Chapter 613

"Cough, cough, you've misunderstood."

Xun Er, naturally knowing Xiao Yan wasn't attracted to the girl's looks, smiled and explained: "That girl is Yao Tian's sister, named Yao Ling. Though her cultivation realm is only early half-Saint, her spiritual soul is extraordinary—she's called by the Yao Clan the one most likely to cultivate her soul to the 'Imperial Soul' realm."

"Imperial Soul!?" Xiao Yan's eyes widened as he stared at the blue-haired girl—if a half-Saint possessed an Imperial Soul, how powerful would she be?!

Xiao Yan knew better than anyone how hard it was to break through to Imperial Soul. Even with the Emperor Soul Scripture and Divine Grade Bloodline, one could only temporarily reach that ethereal realm. To truly enter Imperial Soul, it would likely take countless years of cultivation!

Even now, Xiao Yan had no idea how to break through to Imperial Soul, for he knew nothing of the method—his entire knowledge of Imperial Soul came from the Soul Sovereign.

He had no clue what was needed, or how to proceed.

Even Cai Lin and the others, upon hearing this, looked at Yao Ling with stunned expressions—they had all tried the Huangquan Stele, endured the Huangquan Heavenly Rage trial, and knew that the Huangquan Demon Saint once possessed an Imperial Soul.

Even after the Huangquan Demon Saint had been dead for countless years, merely a trace of his residual soul could wield a Heavenly Rank Advanced Grade Dou Technique—imagine how terrifying a complete Imperial Soul must be!

Xun Er nodded gravely and said: "On the Dou Qi Continent today, only two people are confirmed to possess Imperial Soul: my father, and the current Soul Sovereign Clan Leader, Hun Tian Di."

"There's a rumor that at Yao Ling's birth, a faint remnant of the Yao Emperor's soul slipped into hers, causing some peculiar mutation in her soul. She may become the third person to possess Imperial Soul."

"Sssss!!!" Xiao Yan sucked in a sharp breath. In the memories of the Bodhi Ancient Tree, he had witnessed the Dou Emperor's moment—mere negative emotions left behind after the Dou Emperor's death had been enough to manipulate the mind of the supreme Shen Shu. The Dou Emperor's power was unimaginably vast!

This Yao Ling is terrifying!

Sensing Xiao Yan's gaze, Yao Ling and Yao Tian slowly turned their eyes toward him.

Yao Ling looked very young, around nineteen or twenty, her beauty as if painted by heaven itself—brows like distant mountains, eyes bright as the moon, lips stained crimson, intoxicatingly alluring. Yet her gaze was icy cold, her expression bearing three parts haughty pride. Dressed in a white Alchemist Long Robe, she resembled a frost-blooming plum, radiating overwhelming spiritual pressure.

Seeing Yao Ling's disgusted stare, Xiao Yan smirked and muttered: "Not as beautiful as Xun Er."

Hearing this, Yao Ling's eyes widened—clearly furious. If you can't speak nicely, you might as well donate your mouth!

Gu Qingyang suddenly chuckled: "Since Brother Xiao Yan took Xun Er as his wife, the most frequent suitors among the young generation of Dou Emperor Families have been Yao Ling of the Yao Clan and Huo Zhi of the Yan Clan. I heard even Hun Yu and Hun Feng once proposed to both clans."

Xiao Yan shrugged. Though Yao Ling and Huo Zhi were breathtakingly beautiful, did he lack beautiful women around him? If not for Yao Ling's Soul Force reaching Heaven Realm Great Perfection, and Huo Zhi possessing Crimson Lotus Karma Fire, he wouldn't have spared them a second glance.

Unknowingly, the Pure Lotus Demon Fire had gathered together the strongest of the Dou Emperor Families' young generation.

Without doubt, with his current strength and status, Xiao Yan had fully entered the highest tier of the Dou Qi Continent.

"You're the Xiao Yan who supposedly refined the Nine-Treasure Pill?" A skeptical voice rang out.

Xiao Yan glanced at Yao Tian beside Yao Ling. The Yao Clan's overall strength was roughly equal to the Stone Clan, stronger than the Ling Clan, and even in battle might not surpass the Stone Clan—but their identity as Alchemists gave them immense prestige.

What the Yao Clan boasted about most wasn't strength, but Alchemist talent. Yao Tian, having refined a Nine-Treasure Pill before forty, was constantly praised by his clan.

Now, an outsider appeared—far younger than Yao Tian—who could also refine a Nine-Treasure Pill. This was something the Yao Clan could never accept.

After all, the Yao Clan had always looked down on Alchemists of the Dou Qi Continent, believing their Yao Emperor inheritance was orthodox, while all others were third-rate, unworthy of comparison. Thus, they had their own Yao Canon and refused to participate in the Dan Tower's Pill Gatherings.

Xiao Yan knew the Yao Clan's nature well. He smiled faintly: "I refined the Nine-Treasure Pill before countless witnesses. Unlike you, who merely has rumors claiming you can refine it."

Hearing this, Xiao Yixian couldn't help covering her mouth and laughing. Zi Yan burst out laughing: "Xiao Yan refined it in front of countless people, with zero failures, using only one set of Medicinal Material! You? Who knows how many times you failed, how many Medicinal Materials you wasted to produce just one pill? A rumor Nine Grade Alchemist!"

Zi Yan crossed her arms, tilted her head, and sneered. In her heart, as the one who once captured Xiao Yan to make pills, he was the strongest Alchemist—and she, as Dragon Emperor of the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan, vouched for it.

Hearing Zi Yan's mockery, Cai Lin also sneered at the so-called Nine-Treasure Pill Alchemist.

Seeing the countless skeptical stares, Yao Tian's face turned pitch black. His fists clenched, teeth grinding as if about to shatter, yet he had no retort—his reputation for refining Nine-Treasure Pills was full of exaggeration.

He did refine a Nine-Treasure Pill, but only with the help of Elder Yao Wan Gui beside him—he was merely an assistant. Later, Yao Wan Gui gave all the credit to Yao Tian to build his reputation.

In truth, the Yao Clan's Alchemy skills had long since declined from their ancient glory, when they once towered above all Alchemists on the Dou Qi Continent.

Now, the Yao Clan has only two true Nine Grade Alchemists; the rest have low success rates. One is Supreme Elder Yao Wanhuo—he can refine Nine-Treasure Pills with a 50–60% success rate, but only about 10% for Mystical Pills. The other is Clan Leader Yao Dan, a true Mysterious Grade Alchemist, with a 40–50% success rate refining Nine Grade Profound Pills—extremely high.

But that's it. The Yao Clan is undoubtedly declining. Due to the dwindling Dou Di Bloodline, Alchemist talent grows weaker each generation—hence they had to push Yao Tian forward, to convince everyone the Yao Clan hasn't fallen, that the young generation still has successors.

If not for Clan Leader Yao Dan, the true Nine Grade Mysterious Grade Alchemist, the Yao Clan's number of Nine Grade Alchemists would be fewer than the Dan Tower's.

Success comes from Bloodline, failure comes from Bloodline. Once the Dou Di Bloodline fades, they no longer even know how to cultivate Alchemist talent, leading to their present decay.

Xiao Yan, publicly, is the Dan Tower Champion, trained by the Dan Tower, his master a discarded outcast the Yao Clan cast out. At a young age, he refined a Nine-Treasure Pill before countless eyes in the Xiao Dan Ta—his future is certain: Nine Grade Mysterious Grade Alchemist.

This directly challenges the Yao Clan's so-called orthodox Alchemist status. If the Yao Clan is no longer the strongest Alchemist Faction, they may lose the protection of other Dou Emperor Families.

Currently, the Gu Clan, Lei Clan, and Yan Clan still seek pills from the Yao Clan and offer them much aid—some even send protectors to guard their Alchemists in sacred heritage sites.

Once the Dan Tower becomes the strongest, and Xiao Yan can refine Nine Grade Profound Pills, the result? The Yao Clan will be the second Xiao Clan—dismantled and divided.

At that moment, Yao Wan Gui glanced at the surrounding Dou Emperor Family elders, a glint flashing in his eyes as he smiled faintly: "I recall your master is Yao Chen, correct? Though Yao Chen had low Dou Di Bloodline and was expelled from our clan for misconduct, he did receive some of our Alchemy Inheritance as a child."

Hearing Yao Wan Gui's words, many present elders cast him peculiar glances.

Yao Wan Gui implied that Xiao Yan's Alchemy prowess came solely from a tiny fragment of Yao Clan inheritance passed through Yao Chen—directly attributing Xiao Yan's achievements to their clan!

In other words: Without us, you wouldn't be who you are today.

Hearing this shameless claim, not only Xun Er, Cai Lin, and the others, but even Hun Mie Sheng sneered in contempt.

He'd seen arrogance, but never this brazen. As Lord of the Soul Hall and a Soul Clan High Rank, he knew exactly how terrifying Xiao Yan's Alchemy had become—someone even Hun Tian Di valued, equal in status to Hun Xu Zi.

Yao Chen, as a child, was mocked for his low Bloodline, then wrongfully expelled. He never received the Yao Clan's core Alchemy Inheritance—probably not even scraps. His entire Alchemy skill was self-taught through outside comprehension.

And Xiao Yan? He's Yao Chen's disciple—there's a vast gap between them. How could Yao Wan Gui dare say this?!

Yao Tian immediately straightened his chest, smiling coldly: "Heh, since you received our Yao Clan's Inheritance, you're qualified to join the Yao Canon. On the Yao Canon, I'll see for myself whether you're truly as powerful as you claim. By the way, even your dead master had no status in our clan to even compare with me—"

The next instant, a black shadow pierced space, appearing instantly before Yao Tian. Xiao Yan's eyes, cold as ice, locked onto Yao Tian—those obsidian pupils reflected Yao Tian's terrified expression. Clearly, Yao Tian hadn't reacted in time—how had Xiao Yan suddenly attacked?!

"Boy, don't get too bold!" Xiao Yan's speed was terrifyingly fast, and utterly unexpected. Even Yao Wan Gui, a Four-Star Early Dou Sheng, was startled and hastily extended his hand to block Xiao Yan.

BOOM!! Xiao Yan punched forward—his Three-Star Saint's terrifying power exploded. A crushing force surged through Yao Wan Gui's palm: "So heavy!"

BOOM BOOM! Two immense forces collided—a shockwave erupted, sending Yao Tian flying backward, spitting blood.

"Three-Star Saint Initial Stage!?"

"Kuang! Brother Xiao Yan!"

At that moment, Gu Qingyang, Hun Feng, Huo Zhi, and the Lei and Stone Clan elders all stared wide-eyed, utterly unable to believe Xiao Yan's cultivation realm!

"My... this... Kuang..." Gu Qingyang was shattered. He'd barely gained a bit of glory, received a Bodhi Seed, had a Yao Clan Alchemist refine it into a Bodhi Pill to break through to Dou Sheng, and with his Nine-Star Dou Di Bloodline, received the clan's top inheritance—his cultivation surged to One-Star Dou Sheng Late-Stage.

He'd once been far ahead of Xiao Yan in cultivation—even back then at the Bodhi Ancient Tree, his cultivation was much higher! Now he'd been completely overtaken! Are you kidding me?!

After delivering the punch, Xiao Yan's eyes turned icy. He paid no attention to Yao Wan Gui before him—his gaze locked onto the retreating Yao Tian. ZZZZ! Suddenly, silver lightning surged from his body—WHOOSH! A Silver Lightning Soul Avatar instantly appeared.

BOOM—thunder roared, lightning flashed, streaking straight toward Yao Tian. With Heaven Realm Great Perfection, Three Thousand Thunder Illusion Body, and Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire, the Thunder Clone's power matched Xiao Yan's true body—both at Three-Star Saint.

"Heaven Realm Great Perfection Soul Force!!" Hun Feng was nearly insane! Do you bear the surname Hun, not Xiao? Even this Young Clan Leader of the Divine Grade Bloodline has only Heaven Realm Late Stage Soul Force!

"Xiao Yan! Stop!" Yao Wan Gui roared, but Xiao Yan, his eyes cold, seized his arm from behind, leaving no chance for him to break free.

Just as Xiao Yan's hand was about to grasp Yao Tian's throat, a blue-haired silhouette suddenly appeared beside Yao Tian. She formed a hand seal, her beautiful eyes sharpened, and a Heaven Realm Great Perfection Soul Seal slammed forth.

"Tch!" Boom! The second Xiao Yan unleashed a Soul Slash in return. The two Heaven Realm Great Perfection Soul Forces collided, and the sudden shock blocked Xiao Yan's grasp for an instant—missing his chance to seize Yao Tian.

But the soul shock from the close-range collision of two Heaven Realm Great Perfection Soul Forces severely wounded Yao Tian; he spat out a mouthful of blood, his gaze fierce as he glared at Xiao Yan.

Yao Wan Gui also broke free from Xiao Yan's grip and stood before Yao Tian and Yao Ling, watching Xiao Yan warily. At this moment, Yao Wan Gui's heart was filled with terror—this Xiao Yan's strength was no lesser than his own!!

There was a full star's difference between them! A star of a Sage Emperor!

"Xiao Yan, shall we step in?" Zi Yan said with a grin.

Xiao Yan slowly shook his head; he had no intention of fighting the Yao Clan to the death, for he sensed that this realm was watched over by countless superiors from Dou Emperor Families—including the Yao Clan themselves. They had refrained from acting only because of an agreement among the Dou Emperor Families.

But if Xiao Yan truly began a massacre, they would certainly intervene to save him.

"What are you, exactly? A mere Alchemist who relies on empty boasts dares to judge my master?" Xiao Yan fixed his gaze on Yao Tian and spoke coldly: "If you weren't of the Yao Clan, you'd have been dead hundreds of times over."

Then Xiao Yan glanced at Yao Ling beside Yao Tian. Though this girl had said nothing, it was precisely this girl—with lower Cultivation Realm—who gave Xiao Yan genuine unease. Her Soul Force was nearly equal to his own—this was absurd!

Yao Ling also studied Xiao Yan with her beautiful eyes, her gaze filled with surprise. In all these years, she had never encountered anyone her age with Soul Force matching hers—not even the Young Clan Leader of the Soul Sovereign.

(End of Chapter)