The sudden appearance of these two people caused Xiao Xuan's expression to tighten slightly, and he immediately scrutinized them. Lian'er, standing beside him, also stared at the two people in front of her with wary eyes, and a faint Origin Qi condensed on her body.
The young couple smiled slightly at this, then strolled forward and entered the courtyard, their gazes fixed on the secret room where Xiao Yan was.
"Hehe, the Grand Elder said he was the most eccentric person in this family. I didn't believe it before, but now it seems I underestimated him."
The young man's magnetic laughter rang out, exuding an air of grandeur that made people unconsciously feel inferior to him.
Xiao Xuan frowned, seemingly lost in thought.
"To gain the approval of Senior Huo Zhu, his talent is undoubtedly undeniable. The only thing that surprises me is that he has actually reached the Seventh-Tier Soul realm."
Beside her, the woman in the red dress slightly curved her blood-red lips, a look of amazement appearing on her beautiful face. Her slender, supple fingers slowly extended, and with a snap of her fingers, a cluster of crimson flames appeared, leaping and dancing with the gentle movement of her fingers.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he immediately realized something.
"If there's nothing else, I hope you can leave here!"
Just then, Lian'er finally couldn't help but let out a low shout. At the same time, a powerful energy wave swept out from her body, directly approaching the two of them.
Just as the girl was about to make her move, Xiao Xuan quickly stopped her. At the same time, his gaze fell on the couple opposite them, and he slightly clasped his hands in greeting, saying:
"I never imagined it was the young clan leader and the second young lady!"
Upon hearing this, the couple in front of them immediately showed a look of surprise, and then quickly clasped their hands in a fist salute to Xiao Xuan, saying respectfully:
"Elder, this is too much for us. You are an elder of the Cabinet, and in terms of seniority, you are above us. How could we possibly accept such a great courtesy from you?"
"We hope the elder will rescind his order!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuan hesitated for a moment before looking at the two of them again.
The man's name was Xiao Shaojun, the son of the clan leader Xiao Yuheng. He was also known as the most talented young person in the clan. Despite his young age, he was already regarded by many elders as the next clan leader.
The woman beside him was named Xiao Siyu, the granddaughter of the Great Elder Xiao Zhen. As one of the top talents among the younger generation of the family, her status was unmatched by many in the clan. Especially with the addition of her identity as an alchemist, she was unparalleled among the younger generation of the entire family. Of course, these conclusions all ended before Xiao Yan appeared.
Behind Xiao Xuan, Lian'er was also stunned by the scene before her for a long time. It wasn't until Xiao Xuan smiled and gently patted the girl's head that she snapped out of her daze. Then, she timidly withdrew the powerful aura she had released. This instantaneous transformation was truly unbelievable. Was this really a powerhouse at the Origin Emperor level?
"You two have returned to your clan this time, surely not because of the clan association?"
After a brief exchange, Xiao Xuan got straight to the point with a smile.
Xiao Shaojun smiled at this and said:
"I presume you already know about the Northern Remnant Stone Clan. The Stone Clan was wiped out, and the clan's higher-ups are quite wary of this. To be on the safe side, they ordered us to be recalled..."
Xiao Xuan nodded slightly. He was also curious about the Northern Remnant Stone Clan. What kind of power could wipe out such a large clan in an instant without being discovered by outsiders? This was truly astonishing!
"As for the clan gathering, hehe, it ultimately belongs to these young people. I've passed that stage. My return to the clan this time is only one reason: the matter of the Stone Clan. The second reason is to enter the ancestral hall and complete the Clan Ritual."
As he spoke, Xiao Shaojun's gaze involuntarily lingered on the person before him, as if afraid of displeasing Xiao Xuan. He paused slightly, glanced at the tightly closed door of the secret chamber, and then continued:
"I've heard quite a bit about what you've been up to in the family lately. Xiao Dingtian is rigid in his actions, overly stubborn, and even somewhat... old-fashioned. However, he is truly wholeheartedly devoted to the good of the family, so please, Elder, do not hold a grudge."
"Heh, the young clan leader wasn't saying these things to me, was he?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuan chuckled, showing no sign of concern.
He had spent several years in the Xiao Clan and knew everything about the Xiao Clan's character and conduct. Although Xiao Shaojun had only recently returned to the clan, he also knew a great deal about these things. Of course, he also understood Xiao Yan's behavior within the Xiao Clan. The intention behind his words was self-evident.
Xiao Shaojun smiled brightly, but did not explain further. Everyone understood these principles in their hearts. He just did not want the family to continue to make trouble over trivial matters. He had no right to lecture Xiao Dingtian. Now, he could only hope that Xiao Yan would stop.
However, Xiao Xuan could only smile helplessly at this. He was well aware of Xiao Yan's character. The situation between Xiao Yan and Xiao Dingtian had reached such a point that it was impossible for things to end well. In fact, even he could no longer intervene.
Xiao Shaojun and Xiao Xuan stayed in the courtyard for a long time. Xiao Xuan chatted and laughed with the two of them. Compared with some of the old stubborn people in the family, the conversation with these two young people was undoubtedly much more relaxed. Moreover, in Xiao Xuan's intentional and unintentional probing, the two of them also expressed their goodwill towards Xiao Yan, which made the former secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, these two were not from Xiao Dingtian's faction; otherwise, given their status and position alone, it would have been absolutely impossible for Xiao Yan to join the Xiao Clan.
After the two left, the courtyard returned to calm. Xiao Xuan focused his attention back on the secret chamber and, seeing the door still standing there without any sign of life, could only sigh helplessly. He waited for a long time until the sun set in the west and the stars filled the sky before finally leaving.
The next day.
The battle of the Origin King ended the day before yesterday, and a new day began with the battle of the Origin Emperor. The selection process was the same, but the battle conditions were completely different and extremely harsh. Today, in order to prevent Lian'er from making any mistakes along the way, Xiao Xuan had no choice but to be present.
The martial arts arena was filled with noise and excitement. The battle of the Origin Emperor had begun, and Lian'er had entered the fray. The fierce battle was about to commence. Meanwhile, in the villa, within the small space behind the tightly closed secret chamber door, wisps of incense fragrance were rising continuously...