Word Count: 3,057 Words
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A sigh echoed in everyone's ears. They all looked up to see a figure slowly stepping out from within the tombstone, black hair draped loosely over his shoulders, lending him an easy, unrestrained air.
A gentle smile rested on his face, warm enough to feel like a spring breeze. His eyes held a trace of gratification as they settled on Xiao Chen. This figure was naturally none other than Xiao Xuan, the same man Xiao Yan had met here all those years ago!
The moment Xiao Xuan appeared, Xiao Chen's resolute, iron-hard face, one that rarely showed a flicker of emotion, crumbled in an instant. Tears welled in his eyes as he cried out, "Cousin Xiao Xuan!!"
"Alright, alright. With so many juniors of the clan watching you bawl your eyes out, what kind of ancestor do you look like?" Xiao Xuan shook his head helplessly, though the sight of Xiao Chen's tears still stirred old memories deep in his mind.
Xiao Chen dropped to his knees with a heavy thud and wept bitterly. "If I hadn't been so obsessed with the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame back then, I wouldn't have been trapped in the Demon Flame Space. I..."
Xiao Xuan shook his head. With a wave of his hand, he gently lifted Xiao Chen back to his feet. "You were indeed hot-tempered and stubborn in those days. But even if you hadn't gone to the Demon Flame Space, the outcome of that battle would not have changed."
"As it stands, your misfortune became a blessing in disguise. At the very least, you kept your life. With you guarding the Xiao Clan now, I can rest a little easier."
Xiao Xuan and Xiao Chen had grown up together as cousins. Back then, Xiao Chen had thrown caution to the wind in his attempt to refine the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, all in the hope of borrowing its power to change the Xiao Clan's fate of being bullied and suppressed by the Hun Clan.
Xiao Xuan clapped a firm hand on Xiao Chen's shoulder and spoke with heartfelt earnestness. "I won't be able to continue protecting the clan in the future. The duty of guarding our family now falls to you."
"Cousin..." Xiao Chen hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Cousin Xiao Xuan, Xiao Yan is now a grandmaster alchemist. He'll definitely find a way to resurrect you."
Xiao Xuan merely smiled faintly. "All that remains of me now is merely a remnant soul. Strictly speaking, it can barely even be called that. If not for the peculiar nature of the Heavenly Tomb, I would have long since dispersed into heaven and earth. As for revival... I'm afraid that truly is impossible."
Even though Xiao Chen and the others had steeled themselves for that answer, disappointment still spread visibly across their faces. Xiao Xuan's strength had not been inferior to Hun Tiandi's. If he could be revived, the Xiao Clan would finally have the power to protect itself.
"So there's truly no possibility at all?" Xiao Chen couldn't help but turn to Xiao Yan, unwilling to accept it.
Xiao Yan sighed and shook his head. "I can already refine Tier 9 Mysterious Pills. Before entering the Heavenly Tomb, I studied its workings carefully. Given Ancestor Xiao Xuan's current state, let alone a Tier 9 Mysterious Pill... even a Tier 9 Golden Pill would likely be powerless. The situation is beyond heaven's ability to reverse."
"At least with the alchemy I currently know, there is no way to bring Ancestor Xiao Xuan back. Perhaps only the legendary Medicine God could accomplish such a thing."
"Medicine God..."
That answer all but severed the last thread of hope. In the present age, there was not even a single Dou God, much less a Medicine God. Even in the ancient era, when Dou Gods walked the land and Dou God Clans stood in great numbers, a Medicine God had still been exceptionally rare.
Otherwise, how could the Yao Clan have been so arrogant? It was precisely because a Medicine God was even rarer than a Dou God.
Xiao Xuan, however, simply responded with a carefree laugh.
"Hehe, don't waste your thoughts on someone who's already dead." He shook his head with a smile, then turned his gaze toward Xiao Yan and the dozen or so Xiao Clan descendants standing behind him. The smile on his face grew even gentler.
This time, it was not only Xiao Yan and Xiao Zhan who had come. Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, Xiao Ning, Xiao Yu, Xiao Mei, and several other members of the Xiao Clan's younger generation had accompanied them as well. Their talent was naturally far inferior to Xiao Yan's. The strongest among them were Xiao Li and Xiao Ning, but even they had only barely reached the Dou Venerate level. Compared with the so-called geniuses of the Dou God Clans, the gap was enormous.
Xiao Yu was still stuck at the 9-star Dou Ancestor level, and the rest were weaker still. But with the vast resources of the Yan Alliance behind them and Xiao Yan at the helm, even a complete fool could be remade through medicinal pills, their talent elevated and their potential unlocked until they became geniuses in their own right.
"Unworthy descendants of the Xiao Clan pay respects to Ancestor Xiao Xuan!"
In unison, every Xiao Clan descendant dropped to one knee. Even Xiao Yan, along with Cai Lin, Xun Er, and Little Fairy Doctor, bowed solemnly to Xiao Xuan.
Whether for all he had done for the Xiao Clan or for the unmatched glory he had once carried, he deserved every measure of that respect.
The strength and talent of Xiao Ning and the others naturally could not catch Xiao Xuan's eye. But at the very least, things were no longer as Xiao Yan had once described when he first entered the Heavenly Tomb. Back then, the strongest member of the Xiao Clan had been nothing more than a Dou Grandmaster.
These youngsters were still young. They still had futures ahead of them. And most importantly, Xiao Yan had a future bright enough to carry the entire clan on his shoulders.
"Hehe, good. Very good indeed." A trace of tears glimmered in Xiao Xuan's eyes. The Xiao Clan had not been extinguished. On the contrary, it was growing stronger with each passing day.
He had waited six thousand years just to see this moment.
Xiao Chen stood beside Xiao Xuan and gazed at the Xiao Clan members before him. He had always known what state the clan was in, but now, standing at Xiao Xuan's side and looking upon them once more, he was struck by a feeling he could not quite name, as though he were staring across the gulf of an entire lifetime.
"Cousin Xiao Xuan, Xiao Yan has already recovered the Xiao Realm. It still can't compare to the clan at its peak, but I believe he will definitely lead the Xiao Clan back to the summit," Xiao Chen said.
Xiao Xuan nodded. Even without Xiao Chen telling him, he already knew. He believed that when Xiao Yan gave his word, he would see it through. Xiao Yan was not a man who broke his promises.
If he said he would revive the Xiao Clan, then he would revive the Xiao Clan. If he said he would bring the clansmen to pay their respects, then he would bring them to pay their respects.
"Rise. There's no need for so much ceremony."
His gaze settled on Xiao Yan, and the warmth in his eyes deepened. "To have achieved what you have without relying on the power of the bloodline... to be honest, it brings me great comfort. You have already far surpassed me. The men of our Xiao Clan were never meant to be ordinary."
Xiao Xuan could naturally see through Xiao Yan's current strength. He could tell that Xiao Yan possessed the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame and that his Spiritual Strength had reached the half-step Emperor State. Combined with Xiao Yan's own admission that he could refine Tier 9 Mysterious Pills, this combination surpassed what Xiao Xuan himself had possessed at his peak in virtually every aspect, save for raw cultivation level and Spiritual Strength.
Receiving such high praise from a figure like Xiao Xuan left even Xiao Yan feeling a little secretly pleased, and more than slightly embarrassed.
Xiao Chen, meanwhile, was dumbstruck. He knew better than anyone that beneath Xiao Xuan's gentle appearance lay a man of fierce pride and exacting standards. Never once had Xiao Xuan admitted that anyone had surpassed him.
And yet now, he had given Xiao Yan such a lofty evaluation.
Xiao Xuan then turned to the three women beside Xiao Yan and nodded approvingly. "An innate Woeful Poison Body, a Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, and the Gu Clan's Divine Grade Bloodline... Xiao Yan, in this regard, you've truly surpassed me by a very wide margin."
"Hahaha! The men of our Xiao Clan should indeed be so! It seems I won't need to worry about the clan flourishing and spreading its branches in the future." Xiao Xuan threw his head back and laughed heartily. Even in this aspect, Xiao Yan was truly beyond reproach.
Xun Er's cheeks colored a delicate pink as she lowered her gaze, a gentle smile curving her lips. Her slender fingers quietly found their way to the edge of Xiao Yan's sleeve.
Little Fairy Doctor lowered her gaze as well, a rare and genuine warmth softening her usually serene features. To have her Woeful Poison Body spoken of as a virtue by a legendary figure like Xiao Xuan was something she had never dared imagine.
Even Cai Lin, composed as she usually was, could not help the faint flush that crept across her cheeks. Still, all three women relaxed. To receive Xiao Xuan's acknowledgment meant their positions as the Xiao Clan's mistresses were secure beyond any doubt.
Xiao Yan hurriedly coughed twice and steered the conversation elsewhere. After all, they had not entered the Heavenly Tomb solely to inform Xiao Xuan of the Xiao Clan's revival. There was also the matter of having Xiao Xuan witness the transfer of the Clan Head position.
The Xiao Clan was no longer the small family from Wu Tan City. Xiao City had now fully reclaimed the standing of a Dou God Clan, and it was time for Xiao Yan to take the position of Clan Head from his father's hands, becoming the first true Clan Head of the restored Xiao Clan, or perhaps more fittingly, the lord of its resurgence.
The handover ceremony was naturally solemn and grand. Under Xiao Xuan's witness, Xiao Yan removed the Little Clan Leader token from his waist and formally accepted the Clan Head's command token from Xiao Zhan's hands.
In a sense, this too was another form of returning to the clan's roots.
"Yan'er, from this day forward, you are the true Clan Head of the Xiao Clan." Xiao Zhan gazed at his dazzling son, his eyes brimming with tears he could not hold back.
"Father, rest assured. I will never disgrace you." Xiao Yan gently wiped the tears from Xiao Zhan's face and made his promise with the utmost gravity.
"Hahaha! You have never once disgraced me! No matter the time or place, you have always been the son I, Xiao Zhan, am proudest of!"
Once all the rites were complete, Xiao Xuan smiled warmly. "Come inside. Tell me about these past years."
Xiao Yan nodded and followed Xiao Xuan into the tomb residence. He gathered his thoughts for a moment, then began recounting in a steady, unhurried tone everything he had encountered over the years and the current state of affairs.
Xiao Xuan listened to those harrowing experiences with a faint smile on his lips, his expression never once changing.
Only when Xiao Yan brought up Tou She Ancient God and mentioned that the number one flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking was the fusion of all Heavenly Flames did Xiao Xuan finally furrow his brows.
"I truly never expected that Tou She Ancient God was a Heavenly Flame. No wonder the clan records state that no Dou God Clan appeared when he ascended to that realm. So that was the reason... Tou She Ancient God was actually a spirit born of heaven and earth." Xiao Xuan had found that matter strange long ago. Tou She Ancient God had become a Dou God only a few thousand years before his own era. By all logic, a new Dou God Clan should have come into existence.
And yet none ever had.
"Ancestor," Xiao Yan asked curiously, "if Tou She Ancient God became a Dou God without producing a Dou God Clan, surely everyone should have found that strange. Why did no one look deeper into it?"
Xiao Xuan was silent for a moment before answering. "I had not yet been born when Tou She Ancient God reached that realm, so I don't know the exact details. But I suspect it was because he disappeared not long after advancing. The Dou God Clans of that era probably assumed that was the reason no Dou God Clan ever descended from him."
"He disappeared not long after becoming a Dou God?!" Xiao Yan's heart jolted.
It was already unsettling enough that all the ancient Dou Gods had vanished overnight tens of thousands of years ago. But Tou She Ancient God had also disappeared shortly after reaching that very realm?!
And people still dared to throw their lives away chasing that advancement?!
Something deeply uncanny was at play!
Xiao Xuan sighed and shook his head. "The Dou God Clans have relied on the Dou God Bloodline since time immemorial. Everyone born into such a clan took pride in that bloodline above all else. By that era, however, the bloodlines of all eight clans had already begun to dry up, no longer as potent as in their most glorious age. Only the birth of a new Dou God could inject fresh power into a bloodline. Because of that, everyone harbored a kind of inexplicable obsession with the Dou God realm."
"That was probably why no one looked too deeply into it."
"Even among the Dou God Clans themselves, very little was known about Tou She Ancient God. The exact time of his appearance and the circumstances of his disappearance are both shrouded in mystery."
Xiao Yan frowned. It seemed that even Ancestor Xiao Xuan did not know why all the Dou Gods had suddenly vanished. What troubled him even more was that Tou She Ancient God himself had also disappeared after reaching that realm.
And the Tou She Ancient God's Jade had been left behind only after his disappearance, sparking a struggle among the Dou God Clans of that age that ultimately split it into eight pieces.
"Xiao Yan, if what you say is correct, then Hun Tiandi has already gathered half of the ancient jade." Xiao Xuan looked at him directly. The Xiao Clan's jade had also fallen into Hun Tiandi's hands.
Xiao Yan nodded.
"And Hun Tiandi needs your alchemy ability?"
Xiao Yan did not hide it. He nodded and explained, "Rumor has it that inside the Tou She Ancient God Mansion there is a Di Tier Embryonic Pill, and within that pill lies a wisp of Origin Qi. My deal with Hun Tiandi is that I help him refine the Di Tier Embryonic Pill into a true Di Tier pill and assist him in becoming a Dou God."
Xiao Yan could not tell what Xiao Xuan was feeling at that moment. Back then, the Xiao Clan had been driven into a corner by the Hun Clan and forced to gamble everything on one final, desperate attempt, only to end in ruin. A thousand years later, Xiao Xuan had still not been able to stop any of it. Hun Tiandi had obtained the Xiao Clan's Tou She Ancient God's Jade all the same, and from the looks of it, he was close to collecting the full set.
Worse still, the final step on that path to becoming a Dou God would require the help of the Xiao Clan's current Clan Head. That certainly could not have tasted sweet.
To Xiao Yan's surprise, Xiao Xuan showed no shock whatsoever upon hearing about the Di Tier Embryonic Pill.
"There's no need to be surprised. I also knew that a Di Tier Embryonic Pill existed inside the Tou She Ancient God Mansion."
He shook his head slightly. "I learned of the Di Tier Embryonic Pill back when the Tou She Ancient God's Jade was still whole. But before I could fully decipher the information contained within it, the eight ancient clans were stirred into turmoil by that very discovery. They fought one another, and in the end the ancient jade was split into eight pieces."
"Which means," Xiao Yan said quietly, "that locating the Tou She Ancient God Mansion still requires all eight jades. And opening it demands those same eight jades as well."
Xiao Xuan nodded.
"Ancestor," Xiao Yan said after a moment, "it's not that I mean to exalt the enemy and belittle ourselves, but as the current Clan Head of the Xiao Clan... I don't wish to make an enemy of the Hun Clan."
He gave a helpless shrug. Unless Xiao Xuan could be restored to his peak state right now and then join forces with the Gu Clan and the other Dou God Clans while somehow turning the Nihility Devouring Flame against the Hun Clan from within, a direct clash between the Xiao Clan and the Hun Clan would only lead to destruction.
Xiao Xuan did not grow angry. On the contrary, he nodded in agreement. "You are the Clan Head of the Xiao Clan now. Protecting the clan is your true duty. Back then, my determination to become a Dou God may also have stemmed from a certain obsession of my own. I refused to admit defeat, and in the end I dragged the Xiao Clan into this state."
"Because you are free of the shackles of the Dou God Bloodline, you see things more clearly than I ever did. Perhaps losing the Dou God Bloodline, and even losing the Tou She Ancient God's Jade, is not entirely a bad thing after all."