In the main hall of the Heavenly Cloud Manor, Manor Lord Luo Cheng, First Elder Luo Xiong, Third Elder Luo Hao, and Fifth Elder Luo Ao were all present. Xiao Yan and the others, led by Luo Jin, went to arrange their accommodations.
Inside the hall, Luo Hao recounted to the people before him what had happened before and after his encounter with Xiao Yan and the others. Upon hearing this, the expressions of those present changed slightly.
" The Woeful Poison Body?!"
"That legendary Holy Maiden of the Tribulation Crossing Sect? Wasn't she supposed to have vanished without a trace long ago? How come she's by Xiao Yan's side?"
Luo Cheng frowned, clearly realizing the seriousness of the matter.
"Now is not the time to dwell on these matters. What we should be thinking about is whether these people should stay or leave. The importance of the Woeful Poison Body to the Tribulation Crossing Sect is self-evident. Their sect leader, Wu Du, even wants to use the Woeful Poison Body to find the hidden inheritance of the first sect leader. Over the years, they have sent out a lot of manpower and resources to find the Woeful Poison Body. Now that the person is in my Heavenly Cloud Manor, I'm afraid it won't be long before Wu Du personally comes to demand it. Once he shows up, this matter will probably be even more difficult to resolve."
From one side of the main hall, Luo Xiong, who had been pondering for a long time, suddenly spoke. His words caused everyone present to change their expressions. Wu Du, the sect leader of the Tribulation Crossing Sect, was a powerful figure at the Yuan Zun level. Even on the entire continent, he was among the top experts. Although Heavenly Cloud Manor wasn't afraid of Yuan Zun, it didn't want to truly engage in combat with one. The energy contained within an Yuan Zun was enough for the Heavenly Cloud Manor to take seriously. Although the Seven Heroes of the Luo Clan could even fight Yuan Zun Venerable if they joined forces, what would they do if the opponent used the full power of their sect?
The Yuan Zong is still the Yuan Zong after all. The distance between them and the Yuan Zun experts cannot be bridged simply by increasing numbers.
"So, we should ask them to leave?"
Luo Cheng frowned. After their initial meeting, he had also noticed the extraordinary nature of Xiao Yan's group. Aside from Xiao Yan's own cultivation aptitude, his unique Heavenly Flames, and the two individuals with the Woeful Poison Body, the young man named Bai Hua also seemed quite mysterious to him. Even with his keen eyesight, he couldn't discern anything special about Bai Hua's physique. If anyone was somewhat ordinary, it would probably be the girl named Li Bingrui, but in terms of cultivation talent, she was likely no less than some of the prodigies from the Central Region.
They could see the immense potential of this group, and if they could befriend them, it would undoubtedly be of great benefit to the Heavenly Cloud Manor as they grew stronger. However, the problem they faced now was that the Tribulation Crossing Sect would absolutely not allow Xiao Yan and his group to live peacefully. Judging from Xiao Yan's attitude, it was clearly impossible for him to hand over the Woeful Poison Body. The two sides had already become mortal enemies. If they insisted on helping Xiao Yan and his group, it would be tantamount to openly declaring war on the Tribulation Crossing Sect. The pros and cons of this were difficult to weigh.
"Clan leader, Grand Elder, I think this is inappropriate."
Just as the group hesitated, Luo Ao finally spoke slowly. As his words fell, everyone's gaze converged on him. Luo Ao's eyes slowly swept over the people in front of him before he said:
"Elder, Xiao Yan's talent and strength are evident to all. Moreover, he possesses Heavenly Flames. His future achievements will far surpass those of the Tribulation Crossing Sect. Are we really going to destroy a genius who could potentially become an asset to our Heavenly Cloud Manor in the future, all for the sake of the already hostile Tribulation Crossing Sect?"
Upon hearing this, everyone present paused. Lord Luo Cheng opened his mouth slightly but said nothing. Luo Xiong remained silent, deep in thought. As the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Cloud Manor and currently the strongest member of the family, he had to prioritize the family above all else. Although Heavenly Cloud Manor was one of the four major powers, everyone knew that it was merely a marginal member. Without Yuan Zun expert as support, the family's power was no match for the other powers. If it weren't for the numerous formations and the prestige of the Seven Heroes of the Luo Clan, Heavenly Cloud Manor Heavenly Cloud Manor likely have been excluded from the four major powers long ago.
If they were to start a war with the Tribulation Crossing Sect now for Xiao Yan's sake, then what awaits them would likely be annihilation!
However, what Luo Ao said wasn't entirely unreasonable. They had witnessed the potential of Xiao Yan and his group. If Heavenly Cloud Manor could gain their assistance, their status among the four major powers would inevitably rise as they matured. However, the current situation forced them to face reality first...
"Well..."
After a long silence, Luo Xiong finally let out a deep sigh, his cloudy old eyes turning to Luo Cheng on the head seat, and slowly said:
"Patriarch, you should make the decision on this matter. After all, you are the patriarch and the head of the manor, and everything should be done according to your wishes."
Seeing that the problem had been shifted back to him, Luo Cheng's mood became somewhat heavy. He could understand Luo Xiong's worries, but Luo Ao's words were not wrong. Now, he had to choose one of the two, and this answer might also involve his entire Heavenly Cloud Manor.
"Alas... Fifth Elder, I'm sorry, I know that young friend Xiao Yan has a bright future, but Heavenly Cloud Manor can no longer withstand too much damage, once..."
"Master, there's no need to blame yourself. I understand your intentions. However, they are guests from afar, so let them stay for a couple more days. Once the time is up, I will explain the matter to them."
Before Luo Cheng could finish speaking, Luo Ao stood up, smiled at him, and then slowly walked out of the hall. Afterwards, Luo Cheng and the other two watched Luo Ao's somewhat lonely figure, and their mood became heavy.
They could see that Luo Ao truly valued Xiao Yan. Although they were equally amazed by Xiao Yan's talent, the reality was that disregarding the entire family for a junior whose future was still uncertain was something that even if Luo Cheng agreed, the rest of the family probably wouldn't be willing.
But then, just as Luo Ao reached the hall's entrance and was about to open it, the doors were suddenly flung open from the outside. An elderly man rushed in, his gaze quickly sweeping over Luo Ao before stopping him. He then looked at the group deep within the hall, his expression solemn, and said urgently:
"Master, Elder, something's happened!"