After returning to Starfall Pavilion, the first thing Xiao Yan did was gather Zi Yan and the others to prepare for the journey back to the Black-Corner Region, and from there to Jia Nan Academy and the Jia Ma Empire. Many of them had come from that part of the continent and shared a deep emotional bond with the place. Now that they were revisiting it, it was only natural to bring them along.
The only exceptions were Qing Tan and Lin Jing. Originally, Xiao Yan hadn't planned to bring them, but considering their decent relationship with Xiao Yixian and the others—and the fact that this journey was also meant to be a bit of a relaxing trip—he decided to let them join. Of course, before setting off, he made sure everyone was thoroughly 'fed.'
And during such times, Xun'er always found herself feeling extremely frustrated. Once or twice was fine, but to be left out of every party? It was hard to stay calm. Still, there wasn't much she could do—after all, she hadn't truly broken through to the Dou Sheng level yet. For the sake of her divine-grade bloodline, Xiao Yan had been holding himself back from making a move on her.
Sure, he could use the power of time to restore her condition afterward… but he didn't want to take that risk. It was only a matter of time anyway, so there was no need to rush. Thus, during the quiet hours of the night, Xun'er could only chat with Qing Tan and Lin Jing to pass the time. Over time, the three of them had grown into inseparable, heart-to-heart confidants.
Just before their departure, a small incident occurred. Somehow, the Great Elder of Dragonfire from Ancient Dragon Island caught wind of Zi Yan planning to go out traveling with Xiao Yan. He rushed across thousands of miles to Starfall Pavilion, hugged Xiao Yan's leg, and cried—begging him to keep Zi Yan behind. He rambled about how, as Dragon Emperor, she should stay to manage the affairs of Ancient Dragon Island. Xiao Yan was left completely speechless.
So he nodded along, agreeing with the elder, then immediately used the Spatial Ancestral Symbol to teleport him back to the island to get back to work.
Still, the whole thing reminded Xiao Yan of something important—Zi Yan was, after all, the Dragon Emperor. It was understandable for the Ancient Void Dragon Clan to be unhappy about her constantly following him around. He'd have to find someone to replace her.
Xiao Yan vaguely remembered that in the Path of Reincarnation, Zi Yan's father—the former Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan—had been sealed within the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's cave dwelling beneath Jia Nan Academy. That guy, in this life, would essentially become his father-in-law. This trip back was the perfect opportunity to release him and return him to Ancient Dragon Island to resume his role as Dragon Emperor. Everyone would win.
Besides, one of Xiao Yan's key goals in returning was precisely to claim the treasures hidden within the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's cave—namely, the embryonic Emperor-tier pills and the ancient inheritance, which had the potential to produce another Dou Di. But what interested Xiao Yan the most was the Heavenly Flame Plaza left behind by the Ancient Emperor.
To truly unleash the power of the Ancient Heavenly Flame Ruler, he would need to harness the energy of that plaza. While the enhanced Xuan Heavy Ruler—thanks to Little Yao's craftsmanship—could already replicate its effects to some degree, the two were meant to be combined.
Just the Ancient Heavenly Flame Ruler alone was terrifying enough. If it were merged with the Xuan Heavy Ruler? Xiao Yan believed even the Yimo Emperor from back then wouldn't survive a single strike.
He hadn't forgotten that within that Heavenly Flame Plaza, the Heavenly Flames ranked below the top three were all preserved. Though they had long since lost their power and now existed only as lifeless husks, if he could complete the condensation of the Temporal Ancestral Symbol, he could use the power of time to restore them to their original forms—and then devour them to further strengthen his Emperor Flame.
Xiao Yan's greatest strength was always thinking ahead. Though he hadn't yet reached the Great Thousand World, he was already laying the groundwork—his Spiritual Armament, the Temporal Ancestral Symbol, the Emperor Flame, and the enhanced Ancient Heavenly Flame Ruler were all tools he was preparing for that future battlefield. And let's not forget, he still had the power of the Plane's Core.
When Xiao Yan emerged from the Black-Corner Region's spatial wormhole, accompanied by a group of women, the long-retired Hai Bodong—who had been staying in the region—looked completely bewildered. From his perspective, Xiao Yan had only just left six months ago for some business and hadn't returned. Yet here he was again, already finished and back with a whole new entourage.
A reunion with an old friend naturally called for a feast. Hai Bodong quickly hosted a banquet for them, welcoming Xiao Yan and the others back. In the time since they last met, and thanks to the vast resources of the Xiao Sect, Hai Bodong had successfully broken through to the Dou Zong level. While still far from Xiao Ding or Xiao Li—both of whom had activated their Dou Di bloodlines—he was immensely satisfied. Without Xiao Yan, he'd probably still be cooped up in some desert shop drawing maps.
Xiao Yan had always had a favorable impression of this old man. During the Path of Reincarnation, Hai Bodong had practically risked his entire foundation to help him. So, in return, Xiao Yan gifted him a Heaven Rank cultivation technique in hopes that he could continue breaking through to even higher realms.
Meanwhile, Hun Dai'er finally met her long-lost subordinate, Hun Moli, who had long since been subdued by Xiao Yan. She hadn't expected her once-loyal follower to be under his control now. But then again, she herself had already become his pet, so it didn't seem so shocking. Of course, Hun Dai'er would never admit that openly. In her words, this was all part of her long-term strategy—'enduring humiliation to achieve revenge.'
Seeing Hun Dai'er again caused Hun Moli—now completely transformed—to tremble uncontrollably. Xiao Yan understood. He had reviewed Hun Moli's memories and knew exactly how Hun Dai'er had tormented her in the past. Even though her memories had been wiped, the fear embedded in her instincts remained.
But Xiao Yan had no time to heal her trauma.
After staying at the Xiao Sect for a few days, he quickly made his way to Jia Nan Academy. The place had changed significantly since he last left. The scale had expanded dramatically, and the facilities had improved. As soon as he entered the Inner Academy, he spotted a massive statue standing in front of the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower.
'This thing looks strangely familiar… don't tell me it's me again?' Xiao Yan muttered inwardly as he looked up at it.
During the Path of Reincarnation, there had been a similar statue in Jia Nan Academy—built to commemorate him after he defeated the invading Black-Corner Region forces but was thought to have died to the Fallen Heart Flame. The academy had erected the statue in his honor.
But nothing like that had happened in this timeline… so why was there a statue here now?
Even more absurd—beneath the statue was an enormous altar table and incense burner. A group of students was kneeling, burning incense, and bowing reverently.
'Ah… I think I finally know where that little wooden idol Zi Yan likes to use for her oath ceremonies came from…'
(End of Chapter)
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