On the martial arts arena, Xiao Yan slowly walked to the center of the field. Feeling the two gazes directed at him, he shook his head to dispel the drowsiness in his mind, then clasped his hands in a fist salute to the two men and said:
Xiao Yan.
Xiao Lei.
Xiao Zhuobin!
Xiao Lei, dressed in a purple robe, stepped forward and responded with a warm greeting by clasping his hands in a fist salute. Beside him, Xiao Zhuobin, dressed in a blue robe, raised his chin slightly and smiled in return.
On the elders' platform, seeing Xiao Yan finally enter, Xiao Dingtian slowly rose from his seat. At the same time, the other family elders on both sides also stood up, their gazes immediately falling on Xiao Yan and the other two below. Especially when they looked at Xiao Lei and the other two, their cloudy old eyes revealed undisguised admiration.
Everyone present is naturally familiar with Xiao Lei and Xiao Zhuobin. They are the grandsons of Xiao Dingtian and Xiao Qian, respectively, who are in charge of the inner cabinet. They also have considerable prestige in the Xiao Clan. Especially after returning from their training trip, their cultivation has improved significantly. The family will surely entrust them with important responsibilities in the future, and their future is bright.
As for Xiao Yan, putting aside his future status and position within the Xiao Clan, whether he can even stay is still uncertain.
" Xiao Yan, today's battle has left your Soul Imprint on the ' Leniency and Severity Stele '. Therefore, the outcome of this battle cannot be changed by anyone. If you can defeat Xiao Lei and Xiao Zhuobin, you will be allowed to participate in the clan assembly; otherwise..."
"If I lose, I will leave on my own and never come back."
On the elders' seat, before Xiao Dingtian could finish speaking, a faint voice suddenly rang out, interrupting him. At this moment, Xiao Yan slowly turned his head, staring directly at the old man above him, his expression indifferent.
"Heh, that does give you some guts."
At that moment, a short, stout old man walked slowly to Xiao Dingtian's side. His gaze also landed on Xiao Yan. He then exchanged a glance with Xiao Zhuobin, smiled, and then looked at the person in front of him.
"Hmph, it's nothing more than a verbal sparring match. Faced with absolute strength, he has no chance of winning."
Xiao Dingtian stared at Xiao Yan and said coldly.
"You old codger are even more stubborn than me. He's just a young man, why bother to lower Elder Zhang to target him? Your words are just speculations after all. It's too heartless to kick them out of the family before they've been confirmed."
Xiao Qian looked down at Xiao Yan and said calmly.
"Heh, it's my fault then. You also violated this kid's taboo that day when you tried to take the Sumeru Grass. I'm afraid he won't let it go so easily."
Xiao Dingtian smiled playfully, and the latter couldn't help but purse his lips. After all Xiao Dingtian was in charge of all family affairs; even his movements could be captured so meticulously. Then he retorted:
"Among these younger members of the family, Tian'er's cultivation is the weakest. Although this is partly due to his age, it's not a long-term solution for him to remain at the Peak Origin Emperor. Taking that Sumeru Grass was a last resort. Besides, I've already given Xiao Xuan a chance. If he really makes a move, I can't stop him with only 30% of his strength."
"Don't you think there's something strange about this Xiao Xuan?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Dingtian was slightly surprised. He quickly recalled what had happened recently, especially what had happened to Xiao Xuan, and couldn't help but voice his doubts.
"You mean his cultivation level?"
Xiao Qian raised an eyebrow, and the latter immediately nodded, saying:
"Yes, to simultaneously comprehend two Power of the Great Dao, such formidable combat strength, yet his cultivation is stuck at the Peak Origin Emperor. Even if he truly possesses a discarded bloodline, it shouldn't be like this."
"Could it be because of the cultivation technique?"
After a moment's thought, Xiao Qian spoke with a look of suspicion, but then shook his head, feeling somewhat at a loss.
" The Origin Return Mantra is the most profound cultivation method in the world. Once one masters all three volumes of it, one's cultivation will never encounter a bottleneck before reaching the Yuan Sheng. However, Xiao Xuan's situation does not seem to be caused by cultivating the Origin Return Mantra."
As if understanding what Xiao Qian was thinking, Xiao Dingtian slowly shook his head and sighed softly, then his gaze fell again, looking at the scene at this moment.
Although the two elders exchanged many words, it was all over in the blink of an eye. Now, after Xiao Yan withdrew his gaze and the three exchanged brief, polite introductions, the battle that everyone had been waiting for was finally about to begin.
"Haha, now that you've come to the Xiao Clan, this is your home. You don't need to leave. Brother Xiao Yan, don't worry about the old man's crazy talk."
Frowning, Xiao Lei and the other man glanced at the two old men on the stage, shrugged at each other, and gave each other strange looks before chuckling at Xiao Yan.
Upon hearing this, the latter was taken aback, and his emotions were slightly stirred.
Compared to the others in the Xiao Clan, the two young men before him gave him a sense of kinship. At least, their gazes were much more straightforward, unlike the hesitant and uncertain looks from the other members of the Xiao Clan.
"Hehe, how about this? I'm the older one of the two of us, so Zhuobin will accompany you in this first battle. Otherwise, those two old men might cause trouble again."
Xiao Lei patted Xiao Zhuobin on the shoulder and smiled at Xiao Yan.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhuobin immediately nodded, then smiled and looked at Xiao Yan, saying:
"Very well, I've been curious about that too. As an alchemist, what level of combat strength do you possess?"
Seeing the genuine smiles on their faces, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a little moved. Only those who expressed their true feelings could be considered true blood relatives.
Xiao Lei's arrangement greatly saved Xiao Yan some trouble. After all, it would be normal for him to defeat Xiao Lei and Xiao Yan in a round-robin battle, but if he could win against two opponents at once, not to mention the elders on the stage, even the audience would find it unacceptable.
However, Xiao Yan simply smiled at what Xiao Lei and the other man said, slowly stepped forward, gratefully cupped his hands in greeting, and chuckled:
"I appreciate Xiao Yan kindness, but this battle is not just for these people to see. I want the elders on the platform to understand that I, Xiao Yan, am qualified to participate in the clan assembly, and equally qualified to remain in the Xiao Clan!"
Upon hearing this, the two men in front of him were stunned for a moment, then looked at each other, their eyes revealing a hint of shame.
As far as they were concerned, Xiao Yan had joined the Xiao Clan, which meant they were bound by brotherhood and wanted to lend him a hand. However, they forgot that on the martial arts arena, they were not only kinsmen but also rivals.
To confront your opponent head-on is the greatest respect you can show them!
"So, you two, please come at me together!"