Chapter 70: Who Did It?
"Young Master!"
"Holy Maiden!"
Two different voices echoed simultaneously.
As Xiao Yan and Yao Ling stepped out of the space portal, the four elders present heaved a collective sigh of relief. However, their expressions quickly shifted as they noticed changes in the two young cultivators some obvious, others more subtle.
Xiao Yan's aura had grown significantly stronger. With their Half Saint perception, Wen Lao and Wu Lao could easily discern that Xiao Yan's cultivation had soared to the seven star Dou Huang level.
In just ten days, he had advanced four stars, leaping from three star to seven star Dou Huang. Such terrifying progress was unheard of.
Moreover, his Dou Qi was now far more robust and solidified, no longer carrying the faintly hollow feeling from before. Even the two elder women from the Yao Clan were momentarily stunned.
This monstrous advancement explained why the Xiao Clan would assign two Half Saints to protect him his potential was simply too astonishing.
But as remarkable as Xiao Yan's progress was, their Holy Maiden's breakthrough garnered just as much attention. Yao Ling had successfully ascended to the Dou Zong level.
At not even 19 years old, she was already a Dou Zong. Such talent placed her firmly among the top ten prodigies of the Yao Clan's younger generation.
Her most terrifying trait, however, was still her Imperial Spirit Soul Constitution, a rare talent that even the Yao Clan leader personally valued. In time, Yao Ling was destined to become the clan's next ninth tier alchemist.
Yet the elders couldn't shake an odd feeling. Yao Ling's demeanor had subtly changed. There was a faint, indescribable air about her a trace of something unusual that made the experienced elders uneasy.
As for Xiao Yan, his smug, satisfied expression radiated confidence, as if he were ready to soar alongside the sun.
"Young Master," Wen Lao and Wu Lao greeted Xiao Yan with faint smiles.
"Holy Maiden," the two Yao Clan elders cautiously approached Yao Ling, scrutinizing her every detail. Though they noticed her slight changes, her cold expression and composed demeanor reassured them, allowing them to relax slightly.
"Grandmothers, let's go," Yao Ling said in an emotionless tone.
The two elder women exchanged glances and nodded. With a wave of their hands, a spatial passage appeared before them.
Just as the trio was about to step through, a loud and clear voice rang out behind them.
"Ling'er, when I become a Dou Sheng, I'll come riding a seven colored cloud to find you!"
Yao Ling stumbled slightly, her stable figure wavering. She turned to glare at Xiao Yan, her expression a mix of anger, frustration, and complexity. Finally, she sighed softly, turned away, and entered the spatial portal.
The two elder women paused, glancing back at Xiao Yan. Their expressions carried a mixture of suspicion and bewilderment before they followed Yao Ling into the portal.
Once the trio disappeared, Xiao Yan shifted his gaze toward the ominous black mist enclosed within the red and blue energy barrier.
"Wen Lao, Wu Lao, you must have experienced the terror of this black mist by now," Xiao Yan said solemnly.
"Indeed," Wen Lao replied with a nod. "This fog is unlike anything I've encountered. Even with our strength, I doubt we could completely eradicate it in a lifetime."
"To eliminate it entirely, a Dou Sheng of at least three stars would be required, and even then, it would take ten years," he added gravely.
"This black mist is the root cause of the Yin Yang Evil Saint's demise. Its power is as dreadful as you can imagine. What you see now has already been weakened by a thousand years of suppression by the Evil Saint," Xiao Yan explained, his tone heavy.
The revelation left the two Half Saints visibly shaken.
The black mist, in its prime, had claimed the life of a Dou Sheng.
Xiao Yan pulled out a delicate jade slip from his robe and handed it to Wen Lao.
"Wen Lao, I need you to return to the clan and deliver this to the patriarch."
"To the patriarch?" Wen Lao's expression grew even more surprised.
The patriarch of the Xiao Clan was a nine star Dou Sheng, one of the most powerful figures on the continent, second only to the clan's legendary ancestor. Even as a Half Saint, Wen Lao had only met the patriarch a handful of times, and opportunities to converse were even rarer.
"Use my title as the clan's Holy Son to seek an audience. This jade slip contains the Yin Yang Evil Saint's final relic. He had a close relationship with the patriarch, so the patriarch will surely want to see it," Xiao Yan explained.
Wen Lao raised an eyebrow but quickly nodded.
"I didn't expect the Evil Saint to have ties with the patriarch. Since it's your request, I'll see it done immediately."
With that, Wen Lao tore open a spatial rift and stepped through, disappearing into the horizon.
"Young Master, what shall we do next?" Wu Lao asked.
"We'll wait for now," Xiao Yan replied, his gaze fixed on the swirling black mist beneath the energy barrier.
Far away in the Shennong Mountain Range, home of the Yao Clan, mist rolled over towering peaks, shrouding an ancient palace in its ethereal embrace.
Inside the palace, Yao Ling sat in silence, her expression complicated.
Her mind drifted back to the events of those three days in the Evil Saint's ruins.
Why am I thinking about such filthy things?
She shook her head, trying to dispel the memory. But the image of a certain mischievous yet charming face resurfaced, refusing to fade.
"Scoundrel!" Yao Ling gritted her teeth, a ripple of soul energy emanating from her, shaking the room. Several priceless vases crashed to the ground.
"Haha, what could have upset my dear sister so much?"
A calm voice rang out as a tall figure appeared silently in the room.
"Brother!" Yao Ling's misty eyes brightened at the sight of the handsome, dignified young man.
This was Yao Tian, the Yao Clan's future leader.
Though older than Yao Ling by more than a decade, Yao Tian was already a Half Saint, standing just a step away from the Dou Sheng realm. His talent ranked among the best even within the ancient clans.
"Sister, what's wrong?" Yao Tian asked, his tone soft yet tinged with concern.
Having watched his sister grow up, Yao Tian cherished her more than anyone, treating her like a precious gem.
When his soul sense swept over Yao Ling and detected subtle changes in her aura, his expression darkened with fury.
"Who did this?" he demanded, his voice ice cold and laced with killing intent.
After hesitating briefly, Yao Ling finally whispered, "It was Xiao Yan of the Xiao Clan."
"I'll kill him!" Yao Tian's roar reverberated like thunder, his overwhelming killing intent shaking the room.
For the first time in his life, he felt such searing hatred for someone.
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