Something Was Wrong with This Xiao Clan, Prodigies of the Emperor Clans

Outside Wutan City, a massive flying magical beast sped through the sky, carrying the three members of the Misty Cloud Sect.

Xiao Yan apparently has an alchemist supporting him too, and there's a good chance their skill is no worse than Elder Gu He's. If Grandfather finds out what happened today...

As she recalled everything that had happened that day, Nalan Yanran's heart was far from calm.

Hmph! So what? I make my own decisions. Besides, now that I possess an otherworldly inheritance, even Father and Grandfather can't interfere with my marriage!

Lost in thought, Nalan Yanran unexpectedly recalled Xiao Yan's ringing declaration, "Don't despise a youth for being poor!" Her body stiffened slightly.

But a fierce desire to win swiftly surged through her chest, instantly blotting out the image of Xiao Yan's upright figure. A vortex of wind seemed to gather in the young woman's palm.

"Teacher, I won't lose!"

Beside her, the miserable-looking Ge Ye's thoughts were already churning like storm-tossed seas.

Something was wrong with this Xiao Clan!

Their clan leader, Xiao Zhan, was supposedly a Da Dou Shi, yet he was actually a Dou Ling expert.

Xiao Yan, rumored to be nothing but a useless failure, had turned out to be a genius playing the pig to eat the tiger!

Then there was that breathtakingly beautiful girl standing at the entrance, golden flames rising in her eyes, who had sent shivers through him!

And the strange young man with pale red eyes he had encountered while fleeing through the entrance. That shriveled attendant beside him looked so sinister-he hardly seemed like a native of the Jia Ma Empire...

Most importantly, what was the story behind that supreme-quality pill? How could its quality surpass even those refined by Pill King Gu He?

A tiny, obscure Xiao Clan had actually made a dignified Misty Cloud Sect steward like him feel as though he had never seen the world. He could not help beating his chest in frustration.

Oblivious to Ge Ye's turbulent emotions, Yun Xiaotian sat to the other side with a gloomy expression, intense venom gleaming in his eyes.

Not only had he utterly disgraced himself before the woman he admired, but he had also fled the Xiao Clan practically stumbling and crawling.

"I've never felt anything like this in my entire life."

"Xiao Yan, the Xiao Clan... very good! Heh..."

"It seems this broken engagement shook you even more than losing that fight back then."

Yao Chen's aged voice drifted from a secluded cave on the rear mountain, carrying a hint of amusement.

"Two years ago, you lost to an older cousin in a clan competition. Fortunately, misfortune turned into a blessing afterward. You shed the arrogance and complacency of being hailed as a genius, threw yourself into cultivation, and broke through to Dou Zhe ahead of time."

"To further temper your pride and character, I had no choice but to absorb your Dou Qi for a year. It also let you witness the many faces of humanity after falling from the clouds into the mud, giving you the steadiness you possess today."

Watching Xiao Yan's increasingly refined alchemy techniques and his calm, unhurried manner, Yao Chen stroked his beard and nodded in satisfaction, unable to keep himself from reflecting.

To temper Xiao Yan's character, all he needed was to let him see the true faces of those around him.

As for why he had absorbed it for three whole years in the original story, that was because Yao Chen needed to absorb energy to restore himself.

A short while later, the pale yellow flames gradually vanished. Xiao Yan put away his medicine cauldron and transferred its contents into a jade bottle. Looking at the pills inside, his eyes lit with delight.

With his current alchemy skills, he would be able to become a Second-Rank Alchemist without difficulty as soon as he reached Dou Shi!

"Now that I think about it, the cultivation methods and combat skills Cousin Xiao Tian used to beat me that day didn't seem to belong to our Xiao Clan. Could he also be one of those 'inheritors' Yun Xiaotian mentioned?"

Listening to Yao Lao reminisce beside him, Xiao Yan let the smile fade from his face. He could not help recalling that day's events, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"He should be. But judging by his performance, he far surpasses Yun Xiaotian. The two aren't on the same level."

"Over the past year or two, I've noticed several inexplicable currents of pure energy seemingly lingering around that boy... With your present ability, you could test him again when you have the time."

As his figure drifted through the air, Yao Chen's soul appeared extraordinarily solid and vigorous, without the slightest trace of ethereal weakness.

"Still, the reason I was able to awaken successfully ten years ago was largely thanks to this dead branch. It seems to be called... soul-nurturing wood!"

"This otherworldly object truly has its unique merits. In all my years roaming the continent, I've never seen such a miraculous medicinal ingredient... I suppose it counts as a medicinal ingredient."

[Target: Yao Chen (soul form)]

[Cultivation: peak Dou Zun (physical body); heavenly realm soul]

[Fortuitous opportunities: Flame Mantra; soul-nurturing wood]

[Fortune value: 290]

[Soul-nurturing wood: one of the three divine woods of another world. Carrying it can nourish the soul and primordial spirit, strengthening the soul. It can also house souls, keeping their consciousness from dispersing.]

Taking the bottle of freshly refined Power Accumulation Pills Xiao Yan handed him, Yao Chen discerned their quality with a single glance.

"The quality is passable."

"If you sell the pills you've accumulated over this period, you could make the Xiao Clan the wealthiest clan in Wutan City in very little time."

"Then you can leave this place to gain experience in the outside world. Only then will you catch up to that girl from the Misty Cloud Sect more quickly. Judging by her aura and foundation, she is indeed far stronger than the other one."

Listening to Yao Lao, Xiao Yan fell silent for a moment. Then his brow relaxed, and an easy smile curved across his face.

"I already have plans for that. I only hope you won't be angry that I took it upon myself to give the perfect Qi Gathering Powder you refined specifically for me to Xiao Ning, the First Elder's grandson."

"Heh, you brat, you dare tease me? Still, you've become much more broad-minded than before."

As Xiao Yan finished refining pills and headed back to the clan, at Xun'er's residence in the Xiao Clan...

"Young miss, what do you think about the Misty Cloud Sect's 'inheritors'?"

An old man's hoarse voice sounded within the girl's fresh, elegantly furnished room. Strangely, however, Xiao Xun'er seemed to be its only occupant.

"That Dou Technique Yun Xiaotian displayed today actually counts as an 'inheritance'? Its level was too low. There's no need to concern ourselves with it."

"The ones we truly need to take seriously are the 'inheritors' of the other ancient clans!"

At that moment, a solemn expression wholly at odds with her age appeared on Xun'er's still-childish face.

"Young miss, do you mean that one from the Stone Clan... the one with double pupils?"

Ling Ying emerged silently from the darkness, his expression equally grave as he spoke slowly.

Xun'er pressed her lips together. After a moment of silence, she nodded gently, then quickly shook her head.

"That person from the Stone Clan with innate double pupils is indeed terrifying..."

"Once, I inadvertently met his gaze. Those eyes were unfathomably deep and frightening, giving me the suffocating feeling that he could see through me completely. It was as though I couldn't hide a single secret anywhere on my body..."

Recalling that scene, Xun'er pressed her lips together, the thoughtful look in her eyes deepening.

"That feeling was utterly beyond anything Yun Xiaotian displayed today. Presumably, even among 'inheritors,' there can be a gulf as vast as that between clouds and mud."

"But beyond that, I've heard that the Lei Clan's young master obtained an invincible treasure art, and someone in the Spirit Clan awakened a peerless divine ability. Even the Hun Clan..."

At the mention of that sinister, uncanny clan, Xun'er's slender hand involuntarily pinched the corner of her clothing. A barely perceptible glint of danger flickered through her clear eyes.

"Even the Hun Clan has obtained a mysterious artifact. According to the rumors, it seems to fit the Hall of Souls' methods perfectly!"

"Yet our Gu Clan still hasn't produced a true 'inheritor.' I wonder whether bloodline power alone will be enough to contend with those people..."

"Young miss, actually..."

Hearing this, Ling Ying could not help opening his mouth. He considered for a moment, wanting to say something, but forced himself to swallow the words and closed his mouth again.

Seeing Elder Ling's strange expression, as though he had something to say but was holding back, Xun'er's heart stirred. Her willow-leaf brows rose slightly. She was about to question him when footsteps outside the door interrupted her.

A voice that sounded unfamiliar, yet faintly familiar, came from outside.

"Cousin Xun'er, are you there?"