"An acquaintance?"
Hearing Xiao Xuan's words, Xiao Yi also stopped walking.
Confusion was evident in his eyes.
However, before Xiao Xuan could explain, the space around Xiao Yi seemed to solidify, and everything appeared to halt.
Immediately afterward, a golden light slowly emerged behind Xiao Yi, and that golden light gradually enveloped him.
It brought Xiao Yi into another mysterious space.
Subsequently, a red light flashed across the storage ring on Xiao Yi's finger, and Xiao Xuan's figure reappeared.
"Since you've come..."
"There's no need to be so cautious and careful, is there..."
Xiao Xuan's mouth curved slightly upward, revealing a somewhat strange smile, and he spoke in a deep voice.
"I didn't expect that your Soul would awaken here!"
Immediately, a deep and powerful voice slowly sounded from within the golden light.
The next second, the golden light in front of Xiao Yi experienced an energy fluctuation, and a man dressed in a simple, cyan-gold robe slowly stepped out from the energy ripple.
Xiao Yi looked up and saw the man standing with his hands clasped behind his back, his robes embroidered with complex ancient totems.
Golden radiance seemed to flow behind him, as if all the power of the heavens and earth were drawn into it.
The moment the man appeared, he exuded an aura of majesty that overlooked all living beings, making people involuntarily tense up.
"Gu Yuan, after a thousand years, I didn't expect you to become even more timid..."
Xiao Xuan looked up at Gu Yuan and couldn't help but tease him.
Gu Yuan!???
Hearing this name, Xiao Yi couldn't help but freeze slightly.
Good heavens, the dignified Peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng expert, the Clan Leader of the Gu Clan, had truly arrived!
No wonder the person in front of him possessed such an extraordinary presence when he first appeared.
However, upon hearing Xiao Xuan's words, Gu Yuan showed no sign of anger; instead, he merely smiled slightly:
"Being a little cautious ensures nothing goes wrong..."
Hearing this, a strange light flashed quickly in Xiao Xuan's eyes:
"That's true, cautious just like a thousand years ago..."
Gu Yuan naturally understood the meaning behind Xiao Xuan's words, and he sighed helplessly:
"Back then, I didn't have your courage and confidence. Behind me are countless citizens of the Gu Clan, and I couldn't gamble with their lives..."
Xiao Xuan merely smiled slightly: "You old fellow..."
"Did I ever tell you to gamble..."
"When the Hun Clan took advantage of my failure to Breakthrough to Dou Di during my seclusion and massacred my Xiao Clan, I didn't hold out hope that the Gu Clan would step in to help!"
"But I chose to self-destruct and severely injure Hun Tiandi! Why did you still choose to remain closed off and not act!"
"Didn't you know about the Hun Clan's ambition? Such a detestable Bloodline should completely vanish from the continent!"
After Xiao Xuan finished speaking, a hint of disappointment appeared in his eyes.
Because from Xiao Xuan's perspective, he had self-destructed desperately back then, severely injuring Hun Tiandi!
If Gu Yuan had been willing to lead the Gu Clan to attack the Hun Clan at that time, perhaps the Hun Clan would have completely ceased to exist on the continent now.
Looking at it this way, Gu Yuan could indeed be called the most cowardly Nine-Star Dou Sheng.
A thousand years ago, among the Ancient Eight Clans, Xiao Xuan relied on his powerful strength to lead the Xiao Clan to one of the top two positions among the Ancient Eight Clans.
The Gu Clan, meanwhile, constantly ranked third.
Therefore, the Xiao Clan and the Gu Clan shared a long period of close relations.
For this reason, before Xiao Xuan went into seclusion to attempt to reach Dou Di, he had specifically entrusted Gu Yuan, hoping he could appropriately look after the Xiao Clan for him.
Looking at the present, Gu Yuan did not fulfill his promise from back then.
This is why the Xiao Clan declined and became the current Xiao Family.
Xiao Xuan had already come to terms with this matter.
After all, he was currently just a wisp of residual Soul, and he didn't have the strength to settle scores with Gu Yuan.
Furthermore, since things had reached this point, nothing could change the fate that had already been set and rewritten.
Gu Yuan could only sigh repeatedly, repeating the same argument: "As the Clan Chief..."
"I didn't have the courage to gamble the lives of the entire clan!"
"If I had attacked the Hun Clan back then, how could I guarantee that the other clans wouldn't seize the opportunity to cause chaos!"
"In a situation where the snipe and the clam fight, and the fisherman profits, my Gu Clan cannot be the snipe or the clam..."
Xiao Xuan smiled faintly, feeling a bit helpless.
Because ever since he had known Gu Yuan, this fellow had always possessed this kind of personality.
Cautious and meticulous!
To put it more seriously, he lacked spirit, meaning he was timid!
"Then today, for you, the dignified Clan Leader of the Gu Clan, to personally arrive, I presume it's not just a simple visit to reminisce, is it..."
"If you want the Tuoshe Ancient God Jade, with your Nine-Star Dou Sheng strength, wouldn't it be easy just to visit the Xiao Family?"
"Although I have awakened, I am ultimately just a spirit, without a Physical Body. If you wished to take it, I wouldn't have the strength to stop you..."
Xiao Xuan looked up at Gu Yuan and spoke in a deep voice.
Xiao Xuan spoke this way merely to see if Gu Yuan still remembered their past relationship.
Gu Yuan, upon hearing this, only smiled slightly: "Xiao Xuan..."
"Are you treating me, Gu Yuan, as someone from the Hun Clan..."
"My Gu Clan would not stoop to kicking someone when they are down..."
"The Tuoshe Ancient God Jade is certainly important, but it is ultimately an item of your Xiao Clan. Since you have now awakened, I believe the Xiao Family can keep it safe..."
"I only came today because I heard about your awakening, and I specifically came to verify the truth..."
"After all, given the relationship between us, how could I not come..."
Hearing these words, a smile also appeared on Xiao Xuan's lips.
It seemed that although Gu Yuan was indeed a bit timid, at least he was still friendly toward the Xiao Family and remembered their past relationship.
Seeing this, Gu Yuan also smiled faintly, then spoke softly:
"Xiao Xuan, now that your Soul has awakened..."
"What are your plans? Don't you have any intention of resurrecting..."
"After all, not having a Physical Body must feel uncomfortable..."
Xiao Xuan lowered his head, glanced at Xiao Yi, and then spoke again:
"Hahahahaha..."
"My Soul slept for a thousand years. In that long darkness, I once thought that this was all there was to my life..."
"Until this boy appeared, his Qi, which was exactly like mine, woke me up..."
"I, Xiao Xuan, have already died once. Now, being able to look upon this continent again in my Soul state, I am already content..."
"As for resurrection, let fate decide..."
"Back then, I already gave my all just to touch that supreme threshold..."
"What a pity, what a pity..."
In Xiao Xuan's eyes at this moment, the obsession with reaching Dou Di was gone.
After all, having slept for a thousand years, he had long since seen through things... and he had lost the confidence he once had... As Xiao Xuan's voice faded, Gu Yuan and Xiao Xuan simultaneously fell silent.
As top experts on the continent, both naturally knew the reason why Xiao Xuan failed to reach Dou Di back then.
Because this continent no longer had enough Source Qi to allow him to advance to Dou Di...