Chapter 527: A Chaotic World

So, if he still hasn't emerged after the Heavenly Tomb is fully sealed, there's only one conclusion!

The person is dead, their corpse turned to nothingness, not even a bone left!

Like the Yao Clan, Lei Clan, Stone Clan, and other Dou Emperor Families, they couldn't help but sneak a glance at Xiao Yan—Dou Emperor Families do compete with each other, vying for resources, but Hun Ya and Hun Li were both Eight Grade Bloodline, Eight Star Peak Dou Zun.

They couldn't kill him even if they wanted to; only Xiao Yan had both motive and strength to eliminate Hun Ya and Hun Li.

Two streaks of black mist halted, then coalesced into two old men clad in black robes, their eyes gradually turning blood-red; those around them quickly retreated, fearing the two elders might suddenly lose control.

The two black-robed elders had bloodshot eyes, breathing heavily like oxen; after a moment, they suddenly locked gazes, then sharply turned their stares directly toward the direction where Xiao Yan hovered in the sky.

Before Hun Ya and Hun Li entered the Heavenly Tomb, they knew these two intended to use the clan's hidden methods on the third level to kill Xiao Yan inside the tomb—but now Xiao Yan was unharmed, his cultivation had surged, while Hun Ya and Hun Li had vanished without a trace; this sight forced them to immediately suspect Xiao Yan.

"Xiao Yan!"

The two fixed their murderous gazes on Xiao Yan; after a long silence, one finally couldn't hold back—a low, furious roar filled with killing intent rang out across the heavens.

Hearing the roar, Xiao Yan in the sky calmly turned his gaze toward them and said indifferently: "What do the two Soul Clan Elders wish to instruct?"

"A life for a life!"

The black-robed elder's face turned utterly grim; as the final word left his lips, he flicked his sleeve—a dark chain radiating chilling energy pierced through space and shot violently toward Xiao Yan.

Facing the sudden attack from the black-robed elder, Xiao Yan's expression didn't change, nor did he move.

With a thud, a figure appeared before Xiao Yan; Tong Xuan waved his hand and shattered the spiritual energy attack. Both opponents were merely early-stage Sage Emperors—even together, they weren't his match.

Tong Xuan appeared before Xiao Yan three times: first, he protected Ling Quan and took Xun Er away; second, he took a palm strike from him; now, for the third time, he stood with his back turned.

Three appearances, three utterly different outcomes!

"Hun Lin, the Heavenly Tomb has always been perilous; the third level holds energy entities of Dou Sage level—there have been past cases of entrants killed by such entities," Tong Xuan said, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the Soul Clan Elder.

"Moreover, this is the Ancient Realm; Xiao Yan is half of our Gu Clan. You have no right to act recklessly here."

It was clear: over these past six months, the Gu Clan had firmly decided its stance toward Xiao Yan. And Xiao Yan is an Alchemist capable of crafting the Nine Color Pill Beast—publicly, privately, emotionally, and morally, he must be protected!

"Hmph, Tong Xuan, my Soul Clan's people lost their lives here in your territory—you cannot escape blame!" the elder called Hun Lin snarled.

"Xiao Yan, I suggest you come quietly with us back to the Soul Clan. If you truly didn't kill Hun Ya and Hun Li, we won't trouble you," the other black-robed elder coldly barked.

Hearing this, before Tong Xuan could speak, Xiao Yan couldn't help but sneer: "Going to your Soul Clan isn't impossible—have your Clan Leader, Hun Tian Di, come fetch me himself."

At these words, even Tong Xuan was stunned—how dare a Dou Zun provoke Hun Tian Di?!

Don't you fear he'll come for you?!

"Good, good, good—a Xiao Clan Young Clan Leader named Xiao Yan! When our Clan Leader arrives in person, I hope you'll still be so sharp-tongued!" Hun Lin knew he could do nothing to Xiao Yan in the Ancient Realm, so he left in disgrace.

Seeing the Soul Clan depart, the other Dou Emperor Families also had no reason to linger and gradually left the Ancient Realm.

Once everyone had departed, Tong Xuan finally spoke gravely: "Young Master Xiao Yan, would you consider staying in the Gu Clan for a while? Outside, things may not be peaceful."

Xiao Yan frowned and asked: "What happened?"

"Six months ago, the Ling Clan didn't arrive, so our clan sent emissaries to the Ling Realm—only to find its entrance sealed, the entire Ling Realm vanished completely, no one knows where it went."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan and Xun Er both paled—entire Ling Realm vanished?!

After a moment of thought, Xiao Yan still shook his head: "Then I can't stay in the Ancient Realm—if the Yan Alliance needs me, I must be there."

"Brother Xiao Yan…" Xun Er's eyes were filled with worry—she now knew some things.

"Don't worry—no matter what, I won't die."

"Heh, for tonight, let Young Master Xiao Yan stay one night in the Ancient Realm; tomorrow, our Gu Clan will escort you to the Yan Alliance's Earth Domain," Tong Xuan smiled, seeing Xiao Yan had decided.

Xiao Yan had no objection to Tong Xuan's arrangement—having a Dou Sage guide him would be far faster.

Moonlight like water poured down from the heavens, bathing the tranquil, lush Shan Mai; after bidding farewell to Xun Er, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged in the wooden hut to cultivate—he stayed one more day because he was waiting for someone.

In the deep silence of night, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, rose from his bed, pushed open the door with a creak—and saw a middle-aged man smiling, already waiting outside.

Gu Yuan, Clan Leader of the Gu Clan, Xun Er's father, also Xiao Yan's father-in-law.

"Greetings, Ancient Clan Chief," Xiao Yan bowed his hands and said.

"First-Transformation Peak Dou Zun—you've already met Xiao Xuan," Gu Yuan studied Xiao Yan and directly stated his cultivation realm.

"Yes, I've met him."

Gu Yuan gazed deeply at Xiao Yan, sighed, and said: "Though the Xiao Clan has utterly declined, the emergence of someone like you offers hope for its revival."

"When your Xiao Clan's bloodline was nearly extinct, Xiao Xuan appeared. Now you, Xiao Yan, have emerged—perhaps your Xiao Clan's bloodline hides something invisible, intangible."

Gu Yuan couldn't help but marvel—the Xiao Clan was truly indestructible. When everyone believed it was finished, Xiao Xuan appeared and forcibly extended its life for centuries; though he ultimately failed to break through, and the Soul Sovereign destroyed him, a thousand years later, when everyone had forgotten the Xiao Clan, believing it vanished entirely, Xiao Yan appeared!

The Xiao Clan seemed eternally unkillable, like a phoenix rising from ashes—growing stronger with every defeat, fiercer with every battle—truly baffling!

Xiao Yan smiled: "Ancient Clan Chief, you flatter me."

"You now know about Xun Er's bloodline—I don't oppose you being with her, but some matters must wait until you reach Dou Sage. I hope you won't mind."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan felt awkward, then nodded with a wry smile—given Xun Er's talent, reaching Dou Sage was no issue; he'd waited this long, a little more time didn't matter.

"Enough—I only came to say this. As Xun Er's father, I hope you two find happiness and safety," Gu Yuan nodded slightly, his figure gradually fading until he vanished completely.

"Also—thank you. For saving Xun Er's life back then."

Watching Gu Yuan's figure depart, Xiao Yan's eyes flickered with a strange light; he slowly shook his head. He understood—Gu Yuan knew, because from start to finish, Gu Yuan never asked about the Tuoshe Ancient Jade.

So when Xiao Yan first greeted him as "Ancient Clan Chief," it was because he spoke as Xiao Clan Young Clan Leader—the Ancient Jade given to the Soul Sovereign wasn't his choice; some matters, as Young Clan Leader, he had to weigh pros and cons.

"Sigh—was this a life for a life, or repayment for saving her?"

Early the next morning, Xiao Yan was escorted out of the Ancient Realm by the Gu Clan Elders.

On a peak of the Ancient Realm, Xun Er stood silently, bidding farewell to Xiao Yan; she didn't leave even after his figure vanished completely.

With a hum, space twisted—Gu Yuan appeared beside Xun Er, gazing silently at the direction Xiao Yan had departed.

After Xiao Yan left, Xun Er's smile returned to its usual cold, distant demeanor—as if even her own father was a stranger to her.

"He has deep ties to the Soul Sovereign," Gu Yuan said slowly.

Xun Er didn't answer—she knew this, long ago, even since her time at Jia Nan Academy.

Because it was simple: Xiao Yan's Soul Force had risen too fast. On the Dou Qi Continent, only Dan Tower and the Soul Palace could accelerate spiritual soul cultivation so drastically—and only the Soul Palace focused so intensely on enhancing Soul Force.

"If the Xiao Clan and the Soul Sovereign form an alliance, what in this world could still be unimaginable?"

Gu Yuan looked seriously at Xun Er, his eyes tinged with hesitation, and asked: "Xun Er, the elders of our clan still don't know about this, but I doubt we can hide it much longer—the appearance of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame is drawing near."

Upon hearing the four words "Pure Lotus Demon Flame," Xun Er's gaze flickered with a strange light, and a wisp of Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame surged from her body.

She and Gu Yuan both understood what the Pure Lotus Demon Flame represented.

Xun Er slowly raised her right hand; on her jade finger rested a beautiful, pure white butterfly-shaped ring—the butterfly as white as snow, flawless, breathtakingly beautiful, clearly revealing the immense effort and boundless devotion Xiao Yan had poured into forging it.

Even if Xiao Yan one day broke through to the ninth rank, he likely could never forge another Dan Beast so perfectly transcendent.

At the sight of this ring, Xun Er's cold expression gradually softened into a gentle smile; her jade finger gently caressed the ring, and the butterfly-shaped ring came alive, slowly unfolding its folded wings and trembling lightly.

"I understand, Father," Xun Er said slowly. She knew that if she wished to be with Xiao Yan, she had only one path to take!

The faint breeze stirred by the butterfly's wings had long since sent the world spiraling into unpredictable directions—it had become a chaotic mess.

Gu Yuan sighed inwardly; he had never imagined that by concealing the matter from the clan's elders and sending Xun Er to the Xiao Clan, the farthest from the Ancient Realm, he had hoped she might escape—yet after all the twists and turns, they had returned to the very starting point.

Fate cannot be controlled—not even by a Nine Star Peak Dou Saint like himself.

At the border of the Yan Alliance, space twisted, and two figures emerged from the distorted space: Tong Xuan and Xiao Yan.

"Xiao Yan, young friend, I'll leave you here," Tong Xuan bowed to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan bowed in return and nodded: "Thank you, Elder Tong Xuan, for seeing me off."

After Tong Xuan departed, Xiao Yan turned to gaze toward the Ancient Realm. The journey to the Heavenly Tomb was over, but many things were far from finished.

"The Ling Realm is a world created by a Dou Emperor. Only the true body of Void Devouring Flame possesses the power to make the entire Ling Realm vanish entirely."

Though not certain, Xiao Yan suspected—hadn't Mao Wu used this very trick countless times: swallowing a stretch of Space and taking everything within it?

Even Void Devouring Flame's Earth Sub Flame possesses this ability—how immensely powerful must the true Void Devouring Flame be?

And Mao Wu's only path to evolving into Heavenly Emperor Fire is to devour another Sub Flame.

All Sub Flames were severed from the original body; each contains a trace of the original's essence. To reach Heavenly Emperor Fire requires not merely energy, but the essence of Void Devouring Flame.

In short, from Sub Flame to Earth Sub Flame to Heavenly Emperor Fire—it is merely a process of drawing ever closer to the original body.

"It seems Hun Tian Di has already begun gathering the Tuoshe Ancient Jade."

The Ling Clan is being attacked by Void Devouring Flame for one reason and one reason only: they possess the Tuoshe Ancient Jade, and among all Dou Emperor Families, the Ling Clan is the weakest.

"The Stone Clan will be next."

Xiao Yan shook his head. What could he do, even if he knew? Even if Xiao Xuan, his Ancestor, were resurrected, Xiao Yan did not believe he could alter the tide of fate.

The Soul Sovereign and the Gu Clan will inevitably clash! And Xiao Yan shares a Soul Contract with Hun Tian Di—a contract that cannot be broken.

"Let's return to the Yan Alliance first."

Xiao Yan did not linger. After confirming the direction, his figure transformed into a streak of rainbow light, shooting like lightning toward the northern horizon—vanishing in an instant beyond the edge of the sky.

Soon, Xiao Yan returned to the Yan Alliance, arriving at the Xiao Clan's courtyard on Yun Lan Mountain, where from afar he saw a slender silhouette cultivating atop Yun Lan Mountain.

Who else could it be but Nalan Yanran? After all, the Hua Sect had stabilized, and for convenience, Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran had opened a direct Space Channel between the Hua Sect and Yun Lan Sect.

And Nalan Yanran had successfully inherited the position of Sect Master of Yun Lan Sect—finally rising from Young Sect Master to Sect Master!

Seeing Xiao Yan return, Nalan Yanran's eyes flickered with a hidden joy, then she snorted and turned her head away.

"Fine, keep practicing," Xiao Yan smiled, unfazed by her antics.

Seeing Xiao Yan truly meant to leave, Nalan Yanran bit her lip and said: "Wait."

"Hm? You little Bi Nu aren't trying to get beaten again, are you?"

"Beat me? I'll beat you someday!" Nalan Yanran stamped her foot in anger, but quickly calmed down and added: "Ya Fei seems to have something to tell you—about something called the Space Trade Fair."

Xiao Yan frowned. He didn't know what the Space Trade Fair was, but Ya Fei had always handled the Yan Alliance's intelligence and economy—and most importantly, Xiao Yan had once asked Ya Fei to inquire about the Pure Lotus Demon Flame Residual Map!

"Could the Space Trade Fair be connected to the Residual Map?!"

(End of Chapter)