“Flame Alliance?” Reciting the name carefully, Jia Xing Tian turned his gaze to Xiao Yan who was smiling beside him. “A good name indeed. The status of the Flame Alliance in the future will likely surpass the Yun Lian Sect by far. I hope that when the time comes, the Northwest region will also have a place for the Jia Ma Empire.” Xiao Yan nodded with a smile and said softly, “Xiao Yan will naturally do his utmost.”
“Ha ha, since this alliance has already been established, it needs a leader to oversee the entire situation,” Fa Ma stood up and said with a smile. “It seems this position is undoubtedly for Young Friend Xiao Yan.”
Hearing Fa Ma’s words, Mu Chen, Nalan Jie, and the others also quickly laughed and echoed his sentiment. Xiao Yan had gone through so much trouble to form this alliance; they naturally would not naively believe that he was completely selfless. The position of the alliance leader was now firmly in his grasp, and no one with a clear mind would object in such a scenario.
Xiao Yan smiled and didn’t pretend to decline. He stood up and said with a laugh, “The Flame Alliance does not belong to Xiao Yan alone. Our future achievements will still depend on the collective efforts of all the elders present here!”
Seeing that everything was going as expected, Xiao Ding also nodded with a smile. He waved his hand, and a maid hurriedly brought the wine prepared for everyone.
“Today marks the successful formation of our alliance, which is a big deal. For the sake of the Flame Alliance, let’s all raise our glasses and drink!”
“Haha, cheers!” Amidst the laughter in the hall, the most powerful alliance in the Jia Ma Empire finally took shape. Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before this newborn force would become a topic of discussion for every citizen of the Jia Ma Empire. Many people would realize that this force was set to supplant the Yun Lian Sect!
As for whether this new force would outshine the Yun Lian Sect, it would ultimately depend on the abilities of its leader!
In the hall, after the discussions were over, everyone gradually left. The once tense atmosphere gradually relaxed.
After seeing the last guest off, Xiao Yan let out a long sigh and plopped into a chair. “Finally, it’s settled. Now, our Xiao Clan has a secure protection that can put our minds at ease.”
“With your current strength, you could just force them to join. Why go through all this trouble? You’re really making things difficult for yourself,” the Queen Medusa, who had been silent until now, glanced at Xiao Yan and said coldly.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and didn’t bother to argue. In this woman’s heart, everything was solved by force.
“The Flame Alliance has just been established, including the strongest forces of the empire. Its potential is extraordinary. In the future, I will make sure that the intelligence network of the Flame Alliance covers every corner of the Jia Ma Empire. Anyone who harbors ill intentions towards our Xiao Clan will be reported to us. Even if Soul Yin wants to move against our Xiao Clan again, it won’t be as easy as before,” Xiao Ding smiled and said, ignoring the arguments between the two.
“Doesn’t granting them such power seem too excessive? The Elders’ Council can decide on the leader’s will. This might be a problem in the future,” Xiao Li frowned.
“Don’t worry. Right now, we just need to stabilize their hearts. Over time, as their loyalty to their families fades, they will naturally learn to prioritize the alliance. Meanwhile, I will secretly use some means to ensure that most of the members of the Elders’ Council are supportive of our Xiao Clan. In the future, no one will interfere with any decision made by our third brother,” Xiao Ding tapped his numb legs lightly and laughed casually.
Xiao Yan chuckled and stretched lazily. “Now that the alliance has been successfully established, the next matters can be handled by my older brothers. I’m not good at this kind of thing.”
“You, this youngster…” Seeing that Xiao Yan was already starting to shirk responsibility, Xiao Ding shook his head helplessly.
“By the way, Second Brother, have you found all the herbs I asked for?” As if remembering something, Xiao Yan suddenly asked.
Over the past few days, the Mi Tie Family had distributed these herbs to all their auction houses. The herbs were indeed gathered, but only enough for two pills. If there was another failure, it would take at least two months to gather the necessary ingredients again. Elder Haizao said that these herbs were very rare, even the Mi Tie Family had very few in stock.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Li paused and glanced subtly at Xiao Ding before saying, “Two sets… It should be enough to refine one pill. Later, you can send the herbs to my laboratory.”
Xiao Yan hesitated slightly. Two sets of herbs were indeed a bit risky, but Xiao Li didn’t have much time left. He couldn’t afford to delay. “Alright, I’ll send you the herbs later.”
Xiao Li nodded slightly.
Regarding the herbal matter, Xiao Ding didn’t suspect anything. After all, it was normal for Xiao Yan, a Medicine Maker, to refine pills. So, after their conversation, he glanced at the cold-faced Medusa and signaled to Xiao Li, then slowly wheeled himself out of the hall.
Watching the two’s actions, Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly and then turned to look at Medusa. After a moment of silence, he said softly, “Thank you.”
This thank you was of course for her willingness to come and support them. To intimidate these old men, Medusa was the best choice. However, she was too aloof, and Xiao Yan had been prepared for her to refuse. He hadn’t expected her to agree so readily.
“I came to kill, but unfortunately, you did not let me have my way,” Medusa replied coldly, though perhaps even she herself didn’t notice, her icy gaze had softened a little.
“Xiao Yan, those pills you gave me are all gone. Your injuries are healed, so hurry up and refine more!” Zi Yan, who had been following Medusa, complained.
Smiling, Xiao Yan walked up and ruffled Zi Yan’s hair. “Okay, I’ll refine them for you soon. You little glutton.”
“You need to hurry. I feel like I’m about to get stronger. I need a lot of energy. Otherwise, I’ll fall asleep again,” Zi Yan frowned. Ever since she received that blow from the Duck Guardian on Yun Lian Mountain, she had been feeling a strange sensation lately, urgently needing a large amount of energy.
Hearing this, both Xiao Yan and Medusa were taken aback. They then looked at Zi Yan with astonished expressions. After exchanging glances, they said in surprise, “It seems like she’s about to ascend?”
Xiao Yan pondered for a moment. When he first met Zi Yan in the Inner Academy, she was already a Dou Wang. According to the demonic beast rankings, she was a fifth-grade beast. Given the sheer number of treasures and elixirs she had consumed in recent years, it was only natural that she would ascend.
“Demonic beasts ascending require an enormous amount of energy. Typically, before ascending, demonic beasts will seek out various precious materials. But this girl has eaten countless treasures for so many years, and is only ascending now, which suggests that the energy required for her ascension is indeed massive. I truly wonder what her true form is,” Medusa’s voice was laced with amazement. She had never seen a demonic beast that required such a vast amount of energy to ascend.
Generally, the more energy required for an ascension, the stronger the demonic beast. But Zi Yan seemed to require an unusually high amount.
“Don’t worry, no matter how much energy is needed, I will help her get it. This little one followed me out from the Inner Academy, and I can’t let her suffer any harm. Otherwise, it will be difficult to explain to Elder Su Qian,” Xiao Yan poked Zi Yan’s adorable face and spoke softly.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s gentle demeanor, Medusa was taken aback. She then said, “This little one is very close to me. If you let her suffer any harm, I won’t agree either.”
Seeing Medusa’s sudden protective nature, Xiao Yan sighed. Seeming to remember something, he lifted his gaze to meet hers and said softly, “In a month or two, our year-long agreement will be fulfilled.”
Medusa’s hand, which had been smoothing Zi Yan’s purple hair, paused. Her somewhat softened face hardened, and her demonically charming eyes glanced at Xiao Yan. In a cold voice, she said, “Don’t you know that once I take the ‘Soul Recovery Pill,’ you will be the first to die by my hand? Or do you think that with your current abilities, you can stand up to me?”
Xiao Yan let out a bitter laugh. “I know that, but the agreement stands, and I won’t break it. And by the looks of it, you’ve been searching for the herbs earnestly, so you must be anticipating this. Can I just ignore it?”
Medusa shot Xiao Yan a cold glance but pulled Zi Yan’s hand and turned to leave the hall. Pausing at the door, she said indifferently, “Zi Yan has already eaten all the herbs. If you’re really in a hurry to refine the pill, you don’t need to go through the trouble. Just tell me directly, and I can give you a helping hand.”
“Naturally, don’t think that the queen’s heart has changed. I just want to give you a little more time.”
Hearing the queen’s words and watching her leave the hall, Xiao Yan’s eyes were filled with shock, and his face was covered in a strange expression.
“This woman…”
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