adoptive father Xiao Xuan!

With Yao Chen agreeing to join the Xiao Clan as an alchemist, Xiao Xuan had completed this mission with ease.

Immediately afterward, the mission completion notification sounded in Xiao Xuan's ears.

"Congratulations, Host, on completing the mission: invite eighth-tier alchemist Yao Chen to join the Xiao Clan. Rewards obtained: [Upgraded Xiao Clan Inherited Cultivation Method-Xiao Clan Imperial Silence Heart Sutra], [Ninth-Tier Soul-Restoring Golden Pill], [Dou Di Points +1,000]!"

Xiao Xuan first took the black ring housing Yao Chen's soul from Xiao Yan, taking Yao Chen with him. That would also make it convenient to restore Yao Chen's physical body when the time came.

With that, Xiao Yan's cultivation problem was resolved.

Xiao Yan's talent had returned, and both he and Xiao Zhan were ecstatic.

Especially Xiao Yan-after three years of pent-up frustration, he could finally cultivate again. To him, there could be no better news.

Moreover, Xiao Yan harbored no resentment.

Although he had wasted three years and been called trash for those three years, if that could bring the clan a Dou Zun expert and an eighth-tier alchemist, then Xiao Yan felt that the grievances he had suffered were absolutely worth it.

Now, all that mattered was that his talent had returned. Even after wasting three years, he was confident that he could quickly regain his cultivation.

Xiao Yan believed that the strong would always remain strong!

Their ancestor had resolved his problem, so they did not stay to disturb him any longer.

Xiao Zhan and Xiao Yan, father and son, took their leave of Ancestor Xiao Xuan and withdrew.

After Xiao Zhan and Xiao Yan left, Xiao Xuan also prepared to enter seclusion.

He casually put away Yao Chen's black ring. Restoring Yao Chen's physical body could wait.

After all, creating a new body for Yao Chen would take Xiao Xuan no more than a casual bit of refinement. There was no rush.

But another matter was now of the utmost importance-the Emperor Grade Nascent Pill.

Indeed, after a thousand years, Xiao Xuan was once again preparing to break through to Dou Di.

And this attempt would be different from the last. Previously, Xiao Xuan had possessed boundless fighting spirit but lacked the most crucial thing: the energy of the emperor's origin. That was why he had failed.

This time, however, things were different. This time, Xiao Xuan held a genuine Emperor Grade Nascent Pill.

This time, he was confident.

Xiao Xuan stepped forward, tore apart the space before him, and used his Dou Sheng power to create a stretch of Void Space.

He intended to use the Emperor Grade Nascent Pill here and break through to Dou Di.