Chapter 282: Afraid That My Brother Will Suffer, Yet Afraid That He'll Drive a Land Rover
The night was deep and quiet.
Inside a room near Gu Xun'er's courtyard, Yao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, observing the transformation of his body. The Holy Spirit Pill in his abdomen slowly rotated within the violet and cyan heavenly flame, steadily releasing the purest medicinal power. It nourished his vital energy, leading him towards the perfect level of transformation.
After nearly a year of absorption, less than 30% of the medicinal power of this ninth-grade treasure pill had been consumed. This demonstrated just how terrifying the energy contained within it was.
Yao Yan's physical body and spiritual power were unlike ordinary Nine Turn Dou Zun, which were 'frail.' To elevate his entire body to the level of a Dou Saint, immense energy was required. Yet, even so, he had only consumed a small portion of the Holy Spirit Pill's energy. The remaining medicinal power was enough to push his strength to the next level.
If he accumulated enough in the coming years, perhaps he could even break into the Two-Star Dou Saint level in one fell swoop.
"The research on the techniques should also be sped up," Yao Yan's mind shifted, and he slowly opened his eyes. He raised his hand and took out several scrolls. The lowest of them were high-level Earth-tier techniques, which he had previously obtained from Hun Yi.
These techniques weren't conventional ones. The most prominent among them was the Heavenly Devouring Technique. If mastered, it allowed one to absorb others' Dou Qi for oneself.
The second was the Evil Blood Technique, which could directly convert everything from others into one's own. However, it had considerable side effects, as it posed great dangers to the body. Moreover, once mastered, one would have no chance of ever breaking through to the Dou Saint level. However, if one was ruthless enough and had a sturdy life force, reaching Dou Zun level wasn't too difficult.
This scroll came from the Tianming Sect, and it was one of the techniques Yao Yan had studied more extensively. The technique Xiao Ning was cultivating was a derivative of this technique, combined with the Heavenly Devouring Technique. Its grade was high enough to reach semi-heavenly rank... though it had certain risks because it was still in its early stages. It was somewhat rough and required the flame seed of Heavenly Flame to succeed in cultivation.
Without the flame seed, someone who had just broken through to the Dou Fighter level would instantly explode from attempting to cultivate this technique.
Yao Yan also wanted to see how these techniques could be improved by passing them along.
However, the one that concerned him the most was the method to condense the Evil Poison Body, which he obtained from the Master of the Ice River Valley. It contained extremely detailed descriptions of human meridians and various physical conditions, saving him a lot of work.
"I wonder if Xiao Yi Xian is still in Qing Shan Town," Yao Yan thought. He planned to visit her soon, and if she was there, he'd take the poor girl away. He also planned to visit Cai Lin and the others. After so many years, if he said he didn't miss them, that would be a lie.
As for why he hadn't gone right away… Meeting his fiancée and then rushing to secretly meet an old acquaintance on the same night—how would Gu Yuan view that? He had to at least act appropriately.
It had been so many years already; another day wouldn't matter much.
...
As the night passed and the sky began to turn pale,
"Haha... Teacher, I've become a Dou Fighter! Hehehe!"
Xiao Ning's reckless laughter grew more manic as his body began to move toward the Hun Clan members. As for the reason... naturally, it was because of his training. Since his teacher, a Dou Saint, laughed like this, it must be the sign of a powerful individual.
People always imitate others.
At this moment, Xiao Ning's aura changed dramatically, his eyes turning blood-red. Dark-red Dou Qi swirled around his palm, and his previously seven-star Dou Qi power had soared to a one-star Dou Fighter level!
In one night.
He had effortlessly condensed his Dou Qi whirlpool and entered the early stages of the Heavenly Devouring Demon Technique. Xiao Ning truly was a genius, the child of destiny. The transformation in his strength brought him incomparable exhilaration and confidence, as if he now had the power to look down on the world!
"Don't get too happy too soon. Your power has changed so drastically overnight. How will you explain this to others? For now, I'll suppress your aura. You need to find a chance to leave the clan and go out to train, and then you can quickly enhance your power!" The old voice echoed in Xiao Ning's mind.
"Master, don't worry, I know! But before I leave, I need to teach Xiao Yan a lesson. I need him to know who the true genius of the family is!" Xiao Ning clenched his fists. He planned to quickly improve his strength and teach Xiao Yan a lesson before leaving the clan.
All these years, Xiao Yan had always been ahead of him, and his grandfather kept comparing him to Xiao Yan. He'd had enough of this humiliation.
"With your talent, a breakthrough to Dou Zun should be relatively easy. If you find a chance to devour a Dou Fighter, reaching this level in a single day may not be impossible," the old voice encouraged with a touch of temptation.
Xiao Ning's eyes flickered with hesitation. It seemed like he was struggling internally.
"I'm not asking you to harm someone close to you. Find an enemy of the Xiao Clan and take them down, or you can continue training slowly, just like before..." The old voice grew a bit more persuasive.
"Fine! I'll listen to you, Master!" Xiao Ning gritted his teeth and agreed.
Having experienced the rush of strength growth, how could he endure the slow pace of his previous cultivation?
...
...
Morning sunlight filtered through the window, golden and warm, with dust particles floating in the air...
Inside the room, on the bed.
A tall, lean figure sat cross-legged, with not a single trace of energy leaking from him. It was as if he had fallen into an eerie, lifeless state. Only when his pitch-black eyes opened did a faint golden glow flash from within, then quickly settle into calm.
He rose from the bed and slowly walked outside, just in time to see Gu Xun'er about to leave. The girl seemed to glance over at him secretly, and he caught her gaze.
Her clear eyes blinked, as if she wasn't at all surprised to see him leaving.
"Good morning~" Yao Yan greeted her first, his lips curving into a faint smile.
Gu Xun'er, however, didn't seem too happy. Her eyes fixed on him seriously, her clear voice carrying a bit of the childish innocence typical of a girl, "A soon-to-be Dou Saint, and yet you're watching a girl who's just become a Dou Fighter?"
"It's just a coincidence. If you don't believe it, there's nothing I can do," Yao Yan naturally wouldn't admit it. There was no evidence, so why should he take responsibility?
When it came to flirting with girls, one needed thick skin, and this, he certainly had no shortage of. Whether it was in his past life or this one, he knew that thick skin was the most useless thing—especially when you had nothing to your name.
When you were strong enough, people would naturally respect you and find perfect explanations for everything you did in the past.
Just like Han Xin.
Once he succeeded, the shame was merely proof of a broad heart!
Similarly, when pursuing a girl, enduring some grievances wasn't such a big deal. Even if the other party made unreasonable demands, it could be tolerated. It was just a matter of keeping account and confronting them later. Besides, Gu Xun'er was still his fiancée.
He had to admit, Gu Xun'er looked quite exquisite today. She resembled a delicate butterfly, dressed in a tasteful light blue gown, adding a touch of grace to her youthful temperament. Her long legs were partially exposed, wearing flat shoes, exuding the energy and vitality a girl should have.
"I'll never believe you..." Gu Xun'er thought to herself but didn't want to argue with Yao Yan. After thinking for a moment, she decided to take a step back, "I'm going to the market. You, a Dou Saint, won't want to follow me, right?"
To her, someone like Yao Yan shouldn't be interested in such a mundane market.
"If you don't mind, I'll accompany you~" Yao Yan said, not waiting for her approval, as he reached out and grabbed the bewildered girl's hand, pulling her out of the Xiao residence.
"I... I haven't agreed yet!" Gu Xun'er stomped her foot, her voice anxious.
"I've heard a saying that when a girl says 'no,' it usually means she wants it. They're just too shy to express themselves," Yao Yan teased as he walked through the Xiao family's backyard with Gu Xun'er. "I know you're a bit shy. After all, we've only met once... I'll be the bad guy, because the Hun Clan's reputation has always been poor."
"You..." Gu Xun'er was both angry and amused, unsure how to respond. She could only let him hold her hand as they walked towards the market.
Perhaps by coincidence.
At the entrance, Yao Yan and Gu Xun'er met Xiao Yan and Xiao Mei, who were preparing to leave. They exchanged glances, and Yao Yan noticed the slight scrutiny in Xiao Yan's eyes. It seemed he was very curious about him.
Xiao Mei fluttered her eyes, a hint of flirtation in her gaze, and softly said, "This must be Brother Yao Yan from the Hun Clan? Sister Xun'er is so lucky to have such a handsome fiancé. This is the first time I've seen such a good-looking man."
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Yao Yan.
Yao Yan could even sense the flirtation in her gaze. However, she was too young, and her skills were clearly unrefined. If she were a little older, she might have been a little devil.
"Xiao Mei, you flatter me~"
Compared to Xiao Mei, Gu Xun'er was much more composed, smiling politely in response, neither too warm nor distant.
Xiao Yan, watching their joined hands, swallowed back the many things he wanted to ask. Though he didn't like the marriage alliance and had some feelings for Gu Xun'er, since she already had a fiancé and hadn't opposed it, he, as an outsider, wouldn't say much to avoid being annoying.
He looked at Yao Yan and cupped his hands with a wide, respectful smile, "Xiao Yan of the Xiao family, greetings to Brother Yao Yan!"
"Hello!" Yao Yan nodded slightly, replying softly.
"It feels like just yesterday, that little girl who used to cry is now about to get married..." Xiao Yan glanced at Gu Xun'er before looking back at Yao Yan, his expression youthful yet serious. "In the future, please take good care of Sister Xun'er. Don't let her be bullied. If anything happens, I, as her elder brother, will definitely ask you for an explanation!"
Gu Xun'er was somewhat surprised, not expecting Xiao Yan to say such things.
Yao Yan was also a bit taken aback. He thought Xiao Yan would come over and be confrontational, but it seemed that he didn't have any feelings for Gu Xun'er. Yao Yan smiled and softly replied, "Of course. I'll take good care of Xun'er. You don't have to worry, Xiao Yan."
Gu Xun'er shot a glance at Yao Yan, feeling a little numb. She was increasingly confused about why Yao Yan had come to the Xiao family. He seemed to be enjoying himself, even though he was the young master of the Hun Clan. Now, he was casually treating the Xiao family like old friends.
The group exchanged a few pleasantries, and then Yao Yan took Gu Xun'er to the market.
Once they left the Xiao residence...
Gu Xun'er's cold voice sounded in Yao Yan's ear, "If I remember correctly, wasn't the Xiao family exterminated by the Hun Clan?"
"Things that happened a thousand years ago have nothing to do with me. Besides, who really knows what happened back then? On the contrary, I'm curious about what role the Gu Clan played in all of this... Maybe the fisherman gained from the fight between the clam and the snipe?" Yao Yan lightly countered.
Gu Xun'er's face shifted, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond. Her mind was clearly struggling to keep up with Yao Yan's reasoning. No matter how smart she was, she was still just a fourteen-year-old girl, and her maturity wasn't enough to deal with this situation calmly.
Yao Yan continued to comfort her, "Don't think too badly of the Hun Clan, and don't think too highly of the Gu Clan . There's no absolute good or bad, especially when it comes to the great clans... Sometimes, it's all about the interests."
"You seem to know something?" Gu Xun'er asked after a moment of silence.
"When I was in the Medicine Clan, I read some Gu books. They recorded many past events of the clans, and from those, I inferred a few things... The Xiao family's patriarch, Xiao Xuan, gathered the entire clan's imperial blood to break through to the Dou Emperor level. In the end, he failed, and the Hun Clan exterminated the Xiao family," Yao Yan paused before continuing. "It's not much, but it's easy to infer. Xiao Xuan gathered all the imperial blood... and there must have been many people who died in his hands. If he hadn't taken such a risk, the Hun Clan would never have wiped out the Xiao family. So, do you think Xiao Xuan was a good person?"
Gu Xun'er frowned slightly and fell silent.
"You can ask your father about this later. He should know a lot about Xiao Xuan," Yao Yan added.
"You mean the Xiao family was destroyed because of Xiao Xuan?" Gu Xun'er pondered for a moment, then looked up at her handsome fiancé, asking.
"Yes!" Yao Yan said decisively.
To him, Xiao Xuan and the Hun Emperor were alike, except that the Hun Emperor not only treated his own people harshly but also outsiders. He would sacrifice all of Central Continent to become the Emperor if needed, and destroy the entire Dou Qi continent. Xiao Xuan, on the other hand, was harsh only to his own people.
If Xiao Xuan hadn't extracted the entire clan's imperial blood, the Xiao family might have faced ruin but not so quickly!
Xiao Xuan was merely gambling. He didn't know what the Tuo She Gu Emperor's cave held, but he knew the Xiao family's bloodline had already withered, and no one among the younger generation could produce stronger imperial blood. He was at his peak and had a chance, so he took a risk... It ultimately revealed that breaking through to the Dou Emperor level required a 'source energy'!
"Excuses!" Gu Xun'er shot Yao Yan a look and huffed, "You're saying everything had nothing to do with the Hun Clan?"
"The Hun Clan just gave the Xiao family a 'respectable' death," Yao Yan said calmly.
...
Hun Emperor and Gu Yuan stood in silence. They knew the events from a thousand years ago better than anyone.
After a moment of silence, the Hun Emperor suddenly chuckled, "I never thought the one who understands me the best would be a junior."
"When did your Hun Clan become this shameless?" Gu Yuan couldn't help but twitch his mouth. He hadn't expected Yao Yan's tongue to be so sharp. And the Hun Emperor—after a thousand years, his shamelessness seemed to have increased. "You can make an ambush sound so glorious... This kid's a real talent!"
What respectable death? The Hun Clan had attacked the Xiao family when Xiao Xuan was on the verge of breaking through. They started the battle between the imperial clans and forced Xiao Xuan to fail, leaving him gravely injured, fighting against the Hun Clan. Had Xiao Xuan not been at his half-Dou Emperor level, how could he have lost to the Hun Clan and been wiped out?
Of course, the Gu Clan had played a part in pushing things along, so Gu Yuan didn't say much.
As the saying goes:
"Afraid my brother will suffer, yet afraid my brother will drive a Land Rover."
The destruction of the Xiao family was not what the Gu Clan wanted. They didn't wish for it, but they could not accept Xiao Xuan breaking through to Dou Emperor. When everyone was struggling to survive, how could the Xiao family soar?
No one wanted this scene to happen, so they allowed the Hun Clan to destroy the Xiao family and hoped both clans would suffer!
The final result was pretty much the same.
The Xiao family was destroyed, with no trace left, and the Hun Clan suffered greatly as well. The Hun Emperor was gravely injured, four eight-star Dou Saints perished, and Xiao Xuan nearly destroyed them alone, forcing the Hun Clan to close off the Hun Realm. But no one expected that, just a thousand years later, the Hun Clan was not only revived but soared again, even producing a bloodline seed like Yao Yan of the Five Clans' Dou Emperor!
What had the Hun Clan been hiding?!
(END CHAPTER)
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