Chapter 555: The Heart of the Thunder Jiao, Leaving the Heavenly Tomb
"It worked!"
Hearing the humming of Xiao Yu's bloodline, Mo Yu's eyes flashed with joy.
"Whew…"
As the clan mark took shape, Xiao Yu's tightly shut eyes suddenly opened, revealing a brilliant red glow. After a moment, the light dimmed, and the clan mark on her forehead slowly faded beneath her skin with a mere thought.
"Finally, it's been activated."
Xiao Yu sighed in relief as she opened her eyes. Although the clan mark on her forehead had disappeared, she could feel a strange energy floating just beneath her skin—a sign of the Xiao Clan's clan mark.
"Thank you, Ancestor."
After the joy subsided, Xiao Yu noticed the faintly transparent figure of the green-robed woman before her. Realizing the effort it took to help restore her bloodline and inscribe the clan mark, Xiao Yu's face filled with guilt.
"Hehe, it's the purpose of those of us buried in the Heavenly Tomb to help our descendants. You don't need to feel guilty about this, Yu'er," the green-robed woman, Xiao Fairy, said gently, smiling as she stroked Xiao Yu's hair.
After easing Xiao Yu's heart, the green-robed woman sighed, as if something came to her mind. "With the decline of the Xiao Clan, it has been a thousand years since a member of the clan entered the Heavenly Tomb. The future of the Xiao Clan now rests on the shoulders of you and the remaining branch."
Hearing this, Xiao Yu's face grew serious. She nodded and replied, "Don't worry, Ancestor. Besides me, my cousin Xiao Yan also entered the Heavenly Tomb. His talent far surpasses mine, and the Xiao Clan still has hope for a revival."
"Yes, Cousin Xiao Yan's talent is on par with mine. With him around, the Xiao Clan will surely rise again," Mo Yu added with a smile, as he stood beside Xiao Yu and gently held her hand.
The moment Mo Yu touched Xiao Yu's soft hand, a strange sensation washed over him, as if he were holding a piece of jade—delicate and cool, making him want to hold on forever. Just this brief touch made Mo Yu realize that Xiao Yu had truly transformed.
Although her appearance hadn't changed much, her strength and aura now rivaled Lei Fei'er. The once pampered young lady of the Xiao Clan in Wu Tan City had grown into one of the most remarkable women on the continent.
Xiao Yu glanced at her hand held by Mo Yu, and her face blushed slightly. She bit her lip and used her hair to cover half of her flushed face. Even though she and Mo Yu were close, having others around made her feel shy.
"Oh? This Xiao Yan of the Xiao Clan has talent equal to yours?" The green-robed woman, Xiao Fairy, raised her eyebrows in surprise.
From her perspective, the young man before her, with his silver eyes, had extraordinary talent. He seemed deep and unfathomable, likely the most gifted genius of this generation in the Thunder Clan. Even at the peak of the Xiao Clan, only a figure like Xiao Xuan in his youth could compare.
But now, Mo Yu was saying that Xiao Yan's talent was on par with his own, implying that the fallen Xiao Clan had produced yet another prodigy like Xiao Xuan.
"Yes, to be honest, although I'm from the Thunder Clan, I grew up in the Xiao family. Not only did Yu'er and I grow up together, but I also grew up alongside Cousin Xiao Yan. We both started from nothing in the remote northwest and fought our way to Central Plains without relying on any family power. I can assure you that Cousin Xiao Yan has the talent to restore the glory of the Xiao Clan," Mo Yu said confidently.
"Fought your way from the northwest to Central Plains…" the green-robed woman murmured, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at Mo Yu again.
As a powerful figure herself, she knew how difficult it was for two young boys to journey from the desolate northwest to the center of the continent. To achieve such a feat, even without the support of a bloodline or family, spoke volumes about their abilities.
After all, the eight great imperial clans were not born with their status. Their first-generation ancestors had also started as ordinary people and climbed step by step to the pinnacle, becoming Dou Emperors and establishing clans that would last for thousands of years.
"It seems the Xiao Clan truly has a glimmer of hope," the green-robed woman said with a smile. Though she had never met Xiao Yan, Mo Yu's account gave her hope that the Xiao Clan's revival was not a lost cause.
With that, she raised her hand, and a mysterious green flute appeared. The flute, though ancient and simple, was engraved with nine exquisitely crafted phoenixes. These phoenixes looked almost lifelike, and a powerful aura slowly radiated from the flute.
"Yu'er, since you've accepted my bloodline inheritance and are one of the few remaining members of the Xiao Clan, I'll give you this Nine Phoenix Flute as a gift," the green-robed woman said, smiling as she handed the flute to Xiao Yu.
"This…"
Xiao Yu hesitated, but before she could refuse, the green-robed woman gently took her hand and placed the Nine Phoenix Flute in her grasp.
Not only that, but she also touched Xiao Yu's forehead, and a flood of profound information entered Xiao Yu's mind.
"This is the Heaven Phoenix Spirit Flute Art, a Heaven-ranked technique and Dou Skill that I cultivated. With this technique, and your current Eighth-Grade bloodline, it's not impossible for you to achieve the same success I did," the green-robed woman said with a gentle smile.
Feeling the vast information in her mind, Xiao Yu was stunned. Hearing the woman's words, her eyes filled with astonishment, and soon, her beautiful eyes welled up with tears.
"Thank you, Ancestor…"
The Nine Phoenix Flute, a Heaven-ranked technique, and Dou Skills—each one was priceless on the continent. Yet, Xiao Fairy was generously passing it all down, treating Xiao Yu almost like her own successor. Combined with the effort to enhance her bloodline, it was no wonder Xiao Yu felt deeply moved.
"Hehe, these things are useless to me now, but in your hands, they might help revive the Xiao Clan. Of course, if possible, I'd be happy if you called me 'Master,'" Xiao Fairy said softly, her voice warm.
She hadn't chosen Xiao Yu just because she was a member of the Xiao Clan. Xiao Yu's character and personality had also won her over. Xiao Fairy wouldn't entrust her legacy to someone with ill intentions, even if they were from her clan.
Seeing Xiao Fairy's kind expression, Xiao Yu felt even more moved. She gently bowed to the green-robed woman and said respectfully, "Disciple greets Master…"
Seeing Xiao Yu formally accept Xiao Fairy as her teacher, Mo Yu smiled, genuinely happy for her. Even though Xiao Fairy had been dead for over a thousand years and couldn't offer much direct help, her legacy would undoubtedly help Xiao Yu grow stronger. With these teachings, Xiao Yu might one day reach the Dou Saint level and perhaps even touch the realm of Dou Emperor.
"Mo Yu, I entrust Yu'er to your care. If possible, I hope you will lend a hand to the Xiao Clan when they need it," Xiao Fairy said, turning her gaze to Mo Yu.
"Don't worry, Senior Xiao Fairy. Yu'er is my fiancée, and I will protect her with all my strength. As for the Xiao Clan, it's the family I grew up with. If they face danger, I won't stand by," Mo Yu promised.
"Thank you, Mo Yu. Here, take this. It's the heart of a Thunder Jiao, a Ninth-Tier ancient beast I killed thousands of years ago. I now give it to you."
With those words, Xiao Fairy opened her hand, and a silver heart, the size of a fist, appeared. It was sealed in ice, but even through the ice, one could sense its powerful life force.
What surprised Mo Yu even more was the overwhelming thunderous pressure emanating from the heart. This thunderous force was dozens of times stronger than the lightning contained in his own Desolate Thunder Bead. If detonated, it could seriously injure, if not kill, a Dou Saint expert.
"The heart of a Ninth-Tier Thunder Jiao… It's truly terrifying," Mo Yu muttered, his expression serious.
"Even I struggled greatly to kill that ancient Thunder Jiao back then. Its heart contains immense thunder power. You can either absorb it or use it as a powerful weapon. Consider it a token of thanks for your future help to the Xiao Clan," Xiao Fairy said with a smile, handing the frozen heart to Mo Yu.
Hearing this, Mo Yu hesitated for a moment but, seeing the sincerity in Xiao Fairy's eyes, finally accepted the Thunder Jiao heart. "Rest assured, Senior Xiao Fairy. The Xiao Clan will not perish."
Xiao Fairy smiled and nodded, but just as she was about to speak, the space around them began to ripple violently. An irresistible suction force emerged from the surrounding space, threatening to pull Mo Yu and the others into a rift.
"The Heavenly Tomb is closing. It's time for us to leave!"
Feeling the powerful suction, Lei Fei'er spoke up. Their three years in the Heavenly Tomb were over, and now they were being forcibly expelled.
As soon as Lei Fei'er finished speaking, the space split open, and with a powerful pull, the three of them were swallowed into the void.
"Take care, Senior!" Mo Yu shouted as they were pulled away.
Xiao Fairy smiled as she watched them vanish, then sighed softly. "Mo Yu, Xiao Yan… Can the Xiao Clan truly rise again?"
In the lush mountain range, several figures hovered in the sky, their eyes fixed on a distorted patch of space.
"Elders, the three-year period should end today, right?" asked an old man in a gray-brown robe.
"Hmm," a senior elder from the Gu Clan nodded calmly.
"I wonder who made the most progress this time," another elder from the Yan Clan mused, stroking his beard with a smile.
"It all depends on their luck…"
As the elders conversed in midair, the space suddenly split open, and several figures flew out from within.
"Those are people from the Shi Clan. It seems they didn't suffer any losses." Upon seeing the first two figures appear, the onlookers nodded. Judging by the stronger aura around them, it was clear they had gained much from their time in the Heavenly Tomb.
"Members of the Yao Clan are emerging now, followed by the Yan Clan and the Gu Clan."
After the Shi Clan members, more people appeared from the spatial rift, most of them looking stronger than when they entered. One person from the Shi Clan had even advanced from a Seven-Star Dou Zun to an Eight-Star Dou Zun, making many envious.
"Whoosh!"
Amidst the attention of the crowd, another space rift appeared, and two figures shot out.
However, these two figures immediately fell towards the ground. Startled, several Gu Clan elders hurriedly sent out soft energy to catch them, only to discover that the two figures were already lifeless.
"It's Hun Ya and Hun Li from the Soul Clan! Both of them perished in the Heavenly Tomb."
Seeing this, many faces changed. A Gu Clan elder furrowed his brow and spoke solemnly.
As everyone gazed at the two floating corpses, the various clan elders exchanged glances, a hint of schadenfreude in their hearts.
The Soul Clan had always been at odds with the other clans. Now that these two troublesome members had met their end in the Heavenly Tomb, it was hard not to feel a bit of satisfaction.
Even Huo Xuan and the others who had entered the Heavenly Tomb with them were shocked as they stared at the bodies of Hun Ya and Hun Li, deep in thought.
Though the Heavenly Tomb was dangerous, they all knew the places to avoid. So why had Hun Ya and Hun Li died together?
"This isn't simple," Huo Xuan muttered under his breath.
"You think?" Huo Zhi raised an eyebrow.
"I heard those two were plotting against the Thunder Clan's divine-blooded member, Mo Yu," Huo Xuan said quietly.
"You're saying Mo Yu killed them? But even if they were facing a Nine-Star Dou Zun, the two of them together shouldn't have been easy to kill. Mo Yu might have divine blood, but I heard he grew up outside the clan, so his strength…"
"Who knows… Those two weren't exactly good people anyway. They're dead, so let them be," Huo Xuan shrugged, his eyes suddenly shifting towards the back of the space.
There, the space slowly tore open, and three powerful figures stepped out.
As everyone's attention focused on the area, the space rippled, and a man and two women emerged, walking in mid-air.
"That's… Mo Yu? What an aura! No wonder…"
As the three figures appeared, Huo Xuan's eyes widened in surprise, and he murmured to himself.
(End of Chapter)
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