vncnus 770. Arrived safely.
770. Arrived safely.
"I always felt that there was a kind of fear in their tone towards us, which was not like how they would treat outsiders or ordinary foster families."
Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. His elder brother was always calm and composed, so his statement proved that the ancient clans' attitude towards the Xiao family was strange.
"Don't worry, elder brother. No matter how the ancient clans view us, I will handle everything. A mere ancient demon is not enough to make second brother pay for his death!"
Looking at Xiao Yan, Xiao Ding's eyes showed both gratitude and worry: "The Ancient Clan's trip to the Heavenly Tomb was clearly aimed at you; that's the Ancient Clan's old stronghold. You have to face it alone. Do you have a plan?"
Mentioning this matter, Xiao Yan unconsciously revealed a murderous aura: "Since the target is set at the younger generation, whoever from the Ancient Clan comes will die! I will let these bastards from the Ancient Clan know that harming my close relatives will come at a price!"
Xiao Yan certainly has the right to say that. Although the young people of the ancient clans are indeed incredibly strong, he is already quite confident even when facing a half-saint, and he can put up a fight against a one-star Dou Sheng. If it really comes down to a real fight against the younger generation, Xiao Yan is not afraid!
Xiao Ding tentatively asked, "What if... their last resort is... Xun'er?"
Hearing this name, Xiao Yan's heart was also deeply moved. At the same time, the scene of the ancient clan that day kept replaying in his mind. He remembered how he was put in such a difficult position, and how much he had hoped that Xun'er could appear, but in the end, she did not.
Xiao Yan's expression hardened further: "When I entrusted the Xiao family to the ancient clan, I asked her, and she assured me she could absolutely guarantee your safety. But this is the final result!"
Although Xiao Yan's tone was extremely cold and hard, the perceptive Xiao Zhan still accurately noticed that Xiao Yan had only been criticizing Xun'er from beginning to end, and had not directly harbored murderous intent as he had towards the other ancient clansmen.
"Little Yanzi," Xiao Ding took a deep breath and softened his tone, speaking patiently, "I know you hate in your heart, hate the ancient clan, hate the ancient demons... but regarding Xun'er, there are some things I have to say, even if they are unpleasant to hear."
"Actually, before the news of your demise came, apart from some restrictions on our entry and exit from the ancient clan, nothing unexpected happened. Xun'er would indeed come to visit Father every few months, and at that time, no one would have thought that today would come. And Xun'er seemed to have completely disappeared three years ago. These days, I have always felt that something unexpected might have happened to her."
"Given the relationship between the two of you, no matter what, she should give you an explanation. Xun'er has been with us for so many years, and she has never actually taken that jade. Now that they really want it, our Xiao family will not be able to stop them in any way."
"The journey to the Heavenly Tomb is extremely dangerous, and I'm quite worried about your safety."
"It's your right to choose. I believe you know best what kind of person Xun'er is. Don't let hatred blind you. I believe even the second brother wouldn't want to see you like this."
While Xiao Ding was speaking, Xiao Yan listened quietly, ultimately remaining silent and offering no comment. His heart was filled with complex emotions; he truly didn't know what to do.
Just as the atmosphere calmed down, Xiao Zhan appeared.
"Father!" Xiao Yan and Xiao Ding immediately stood up and called out in unison. Seeing their father come out, Xiao Ding gave Xiao Yan a look, and the two of them tacitly avoided mentioning anything about the ancient clans, Xiao Li, or that heavy topic.
Xiao Zhan's gaze swept over his two sons, a pleased smile spreading across his face. "I could hear you two from afar. Yan'er, it's rare for you to have some free time, so why are you discussing something with your elder brother so early in the morning? Is something bothering you?"
"It was just a simple chat. After all, I haven't had much time to spend with my father since he came back..."
……
Three days passed quickly, during which the three sects competed in a series of exciting matches. In the end, Yan Yu, the genius alchemist from the Medicine and Poison Valley, won the championship title.
After the match ended, Tang Zhen left with his disciples and Xiao Yan.
Qing Lin, dressed in a light green dress, stood quietly a few steps away from Xiao Yan. Her emerald eyes were like a calm, still lake, and her exquisite face, though expressionless, was undeniably breathtakingly beautiful. The disciples of Burning Flame Valley, both men and women, were all captivated by Qing Lin's beauty and couldn't help but steal glances at her.
There is no dedicated spatial passage between Starfall Pavilion and Burning Flame Valley. Xiao Yan also felt that there was no need to have Qing Lin tear through space to go there directly. It was better to keep a low profile at this time.
After all, the team was led by a Dou Zun powerhouse, so the journey wouldn't take too long.
The journey wasn't as boring as he'd imagined; Xiao Yan's fame among the younger disciples of Burning Flame Valley was indeed quite great. Several young disciples, who had achieved excellent results in the Three Sects Tournament, mustered their courage and asked Xiao Yan about cultivation-related issues.
Xiao Yan did not bluntly reject these excited young people, but instead gave them some guidance.
With his Heavenly Realm Soul and Nine-Star Dou Zun strength, Xiao Yan could easily identify these people's weaknesses and provide targeted guidance. The Burning Flame Valley specializes almost entirely in fire-attribute techniques and fighting skills, and Xiao Yan is an expert in fire; his insight in many areas is unmatched by ordinary people.
These trips not only answered many young disciples' questions about cultivation, but even the accompanying elders of Burning Flame Valley felt they benefited greatly.
Of course, Tang Zhen eventually abruptly dismissed his disciples, not wanting to take up too much of Xiao Yan's time. Xiao Yan felt a little strange about this; he hadn't realized he'd already reached the age of mentoring young people.
Two days later, the group slowed down their pace.
"Young friend Xiao Yan, we've arrived."
Even without Tang Zhen's reminder, Xiao Yan had already guessed that this was the Burning Flame Valley.
As soon as he entered the area where Burning Flame Valley was located, a scorching heat hit him. Xiao Yan could feel that the fire attribute Dou Qi was extremely abundant here. For people with fire attribute Dou Qi, even if they cultivated in this edge area, their speed would be extraordinary.
This is why Burning Flame Valley has such a long history, allowing it to build such a super cultivation support sect over the long years. This kind of foundation is not something that ordinary forces can possess.
Seeing Xiao Yan's feelings, Tang Zhen couldn't help but feel a little smug. Although Burning Flame Valley was relatively low-key in Central State, ranking only among the three valleys, its true strength was definitely no less than that of the two sects. It was just that Burning Flame Valley didn't want to be too high-profile because it was close to the Pill Tower.