After returning to the Southern Region, the four of them made no further stops and quickly headed towards the Far Southern Land. In just a few days, they returned to the Burning Flame Valley. When the Ancestor Fen Tian heard that Xiao Yan had established his own power in the Western Region, he expressed his support and stated that when the Xiao Gate expanded into the Southern Region in the future, the Burning Flame Valley would become the Xiao Gate's greatest guarantee in the Southern Region.
Outside the main hall of the Burning Flame Valley sect, Xiao Yan and his companions bowed deeply to the Ancestor Fen Tian and the Grand Elder Li Chengxu, and solemnly uttered their words:
"My two seniors, we'll meet again someday. Take care!"
"Take care, be careful on your journey. Once you reach the Central Region, remember to keep a low profile; the people there are not like those in the Southern Region!"
The two nodded heavily, and then the four of them turned and left. However, just as Xiao Yan and his group arrived outside the mountain range where Burning Flame Valley was located, a familiar figure suddenly flew over from a distance. At a glance, the person was none other than Li Bingrui.
This woman had received a message from the Fire Maple Forest in the Southern Region on the very day the Xiao Gate was established, and thus quickly returned. Xiao Yan thought he would have no further interaction with her, but unexpectedly, she returned at this time.
Faced with this, Xiao Yan could only adopt a helpless attitude. Lian'er, however, upon seeing Li Bingrui again, immediately broke into a joyful smile on her delicate face. The two women exchanged a smile, and then Li Bingrui's gaze fell upon Xiao Yan again, and she slowly said:
"I told you, I will kill you myself, so don't think you can get rid of me so easily!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan could only shake his head, exchanged a glance with Xiao Yi Xian beside him, and then spoke softly. With a flick of his body, he leaped towards the eastern horizon.
"Let's go, it's time to hit the road."
Following closely behind were four figures heading east, their destination the eastern part of the Far Southern Land, which was under the jurisdiction of the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion and contained a teleportation array that led to the Central Region.
Gazing at the distant eastern horizon, Xiao Yan felt a sense of hesitation. The Central Region was the most prosperous area of the Origin Martial Continent, a gathering place for countless powerful individuals. Xiao Xuan was also there. Furthermore, the other two Heavenly Flames besides Ye Honglian should also be located in the Central Region.
The information Xiao Yan initially received from Ye Honglian was astonishing, as even she, with her status, was unaware of the specific identities and locations of the other two Heavenly Flames. Ye Honglian's only clue was that information about those two Heavenly Flames might be found in the Central Region. Now, besides the Heavenly Flames, Xiao Xuan, the Ghost Hall, Luo Jin, and others were also in the Central Region, and even... Xun'er...
All of these things are intertwined with his destiny; the Central Region is imperative, and now, he has finally embarked on this journey.
Over the next few days, the group of five was constantly on the move, traveling eastward at top speed, except for a few cities where they walked.
Nanlin City is one of the few major cities in the Far Southern Land. Unlike other places, Nanlin City is controlled by two families. The two families each hold half of the major economic power in Nanlin City. It seems fair, but in reality, there are countless disputes. For many years, the two families have been in a constant struggle between open and covert means. Until now, the unjust situation in Nanlin City has completely disappeared. Along with it, one of the major families in Nanlin City has also disappeared.
The conflict between the two families finally ended with one side emerging victorious. The victor is king, and control of Nanlin City has thus completely fallen into the hands of the victor. Recently, the Futu Clan, who are in charge of Nanlin City, are holding a grand banquet, partly to celebrate their complete control of Nanlin City, and partly to celebrate the birthday of their ancestor.
This banquet was the largest event in the Nanlin City in many years. Many powerful figures from surrounding cities came to offer their congratulations. Even more than a dozen Origin King attended the banquet. This was not for any other reason than that the ancestor of the Futu Clan was a super strong person whose strength had reached the Origin Emperor realm, named Futu Hao!
" Futu Hao?!"
On the street, Xiao Yan and his group were heading towards Nanlin City without any worries. However, when they passed a huge villa, the words coming from the crowd gathered at the entrance made Xiao Yan pause slightly. The others beside him also stopped and looked at Xiao Yan with suspicion.
"What's wrong? Do you know this Futu Hao?"
Bai Hua raised an eyebrow. He was certain that this was the first time he and Xiao Yan had been here. If this patriarch of the Futu Clan hadn't been to other places before, Xiao Yan shouldn't have recognized him.
"I don't know the person, but I've heard the name before, and..."
Xiao Yan frowned slightly, his memories quickly swirling back to the past. When he first arrived at the Origin Martial Continent and obtained the Luo Heavenly Cauldron, he seemed to have heard this name before: Futu Hao. He was the cause of the Luo Heavenly Cauldron's shattering, and also the culprit who killed the previous owner of the Luo Heavenly Cauldron.
"Hiss... Zhou Tong, I never thought I'd actually run into the person who tried to kill you back then."
After careful recollection, Xiao Yan remembered that when he first obtained the Luo Heavenly Cauldron, the lingering soul within it had asked him to kill Futu Hao. Originally, Lightning Punishment Oath was to be made, but that step was omitted due to the appearance of Gu You. However, Xiao Yan was ultimately a man of his word. Since Zhou Tong had entrusted the Luo Heavenly Cauldron to him, he should naturally fulfill his promise... and kill Futu Hao.
After some hesitation, Xiao Yan slowly shook his head. He had clearly heard it on the street: there were still two days until Futu Hao's birthday. Since it was a birthday celebration, he should at least show some courtesy. Even if he wanted to kill someone, he should wait until after the birthday celebration. Now...
"Let's find a place to rest in the city first. We've all been traveling a lot lately, and everyone's quite tired. We'll set off again in three days."
Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xiao Yi Xian and Bai Hua naturally knew what he intended to do. However, they did not intend to stop him. After all, Xiao Yan had even killed a powerful expert at the Yuan Zong level, so they naturally did not need to worry about an ordinary Origin Emperor.
Then, Xiao Yan moved his mind and spread out his vast Spiritual Strength, cautiously probing within the Futu Clan's villa. Soon, a profound and powerful aura appeared in Xiao Yan's investigation.
"Huh, Eight-Star Origin Emperor?"
Upon sensing that aura, Xiao Yan immediately confirmed the latter's identity. While he was surprised by the old man's cultivation level, a slightly hoarse, aged voice followed.
"I wonder which friend you are. If you're curious, why not meet me in person? Why resort to such underhanded tactics!"