Chapter 464: This Can Be Bought!

At this moment, the Tian Yan Nine-Step Wing bone spines Xiao Yan had forged no longer resembled a Flying Dou Technique; a vital energy emanated from the wings.

In that instant, Feng Qing'er'er's bloodline trembled; she felt a supreme pressure descending from above!

Heaven Phoenix Wings!

They were a complete pair of Heaven Phoenix Wings—not mere bones, but flesh and blood; upon closer inspection, one could even see blood flowing within.

On their glossy black feathers, faint Black Flame radiated; from behind, Xiao Yan looked as if he had transformed into an ancient Heaven Phoenix.

Of course, Xiao Yan was human—he could never be a Heaven Phoenix; it was merely due to the unique ability of the Ten Thousand Beings Spiritual Flame that the faint ancient Heaven Phoenix bloodline within the wings had been pushed to its limit.

"Hahaha, excellent! All the effort put into these wings was worth it!" Xiao Yan turned his head, sensing the immense power of the Heaven Phoenix Wings behind him, and couldn't help laughing heartily.

After absorbing the Tian Feng Blood Pool's essence and refining the soul of the Huang Pei, the strength of this Heaven Phoenix Wings Flying Dou Technique had finally reached Heavenly Rank.

The speed of these Heaven Phoenix Wings far surpassed Three Thousand Thunder Movement by countless times; if Xiao Yan's cultivation realm were slightly higher, a full burst might even rival the speed of a Peak Dou Zun—or even a Nine-Turn Dou Zun!

Hearing Xiao Yan's laughter, Feng Qing'er'er looked up; from her perspective, the enormous black Ancient Phoenix Wings blazed with tiny specks of Black Flame, exuding an eerie, domineering aura—she had once seen these wings on the back of the Clan Leader, Huang Tian, during a Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan assembly!

That was a true, genuine Sage Emperor! The Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan with the purest, closest-to-ancient-Heaven-Phoenix bloodline!

And now, she saw them on a human!

Sensing Feng Qing'er'er's gaze, Xiao Yan turned his head slightly and gave her a faint smile.

That single glance made Feng Qing'er'er's heart stop. She was terrified.

When Xiao Yan first forged them, he used Ancient Phoenix essence blood and the corpse of a Phoenix clan member, plus the soul of the Huang Pei—so they resembled Heaven Phoenix Wings even more.

How could Feng Qing'er'er not fear? What if Xiao Yan decided to forge another pair of Tian Feng bone wings?!

Seeing Feng Qing'er'er lower her head, unable to meet his gaze, Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, then retracted the Heaven Phoenix Wings, pulled out clean clothes from his storage ring, and donned his Soul Robe.

Hearing Xiao Yan's footsteps approaching, Feng Qing'er'er shut her eyes in terror, waiting as if for a demon to descend; though she should have been burning hot within the blood pool, she felt icy cold all over.

Slowly crouching down, he gazed at the delicate figure before him in the water and smiled gently: "Lift your head."

Visible trembling, Feng Qing'er'er slowly raised her head, meeting Xiao Yan's eyes. Her large, gem-like eyes shimmered with tears, her eyelashes quivered, her face etched with terror and pleading.

From Xiao Yan's viewpoint, Feng Qing'er'er's body was fully exposed—but he had no such thoughts toward her.

Xiao Yan slowly extended his large hand; as the shadow loomed before her, Feng Qing'er'er tensed her shoulders, squeezed her eyes shut, unable to face the fate awaiting her.

But Xiao Yan did nothing to her—his hand gently stroked her crown, the damp, warm hair silky smooth.

From afar, it looked like someone crouching to pet a stray kitten or puppy.

"Don't be afraid. When has Xiao Yan ever mistreated someone who gets things done?" His voice was gentle—but beneath it, a thread of threat was audible.

Hearing these words, Feng Qing'er'er stared at Xiao Yan in surprise. He wasn't torturing her?!

Xiao Yan flashed a sunny smile: "You did well. The remaining Tian Feng essence blood in this pool is your reward."

Though the pool's energy was nearly depleted, to Feng Qing'er'er it was still a pool of precious blood!

Though for these past three months she could only absorb residual bloodfire, she had still gained immensely; if she could claim the entire remaining pool, her bloodline power might even catch up to Huang Bao'er—and she could enter Eight Rank!

"As for the Huang Pei—if your clan asks you about it, you know how to answer, right?" Xiao Yan's gaze suddenly shifted; his hand slid downward, tracing from her ear, cheek, neck, to her fragrant shoulder, smiling warmly.

Xiao Yan's hand was incredibly gentle; his fingers brushed her fragrant shoulder, lightly sweeping from her shoulder down along her collarbone, then slowly upward to her chin.

Feeling his hand and his words, Feng Qing'er'er's eyes narrowed, her lips trembling.

But she had no choice—betraying one's clan had only two options: zero times, or countless times. She had brought Xiao Yan into this Tian Feng Blood Pool, and the Huang Pei was dead.

The Huang Pei held a very high status in the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan—a super-genius of the Phoenix clan. Had the Nine Phoenix, already at Three-Turn Dou Zun, not been so terrifying, the next Clan Leader might have been Huang Pei!

Feng Qing'er'er dared not resist; she trembled and whispered: "Qing'er understands. I never saw the Huang Pei—I've been cultivating in the blood pool the whole time."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled. He liked smart people; on the Dou Qi Continent, the foolish were fit only to be ingredients.

His hand toyed with her lips—they were exceptionally soft, like caressing a fine jade.

"Good. Understand this: don't get cocky just because you've broken through to Eight Rank. Even that old witch outside can't protect you—and neither can your Clan Leader, Huang Tian."

"Don't do anything stupid to test my limits."

As he toyed with her, Xiao Yan spoke, knowing that Feng Qing'er'er's bloodline and cultivation had both improved—she would soon become a core disciple of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan.

If this fool grew arrogant and thought a Sage Emperor could threaten Xiao Yan, it would bring him trouble.

He was about to head to the Tian Gang Hall—he didn't want any trouble during this time.

Feeling the icy killing intent in Xiao Yan's hand, and the faintly constricting Hun Chain in her spiritual soul, Feng Qing'er'er's lips quivered: "Yes, Master."

Standing up, Xiao Yan smiled in satisfaction. With a wave of his hand, a deep white flame shot out, freezing the Huang Pei's corpse—now returned to its true form—and retrieved it into his storage ring.

They say the Void Ancient Dragons feed on the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan? Xiao Yan guessed Zi Yan had never eaten such a high-grade ingredient—when she emerges from her seclusion, he'd give her a proper feast.

"Meow!" Puff! Mao Wu burst out of the blood pool, shook his body, flinging all the bloodfire away, and leapt onto Xiao Yan's shoulder.

What Xiao Yan found regrettable was that Mao Wu still hadn't broken through to Heavenly Emperor Fire—he felt Mao Wu had absorbed enough energy, having consumed the vast fire energy of the Three Thousand Yan Flame's spiritual space plus all the Tian Feng essence blood from Tian Feng Mountain.

But reaching Heavenly Emperor Fire seemed to require some other condition.

"Forget it. I'll ask Hun Xu Zi once I reach the Soul Hall. There's still some time left—I'll return to the Yan Alliance first."

Since successfully winning the Champion title and returning home, Xiao Yan hadn't gone back in nearly a year—he didn't know how much Xiao Xiao and Xiao Cai had grown.

Black Flame burned through Space; Mao Wu, now at near-Heavenly Emperor Fire, traversed Space with even greater ease—now even Nine-Star Dou Zun barriers couldn't contain him.

If he reached Heavenly Emperor Fire, even the barriers of ordinary Half-Sages or Dou Sages might be pierced.

Swathed in Black Flame, Xiao Yan vanished.

Seeing Xiao Yan finally leave, Feng Qing'er'er remained alert, verifying repeatedly, waiting a long while before finally exhaling, hugging herself, and sinking into the blood pool.

Only after Xiao Yan left did she truly feel warmth in her body.

That immensely powerful being—whom she had once revered as a genius—Huang Pei—was dead, slain without even a hint of resistance!

This was the terror of the Soul Hall! The Soul Hall possessed powerful Spiritual Soul Dou Techniques—nature's bane to beasts!

Those strange Spiritual Soul illusions and Soul Techniques had ensnared her without her even realizing.

"Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan!" Long after Xiao Yan had gone, Feng Qing'er'er gritted her teeth, the words spilling from between them.

Feng Qing'er'er's eyes glinted with malice—but deep within that malice lay an unmistakable, profound terror—and beneath that terror, something else seemed hidden.

This thing is definitely not emotion.

She feels nothing for Xiao Yan.

With his cultivation realm breakthrough to Three-Star Peak Dou Zun, his physique reaching the level of an ordinary Eight-Rank Void Ancient Dragon, and Mao Wu evolved into quasi-Heavenly Emperor Fire, Xiao Yan's speed through Space was astonishingly fast.

Even if Hei Qing arrived and used his full power to traverse Space, he might not be much faster than Xiao Yan.

In just five days, Xiao Yan crossed the entire Dou Qi Continent from Shou Yu and returned to the Yan Alliance—he needed to meet with Tian Huo Zunzhe and his second brother Xiao Li.

Because Xiao Yan had always been outside cultivating, seeking opportunities, and enhancing his strength, he knew little about many things concerning the Soul Hall.

Before leaving Sheng Dan Cheng, Xiao Yan had already instructed Tian Huo Zunzhe to gather more information about the Tian Gang Three Halls and learn about the Soul Hall's activities in Zhong Zhou—whether any Soul Hall Venerables required special attention.

What level of strength do the so-called Nine Heavenly Venerables possess? What about the Deputy Hall Master and Hall Master?

Knowing yourself and your enemy ensures victory in every battle; if Xiao Yan walked blindly into the Tian Gang Hall without knowing anything, and accidentally committed an unforgivable act or broke some rule, missing out on an opportunity—even as the second-best Alchemist after Hun Xu Zi—it would still be disastrous.

The Soul Hall is both danger and opportunity.

Upon returning to the Yan Alliance, Xiao Yan immediately went to Cai Lin's palace—but again, he found it empty.

Cai Lin, like Xiao Yan, had a fierce thirst for power; after giving birth to Xiao Xiao and Xiao Cai, she devoted even more energy to improving her cultivation realm.

After Xiao Yan won the Pill Gathering championship, Cai Lin, who had just broken through to One Star Dou Zun, led the Yan Alliance's strong warriors to reclaim territories lost over the years.

She also launched a massive revenge campaign, forcing the Wind and Thunder Pavilion to lose three halls and most of its territory; Fei Tian, the former North Pavilion Master who had once attacked Xiao Yan in the Heaven Eye Mountain Range, was killed instantly by Cai Lin's palm strike, his soul scattered.

Had the Thunder Venerable not been a Three-Star Peak Dou Zun, and had fighting him to the death not risked heavy casualties among Yan Alliance disciples, Cai Lin would have likely uprooted the entire Wind and Thunder Pavilion!

By occupying the three halls of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion, Cai Lin also gained substantial resources and several Secret Realms; using these resources, she entered seclusion to cultivate, determined to press forward and break through to Two Star Dou Zun.

From this, it's clear just how fast Xiao Yan's advancement truly was—even Cai Lin, with her Seven-Colored Devouring Sky Serpent Bloodline, couldn't keep up with this monster.

"Xiao Xiao, Xiao Cai, I'm back!"

"Dad!" Xiao Yan arrived at the Xiao Clan Courtyard on Yun Lan Mountain; Xiao Xiao, playing in the courtyard with Xiao Cai, called out in a tiny, sweet voice.

Seeing Xiao Xiao, Xiao Yan smiled warmly and opened his arms. If Feng Qing'er'er were here, she'd think she was seeing a ghost—could this devil really be this gentle?

The next second, Xiao Yan's eyes widened—Xiao Xiao stepped directly onto Space and lunged into his arms in one stride.

Xiao Cai, though weaker, was no slower; she coiled around Xiao Yan's arm, flicking her tongue with a hiss-hiss-hiss, grinning happily.

Cai Lin was a beast, so Xiao Yan naturally accepted Xiao Cai as his child.

"Xiao Cai, I'll brew some beast-specific Elixirs for you to nourish your body," Xiao Yan said, stroking Xiao Cai's scales. He hadn't expected twins, so he'd only brewed one Yi Shi Pill.

Moreover, the Yi Shi Pill was meant for humans; Xiao Yan had no similar Elixir formula for beasts. He'd have to study the Devouring Sky Serpent's traits and gradually develop a new formula.

Hiss-hiss! Xiao Cai nodded happily. Neither Xiao Yan nor Cai Lin nor the Four Great Elders knew they were twins, so the SnakeTribe's Secret Technique's Tian Hun Rong Xue Pill, Soul Pills, and even half-Sage blood had all been absorbed by Xiao Xiao.

This meant Xiao Xiao had become extremely powerful, while Xiao Cai remained in her juvenile stage, needing gradual cultivation to grow stronger.

"Young Master Yan, you've returned," Qing Lin walked slowly into the courtyard.

Dressed in a simple green dress, Qing Lin looked like a girl next door—graceful, beautiful, her every glance and smile warm.

Her slender figure and innocent eyes were practically a crime.

"Qing Lin, you've become even more beautiful," Xiao Yan smiled. For this girl with such a tragic past, Xiao Yan had always held deep compassion.

Hearing Xiao Yan's praise, Qing Lin's cheeks flushed slightly; her fingers twisted nervously together. No matter how much she grew, before Xiao Yan, she was still the little girl he'd met in the Mercenary Group.

Not long after, news of Xiao Yan's return spread throughout the Xiao Clan Courtyard; Xiao Zhan, Xiao Ding, and Xiao Li all came to greet him.

With the Yan Alliance's growing strength, the Xiao Clan had also grown stronger; now, in the Jia Ma Empire, the Xiao Clan was already the empire's foremost clan, with more and more Xiao Clan disciples.

Seeing the joy on his father's face, Xiao Yan slowly relaxed his tense nerves.

For Xiao Zhan, the Xiao Clan's return to Jia Ma Sheng Cheng and its current status was more than enough—he had already revived the glory his father Xiao Lin once enjoyed.

To him, Zhong Zhou was too distant; the Xiao Clan of a thousand years ago was even farther.

They drank and laughed with family until late at night, after which Qing Lin took Xiao Xiao and Xiao Cai away.

"Sigh, this girl Qing Lin truly owes us the Xiao Clan from a past life—she's come back in this one to repay her debt," Xiao Ding glanced at Xiao Yan, defending Qing Lin.

"Hahaha, originally, Brother and I feared you'd collapse, so we picked up a child bride for you—but look at you, your romantic luck is better than a dog's!" Xiao Li laughed, slapping Xiao Yan's shoulder hard.

At first, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li had found Qing Lin in the Desert; her mother had died, and seeing Xiao Yan was still young, they thought he and Xun Er had little chance, so they brought Qing Lin home to be Xiao Yan's child bride.

But Xun Er returned to the clan—and Xiao Yan's romantic luck was better than a dog's!

Meeting Xiao Yan ruins your whole life!

Helpless, Xiao Yan had no choice but to punish himself with three cups—he could say nothing, only remain silent.

"By the way, what are you going to do about Xun Er?" Xiao Ding asked, concerned.

Who would have thought that one day, Xiao Yan's greatest trouble would be love?

Speaking of Xun Er, Xiao Yan fell silent for a moment, took a sip of wine, then his eyes sharpened as he said firmly: "In less than two years, I will go to the Gu Clan myself—no matter the obstacles, I won't give up!"

"Haha, good! Second brother supports you—anything you need, just say it," Xiao Li grinned.

Xiao Ding suddenly remembered something and said: "By the way, third brother, we found an Infernal Flame."

"Infernal Flame?!" Hearing Xiao Ding's words, Xiao Yan froze in shock.

You found another one?!

"To be precise, it wasn't us—it was the Yan Alliance, or rather, Ya Fei bought it."

"Huh???" Xiao Yan was utterly bewildered—could Infernal Flames be bought?

Xiao Ding sighed: "Probably only you don't know. The Yan Alliance's highest reward posted in every city is always for finding Infernal Flames—even rumors of one carry a huge reward."

"Every time the Yan Alliance takes new territory or the Miter Guild opens a new branch, they post the highest bounty with local Mercenary Groups to find Infernal Flames."

That's the advantage of a major Faction—now, the Yan Alliance's sphere of influence is enormous.

Just like how the Ice River Valley once searched for Xiao Yixian, their bounty reached across all of Zhong Zhou.

Only now did Xiao Yan realize the Yan Alliance had been helping him search for Infernal Flames all along—they all knew he needed them.

The Yan Alliance was searching the entire world for Infernal Flames; even the tiniest rumor was verified by Yan Alliance disciples, and dangerous zones were personally investigated by Dou Zongs like Hai Bodong, Jia Xingtian, and Bai Ya.

Infernal Flames ranked lower could be reclaimed by Dou Zongs with sufficient strength.

But this time was different—Xiao Yan never expected that in a city under Sound Valley's jurisdiction, far away in Nan Yu, an auction was featuring a Strange Fire!

The Twenty-Third on the Strange Fire Ranking: Xuan Huang Fire.

Consuming a Strange Fire is a gamble with one's life; not everyone is willing to risk it, especially when it's Xuan Huang Fire, ranked last. The Dou Zong who obtained it ultimately chose to put it up for auction.

Nan Yu is far from the Northwest Region. The Dou Qi Continent is so vast that news rarely reaches here. Had it not been for Miter's prominent presence and the Yan Alliance's reward for Strange Fires, no one would have known this news.

Ya Fei, who received the news first, traveled thousands of miles to attend that auction.

Instantly, Xiao Yan's heart tightened, and he asked: "Where's Ya Fei?"

"She should be back soon."