Chapter 1153: Unwelcome Guests

Inside the grand hall, everyone watched as Cao Ying, leading the people of the Cao family, walked out of the hall. They exchanged glances and sighed inwardly; no one could have imagined that this year, a dark horse would emerge among the Five Great Clans, one that even Cao Ying of the Cao family could not suppress…

With the assessment over, some people did not wish to linger further, and so they began to leave one by one. Some forces that had connections with the Ye family in the past started to greet Ye Chong at this moment. Although the Ye family was declining, it still retained its position among the Five Great Clans, and in the future, they would also retain a seat on the Pill Tower Elder’s Council. Their status might not be as high as the Cao family, but it was still difficult for ordinary forces to match.

Ye Chong smiled and greeted all these people. Though the Ye family now had some breathing room, this was not something they could use to become arrogant. After experiencing the recent decline and desolation, Ye Chong was very aware of what kind of words would benefit the Ye family in the future.

Xiao Yan casually put on a robe and then slowly walked towards the Ye family’s seats, smiling at Ye Chong and the others.

“Big Brother Xiao Yan, are you alright?” Xin Lan asked anxiously as she saw Xiao Yan approaching.

Xiao Yan smiled and waved his hand. Just as he was about to speak, his gaze turned, and he saw a group from the Dan family being led by Dan Xuan towards them.

“Elder Ye Chong.” Dan Xuan first cupped his fists towards Ye Chong, then turned his gaze to Xiao Yan and said with a smile, “Heh, Mr. Xiao Yan, you are indeed a surprise. I didn’t expect even Cao Ying couldn’t do anything to you.”

Xiao Yan had a good impression of Dan Xuan, just like Cao Xiu, both were the kind of people who could take a loss gracefully, unlike the arrogant Bai Ying. So, when he saw Dan Xuan come to congratulate him, Xiao Yan responded with a smile, “You’re too kind. She didn’t go all out; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to handle it…”

While speaking, Xiao Yan’s gaze couldn’t help but turn to the girl behind Dan Xuan. She was curiously staring at him, and when she saw his gaze, her face blushed, and she hid behind Dan Xuan, much like an ostrich.

“Heh, this is my cousin Dan Chen. She doesn’t usually like strangers…” Dan Xuan said apologetically.

Xiao Yan shook his head with a smile. He had interacted with the girl before and knew she had some oddities. From the way Cao Ying regarded her, it was clear that she was a person of hidden talents. However, what surprised him was that he could not sense any soul fluctuations from Dan Chen…

“Mr. Xiao Yan, if you ever have free time, please come to the Pill Sect in the Inner City of Holy Pill City. I will definitely have a good drink with you then,” said Dan Xuan, who did not wish to stay in the messy hall any longer. After exchanging a few casual words with Xiao Yan, he cupped his hands and left with a smile.

Xiao Yan watched Dan Xuan and his group leave the hall, then turned back to Ye Chong and the others, shrugging his shoulders. This was the benefit of showing one’s strength—it made one easily respected.

“Since the assessment is over, let’s go too,” said Xiao Yan, stretching lazily with a smile.

“Wait…” Just as Xiao Yan spoke, a voice came from behind. He turned around curiously and saw the smiling Elder Sheng approaching.

“Elder Sheng, is there something?” Xiao Yan didn’t dare to be disrespectful to Elder Sheng and smiled.

Elder Sheng stroked his beard with a smile. He first looked at Ye Chong and sighed, “Ye Chong, congratulations. You’ve managed to retain your position among the Five Great Clans…”

“Thanks also go to Elder Sheng for your efforts. The Ye family will remember this great favor,” Ye Chong said with a bitter smile.

Elder Sheng waved his hand and turned to Xiao Yan, smiling, “But your Ye family has found a quite remarkable helper… You are called Xiao Yan, right?”

Xiao Yan nodded with a smile.

“I’ve heard about your encounter with the Ice River Valley… Yao Chen is your teacher, isn’t he?” Elder Sheng smiled.

Xiao Yan’s eyes sharpened slightly at the mention, but before he could speak, Elder Sheng waved his hand and said, “No need to be nervous. Back then, I received some guidance from Yao Chen…”

Slightly more relaxed, Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly, no longer hiding it.

“Ah, that old man’s eyesight is still as sharp as ever… truly enviable,” Elder Sheng sighed, his words filled with an unmasked envy.

Xiao Yan could only smile at this.

“Your trip to the Pill Realm must be for the Pill Assembly, right?” Elder Sheng changed the subject suddenly.

Xiao Yan didn’t hide much about this and nodded.

“The Pill Assembly is coming soon. But before that, I want you to come with me to the Pill Tower once. It might be of some help to you,” Elder Sheng said, stroking his beard seriously.

Xiao Yan was taken aback, hesitating slightly, “To the Pill Tower?”

Xiao Yan had always felt some trepidation and respect towards the Pill Tower. This massive entity, which could rival the Soul Palace, must have terrifying power.

“I think the Headmaster and the others might be interested in meeting you. It won’t hurt to see them,” Elder Sheng said solemnly, seeing Xiao Yan’s hesitation.

“Headmaster?” Xiao Yan’s heart skipped a beat. Besides the three elusive giants of the Pill Tower, who else could make Elder Sheng call them such?

“I see you seem very interested in Cao Ying’s soul seal techniques. Her soul seals were learned in the Pill Tower,” Elder Sheng smiled, his words carrying a tempting flavor.

His temptation was not in vain. Xiao Yan’s gaze immediately turned to Elder Sheng, and after a moment of contemplation, he finally nodded. With the Pill Tower’s strength and status, if they wanted to harm him, they wouldn’t need to use trickery, so accepting wasn’t a problem.

“Very well, let’s set it. In a few days, I’ll come to the Ye Estate personally to take you to the Pill Tower,” Elder Sheng said, seeing Xiao Yan’s response, and smiled.

Xiao Yan nodded with a smile and chatted with Elder Sheng for a while before leaving the hall with Ye Chong and the others.

Watching Xiao Yan’s receding figure, the Elder Sheng’s smile slowly faded, and he muttered, “As the Headmaster said, the Soul Palace will also send people to the Pill Assembly. The Three Thousand Fiery Flames cannot fall into their hands. Therefore, we must find capable and trustworthy people to compete with them.”

The assessment of the Five Great Clans was a significant event in Holy Pill City, and many forces were paying attention to it. So, not long after the assessment ended, the news that spread from the hall flew like the wind…

The news that the Ye family took the first place in the assessment was a major shock to those who wished to see the Ye family’s downfall. Many people had speculated whether the Ye family still deserved their position among the Five Great Clans, but this sudden news slapped them in the face, making them disbelieving.

As the news spread and became clearer, some understood the cause: everything was due to a young man named Xiao Yan.

In just a few days, Xiao Yan became a hot topic in Holy Pill City. Clearly, many were extremely interested in this unexpected underdog who could rival Cao Ying…

While the outside world buzzed with these events, Xiao Yan became very low-key, spending most of his time in the Ye Estate, quietly studying the soul seal techniques he had learned from Cao Ying, rarely venturing out.

Time passed quietly, and as the Pill Assembly approached, the influx of people to Holy Pill City became more and more intense. This vast area was swarming with figures, and every inn and lodge in Holy Pill City was fully booked. The region had become the focal point of countless gazes across the Central Region.

In a secluded courtyard deep within the Ye Estate, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on a stone chair, his eyes half-closed. His hands moved slowly, forming profound and mysterious hand seals. If one looked closely, they would see that these seals were the same soul seals he had secretly learned from Cao Ying.

Now, though Xiao Yan’s hand seals were slow, they no longer had the awkwardness of the first time. As he made the seals, soul energy surged from his forehead without any need for control, enveloping the seals along a special path.

The hand seals continued for about ten minutes before they stopped, and Xiao Yan’s eyes slowly opened, a breath of stale air escaping his throat.

As the stale air left his body, Xiao Yan slowly stood up, his hands behind his back. He turned around, his black eyes fixated on a spot in the air, and said lightly, “Since you’re here, why hide?”

“Not bad, as expected of Yao Chen’s disciple. Your perception is quite good,” the voice replied as a slight fluctuation appeared in the air. A figure wrapped in a black robe slowly emerged from the twisted space.

Xiao Yan’s gaze fixed on the unwelcome visitor, sensing a faint familiarity from the other person.

“From the Soul Palace?” Xiao Yan’s tone was icy and cold.

“Heh, I hear that Yao Chen’s Cold Bone Flame is with you, and I’ve come to borrow it,” the black-robed figure chuckled. As the words fell, a deep blue flame slowly rose from within their body.

Xiao Yan’s pupils contracted sharply as he saw the deep blue flame.

“Sea Heart Flame?”