As the aged voice echoed across the Gobi Desert, the life force in the Yao Mei's eyes, whose neck was being choked, quickly vanished. Then, with a casual wave of his hand, the old man sent her flying backward, blasting Xu Cong, who was being suppressed by the Northern King, away with her. Immediately afterward, his murky gaze fell on the blue-faced giant and Hui Fu in front of him, and with a casual slap, the two of them were sent flying backward.
Then, the old man lowered his head and looked at Xiao Yan and the other person in front of him. He noticed the special bloodline aura on the two of them, and a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.
"That's strange. Weren't they supposed to be the same person? How come both of them now possess the bloodline power of my Xiao Clan?"
With a doubtful murmur, the old man frowned. He had clearly only been looking for one person, but now there were two before him. What was most surprising was that they were both his own clansmen. If something had happened to him during the years he had been away from the clan, the clan should have informed him, but now...
"Those old bastards, they didn't even tell me beforehand that something happened. Just wait till I get back and deal with them."
He pursed his lips and cursed under his breath. Then, the old man looked at the two people in front of him again. He flipped his hand, and two pills appeared in his palm. Before the two people could do anything, he forced one down their throats.
The pills melted instantly upon entering their mouths, and their surging medicinal power rushed into Xiao Yan and his companion's bodies like a rushing river. In their shock, they were surprised to find that the pills the old man had fed them were rapidly repairing their injuries at a visible speed, and their pale faces gradually regained their rosy hue under the effects of the pills.
"This pill... its medicinal power is incredible!"
Sensing the power contained within the pill, even with Xiao Yan's composure, he couldn't help but reveal a look of shock in his eyes. The pill that the old man had given him was probably the most powerful pill he had ever seen in his life. Even compared to a fifth-grade pill, it was probably still far inferior!
"Ahem... May I ask who you are, senior? These two are people my Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect Master specifically ordered to be killed. I hope you will not interfere."
Just then, Hui Fu, who had been blasted away, struggled to his feet. Although he was severely injured, he still hoped to intimidate the mysterious expert in the name of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect. He believed that with the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect as his backing, the old man should at least give him some face. After all, the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect was one of the Three Sects of the Southern Region!
"Oh? The Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect. I think I caught a glimpse of your sect leader when I passed by last time. Isn't he from the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast clan?"
Upon hearing this, the old man frowned and pondered for a moment before chuckling lightly, his face calm and composed.
"Since you know that our sect leader is a member of the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast clan, then you should also know the extremely revered status of the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast in the Beast Realm, so..."
"So your sect leader is nothing but a nobody..."
Before Hui Fu could finish speaking, the old man spoke with a disdainful expression, his words causing Hui Fu's face to turn ugly instantly.
"Hmph, the sect leader of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect is nothing more than a discarded pawn of the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast clan. Perhaps such words would have any effect if spoken by someone from the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast clan, but you are not worthy."
As soon as he finished speaking, the old man slapped Hui Fu with his backhand. Instantly, Hui Fu and the two other people beside him who were also seriously injured were smashed into a pulp. His gaze returned to the two people in front of him.
"Alright, now that I've resolved your troubles and taken my medicine, you can tell me who Xiao Yan is."
Having witnessed the terrifying strength the old man had just displayed, the two naturally dared not play any tricks. Although they didn't know who he was, since things had come to this point, there was really no point in hiding anything. Moreover, after the old man appeared, he could vaguely sense a strange sense of familiarity about him, a feeling that unconsciously made him feel a sense of kinship with the latter. Therefore, there was no need to hold back in their conversation.
"This junior is Xiao Yan. May I ask what advice you may offer, senior?"
Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, the old man's gaze, which had been fixed on Xiao Xuan, paused, and he looked somewhat surprised. He had heard about Xiao Yan's amazing achievements before, and now that he saw the two of them, he thought that even if Xiao Yan's cultivation was inferior, he should have reached the Origin King. However, he did not expect that Xiao Yan was actually this young man in front of him who was at the Origin Return Realm.
"You are Xiao Yan, then..."
"This junior is Xiao Xuan."
"So, they really do share the surname Xiao, but why is that?"
Since both of them shared the surname Xiao, yet the clan remained silent, he was somewhat surprised. However, when Xiao Yan and Xiao Yan heard the old man's words, their faces also showed suspicion. Sharing the same surname didn't seem surprising, especially since they were grandfather and grandson. If they weren't surnamed Xiao, what other surname could they possibly have?
"Never mind, since you all share the surname Xiao, then come with me. Someone's waiting for you."
Unable to find any clues, the old man simply gave up and shook his head. With a wave of his sleeve, an invisible force lifted the two of them up, and he prepared to leave.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Yan and his companion immediately panicked. Regardless of whether the old man was good or bad, it was unacceptable that he wanted to take them away from here for no apparent reason.
"Senior, may I ask who you are, and why you come here...?"
"Hehe, have you heard of the Xiao Clan of the Central Region?"
Before Xiao Yan could finish speaking, the old man suddenly chuckled and arrogantly asked Xiao Yan a question, his expression as if he were showing off his most prized possession.
Upon hearing this, both Xiao Yan and Luo Jin were taken aback. Then, they shook their heads in confusion. Since arriving in the Origin Martial Continent, they had never heard of the Xiao Clan. Even Luo Jin had never mentioned it to them. Now that the old man had suddenly brought it up, they had no idea what to do with it.
"It doesn't matter if you don't know. I am Xiao Mingyuan, an elder of the Xiao Clan. I was ordered by the Grand Elder to bring you back to the clan. After so many years, I have finally found you. If you still don't understand, then come back with me obediently. Once you return, everything will naturally become clear."
After saying that, Xiao Mingyuan lightly touched the ground with his toes and was about to move.
"Senior, please forgive me for not being able to go back with you."
The next moment, Xiao Yan frowned, and his aura was instantly released, breaking free from Xiao Mingyuan's control. He quickly retreated. Seeing this, Xiao Xuan also quickly used the Power of the Great Dao to retreat with Xiao Yan. No matter what, he would choose to stand on Xiao Yan's side, regardless of who the other party was or what their status was.
"Boy, you don't trust this old man?"
Xiao Mingyuan frowned. He could understand if Xiao Yan didn't believe him, but the fact that Xiao Yan dared to openly defy his power showed that he was determined not to go with him.
"It's not that I don't trust you, senior, but I cannot leave with you. I hope you can understand!"
Xiao Yan solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xiao Mingyuan, his attitude extremely respectful. He wasn't saying whether he believed or disbelieved what Xiao Mingyuan said. If the former truly intended to harm him, Xiao Yan, with his strength, would have no chance of resisting. But if, as Xiao Mingyuan said, he genuinely wanted to bring him back to the Xiao Clan, then Xiao Mingyuan should at least show him some respect. Otherwise, he might as well not go to this so-called Xiao Clan.
"If you... you guys don't come back with me, how am I supposed to explain this? And even if you don't come back with me, you need a reason, a reason!"
Xiao Yan's attitude made Xiao Mingyuan hesitate. He wasn't stupid; the clan valued the person before him highly. He had clearly seen through the Sacred Blood Crystal that Divine-Grade Bloodline bloodline was something that could influence the fate of the entire Xiao Clan. If Xiao Yan or Xiao Xuan developed resentment towards the Xiao Clan, wouldn't everything he had done be in vain?
"I have a very important person waiting for my message, so I must go back. I hope you can grant my request."
The person Xiao Yan was referring to was naturally Xiao Yi Xian. Since their separation from Burning Flame Valley, she had been unwilling to part ways. Before their separation, they had agreed to meet again at Burning Flame Valley, but now... he couldn't break his promise to Xiao Yi Xian because of a family he didn't even know the details of.
Noticing the complex look in Xiao Yan's eyes, Xiao Mingyuan couldn't help but chuckle.
"Looks like the little guy's got a romantic streak. I can agree to your request, but..."
Before Xiao Yan could show any joy, Xiao Mingyuan spoke again, looking at Xiao Xuan, and said:
"Fine, you won't come back with me, but that Xiao Xuan guy, you have to come back with me. Otherwise, if you both leave, who will I explain myself to... Listen carefully, there's no room for discussion. One of you must come back with me!"
Xiao Mingyuan's last words abruptly shattered their last hopes. Xiao Yan, naturally unwilling to accept this, hesitated for a long while. Before he could speak, Xiao Xuan, standing beside him, smiled, gently patted Xiao Yan's shoulder reassuringly, took two steps forward, and respectfully bowed to Xiao Mingyuan, saying:
"In that case, I will follow you back, senior."
"Ancestor..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan, who was standing to the side, immediately showed reluctance. The two had accompanied each other for so long, and now that Xiao Xuan had finally recovered his physical body, he had to leave him like this. This really made Xiao Yan feel a little reluctant.
"Hehe, don't worry, it's not like we're going into some dragon's den or tiger's lair. At worst, we can meet again when you arrive in the Central Region."
"Haha, well said, kid. You must come to the Central Region someday. This continent is vast, but only when you reach the Central Region will you see the true powerhouses of this continent. In comparison, these so-called Three Sects of the Southern Region are only third-rate in the Central Region, hahahaha!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded hesitantly. If he had to choose this path, then he would have no choice but to go to the Xiao Clan in the Central Region in the future.