Compromise! The Xiao Clan's Peripheral Faction

"Let's go!"

In the end, Xiao Xuan easily persuaded Mo Xuan.

Persuasion backed by force had always been the most effective kind.

As for this small world, it would be a pity to let it go to waste for no reason. He would leave a few measures in place and give it to the Xiao Clan later to use as a base.

In Xiao Xuan's view, the opportunities here had some distinctive qualities.

At the very least, its use of spatial power was truly one of a kind.

But the Misty Cloud Sect had made it the forbidden grounds of the Gate of Life and Death, a rather inferior use.

The opportunities it could obtain merely circled around the level of low-rank cultivators.

Even Yun Potian, the fellow who had reached Dou Zun, had never so much as touched the edge of this innermost small world.

Still, that fellow probably knew there was something extraordinary about this place. Perhaps he was a descendant of Yun Yangtian, the Peak Dou Sheng who had entered the small world back then.

In that case, he would have to look after the Misty Cloud Sect a little.

It was only a small sect, nothing troublesome!

Xiao Xuan took a step forward, and the small world behind him sealed shut completely. He would come back and reinforce it when it was convenient.

In his current soul form, it would be unwise to force himself to use spatial techniques.

"Yun Shan welcomes you, Senior!"

Beyond the forbidden grounds stood Yun Shan, his expression solemn. He had been waiting there all along, afraid the senior who had entered would find no one there when he came out.

No one in the Misty Cloud Sect harbored the slightest rebellious intent!

"Mm, thoughtful of you."

Xiao Xuan's expression softened, since he had just taken quite a few good things from the Misty Cloud Sect's small world.

Besides, he had never intended to target the Misty Cloud Sect in the first place.

Though he had not cared how Little Yanzi treated the Misty Cloud Sect before, either. It was a minor matter whichever way it went.

Now, however, he did have something to say.

"I gained something in your Misty Cloud Sect's forbidden grounds. I acknowledge this favor."

His tone was casual, but when Yun Shan heard those words, his eyes finally brimmed with tears.

All his running around these past few days had finally paid off!

The Misty Cloud Sect was saved.

"You're too kind, Senior. This is only what our Misty Cloud Sect should do."

Despite his words, Yun Shan was smiling so broadly that the wrinkles on his face were practically blooming like flowers.

"One more thing."

"Among your Misty Cloud Sect's ancestors, was there anyone named Yun Yangtian?"

Though it seemed unlikely that man had left a family behind, Xiao Xuan had to make some attempt.

Since he had received a favor, he naturally had to repay it in some small way.

"Yun Yangtian? An ancestor of the Tian generation? He was probably from the same era as Yun Potian, the founding patriarch of our Misty Cloud Sect?"

Yun Shan was somewhat puzzled. He was in fact a direct heir to the Misty Cloud Sect's unbroken line of succession, and his bloodline was closely tied to Yun Potian's.

It had been no easy feat for that lineage to survive through so many years!

"This junior has never seen the name Yun Yangtian in the Yun Clan's genealogy. But since you learned of him in the forbidden grounds, Senior, he was probably also an ancestor of our Misty Cloud Sect."

Whether or not it was true, Yun Shan had subtly pointed out that the Misty Cloud Sect's lineage had been passed down through the generations.

Then, no matter what this senior of overwhelming power had obtained inside, he would have to remember the Misty Cloud Sect's favor.

"Hmm!"

"Let's leave it at that!"

Still, Xiao Xuan felt some regret that he had not received the answer he wanted.

It seemed that too many heaven's chosen and extraordinary events had been buried in the passage of time.

He fell silent for a while.

"Misty Cloud Sect! I'll give you an opportunity."

"Become a peripheral faction of my Xiao Clan!"

"You won't need to hand over any resources or the like. You need only obey my Xiao Clan's commands!"

A thousand years ago, when the Xiao Clan was at its height, the whole world flocked to its banner. But after Xiao Xuan's failed breakthrough, the tree had likely fallen and the monkeys scattered long ago. For those peripheral factions, however,

It had merely meant changing masters, or simply striking out on their own.

Now, Xiao Xuan naturally had to rebuild the Xiao Clan's sphere of influence.

If he relied solely on the growth of the Xiao Clan's own experts, he feared that even by the time he became a Dou Di, he would still have few people under him he could use.

The Misty Cloud Sect would just about do. At least its word was law in the Jia Ma Empire, and having it serve as cover for the Xiao Clan's headquarters was not a bad plan.

"Senior, this..."

Yun Shan hesitated. The ancestors of the Misty Cloud Sect had known glory! If it declined under his watch-even though the Misty Cloud Sect was already a shadow of its former self and could barely produce a single Dou Zong expert-

If it truly lost its own sovereignty, Yun Shan feared it would be swallowed whole.

"With your Misty Cloud Sect's methods, I'm afraid you can't make use of what your most powerful ancestor left behind."

"That is an entire small world. You don't even have a single Dou Zun, so you have practically no way of getting in."

"I'm not trying to seize your Misty Cloud Sect's inheritance. We can develop it together from now on."

"The Xiao Clan's disciples will use it only as a place of trials and opportunity."

Xiao Xuan spoke slowly. Even in his heyday, he had rarely used his power to overbear others.

Only through cooperation could both sides win!

Even if the other party was far too weak.

"A small world? An ancestor of our Misty Cloud Sect left behind a small world?"

Back then, the sect had made a name for itself on the Dou Qi Continent, so the Misty Cloud Sect had collected quite a few of the continent's secrets over the years.

Secrets concerning Dou Sheng Experts were naturally among them.

Small worlds belonged exclusively to Dou Sheng Experts.

Had an ancestor of the Misty Cloud Sect become a Dou Sheng?

Yun Shan was practically dumbfounded when he worked that out.

He had thought it shameless enough to keep claiming that the sect had a Dou Zun patriarch.

But now a Dou Sheng ancestor had suddenly appeared, and Yun Shan felt that if he said so, few people in the sect would believe him.

"Your noble character commands Yun Shan's admiration, Senior!"

"From this day forth, the Misty Cloud Sect will follow the Xiao Clan's lead!"

For the moment, he did not know what sort of faction the Xiao Clan was, but Senior Xiao could explore Dou Saint Ruins and was confident of developing and managing them.

Didn't that mean the senior also possessed the strength of a Dou Sheng?

Yun Shan's body trembled slightly.

If he handled this badly, being slapped to death would be the luckiest outcome.

He dared not refuse! Yun Shan knew what it meant for the weak to be prey to the strong, and for the strong to reign supreme on the continent.

Besides, a small world created by a Dou Sheng was an extremely precious resource, even if it had fallen into ruin. Yun Shan could not guarantee that, if someone discovered it later,

The Misty Cloud Sect could keep itself out of trouble.

Some of the Dou Zun patriarch's closest friends had yet to fall!

Though Yun Shan could hardly find them even if he wanted to pay them a visit, there was no telling whether they might come to the Misty Cloud Sect on a whim one day and notice some clues.

That would bring a calamity crashing down on the Misty Cloud Sect.

So he might as well find a good master now and sell himself off as part of the package.

The price was right, too.

Yun Shan knew his own limits well.

"Good! You're a capable young fellow."

"Your strength is just a little lacking. I'll give you an opportunity, so you can better guard the headquarters for my Xiao Clan when the time comes."

With that, Xiao Xuan reached out with his soul power and gathered the surrounding ambient Qi of heaven and earth.

Dou Qi cultivation could be difficult, but put simply, it was not really complicated.

It was nothing more than increasing the quality and quantity of the Dou Qi in one's body.

Any cultivator who could control the great power of heaven and earth could make use of it to some extent.

Soon, Xiao Xuan sent a seed of Dou Qi, condensed to the utmost, into Yun Shan's body.

"Your talent is limited. Though I can help you, I can only help you break through to Dou Zun."

"Think carefully about how you'll use it!"