With the stabilization of the empire, Xiao Yan’s life gradually became much quieter. Occasionally, he would cultivate, and when free, he would be in the Dan Hall of the Flame Alliance, refining pills in front of numerous alchemists. When he received a full hall of applause, it was also at that time that those proud alchemists truly recognized him as their leader. Although during the war, the alchemists in the Dan Hall had already come to understand Xiao Yan’s combat power, being alchemists, what they valued the most was naturally pill refinement. For Xiao Yan to make them submit, he naturally had to display outstanding alchemy skills, and of course, when it came to alchemy, Xiao Yan in the Jia Ma Empire was indeed unafraid of anyone. With his current pill refinement abilities, he was capable of refining tier 6 pills. In the Jia Ma Empire, apart from Dan Wang Gu He, perhaps only Fama could barely achieve this.
During this period, Little Healer Immortal did not send any more messages. However, Xiao Yan knew that she must have dispatched countless people to search for the materials to control the “Disaster Body.” Once she obtained any information, she would surely notify Xiao Yan. At that time, another round of trouble would likely ensue.
As all matters settled down, due to the major event of the Serpent People changing their breeding grounds, Medusa, as the clan leader, naturally had to personally take charge. Therefore, not long after returning to the Jia Ma Empire, she temporarily bid farewell to Xiao Yan, leading a large number of serpent people to migrate, finally settling in a vast area near the Beast Mountain Range, and began to construct a new breeding ground.
Busy with such affairs, she naturally didn’t have time to accompany Xiao Yan. As someone accustomed to her company, Xiao Yan felt slightly uncomfortable. It seemed that ever since he left the Inner Academy of Gan Nan, Medusa had always been by his side. At first, she came with murderous intent, but as time passed, Xiao Yan could sense that her killing intent gradually weakened. Now, it had probably completely disappeared.
Normally, others’ constant presence hadn’t made him notice, but now that she was gone, he felt an immediate void. After discovering this, he became somewhat annoyed, as he thought of Xuner, whose whereabouts were unknown. That gentle and charming girl, like a clear spring, had unknowingly penetrated his heart, deeply etching herself into his soul, unable to be shaken off no matter what.
And whenever he thought of that graceful and somewhat mysterious girl, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but stop his actions, his gaze wandering blankly, unsure of which direction to focus on. For a moment, he could only sigh dejectedly, whispering, “Xuner, wait for me. I will reach the Battle Sect level as soon as possible, and then I will find you! No matter how terrifying your clan is, I have never been afraid!”
……
On the cloudy, steep mountain peak, a slender figure in green faintly appeared and disappeared through the mist. Her delicate waist, like a willow leaf, was just barely a handspan wide. Her long, flowing hair, tied casually with a light purple ribbon, drifted in the gentle breeze, giving her an ethereal and elegant aura.
The girl’s eyes, closed, slowly opened. As her eyes opened, the surrounding mist immediately dispersed, revealing the clear summit.
“Old Ling, have you returned?” The girl did not turn around; her rosy lips formed a light, otherworldly voice that echoed across the mountaintop.
As her words fell, a shadow beneath a rock suddenly began to move, transforming into the aged figure of Ling Ying.
Appearing, Ling Ying respectfully bowed to the girl. “Young Miss.”
“How is it? Any news of him?” The girl rose from the stone platform, turning to reveal a smile with an aura of an untainted lotus. At that moment, in a voice usually devoid of much emotion, there was a hint of urgency.
This face, besides the Xuner Xiao Yan dreamed of night and day, could it be anyone else’s?
It had been around three or four years since Xuner left Xiao Yan. In these few years, Xuner had clearly matured. She was now less innocent and more composed, like still water, emanating from the depths of her soul.
But no matter how she changed, one thing remained: her calm and unruffled heart would ripple with waves whenever she heard news related to that name. Perhaps, as Ling Ying had predicted, in Xuner’s heart, there would always be a shadow, a shadow that even the patriarch’s authority could not erase.
Clearly sensing Xuner’s urgency, Ling Ying sighed inwardly. It had been years, and she was only truly like an ordinary girl when hearing about the young master Xiao Yan. Usually, she was as still as a mountain, like an old monster who had cultivated for many years—profound and unfathomable, but lacking the liveliness of a young girl.
Of course, knowing Xuner’s status and position, he understood that she could not be like ordinary girls. Her identity destined her to be extraordinary, and the man who could match her would certainly be the finest on the continent. But whether Xiao Yan could reach this point, he did not know.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Ling Ying smiled fondly, then nodded and relayed the information he had painstakingly gathered about Xiao Yan over the past period.
Listening quietly to the news from Ling Ying, Xuner bit her lip, her expressive, clear eyes gently flickering. “I didn’t expect Brother Xiao Yan to reach the Battle Emperor level in just four years. A real surprise…”
“Flame Alliance… indeed a good name. I didn’t think Xiao Yan would truly replace the Yun Lian Sect.” As Ling Ying’s words concluded, Xuner revealed a graceful smile. Brushing a strand of her hair from her forehead, she said, “I didn’t expect the Soul Palace to act again. Elder Yao Chen had a little interaction with my clan back then. Perhaps he has also learned my identity, but I wonder if he told it to Brother Xiao Yan.”
“He wouldn’t. He should know that it’s not good for the young master Xiao Yan to learn your identity too early,” Ling Ying pondered.
“Ling, try to dispatch as many people as possible to search for the location of the Soul Palace. It seems that Uncle Xiao’s incident was also their doing,” Xuner turned her head, her voice slightly cold.
Hearing this, Ling Ying hesitated briefly before saying, “Alright, I will conduct this secretly and search as much as possible. But the Soul Palace is quite strange. Apart from a few, no one knows the headquarters’ location. Even within our clan, very few are aware, despite our countless battles with them.”
Xuner nodded slightly, her eyes lowering. A cold flash crossed her clear pupils. “Soul Palace… even though I know you desperately want the Xiao Family’s ‘Tuo She Ancient Emperor,’ do not let him suffer any harm. Otherwise, no matter what, I will make you pay a price you cannot bear!”
At her last words, Xuner’s eyes flared with golden flames. As the flames surged, a massive rock beside her quietly vanished into nothingness under a strange fluctuation.
Seeing the golden flames in Xuner’s eyes, Ling Ying felt a chill. His familiarity with her told him that those deep-seated things within her soul would only break out when genuine killing intent or anger arose.
Ling Ying did not expect that, after three or four years of separation, Xuner’s feelings for Xiao Yan had not dimmed at all. On the contrary, those feelings had grown deeper and stronger with the passage of time.
“Sigh, that boy, perhaps he doesn’t even realize how fortunate he is. For a person to be so cherished by the Young Miss, if word gets out, your Flame Alliance and the Jia Ma Empire might be destroyed in a day. So, for the Young Miss’s sake, strive to train. You are now a Battle Emperor, but it’s still not enough…”
Sighing heavily, Ling Ying muttered inwardly.
“Right…” Suddenly remembering something, Ling Ying’s expression changed slightly. He stared at Xuner, carefully saying, “As far as I know, because the Young Miss did not bring back the ‘key’ from the Xiao Family, the clan decided, after several debates, to send people to the Jia Ma Empire to retrieve the ‘key’ from the Xiao Family.”
“Boom!” As Ling Ying’s words fell, a terrifying aura suddenly exploded from Xuner, and her figure was forced to retreat hastily. Looking up, Ling Ying’s face was filled with shock.
Xuner’s feet were now three feet off the ground, her face icy. Brilliant golden flames flowed around her like liquid, and as the flames circled, the rocks around her mysteriously began to fade, as if swallowed by an invisible beast…
Her face as cold as ice, she cast a glance at Ling Ying, then twisted her slender waist, and suddenly rushed down the mountain.
Watching Xuner’s rapidly disappearing figure, Ling Ying opened his mouth but then shook his head with a bitter smile. Looking towards the distant western horizon, he sighed, “Boy, for the Young Miss to do this for you, hell, you’re the first I’ve seen…”
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