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This question immediately stumped Xiao Yan, who looked downcast, unsure how to answer.
Xiao Xiao pressed on, "Mommy said she was going to help Daddy earlier. Didn't Daddy see her?"
"Did Mommy get lost?" Xiao Yan guessed.
"Maybe she went to find something to eat on the way," Xiao Huo offered his opinion.
"Mommy isn't like you guys. She… she… went to give birth?" Xiao Yi muttered softly.
Xiao Yan's heart felt heavy. The scene of Xiao Meng leaving, and the scenes of her dying repeatedly to save him in a hundred reincarnations, floated in his mind one after another. Immense despair and pain surged like a tide, making it difficult for him to breathe.
He forced back his tears but dared not look at his daughters, dared not face their expectant gazes. He truly didn't know how to tell them the truth.
Yao Chen also fell silent. He sighed and said, "If you can't tell them the truth, then let me do it."
Xiao Yan shook his head, took two deep breaths, and resolved, "I'll say it. This is my fault, and my responsibility…"
He gazed at Xiao Xiao, his voice hoarse as he said, "Your mother is no longer here. I will go find her, but hope is slim."
"No longer here, what does that mean?" Xiao Huo didn't understand the sentence.
"She died, she died to protect me. It's my fault, I let her down, I let you down," Xiao Yan said, his expression pained.
Amon had replaced Cai Lin with Xiao Meng, which originally had some flaws.
For example, the time Cai Lin left didn't match the time Xiao Meng was captured by Protector Wu while protecting Xiao Yan.
Cai Lin's strength when she parted with Xiao Xiao and the others didn't match Xiao Meng's strength when she was captured.
However, before Xiao Xiao and the others returned to Dou Qi Continent, they lived under the shroud of Nightmare Sky Mist, and due to Heavenly Tomb and the lack of more reference points, Xiao Xiao and the others' perception of time and power were blurred.
Xiao Xiao, Xiao Huo, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yi were stunned for a long time before they understood what Xiao Yan meant.
As soon as they thought of never seeing their mother again, they felt so, so sad, and tears dripped down.
Xiao Xiao's gaze changed. There was a hint of coldness in her eyes as she looked at Xiao Yan. She directly tore through the void, stepped into it, and then transformed into a giant Dragon Phoenix, flying away into the distance.
"Big sister…" Xiao Huo and the others subconsciously wanted to chase after her but were held back by Yao Chen.
"Xiao Xiao…" Xiao Yan's expression changed. "Teacher, you watch them. I'll go after her."
Yao Chen nodded.
In the void, the giant Dragon Phoenix flapped its wings, flying forward at full speed.
She was aimless, not knowing where to go, only feeling sad and not wanting to see Xiao Yan.
"Wait, Xiao Xiao, stop," Xiao Yan used his soul power, chasing at full speed from behind.
Xiao Xiao ignored him, just kept flying forward: "Go away, leave me alone, I want Mommy."
Although Xiao Xiao couldn't defeat Xiao Yan, her speed was not slow. The distance between them was even constantly widening.
Eventually, Xiao Yan lost track of Xiao Xiao.
He could only return to Starfall Pavilion in desolation.
Xiao Xiao got lost in the void. She looked at the boundless darkness, her sadness gradually receding, replaced by a bit of fear…
"Mommy, Daddy…" Xiao Xiao's heart was in a panic.
Although their true age was not young, their minds were like those of children.
Suddenly being alone, they inevitably felt somewhat helpless, like a child who ran away from home in anger and then realized they were lost.
Thunder Venerable was returning from a journey through the void; he had gone to the southeastern corner of the continent.
Suddenly, a purplish-gold light appeared in his field of vision. That light shone in the distance and instantly arrived before him.
Looking at the giant dragon head hovering in front of him, cold sweat dripped from his forehead, and he respectfully bowed: "What are your commands, senior?"
That immense power made him feel fear, and he couldn't even muster a hint of resistance in his heart.
"I… I'm lost. Have you seen my mommy or daddy?"
Listening to that clear voice with a hint of softness, Thunder Venerable was directly stunned.
With the previous example of Xiao Qing, he quickly accepted the fact that this was another child with extraordinary strength but not great age.
He thought for a moment and asked, "What do your father or mother look like?"
Xiao Xiao said forlornly, "I don't know what Mommy looks like. Daddy said she's already dead…"
Thunder Venerable was silent for a while before uttering two words: "My condolences."
He asked, "What about your father?"
Xiao Xiao thought for a moment, and after choosing between her two fathers, she said, "Amon, his name is Amon. He likes to wear a monocle on his right eye."
Thunder Venerable shook his head: "Sorry, I haven't seen him."
Xiao Xiao hung her head, like a homeless puppy.
…
Xiao Yan returned to Starfall Pavilion.
Xiao Huo and the other two had already been comforted and were taken by Mu Qingluan to tour Starfall Pavilion.
Yao Chen looked at the dejected Xiao Yan and asked, "She doesn't want to come back?"
Xiao Yan nodded: "I didn't catch up."
Yao Chen consoled him, "You don't need to worry too much. After all, Xiao Xiao isn't a real child. When you first ventured out, you were much weaker than her… She could kill a hundred of you with one slap."
Xiao Yan's worries lessened slightly. A three-star Dou Saint was not weak anywhere.
"By the way, here's this for you." Yao Chen suddenly took out a "Snake Desire Fruit."
The Snake Desire Fruit was an aphrodisiac herb… For a moment, Xiao Yan thought his teacher was possessed by Ape Lord.
However, he quickly noticed a clue: the surface of this Snake Desire Fruit was covered in mysterious black patterns, seemingly a Sealed Artifact.
There was no need for the Snake Desire Fruit to have a Sealed Artifact.
"Meng!" Qing Meng jumped out and transmitted a message to Xiao Yan.
"What? You said this is a Heavenly Flame?" Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment, then reacted: "Living Spirit Flame?"
Yao Chen smiled and nodded: "Didn't you always yearn for this Heavenly Flame? With it, Qing Meng can refine pills automatically."
Xiao Yan was overjoyed, looking at Qing Meng as if he were looking at a Palu.
"Teacher, where did this Heavenly Flame come from?" Xiao Yan asked.
"Do you still remember the Yao Ceremony?"
Xiao Yan reacted: "The mysterious person Clan Leader Yao Dan mentioned who sponsored the Yao Ceremony asked you to refine pills?"
Yao Chen nodded.
"What grade of pill? They're willing to use the Living Spirit Flame as payment. It wouldn't be a ninth grade golden pill, would it?"
Yao Chen chuckled wryly: "How could that be? I wouldn't dare to refine a pill of that level again, and I can't refine it either… It's a top-tier Ninth-Rank Mysterious Pill."
Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment and asked, "Is it someone from the Xiao Clan?"
Yao Chen was silent for a long time, then finally nodded:
"They seemed unwilling to communicate much with me. I only saw one person. I feel like this Heavenly Flame might have been given to you through me."
A complex expression appeared on Xiao Yan's face.
Although he harbored a hint of resentment towards this mysterious Xiao Clan due to the Xiao Family's circumstances, after Xiao Xuan's sacrifice, he also bore the responsibility of revitalizing it.
Moreover, the Xiao Clan seemed to be frequently showing goodwill towards their master and disciple pair.
"You should go refine this Heavenly Flame first. I received news that the Nether Lotus Demon Flame seems to be about to appear. Although you are not weak now, it's still a bit risky to try and subdue that kind of Heavenly Flame," Yao Chen reminded him.
Having witnessed the might of the Void Swallowing Flame, no one dared to underestimate the power of a Heavenly Flame anymore.
"It was sealed by Nether Lotus Saint for so many years, so it shouldn't be like the Void Swallowing Flame, right?" Xiao Yan's eyes showed deep apprehension.
Yao Chen said with some emotion: "The second-ranked Void Swallowing Flame is already a peak existence in this world. I truly don't know what kind of world-destroying power the mysterious first-ranked Heavenly Flame will possess… It can't be a Dou Emperor expert, can it?"
Saying that, Yao Chen himself laughed.
He paused, then handed a storage ring to Xiao Yan:
"These are the medicinal ingredients I've recently collected. They're just enough to refine a Ninth-Rank Mysterious Pill, and the pill formula is inside as well. There's only one chance… I suppose you won't need me to refine it anymore, right?"
Xiao Yan's face showed a moved expression. This kindness from his teacher was too profound to repay.
Even with Yao Chen's current strength and status, gathering all the materials for a Ninth-Rank Mysterious Pill was not a simple task.
He didn't say any words of thanks, just nodded heavily, burying this gratitude in his heart.
"Of course not. If I can't even refine a Ninth-Rank Mysterious Pill well, wouldn't that be losing face for you, Teacher?"
Xiao Yan returned to Heavenly Tomb to cultivate in seclusion. One Living Spirit Flame and one Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame were enough to raise him by another two stars!
After refining the Ninth-Rank Mysterious Pill and consuming it, he could even advance another star.
After Xiao Yan left, Yao Chen slapped his head:
"I forgot to tell Little Yan Zi that the Ancient Alliance states that Dou Saint experts above five stars cannot travel in the Central Plains…
"Never mind, it's not important anyway. At this point, I don't think anyone will take that alliance seriously anymore."
…
In a space where the sky was fiery red, as if flames were burning fiercely, a middle-aged man around forty years old, dressed in a crimson robe, sat on a large stone chair and asked the person kneeling on one knee before him:
"How is the Demon Flame Space now? How much longer until it appears?"
The person kneeling on one knee respectfully said:
"Clan Leader, the Demon Flame Space has an abnormal movement, different from before, so we cannot predict the exact landing time… The location has also changed."
Yan Jin frowned, his gaze solemn.
The Yan Clan had already formed an alliance with the Gu Clan and the Lei Clan. When forming the alliance with the Gu Clan, he proposed that Gu Yuan had to help him obtain the Nether Lotus Demon Flame.
Out of fear of the Soul Clan, Gu Yuan agreed to this condition.
Yan Jin had a premonition that the Soul Clan would not play by the rules either. This battle for the Demon Flame would likely be the first confrontation between the Three Clan Alliance and the Soul Clan.
As for why they didn't tear open the Demon Flame Space in advance and directly enter to seize the Demon Flame, it was because both sides were currently eyeing the Nether Lotus Demon Flame, and tearing open the Demon Flame Space was not that easy.
The grand formation laid by Nether Lotus Saint with the power of heaven and earth had not weakened for ten thousand years. Even Gu Yuan and Hun Tiandi would have to put in some effort.
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