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"Master, now that everything's settled, can you hand over the remaining half of the alchemy technique?"
Gu He stepped forward quickly, eager to claim the technique he had dreamed of obtaining for years.
"Hehe, no rush. I'll give it to you once I receive the Mittel Clan's half of their treasure vault.
For now, I'll hand the Mighty Huang Pill recipe over to the Yun Lan Sect as a token of good faith."
With a smile, Yao Chen flicked a scroll toward Yun Yun.
He didn't fully trust Gu He not to go back on his word, so there was no way he'd hand over everything just yet.
Still, he couldn't give nothing—offering the recipe would at least keep the other party calm while waiting.
Yun Yun accepted the scroll and passed it to Gu He for inspection.
Once he confirmed everything was authentic, she stored it in her storage ring, planning to place it in their vault later.
As Yao Chen expected, once Gu He saw the Mighty Huang Pill formula, his excitement calmed, and he stopped pressing for the alchemy technique.
After all, in his eyes, anyone willing to give up such a rare pill recipe wouldn't be stingy with the rest.
"Now that the Three-Year Agreement is over and it ended in a draw, from this moment on, there is no longer any connection between the Xiao and Nalan Clans. Consider the engagement null and void."
Yao Chen, concerned the Yun Lan Sect might still try to stir up trouble behind the scenes, used his soul power to carry his voice across a wide area around the mountain.
Wherever his voice echoed, crowds turned curiously toward the Yun Lan Sect, trying to trace the source.
Aside from their surprise, many began to piece together the meaning of his cryptic declaration.
Then, calling Hai Bodong with him, Yao Chen flew off toward the imperial capital.
Xiao Yan, for once, remained quiet. He said very little.
Though in his heart, he believed he had lost his duel with Nalan Yanran…
The truth was, that wasn't the main reason he came here. His goal had always been to wash away the humiliation he and his father had suffered.
Victory or defeat was secondary.
After that fierce battle atop Yun Lan Mountain, whether he won or lost, the stain on the Xiao Clan's name had been cleansed.
No one would ever dare look down on them again—especially not his father.
Because now, anyone who wanted to provoke the Xiao Clan would have to think twice.
Who in their right mind would want to be hunted by a prodigy who had reached Four-Star Da Dou Shi at just eighteen?
As the Yun Lan Sect watched Xiao Yan leave, they exchanged pleasantries with the other major powers before starting to dismiss the crowd.
And just like that, this long-anticipated event that had captivated all of Jia Ma Empire for years—ended in a rather anticlimactic fashion.
As for Zi Yan, she followed Lin Feng's instructions. Instead of tracking Xiao Yan, she flew into a nearby forest to rest.
Tomorrow, she'd head into the city to grab a portrait of Xiao Yan, and this mission would be done.
Then she could head back to the Black-Corner Region.
Half a day later, under the complicated gazes of the Mittel Clan members, Yao Chen calmly selected a mountain of gold coins, medicinal herbs,cultivation techniques, and Dou Techniques.
After filling five or six storage rings to the brim, he strolled out of the mansion with swagger, face calm as ever.
Outside, Gu He—who had been waiting anxiously—immediately rushed forward.
"Master, my—"
"Enough, stop pestering me. Here it is."
Clearly irritated by the clingy Gu He, Yao Chen pulled a scroll from one of his rings and tossed it over.
"Now that the deal's done, I won't bother you anymore."
After checking the scroll and confirming it was the real thing, Gu He finally smiled. Without another word, he sped off—unable to wait a moment longer to study these advanced alchemical techniques.
"Heh… Those crooked techniques from Gu Mu… you'll suffer for them sooner or later."
Yao Chen sneered to himself as he watched Gu He disappear into the distance.
This guy had tried to kill him for the Heavenly Flame. Did he look like the kind of fool who'd gift real treasures to someone like that?
"Now that everything's resolved, Xiao Yan, let's head back to Wu Tan City."
As he spoke, Yao Chen glanced at the storage rings in his hand and continued,
"These tens of millions of gold coins—we'll use them later to buy what we need. The cultivation techniques and Dou Techniques can all go to your Xiao Clan to strengthen your forces."
Then, his soul power retreated back into the ring, relinquishing control of the body.
"Hehe, thank you, master."
Seeing the mountain of resources before him, Xiao Yan couldn't help but grin with delight.
Once the Xiao Clan finished absorbing all of these resources, their strength would undoubtedly multiply several times over.
When he returned, Xiao Yan planned to refine a batch of pills first to raise the strength of his family members across the board.
That way, they'd have a solid foundation to deter any would-be enemies coveting their power.
After a long while, Xiao Yan finally returned to his senses. He stored away the storage rings and quickly made his way toward the flying transport terminal in the imperial capital.
He had been away long enough. Now, he couldn't wait to get back to the Xiao Clan and deliver the good news.
Not long after, thanks to the power of gold, a flying magic beast soared high into the sky, heading toward Wu Tan City.
Although Wu Tan City was separated from the capital by more than a dozen cities, thanks to the beast's impressive speed and flying day and night without rest, it only took five days for them to arrive above the outskirts of Wu Tan City.
After circling in the air a few times, the beast landed steadily under the control of its beast handler.
Once he paid the final fare, Xiao Yan hopped off and sprinted into the city.
He allowed himself a moment of nostalgia before arriving at the gates of the Xiao Clan estate.
But as he stood at the entrance, a strange stillness came over him.
His eyes scanned the area surrounding the manor. Back when he left home, this place had been bustling with visitors, a place of honor and prestige.
But now… it felt eerily quiet.
The guards who used to line up with pride at the gates, standing in disciplined rows, were nowhere to be seen.
"What happened here?"
Frowning deeply, a wave of unease surged in Xiao Yan's heart.
Yao Chen had already swept his soul force through the entire Xiao estate and remained silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice,
"Xiao Yan… it seems the Xiao Clan has provoked a powerful enemy. Everyone inside… is already—"
Though he didn't say it outright, Xiao Yan immediately understood.
His face, already dark, instantly took on a frozen edge like frost forming in a blink.
Creak…
He pushed open the gate. Just as he stepped into the manor, his eyes landed on a scene of carnage.
Bodies covered the ground—twisted, mangled corpses frozen in fear, as if they had seen something utterly terrifying in their final moments.
Xiao Yan's eyes turned blood-red in an instant.
Without a word, he burst into motion, Dou Qi surging wildly as he raced toward his father's residence.
He flung the door open—only to find the room completely empty.
Everything inside was in perfect order, no sign of a struggle or intrusion.
He quickly searched every other place his father might have been, but found no clues. Nothing at all.
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