Word Count: 3,835 Words
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Xiao Yan knew when to advance and when to yield. Since the other side was willing to give him face, he was more than willing to return the gesture.
Face, after all, was something both sides had to give.
It was only that some people insisted on throwing away the face they were given.
"I would like to visit my Master Yao Chen's former home and erect a tombstone for him. Might I trouble Elder Wanhuo to arrange someone to lead the way?" Xiao Yan asked with a warm smile.
There was still some time before the Medicinal Ceremony began. Now that he had come to the Yao Clan, there were certain duties he ought to fulfill as a disciple, and he had every intention of doing so.
Yao Wanhuo heard the warmth return to Xiao Yan's voice and gave a nod. Before he could speak, however, a graceful figure emerged from the crowd behind him and crossed the distance in a single fluid step. It was none other than Yao Ling, whom Xiao Yan had met in the Demon Flame Space.
"Elder Wanhuo, allow me to guide Clan Head Xiao."
Yao Ling wore a blue dress that hugged the slender line of her waist and draped softly over the gentle curve of her hips. Her fair skin looked smooth and warm, a faint flush tinted her cheeks, and her dark eyes shone clear beneath long lashes. Her delicate features could shame flowers and eclipse the moon, yet what drew the eye even more was the spiritual grace about her, an ethereal poise untouched by a single speck of mortal dust.
Curiosity and surprise stirred in those beautiful eyes when her gaze settled on Xiao Yan.
Her feelings toward him had always been complicated. Back in the Demon Flame Space, this young man, who had not even come from an ancient clan, had already attained a level of Spiritual Strength equal to her own. Now, barely more than two years later, he had surpassed her in every respect. She had never imagined he would return with strength and status comparable to their own Clan Head's, much less declare war outright and force the entire Yao Clan to bow its head through sheer force of his standing.
Yao Wanhuo nodded. "Very well. Ling'er, take Clan Head Xiao there."
"It's Junior Sister Yao Ling!"
The moment she stepped forward, the anger simmering among the gathered Yao Clan members vanished like smoke. One after another, the young men straightened their robes and adopted their most handsome, dashing poses. They flashed brilliant smiles, looking for all the world like they believed themselves capable of charming thousands of maidens, each hoping to catch the beauty's attention. Unfortunately for them, none seemed to notice that her eyes had remained on a certain black-robed young man from the moment she appeared.
"Senior Sister Yao Ling has come out of seclusion! Will she be participating in the Medicinal Ceremony too?"
Even the younger disciples from factions affiliated with the Yao Clan called out excitedly at her appearance. Quite a few young men gazed at the breathtaking woman with undisguised infatuation. Many had accompanied their elders to the ceremony for no reason other than to catch a glimpse of this fairy in person.
Xiao Yan spared Yao Ling only a brief glance before turning his attention back to Yao Wangui, whose face had gone deathly pale with disbelief. "Elder Yao Wangui, once the tombstone is erected, I hope you'll do me the honor of coming by. I'm not fond of having to hurry people along."
"You! Xiao Yan, don't push your luck!" Yao Wangui clenched his fists until the veins bulged beneath his skin. His teeth ground together, and he looked ready to tear Xiao Yan apart and swallow him alive. Yet he understood all too well that the Yao Clan would never protect him under these circumstances. Compared to the clan's greater interests, his personal dignity counted for nothing.
"Lead the way," Xiao Yan said flatly, no longer bothering to waste another breath on him. In his eyes, Yao Wangui was no longer someone worth taking seriously. Even the vast Yao Clan itself no longer seemed quite as mysterious or formidable as it once had.
"Clan Head Xiao, this way, please." Yao Ling gestured politely with an open hand. The two then rose into the air and flew toward the outer reaches of the clan.
Yao Chen had borne the Yao surname, so he had not been an ordinary descendant living under the clan's protection. His ancestors had once enjoyed considerable prestige. Unfortunately, every Dou God Clan revered the Dou God Bloodline above all else, treating its grade as the ultimate measure of a person's worth. Once a family's bloodline weakened and its grade declined, its standing within the clan inevitably fell with it.
Yao Chen's parents had both possessed Dou God Bloodlines below Grade 4. By the time that bloodline passed down to Yao Chen, it had dwindled to a mere Grade 1, so faint that it was almost nonexistent. It was precisely this weakness that had subjected him to discrimination within his own clan.
The farther they flew from the clan's central regions, the thinner the surrounding natural energy became. Xiao Yan could only shake his head inwardly.
Before long, the two arrived at a remote corner of an abandoned village in the southern Shenglong Mountain Range. Xiao Yan surveyed the barren, neglected mountainside and murmured, "If this place were somewhere in the outside world, it would still be considered quite decent. But within a Dou God Clan, I imagine it must be one of the worst places to live."
Yao Ling heard his quiet remark and let her gaze wander across the desolate ground. Sparse trees clung to the rocky soil, and the natural energy here was not even a fraction of what she enjoyed in her own cultivation grounds. She had spent her entire life among the Yao Clan's spiritually abundant peaks, and places like this had always existed somewhere beyond the edges of her daily concerns. A complicated feeling stirred in her chest. Someone had grown up in a place like this, yet the disciple he left behind had risen to such extraordinary heights...
A small wooden hut stood a short distance ahead. Years of neglect had left it dilapidated, its timbers weathered and half-rotten. Traces of old herb beds remained around it, along with scattered patches of scorched earth.
Yao Chen had likely spent his younger years studying alchemy here. Despite the poor surroundings and the lack of resources, nothing had managed to extinguish his passion for the alchemist's path.
"Do me a favor and help clear these weeds," Xiao Yan said.
Yao Ling's bright, limpid eyes widened in surprise. Then, with a slightly exasperated roll of her eyes, she waved her hand. A ribbon of Dou Qi swept across the ground, instantly clearing a broad patch of weeds and debris.
"What are you doing? Use your hands!"
"You...!" Indignation flashed across Yao Ling's face, but before she could voice her complaint, Xiao Yan had already rolled up his sleeves and crouched beside the hut. He began pulling out the dense weeds by hand, dragging away fallen branches and tangled debris little by little.
Yao Ling stared at him, momentarily speechless. Here was a 6-star Dou Saint, the Clan Head of a Dou God Clan, crouching in the dirt and pulling weeds like an ordinary laborer...
For some reason, this particular Clan Head carried none of the imposing authority she associated with the leaders of ancient clans. Perhaps it was simply because he looked far too young. After all, what other Dou God Clan Head was not some ancient fellow over a thousand years old? Having one appear who was practically her own age was strange enough, and it made him rather difficult to feel intimidated by.
Unsure whether to laugh or cry, Yao Ling let out a slow breath. She gathered the hem of her blue dress with the air of someone making a considerable sacrifice, knelt beside him, and took hold of the nearest tangle of weeds.
"Is this how the head of a Dou God Clan usually spends his time?" she muttered while struggling with a particularly stubborn root.
"Some things only mean something when you do them with your own hands," Xiao Yan replied without looking up.
Yao Ling finally wrenched the stubborn root free, sending a clump of dark, damp soil scattering across her pristine blue skirt. She stared at the ugly stain for a moment before shooting Xiao Yan a sharp look, practically daring him to laugh. He managed to keep his expression perfectly straight, though the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed him. Yao Ling let out an indignant huff. A faint blush crept up her neck and warmed her cheeks before she turned back to the weeds without a word.
As they worked, curiosity gradually got the better of her. What sort of person had this clan outcast, Yao Chen, truly been? He had been dead for so long, yet somehow his legacy had produced a monster like Xiao Yan. Brushing the dirt from her fingers, she finally asked, "Hey, Clan Head Xiao, what kind of person was old Mister Yao Chen?"
"I don't know." Xiao Yan continued sorting through the belongings inside the wooden hut. "My Master was already dead when I inherited his legacy. I never met him in person."
Yao Ling's hands paused. A disciple who had never even met his Master had crossed the continent and entered the heart of an ancient clan simply to erect a grave for him.
"From what I've heard, though, he was a good man who believed in teaching anyone willing to learn, regardless of their background," Xiao Yan added, his voice softening slightly.
Given the strength the two possessed, clearing the weeds was an exceedingly simple task. Before long, they had tidied the area surrounding the small wooden hut, revealing its original appearance beneath the years of neglect.
It was an exceptionally humble dwelling. Apart from a bed and a chair, there was almost nothing inside. To describe it as four bare walls would not have been an exaggeration.
Scorch marks blackened the wood around the hut, likely left behind by Yao Chen's failed pill refinements during his youth. Even after all these years, a faint medicinal fragrance still lingered within the little room.
Looking at the humble dwelling, Xiao Yan could almost picture the days his Master had spent here, studying alchemy and pursuing his ambitions despite everything stacked against him.
He let out a soft sigh and withdrew the Black Demon Cauldron from his storage ring.
"The Black Demon Cauldron! The medicinal cauldron ranked eighth on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking!" Yao Ling's beautiful eyes widened in astonishment. She had recognized the cauldron at a single glance.
Naturally, the vast majority of the medicinal cauldrons recorded on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking were in the Yao Clan's possession. Yao Ling herself owned one, though its ranking was considerably lower than that of the Black Demon Cauldron.
Yao Chen had not even left behind ashes after his death. The Black Demon Cauldron was the one possession that had accompanied him for the longest time.
Xiao Yan carefully lowered the cauldron into the pit he had prepared and covered it with earth, handful by handful. Once it was buried, he took out a stone stele and planted it firmly above the mound. Bone Chilling Flame gathered at his fingertip, and he used its pale flames to carve two lines into the stone.
[Tomb of My Revered Master, Yao Chen]
[Erected by His Disciple, Xiao Yan]
Only after Xiao Yan had finished paying his respects with a solemn bow did Yao Ling finally speak. "That was the Black Demon Cauldron, the eighth-ranked cauldron on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking. And you just... buried it?"
"It belonged to my Master in the first place," Xiao Yan replied unhurriedly. "Besides, at my current level, the Black Demon Cauldron is little more than an ordinary medicinal cauldron."
"An ordinary cauldron..." Yao Ling repeated, shaking her head with a helpless smile. "So you really can refine Tier 9 Treasure Pills."
A medicinal cauldron that even she would have coveted was, to this man, something he could bury without the slightest hesitation.
"It's only a Tier 9 Treasure Pill. Isn't your clan's legendary super genius, Yao Tian, capable of refining one as well?" Xiao Yan asked with a faint smile, glancing at her surprised expression.
"Uh..." Yao Ling hesitated, and a flicker of embarrassment crossed her face. After a moment, she decided to answer honestly. "Actually... my brother can't refine a Tier 9 Treasure Pill on his own."
Ever since the events in the Demon Flame Space, Yao Tian had been in seclusion, repeatedly attempting to refine Tier 9 pills. His goal had been to challenge Xiao Yan at the Medicinal Ceremony and prove himself. Unfortunately, more than two years had passed, and he still had not succeeded in refining a Tier 9 Treasure Pill independently.
Consequently, both Yao Tian and Yao Ling would be entering the youth division of this Medicinal Ceremony, where they intended to refine nine-colored Tier 8 pills. Yao Wanhuo, meanwhile, would represent the Yao Clan in the main competition.
Clearly, the rumors circulating about Yao Tian's supposed ability to refine Tier 9 Treasure Pills had been little more than an attempt by the Yao Clan to embellish his reputation.
As for why Clan Head Yao Dan was not competing personally, the reason was even simpler. If the Yao Clan truly lost, they could always claim that their Clan Head had yet to participate, meaning they had not suffered a complete defeat. At least that would leave them an excuse, wouldn't it?
Defeated, but not entirely defeated.
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow. "Your clan seems rather more skilled at polishing reputations than refining pills."
Yao Ling pressed her lips together and lifted her chin. "That is a matter concerning my clan. You didn't hear any of it from me."
"Hear what?" Xiao Yan replied innocently, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Yao Ling glared at him. She could never quite decide whether this man was infuriating on purpose or simply impossible to pin down. Either way, she had no intention of giving him the satisfaction of seeing her flustered. With a soft harrumph, she turned her face away.
A quiet stillness settled around the grave. Thin threads of smoke rose from the incense Xiao Yan had lit, curling gently before the tombstone. The freshly carved characters caught the light while he watched the smoke drift upward for a moment. Then he turned his gaze toward the distance.
"All right. Where's Yao Wangui?"
Yao Ling was just about to answer when the sound of rushing wind came from the distant sky. A figure was approaching at great speed. Naturally, it was none other than Yao Wangui.
Yao Wangui fixed Xiao Yan with a ferocious glare. He had already sought out Clan Head Yao Dan, hoping the latter would intervene on his behalf. Unfortunately, even Yao Dan had merely shaken his head and told him to take responsibility for the mistakes he had committed back then.
Xiao Yan ignored the murderous look directed at him. He simply stepped aside, leaving Yao Wangui with an unobstructed view of Yao Chen's tombstone.
The moment Yao Wangui's eyes fell upon the name carved into the stone, they turned blood-red, the veins within them swelling until they seemed ready to burst.
He was the Grand Elder responsible for enforcing the Yao Clan's discipline, a man of immense standing and authority. A single word from him could decide whether an ordinary clansman lived or died! It had been he who personally passed judgment on Yao Chen all those years ago. Yet now, he was expected to kneel before the grave of that same outcast and kowtow in apology.
To Yao Wangui, such humiliation was worse than death!
"Xiao Yan! I don't believe you'd dare kill me! And I don't believe you'd dare go to all-out war with the Yao Clan!!" he roared madly. The formidable aura of a 4-star Dou Saint erupted from his body, sending a crushing pressure sweeping across the surroundings.
Hum!
A soft vibration filled the air as pale, bone-white flames rose around Yao Chen's wooden hut, forming a protective barrier that shielded it from the violent pressure. Naturally, Xiao Yan had already taken precautions to ensure that this place would not be damaged.
Xiao Yan merely smiled at the half-crazed elder and rubbed his nose. "Elder Yao Wangui, you think far too highly of yourself. You're nothing more than an elder. You aren't important enough for me to go to such lengths."
"And you have no right to refuse."
BOOM! BOOM!
With a single thought, Xiao Yan summoned a tremendous surge of Spiritual Strength that descended from the sky like the foot of an invisible giant. The overwhelming pressure crashed straight down upon Yao Wangui, instantly crushing both his knees. A violent tremor ran through his body, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Thud!
Yao Wangui collapsed beneath that crushing Spiritual Strength. His shattered knees struck the earth, and he desperately braced himself with both hands to keep from being completely flattened.
To the current Xiao Yan, Yao Wangui was no longer someone who possessed the right to say 'no' in his presence.
In truth, Xiao Yan's earlier words had not been directed at Yao Wangui at all. They had been intended for Clan Head Yao Dan. There were certain things Xiao Yan was determined to do, and if the Yao Clan insisted on going to war over them, he would gladly oblige.
Had the offender been anyone else, the Yao Clan would never have allowed an outsider to trample upon its dignity, regardless of what Yao Wangui had done wrong. Unfortunately for him, this outsider happened to be Xiao Yan. All anyone could say was that Yao Wangui had kicked an iron plate.
Even while kneeling, Yao Wangui desperately activated the power of his Clan Mark. Unfortunately, the increase in strength did nothing to ease Xiao Yan's suppression. It was like throwing a cup of water onto a raging inferno, utterly useless.
"Xiao Yan! If you've got the balls, then kill me! You want me to kowtow and admit my wrongs to that outcast? NEVER!!" Yao Wangui roared furiously. Bones cracked and splintered throughout his body under the immense pressure, yet he stubbornly refused to yield. He was gambling everything on his belief that Xiao Yan would not truly dare kill him.
BANG!
Xiao Yan pressed his palm downward, and an invisible force slammed Yao Wangui's head firmly against the ground, pinning him there.
Some distance away, the Yao Clan elders could only sigh and shake their heads. Quite a few of them had known perfectly well what Yao Wangui had done back then. Unfortunately, given his strength and position within the clan, none had been willing to offend him for the sake of someone like Yao Chen.
Who could have imagined that Yao Chen would not only make a name for himself across the Dou Qi Continent, but also leave behind a disciple who possessed such extraordinary strength and placed such importance on loyalty and gratitude?
"What goes around comes around."
"Yao Wangui really brought this upon himself."
Unfortunately, Yao Wangui was nothing if not stubborn. Even with his body crushed beneath that overwhelming force, he showed no intention of admitting his mistakes.
"Xiao Yan! If you've got the balls, then kill me! You want me to admit I was wrong? Impossible!!"
Yao Ling's heart climbed into her throat. She had never imagined that Elder Yao Wangui would be quite this obstinate. Is this old man really not afraid of dying?!
If Xiao Yan actually lost his patience and snapped the elder's neck, there was every chance that a full-scale war would erupt between the Yan Alliance and the Yao Clan!
Xiao Yan merely shrugged. "I've already fathered three children, and you're still asking whether I've got balls?"
His tone remained almost casual. "Besides, I don't need to kill anyone to make you admit your wrongs. Little Yi."
"Yi Yi takes the stage!!"
The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame suddenly emerged from the void with a childish cry. Its small, adorable figure popped into existence beside Xiao Yan, looking thoroughly pleased with its own entrance.
"The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame..." In the distance, Yao Wanhuo's heart sank. He had already reclaimed Human Medicine's Nine Serene Wind Flame, but before the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, a true king among Heavenly Flames, even the tenth-ranked Nine Serene Wind Flame could only bow its head in submission.
Wonder flickered through Yao Ling's beautiful eyes. She had witnessed the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame's terrifying might back in the Demon Flame Space, when it had been a ruthless, malevolent existence bent on refining them all. Yet now it floated obediently beside Xiao Yan, looking no different from a playful little child. She still remembered leaving the Demon Flame Space alongside her elder brother and Yao Wanhuo. Before departing, she had glanced back at Xiao Yan's receding figure, quietly acknowledging that if anyone could obtain the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, it would be him. Now, looking at the little flame spirit beside him, she realized that her judgment had been correct. He really had refined it!
Little Yi floated behind the kneeling Yao Wangui. Suddenly, the corner of its little mouth curled into a crooked, sinister smile. Then it spoke in a soft, childish voice.
"Nightmare Heavenly Fog!"
Little Yi pursed its lips and blew gently toward Yao Wangui. Thin wisps of milky-white mist drifted from its mouth, spreading through the air around the helpless elder.
Nightmare Heavenly Fog!!
It was another of the Purifying Lotus Demon Saint's supreme techniques!
Xiao Yan had inherited the Purifying Lotus Demon Saint's legacy, after all. Both the Refining Sky Ancient Formation and the Nightmare Heavenly Fog were techniques he could now command!
The moment Yao Ling recognized the milky-white mist emerging from Little Yi's mouth, all color drained from her face. She immediately retreated, putting a considerable distance between herself and the spreading fog. The memory of that technique was still painfully vivid. Back in the Demon Flame Space, had Xiao Yan not broken through the Nightmare Heavenly Fog, the entire Yao Clan party would have remained trapped in an endless nightmare, eventually being refined into Fire Slaves!
"Nightmare Heavenly Fog!! No! NO!!"
Yao Wangui finally understood what Xiao Yan intended to do, and genuine terror seized him for the first time. His face turned deathly pale, as though he had just seen a ghost. He had personally experienced the Nightmare Heavenly Fog back in the Demon Flame Space, and he knew better than most what awaited anyone caught within it.
It was a true nightmare!