After Nalan Yanran and her group left, the people in the Xiao family's hall also began to disperse. Many of them wanted to catch up with Xiao Yan, but seeing the look in his and Xiao Zhan's eyes, they knew the father and son needed a private moment. Sensibly, they took their leave. Once the hall was empty, Xiao Zhan finally asked in a slightly worried voice, "Yan'er, are you really confident about that three-year agreement?"
Though Xiao Yan had already displayed the strength of a Dou Shi, Xiao Zhan still couldn't shake his concern. After all, Yunlan Sect had a thousand years of heritage and a deep foundation—who knew what kind of secret techniques they might have to help Nalan Yanran close the gap?
"Don't worry, Father. I'm not the kind of fool who flaunts his cultivation level," Xiao Yan replied with a smile. Then, a pair of radiant flame wings flared open behind him. Seeing this, Xiao Zhan was visibly shocked. "Dou Qi Wings? Yan'er… don't tell me you've already become a Dou Wang?"
Xiao Yan nodded calmly. He didn't tell his father the truth about being a Dou Zong. To people in the Jia Ma Empire, a Dou Wang was already considered a powerhouse. If he claimed to be a Dou Zong, it would sound too unbelievable and might even cause trouble. Better to let them believe he was just a Dou Wang.
Besides… it was a good safeguard.
"Good! Good! Good!" Xiao Zhan repeated the word three times, unable to contain his excitement. He never imagined that his youngest son would be so accomplished, reaching Dou Wang level at such a young age—already surpassing him. With that kind of strength, there was no need to worry about the three-year agreement. Nalan Yanran had no chance of catching up to such a level so quickly.
"Father, you've advanced to Dou Ling now, haven't you?" Xiao Yan asked, sensing his father's energy.
"Yes, with the pills and techniques you sent home before, I've reached two-star Dou Ling," Xiao Zhan said proudly, stroking his beard with a smile. Thanks to the cultivation resources Xiao Yan had provided, the Xiao family's overall strength far exceeded the other two major families. If not for Xiao Yan's orders to keep a low profile, he might've already taken action to eliminate them.
"With our current size, the Xiao family can't stay cooped up in little Wu Tan City anymore," Xiao Yan said, tapping his finger on the table. "I've founded a new force while traveling outside. I came back this time to begin moving the Xiao family there."
"That's excellent news," Xiao Zhan nodded. He didn't know much about this so-called force, but if his son—a Dou Wang—had built it, then it must be more powerful than the original Xiao family. "When do you plan to start the relocation?"
"No rush. We'll move in secret to avoid unnecessary trouble," Xiao Yan replied with a smile. "Over the coming weeks, I'll gradually transfer some people from the family to my faction. Everyone else can carry on as usual for now."
Xiao Yan didn't tell his father that relocating to the Xiao Sect was just the first step. In time, he would use the spatial wormhole scroll left by Yao Lao to transport the entire Xiao family to Starfall Pavilion. With Yao Lao guarding them, as long as the Hall of Souls didn't send a Half-Saint or Dou Sheng, the family would be safe.
Besides, the Hall of Souls didn't yet know he had ties with Yao Lao. So even if they planned to strike at the Xiao family, their target would likely be Wu Tan City. He had already prepared a "nice surprise" for them.
This was also why he revealed only Dou Shi-level strength earlier. If he exposed his Dou Zong cultivation, it might scare his enemies temporarily, but his name would spread like wildfire throughout the Jia Ma Empire. If that caught the attention of the Hall of Souls—especially Hun Dai'er—it would bring a whole lot of unwanted trouble…
He had plenty of experience dealing with that kind of chaos in his past life. The worst was when, as a Dou Zun, he was hunted by tens of thousands across mountains and valleys, cornered on all sides. He only escaped due to sheer luck. Without that, there would have been no legendary rise afterward.
Though his current power—nine-star Dou Zong—was enough to dominate the Jia Ma Empire, it was still nothing to the Hall of Souls. Until he could rival them head-on, he'd rather avoid attention.
He wasn't afraid of trouble—but he certainly wouldn't go looking for it.
Of course, Xiao Yan didn't plan to take the entire Xiao family with him either. If he wanted to fish, he'd have to leave some bait. Besides, his bonds with some of them weren't that deep. Whether they lived or died had little to do with him.
"Oh right, you two can come down now," Xiao Yan called toward the ceiling. Zi Yan and Qing Lin leapt down quickly. Seeing them, Xiao Yan smiled and said, "These are my friends, Zi Yan and Qing Lin. They'll be staying at the Xiao family for a while."
"Hello, Uncle Xiao." Both girls greeted sweetly. Even the normally temperamental Zi Yan acted like a well-bred young lady, showing no trace of her usual wild nature. Whether this was to leave a good impression or due to Xiao Yan's earlier threats… only she knew.
Xiao Zhan looked at the two cute girls and smiled warmly. It seemed his son had made some good friends outside. Maybe if things developed, he wouldn't have to worry about Xiao Yan's marriage in the future…
What he didn't know was that while he was hoping for budding romance, Xiao Yan had already developed improper relationships with them. If he ever found out, he might first feel scandalized—but probably end up giving his son a proud thumbs-up.
"By the way, Father—where is Xiao Yixian?" After introducing Qing Lin and Zi Yan, Xiao Yan suddenly remembered Xiao Yixian and asked urgently.
Hearing the name, Xiao Zhan sighed. Xiao Yan had entrusted him with watching over her when he left, but when he returned, she had vanished. Not knowing how to explain it, he could only recount what little he knew.
"I'm not too clear either. But according to the servants, about six months ago, she was brewing some poison and accidentally poisoned dozens of neighbors in the area. It caused quite a stir. Although we resolved the incident without much fallout, she felt deeply guilty and left Wu Tan City on her own."
"Poison…" Xiao Yan's expression darkened. He immediately understood. This wasn't a mere brewing accident—it was likely the Woeful Poison Body activating.
With Xiao Yixian's skill, there was no way she'd poison so many people by mistake. The only explanation was that while refining poison, she absorbed a toxic substance that triggered her dormant constitution.
That would also explain why she left alone—upon discovering the truth about her physique, she likely feared endangering others, especially him.
"This foolish girl…" Xiao Yan frowned deeply. After working so hard to gather the three materials to suppress the Woeful Poison Body, she had vanished before he could use them. And since he hadn't placed any tracking marks on her, how was he supposed to find her in a world this vast?
(End of Chapter)
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