Xiao Tianbao led Han Feng to the Xiao family's secret land.
"Little friend Han must have seen that my Xiao family is not that simple."
"Yes. Such a profound weapon refining legacy is rare even among the first-class factions in the Central Plains. The ancestors of the Xiao family must have been extremely extraordinary."
"Hehe."
Xiao Tianbao smiled. "I passed this art to you because I didn't want the ancestral artifact sect's legacy to be broken in my hands. If you can truly master it, I will be very happy."
The reason he chose Han Feng, on the one hand, was indeed because of Yao Tianhuo. A person brought by an old friend naturally had a layer of goodwill and trust.
On the other hand, it was because Han Feng's own talent was quite outstanding, which gave him this idea.
In their later interactions, Xiao Tianbao had also secretly observed Han Feng's character. If his character was not good, even if his talent was extremely outstanding, Xiao Tianbao would not have passed the legacy to him.
In the end, Xiao Tianbao found that this young man, Han Feng, was really good. Coupled with the fact that he didn't have much time left, he decided to pass on the Xiao Clan's Artifact Sect legacy to him.
He just didn't expect Han Feng to repay his kindness by giving him a Tianzun Pill, allowing him to break through to Dou Venerate.
Although the value of the Tianzun Pill was far less than the "Artifact Sect Legacy," for the current Xiao family, the value of this Tianzun Pill was too great.
"To be honest, little friend Han, this old man actually had a little selfish motive back then," Xiao Tianbao suddenly said.
"Please speak, Senior Xiao."
"Sigh~"
Xiao Tianbao sighed first, then said, "The most skilled in weapon refining among the current younger generation of the Xiao family is only at the sixth grade, and his cultivation is only at the Dou Emperor level. If this old man were to die just like that, I'm afraid those factions, both in the light and in the dark, would swarm over."
"Especially with the upcoming Weapon Refining Conference, my Xiao family has to go. I'm afraid there will be a crisis at that time."
Hearing this, Han Feng also understood Xiao Tianbao's meaning.
"Is Senior Xiao asking me to accompany the Xiao family members to the Weapon Refining Conference?"
"Yes, and no."
Xiao Tianbao smiled. "If you go, it won't be as an escort, but as a participant recommended by my Xiao family."
"Senior Xiao thinks too highly of me. I've only just started, and even if I can refine some high-grade weapons, my foundation is still not solid."
Han Feng expressed his polite refusal.
This kind of conference was not one where victory was determined by martial strength alone.
Back at the alchemy competition in the Black-Corner Region, the basic assessment in the first round had screened out quite a few people.
What if Han Feng was eliminated in the first round this time? Wouldn't that be too embarrassing?
"Hahaha, little friend Han is still too modest."
Xiao Tianbao explained, "This Weapon Refining Conference is divided into weapon refining and weapon comparison."
"The final round of weapon comparison is not about the weapons refined on the spot, but about the foundation behind each clan and faction."
"In other words, the leading weapon refining factions will take out their strongest weapons to display at the conference."
"My Xiao family has already been at the bottom three times. If we are at the bottom again this time, we will fall out of the position of the four major artifact sects. At that time, if this old man also passes away, the consequences for the Xiao family will be unimaginable."
After hearing this, Han Feng smiled. "But not only will you not die now, Senior Xiao, you have also broken through to Dou Venerate."
Xiao Tianbao laughed heartily upon hearing this.
That's right, he had broken through to Dou Venerate. So what if they were one of the four sects or not? Even if the Xiao family fell out of the four major artifact sects, so what?
He could carry it all on his own shoulders!
"But the Xiao family, in the end, is not just my, Xiao Tianbao's, Xiao family..." Xiao Tianbao said with emotion.
"After all, I can't protect them for a lifetime. There are some things that the younger generations must bear themselves."
"This is also why I hid the news of my breakthrough and told them it was a final radiance before death."
Han Feng nodded.
A life-and-death crisis makes it easier for people to see the essence.
After breaking through to Dou Venerate, Xiao Tianbao had become even clearer-headed.
He was a man who should have died. It was Han Feng who had given him a second chance at life.
If in the future, he were to bring the Xiao family to a position that did not belong to it with his own strength, then after his death, the Xiao family would face the same crisis.
The primary task now was not to strengthen the family, but to find a suitable successor.
"Senior Xiao, to be honest, the things in the 'Xiao Clan's Artifact Sect' are a bit too profound. Perhaps they are not suitable for the current Xiao family," Han Feng said honestly.
From the perspective of his Dou Saint experience, he also felt it was quite complicated, let alone ordinary people.
For Xiao Tianbao to be able to comprehend the seventh-grade weapon refining art was already a sign of great talent. The seventh-grade spirit weapon he refined was highly praised even by an old-timer Dou Venerate like Yao Tianhuo, which showed the subtlety of the Xiao Clan's weapon refining art.
But just because something was more refined didn't mean it was suitable.
The future path of the Xiao family might need to be carefully considered.
Xiao Tianbao nodded with a serious expression, thinking about this issue seriously.
"I will think about it carefully."
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. I brought you here because I have something to give you," Xiao Tianbao said with a smile.
"Give me?" Han Feng was surprised. What good thing was Senior Xiao going to give him again?
The two of them walked all the way to the deepest part of the Xiao family's secret land. Xiao Tianbao took out a special key and opened a heavy door.
Rumble!
The sound of the door opening was like a giant beast awakening from years of dust. A dark red set of armor appeared in Han Feng's sight.
Behind the entire door, in such a large space, there was only this one set of armor, which looked rather old.
"Hehe, little friend Han, don't look at how it looks now, as if it has fallen into the mortal world. But in essence, it is a Saint artifact."
"What!"
Han Feng's eyes widened as he looked at this dark red armor, his face full of disbelief.
The reason was simple: the thing in front of him was too ordinary.
It made it impossible for one to imagine that it was actually a ninth-grade Saint artifact!
"Ahem, of course, this set of armor was severely damaged in a great war. It has been passed down in this state," Xiao Tianbao said, not exaggerating.
If it were really an intact Saint artifact, then the secret the Xiao family was hiding would be too great.
"Senior Xiao, you're giving it to me?" Han Feng asked in disbelief.
Even if it was broken, it was still a Saint artifact.
Han Feng already knew how difficult it was to make a Saint artifact.
The difficulty was no less than refining a ninth-grade treasure pill.
In the current world, probably only a Dou Saint faction could possess such a terrifying thing.
But Xiao Tianbao nodded with a smile.
"I won't go back on my word. Of course, whether you can gain its recognition is up to you, little friend Han."
As Xiao Tianbao spoke, he stepped aside.
Seeing this, Han Feng no longer declined.
He also wanted to try and see if he could gain the recognition of this Saint artifact.
Boom!
Soul power at the initial Spirit Realm gushed out from Han Feng's body, transforming into a large hand that reached for the dark red armor.
Feeling the Spirit Realm soul at close range, Xiao Tianbao's brows furrowed tightly.
A Dou Venerate expert could already withstand the pressure of a Spirit Realm soul, but he still felt an immense pressure.
Little friend Han's soul power is probably not as simple as the initial stage.
Buzz!
The moment his soul power touched the armor, a huge suction force was born from the armor. Han Feng instantly raised his spirit and began to wrestle with the armor.
When he was refining the Void Great Hall, Han Feng had experience. He couldn't pour in too much soul power at once; he had to let it flow in a small, steady stream to last until the end.
As time passed, patterns on the dark red armor suddenly lit up.
Seeing this, Xiao Tianbao's eyes widened. He succeeded!
Han Feng steadily increased the output of his soul power. The entire secret land suddenly began to shake.
In the air, crimson feathers began to float at some point.
Han Feng stared at the armor, which was glowing with a new aura, and smiled. "Now this is more like it..."
He abruptly formed a seal with his hands, and a silver light shot out from his pupils.
"Way of Heaven: Spirit Devour!"
A huge soul shadow rose from behind Han Feng.
The dark red armor was now glowing red, and the shadow of a vermilion bird suddenly appeared in the air.
The two materialized spiritual bodies collided, and a huge commotion erupted in the entire secret land.
The spiritual energy aftershocks sent Xiao Tianbao, a Dou Venerate, stumbling back. Seeing that the secret land was about to collapse, Xiao Tianbao quickly propped up his Dou Qi to support the building.
However, an even stronger collision came from inside!
"Boom!"
With this, the entire secret land completely collapsed, turning into a ruin.
Xiao Tianbao scrambled up from the ruins and looked towards the inner courtyard, instantly stunned.
In that place, a figure wearing crimson armor, with huge red wings spread behind him, like a vermilion bird soaring in the sky, was slowly rising into the air.
"Red Emperor Armor... it has really awakened," Xiao Tianbao muttered to himself.
It had been a thousand years. According to the ancestral records, this Red Emperor Armor had been sleeping for a thousand years, and no one had been able to awaken it.
Now, although the one who had awakened it was not from the Xiao family, Xiao Tianbao was still very excited.
Han Feng experienced the power of this "Saint artifact" and found that it was indeed severely damaged. At most, it was only a little stronger than [Extreme Lion] now, belonging to the category of an eighth-tier top-grade spirit weapon.
The two huge wings on his back could be retracted or spread. When spread, Han Feng felt that he had come several kilometers away with just a light flap.
This speed was more than double what it was before.
In addition to speed, Han Feng felt that after putting on the armor, his own strength had also increased a lot, not to mention his defense.
If only he could find someone to practice with...
Han Feng's gaze searched and landed on Xiao Tianbao, who was standing blankly in the ruins.
After a moment of silence, Han Feng gave up the decision to beat up an old man.
It wasn't that he was bragging.
But now, wearing this armor, Xiao Tianbao, an old man who had just broken through to Dou Venerate, was really not necessarily his opponent.
Han Feng's eyes lit up. He threw out the five-star Dou Venerate late-stage puppet.
"Come on."
The puppet was activated, its golden pupils flashing with Dou Qi. Under Han Feng's control, it began to attack its master.
With one step, the puppet disappeared from its original spot. The terrifying speed of a five-star Dou Venerate was enough to make a one-star Dou Venerate unable to react.
Xiao Tianbao in the distance felt his vision blur, and then a series of huge airwaves were emitted from mid-air.
Han Feng, wearing the crimson armor, was fighting back and forth with the five-star Dou Venerate puppet.
Although there was still a slight gap compared to a five-star Dou Venerate, he could completely withstand it. At least with its speed bonus, it was easy to get away.
After testing his speed and defense, a flame condensed in Han Feng's palm into the shape of a vermilion bird. He instantly flashed to the side of the puppet and sent out several palm prints.
"Fire Owl!"
Boom!
The ruins of the secret land were submerged by the scorching heatwaves. Everything in its path was completely burned to nothing.
However, the five-star Dou Venerate puppet was still standing strong and had not received a devastating blow.
Han Feng took back the puppet and came to a conclusion.
The armor's enhancement to attack power was not significant, but it was still considerable.
After all, Han Feng only had a three-star Dou Ancestor cultivation, and that blow just now would have been difficult for a one-star Dou Venerate like Xiao Tianbao to take.
Taking off the armor, Han Feng felt an inexplicable sense of emptiness.
This kind of tool that could greatly enhance one's strength was really attractive. But fortunately, Han Feng's Dao heart was stable, and he did not have any radical thoughts because of it.
Looking at the secret land that had been mostly destroyed, Han Feng came to Xiao Tianbao with some embarrassment.
"Senior Xiao, I'll clean this up for you in a moment. I've made a mess."
"No need, no need. This secret land was just for storing the Red Emperor Armor. Now that the armor has been activated by you, the secret land is useless."
"Red Emperor Armor?" Han Feng looked at the armor and said in a low voice.
Is that your name...
"Senior Xiao, the power of the Red Emperor Armor is far beyond expectations. As expected of a ninth-grade Saint artifact, even if it is damaged, it has not lost its prestige."
"This junior is ashamed to receive such a heavy treasure."
Xiao Tianbao waved his hand nonchalantly. "A treasure matches a hero. No one in the entire Xiao family can use it. It's just a waste to leave it there. You should use it well and not have any burden."
Although Xiao Tianbao couldn't see the fight of a five-star Dou Venerate clearly, he saw this matter very clearly.
Little friend Han was definitely not a fish in a pond. He was destined to become a dragon in the future.
Now, while he could still help him, he should invest well and not just focus on the immediate benefits.
From any angle, Xiao Tianbao felt that he had done nothing wrong.
Seeing this, Han Feng no longer declined, thinking that he would repay this kindness in the future.
With a thought, the Red Emperor Armor transformed into a small vermilion bird, entered his chest, and became a mark on his chest.
"Speaking of which, the artifact spirit of this Red Emperor Armor is also not lightly damaged. Logically, the artifact spirit of a ninth-grade Saint artifact should be much more agile," Xiao Tianbao said with emotion.
"I will try to repair it," Han Feng said seriously.
Before leaving the secret land, Han Feng asked the question that was on his mind.
"Senior Xiao, do you know... about the Hun Clan?"
Hearing this name, Xiao Tianbao frowned. "I seem to have heard of it, but I don't have much of an impression."
Han Feng was silent.
Xiao Tianbao's reaction clearly meant that he did not know about the Hun Clan.
But that was also to be expected. Ninety percent of the people on the continent were unaware of those eight reclusive factions that were high above.
Only those factions that had stepped into the "Saint" path were qualified to be invited by the eight great clans.
Although the Xiao family of the Nanli Nation was also a branch of the Xiao Clan, the survivors back then should have chosen to hide their hatred in their hearts and not pass it on to their descendants.
"Is the Hall of Souls present in this Nanli Empire?" Han Feng changed the subject.
"The Hall of Souls. I know about them. I can tell you that there is almost no presence of the Hall of Souls in the entire Nanli Nation," Xiao Tianbao replied. "You should know that the Nanli Nation has extremely strict governance measures against soul bodies. If an unmarked soul body is found anywhere, troops will be dispatched to investigate quickly."
"The Hall of Souls has been stationed in the Nanli Empire before, but they were quickly cleared out."
Hearing Xiao Tianbao's description, Han Feng couldn't help but nod, remembering the sudden incident when he had just arrived in Red Feather City.
The Nanli Nation was indeed quite strict in investigating soul bodies.
But then again, this Red Emperor Armor was a ninth-grade Saint artifact after all. The people of the major clans would definitely recognize it. It was better to be careful when using it.
He himself didn't care, but the key was that it would be bad if the Xiao family was targeted because of it.
"Little friend Han, how about it? If you use the Red Emperor Armor to show off your skills at the Weapon Refining Conference, you should be able to overpower all the heroes, right?" Xiao Tianbao said with a smile.
Han Feng nodded in agreement. "Alright. I'll go and see this Weapon Refining Conference."