"Grandpa, judging from that girl's behavior just now, she's clearly hiding something. As long as it's proven that the jade token doesn't belong to the Grand Elder, then Xiao Yan..."
"No need..."
On a wide street, Xiao Jinghong and Xiao Tian walked slowly. Xiao Jinghong's cloudy old eyes casually swept over the young clansmen who were bowing respectfully. Hearing Xiao Tian's words, Xiao Jinghong slowly shook his head and said indifferently.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Tian's face showed a hint of suspicion. Before he could ask, Xiao Tian immediately spoke up, saying:
"That jade token certainly doesn't belong to the Grand Elder. I knew this from her instantaneous reaction when she heard my words. But the one who can truly stop us is not her."
"Not Ling'er? Then could it be...?"
Upon hearing Xiao Jinghong's words, Xiao Tian seemed to instantly understand something. Looking across the Xiao Clan, there were only a handful of people who could make the cabinet leader in front of him retreat.
The former offered no further explanation, but instead slowly stood up, his cloudy gaze falling once more on Xiao Tian. He then changed the subject, saying:
" Tian'er, what do you think of your battle with Xiao Yan earlier?"
"Well..."
Caught off guard by Xiao Jinghong's sudden question, Xiao Tian was momentarily at a loss for words. After a brief moment of contemplation, he answered truthfully:
"He's very strong. At least in terms of attributes, I could never be his match. His Heavenly Flames... it's just too terrifying!"
In the past, Xiao Tian might have underestimated something that only existed in rumors, but after his previous clash with Xiao Yan, he fully understood the terror of the Heavenly Flames!
The most powerful force in the universe—who could not fear it!
"What if we disregard the issue of Heavenly Flames?"
Xiao Jinghong nodded slightly and spoke again.
This time, Xiao Tian's expression tightened, his brows furrowed, and his eyes stared at the void before him. The domineering aura that Xiao Yan had previously displayed resurfaced in his mind. After a dozen breaths, he finally spoke solemnly:
"He must be the strongest among all the Two-Star Yuan Zong I have ever seen. If Xiao Chuhang were compared to him, even ten of him wouldn't be able to compare... Although I don't want to admit it, it is indeed the truth."
Because of his grandfather's influence, although Xiao Tian had no good feelings towards Xiao Yan, he did not try to deny the facts of his own experience. He had lost, and there was no point in trying to deny it.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinghong raised his eyebrows in slight surprise. He was well aware of his grandson's arrogance. Although his cultivation had not yet reached the Yuan Zong, his combat prowess was enough to make him a formidable opponent even against Two-Star Yuan Zong. In the current clan, there were very few who could defeat him. Yet, he could give such a high evaluation to Xiao Yan, whom he had just met, which was enough to show how powerful Xiao Yan's cultivation was.
With this thought in mind, Xiao Jinghong couldn't help but feel a bit curious about Xiao Yan. Although he still wouldn't acknowledge Xiao Yan's identity as a member of the Xiao Clan, his formidable combat strength alone was enough to make him look at him with new respect. Of course, whether Xiao Yan was qualified to join the clan was another matter entirely.
Meanwhile, in front of the Heaven-Nurturing Pavilion, Xiao Ling'er reluctantly withdrew the jade token she had been clutching in her hand. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her expression softening. Her beautiful eyes then turned to Xiao Yan beside her, and she smiled playfully:
"Remember, you owe me a favor."
Xiao Yan smiled slightly, a hint of mockery flashing in his dark eyes, before he straightened his face and said seriously:
"Isn't that jade token the Grand Elder's possession? If anything, it should be a favor from the Grand Elder, so how come..."
"Alright, if you don't want to join the Heaven-Nurturing Pavilion, then you can think of it that way. I'll call them back right now."
Upon hearing this, the girl coldly curled her lip and turned to leave. Xiao Yan was speechless, quickly pulling her back and saying with a wry smile:
"I concede. I must enter Heaven-Nurturing Pavilion."
What about the favor?
The girl immediately smiled, her pretty face full of a triumphant expression. She had finally gotten her revenge for the loss she suffered at Xiao Yan's hands the day before.
"The favor is yours, that's acceptable, isn't it?"
Shaking his head with a wry smile, Xiao Yan looked helpless. This girl really holds a grudge.
Upon hearing this, the girl chuckled and then led the way, heading straight for the gate of the Heaven-Nurturing Pavilion. Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the sky above him for no apparent reason. He then bowed slightly in a certain direction before following closely behind.
When the two arrived in front of the Heaven-Nurturing Pavilion and saw the half-open, swaying gate, Xiao Yan slowly breathed a sigh of relief, and his mood relaxed a little.
"Alright, you can go in now. Remember you owe me a favor."
The girl stopped, gently gesturing for Xiao Yan to enter.
"What, aren't you going in?"
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, his eyes showing suspicion, but the girl shook her head slightly and said:
" The Heaven-Nurturing Pavilion has a rule that no one may enter unless permission is granted or it is a major event in the clan."
"I see."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's eyes flickered slightly, and he couldn't help but think of the scene when Xiao Tian made his move earlier. That guy did seem to be in a bit of a hurry when he made his move. Now, connecting it with Ling'er's words, it turned out that he was afraid that he would be unable to stop him after entering the Heaven-Nurturing Pavilion.
Having figured this out, Xiao Yan no longer hesitated. He pushed open the door in front of him and stepped inside. The bright view in front of him suddenly darkened, as if a special force swept over his body, exposing everything about him to it.
Just as Xiao Yan was secretly surprised, the girl's voice came from outside the door again.
"Remember my favor. When you get out, I need you to do something for me!"
"Okay, I promise you, also..."
Turning his head to look at the closing door and the delicate figure about to be isolated outside, Xiao Yan slowly smiled:
"Your jade pendant can't be hidden from Xiao Jinghong."
Upon hearing this, the doors of the Heaven-Nurturing Pavilion slammed shut, and the expression on the young girl's face outside the door froze instantly.
Meanwhile, in the back mountain of the Xiao Clan, an old man sitting cross-legged smiled faintly, looking at a cup of tea placed on a flat bluestone in front of him. His eyes were full of a peculiar charm. If you looked closely, you could see that the image reflected in the tea cup was the scene outside the Heaven-Nurturing Pavilion at this moment.
Heaven-Nurturing Pavilion, the moment the gate closed, an Old Gu and desolate aura rushed towards him, causing Xiao Yan to quickly focus his mind and dare not have any other thoughts.
After a few breaths, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and looked up at the scene before him.