A Great Boost! Everyone Gets a Share

"The clan leader from a thousand years ago?"

The bewilderment in Xiao Zhan's eyes deepened.

A thousand years was an awfully long time. It was a wonder that the little Xiao Clan could have such a long history and survive without being wiped out along the way!

"The Xiao Clan? It seems you younger generations have forgotten far too much."

In a slightly heavy voice, Xiao Xuan slowly recounted what had happened back then.

"But the Xiao Clan's decline to its present state was indeed caused by me."

"A thousand years ago, I overestimated myself and failed to break through to Dou Di. Though I don't know much about what happened afterward, I imagine the whole world turned on the clan. It's no small feat that the Xiao Clan's bloodline managed to survive at all."

Xiao Xuan's voice was utterly calm. He had made an agreement with that mediocrity Gu Yuan back then, but he hadn't placed much hope in it.

Xiao Xuan was already somewhat gratified that his clansmen had multiplied and survived to this day, preserving the bare framework of the Xiao Clan.

That said, now that he had returned to life, there were many scores to settle.

But there was no rush. There would be time later.

Xiao Xuan reined in the violence in his eyes.

"Huh?"

"Ah!"

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhan and his son Xiao Yan stared at each other.

How the hell did our clan have such an awesome history? Dad, why do you look like you don't know a thing? You're both Xiao Clan leaders, so why is the gap so huge?!

You brat, when would a Da Dou Shi like me ever have had the means to get involved in matters concerning a Dou Di?!

Exchanging meaningful glances, they swiftly traded opinions. In the end, Xiao Zhan steeled himself and spoke.

"Ancestor, what should our Xiao family... clan do now?"

Xiao Zhan patted his chest lightly, relieved by his own quick thinking. Though he didn't know what the difference was between the Xiao family and the Xiao Clan, it was better to follow the ancestor's lead.

"Mm, just carry on developing as you see fit for now! You've declined so far that every clansman is mediocre."

"I've more or less examined everyone. In the Xiao Clan today, there isn't a single clansman with the makings of a Dou Sheng."

"Alas!"

Xiao Xuan grew even more sorrowful. He wasn't putting on an act in the slightest; he was genuinely lamenting the matter. How mighty the Xiao Clan had been back then!

Unlike now, when there were not only no real experts, but not even a single talented member of the younger generation.

A Dou... Dou Sheng?

Xiao Zhan felt as though his whole worldview had been reshaped. This Dou Sheng was the same Dou Sheng he knew of, the one above Dou Emperors, Dou Zongs, and Dou Zuns... wasn't it?

"Ancestor, you're right to admonish us."

With things as they were, what else was there to say? He just had to admit he was wrong.

"But it doesn't matter. Once I break through to Dou Di, you descendants who carry the lingering gifts of the bloodline should more or less be able to break through to Dou Zong or Dou Zun."

"For now, all you need to do is wait quietly."

"Oh, your most important task is to bring more Xiao Clan members into the world."

His tone was mild, but it stirred up towering waves in Xiao Zhan and Xiao Yan's hearts.

Boss, do you have to do it like this?!

This time, Xiao Yan couldn't hold back. "Ancestor, isn't that wrong? Strength is earned through struggle. Talent doesn't mean everything."

At this moment—or rather, ever since Xiao Yan had learned about Yao Lao—his confidence had been swelling. As long as he kept cultivating, he was certain to become an expert renowned in his own right.

Even becoming a Dou Sheng wasn't out of the question.

Blazing fighting spirit shone in Xiao Yan's eyes.

The sight earned Xiao Xuan's approval. This was indeed a clansman worthy of his notice.

"I have arrangements for the younger generation. As for the older ones like Xiao Zhan..."

After a moment's contemplation, Xiao Xuan suddenly waved a hand.

A vortex abruptly appeared before them, and its reach extended into the boundless distance, at least as far as the eye could not see.

The vortex of natural Qi expanded at a terrifying speed.

What was shocking, though, was that all this seemed to cause no disturbance. Apart from the few of them, there was nothing unusual even a little way off.

Could the others not see it?

At this moment, Xiao Zhan and Xiao Yan truly put aside their private thoughts. If they could hug a powerful thigh, they might as well do it!

An ancestor had popped up, so why wouldn't they hurry over and latch on?

As for carrying on the bloodline... Xiao Yan wasn't one of the untalented members of the present-day Xiao Clan anyway.

Such a move was indeed somewhat taxing for the newly revived Xiao Xuan. Still, it wasn't too bad. The essence of his Emperor Realm Soul remained, and after circulating it briefly, he had already recovered completely.

Using extraordinary means, Xiao Xuan condensed the boundless natural Qi he had just gathered into Dou Qi Seeds.

Without a sound, he scattered them among every member of the present-day Xiao Clan.

They could be considered a cultivation cheat!

But they weren't really all that useful. They only helped with accumulating Dou Qi, and they also had a high chance of helping the recipients break through cultivation bottlenecks.

But once the natural Qi inside those Dou Qi Seeds was used up, their talent would still be whatever it had been.

It was better than pulling up seedlings to make them grow, and gentler too.

As the Dou Qi Seed entered his body, Xiao Zhan's presence climbed steadily. In the end, he even went straight from Da Dou Shi to barely breaking through to Dou Ling.

Of course, Xiao Xuan had done that deliberately. There had to be some distinction!

As the current clan leader, Xiao Zhan had to uphold the clan's image.

"A-Ancestor! I think I've broken through to Dou Ling!"

His voice was full of delight, and his acceptance of Ancestor Xiao Xuan could now be said to be deeply rooted.

If he weren't truly their ancestor, who would be so good to the Xiao Clan?

Now, no matter who came, it would be no use. Ancestor Xiao Xuan was the Xiao Clan's most important forefather.

"Ancestor, did many of those points of light also land on our other clansmen?"

Xiao Zhan watched his son, who showed no change, with an anxious, pleading look. The ancestor had to treat everyone equally!

Failing that, Xiao Zhan was willing to pass his own point of light on to his son.

But if the ancestor had merely forgotten, that would be easy to address. So Xiao Zhan didn't care whether it was taboo to ask or not.

The ancestor... didn't seem that hard to talk to.

"You mean Little Yanzi? I have other arrangements for him. If these are all the people in the Xiao Clan today, Xiao Yan is the only one who catches my eye even a little."

Xiao Xuan explained softly.

"I'll give you a sword as well!"

For the leader of the Xiao Clan, a rise in cultivation alone wasn't enough. Xiao Xuan made a gentle grasping motion and drew over a branch from the nearby mountain forest, slowly transforming it into a wooden sword.

He then nurtured it with his soul power, infused it with some of the natural Qi left over from before, and sealed some of his own power inside it.

Mm, that completed the reusable forbidden weapon.

At full power, even a Dou Sheng would suffer significant injuries from a hit. As for the other small fry... that would depend on how Xiao Zhan used it.

"Keep this. You're the only one who can make do with it."

"And there's the Dou Qi Seed I specially condensed for you. Once you've absorbed it, you should just about be able to break through to Dou Zun."

Xiao Xuan hadn't taken him all the way in one step. Cultivation still had to proceed gradually, and Xiao Zhan's current cultivation was too weak for him to withstand an opportunity that was too powerful.

Alas! They were all mediocre. He might as well let them hold the fort.

With me alone, the Xiao Clan can prosper for another ten thousand years!