"This..."
After being blasted away, Ling Ying wore a look of disbelief.
What kind of power was this?
He examined his body and found no injuries.
That force had clearly felt immense, yet it had not hurt him.
Obviously, the other party had no intention of injuring him.
Facing such an expert, Ling Ying had not the slightest desire to fight for victory.
But when he remembered that his young mistress was still inside, anxiety crept into his eyes.
If anything happened to her, he probably would not survive either.
At that thought, Ling Ying looked at the Xiao Clan's gates before turning into a blur, refusing to accept defeat as he tried to charge inside again.
But the result was the same.
The moment his body approached the gates of the Xiao Residence, a force blasted him away once more.
"Ling Ying, don't spurn my mercy. If not for the Gu Clan's sake, you would already be dead."
Just as Ling Ying prepared to try again, a voice suddenly rang out from within the Xiao Residence.
"Xiao Zhan!"
Hearing that voice, Ling Ying froze on the spot.
Recalling the formidable strength Xiao Zhan had just displayed, he wore a conflicted expression.
With his strength, even if he died at the Xiao Clan's residence, he probably could not rescue his young mistress.
He had heard a potent killing intent in Xiao Zhan's words.
If he kept trying to storm the Xiao Residence, the man would probably kill him for real.
"I can only return to the clan first and report this to the Clan Leader."
After hesitating for a moment, Ling Ying glanced at the gates of the Xiao Residence and swiftly vanished.
Naturally, Xiao Yan and Yao Chen knew nothing of what had happened at the entrance to the Xiao Residence.
"Father, you're incredible!"
Having watched Xiao Zhan suddenly appear and send that black-clad man flying with a single slap, Xiao Yan was utterly thrilled.
His father's strength was truly terrifying.
That man had been a Dou Huang expert!
Someone like that could swagger through the Jia Ma Empire unchallenged.
Yet before his father, he had been no different from an ant, sent flying with a casual wave.
It left Xiao Yan deeply shaken!
"Heh, a mere Dou Emperor is nothing more than an ant."
Xiao Zhan looked utterly unruffled, but as he gazed at Xiao Yan, excitement filled his heart.
My wonderful son!
It was all thanks to you that I could break through to Nine-Star Dou Emperor!
Meanwhile, inside the ring on Xiao Yan's hand, Yao Chen was equally astonished.
What shocked him was not the strength Xiao Zhan had just displayed.
Although that strength inspired awe in Yao Chen, he also felt it was only natural.
The man was an Immortal Emperor reincarnation, after all. What was a mere Dou Huang realm to him?
Even to Yao Chen in his prime, someone in the Dou Huang realm would have been nothing more than an ant.
How much more so for the esteemed Immortal Emperor?
What surprised Yao Chen was that Xiao Zhan had mentioned Gu Yuan when speaking to the black-clad man.
Born into the Yao Clan and renowned throughout the Central Plains as Venerable Yao, Yao Chen naturally knew what sort of existence Gu Yuan was.
The Eight Ancient Clans!
The Clan Leader of the Gu Clan!
An invincible existence at Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint!
Even across the entire Dou Qi Continent, the Ancient Clan Chief stood among the experts at the very summit.
Yet Xiao Zhan had just told Ling Ying outright to have Gu Yuan come to the Xiao Clan personally to demand her return.
Had anyone else said it, Yao Chen would surely have laughed at their arrogant ignorance and failure to recognize their own limits.
But coming from Xiao Zhan, Yao Chen found it perfectly natural.
The esteemed Immortal Emperor certainly had the right to say such things.
Yao Chen remembered what Xiao Zhan had said that day.
Although not even one ten-thousandth of his strength remained, no one on the Dou Qi Continent could match him unless a Dou Di appeared.
The esteemed Immortal Emperor's direct provocation of Gu Yuan just now was the best proof.
Who under heaven dared declare war on the Ancient Clan Chief so brazenly?
Even Hun Tiandi, the Clan Leader of the Soul Clan, probably would not dare make such a wild declaration, would he?
"To the esteemed Immortal Emperor, a mere Dou Emperor probably doesn't even count as an ant."
Overcome with excitement, Yao Chen could not help emerging from the ring and looking at Xiao Zhan with reverence.
"All right, Yan'er. Help Xun'er back to rest."
Xiao Zhan acted casually, as though sending a Dou Huang expert flying really had been no more than swatting a mosquito.
"Yes, Father."
By now, Xiao Yan had completely sobered up, and whenever he recalled that scene, excitement surged through his heart.
After helping Xiao Xun'er into a guest room and settling her down to sleep, he hurried back to his own quarters in high spirits.
"Teacher, I feel my cultivation has pretty much stabilized. Could you summon the bone spirit cold flame tonight to help me cultivate?"
Thanks to Yao Chen's explanations, Xiao Yan now knew quite a few secrets of the Dou Qi Continent. Not only did he know what heavenly flames were, he also knew that the eerie white flame Yao Chen controlled was called the bone spirit cold flame and ranked eleventh on the heavenly flame ranking.
The thought that twenty-three types of heavenly flames existed in this world filled Xiao Yan with excitement.
Just one heavenly flame had increased his cultivation speed so dramatically.
If he could collect all those heavenly flames, how powerful would he become?
Could he become a Dou Di?
Or perhaps break through the void and enter the Great Thousand World his father had spoken of?
Xiao Yan believed that, thanks to the wondrous fire spirit bloodline within him, he could do it.
One day, he would gather every heavenly flame in the world.
Hearing Xiao Yan's request, Yao Chen nodded and released the bone spirit cold flame.
He watched Xiao Yan swiftly enter a state of cultivation with a somewhat peculiar expression.
Such a wonderful opportunity, and this boy actually ran off to cultivate.
What a foolish boy. He had wasted all the thought the esteemed Immortal Emperor had put into this.
"I never expected to reach Nine-Star Dou Emperor so smoothly."
In his room, Xiao Zhan felt the immense power within him, delight spreading across his face.
This feeling was entirely different from being empowered by the family domain.
Feeling the rich Dou Qi surging within him, Xiao Zhan felt firmly grounded.
This was his own true power, which would not disappear when he left the Xiao Clan's territory.
Although the family domain's power was invincible, Xiao Zhan regarded it only as a tool for confronting enemies. Ultimately, it was an external resource.
Of course, even as an external resource, the family domain was on the level of a divine artifact.
Only through the family domain's power could he brazenly provoke the Misty Cloud Sect and Gu Yuan, the Ancient Clan Chief.
Within the Xiao Clan's territory, even if Gu Yuan personally arrived with his Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint cultivation, Xiao Zhan would not fear him in the slightest and would remain invincible.
"The strongest person in Wutan City is Ling Ying, a Nine-Star Dou Emperor. It's time to let Yan'er venture out and temper himself."
Feeling the strength of a Nine-Star Dou Emperor within him, Xiao Zhan revealed a faint smile.
To increase his strength rapidly, he had to rely on his sons triggering the father-backing effect.
He had already become the strongest person in Wutan City.
Even if the father-backing effect triggered, Xiao Zhan could no longer increase his strength.
Only by having Xiao Yan leave Wutan City and encounter stronger enemies would he have a chance to keep growing stronger.
Before you continue