The Gu Clan stood as the mightiest among the remaining Six Ancient Clans on the surface, and their strength was beyond doubt.
As for the Hun Clan, it was arguably the most ancient of the Eight Ancient Clans.
In ancient times, this clan had already existed, shrouded in constant mystery. No other clan dared to claim absolute knowledge of their true power.
Although the Hun Clan had not demonstrated overwhelming dominance in previous major conflicts, keen observers would note that they had never been truly defeated.
Maintaining an undefeated record represented a fearsome level of prowess. As such, even the Gu Clan maintained a considerable level of caution towards this enigmatic Ancient Clan.
These two Ancient Clans represented the pinnacle of power on the current continent. If someone wanted to secretly wipe out the entire Spirit Clan, only these two clans would be able to accomplish such a feat!
Therefore, the Gu Clan and the Hun Clan were undoubtedly the prime suspects in this Spirit Clan incident, even though the other four clans had no concrete evidence to identify the culprit.
However, after the Spirit Clan incident, it was clear that they would be keeping a close eye on these two clans. If the culprit was after the Tou She Ancient God's Jade, they would not stop at just one. Those in possession of the remaining pieces of ancient jade would undoubtedly be their next targets!
The Gu Clan was frustrated by this suspicion that had come out of nowhere, but they were also aware of the seriousness of the situation. At a time like this, any action could invite unnecessary speculation, so they had no choice but to remain silent.
Meanwhile, the real perpetrators, the Hun Clan, continued with their usual indifference, turning a blind eye to the situation and carrying on with their plans.
The Hun Clan had no need for allies. They didn't care what others thought, and they were too apathetic to care. Their only concern was the steady advancement of their own agenda.
...
Holy Pill City, in the headquarters of the Pill Tower.
In the center of the hall, the high-ranking members were seated in an orderly fashion.
At the head was the First Elder of the Small Pill Tower, his eyes closed. On the wooden table in front of him was a blood-red letter that silently emitted a strong scent of blood.
When everyone noticed the letter, their brows furrowed as they felt a familiar aura emanating from it. It seemed that the Hall of Souls couldn't hold back any longer.
The First Elder opened his eyes and looked at the others. Then, with a flick of his finger, the blood-red war letter on the stone table unfolded, releasing a burst of bloody energy. Eventually, it transformed into blood-red words in the empty space in front of them, filled with a sharp and threatening aura.
<Xiao Ming of the Heavenly Court, in three months, at the peak of Falling Star Mountain, we will settle our life and death!>
"What are your thoughts on this matter? Should we accept or refuse?" the First Elder asked, looking at the silent assembly.
Everyone's eyes crossed, and after a brief pause, Elder Huo Yun was the first to speak.
"In this old man's opinion, we must accept this battle. Otherwise, the reputation we've built up in the Heavenly Court over the past six months will be jeopardized. The problem is that our leader has been named, but he is not present... It's a bit difficult."
"Yes, indeed. Since the last operation to eradicate the Man and Earth Halls, our leader has been absent. Without him here, we can't make a decision on this matter."
One by one, the crowd agreed. Despite Xiao Ming's usual lack of involvement in administrative matters, he held the highest prestige in the Heavenly Court.
Aside from being from the Pill Tower, he was closely associated with several well-known powerful forces such as the Flower Sect, Sound Valley, Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, and the Snow and Wind Sacred Temple, to name a few. Undoubtedly, his contributions have been crucial in bringing the Heavenly Court to its current state. Therefore, the decision to accept this challenge naturally required his approval.
"Alas, I understand this matter. It's just that our leader is currently in seclusion," the First Elder sighed, remembering the message he had received a few days ago.
"In seclusion?!!"
"Could it be that our leader is about to make another breakthrough?"
As soon as they heard the word 'seclusion', everyone realized the missing piece and exclaimed in amazement.
"Hmm, it seems so," the First Elder nodded.
He understood the reason for everyone's astonishment. Xiao Ming's strength had already reached the advanced three-star Dou Saint. If he broke through once more, he would be promoted to a four-star Dou Saint, which would put him in the ranks of an Intermediate-Star Dou Saint!
Xiao Ming was only about twenty-four years old; such a feat was truly astounding!
The First Elder believed that given a few more decades, Xiao Ming could become the most outstanding powerhouse on the continent.
"Then let's wait a few more days. We have a three-month deadline anyway. When our leader comes out of seclusion, the Hall of Souls won't be much of a problem," the Nine-Tailed Fox Saint spoke slowly.
In truth, the Hall of Souls didn't pose a mortal threat to them at the moment. But that was assuming the Hun Clan didn't go all out. If they did, the situation would be difficult to predict.
The Hun Clan was one of the most powerful Ancient Clans. Even with the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe joining the Heavenly Court, the alliance wasn't very secure. Furthermore, the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe had not yet been fully integrated into the Heavenly Court, and their understanding of its strength was limited.
Moreover, once the Hun Clan intervened, the conflict would become uncontrollable. The rules forbidding the five-star Dou Saints and above from getting involved might be broken.
The current Heavenly Court Alliance might be able to deal with the Hall of Souls, but if they really wanted to destroy them, the alliance would undoubtedly be severely damaged. It might even end up in a situation where both sides perished, which was unacceptable to them.
"All right, then, let's wait a little longer. The Hall of Souls has given us three months. They will probably want to prepare thoroughly," the First Elder concluded. He then transmitted the contents of this meeting to the Jia Ma Empire via a wormhole.
...
Xiao Ming's seclusion didn't last as long as they had expected. Just two days after the meeting, a violent energy storm suddenly erupted in the back of the Xiao family's mountain.
All eyes in Wu Tan City couldn't help but be drawn in that direction.
Inside the secret room, the purple crystals that had enveloped Xiao Ming and Zi Yan had disappeared, and the ethereal glow of the Heavenly Flame was no longer visible. Only Xiao Ming and Zi Yan remained, sitting close together. A faint purple light flickered around them as the energy of the world poured into their bodies, creating a palpable and overwhelming aura around them.
The storm came to an abrupt halt. The tightly shut eyes of both people opened at the same time. The dimly lit room was instantly illuminated by a brilliant purple light, only to return to normal moments later.
Seeing Zi Yan still very close to him, Xiao Ming reached out and pinched her smooth cheek affectionately. Then he stood up and straightened his body. His joints made a series of crackling noises that sounded like thunder.
Exhaling lightly, Xiao Ming smiled and said, "The effect of the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit exceeded my expectations. It has directly promoted me to the advanced five-star Dou Saint level. How about you?"
"Hehe, I've reached the initial six-star Dou Saint," Zi Yan replied with a radiant smile, rising to her feet and stretching her curvaceous body.
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Reaching the six-star Dou Saint stage was not Zi Yan's only achievement. Her most notable progress was the development of her Dragon Phoenix Physique. With the absorption of another Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, her physique was nearing true perfection. At this stage, even an advanced six-star Dou Saint would be no match for her.
Moreover, this advancement in her Dragon Phoenix Physique further enhanced her innate talent. It was now difficult for Xiao Ming to determine which tier of talent Zi Yan belonged to. As long as there was Origin Qi, breaking through to the Dou God realm was no longer a problem for her.
Xiao Ming smiled as he gently touched Zi Yan's purple ponytail. He was about to suggest that she come out first as he continued his seclusion to break through the Soul Realm. But remembering Medusa and Xiao Yue, he changed his mind and said, "It's been a while since we went into seclusion, let's come out first."
"Mmhmm," Zi Yan nodded with a satisfied smile. After spending so much time in seclusion, transmitting the fruit energy through their lips, she could now feel a kind of resonance between their bloodlines. Her bond with Xiao Ming had also become much stronger.
As the door to the secret room swung open, three figures descended from the sky. The newcomers were Medusa, Venerable Tian Huo, and Xiao Shan.
As soon as they landed, a petite figure flew out of Medusa's arms and made a graceful arc through the air towards Xiao Ming.
"Daddy!"
"Ah, my little one has grown so much! You can even talk now!"
Xiao Ming stretched out his arms, a smile on his face as he caught the petite figure and cradled her in his arms. Looking at his daughter's delighted and tender face, he couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth in his heart.
"Hehehe, Xiao Ming, Yue'er is indeed a gifted and clever little girl, a quick learner. I think you were definitely not as smart as her when you were her age," said Venerable Tian Huo, who hadn't been seen for a while.
He approached with a kind smile and looked at the little girl in Xiao Ming's embrace. Having spent a considerable amount of time in the Xiao family, he had some say in the matter. Although Xiao Yue was only one year old, her learning ability was far beyond her peers. Not to mention the simple matter of speaking fluently; she had gained a certain level of control over her own abilities, which was truly extraordinary.
"Yue'er is truly gifted."
Pinching her daughter's small face, Xiao Ming nodded in agreement with a smile. Even if Yue'er didn't have an awakened Dou God Bloodline at the moment, she wouldn't face any bottlenecks on her way to becoming a Dou Saint, unlike what he faced in his early years.
Xiao Ming turned to Medusa standing beside him and said, "To be able to teach Yue'er so well, I really appreciate all the hard work you've done."
Medusa wore a gentle and charming smile at that moment. Seeing Xiao Ming's gaze, she took a few steps forward and took Yue'er from his arms.
"Yue'er is very well-behaved. It's not a matter of being hard or not."
Although that was the case, Xiao Ming was well aware that taking care of a child was not as easy as Medusa made it seem. To be honest, he felt a little guilty about leaving their daughter in her care.
He didn't say much more before he stepped forward to hug Medusa and Yue'er together. Medusa's expression softened as she breathed in the familiar scent.
Xiao Shan, who was nearby, couldn't help but become emotional. The Queen Medusa he usually saw was proud and assertive; where did this gentleness come from?
"Oh, by the way, there's some news from the Central Plains," Venerable Tian Huo remembered his purpose for coming and spoke up.
"What's the news?" Xiao Ming reflected that his return to the North-Western Region was not widely known. They shouldn't bother him unless something important happened.
"The first thing is that the Spirit Clan, one of the Ancient Clans of the Central Plains, has disappeared. The second is that the Hall of Souls has issued you a challenge. They want to have a showdown with you in three months' time."
"What? Is this little Hall of Souls getting tired of existing?"
Xiao Ming didn't have much of a reaction to the news, but Zi Yan was a bit disdainful and spoke up first. In her opinion, the Hall of Souls could easily be wiped out. They dared to challenge him in this manner—didn't they know Xiao Ming belonged to her?
Medusa, on the other hand, was a bit worried. The Hall of Souls' infamous reputation made her fear for Xiao Ming's safety.
"It's alright. The Chief of the Hall of Souls is only a five-star Dou Saint. During my seclusion, I've already broken through to a five-star Dou Saint. He's no match for me. Even if he seeks help from the Hun Clan, unless a seven-star Dou Saint arrives, they won't be able to do anything to me. If they go too far, the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe of Zi Yan won't stand by and watch either."
Xiao Ming stroked Medusa's back to comfort her. Yue'er, who was in her arms, was too young to understand. She just blinked her big eyes and seemed perplexed.
Hearing that Xiao Ming had already broken through to a five-star Dou Saint, Xiao Shan and Venerable Tian Huo were slightly surprised, while Medusa felt relieved.
She was well aware of Xiao Ming's strength. Even though he was a five-star Dou Saint, the Chief of the Hall of Souls was no threat to him.
Zi Yan also patted her ample bosom and said, "Just an insignificant Hall of Souls. You can rest assured, Sister Medusa. I will be there to help Xiao Ming if he needs any help."
"Hm! But in that case, are you all going back to the Central Plains?" Medusa nodded, then suddenly thought of this.
"Yes, but this time you and our daughter can come with us," Xiao Ming replied.
Originally, he had planned to break through to the Great Perfection of the Heaven Realm in the Xiao family and then return to the Heavenly Court. However, plans had changed and now he would have to break through in the Heavenly Court itself.
"That's... That's fine then. But we have to wait two days. I need to settle things within the clan," Medusa looked at Yue'er in her arms and nodded after a short moment of silence.
"No problem, I also want to wait a few days to see if Xian'er and Qing Lin can come out in time. If they can't, then we'll go first."
When Xiao Ming and Zi Yan went into seclusion, so did Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin. He estimated that they would come out of seclusion in about five days. So he decided to wait for them and take care of the clan's affairs in the meantime. If they didn't make it out in time, they could always go to Holy Pill City on their own. The wormhole recently established in the Jia Ma Empire allowed everyone to travel to the Heavenly Court headquarters with ease.
On another note, the position of the Clan Chief in the Xiao family had long since changed. In recent years, the overall strength of the Xiao family increased tremendously, and due to his old age and inability to keep up with the younger generation in terms of strength, Xiao Zhan willingly stepped down from his position and wished to pass it on to a younger successor.
At that time, the most prominent contenders for the position of Clan Chief were Xiao Shan, Xiao Ding, and Xiao Yu.
Xiao Ding, although the son of the Clan Chief, had established his own power outside the Clan and, combined with the Xiao family's attitude towards Xiao Yan in his early years, wasn't particularly interested in taking the position of Clan Chief.
Xiao Yu was still at Jia Nan Academy and didn't show much interest either.
Xiao Shan had the greatest strength, prestige, and age, making him the most likely candidate to take on the role of Clan Chief.
However, Medusa happened to return to the Jia Ma Empire at that time and presented Xiao Ming's token and a considerable amount of resources.
As a result, the responsibility of the Clan Chief fell to Xiao Ming, who was far away in the Central Plains. This decision was made to facilitate Medusa's management and support of the Xiao family in her capacity as the Clan Chief's wife.
History proved this to be a wise decision, for under Medusa's leadership, the Xiao family did indeed flourish.
Upon learning of this, Xiao Ming could only marvel at the cunning nature of his family members.
Now that he was preparing to leave and take Medusa with him, the responsibility of managing the Xiao family would have to be delegated to someone else.
The most suitable candidate was still Xiao Shan. He had served as an elder for many years and had honed his abilities. Moreover, his strength was relatively high among the family members, making him more than capable of temporarily leading the Xiao family.
In fact, Xiao Ding, Xiao Yan's older brother, was also skilled in management, but Xiao Ming had heard that he was still focusing on his Desert Metal Mercenary Company and was doing quite well. So he didn't bother to mention it.
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