When the elder named Guqian was rebuked, Xuner’s bright eyes swept over the mountain ranges once more, finally pausing at a distant verdant peak. From there, she felt a faint yet chillingly familiar surge of killing intent. “Gu Yao, if you dare to stir up trouble, I will not let you off!” Her jade-like hands slightly clenched, and a flicker of indignant anger flashed through her beautiful eyes.
“Let’s go, Xiao Yan brother.”
Gradually suppressing the turmoil in her heart, Xuner turned her gaze to Xiao Yan by her side, only to find that his vision was also locked onto the spot where she had paused earlier. “A very strong person,” Xiao Yan whispered. With his exceptional soul perception, he could sense a faint, perilous aura emanating from the mountain peak, and this aura was clearly directed at him. “To truly eliminate any resistance within the ancient clan, ordinary means are utterly ineffective!”
Though Xiao Yan’s face remained calm, his previous defeats of Lin Xiu and Ling Quan in Gusheng City were far from enough to impress the older members of the clan. Therefore, Xiao Yan needed to challenge a young top-tier powerhouse within the ancient clan, one who carried true prestige, and he must win. Otherwise, the neutral clan members might also turn against him. Thus, he could not afford to fail! As for opponents that meet such criteria, Lin Xiu and the others were far from qualified. Gu Zhen held a respectable status in the Black An Army, but still did not reach the pinnacle among the younger generation of the ancient clan. The only four who fit the bill were the Black An Army’s four generals. The perilous aura Xiao Yan sensed earlier was most likely one of those four!
“Let’s go!”
Slowly retracting his gaze, Xiao Yan smiled at Xuner and said. “Mm.” Xuner nodded slightly, her graceful form moving like a butterfly in flight. Behind her, Xiao Yan and his group followed, braving the many gazes.
On the distant green peak, the man with black and white hair in front of his forehead looked in the direction where Xiao Yan and the others had gone, a faint, cold smile appearing on his face. “Haha, as expected of someone from the Xiao Clan… you should know what his glance meant earlier, right? He actually wants to challenge you…”
The silver-robed man chuckled. “Challenge? A fledgling… well, the coming-of-age ceremony is tomorrow. According to tradition, I can choose my own opponent. Considering his courage, I will give him a chance… as for Xuner, she will understand my actions in time.”
As his voice faded, the figure of Gu Yao gradually became hazy and eventually disappeared. “Haha, how interesting. How many years has it been since the young generations of the Gu and Xiao Clans have clashed? I look forward to seeing what surprises Xiao Yan can bring me.”
The silver-robed man laughed, his figure becoming increasingly blurry until he, too, vanished, leaving only a low laughter lingering on the green peak.
Led by Xuner, Xiao Yan and his group did not head to the reception area of the ancient clan, but stopped before a bamboo hut in the depths of the mountains. At this moment, a familiar, elderly figure stood in front of the bamboo hut, smiling warmly at the descending Xiao Yan and his companions. “Elder Ling?”
Seeing the familiar figure before the bamboo hut, Xiao Yan was taken aback, then smiled and gave a respectful bow. “Haha, in less than ten years, I never imagined that Young Master Xiao Yan would reach such a level. You truly make this old man feel ashamed.”
Ling Ying sighed with a smile, recalling the days when he was tasked with secretly protecting Xiao Yan. Back then, the latter was merely a brash youth trying to wash away the shame of being jilted, but now, that impetuous youth had become a well-known powerhouse in the Central Plains. “Come, let’s go in first. This is my place of secluded cultivation; few people come here. I imagine Xiao Yan brother wouldn’t like other places either.”
Xuner smiled and said. Xiao Yan nodded. The serene environment suited his tastes. After today’s commotion, he was sure he had already become the talk of the town among the ancient clan, so he had no desire to be gawked at like a caged monkey. The group followed Xuner into the bamboo hut, then took their seats in the living room. Xiao Yan seized the opportunity to introduce them all, and both Xuner and Ling Ying looked surprised to learn that the seemingly delicate Qing Lin possessed the three-flower emerald snake pupils. “Young Master Xiao Yan, you arrived in the ancient clan much earlier than I anticipated,” Ling Ying sighed. He had originally thought Xiao Yan would take at least twenty years to get here, but he managed it in just about ten.
“But with your current strength, you do indeed have the qualifications to come to the ancient clan. Now that you’re here, Miss will be able to relax a bit. Years ago, some in the clan proposed bringing the entire Xiao family back to the ancient realm. I’m sure you’re aware of the purpose, but thanks to Miss and some elders’ opposition, they put such thoughts aside.”
“But this is only a temporary solution, as such proposals are made almost every year. To secure more time for you, Miss immersed herself in a long period of seclusion. In the ancient clan, those with stronger bloodlines carry more weight. Over the years, she has been rigorously training in seclusion to increase her voice, thereby quelling the clan’s decisions to act against the Xiao family. The process was difficult, but fortunately, she succeeded. Now, even some elders pay their respects to her, and the resolutions against the Xiao family have been held back all this time…”
At this point, Ling Ying sighed. “I know that Young Master Xiao Yan’s achievements in these short ten years must have required much hardship, but so have Miss’ efforts…”
“Elder Ling!”
Xuner called out softly, shaking her head at Ling Ying to indicate that he should say no more. Seeing this, Ling Ying smiled. “This old man always has a hard time keeping his mouth shut.” Xiao Yan smiled, his dark eyes staring intently at her enchanting face. He then extended his hand, gently grasping Xuner’s and said softly, “These years, you’ve worked hard. Let me take the burden from now on. I will handle the pressure from your clan…”
Feeling the warmth from his hand, a faint blush appeared on Xuner’s cheeks. She felt a bit relieved. Despite her strong exterior before the clan, she was still a girl, with a soft, feminine side. All these years of effort, she seemed content with this acknowledgment. Her demands were not high; though she possessed unparalleled talent and bloodline, in matters of love, she was fiercely determined, even stubborn.
Her early feelings, buried deep in her memory, had fermented over the years, becoming rich and poignant. “Xiao Yan brother, the coming-of-age ceremony of the ancient clan starts tomorrow. This ceremony is usually unrelated to guests like you, but because you’re from the Xiao Clan and due to our connection, you will inevitably be involved. According to tradition, any member participating in the ceremony can freely choose an opponent. This public opportunity, some will not easily let go.”
“Of course, with your current strength, even among the younger generation of the ancient clan, few can defeat you. But there are four who are not included in this list…” “The four majors?” Xiao Yan murmured. “Yes… all four are at the level of eight-star Douzong or above, and are considered highly likely to become the Black An King.”
Xuner’s expression became slightly serious. “Among these four, the one most likely to act against you is the so-called ‘Asura General’—Gu Yao…” “Asura General, Gu Yao…”
Xiao Yan repeated slowly, then said, “Was he the one we encountered earlier?” “Mm.” Xuner nodded, somewhat surprised that Xiao Yan had indeed sensed Gu Yao’s presence. “Gu Yao has extraordinary talent and a highly potent Blood Emperor lineage. Most in the clan hope that we can be together. Six months ago, he also proposed to the Council of Elders but was refused, citing you as the reason.”
Xuner gave a bitter smile. “With his character, he will definitely act against you during the coming-of-age ceremony tomorrow. He understands that if he defeats you, the neutral ones in the clan will lean towards him!”
Xiao Yan nodded, ripples barely visible in the tea cup in his hand. He, too, understood that this would be a rare opportunity. If he failed, the ancient clan would no longer have any faith in him. Conversely, if Gu Yao failed, the ancient clan elders would find it hard to oppose the relationship between Xiao Yan and Xuner in the future. Thus, the battle against Gu Yao would be a crucial crossroads between heaven and hell. He could not afford to lose!
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