Chapter 848
Discussion of Subsequent Matters
In the deep mountains of the ancient tribe, towering green peaks pierce the clouds, ancient trees block out the sun, and thousand-year-old sacred trees flourish with lush foliage. Vines, like dragons, entwine the mountains, and the misty spiritual energy transforms into a light haze that slowly flows through the secluded valleys and ravines.
Just then, gentle ripples suddenly spread across the tranquil void, the spatial patterns twisted slightly, and two tall figures slowly stepped out from the void rift. Their auras were steady and their power was restrained. They were Xiao Xuan and Xiao Ling, who had just successfully left the Heavenly Tomb.
Just as the two stepped out of the void, the space not far in front of them rippled slightly again, and a tall, imposing figure of a man slowly emerged from the spatial ripples.
This person was none other than Gu Yuan, who noticed the unusual activity at the Heavenly Tomb and rushed over immediately.
But when Gu Yuan's gaze swept over Xiao Ling and Xiao Xuan, finally settling on the familiar yet unfamiliar figure beside Xiao Ling, even with his composure as the patriarch of the Gu clan and a peak nine-star Dou Sheng, his expression changed drastically, his pupils contracted sharply, and he blurted out in disbelief:
"Xiao Xuan?! How is this possible?! What on earth happened?!"
His gaze darted rapidly back and forth between Xiao Ling and Xiao Xuan, his expression revealing a turbulent undercurrent of emotions. This ancient clan leader's usually calm and composed state of mind was now in turmoil, devoid of any semblance of tranquility.
A moment later, Gu Yuan suddenly looked up at Xiao Ling, his voice trembling slightly with urgency, and asked in a deep voice, "Xiao Ling, explain yourself clearly, what exactly happened? What happened to you in the Heavenly Tomb? The person in front of you... could he really be Xiao Xuan?!"
After all, the last remaining wisp of Xiao Xuan's soul was protected by Gu Yuan and personally sent to the ancient clan's heavenly tomb for safekeeping.
Gu Yuan knew better than anyone else about Xiao Xuan's remnant soul being on the verge of collapse and exhausted. He knew that such a situation was beyond saving. Not to mention ordinary experts, even the legendary supreme beings who had reached the Dou Di realm might not be able to forcibly pull him back from the brink of death.
Therefore, upon seeing a living, breathing, and physically perfect Xiao Xuan standing before him, Gu Yuan was overwhelmed with shock. He even began to wonder if he had been cultivating too much lately, losing his composure, and thus suffering from a demonic possession, resulting in such a bizarre hallucination.
Before Xiao Ling could explain, Xiao Xuan had already stepped forward, looked at the shocked Gu Yuan, and teased him loudly,
"What nonsense are you spouting, old man? I am Xiao Xuan himself! What, after a thousand years, you old codger don't even recognize me?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan was startled. He immediately focused his attention and carefully examined the area. A familiar, ancient aura, etched into his very bones, rushed towards him. He then sensed the powerful and vast Nine-Star Dou Sheng peak cultivation within the other party, which was in no way inferior to his own, as well as the Dou Di bloodline pressure unique to the Xiao clan's ancestors...
Even though his heart was still churning with turmoil, Gu Yuan finally had to admit that the person in front of him was indeed the real Xiao Xuan!
He took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions, and looked at Xiao Xuan with a complex mix of emotions, including amazement.
"It's truly... I never expected that you, old man, would actually be resurrected! I know better than anyone how your remnant soul was on the verge of collapse. What kind of heaven-defying method could bring you back from the dead?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Yuan's gaze shifted back to Xiao Ling, his eyes sharp yet knowing. He spoke in a deep voice, "If I'm not mistaken, Xiao Xuan's successful resurrection is definitely related to you. Can you tell me the truth about it?"
Xiao Ling smiled slightly, cupped his hands in a respectful bow to Gu Yuan, and said in a humble yet composed tone, "Since Father-in-law is curious, then I will naturally tell you the truth."
As soon as he finished speaking, he slowly told Gu Yuan about the Soul-Returning Pill that he had already prepared. He concealed the secrets related to the system and only briefly explained the miraculous effects of the Soul-Returning Pill in reshaping the physical body, continuing the remnant soul, and reversing life and death.
Gu Yuan listened intently, his heart still churning with shock, but Xiao Xuan was standing right in front of him, the undeniable truth leaving him no choice but to believe it.
It seems that only a divine object like an imperial-grade elixir, which transcends the mortal realm, could possess such an astonishing effect of bringing the dead back to life and reshaping one's true form, truly a miracle.
After a long while, Gu Yuan slowly came back to his senses. Looking at Xiao Ling and Xiao Xuan, he couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
"I really don't know whether to say that you, little guy, have incredible luck or that old guy Xiao Xuan has profound blessings. You even managed to find such rare and precious items as Emperor-grade pills. Your luck and fortune are truly unmatched in the entire history of the Dou Qi Continent."
After a pause, Gu Yuan's gaze fell on Xiao Xuan, and his tone relaxed slightly: "However, using such a divine pill on this old fellow is not a waste. The Dou Qi Continent is currently in turmoil, and the Soul Clan is making frequent moves, their ambitions are obvious, which has been causing me great concern. Now that you, Xiao Xuan, have been successfully resurrected, and two peak nine-star Dou Sheng are in charge, the Soul Clan's troubles are naturally not a concern."
Thinking of this, Gu Yuan felt a huge weight lifted from his heart and breathed a long sigh of relief.
Previously, what he feared most was that the Soul Clan only had one peak nine-star Dou Sheng expert, Soul Emperor. Although Void Devouring Flame had also entered the ranks of nine-star Dou Sheng, he was still slightly inferior to them, who stood at the top of the pyramid, and did not pose a fatal threat at all.
Now that Xiao Xuan has returned, and they are both at the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Sheng realm, as well as close friends who have shared life and death, coupled with Xiao Ling's inseparable relationship with the Ancient Clan, Xiao Xuan will undoubtedly stand shoulder to shoulder with the Ancient Clan to fight against their powerful enemy. In this way, their confidence in confronting the Soul Clan has instantly increased several times over.
"Let's leave the matter of the Soul Clan aside for now. Gu Yuan, before I perished, I personally entrusted the Xiao Clan to you, asking you to take good care of it. Is this how you took care of it for me? If it weren't for Xiao Ling's rise to power through his own talent and defying fate, the Xiao Clan today probably wouldn't even have a single strong expert to speak of. The strongest member of the clan would probably only be a mere Great Dou Master."
Faced with Gu Yuan's words, Xiao Xuan temporarily set aside the matter of the Soul Clan and turned to look at Gu Yuan, a hint of doubt and helplessness flashing in his eyes, his tone becoming somewhat somber.
After all, Xiao Xuan regarded Gu Yuan as his only true friend in life. Before gathering the bloodline of the entire clan to break through the bottleneck of the Dou Di realm, he solemnly entrusted the Xiao clan to him.
Xiao Xuan never expected that his entrustment would lead the Xiao clan to such a desolate and impoverished state.
If Xiao Ling hadn't briefly mentioned it before, he would have almost forgotten that there was such a lowly level as the Great Dou Master in the realm of Dou Qi cultivation. Given his status and perspective back then, he wouldn't even have been qualified to guard the gate for the Xiao Clan.
Faced with Xiao Xuan's blunt questioning, Gu Yuan immediately felt slightly embarrassed, his expression showing a mix of awkwardness and guilt, and for a moment he didn't know how to refute it.
He coughed lightly, his tone indistinct yet tinged with helplessness, and slowly began to explain.
"Xiao Xuan, regarding this matter... I truly feel guilty. It's not that I'm unwilling to look after the Xiao Clan, but after your fall, the Soul Clan kept a close watch on us. If my Ancient Clan were to openly offer assistance, it would surely arouse the Soul Clan's suspicion, pushing the Xiao Clan into an even more dangerous situation. Furthermore, the Ancient Clan isn't a place where I can make a single decision; there are many constraints, making it inconvenient to interfere excessively... In short, I failed to fulfill my promise from back then, and I apologize to you for this." After saying this, Gu Yuan clasped his hands and bowed slightly to Xiao Xuan with solemn respect. As the patriarch of the Ancient Clan, his initiative to bow and apologize demonstrated the guilt and sincerity in his heart.
Seeing Gu Yuan's attitude, Xiao Xuan's dissatisfaction gradually dissipated. Things had come to this point, and although he, as the ancestor of the Xiao clan, was unwilling to see his clan fall into such a state, time could not be turned back, and the situation could not be reversed with a single word. Moreover, the Xiao clan and the Gu clan still had a marriage alliance, and the two sides were interdependent. Their good relationship could not be broken at this moment.
He snorted softly, his tone softening slightly: "Hmph, considering the relationship between Xiao Ling and your daughter, I won't hold this matter against you. If it were anyone else, I would have definitely settled things with you thoroughly today!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan could only shake his head awkwardly and remain silent, thus acknowledging everything.
After discussing the Xiao clan's past, Gu Yuan turned his gaze to Xiao Ling again, his eyes flashing with a hint of certainty and amazement. He slowly said, "Xiao Ling, if my senses are correct, your soul realm has already entered the Emperor Realm, hasn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling nodded slightly, his expression calm and respectful: "Father-in-law, you have keen insight. This breakthrough is all thanks to the help of my ancestor Xiao Xuan, who bestowed upon me a great opportunity to devour the original soul of the Heavenly Tomb Soul, allowing me to break through the shackles and advance to the ranks of Emperor-level souls."
"I see." Gu Yuan suddenly understood, nodded slightly, and his eyes showed even more praise. "The soul origin of the Heavenly Tomb Soul is vast and powerful. You were able to completely devour and refine it, and use it to step into the God Realm Soul. This is truly a heaven-defying creation, and it is indeed worthy of celebration."
Gu Yuan's candid response made Xiao Xuan even more certain. When Xiao Ling mentioned the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb earlier, Xiao Xuan subconsciously thought that Gu Yuan had told Xiao Ling about the secret of the Heavenly Tomb in advance.
At this moment, Gu Yuan also secretly believed that Xiao Ling's knowledge of the existence of the Heavenly Tomb Soul must have been revealed by Xiao Xuan, the strongest person in the Heavenly Tomb.
The two powerful figures standing at the pinnacle of the Dou Qi Continent found themselves simultaneously caught in their own speculations, each believing that the other had revealed the secret to Xiao Ling first, unaware that Xiao Ling had learned it through his own fortuitous encounter.
However, this small misunderstanding was insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and the two did not delve into it, quickly putting the thought out of their minds.
"Alright, let's leave the reminiscing here for now. Since leaving the Heavenly Tomb, I have vaguely sensed that the bloodline of my Xiao clan still lingers on this Dou Qi Continent."
Xiao Xuan raised his hand and gently pressed it down, indicating that the reminiscing should be put aside for now. His eyes narrowed slightly, his aura slowly spreading out, and he spoke solemnly.
"Among them, there is an aura that I am extremely familiar with, and its cultivation level has reached the late stage of the five-star Dou Sheng. If I am not mistaken, then it should be Xiao Chen of my clan. It seems that Xiao Chen did not perish, but after so many years, I do not know where he is hiding in the Dou Qi Continent now."
"Xiao Chen... should be the peerless genius of the Xiao Clan back then, second only to you, Blood Axe Xiao Chen, right? I also heard back then that he had mysteriously disappeared before the war between the Xiao Clan and the Soul Clan broke out. Everyone thought he had already perished. Now it seems that he has survived to this day."
Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, his fingertips twirling together. After a moment's thought, a look of realization flashed in his eyes, and he sighed softly.
Xiao Ling, who was standing to the side, felt a slight stirring in his heart. He was naturally well aware of the Xiao Chen that Xiao Xuan had mentioned.
This Blood Axe Xiao Chen is currently trapped deep within the Demon Flame Space. Back then, he was trying to explore the sealed space of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame when he was accidentally imprisoned by the power of the Demon Flame. This allowed him to avoid the war of annihilation between the Xiao Clan and the Soul Clan by a twist of fate, thus saving his life and surviving to this day. It can be considered a blessing in disguise.
“Ancestor, you might want to tell me about the past deeds of this ancestor Xiao Chen later. Perhaps I can find some clues from them. I should know more about the many secrets and trends of the Dou Qi Continent than you do.”
Xiao Ling stepped forward and spoke respectfully to Xiao Xuan.
Xiao Xuan nodded slowly upon hearing this, his eyes filled with surprise and emotion, and replied in a deep voice,
"Alright, I will tell you everything about Xiao Chen later. It is truly beyond my expectations that that boy is still alive. However, after he disappeared a thousand years ago, I could no longer sense any trace of his aura. But now I can detect a faint bloodline fluctuation, which is quite strange."
"Old man, I will trouble you to arrange a secluded residence for me in the ancient clan so that I may have a place to stay for the time being."
Xiao Xuan then looked at Gu Yuan, his expression calm yet somewhat solemn, and spoke.
"As for the news of my resurrection, it must be kept strictly confidential. I have also heard from Xiao Ling that the situation on the Dou Qi Continent is currently treacherous, and the Soul Clan is even more restless, with their ambitions obvious. My hiding in the shadows is far more useful than being in the open. When the crucial moment comes, I can catch the Soul Clan off guard and thus play the greatest role."
"This is simple. Arranging accommodations is just a small matter. Please follow me."
Gu Yuan nodded solemnly upon hearing this and said in a deep voice,
"As for the news of your resurrection, I will naturally not publicize it to the outside world. I am just as clear about the pros and cons that you can understand."
As soon as they finished speaking, the three of them rippled slightly with their auras, and their figures transformed into three dazzling streaks of light, piercing through the sky and flying swiftly towards the core region deep within the ancient clan.
Meanwhile, the Soul Emperor, far away in the heart of the Soul Clan, had no idea that the landscape of the Dou Qi Continent had already been quietly rewritten.
He was completely unaware that Xiao Xuan of the Xiao Clan, who had once fallen at his hands, was now secretly setting his sights on him, meticulously planning and waiting for the opportune moment to deliver a fatal blow. (End of Chapter)