Chapter 644: Retreat and Recuperation

The 'Black-Corner Region' gradually became calm after the intense great battle within Feng City pa.s.sed. However, the strongest alliance within the 'Black-Corner Region', the 'Black Alliance', was showing signs of being on the verge of breaking up due to the various disagreements from the divide of profits.

The members within the 'Black Alliance' were all strong factions within the 'Black-Corner Region'. Most of these factions all carried some weight, and none of them were willing to submit to each other. Given Han Feng's reputation in the past, they were still able to endure Han Feng commanding them on the account of his extraordinary refining ability. However, Han Feng was currently dead. The 'Black Alliance' without its leader immediately turned into a headless housefly. That Alliance Head seat was something that everyone wanted to sit on, but no one was willing to submit to the others. After a couple of disputes and even a couple of fights, the relations.h.i.+p of the members of the 'Black Alliance' became increasingly worse. It was only a matter of time before they split up.

Originally, the Gold Silver Brothers had the ability to command them. However, they lost their courage to go against the Jia Nan Academy after the matter of Han Feng. Hence, they did not dare to stand out. These two old fellows had completely disappeared the day after Han Feng's death, leaving behind a completely chaotic 'Black Alliance'.

Even the strongest within the alliance had spread their legs and fled. The days of this 'Black Alliance' were indeed numbered. Within a short five days after the battle, it completely collapsed. Thus, the largest alliance faction within the 'Black-Corner Region' was no more.

The Inner Academy could finally truly sigh in relief once the 'Black Alliance' collapsed. The fight between the Jia Nan Academy and the 'Black-Corner Region' had ended with complete victory for the Inner Academy!

Of course, as the person with the greatest credit for the victory in this fight, Xiao Yan's reputation did not only become incomparable among the students of the Jia Nan Academy but also among the Elders. Even the very senior First Elder would also stop, chat, and smile with this young person from the younger generation when he saw him. The true strength that Xiao Yan had displayed in that great battle had shaken every single person!

Of course, Xiao Yan was naturally not interested in how noisy the Inner Academy currently was. Ever since he had returned to the Inner Academy, he had entered a secret chamber to undertake a retreat and recuperate. Although he had successfully killed the other party in this big fight with Han Feng, he was also quite badly injured.

His recuperation this time around took an entire seven days. Only then did the injuries within Xiao Yan's body begin to gradually show signs of being completely healed. Moreover, this situation was because of the varying spiritual liquids that had acc.u.mulated in his body and the refining ability of the 'Heavenly Flame'. If it was an ordinary person, one would not be able to completely recover from such injuries without half a month or a full month's time. Moreover, one might have some long term sequelae from injuries inability to completely heal due to them being overly serious.

The Moonlight Stones that were inserted into the walls of a quiet secret chamber within 'Pan's Gate' emitted a faint glow, expelling the darkness within the room. The warm light rested on the black-robed, young man who was seated cross-legged, recuperating from his injuries.

The breathing of the black-robed, young man was extremely calm. He inhaled and exhaled, maintaining a perfect cycle. Each time a breathing cycle was completed, the surrounding s.p.a.ce would form a slight ripple. Immediately, an extremely powerful natural energy followed his breathing and poured into his body.

The natural energy poured unceasingly into the young man's body. The latter was just like a bottomless pit that could not be filled. No matter how the energy poured in, his body did not show any sign of being completely filled.

The quiet training and recuperation lasted for an unknown amount of time. At a certain point in time, the paleness on his face was completely replaced by a healthy red. The ripples in the air around him slowly disappeared&h.e.l.lip;

Xiao Yan's eyelashes suddenly shook after the ripples disappeared. He finally opened his eyes slowly a moment later. Emerald-green flames raged in his dark-black pupils before they swiftly disappeared.

"Hu&h.e.l.lip;"

A mouthful of turbid air that had lingered in his chest for a long time was emitted from his throat. It appeared grayish, but it was undoubtedly much better than the dark-black air, he had previously had which possessed a lethal poison.

"From the looks of it, the 'Searing Poison' that has remained in my body was also completely removed during those two years I spent underground&h.e.l.lip;" Xiao Yan was startled upon seeing the faint-grayish turbid air. After which, he began mumbling with some joy. That 'Searing Poison' was ultimately a thorn in his heart. Although it did not cause him much harm due to it being suppressed by the 'Heavenly Flame', it was likely that no one would be completely rea.s.sured if such a lethal poison remained in their bodies. Therefore, it was only natural that Xiao Yan could not hide the joy in his heart upon seeing that the 'Searing Poison' had actually completely disappeared.

"My injuries have already fully healed. From the looks of it, I spent quite a long time in retreat." Xiao Yan smiled slightly as he sensed the surging Dou Qi that filled his body. He immediately knit his brows and spoke softly, "Unfortunately, I am still unable to sense the barrier to breakthrough to an elite Dou Huang. Looks like there are some drawbacks that remained after my strength soared."

Xiao Yan's true strength was merely around that of a four or five star Dou Ling when he was dragged underground. Due to various reasons, however, his strength had suddenly soared to its current peak at the Dou w.a.n.g cla.s.s. Although he had spent two years, this speed could be called frightening. Moreover, it was the first time that Xiao Yan had experienced this kind of situation where he suddenly achieved something so quickly. Hence, his control over his strength still possessed some gaps when compared with other expert Dou w.a.n.gs. If he was able to completely control his strength at the peak of the Dou w.a.n.g cla.s.s when fighting with Han Feng this time around, it would have been likely that he would not have ended up being so miserable, even nearly causing his own death toward the end&h.e.l.lip;

When Xiao Yan trained in the past, he had always climbed in a steadfast manner where his strength increased one star at a time. Hence, the him, who was extremely familiar with being taking things slow, felt a little lost because of the great increase in his strength this time around. A strength that had suddenly appeared was extremely difficult to control. Some unreliable increase in strength might even cause some unlucky people to remain at that level forever. However, it was fortunate that the increase in Xiao Yan's strength this time around was not those foolish methods of forcefully pouring energy in. The growth that the corrosion of the 'Fallen Heart Flame' and the medicinal liquid, merged from the medicinal pills and medicinal ingredients, gave Xiao Yan was not exactly an overnight achievement from a certain point of view. His strength had slowly increased during these two years. However, during this period of increase, he had fallen into a state of suspended animation and was unaware of the changes occurring.

Even though this was the case, Xiao Yan's strength did soar. Hence, before he could completely control the strength of the Dou w.a.n.g cla.s.s, he needed to forget about trying to gain great improvement. After all, only by controlling the current strength available would one be able to take another step forward.

The deep thought on Xiao Yan's face slowly disappeared and he sighed. He understood that he could not rush these things. Moreover, the current him did indeed need to familiarize and increase his control of many things. For example, the 'Heavenly Flame'&h.e.l.lip;

In the big fight with Han Feng, even Xiao Yan admitted that the other party's control of the 'Sea Heart Flame' was much better than his. Although there was the age and experience factors involved, Xiao Yan did not wish to be weaker than him in any way. This was a kind of rivalry mentally between those who shared the same teacher. He needed to let everyone know that he was not weaker than Han Feng in any aspect. Only by doing this could he confirm that Yao Lao's sharp eye was still present.

Of course, part of the reason for Han Feng's better control over the 'Heavenly Flame' was because of his age and experience. Another part of the reason was that he could only focus on studying the 'Sea Heart Flame'. Although Han Feng also practiced the 'Flame Mantra', it was an incomplete version. Han Feng might have gotten a greater understanding of 'Flame Mantra' through these years of practicing it, but his degree of control over the 'Heavenly Flame' was far inferior to Xiao Yan's. Hence, this resulted in him being only able to guard the 'Sea Heart Flame' all day long. On the other hand, Xiao Yan had practiced the complete 'Flame Mantra' from the start. Along the way, he had split his attention and changed a couple of different flames.

Therefore, Han Feng had taken the specialized path while Xiao Yan had taken the jack of all trades path. Each of them had their own advantages, but if one were to merely discuss the degree of control over a flame, it was natural that Han Feng would be better.

"Chi!"

A cl.u.s.ter of jade-green flame surfaced on Xiao Yan's hand following low, deep sound. He stared at this new flame which was born from the merger of two kinds of flame, and was somewhat absent-minded. Since this 'Heavenly Flame' was born from the merger of 'Heavenly Flames', it was likely that it was not ranked on the 'Heavenly Flame Ranking'. After all, the 'Flame Mantra' was not something that everyone had practiced. Hence, Xiao Yan was not even aware of what its name was. He struggled with this for awhile, feeling great interest as he strived to give it a name.

Glazed Lotus Heart Flame!

This simple name caused Xiao Yan to feel somewhat excited. It was likely that there were not many people who possessed the qualification to give a new 'Heavenly Flame' a name in this world. Perhaps, in the future, this kind of flame would be ranked on the 'Heavenly Flame Ranking' when he became someone at the peak of the continent.

Xiao Yan was similarly uncertain about where this so-called 'Glazed Lotus Heart Flame' should be ranked on the 'Heavenly Flame Ranking'. However, according to his guess, it would at the very least not be lower than Yao Lao's 'Bone Chilling Flame'. After all, regardless of how lousy this thing was, it was still born from the merger of two kinds of 'Heavenly Flame'. Its strength could be seen from how it had firmly suppressed the 'Sea Heart Flame' in his battle with Han Feng.

The jade-green flame writhed repeatedly on Xiao Yan's hand. A moment later, he abruptly pulled his hands apart, and the jade green flame was split into two cl.u.s.ters consisting of a green-colored flame and an invisible one. He felt extremely satisfied of the ability of this newly born 'Heavenly Flame' to possess the ability to transform into two kinds of 'Heavenly Flames' as it pleased.

"From the looks of it, I should practice my control over the flames properly in the future. Otherwise, even if I can control these two kinds of 'Heavenly Flame' now, I can only use the most superficial attack." The two flames rose on Xiao Yan's fingers as he muttered. Compared to the exemplary and complicated 'Heavenly Flame' attack, his 'Heavenly Flame' attack would undoubtedly appear much simpler and ordinary.

Xiao Yan's finger habitually rubbed that 'Serene Sea Storage Ring' on his finger. He suddenly recalled something, and he flicked his finger on the storage ring. Immediately, a dark black ancient scroll appeared in his hand.

The scroll was perfectly round, appearing just like a cylinder. He could not find any spot to open it. However, the dark, deep glow that faintly seeped out from it allowed him to know that it was extraordinary.

Seeing the scroll, it was surprisingly the thing that Xun Er had solemnly and carefully handed over to Xiao Yan when she left!

According to what Xun Er had said back then, it was something that could only be opened after one possessed the strength of a Dou w.a.n.g. Xiao Yan was extremely curious&h.e.l.lip;

Chapter 645: G.o.d Seal Technique

Xiao Yan rubbed this dark-black scroll with his hand, and let out a gentle sigh. The figure of that elegant lotus-like young lady slowly surfaced in his mind and could not be removed&h.e.l.lip;

"Xun Er, wait for me&h.e.l.lip;" Xiao Yan muttered softly as he shook his head with all his strength, tossing all emotion out of his head. After which, he threw all his attention onto the black-colored scroll in his hand.

"How should I open it?" Xiao Yan knit his brows as he flipped the scroll up and down. It was definitely not possible to forcefully open this kind of thing. Otherwise, he would regret it if he damaged the thing inside.

Xiao Yan mused for a long while before a thought struck his mind. He tried to maneuver the Dou Qi within his body and twine it over the scroll. Something strange happened the moment the first thread of Dou Qi made contact with that dark-black scroll. He realized that the Dou Qi was actually absorbed by the scroll.

Xiao Yan felt a little stunned at this situation. He immediately calmed his emotions as his mind moved. An unceasing amount of Dou Qi began to surge out of his body before moving along his arm and pouring into that dark-black scroll.

There was not much activity after an enormous amount of Dou Qi was poured in other than the dim glow that was emitted on the surface of the dark-black scroll became a little richer. However, Xiao Yan was not anxious. Since Xun Er had said that one required the strength of a Dou w.a.n.g in order to open it, it would not be too difficult for him to open it with his current strength.

The pouring in of Dou Qi continued for a total of half an hour or so. Xiao Yan's expression had gradually become solemn as he poured Dou Qi in this never-ending fas.h.i.+on. The unusualness of this dark-black scroll had somewhat exceeded his expectations.

"Crack!"

The dark-black scroll, which did not have much of a reaction before, suddenly emitted a soft 'crack' sound while the thought was lingering in Xiao Yan's heart. Although this sound was extremely faint, it still entered Xiao Yan's ear. He threw his surprised gaze toward the dark-black scroll.

At this moment, the surface of the scroll had already cracked opened, forming a tiny crack line. The cracking sound he had heard earlier was emitted from the inside.

With this success, Xiao Yan finally put down the worry in his heart. Powerful Dou Qi surged out like a torrent from every single corner of his body. Finally, it poured into the dark-black scroll under Xiao Yan's control.

Following the pouring in of more Dou Qi, the crack lines on the surface of the black scroll gradually increased. There was a faint golden-colored light that seeped out from between the crack lines.

When another powerful wave of Dou Qi poured into the scroll, Xiao Yan suddenly realized that the scroll's ability to absorb Dou Qi seemed to have completely disappeared. Immediately, he saw that the crack line on the scroll was swiftly spreading before it eventually covered the entire scroll&h.e.l.lip;

A bright golden glow suddenly shot explosively out of the scroll the instant it was covered with crack lines. The intensity of that glow was something that caused even Xiao Yan's eyes to feel a piercing pain. It forced him to have little choice but to quickly shut his eyes.

"Bang!"

The dark-black scroll suddenly cracked apart just as Xiao Yan shut his eyes. A large cl.u.s.ter of golden light shot out, and lit the entire secret chamber until it was bright-gold in color. It was extremely beautiful.

Xiao Yan hurriedly opened his eyes when he heard the sound of the scroll cracking apart. He saw the broken scroll on the ground and did not have the time to wail when he discovered a large cl.u.s.ter of golden light lingering in the air in front of him. There was something writhing within the golden light. At a glance, it seemed to be some sort of writing.

This dense-golden light writing gave Xiao Yan a dizzy feeling the moment he looked at it. He hurriedly s.h.i.+fted his eyes aside and slowly extended his hand forward before eventually placing it into the cl.u.s.ter of golden light.

The cl.u.s.ter of golden light also began to writhe intensely as Xiao Yan extended his hand into it. It rotated immediately before eventually turning into a golden glow that shot directly into Xiao Yan's head. The golden light entered Xiao Yan's head without any resistance the moment it made contact.

Xiao Yan suddenly grabbed his head and emitted a miserable cry the moment the golden glow entered his head. His head appeared as if a countless amount of things were being forcefully poured into it, causing it to have an inflated feeling where it was about to burst. However, the pain from this kind of inflated feeling came and left quickly. The intense pain gradually disappeared within a short ten plus seconds.

Xiao Yan's entire body appeared to have become weak after the intense pain disappeared. He tilted his head, and fell onto the bed. His chest rose and fell repeatedly, and his face carried a pale-whiteness. Clearly, the golden light that had entered his mind earlier had caused him to suffer quite a bit.

"Dammit. What exactly is this thing?" Xiao Yan only recovered his mind after lying on the bed for a while. His palm rubbed his head, which was still feeling some remanent pain, as he spoke weakly.

Naturally no one replied to Xiao Yan's question in this empty secret chamber. Hence, Xiao Yan could only clench his teeth and get up after whining on the bed for a while. After which, he crossed his legs and sunk into his mind. He entered his brain to search for the golden light from earlier.

Xiao Yan's mind had just entered his brain when the bright-golden light shot toward him. He looked around, only to discover that this was basically a world made up of golden-colored light. Countless numbers of characters agglomerated from golden lights and matched with one another in the empty s.p.a.ce in front of him. Eventually, they twisted and turned, arranging themselves into a light curtain in the air. Large golden-colored characters shone from the light curtain, causing Xiao Yan's eyes to feel a little pain.

"G.o.d Seal Technique. Di cla.s.s High level. Legend has it that it was created from a certain Dou Di during ancient times. It has a total of five styles. The Open Mountain Seal, Sea Flipping Seal, Overturning Land Seal, Sky Burying Seal, and the Ancient G.o.d Seal. Each seal is linked to one another. When one reaches complete mastery of all five seals, one will be able to flip the sea, overturn the oceans, and swallow the Heavens and Earth! It is comparable to a Tian cla.s.s Dou Technique at its peak! However, one must be at the Dou w.a.n.g cla.s.s in order to practice this seal. Otherwise, one will fail and suffer bitterness alone!"

"What a domineering name&h.e.l.lip;" Xiao Yan's mind was somewhat in a trance as he read the few large words. The name of each seal caused Xiao Yan to feel awe and an overbearing aura. Something that was created by a Dou Di. This was the Dou Technique with the most extraordinary origin among those that he had come across.

"Moreover, it requires one's strength to reach the Dou w.a.n.g cla.s.s in order to practice it. Isn't the requirement of this thing a little too high?" Xiao Yan immediately smacked his lips and sighed when he saw the last sentence. This kind of strange Dou Technique was the first of its kind that Xiao Yan had ever seen. An expert Dou w.a.n.g was already called a strong person on the continent. However, here, he had just reached the qualification to practice it.

"No wonder even Xun Er was so solemn back then. It looks like this so-called 'G.o.d Seal Technique' is indeed extraordinary." Xiao Yan felt a sudden understanding as he recalled the solemn expression of Xun Er back then. On top of his sudden understanding, he also felt a loving emotion toward the girl. She had so easily handed this Di cla.s.s High level Dou Technique, which was sufficient to cause the experts on the continent to go crazy over, to him. This affection&h.e.l.lip;

"However&h.e.l.lip; why does this Dou Technique only have such a brief few words of introduction? How does one practice it?"

Xiao Yan sighed softly in his heart. He raised his head and was at a loss as he looked at the golden light word curtain. He felt a fog in his head. This thing might be strong, but it was far too mysterious. It did not even mention a little about how to practice it.

The bright golden light curtain suddenly trembled just as Xiao Yan was feeling at a loss. A golden glow immediately shot explosively out from his heart.

The sudden golden glow caused Xiao Yan to be shocked. However, he did not dodge it. He did not believe that Xun Er would leave behind anything that would harm him.

The golden light pa.s.sed through Xiao Yan's mind. In an instant, there was something that was faintly imprinted deep within his mind.

Xiao Yan slowly shut his eyes. A torrent of information came swarming over. Xiao Yan read it in detail, and discovered the method to practice the 'G.o.d Seal Technique' among this information. However, it seemed that there was only the method to practice the 'Open Mountain Seal' and the 'Sea Flipping Seal' within it. There was no record of the remaining 'Overturning Land Seal,' 'Sky Burying Seal,' and the 'Ancient G.o.d Seal' training method within it.

Xiao Yan was somewhat depressed as he studied all of the information. He still failed to find the training method for the last three remaining seals. He could only helplessly give up. It seemed that the Dou Technique which Xun Er gave him was incomplete.

Just as Xiao Yan had completely checked over the information, there was a soft, gentle, familiar, lovely voice that was unexpectedly and slowly emitted at the end of the information. The familiar voice caused Xiao Yan's mind to tremble intensely.

"Xiao Yan ge-ge, if you can open the scroll and listen to my message, you should have already advanced to a Dou w.a.n.g. Ha ha, Xun Er shall first congratulate Xiao Yan ge-ge here."

"There is not much time, so I cannot leave too many words. Xiao Yan ge-ge must remember Xun Er's words. The 'G.o.d Seal Technique' is one of my clan's most profound Dou Techniques. Xun Er has also yet to obtain the last three seals. Therefore, I can only leave Xiao Yan ge-ge with the first two seals. Practicing the 'Open Mountain Seal' would at least require the strength of a Dou w.a.n.g. As for the 'Flipping Sea Seal', it is best that you practice it only after you have reached the Dou Huang cla.s.s. Besides this, if Xiao Yan ge-ge was to learn the 'Open Mountain Technique', promise Xun Er that you will use it as little as possible unless it is a crucial moment. The 'G.o.d Seal Technique' is a secret Technique that is pa.s.sed down within my clan. If it is leaked, then the clan will definitely send someone to retrieve it. Therefore, Xiao Yan ge-ge must use it cautiously!"

"Additionally&h.e.l.lip; Xiao Yan ge-ge&h.e.l.lip; Xun Er misses you. Take care!"

The soft, gentle voice slowly reverberated within Xiao Yan's mind before it gradually disappeared. Xiao Yan's mind began to tremble because of the last sentence. That cute girl had really done too much for him&h.e.l.lip;

Xiao Yan's mind slowly withdrew from his head. He slowly opened his eyes within the secret chamber. He was somewhat absent-minded as he studied the broken scroll on the ground. A moment later, he suddenly tightened his fist. His muttering voice slowly resounded throughout the secret chamber.

"Xun Er, wait for me. I will definitely go and look for you! No one can stop me!"

Chapter 646: Plans

There was not a single person in the large hall when Xiao Yan came out from the secret chamber. He felt somewhat surprised at this before he immediately shook his head with a bitter smile. He searched for a seat and sat his body feebly onto it before exhaling comfortably. All the rus.h.i.+ng around during this period had caused him to feel a little tired.

"Creak&h.e.l.lip;"

The door to the hall was gently pushed opened when Xiao Yan was recuperating with his eyes shut. Immediately, a long shadow was formed as the sunlight landed on a tall figure.

Joy flashed across the pretty eyes of the lady who had pushed open the door when she saw Xiao Yan resting in a chair with his eyes closed. Immediately, she became afraid to disturb his rest. After a brief moment of hesitation, she began to withdraw.

"Ke ke, why are you still leaving after you have come in?" A warm voice suddenly sounded. This surprised the lady who paused her withdrawing footsteps. Her pretty eyes took a glance and saw that Xiao Yan, who was resting with his eyes closed, had unknowingly opened them. He was now looking at her with a smile.

"Are your injuries alright?" Xiao Yu stood at the door. Her gaze looked in all directions as she softly asked.

"Since when have you been so gentle?" Xiao Yan was surprised as he looked at Xiao Yu. This woman had been fierce toward him since he was young. When had she spoken with such gentleness?

Xiao Yu immediately felt a little angry when she heard Xiao Yan's surprised words. This brat still had a glib tongue despite not having met for two years. However, it was also because of these familiar words of Xiao Yan that caused her unfamiliarity to slowly disappear and the familiarity of the past to slowly return.

Xiao Yu became blunt after abandoning the unfamiliarity within her heart. She strode in with her long s.e.xy legs, legs Xiao Yan had coveted back then, and walked into the hall. After which, she sat down on a chair beside Xiao Yan. Only then did she turn her head and look at the familiar face that contained a smile. After having not seen him for two years, this fellow, who had given her a great headache back then, had become much more mature. His young and delicate face was light and clear when he smiled, giving people a kind of unknown comfort.

"Have all of you been well during these past two years?" Xiao Yan took the lead to break the silence. This was the first time he was alone with Xiao Yu after coming up from the underground. Although he came to 'Pan's Gate' once the last time, he did not converse much with Xiao Yu and the others as he was pressed for time.

"Aye. Xiao Ning and Xiao Mei have also entered the Inner Academy. They are doing very well with the protection of 'Pan's Gate'." Xiao Yu nodded her head and sighed. She immediately scanned Xiao Yan before speaking somewhat angrily, "You should be more careful when you do things in the future. Do you know the despair that we felt in our hearts after you were swallowed by the 'Heavenly Flame'? Now, you are the only person who can revitalize the Xiao clan. If any accident were to happen to you, it is likely that no one will be able to avenge our clan members!"

Xiao Yan let out a bitter laugh as he watched Xiao Yu whose eyebrows had gone vertical. Only after her words sounded did he sigh, "One must have strength if one wants to take revenge. How can there be no risk when obtaining strength?"

Xiao Yan felt apologetic toward the younger generation of the Xiao clan. The reason for the Xiao clan to face such a catastrophe was related to him. The clan members had suffered serious injuries and death. Some of the parents of the younger generation had even lost their lives. Although he was not entirely at blame for this, the guilt was still present.

Xiao Yu was speechless as she looked at the somewhat thin face of Xiao Yan. Although this person never displayed the worry in his heart on his face, it was likely that the pressure he felt was extremely great. He clearly understood his own importance to the Xiao clan. Moreover, there was the matter of uncle Xiao missing&h.e.l.lip;

"Ke ke, let's not discuss this matter." Xiao Yan smiled when he felt the atmosphere become somewhat heavy. He changed the topic and teased, "It has been two years. Has any lucky fellow managed to woo you?"

"Chi, how can it be this easy to woo this lady?" A flushness surfaced on Xiao Yu's face as she smacked her lips. She suddenly took out a few cards from her storage ring and handed them to Xiao Yan. "These are currently the 'Fire Energy Cards' of 'Pan's Gate'. Wu Hao and Hu Jia had said to hand these to you when you completely recover from your injuries. After all, you are the true leader of 'Pan's Gate'."

Xiao Yan was slightly startled. He did not receive it but simply smiled and shook his head. He spoke with a soft voice, "I am not the only person who has credit for the current achievement of 'Pan's Gate'. I might not be staying too long within the Jia Nan Academy. It is better for all of you to take care of these things."

"You are leaving? Where are you going?" Xiao Yu's expression changed slightly when she heard this. Her voice was hurried as she spoke.

"I am naturally returning to the Jia Ma Empire." Xiao Yan smiled. However, a faint cold glint flickered within his dark-black eyes. "I have to settle the grudges from back then right?"

"You are going to look for the Misty Cloud Sect? I am also going. I want to take a look at those clan members who have survived."

"Ke ke, there is no need to hurry. There should still be a period of time before I return. This time around, there will be a big intense fight when I return. Hence, I must prepare everything properly. I was chased out of the empire once back then. I don't want to be chased out a second time." Xiao Yan waved his hand and said, "As for all of you, it would be best if you remain in the Jia Nan Academy. This is the safest place. Don't interrupt. I am not visiting relatives this time around. Instead, it will be a true battle to death. You should clearly understand just how strong the Misty Cloud Sect is within the Jia Ma Empire. Therefore, I cannot take any risks."

Xiao Yu could only nod her head in a dejected manner when she saw Xiao Yan's stern expression with his lips tightly pressed together. Currently, the Xiao clan was in a battered shape. As those from the younger generation, they could only obey all of Xiao Yan's arrangements. Moreover, Xiao Yan was no longer that willful young man after these few years. The shoulders of the current him already possessed the ability to carry all the burdens. That boldness of his also caused them to have little choice but to obey.

"Relax. All of you can return to the Jia Ma Empire once I have settled everything." Xiao Yan patted Xiao Yu's shoulders and laughed.

Xiao Yu nodded helplessly. She immediately seemed to have recalled something as she said, "Oh right, cousin Xiao Li seems to be looking for you. It is best that you go and see him."

"Oh?" Xiao Yan raised his eyebrows before nodding slightly. He chatted and smiled with Xiao Yu for a little longer. After which, he took the lead to stand up and search for Xiao Li.

"Second brother, are you looking for me for something?" Xiao Yan coincidentally saw Xiao Li in the latter's room and immediately inquired with a smile.

"Are your injuries fine?" Xiao Li also rejoiced when he saw Xiao Yan. The former pulled him into the room and asked in a concerned manner.

Xiao Yan smiled and nodded. His gaze paused on Xiao Li's body as he waited for the latter to speak.

Xiao Li mused for a moment while being watched by Xiao Yan. After which, he slowly spoke, "Currently, the 'Black-Corner Region' has become chaotic because of the dissolution of the 'Black Alliance'. This is not a bad opportunity. The 'Black-Corner Region' might be chaotic, but there are quite a number of strong people present. If we can gather them, they would likely be a great help when we take revenge on the Misty Cloud Sect in the future."

"You want to establish a faction in the 'Black-Corner Region'?" Xiao Yan frowned slightly as he spoke in a soft voice, "The people there are those uncontrollable terrible people who lick blood off their blades. It won't be easy to gather them.'

"Hee hee, these people are indeed very vicious. If one wants to rein them in, one must be even more vicious than them. Those subordinates of mine now were also extremely haughty people in the past. However, they still end up obeying my orders now." Xiao Li laughed. "It should not be too difficult if you are willing to help me this time around. Though 'Pan's Gate' may possess quite a great potential but they are only students after all. Moreover, due to the environmental factor, you cannot be overly strict by requiring them to obey your orders. However, the 'Black-Corner Region' is different. One can just kill those who disobey there. Therefore, it is much easier to control them. Of course, the precondition is that you possess sufficient strength. What do you say?"

Xiao Yan nodded slightly as he voiced his thoughts, "Those people from the 'Black-Corner Region' do possess quite strong combat capabilities. If we can rein them in, there would be quite a lot of benefits for us. After all, the Misty Cloud Sect has many strong people and some things are difficult to achieve alone."

"Putting it this way, you don't have any objections right?" Xiao Li rejoiced as he clapped his hand and spoke.

"If second brother has the ability, you can just go and do as you like. You can come and look for me if you meet any problems that you cannot settle. For those who have any objections, die!" Xiao Yan clenched his teeth and waved his hand with stern killing intent.

"Ha ha, good. You are bold." Xiao Li laughed out loud. He patted Xiao Yan's shoulders and immediately said, "However, there is still a big problem."

"What is it?" Xiao Yan was startled as he inquired.

"The Inner Academy." Xiao Li spoke in a deep voice.

"The Inner Academy?" Xiao Yan knit his brows.

"The Inner Academy has always possessed some fear toward some of the overly strong factions within the 'Black-Corner Region'. The 'Black Alliance' is the best example. If we were to successfully establish a faction within the 'Black-Corner Region', it is likely that it would incur the attention of the Inner Academy. At that time&h.e.l.lip;" Xiao Li smacked his lips and spoke to Xiao Yan, "Hence, you must convince Su Qian before making a decision. Otherwise, there will be trouble sooner or later. There might even be the possibility of meeting with swords drawn."

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes. A moment later, he laughed softly and said, "You need not be worried about this. The Inner Academy always takes notice of those overly strong factions within the 'Black-Corner Region' because they are worried that they will act against the academy. Our intentions do not lie in this area, and there doesn't have to be conflict with them. Moreover, we can also help them monitor the other factions. This does not hurt the Inner Academy."

"This may be the case, but I still think that it is best to tell them about it in order to avoid trouble in the future." Xiao Li voiced his thoughts. His character was vicious and cautious. He basically did not trust anyone other than a couple of relatives.

Xiao Yan smiled and nodded. He stood up and said, "Alright. I will go and look for First Elder to discuss it. If he agrees, you can head for the 'Black-Corner Region'."

"If this matter can succeed, we will no longer need to be the least bit afraid even if the Misty Cloud Sect maneuvers its entire sect's strength!"