Chapter 654: Re-entering the Heavenly Tomb (12,000 Characters)

Xiao Yan's boastful words resonated even more with the Gu Clan, and since Xiao Yan was now considered half of their own, he naturally received the Gu Clan's support.

Moreover, who doesn't admire boldness? His words instantly sparked a uproar, followed by a thunderous cheer from the Black Smoke Army warriors and the Gu Clan's subjects and subordinates alike.

"Hmph, Xiao Yan, don't get too arrogant! Sometimes, relying on mere words does no good." Lei Dong's eyes glowed with black thunder—he had never been so belittled in his life, and his heart burned with displeasure.

Xiao Yan shrugged. "Whether it's empty bravado or plain truth depends only on the outcome."

Lei Dong's brow furrowed as he stared at the young man in red official robes; a faint sense of danger stirred within him. He had once heard his Clan Leader casually mention that among the young generation of the Dou Qi Continent, the undisputed top talent was Xiao Yan of the Xiao Clan!

He had come to the Gu Clan not to steal a bride, but to confront Xiao Yan—he wanted to see for himself just what made this Xiao Yan, praised by his own Clan Leader and capable of exiting the Demon Fire Space, so extraordinary.

Lei Dong's nature was to crave battle; to cultivate, he had endured five years trapped in the Magic Thunder Pool, suffering the torment of countless thunder strikes, and with the Lei Clan's vast resources, he had reached his current stature. Deep down, he refused to admit that his achievements couldn't even match those of someone from a fallen clan.

Boom—the weight on Lei Dong's face became unbearable. Xiao Yan's casual, unruffled demeanor pressed upon him like a mountain, yet Lei Dong was a decisive man.

The next instant, his body shot forward like a streak of lightning; his hand clenched, black thunder surging rapidly up his arm and coalescing into a long black spear at his palm, its surface crackling with electric arcs.

Hiss! Lei Dong's speed was blinding—he appeared before Xiao Yan in the blink of an eye, his spear whirling into countless lethal thrusts that enveloped every vital point of Xiao Yan's body. At the spear's tip, a faint, deep-black thunder arc flickered—if it touched flesh, even a Three-Star Dou Saint would be pierced clean through.

The onlookers held their breath, staring at the blinding spear shadows so fierce they choked the air—they simply couldn't imagine how anyone could withstand such a torrent of attacks.

"Lei Dong really does have some skill."

Gu Qingyang and others nodded grimly—this assault, even if they faced it themselves, would be hard to endure long. The man was arrogant, yes, but he had the strength to back it up. Yet that strength, before Xiao Yan, seemed almost laughable.

"Lei Dong's spear can't even touch Xiao Yan," Gu Xing suddenly said, voice tinged with shock. Lei Dong was said to be a late-stage Three-Star Dou Saint, and with his mutated thunder Dou Qi, his attack power rivaled a Four-Star Dou Saint—yet even this strength couldn't land a single blow. Just how far had Xiao Yan advanced?

Gu Zhen and the others nodded, exchanging glances, each seeing the same shock in the others' eyes. Even Tong Xuan and the other Elders watching from Space were stunned—when Xiao Yan first came to the Gu Clan, Tong Xuan could still block his full-power palm strike. Now, even Elder Gu Yang wouldn't stand a chance against him!

"Though Xiao Yan hasn't used his full strength, his true power has already reached the level of the Three Immortals," Elder Gu Nanhai said gravely.

"The Three Immortals?! No way!" Tong Xuan swallowed hard. The Three Immortals of the Gu Clan were high-level Dou Saints, all Seven-Star Dou Saints. Xiao Yan was barely thirty—how could he possibly reach such a level?!

Even outsiders could see the situation clearly—and as the protagonist, Lei Dong felt it too. The more he fought, the more his heart trembled. Before him, Xiao Yan was like a black hole—no matter how fierce his attacks, they were silently swallowed, leaving not a single scratch.

"Black Demon Thunder Fall!"

Lei Dong's face tightened. Suddenly, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. The countless spear shadows froze—he bit his tongue and spat a jet of blood, within which flickered black thunder arcs. The blood landed entirely on the spear tip, darkening it to an abyssal depth. Then, with a sharp shake of his spear, Lei Dong accelerated to his utmost speed, striking like lightning straight for Xiao Yan's throat.

"So fast!"

Lei Dong's sudden surge in speed shocked many—even powerful figures like Gu Qingyang could barely make out a flash of black light.

Snap! Facing this lethal strike, Xiao Yan kept his left hand behind his back, and with his right index and middle fingers, he pinched the spearhead effortlessly.

"Impossible!" Lei Dong's face twisted in terror—he had just used his Clan Mark!

Not only had Xiao Yan not been injured or even knocked back—he hadn't even wrinkled his official robes. Lei Dong's assault was like a breeze brushing past.

Worse still, when Lei Dong's Black Demon Thunder entered Xiao Yan's body, it vanished instantly—completely useless.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. Among the young generation of Dou Emperor Families, you rank among the top three."

Xiao Yan spoke with subtlety: yes, he was top three—but only third, nowhere near the first or second.

Zzzz—suddenly, a strand of golden thunder surged from Xiao Yan's fingers. The moment it appeared, Lei Dong's Black Demon Thunder recoiled as if facing something terrifying—the spear shattered instantly, and all the Black Demon Thunder lost its power, collapsing like a defeated beast.

"Golden! Could it be—!!"

Xiao Yan said one move, and it was one move—he flicked his fingers. A strand of Nine Profound Golden Thunder shot out like an arrow, and with a thunderous boom, it blasted through Lei Dong's Defensive Dou Technique. The golden thunder clung to Lei Dong's entire body like demonic claws.

The terrifying Nine Profound Golden Thunder relentlessly corroded Lei Dong's body, causing him to convulse violently on the ground.

Black Demon Thunder? What's that? Inside Xiao Yan's body lay a Thunder Tribulation Pill containing the only Nine Profound Golden Thunder Origin in the world. Even without refining it, the Nine Profound Golden Thunder willingly lent its power to Xiao Yan.

The gap between Nine Profound Golden Thunder and Black Demon Thunder was like the difference between a Sacred Flame and an ordinary flame—king and subject.

After effortlessly obliterating Lei Dong in an instant, Xiao Yan clapped his hands, then glanced toward a patch of Space and continued walking forward.

At that very spot in Space, Lei Ying, Clan Leader of the Lei Clan, wore a grave expression.

He had known his son Lei Dong was coming to the Gu Clan to attend the wedding—and he had tacitly approved.

But he never imagined that the Lei Clan's pride, their genius Lei Dong, couldn't even withstand one of Xiao Yan's attacks. And Xiao Yan hadn't used a Sacred Flame or relied on raw cultivation pressure—he still couldn't block a single strike.

"Nine Profound Golden Thunder… Xiao Yan has mastered it too!" Lei Ying knew exactly what Xiao Yan had used—he himself, an Eight-Star Dou Sheng Late Stage, had spent countless years and relied on the ancestral Thunder Emperor's True Scripture to gain control of the Nine Profound Golden Thunder.

And Xiao Yan? Only Six-Star Dou Sheng Early Stage—and barely thirty years old!

His future won't just rival Xiao Xuan—he will surely surpass him.

The battle ended with jaw-dropping speed—in less than a minute, Lei Dong, the late-stage Three-Star Dou Saint whose combat power rivaled a Four-Star Dou Saint and the Lei Clan's Young Clan Leader, was obliterated by a single move from Xiao Yan.

And Xiao Yan? He hadn't even warmed up—not a drop of sweat, not a speck of dirt on his robes.

What followed was simple: Xiao Yan walked unimpeded from Shen Cheng into the Ancient Realm, arriving at a courtyard within.

There, at the courtyard gate, Xun Er, dressed in a beautiful red long gown and wearing a red veil, stepped out slowly beside Gu Yuan.

With Gu Yuan's cultivation level, Xiao Yan's true strength was no secret to him.

"Xiao Yan, I entrust my daughter to you. I ask nothing else of you—only that you protect her safety for life." Gu Yuan's gaze held a plea, his tone solemn.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "I, Xiao Yan, swear by the Sacred Flames: no matter what the future holds, I will protect Xun Er for life—with my life."

"Good." Gu Yuan smiled with relief, and gently placed Xun Er's hand into Xiao Yan's. On her hand now rested the Dan Beast ring Xiao Yan had given her.

Xiao Yan solemnly took the jade hand. Feeling the warmth of Xiao Yan's palm, Xun Er's tense heart finally calmed.

Xiao Yan scooped Xun Er onto his back and grinned. "Xun Er, let's go home."

"Mm." Xun Er, veiled and nestled against his back, nodded shyly. From today on, she was Madame Xiao.

"Xiao Clan disciples—return to the mansion!!"

"Woo-hoo-hoo!!"

Instantly, music and instruments filled the heavens and earth. A space channel, paved with Sacred Flames, appeared—just as the Yan Emperor had married his bride—wherever they passed, all flames bowed in submission.

On Xiao Yan's wedding day, guests from every clan arrived from all directions, as if ten thousand clans surged together. Not only did families allied with the Yan Alliance send gifts—even the Lei Clan, Yan Clan, and Yao Clan sent their own disciples with wedding presents.

Even Hun Tian Di, Clan Leader of the Soul Sovereign, sent Hun Mie Sheng to deliver a vast quantity of Medicinal Materials—including many key ingredients required for Ji Pin Dan Yao.

Xiao Yan knew exactly what these materials meant—but today, he had no intention of pondering such matters. After all, it was his wedding day.

Though the banquet was lively and joyous, for Xiao Yan, the most important moment was undoubtedly the bridal chamber night!

A single night of spring passion is worth a thousand gold.

Pushing open the wedding chamber door, he saw Xun Er seated on the wedding bed, her face concealed by a veil, her hands nervously twisting together.

Although Xun Er and Xiao Yan had been together before, marriage still left both of them deeply nervous.

The instant Xiao Yan pulled away the veil, his gaze locked onto that beautiful figure—Xun Er, her face delicately painted, cheeks faintly flushed, glancing at Xiao Yan with a look of tender grace.

"Brother Xiao Yan."

That voice, that gaze—made Xiao Yan's heart burn slightly. The jade beauty, revered like a goddess by the young generation of the Gu Clan, revealing such delicate charm, was utterly irresistible.

No wonder some people loved cosplay—Xun Er in her red bridal gown held an entirely different allure, nothing like how she appeared in the Demon Fire Space.

Xun Er gently leaned into Xiao Yan's arms; her cool, slender hand suddenly rested lightly on his chest, and Xiao Yan, carrying her, slowly toppled onto the bed.

For these past few days, Xiao Yan had naturally been in a state of "the emperor neglects court affairs," but fortunately, Xiao Yan was no emperor—he was just a very "ordinary" Alchemist.

Xiao Yan did not remain lost in sensual indulgence; on the third day after the wedding, he returned to the Gu Clan with several clan members, preparing to enter the Heavenly Tomb.

When he married Xun Er, Xiao Yan had already asked his elder brother Xiao Ding to negotiate with the Gu Clan for entry into the Heavenly Tomb. Though it was not yet time for the tomb's natural opening, Xiao Yan did not intend to hunt energy entities inside—only to enter briefly to pay respects to Xiao Xuan.

The Gu Clan naturally agreed to this request.

Alongside Xiao Yan and the core senior members of the Xiao Clan like Xiao Chen, Cai Lin, Xun Er, and Xiao Yixian also entered the Heavenly Tomb together.

After all, ancestral worship was their duty as Xiao Yan's wives—they needed to meet Xiao Xuan, the oldest Ancestor of the Xiao Clan.

Deep in the mountains of the Gu Clan, a dozen figures hovered in midair, their gazes fixed on the space above the Shan Mai.

"Xiao Yan, the Heavenly Tomb opens once every twenty years. You've already entered once before. By time, the natural opening is still far off," said Gu Yuan, his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze shifting away from the space. "But I will forcibly tear open a rift in the Heavenly Tomb to let you in. Once inside, deliver my greetings to Xiao Xuan."

Xiao Yan bowed to Gu Yuan. "Then I am in your debt, Uncle Gu Yuan."

"Heh, it's nothing." Gu Yuan chuckled, and a terrifying cultivation realm surged from his body—so immense it startled even Xiao Yan.

"This is one of the only two supreme beings remaining on the Dou Qi Continent!"

With a loud roar, Gu Yuan tore open a fissure with a single sweep of his hand; without delay, Xiao Yan and the others entered the rift.

The Heavenly Tomb was shrouded in mist, its solitude and silence the only tones of this world. Though Xiao Zhan, Xiao Xiao, and others had low cultivation realms, with Xiao Chen and Xiao Yan present, the Heavenly Tomb could not harm them.

With Xiao Yan's current speed and the unobstructed path, he reached the depths of the Heavenly Tomb in barely an hour.

At that moment, Xiao Chen gazed at the distant tombstone, its surface carved with the two large characters "Xiao Xuan," and his body trembled as tears streamed down his face.

"Sigh, what's there to cry about? You're already a Five-Star Sage Emperor—how can you still be weeping like you used to?"

(End of Chapter)