Chapter 659

Xiao Yan understood when to advance and when to retreat; since the other side was willing to give him face, he was willing to give them face in return.

Face, after all, must be exchanged between both parties.

But some people insist on being given face yet refusing it.

"I wish to visit the former residence of my master, Yao Chen, and erect a tombstone. Could Elder Wanhuo kindly assign someone to guide me?" Xiao Yan asked with a smile.

The Pill Ceremony is still some time away; since Xiao Yan has come to the Yao Clan, certain duties that disciples ought to fulfill are naturally due.

Hearing Xiao Yan's tone grow amiable, Yao Wanhuo nodded and said, "Ling'er, you will guide Clan Leader Xiao."

As Yao Wanhuo finished speaking, a graceful figure stepped forward from behind the crowd—it was none other than Yao Ling, whom Xiao Yan had once met in the Demon Fire Space.

Yao Ling wore a blue robe, her aura ethereal, her beautiful eyes filled with curiosity and surprise as she regarded Xiao Yan.

Yao Ling's spiritual essence was captivating, exuding an otherworldly, immaculate grace; though her beauty could shame flowers and conceal the moon, most would notice her transcendent spiritual aura first.

"It's Senior Sister Yao Ling!" Seeing her arrive, many Yao Clan disciples who had gathered felt their anger vanish, each displaying their most dashing, handsome postures, flashing bright smiles as if capable of bewitching thousands of maidens, hoping to catch the beauty's attention.

"Has Senior Sister Yao Ling emerged from seclusion? Will she participate in the Pill Ceremony?"

Seeing Yao Ling appear, even disciples from factions allied with the Yao Clan cheered joyfully; many male disciples, faced with the stunningly beautiful, peerlessly lovely woman, became utterly entranced.

Many had come with their elders merely to catch a glimpse of the immortal maiden's true countenance.

Yao Ling naturally knew what had just transpired; she had never imagined Xiao Yan's status and strength were now no lower than their Clan Leader's—even boldly declaring war, using sheer pressure to force the Yao Clan to bow.

"I understand."

Xiao Yan glanced at Yao Ling, then turned his gaze to Yao Wan Gui, whose face was pale and filled with disbelief, and said, "Elder Yao Wan Gui, when the tombstone is erected, I hope you will come to pay your respects. I dislike pressuring others."

"You! Xiao Yan, don't push too far!" Yao Wan Gui clenched his fists, teeth gritted, desperate to devour Xiao Yan alive. But he now understood that under the Yao Clan's current circumstances, he could not be protected. Before the clan's overall interests, his dignity meant nothing.

"Lead the way," Xiao Yan said coolly, unwilling to waste words on Yao Wan Gui; the man meant nothing to him now, and even the vast Yao Clan no longer seemed as mysterious or powerful as before.

Yao Ling's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly—she was clearly displeased at being ordered about like this—but then she reconsidered: Xiao Yan's current status was indeed exalted—he was Clan Leader of a Dou Emperor Family.

Still, wasn't every Dou Emperor Family Clan Leader a thousand-year-old relic? To suddenly have one appear, the same age as herself, was strange indeed.

"Clan Leader Xiao, this way," Yao Ling suppressed her irritation and gestured gracefully.

Yao Chen bore the surname Yao; he was certainly no ordinary Yao Clan descendant—his ancestors had once been illustrious—but alas, Dou Emperor Families revered only Dou Di Bloodline as the supreme standard, so once the bloodline faded and the rank dropped, status inevitably declined.

Yao Chen's parents possessed bloodlines below Four Grade, and Yao Chen himself had barely a One Grade bloodline—nearly nonexistent—hence his persecution within the clan.

As they flew outward with Yao Ling, the Heavenly Energy around them grew weaker, and Xiao Yan silently shook his head.

Not long after, the two arrived at a secluded spot in a village south of the Shennong Mountain Range; the village was now abandoned. Seeing this desolate, forsaken stretch of mountains, Xiao Yan murmured, "If this were outside, it might be considered decent land—but within a Dou Emperor Family, this is surely the worst possible place."

Not far ahead stood a small wooden hut, long neglected and crumbling; traces of medicinal herb cultivation and charred marks were visible around it.

Presumably, Yao Chen had once studied his Pill Alchemy here, enduring poor conditions and scarce resources, yet never letting his longing for the art fade.

"Help me clear away these weeds," Xiao Yan rolled up his sleeves and began methodically removing the dense tangle of fallen trees and debris.

Yao Ling's large, luminous eyes widened in stunned disbelief as she stared at Xiao Yan, then with an impatient wave of her hand, a stream of Battle Qi swept across, clearing a patch of ground.

"Why are you using your hands?!"

"You!" Yao Ling bristled inwardly, unsure why—this Dou Emperor Family Clan Leader had no aura of authority; perhaps it was because he looked too young.

Yao Ling was half-amused, half-frustrated, yet deeply curious: what manner of man was this Yao Chen, the clan's outcast? Even after so long dead, he had trained Xiao Yan into such a monster.

"Hey, Clan Leader Xiao Yan—what was Elder Yao Chen like?" Yao Ling asked curiously as she helped clear the debris.

"I don't know," Xiao Yan said, organizing the items inside the hut. "When I received my master's inheritance, he was already dead. I never met him in person."

"But I heard he was a kind man who taught without discrimination."

With the combined strength of Xiao Yan and Yao Ling, clearing the weeds was trivial; soon, a clear space surrounded the hut, revealing its original form.

The hut was extremely simple—inside, there was only a bed and a chair; nothing else. To say it was bare of all possessions was no exaggeration.

Scorch marks ringed the hut—likely from Yao Chen's childhood failed alchemy attempts; even now, a faint herbal fragrance lingered within.

Gazing at the humble hut, Xiao Yan could almost see Yao Chen's past moments here.

After sighing, Xiao Yan took out Black Demon from his storage ring.

"Black Demon! The eighth-ranked Alchemy Furnace on the Heavenly Cauldron List!" Seeing Xiao Yan produce Black Demon, Yao Ling's eyes widened in shock—she recognized it instantly as the eighth-ranked furnace.

Most furnaces on the Heavenly Cauldron List were held by the Yao Clan; she herself possessed one on the list, but its rank was inferior to Black Demon's.

Yao Chen had left no ashes—only Black Demon had accompanied him longest.

Xiao Yan gently placed Black Demon into the pit, buried it with his own hands, then inserted a stone tablet atop it, condensing Bone Spirit Cold Fire to carve the inscription.

【Tomb of Master Yao Chen】

【Disciple Xiao Yan Erected】

After Xiao Yan completed his solemn rites, Yao Ling asked, "That's Black Demon—the eighth-ranked Alchemy Furnace. You're just burying it like this?"

"It was my master's possession. Moreover, Black Demon is now merely an ordinary Alchemy Furnace to me," Xiao Yan said slowly.

"Ordinary? You can truly refine a Nine-Treasure Pill!" Yao Ling exclaimed, startled by Xiao Yan's claim that Black Demon was useless to him. The Yao Clan had never believed Xiao Yan could refine a Nine-Treasure Pill—let alone succeed on the first try.

But now, seeing this, he clearly could.

"It's just a Nine-Treasure Pill. Doesn't your clan's legendary prodigy, Yao Tian, also manage that?" Xiao Yan smiled, glancing at the astonished Yao Ling.

"Uh…" Yao Ling's expression turned slightly guilty, then she admitted honestly, "Actually, Yao Tian cannot refine a Nine-Treasure Pill on his own."

Since the Demon Fire Space, Yao Tian had secluded himself to refine a Nine-Treasure Pill, aiming to challenge Xiao Yan at the Pill Ceremony and prove himself. But over two years later, he still could not refine one alone.

Thus, at this Pill Ceremony, both Yao Tian and Yao Ling compete in the Junior Group, refining the Nine-Colored Eight Grade Pill, while Yao Wanhuo represents the Yao Clan in battle.

Clearly, the Yao Clan's claim that Yao Tian can refine a Nine-Treasure Pill is pure embellishment.

As for why their Clan Leader, Yao Dan, does not fight—the reason is simple: if they lose, they can still claim their Clan Leader hasn't fought yet, so they haven't been fully defeated. There's still an excuse, isn't there?

Lose—but not completely lose.

"Enough stalling. Where's Yao Wan Gui?" Xiao Yan finished offering incense and erected the tomb, yet Yao Wan Gui still had not appeared.

Yao Ling was about to speak when a rushing wind sound came from afar—it was Yao Wan Gui.

Yao Wan Gui glared at Xiao Yan with ferocious eyes; even after seeking out Clan Leader Yao Dan, Yao Dan had shaken his head, demanding he take responsibility for his past sins.

Seeing Yao Wan Gui's murderous expression, Xiao Yan ignored it, stepping aside to let him clearly see Yao Chen's tombstone.

Seeing the two characters "Yao Chen," Yao Wan Gui's eyes turned blood-red as if flooded with blood—he was the Supreme Elder in charge of clan discipline, holding high rank and power, capable of deciding a clan member's life or death with a single word!

Yao Chen had already been sentenced by him; now to force him to kneel and confess his sins was even more unbearable than killing him.

"Xiao Yan! I don't believe you dare kill me! Dare to wage total war against the Yao Clan!!" Yao Wan Gui roared in frenzy, a terrifying aura of a Four-Star Sage Emperor descending.

With a hum, a pale-white flame erupted around Yao Chen's wooden hut, protecting it from damage—naturally, Xiao Yan had left safeguards here.

Seeing Yao Wan Gui's frenzied state, Xiao Yan smiled, rubbing his nose. "Elder Yao Wan Gui, you overestimate yourself. You're just a mere Elder—not worth this much."

"And you have no right to refuse."

Boom! Xiao Yan's will shifted; terrifying Soul Force descended from the heavens, a colossal soul-foot crushing Yao Wan Gui's knees to shards. Puff! Yao Wan Gui spat out a mouthful of blood.

Thud! Under Xiao Yan's crushing Soul Force, Yao Wan Gui knelt on the ground, his knees shattered, his hands gripping the earth tightly.

To Xiao Yan now, Yao Wan Gui had no right to say "no" before him. Xiao Yan's words were meant for the Yao Clan's Clan Leader—he would do what he must; if the Yao Clan wished to wage war, he would accept it.

If it were anyone else, no matter what Yao Wan Gui had done, the Yao Clan would never let someone trample on their dignity—but for Xiao Yan, Yao Wan Gui could only blame himself for kicking a steel plate.

Yao Wan Gui, kneeling on the ground, even unleashed his Clan Mark Power—but against Xiao Yan's suppression, this minor boost was like a drop in the ocean.

"Xiao Yan! If you have guts, kill me! Make me kneel and confess to this outcast? Impossible!!" Yao Wan Gui roared, his bones cracking under pressure, still defiant—he bet Xiao Yan wouldn't dare truly kill him.

Boom! Xiao Yan slammed his hand down, pinning Yao Wan Gui's head firmly to the ground.

In the distance, the Yao Clan's Elders sighed and shook their heads. Many of them knew full well what Yao Wan Gui had done in the past—but out of fear of his power and status, none dared to defy him for Yao Chen's sake.

Who could have imagined that Yao Chen not only carved out a name for himself on the Dou Qi Continent, but also had a disciple so powerful and loyal?

"Heavenly Dao Reincarnation."

"Yao Wan Gui got what he deserved."

But Yao Wan Gui's mouth was indeed stubborn—even under such suppression, he refused to yield.

"Xiao Yan, if you have guts, kill me! Make me confess? Impossible!!"

At the side, Yao Ling was trembling with fear—she hadn't expected Elder Yao Wan Gui to be this "hard-headed," truly unafraid of death!

If Xiao Yan really snapped his neck, a full-scale war would truly break out.

Xiao Yan shrugged. "I've got three kids already. You're asking if I have guts?"

"I don't need to kill him to make him confess. Xiao Yi."

"Yi Yi, come on out!!"

The Pure Lotus Demon Fire emerged directly from Space, cooing in a childish voice.

"Pure Lotus Demon Fire!" Yao Wanhuo's heart sank—his former Nine Underworld Wind Flame had already been reclaimed. Facing this king among Demonic Flames, even the tenth-ranked Nine Underworld Wind Flame could only bow in submission.

Yao Ling's beautiful eyes flashed with surprise—she had been in the Demon Fire Space before, and the Pure Lotus Demon Fire had never been like this. Undoubtedly, Xiao Yan had truly refined it—he wasn't boasting!

Xiao Yi drifted behind Yao Wan Gui, then curled her lips into a cold smirk, cooing: "Nightmare Mist!"

Whoosh! Xiao Yi exhaled a breath—a stream of white mist poured from her mouth.

Nightmare Mist!!

Another ultimate technique of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint!

Xiao Yan had inherited the Pure Lotus Demon Saint's legacy—he knew both the Refining Heaven Ancient Formation and Nightmare Mist!

"Nightmare Mist!" Seeing the milky-white mist exhaled by Xiao Yi, Yao Ling recoiled instantly—had Xiao Yan not broken the Nightmare Mist in the Demon Fire Space, her Yao Clan would have been trapped forever within its nightmare, eventually refined into Fire Slaves!

"Nightmare Mist!! No! No!!"

Realizing what Xiao Yan intended, Yao Wan Gui finally panicked, his face ashen as if seeing a ghost—he had once endured Nightmare Mist, and it was true hell.