"You are Xiao Men?" Hun Tiandi's eyes revealed shock; he hadn't expected such an existence to have been lurking on the Dou Qi Continent all along, secretly influencing the development of the situation.
Even with his current perspective, looking back at the spiritual pollution left in that soul light cluster, he still felt that the evil will within it was grand and vast, inspiring fear.
As if thinking of something joyful, Amon's smile deepened a few shades:
"How about it? I'll take you to the Great Thousand World to experience that even vaster World… Don't you yearn for the realm beyond Dou Emperor? Don't you want to glimpse the power of a true master?"
Hun Tiandi agreed without much hesitation: "I don't have any other choice now, do I… Tell me, what do you need me to do? Open my mind and let you plant a mark?"
Amon shook his head: "No need, I don't need to control you with such petty tricks. Once we reach Great Thousand World, you will naturally gravitate towards me due to the situation there.
"Furthermore, I'm not asking you to do anything too difficult or against your interests. You just need to cooperate with me on some insignificant minor matters."
He extended his right hand, three fingers curled, slightly separating his index finger and thumb, making a gesture indicating something minute.
Hun Tiandi's eyes flickered; he didn't believe it would truly be as simple as the other party claimed.
Amon clapped his hands and softly said, "Come with me. The Great Thousand World will be vaster and more exciting than you imagine."
A bright glow emanated from his monocle, and amidst the shimmering starlight, a mysterious gate slowly opened.
Amon stepped into the light gate, and Hun Tiandi, without hesitation, followed closely behind.
The moment they left, Xiao Yan seemed to sense something and looked towards the Heavenly Flame Square.
"Did Elder do it… It seems he possesses a special ability regarding 'Seal'," Xiao Yan murmured softly.
…
The war revolving around the Tuoshe Ancient Emperors Cave concluded, with the Xiao Clan emerging as the final victor.
The entire the Central Plains was in ruins, but now it was ready for reconstruction.
Although the Central Plains suffered heavy casualties, it remained the area with the richest natural energy on the entire Dou Qi Continent.
Forces from peripheral regions, whose strength was previously insufficient to develop in the Central Plains, began to migrate there spontaneously, without needing any prompting.
It was foreseeable that in not too long, this desolate land would once again be full of vitality.
After the Gu Clan confirmed that the Xiao Clan had no intention of troubling them further, they returned to the Ancient Realm under the leadership of Gu Yuan.
Xiao Yu went to the Lei Clan as an envoy, informing them that the war had ended and they no longer needed to abide by the three-hundred-year self-seal treaty. Thus, the Lei Clan lifted the blockade on the Lei Realm and once again moved about the Central Plains.
The Yao Clan's Clan Head was the teacher of the Flame Emperor, and although the clan had almost no high-level combat power left, it remained stable.
The Soul Clan suffered countless casualties in this war; the number of survivors was even far fewer than the Gu Clan, whom they had severely wounded.
However, their strength was still not to be underestimated. The survivors were already the elite of the Soul Clan, and with Hun Tiandi's ascension to Emperor, their bloodline power increased. In terms of overall strength, it might not take long for them to recover to their previous level.
…
Within the Heavenly Tomb, Xiao Yan caressed Xuner's coffin, his expression forlorn.
"Cousin Xiao Yan, I believe you will definitely reclaim your dignity and glory…"
"Cousin Xiao Yan, Xuner believes that under your leadership, the Xiao Clan will surely restore its glory from a thousand years ago."
"When are you coming to beat up my father? Defeat him, and then take me away in front of the entire clan…"
Scenes from the past flashed before his eyes…
At this moment, he was invincible under heaven, but what good was it?
The person who accompanied him back then could never return…
Little Fairy Doctor, Xiao Meng, Xuner…
Xiao Yan's mind was in a daze, as if he saw Xuner's phantom. She was still so beautiful, dressed in a purple dress, her intelligent eyes looking at him, a smile on her face.
He wanted to reach out and touch, but there was nothing there.
Even the Heavenly Tomb couldn't bring Xuner back to him; the energy body he yearned for never appeared.
Even a Dou Emperor was powerless in the face of complete death.
"Sigh…" Xiao Yan let out a heavy sigh.
If he could, he would rather give up all his power in exchange for their companionship.
"Cousin Xiao Yan, the family meeting is about to start. We're just waiting for you," Xiao Qing's voice came from afar, pulling Xiao Yan back to reality from his memories.
Xiao Yan rubbed his forehead, forced himself to cheer up, and said in a deep voice, "Alright, I'll be right there."
Most matters within the clan didn't require his worry; as long as he was there, the Xiao Clan was as stable as a mountain.
However, he had to attend this meeting and treat it with caution.
Because what was to be discussed this time was the issue of using the Worm of Spirit.
Although Xiao Yan was indebted to Amon and willing to trust him, he could not be careless in matters concerning the clan's lifeline.
He walked out of the Heavenly Tomb and arrived at what was once the Soul Hall Heaven Hall. This place had now become the Xiao Clan's new clan grounds.
Xiao Yan unhesitatingly took the main seat. After all the high-ranking members of the Xiao Clan had arrived, Xiao Zhan cleared his throat and presented the meeting's agenda.
"Everyone, I believe you all already know that what we are going to discuss today is whether or not to prohibit clan members from using the Worm of Spirit."
Xiao Zhan's words caused a silence; this topic was too sensitive.
Although the Xiao Clan's bloodline power had recovered, not everyone's improvement was that significant. Aside from Xiao Yan's direct blood relatives, the cultivation increase brought by bloodline power still couldn't compare to the strength provided by the Worm of Spirit.
The First Elder broke the silence: "If we explicitly prohibit clan members from using the Worm of Spirit, it's tantamount to telling that person that we are wary and guarded against him, which will definitely affect our relationship with him."
The First Elder was against prohibiting the Worm of Spirit. In fact, just an hour ago, a Worm of Spirit was still Parasite in his body. If not for attending this meeting, he wouldn't have temporarily released the Worm of Spirit from Parasite and left his body.
The Second Elder echoed, "That's right, although the Dou Emperor bloodline is powerful, the effect of the Worm of Spirit is even more obvious, and this is clearly not their limit.
"If resources keep up, reaching the Dou Emperor level is not impossible, which is something the Dou Emperor bloodline cannot compare to. In the future, the Xiao Clan will definitely also develop in the Great Thousand World.
"The Worm of Spirit can help us establish a foothold in the Great Thousand World as quickly as possible."
The Third Elder nodded: "I agree with what the First Elder and Second Elder said."
Xiao Ding's expression was somewhat serious; the situation he worried about most had appeared. Having enjoyed the convenience of the Worm of Spirit, the clan members could no longer give it up.
Xiao Li spoke, offering a different view: "One must rely on oneself; one cannot always depend on others. When Third Brother becomes a Dou Emperor, we will abandon this method of gaining power. Wasn't this already decided long ago?"
Xiao Ning objected, saying, "That's wrong. Times have changed. The Amon Clan has already proven they are the best allies. There's no need to worry excessively about unsubstantiated matters.
"Moreover, using the Worm of Spirit doesn't hinder our own cultivation. As long as we don't enter a deep Parasite state, our cultivation is still effective.
"Although it may affect speed more or less, the resources gained from the Worm of Spirit's power can completely compensate for it.
"Aside from using 'Soul Awakening' potentially causing a complete loss of self-will, I haven't seen any other side effects."
"But we can't put the clan's lifeline in someone else's hands. What our Xiao Clan needs is independent glory, not to become someone else's subordinate," Xiao Li continued.
"This isn't subordination! A healthy symbiosis isn't bad at all. Without the Amon Clan, there would be no Xiao Clan today," Xiao Ke offered his opinion.
Xiao Yu softly said, "Our relationship with Amon is very similar to the relationship between the Soul Clan and the Void Swallowing Flame. The Soul Clan has endured for so many years because of the Void Swallowing Flame, always thriving. This proves the feasibility of such a symbiosis."
Xiao Yan listened to their arguments and understood the situation.
He himself was against continuing to let the Worm of Spirit Parasite within clan members, but aside from his father and two Elder brothers, hardly anyone was willing to support him on this point.
Moreover, due to Amon's relationship, he couldn't forcefully implement his will and could only guide the clan members' choices with a bias.
However, the effect was clearly not good.
After enjoying the convenience brought by the Worm of Spirit, it was difficult for clan members to give up this power.
Xiao Yan tapped the armrest of his chair with his index finger, and everyone immediately quieted down, their gazes fixed on the young Clan Head.
After a moment of thought, he spoke: "How about this: clan members who have already used the Worm of Spirit can continue to use it if they wish.
"Future newborns are not allowed to use the Worm of Spirit before their coming-of-age ceremony. After the coming-of-age ceremony, it will depend on their own will.
"Those with good talent are encouraged to follow their own path, while those with poor talent can become hosts for the Worm of Spirit.
"Additionally, for clan members who do not use the Worm of Spirit, the clan will provide preferential resources."
The compromise solution quelled the debate. Although it couldn't satisfy everyone, or rather, everyone was dissatisfied, they could all accept it.
…
Several months later, a teenager in his teens arrived at the Xiao Clan's station.
He unreservedly released his eight-star Dou Saint aura.
"Who is it? How dare you cause trouble in the Xiao Clan?"
Pain led a group of guards to stop him.
"My surname is Xiao, and I have no name. You can also call me Xiao Hikari. My mother told me to come here to find my father…"
"Your father?" Pain saw a familiar shadow on the teenager's face, and a look of realization appeared on his face.
He muttered softly, "How come another young master suddenly popped up…"
"I understand. Come with me," Pain put away his weapon and led him into the clan grounds.
Xiao Qing saw this scene and immediately shouted:
"Cousin Xiao Yan, your son is here to find you!"
As he shouted, everyone in the clan excitedly came to watch the show.
Xiao Yan's mouth twitched, feeling helpless about Xiao Qing's big mouth.
With a thought, he brought the teenager, who resembled him, to a high peak, away from the clan members.
The bloodline connection allowed Xiao Yan to confirm at a glance that this was indeed his son, but the other party's attitude seemed unfriendly, with a hint of resentment and hatred in his gaze towards him.
This gave him a bad premonition.
"You're Yuner's child, aren't you… How is Yuner doing?" Xiao Yan asked somewhat nervously.
The teenager didn't answer him, only coldly asked, "Are you my father?"
Xiao Yan nodded: "Yes…"
"My mother told me to come find you, but I didn't want to come find you… I've been a child without a father since I was little. When I fought with others, if they lost, they could go back and cry to their fathers. But I didn't have one. Even when I was taken advantage of, I had no father to stand up for me."
Xiao Yan was silent for a long while, then uttered two words: "I'm sorry… I let you down… Your mother, where is she now?"
"Mother doesn't want to see you. She told me to tell you that she already knows what happened back then."
Xiao Yan's expression was complex; Yun Shan's matter was an insurmountable hurdle between him and Yun Yun.
"Flame Emperor Xiao Yan, I know you. You are the strongest person in the world today, but I want to say that I will become stronger than you. The grievances my mother suffered, I will one day demand them back from you…"
Xiao Yan looked at the stubborn teenager staring at him, as if seeing his past self, and a smile suddenly appeared on his face.
"What are you laughing at?" The teenager was annoyed, "Don't look down on people… Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, don't take advantage of a young man for being poor!"