Within the room, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it felt suffocating. Lin Yan and the others watched as Xiao Yan, for the first time before them, displayed such fury. They all quietly marveled at this. This guy, who always appeared to be mild-mannered with a perpetual smile, turned out to be terrifying when truly angered. His eyes were fixed intently on the pale-faced Xiao Li. After a moment, Xiao Yan took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the anger in his heart. He turned to Xiao Yu, whose eyes were red, and asked in a low voice, “What exactly happened? Isn’t Second Brother supposed to be in the Gama Empire? How did he end up at the Gan Nan Academy?”
“Two days ago, Cousin Xiao Li suddenly appeared at the entrance of the academy and sent someone to inform me. When I rushed out, I saw him in this weakened state. As soon as he saw me, he said only one thing before passing out,” Xiao Yu replied softly.
“What did he say?” Xiao Yan’s heart skipped a beat, and he asked in a hoarse voice.
“Notify Xiao Yan, the Xiao family is in trouble!”
“Boom!” A powerful aura suddenly surged from the room. Xiao Yu, who was close to Xiao Yan, was forced back a few steps. She then stared at Xiao Yan in shock, his face suddenly becoming grim. This aura… was even stronger than that of Teacher Olin. Had Xiao Yan really become so strong in just half a year?
Breathing heavily, Xiao Yan’s hands still trembled slightly. Before he left, he had secretly relocated the Xiao family to the mercenary group where his elder brother, Xiao Ding, was. Now, Xiao Li, the second commander of the Mo Tie Mercenary Group, had appeared here at the Gan Nan Academy, thousands of miles away from the Gama Empire. This meant that the entire Mo Tie Mercenary Group, along with the Xiao family, had likely suffered a devastating blow.
His nails dug deeply into his palms, and blood trickled down between his fingers. Looking at the pale-faced Xiao Li on the bed, Xiao Yan’s self-blame was like a knife twisting in his heart. It pained him to think that relocating the Xiao family to his elder brother’s place had actually caused them harm.
Inside the room, the atmosphere remained oppressive and heavy. Xiao Yu’s eyes were slightly red. The family was in trouble, and her parents might not have escaped the disaster. This turn of events left her completely at a loss. The current state of the Xiao family in the Gama Empire was unknown. Perhaps, if the situation was worse, only a few of the younger generation, including them, might be left…
Thinking of the once large and prosperous family now meeting such a tragic end, Xiao Yu could no longer hold back her grief and began to sob softly.
Gently sitting by the bed, Xiao Yan suppressed his trembling hands, gripped Xiao Li’s arm, and channeled a thread of Dou Qi into his body. After a while, he released his grip, and the grimness on his face eased slightly, though his voice remained cold and hoarse. “Second Brother has suffered internal injuries, likely from a fight. Thankfully, there’s no immediate danger to his life.”
Xiao Yan took a pill for internal injuries from his storage ring and placed it in Xiao Li’s mouth. After a while, seeing his complexion improve slightly, he finally let out a small sigh of relief. “Now we wait for Second Brother to wake up. Once he regains consciousness, we’ll know what happened to the Xiao family.”
With a grim expression, Xiao Yan’s soft voice carried a chilling, murderous intent. “Could it be the Yun Lian Sect?”
“Xun Er hesitated, speaking in a low voice. If it was the Yun Lian Sect, then I, Xiao Yan, will wage a war of mutual destruction until the sect is annihilated!” Xiao Yan’s lips twisted into a sinister smile, his voice as if coming from the depths of the underworld, devoid of any emotion.
Xun Er sighed softly. In the Gama Empire, aside from the Yun Lian Sect, it was unlikely that any other force would be so ruthless towards the Xiao family…
While waiting for Xiao Yan to awaken, the atmosphere in the room remained oppressive and gloomy. Even Hu Jia and the others, after a quiet sigh, discreetly exited the room, leaving it to Xiao Yan and the others.
“Cough…” In the silent room, a fit of violent coughing suddenly erupted. Xiao Yan, who was sitting beside the bed, looked up and saw Xiao Li slowly opening his eyes.
Their eyes met, and the bond of brotherhood warmed their faces slightly.
“Finally, I get to see you, Xiao Yan. I thought I wouldn’t make it here,” Xiao Li, lying on a soft pillow, his initial joy at seeing Xiao Yan gradually faded, and he smiled, sighing, “In three months, if not for a flying beast, it would have taken at least a year to travel from the Gama Empire to here.”
Looking at Xiao Li’s pale face, Xiao Yan’s nose tingled with a hint of sadness. Six months ago, his Second Brother was full of vigor and fighting spirit, but now, only a fierce and cruel look remained in his eyes.
“Second Brother, what happened? Where is Big Brother?” Xiao Yan asked, holding Xiao Li’s arm, his voice soft.
The smile on Xiao Li’s face slowly vanished. After a moment, he let out a bitter laugh, his laughter filled with sorrow and anger. At the sound of his bleak laughter, tears rolled down Xiao Yu’s cheeks.
“Was it the Yun Lian Sect?” Xiao Yan’s arm trembled violently, his mind filled with rage and murderous intent, almost overwhelming his rationality.
“For the first two months after the Xiao family moved to the Mo Tie Mercenary Group, everything was calm. The search by the Yun Lian Sect did not extend to the borders. But just as we thought the tension was about to ease, the massacre came silently.”
“On that night, the Mo Tie Mercenary Group was celebrating their monthly festival. However, the celebration turned into a bloodbath. Many people ambushed the mercenary group that night, concealing their identities. But how could the unique sword technique of the Yun Lian Sect be hidden?” Xiao Li smiled bitterly, his face showing a deep hatred. “The attackers were very strong. Many of our comrades were killed or injured. Though the elders of the Xiao family fought to the death to protect us, we still suffered significant losses.”
“The Yun Lian Sect… seems that old bastard Yun Shan really wants to exterminate us all!” Xiao Yan’s eyes, almost entirely filled with bloodshot veins, glared menacingly. His body trembled violently, and a thick murderous intent filled the room. After a moment, he suddenly stood up, but Xun Er hurriedly held him back, “Xiao Yan, where are you going?”
“Back to the Gama Empire! I want everyone in the Yun Lian Sect to pay with their lives!” His voice was icy, filled with murderous intent and malevolence.
“Going back now will only result in your death. What good will that do? With the Xiao family in such a dire situation, who else can save them but you? If you die, how will you face Uncle Xiao?” Seeing Xiao Yan’s ferocious expression, Xun Er knew that his anger was causing him to lose control. She quickly shouted, “Xiao Yan, stop right there! Big Brother sent me to find you, risking my life over a long distance, not for you to go back like this!”
Xiao Li roared, “This blood debt must be repaid, and you have an irreplaceable responsibility. But if you go back now, can you defeat Yun Shan?”
Xiao Yan’s body stiffened, his hair falling over his forehead. The intense anger and murderous intent nearly drove him mad.
“Moreover, this matter seems more complicated than it appears!” Xiao Li’s voice was dark and ominous.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan regained some composure. His hoarse voice, like a broken windbox, asked, “What do you mean?”
“Besides the Yun Lian Sect, there seemed to be something else lurking in the shadows during the ambush that night…” Xiao Li’s eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his face, still pale, showed a venomous expression. “Though they hid in the darkness, I could feel their chilling presence. They were like a shadowy figure, their target clearly the Xiao family. Their attacks were unstoppable, and occasionally, a black iron chain would shoot out from the darkness. These chains were extremely bizarre, capable of piercing through Dou Qi. Every time the chains made a clanking sound in the night, one of our family members was dragged away, skewered by the chains.”
“These mysterious shadows, after dragging away a member of the Xiao family, would search their bodies. From their actions, it didn’t seem like they were hired to kill, but rather, searching for something.”
“Shadows? Chain attacks?” These unfamiliar words entered Xiao Yan’s mind, making his brain, filled with murderous intent, suddenly chill. His thoughts raced, and scenes flashed by rapidly. Finally, the images stopped abruptly!
It was the sight of the black shadows and the black chains in the Black Domain Plain.
A shiver ran down his spine, and the voices of the Elder Alchemist and Xiao Yan echoed simultaneously in his mind, carrying a grave weight, “Soul Temple!”
“Why would they target the Xiao family? The Xiao family has no connection to them!” Xiao Yan’s body stiffened, his hair falling over his face, and he muttered with a cold voice in his heart.
The Elder Alchemist also fell silent. He couldn’t understand why the massive and mysterious Soul Temple would have anything to do with a small family like the Xiao family. Even if it was because of him, it was unlikely, as the Soul Temple couldn’t possibly know that he was with Xiao Yan.
“We don’t know what they were looking for, but before he died, the Great Elder told Big Brother to pass a message to you,” Xiao Li said, looking up at Xiao Yan. “He told you to keep the Family Jade safe, never letting it fall into the wrong hands!”
A sudden chill flooded Xiao Yan’s mind. A cold breath escaped his lips, and a chilling voice resonated in his heart, “So… their goal is… the ‘Duo She Ancient Emperor Jade’!”
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