"If I let you escape, wouldn't I lose all face?"
The Ninth Floor of Heavenly Strategy Manor, Heaven Beyond.
As soon as Xiao Tian Ce finished speaking, he gently closed his hand. In an instant, spatial power imprisoned the two eighth-tier, eight-colored pills that had been fleeing at full speed.
"Come back!"
As though his words were law, the two pills flew before Xiao Tian Ce and were sealed inside two jade bottles.
He had barely finished when Huang Jiuji appeared. The eighteen bolts of pill lightning that had gathered above Heavenly Strategy Manor earlier had been so terrifying that there was no hiding what had happened from anyone.
"Grand Supreme Elder, I have fulfilled my task."
With a sweep of Xiao Tian Ce's hand, the two jade bottles flew straight toward Huang Jiuji.
After taking the bottles, Huang Jiuji bowed. "Thank you, Clan Head. If you ever have need of this old man, please give your orders without hesitation."
Hearing this, Xiao Tian Ce helped him up and smiled. "Grand Supreme Elder, you're being far too formal. This was only what I ought to do. It hardly warrants such a grand gesture from you.
"Now that the pills are ready, I'm very much looking forward to the birth of the Heavenly Huang Clan's descendants. Once they're born, if you permit it, Grand Supreme Elder, let them become our clan's sacred guardian beasts, with standing equal to that of elders."
"Hahaha, wonderful! This old man accepts on behalf of those two youngsters." Huang Jiuji felt no aversion whatsoever to the suggestion. After all, the Heavenly Huang Clan was no longer what it once had been. Becoming the sacred guardian beasts of a mighty clan like the Xiao Clan would greatly benefit their clan's future.
Just like that, the destinies of the two little birds were settled before they were even born.
After Huang Jiuji left, Xiao Tian Ce began replenishing his dou qi. More importantly, he needed to replenish the spiritual energy within the token.
Time slipped away, and another three months passed in the blink of an eye. Only half a month remained before Xiao Xuan attempted to reach the Dou Di Realm.
That morning, once Xiao Tian Ce saw all three ninth-rank magic cores on the token light up, he stopped cultivating to restore his dou qi.
It was worth mentioning that these past months of depleting, restoring, depleting, and restoring his dou qi had left Xiao Tian Ce unable to suppress the energy within his body any longer. With no other choice, he had been forced to advance his cultivation.
He had now risen from a Late-Stage Seven-Star Dou Saint to the peak of Seven-Star Dou Saint, reaching the point where he could break through to Eight-Star Dou Sheng at any moment.
That day, Xiao Chun, Xiao Tian Ming, and Xiao Qing received Xiao Tian Ce's message. Soon, all three appeared together inside Heavenly Strategy Manor.
"Tian Ce."
"Brother Ce."
"Third Uncle."
The three greeted him together.
"You're here. Sit down, all of you. I'm sure you know why I've called you here.
"In half a month, the clan leader will attempt to reach the Dou Di Realm, so it's time for us to act." After inviting them to sit, Xiao Tian Ce spoke with a solemn expression.
All three nodded. They knew how much was at stake; there was no room for the slightest carelessness.
"Please give your orders, Clan Head."
Xiao Tian Ce nodded and got straight to the arrangements. "Second Uncle and Tian Ming will remain in Heaven Beyond with the Grand Supreme Elder. Tian Ming will be responsible for the affairs of the Heavenly Net and the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
"As for Qing'er, you've now reached Early Eight-Star Dou Saint, which is enough. You'll accompany me to the vicinity of the Xiao Realm. We'll discuss the details on the way."
"We shall obey the Clan Head's orders," they said, bowing together.
None of them hesitated over these arrangements. Although Xiao Chun and Xiao Tian Ming were both Dou Sheng, one was a low-level Dou Sheng, while the other had only just entered the middle levels. Against the Hun Clan, with its clouds of experts pouring out in full force, they would be of little use.
And if Hun Tiandi truly led the Hun Clan's experts to surround Xiao Xuan after his failure, that would make it easier for Xiao Qing and Xiao Tian Ce to act.
If the opportunity arose, they might even inflict heavy losses on the Hun Clan.
"Good. There's no time to lose, and I need to prepare a few contingencies. Qing'er and I will leave right now. I'll entrust this place to Second Uncle and Tian Ming," Xiao Tian Ce said with a smile.
"Rest assured, Tian Ce. Tian Ming and I might not be much help against the Hun Clan, but we can certainly hold the fort in Heaven Beyond and handle the clan's day-to-day affairs," Xiao Chun said with a smile.
He wanted very much to help, but reality would not allow it. He was better off dutifully managing things behind the scenes.
"Second Uncle is steady and experienced, and Tian Ming has handled plenty of clan affairs. I can rest easy leaving things in your hands."
With that, Xiao Tian Ce swept his left hand, sending ripples through space. After glancing at Xiao Qing, he stepped straight inside.
Seeing this, Xiao Qing hurried after him.
A day later, in the void near the entrance to the Xiao Realm.
"Third Uncle, aren't we going in to speak with the clan leader?"
Watching Xiao Tian Ce rest on a reclining chair he had brought out, Xiao Qing could not help asking quietly.
"There's no need to disturb him. He's probably doing everything he can to bring himself into peak condition. Let's not add to his troubles." Without even opening his eyes, Xiao Tian Ce waved a casual hand.
At this, Xiao Qing seemed to recall something and sighed. "Ah, if only the clan leader would abandon his attempt to reach the Dou Di Realm. If he just waited another year, your combat strength would soar, Third Uncle, and our Xiao Clan would naturally become the strongest clan on the Dou Qi Continent."
"Heh, Qing'er, how could everything in this world go as we wish?
"I'm not surprised that the clan leader made this choice. This is what he insists upon, and we should respect that.
"Though we know he's taking the wrong path, we've already done everything we can. There's no point in saying any more.
"Rather than dwelling on regrets, you should think about how many people we'll need to save when the Soul Clan Army attacks, and how we're going to save them." Xiao Tian Ce spoke calmly. Though unwillingness lingered in his eyes, he betrayed none of it.
In truth, he had already done everything he could. Unfortunately, Xiao Xuan had not given him the time he needed. With just one more year, he was confident he could become a ninth-tier spiritual array master.
At that point, once he laid down a Ninth-Tier Spiritual Array, he might not be able to kill Hun Tiandi, but stopping him would be no problem at all.
And if pushed too far, he could simply go to the entrance of the Soul Realm and unleash several Ninth-Tier Spiritual Arrays at once, trapping the entire Hun Clan until they died.
"I understand. I was being naive. An expert like the clan leader isn't someone just anyone can dissuade," Xiao Qing sighed, her eyes filled with sorrow.
Suddenly, Xiao Tian Ce opened his eyes and looked toward the distant void. His voice immediately turned cold. "Those Hun Clan fellows really are disgusting. Even from this far away, they turn my stomach."
Hearing this, Xiao Qing followed his gaze. After sensing the area, she asked quietly, "Third Uncle, they're only two Five-Star Dou Zun. Should we just kill them?"
"There's no need to beat the grass and startle the snake. They're merely two Dou Zun, small fry sent out by the Hun Clan. Besides, perhaps no one even expects those two to return alive," Xiao Tian Ce said with a cold smile.
He could understand why the Hun Clan had sent two Five-Star Dou Zun to monitor the Xiao Realm.
With their strength, they had no hope of hiding from anyone. Even if Xiao Xuan casually crushed them to death after emerging, Hun Tiandi would not so much as blink.
Their sole purpose was to watch the Xiao Realm. As long as they notified the Hun Clan to act when Xiao Xuan appeared, that was enough.
And so, over fourteen consecutive days, more and more small fry gathered around the Xiao Realm, yet not a single Dou Sheng Expert appeared.
Then, at the entrance to the Xiao Realm, Xiao Xuan appeared in dark robes. His aura was so terrifying that even across the void, it filled people with fear.
"Heh, you actually sent nothing but small fry. Hun Tiandi, aren't you being a little too stingy?"
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