Chapter 632

On top of a mountain peak.

"Brother Xiao Yan, the Stone Clan has vanished; the Gu Clan must have been severely shaken by this. So this time, I may need to return home first to check on things," Xun Er said, her light, melodic voice tinged with melancholy after hearing what had happened over the past two years.

Xiao Yan nodded; he understood perfectly. Xun Er had vanished with him for two years, causing immense upheaval within the Gu Clan. Now that she was free, logic and emotion both demanded she return—especially given what had happened with the Stone Clan.

Xiao Yan grasped Xun Er's jade hand, his expression grave. "You must be careful. If this was truly the Soul Sovereign's doing, their goal is certainly the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade. If war breaks out, use the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame to contact Xiao Yi and notify me—I'll come at once."

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xun Er's beautiful eyes flickered with tenderness as she nodded. She rose onto her toes and kissed him—long moments passed before they reluctantly parted. Even after all this time together, Xiao Yan's heart remained unchanged; neither of them ever felt weary.

"When the Dou Qi Continent stabilizes, I will officially bring you home as my wife."

As the scent of her fragrance faded, Xiao Yan couldn't help but sigh. That time in the Demon Fire Space had been one of the rare moments he could truly breathe.

Xiao Yan understood: the grand tide of the Dou Qi Continent would not change because of him. He was merely a slightly larger boat within that tide—still powerless to defy its direction.

The current grand tide of the Dou Qi Continent was clearly under the control of the Dou Emperor Families—or rather, whether the continent remained chaotic or not depended entirely on Hun Tian Di.

Xiao Yan had met Hun Tian Di. Though Hun Tian Di appeared refined and scholarly, in his quest to become an Emperor, he was a complete madman—truly insane. Xiao Yan was certain: anyone who stood in his way would be met with total annihilation, even if it meant mutual destruction.

In his quest to become Emperor, Hun Tian Di had no path of peace—only 0 or 1.

A man with Imperial Soul Force, Nine Star Peak Dou Saint cultivation, and a vast Dou Emperor Family—when such a man goes mad, no one can withstand him.

"She's gone?" At that moment, Xiao Yixian walked slowly over, arriving beside Xiao Yan.

"Yes. So much has happened these past two years—this isn't the time for love and romance. The world has grown turbulent," Xiao Yan said, shaking his head helplessly. For the first time, he truly understood how precious peace was.

Even someone as powerful as Xiao Yan now felt a deep sense of helplessness—there were things even he could not accomplish.

Xiao Yan looked at the quiet Xiao Yixian beside him and naturally took her jade hand. "What about you? What are your plans now?"

Feeling the warmth from his jade hand, Xiao Yixian no longer resisted or blushed after her time in the Demon Fire Space—at least when no one else was around, she became bolder in expressing herself.

"I'll first settle matters in the Xiao Realm, then return to Zao Hua Gu. My understanding of the Eternal Calamity Poison Body is based entirely on past records—I want to learn more about my own constitution," Xiao Yixian smiled gently. "I used to hate my Eternal Calamity Poison Body—it brought me nothing but misery."

"But now, I'm grateful for it. It gave me the strength to stay by your side."

Hearing Xiao Yixian's confession, Xiao Yan's eyes widened in surprise. Seeing his expression, Xiao Yixian's cheeks flushed slightly—but this time, she didn't stand silently aside. She met his gaze directly.

After all, Xiao Yixian had no more reservations now—she was already Xiao Yan's.

Xiao Yixian opened her arms and slowly embraced Xiao Yan tightly. "I'll wait for you in Zao Hua Gu."

"Yes. I'll return as soon as I've finished what I need to do."

After learning about the events of the past two years, Xiao Yan bid farewell to his father and others, then left Jia Ma Empire without delay, heading straight for the Huang Quan Shan Mai—Qing Lin's matter needed resolution, and Cai Lin was there.

Xiao Yan had now refined the Pure Lotus Demon Fire, whose purifying power could cleanse any negative force.

With his current Five-Star Dou Saint Peak cultivation, traveling from Jia Ma Empire to Shou Yu was trivial. The once distant distance now felt short.

At this moment, within the imperial palace of the Snake People Empire, Cai Lin, having finished her daily duties, walked into the back garden and gazed toward the direction of the Demon Flame Plain.

"Sigh." Cai Lin's beautiful eyes turned toward the Pure Lotus Demon Fire, her gaze filled with deep concern.

"What has caused the Queen, who terrifies the entire Shou Yu, to sigh like this?"

!?

A sudden clear laugh made Cai Lin freeze slightly. In the next instant, she whirled around—and saw sunlight pouring from the horizon, revealing a slender figure slowly emerging into her view.

Who else could it be but Xiao Yan?

Seeing Cai Lin's worried eyes gradually shift to delight, Xiao Yan's heart ached. In one swift step, he rushed to her side and roughly pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing her fiercely.

No need for words now—just silence her lips.

Feeling Xiao Yan's slightly roguish dominance, Cai Lin felt a flicker of annoyance and anger—but all of it dissolved into longing and passion as she welcomed him back.

In the silent, empty courtyard, the long-separated couple turned their yearning into tenderness, until both were breathless, reluctantly parting—each could feel the other's breath.

Cai Lin raised her hand, stroking Xiao Yan's cheek, as if confirming whether this was real or just a dream.

"Cai Lin."

Instantly, Cai Lin narrowed her eyes, her eerie triangular snake pupils fixed on Xiao Yan—making him shiver with unease.

"You carry a faint perfume—and the scent of medicine."

Sssssss!!!!!!!

One sentence from Cai Lin made Xiao Yan's teeth chatter. Oh no—he'd spent a year with Xun Er and Xiao Yixian, and now his body carried their scents!!

Just as Xiao Yan was at a loss for how to explain, his savior appeared—his loyal little cotton-padded jacket arrived!

"Daddy!"

A familiar, delighted voice rang out—then a small figure arced through the air, flying toward him from afar.

"Hehe, Xiao Xiao has grown so much."

Seeing Xiao Xiao rush toward him, Xiao Yan's heart swelled with joy. He smiled warmly, extending his arms to catch the tiny figure and hold her securely. Gazing at her joyful, innocent face in his arms, warmth flooded his chest—this was his home. No matter how dangerous the outside world became, stepping here instantly washed away his weariness.

Sss! A seven-colored light shot like an arrow straight into Xiao Yan's chest.

"Oopsie!" The impact sent Xiao Yan, a Five-Star Dou Saint Peak elder father, stumbling backward several steps—it was Xiao Cai.

Seeing Xiao Xiao and Xiao Cai fly over, Cai Lin could only give the little cotton-padded jacket a disapproving look—was that intentional?

Xiao Yan beamed, rubbing Xiao Xiao's cheek, savoring the brief joy of family.

"Xiao Yan, you've refined the Pure Lotus Demon Fire, haven't you?" Cai Lin asked after Xiao Yan had played with his two daughters for a while—this mattered deeply for Qing Lin's Qi San Hua Tong.

If the negative forces within the Qi San Hua Tong could be fully purified, Qing Lin's Qi San Hua Tong might even evolve to a higher level.

Xiao Yan nodded. With a thought, whoosh—a tiny, fleshy ball of flame plopped onto his head.

"Yi?"

Xiao Yi had been summoned from Xiao Yan's Nai Ling, blinked sleepily around, then curled up again on his head and went back to sleep.

With Cai Lin's strength, she immediately sensed Xiao Yi carried a trace of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame. For a moment, she didn't know how to react.

A Soul Embryo wasn't enough—now a Fire Embryo? Next time, will there be a Poison Embryo?

"Cough, cough—this is the Pure Lotus Demon Fire. After I refined it, it transformed into this spiritual form," Xiao Yan dared not meet Cai Lin's eyes, shrinking his head slightly.

Resting nearby, Xiao Xiao suddenly frowned, staring intently at the Pure Lotus Demon Fire. For some reason, she had a strange feeling—that this Demon Fire would compete with her for attention.

They are enemies!

Meow~~

Hisss~~

Mao Wu stepped out of Space, sitting quietly beside Xiao Cai like a real black cat, munching on melon in silence; perhaps because both were in beast forms, they often conspired together, causing chaos everywhere.

After all, Xiao Yan never restricted the freedom of the Infernal Flames.

Almost all of Xiao Yan's Infernal Flames possess their own sentience; normally, they remain as independent entities within the Naling, each sleeping independently, gradually enhancing their spiritual awareness through Xiao Yan's Dou Qi and Soul Power.

Just like the Sea Heart Flame, which originally had no consciousness, now it can autonomously take form without Xiao Yan's help, becoming a blue sea dragon; once its awareness grows further, releasing the Sea Heart Flame will allow it to transform into a true dragon indistinguishable from an Infernal Flame.

Just like the Nine Mystical Golden Thunder Xiao Yan had seen before—identical to a real golden dragon, utterly indistinguishable from Nine Mystical Golden Thunder.

Fortunately, Cai Lin never said anything; after all, she knew all about Xiao Yan and Xun Er's affairs, even the little incident between Xiao Yan and Yun Yun back then. On the Dou Qi Continent, it was perfectly normal for a powerful cultivator to have multiple wives and concubines.

Mainly because others would actively pursue Xiao Yan—even cling to him relentlessly. Saying Xiao Yan is the No. 1 among the young generation of the Dou Qi Continent is entirely accurate; among the thirty-year-old youths of the Dou Emperor Families, Xiao Yan is truly the strongest.

Not only in cultivation realm, but also in Pill Alchemy—he is the strongest. If not him, who else would you settle for?

"Meeting Xiao Yan ruins one's life forever" is no lie.

Finally, Xiao Yan followed Cai Lin to a mountain ravine in the Huang Quan Shan Mai.

Hissssss!! As Xiao Yan arrived, a hissing sound erupted, and immediately a massive creature rose from the ravine—undoubtedly the Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake.

Seeing the Fire Baby lazily curled on Xiao Yan's head, the Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake's eighteen serpent eyes contracted, then stared at Xiao Yan in shock.

He never expected Xiao Yan could actually refine such a Supreme Treasure of heaven and earth!

The Pure Lotus Demonic Flame, like the Bodhi Ancient Tree, is unique on the Dou Qi Continent, existing since the Wild Wasteland Era—this is as astonishing as Xiao Yan having refined the Bodhi Ancient Tree itself!

"Where is Qing Lin?" Xiao Yan asked the Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake.

Although the Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake disliked Xiao Yan's commanding tone, it knew that killing it now would take Xiao Yan only one move. With a hum, the central head of the Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake emitted a flash of green light, slowly drawing out Qing Lin, who had been sealed.

"High-level Half-Saint Peak," Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed. With Qing Lin's Qi San Hua Tong and the accumulated Dou Qi of so many Snake Slaves, she should have broken through to Dou Saint long ago.

"Good, still in time." Xiao Yan formed a hand seal; his Five-Star Dou Saint Peak cultivation energy exploded like a hurricane, instantly waking up the previously drowsy Xiao Yi.

"Five-Star Dou Saint Peak… again you've surpassed me," Cai Lin sighed helplessly, feeling her cultivation had just risen to Four-Star Early Dou Sheng after obtaining the hidden inheritance of the Tun Tian Mang Zong—yet two years later, Xiao Yan had leapt two stars!

These were two stars of Dou Saint! A normal person might not even ascend one star in hundreds of years.

Yet Cai Lin felt no excessive envy; everyone had their own destiny, but Xiao Yan's seemed inexplicably abundant.

Perhaps this is Qi Circulation!

Just as Xiao Yan was about to unleash an Infernal Flame Dou Technique to purify Qing Lin, he suddenly remembered the side effects of the demonic flame and looked at the Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake with serious expression: "Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake, you've done well this time. When we go to North Dragon Island, you will receive your share of the ancient bloodlines of the Ancient Heavenly Snakes on the Dragon Island."

"You've worked hard—rest now."

???

The Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake tilted its nine heads, wondering—no need for it to serve as Guardian? But it did not argue with Xiao Yan; given his current strength, its presence or absence made no difference.

Black mist surged, and the Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake shrank into a two-meter-long black nine-headed serpent, tearing through Space with a hiss, returning to its territory.

Now the Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake had its own territory in the Huang Quan Shan Mai, granted by Cai Lin; having fully revived, it might even have a family by now.

Xiao Yan nodded to Cai Lin, who lightly tapped her jade finger, dissolving the Flame Sealing on Qing Lin's body.

Instantly, Qing Lin's cultivation energy burst forth like a dam breaking, spewing uncontrollably—no Bodhi Pill was needed; her cultivation surged upward relentlessly. Having absorbed the Dou Qi of countless Snake Slaves, plus enslaving the One Star Dou Saints Yao Xiao Tian and Yao Ce, who had once dominated the Nine Underworld Serpent Python, Qing Lin's breakthrough to Dou Saint was utterly unstoppable.

Instantly, all the anger, hatred, resentment, and other negative emotions from the Snake Slaves enslaved by Qi San Hua Tong surged toward her, forming countless evil Soul Bodies intent on invading her Spiritual Soul.