Chapter 611

The black mist slowly receded, revealing three figures—two of whom Xiao Yan recognized: one was Hun Mie Sheng, the head of the Soul Sect, and the other was its deputy head, Hun Zhu; the third, though Xiao Yan had never seen before, could be easily identified by appearance and power as Hun Feng, the Soul Sect's sole remaining candidate for Young Clan Leader.

Seeing Xiao Yan look over, Hun Feng slowly raised his head to meet his gaze; the light fell upon his face, revealing a countenance around thirty years old—youthful, yet utterly expressionless, neither joyful nor sorrowful, giving the impression that his facial features had long since frozen in place. But most striking of all were his eyes.

His eyes were black—a purity so absolute that there was not a trace of white; within them lay only a thick, ink-like darkness, and from afar, they looked like two black beads forcibly embedded into his eye sockets. Gazing into those eyes, a chill arose spontaneously in the heart.

Hun Feng's eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "This is Xiao Yan, the Young Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan and leader of the Yan Alliance?"

Hearing Hun Feng's question, the deputy head Hun Zhu's expression turned peculiar, but he still nodded, sending a Soul Resonance: "Yes, Young Clan Leader, Xiao Yan's cultivation is formidable."

Hun Zhu almost wanted to tell him: You might not be able to defeat him.

Hun Feng's cultivation was only Two-Star Dou Sheng Late Stage; although Hun Zhu did not know Xiao Yan had broken through to Three-Star Dou Sheng, he could hardly fail to guess that Xiao Yan had likely done so—after all, Xiao Yan had taken the spiritual soul core clusters collected by the Soul Sect over a hundred years.

Moreover, even when Xiao Yan was still at Two-Star Dou Sheng Late Stage, he had shattered the Great Heavenly Venerable's Heavenly Rank Advanced Grade Defensive Dou Technique with a single finger of Dou Qi—without using any Dou Technique.

One could imagine how terrifying the quality of Xiao Yan's Dou Qi must be; frankly, Hun Zhu had no confidence in Hun Feng.

Even though Hun Feng possessed a Divine Grade Dou Di Bloodline, Xiao Yan wielded a Heavenly Rank Advanced Grade Cultivation Method and had higher cultivation; Hun Zhu knew Xiao Yan lacked Dou Di Bloodline, yet he still did not believe Hun Feng could win.

Originally, Hun Mie Sheng and Hun Zhu's mission was merely to assist Xiao Yan in capturing the Pure Lotus Phantom Fire; Hun Mie Sheng had even brought the clan's powerful Spiritual Energy Sealing Array—the Heaven-Roof Sealing Demon Array—specifically to seal the Pure Lotus Phantom Fire.

Thus, the Soul Sovereign had no intention of claiming the Pure Lotus Phantom Fire; there was originally no need for the Young Clan Leader Hun Feng to come. But after learning certain things, he had voluntarily requested to assist.

Hun Feng's own cultivation was already Two-Star Dou Sheng Late Stage, and with his Divine Grade Bloodline, his strength surpassed many Three-Star Dou Sheng; thus, the clan did not stop him—after all, even as Young Clan Leader, becoming Clan Leader was not guaranteed; there might be other rising talents, and he needed to accumulate merit.

Yet Hun Zhu now sensed a faint hostility from Hun Feng and thought: "Could Hun Feng think Xiao Yan is competing with him for the position of Soul Clan Clan Leader?"

Instantly, Hun Zhu found himself puzzled—could it be that Xiao Yan truly had such potential? Otherwise, why had the Clan Leader ordered Hun Mie Sheng to spare no effort in helping Xiao Yan obtain the Pure Lotus Phantom Fire?!

This was the third-ranked Heavenly Flame!

Could it be that the next Clan Leader chosen by Hun Tian Di was…?!

"He is a difficult opponent, but I won't lose to him," Hun Feng said, a confident smile slowly forming on his face.

In the past, Hun Zhu might have boasted or flattered, but now, whether he or Hun Mie Sheng, both acted as if they had heard nothing, remaining silent.

They waited silently as the Pure Lotus Phantom Fire exhausted its strength to break the sealing array, then would strike when the moment came.

Silence was the answer—if you think so, then it is so.

Xiao Yan merely glanced at the Soul Sect's position and said nothing; after all, some identities were better left unpublicized.

"After we enter, what shall we do about the Soul Sect?" Cai Lin asked Xiao Yan via Soul Resonance, glancing toward the Soul Sect's direction.

Cai Lin naturally knew Xiao Yan's connection to the Soul Sect.

"We do our own things; no need to be too obvious," Xiao Yan said.

As Xiao Yan conversed with Cai Lin and the others, his bloodline suddenly stirred slightly; soon, a familiar voice echoed from afar.

"Heh, Brother Xiao Yan, you've come here too, to join the commotion." A hearty laugh rang out, followed by the sound of rushing wind—several figures appeared beside Xiao Yan like lightning; when they landed, a wave of heat swept forth.

Even without turning, Xiao Yan knew: it was the Yan Clan.

Xiao Yan turned his head, following the sound of rushing wind; a flicker of subtle surprise passed through his eyes, then vanished instantly, replaced by a warm, smiling bow: "If it isn't Brother Huo Xuan—long time no see, I trust you are well."

The three figures arriving were led by a handsome man in white robes—his familiar face belonged to Huo Xuan, a member of the Yan Clan whom Xiao Yan had met in the Ancient Realm.

Beside him still stood the red-clad woman with a veil covering her face—Huo Zhi—but this time, a purple-robed elder accompanied them.

"Brother Xiao Yan truly is no ordinary person; in just a few short years, you've reached a level I can no longer fathom—like an endless abyss," Huo Xuan studied Xiao Yan carefully, realizing his cultivation was now utterly beyond his perception.

Huo Xuan bowed to Xiao Yan, then sighed in admiration.

"Heh, Brother Huo Xuan, you've reached High Semi-Dou Sheng too—just one step from Dou Sheng," Xiao Yan smiled; Huo Xuan's advancement was no slow pace—he was indeed a prodigy of the Yan Clan.

Of course, Xiao Yan had already sensed the reason behind Huo Xuan's rapid growth.

The two marks left by Ancestor Xiao Xuan had both stirred faintly—one was the Crimson Lotus Karma Flame within Huo Zhi, the other was the Eight Wilderness Annihilating Flame; and the source of the Eight Wilderness Annihilating Flame was Huo Xuan himself.

"I can't compare to you," Huo Xuan laughed. "With the help of the Elders, I was fortunate enough to subdue our clan's Eight Wilderness Annihilating Flame and inherit our lineage—hence my sudden surge in power."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan's face showed an expression of feigned surprise, and he said with a touch of envy: "The Eight Wilderness Annihilating Flame—the sixth-ranked Heavenly Flame? Alas, I truly envy you, Brother Huo Xuan. Being born into the Yan Clan, you even have a chance to obtain such a flame. As for me, I've scoured the entire continent and barely 'luckily' obtained the ninth-ranked Three Thousand Yan Flame at the Pill Gathering."

Xiao Yan genuinely envied him—he had traveled the entire continent and secured only the ninth-ranked Three Thousand Yan Flame as his highest-ranked Heavenly Flame, yet Huo Xuan returned home and directly obtained a flame ranked so high.

Of course, had the Xiao Clan not been destroyed, the Eight Wilderness Annihilating Flame and Crimson Lotus Karma Flame might have been his.

Huo Xuan smiled and did not dwell on clan matters—he would have been crushed by shame; he had the backing of a great clan, yet still fell far short of Xiao Yan.

Changing the subject, he pointed to the purple-robed elder beside him and said: "Brother Xiao Yan, this is Elder Huo Yao of our Yan Clan—he too possesses a Heavenly Flame, though it is only the sixteenth-ranked Fire Cloud Water Flame."

"Fire Cloud Water Flame… truly befitting the Yan Clan."

Nearby, Huo Zhi shot Xiao Yan a withering glance and retorted: "You alone possess multiple Heavenly Flames—your Yan Alliance looks more like the Yan Clan."

"Uh…" Xiao Yan rubbed his nose and chuckled. "Most of my Heavenly Flames are ranked low."

"Brother Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames may be mostly low-ranked, but after fusion, they're even stronger than my Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame," came a voice as clear as wind chimes, suddenly drifting into Xiao Yan's ears.

Hearing that voice—so familiar it resonated in his bones—Xiao Yan's face lit up with delight; his gaze softened as he looked toward the distant Space, where a slender figure approached him, stepping forward in a single stride to stand before him.

Seeing Xun Er glide toward him, every person present was struck with awe.

Xun Er's demeanor was serene, exuding an air of nobility; merely seeing her brought a sense of calm to the heart.

Dressed in a simple pale green robe, her delicate face bloomed like a flower, her exquisite beauty adorned with a gentle smile. Her long black hair, loosely tied with a pale green ribbon, cascaded like a waterfall down past her slender waist; as the breeze stirred, the strands swayed—her grace resembled a celestial immortal descended to the mortal realm.

Such peerless beauty—could it belong to anyone but Xun Er, whom he had not seen for so long?

Beside Xun Er stood two others: one was a familiar face—Gu Qingyang, the prodigy of the Gu Clan whose talent and bloodline were only slightly inferior to Xun Er's, whom Xiao Yan had once beaten soundly.

The other was entirely unfamiliar to Xiao Yan: an elderly man in blue robes, his hair snow-white, his face always wearing a warm, smiling expression that radiated kindness. Yet only those with sharp perception could faintly sense the sharpness hidden beneath that smile.

Xun Er's sudden appearance immediately drew many glances; eyes swept over the trio, followed by hushed whispers. Those present—or their factions—were no ordinary people; all knew the Gu Clan, seemingly quiet, yet a colossal super-faction.

Xun Er, upon arriving, saw Cai Lin and the others, and offered a gentle smile with a nod. Cai Lin and Xiao Yixian, both women, said nothing but returned the nod—they had met Xun Er before.

Qing Lin, as always, bowed respectfully to Xun Er.

"Sister Zi Yan, it's been a long time," Xun Er said, smiling at Zi Yan.

"Uh… it's you," Zi Yan's eyes instantly narrowed with caution; during her time at Jia Nan Academy, she had already been wary of Xun Er, for Xun Er was the only one who had ever given her a sense of overwhelming power.

By instinct of the Grand Void Dragon Clan, Zi Yan was deeply cautious and wary of Xun Er.

Now, even though Zi Yan had become Dragon Emperor of the Grand Void Dragon Clan, possessed the Dragon Phoenix Bloodline, and reached Dou Sheng Mid-Stage, she still felt an inexplicable wariness toward Xun Er.

This kind of hidden strength, Zi Yan had never sensed it on Xiao Yan, perhaps because Zi Yan had always been together with Xiao Yan. Zi Yan's intuition told her that although Xun Er wore a smile on her face, that smile was merely out of politeness, or because of Xiao Yan.

In reality, within Xun Er's heart there was a coldness that kept people a thousand miles away; that warmth belonged to Xiao Yan alone, and in Xun Er's world there was only Xiao Yan.

"The Gu Clan has come too — I just don't know whether the purpose of the Gu Clan's arrival this time is for the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame or to help that fellow Xiao Yan." Deputy Hall Master Hun Zhu could not help but ponder in his heart, but very soon he understood that the Gu Clan had come for the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame.

After all, Xiao Yan is Xiao Yan, and the Gu Clan is the Gu Clan; Xiao Yan is merely a son-in-law. If there were no Transaction of interests between the two sides, naturally they would not expend great effort to help him, and even less would they yield a Supreme Treasure like the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame.

Seeing the Gu Clan arrive, Hun Mie Sheng rarely revealed a trace of a smile, murmuring: "This time's Purifying Lotus Demon Flame may well be very different."

"Brother Xiao Yan."

The elegant girl stood before Xiao Yan, a warm smile blooming on her cheeks. Looking at her beautiful smile, Gu Qingyang and the blue-robed elder beside them could not help but shake their heads slightly — when they were in the Gu Clan, they had never seen Xun Er so happy.

Xiao Yan lowered his head and looked into Xun Er's bright, beautiful eyes; merely meeting gazes, he could read the feelings in each other's hearts from those eyes.

A single day apart felt like three autumns — since their parting at the Bodhi Ancient Tree, two full years had passed without a meeting.

Looking at the otherworldly, transcendent girl before him, the soft place in Xiao Yan's heart seemed to be struck heavily. The longing that had been suppressed all along surged up from deep within like a tide. Ignoring the many gazes around them, he reached out, seized Xun Er's slender, soft Jade Hand in one grasp, and with a gentle pull, gathered the jade-like beauty before him tightly into his embrace.

Held tightly by Xiao Yan, a gentle curve also rose on Xun Er's exquisitely beautiful cheeks. She lightly leaned her cheek against Xiao Yan's shoulder, greedily absorbing the familiar scent she had been parted from for so long. Because she carried the Gu Clan's Divine Grade Bloodline, before reaching Dou Sheng she could not casually leave the Gu Clan. In order to preserve the continuation of the Bloodline with the greatest safety, she could only endure the torment of bitter longing in her heart, and pour out all her effort into Cultivation — all for the sake of reaching that realm and possessing a freedom of her own.

"Brother Xiao Yan, I missed you so much."

"Me too."

Xun Er slightly tilted her head, gazing at Xiao Yan's profile. The corners of her lips curved, and in an instant a faint, alluring charm floated over her elegant, breathtakingly beautiful face. A murmur slipped quietly into Xiao Yan's ear: "Brother Xiao Yan, Xun Er is already a Dou Sheng."

!!!

(End of this chapter)