Miteer Family Estate, Jia Ma Holy City
The night was cool as water, the moon hanging high in the sky.
Xiao Bai stood with a helpless expression as Hai Bo Dong ushered him into the estate.
"Come now, don't make that face! It's your first day in Jia Ma Holy City, and you think I'd let you find your own place to stay? That'd be a slap to my face, Hai Bo Dong!"
Hai Bo Dong chuckled, waving a hand. "Don't worry, I'll have that house cleaned up. You can move in whenever you like!"
With that, he pushed open the door to a refined courtyard residence and strode inside. Behind him, Xiao Bai and Xiao Yan exchanged a glance before following.
Once the three settled in the room, Hai Bo Dong's gaze drifted to the ring on Xiao Yan's finger, his tone tinged with respect. "Greetings, Senior."
Back in the Xiao clan, he'd received guidance from Yao Lao on his cultivation, which had sped up his recovery over the past two years.
"Teacher asked me to pass on his thanks for your concern. He's doing well," Xiao Yan said with a light smile, relaying the message.
Hai Bo Dong nodded, his eyes catching the alchemist badge on Xiao Yan's chest. He sighed in admiration. "I never would've thought you'd already become a Second-Grade Alchemist at your age. Truly remarkable!"
"Just got lucky," Xiao Yan replied with a faint smile.
"Heh, there's no such thing as 'just luck' in this world!" Hai Bo Dong shook his head, grinning. "I've been in seclusion most of these two years, but I've kept tabs on what's happening in the Jia Ma Empire."
His gaze shifted to Xiao Bai, a teasing glint in his eyes. "The Yun Lan Sect's been stirring lately, issuing a warrant for someone wielding white and green Heavenly Flames. At first, I thought they were after you, so I sent people to dig around. Turns out, it's this Xiao Yan kid they're after!"
"Oh?" Xiao Bai's eyes sharpened, his voice deepening. "Hai Lao, do you know what's going on with the Yun Lan Sect these days?"
"From what I've gathered, the Yun Lan Sect's acting mighty strange," Hai Bo Dong said, his brow furrowing. "Their Dou Huang Sect Master's been stripped of power, and Yun Leng, a mere Dou Wang, has taken over. There's no sign of a struggle, and they're no longer keeping a low profile like before. Their bold moves have got that old codger in the royal family on edge."
"And there's a rumor—don't know if it's true—but word is the Yun Lan Sect Master and Pill King Gu He might be planning a marriage. Damn, I—"
Before he could finish, a terrifying, sky-piercing aura erupted. In an instant, the entire courtyard seemed to tremble, as if on the verge of collapse.
Even with his Five-Star Dou Huang cultivation, Hai Bo Dong felt a chill of dread at the overwhelming presence.
"You said… what? Marriage?"
Each word was bitten out, cold as the winds of the netherworld, sharp enough to freeze the soul.
Xiao Bai's eyes blazed with fury, his expression like a beast ready to devour. His blood qi surged, his body radiating heat like a blazing furnace. A faint crimson mist swirled around him, laced with crackling five-colored lightning arcs.
Hai Bo Dong, stunned, raced to make sense of Xiao Bai's sudden rage. What's got him so worked up? It's just the Yun Lan Sect Master marrying Gu He. Why's he acting like someone stole his woman?
Wait… his woman?
Damn it, this kid doesn't have something going on with the Yun Lan Sect Master, does he?
Snapping out of his shock, Hai Bo Dong struggled to channel his Dou Qi against the crushing aura, shouting, "It's just a rumor! Don't take it seriously! If there was anything real between them, the Yun Lan Sect would've announced it to every major faction by now!"
"And rein in that aura, or Xiao Yan's gonna pass out!"
Glancing at Xiao Yan, whose face was paling and eyes rolling back, Xiao Bai gradually withdrew his aura.
"Huff…"
Moments later, color returned to Xiao Yan's ashen face. Gasping for air, he clenched his fists, shooting Xiao Bai a resentful look tinged with apology. "Bai-Ge! Give me a heads-up next time so I can get out of the way! Dying like this? Too pathetic, too unfair!"
No strength, and I can't even handle a wisp of Bai-Ge's aura. This feeling sucks! Xiao Yan's heart burned with a desperate yearning for power.
"And… what's got you so riled up about Gu He getting married?"
… Yao Lao groaned inwardly.
This foolish disciple! From Xiao Bai's reaction, Yao Lao's mind was clear as a mirror. The Dou Huang woman they'd met in the Magical Beast Mountain Range and the Tagore Desert had to be the Yun Lan Sect Master.
Otherwise, with Xiao Bai's usual "none of my business" attitude, why would he explode with such fury?
Heh, what's got me riled up? If not for Nalan Yanran breaking off the engagement, you'd be calling me Master-in-Law right now. That's what's got me riled up!
Xiao Bai shot Xiao Yan an exasperated glance, too annoyed to deal with the clueless kid. Turning to Hai Bo Dong, he asked, "So, Yun Leng's the one calling the shots at the Yun Lan Sect now?"
"Exactly!" Hai Bo Dong nodded, a trace of confusion in his eyes. "That guy's the Great Elder of the Yun Lan Sect, power-hungry and always resentful of Sect Master Yun Yun's detached nature. But his cultivation was too weak to act on it. This time, though, he's somehow mustered the guts to seize control—and succeeded!"
Ever since Yun Shan went into secluded death retreat, he hasn't shown himself in years. Is he still in seclusion, or did he pass away? Where did Yun Leng get the nerve to pull this off?
Could that old man have actually broken through?
Xiao Bai, now calm, pondered for a moment, cross-referencing the information with what he knew. He pieced together the situation with about seventy to eighty percent certainty.
It likely started when Gu He spotted the Bone Chilling Flame, which the Soul Hall's Protector Wu learned about, suspecting Yao Lao's involvement. Yun Shan was then tasked with mobilizing the Yun Lan Sect to track Yao Lao's whereabouts.
Yun Shan passed the order to Yun Yun, who, knowing Xiao Yan's connection to Xiao Bai, refused to comply. That led to Yun Leng's rise to power.
"She's being coerced by Yun Shan," Xiao Bai realized.
Having reconstructed the truth, Xiao Bai knew the marriage rumor wasn't baseless. Given Yun Shan's character in the original story, there was an eighty percent chance it was true.
"Heh… Gu He, Yun Leng, Yun Shan!"
A cold sneer rose in Xiao Bai's heart. Out of respect for Yun Yun, he'd planned to go easy on the Yun Lan Sect. But these three were practically begging for death!
Seeing the icy glint in Xiao Bai's eyes, Hai Bo Dong sighed inwardly. Looks like the Yun Lan Sect's in for trouble.
With Yun Yun sidelined and seemingly close to this kid, if Xiao Bai hardened his heart, who in the Yun Lan Sect could stop him?
Unless Yun Shan had broken through to Dou Zong!
Yun Leng? Hai Bo Dong shook his head. Despite both being Peak Dou Wangs, the overwhelming aura Xiao Bai had just unleashed suggested Yun Leng wouldn't survive a single slap.
How does this kid cultivate? In just two years, he's reached this level. Even I might not get the upper hand against him.
Hai Bo Dong felt a quiet relief. Back in Stone Desert City, he'd built a good rapport with Xiao Bai. Otherwise, forget the Yun Lan Sect—his Miteer family might've been wiped from the Jia Ma Empire today!
___
Jia Ma Imperial Capital
The moment Xiao Bai's aura erupted, several pairs of eyes across the city turned toward the Miteer family estate.
Imperial Palace, Rear Mountain
Atop a scenic lake's edge, a hemp-robed old man stood with hands behind his back. He abruptly turned toward the source of the aura, his brow furrowing.
"Did someone storm Old Ice's place tonight? That aura's unfamiliar. Since when did a powerhouse like this show up in the imperial city?"
A flicker of worry passed through his murky eyes. "The empire's undercurrents are growing stronger. The Yun Lan Sect's getting more brazen, and now the Miteer family's showing signs of unrest. Things are getting shaky."
Turning to face the dark, still lake, he sensed a robust yet faintly weakened presence beneath it. He murmured softly, "Old friend, we need to find a way to restore you. Otherwise, the royal family…"
Northern City, Nalan Mansion
A grand mansion stood, its entrance plaque illuminated by moonlight stones, casting a faint golden glow that exuded nobility. The bold, flowing characters of "Nalan Mansion" radiated authority, proclaiming the household's status.
In a spacious room, a large bed held a gaunt, elderly man, his face etched with the aura of death, yet his brows still carried a defiant spark.
Cough, cough… "That aura just now… it came from the Miteer family, didn't it?"
Beside the bed stood a middle-aged man, exuding a bold air. He bowed and replied, "Yes, Father. There've been several energy fluctuations from that direction tonight."
Sigh. "The empire's growing restless," the old man said, his voice weary as if the words drained him. He closed his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh.
"No need to worry, Father. You're the empire's Grand Marshal, and Yanran's the Young Sect Master of the Yun Lan Sect. No matter how the empire shifts, the Nalan family will stand firm!" the middle-aged man declared proudly.
"Heh, naive!" The old man's eyes snapped open, glaring at his disappointing son. His voice, though faint, was sharp. "The Yun Lan Sect and the royal family are like fire and water now. All it takes is a single spark to ignite a war. When that happens, where will our Nalan family stand?"
"You're so foolish. When I'm gone, how can I trust you with this vast Nalan family?"
"Father, don't worry. You'll be fine. Yanran's secretly searching for an alchemist with a Heavenly Flame. Surely—"
"Tell her to stop wasting her effort. A rare flame-bearer finally appeared, and the Yun Lan Sect's hunting him down. It seems my fate's sealed—perhaps this is heaven's punishment for breaking my word," the old man interrupted, closing his eyes, unwilling to say more.
Time slipped by, and the night passed silently.
___
The Next Morning
Xiao Bai sat cross-legged on his bed, a wisp of five-colored lightning dancing like a sprite at his fingertips.
Crackle!
A palm-sized dark cloud hovered above, silver arcs weaving through it.
"It's finally taking shape!"
Xiao Bai's eyes gleamed as he watched, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Since leaving the Tagore Desert, his cultivation had reached Peak Dou Wang. A single Dou Ling Pill could push him to Dou Huang, but he'd held back.
Breaking through would mean facing a new thunder seed.
Unlike before, when he could predict the thunder seeds, this one was a mystery. With the five elements already complete, he had no clue what the next seed might be.
If he broke through and the new seed took months—or longer—to refine, it'd be disastrous.
By then, the Xiao clan might already be finished!
As for Xiao Yan, he wasn't worried. The kid was blessed by fate and wouldn't die easily. But Yao Lao? He might end up celebrating the New Year early in the Soul Hall!
So, until the Yun Lan Sect matter was resolved, Xiao Bai wouldn't break through to Dou Huang.
During this time, unable to cultivate, he didn't idle. Leveraging the resonance with heaven and earth that came with reaching Dou Wang, he experimented.
Could he combine that resonance with his soul force, commune with the world's energy, and channel his own aura to gather ambient lightning energy?
Could he summon true heavenly thunder and command it?
Looking at the miniature thundercloud in his palm, Xiao Bai knew he'd made a breakthrough from nothing to something. Now, it was about refining and expanding its scope.
"Heh, no rush. Take it slow."
He shifted his gaze from the thundercloud, his slender fingers closing to extinguish the dancing five-colored arcs. As the lightning faded, the tiny thundercloud dissipated.
Knock, knock, knock!
A rapid series of knocks sounded. Xiao Bai's eyes flickered, instantly knowing who it was. Only two people would dare pound on his door so brazenly.
His figure blurred, vanishing from the bed and reappearing by the living room table.
"Come in!"
With a wave, he opened the door, revealing two figures—one tall, one short.
"Hey, Xiao-gege, morning!"
"Hey, Bai-Ge, morning!"
Zi Yan and Xiao Yan stood at the door, their faces blooming with bright smiles as they greeted the black-robed figure inside.
Xiao Bai's gaze swept over them, reading their expressions. He could guess why Xiao Yan was here, but Zi Yan? Wasn't she off playing with Ya Fei? What was she doing tagging along?
"Bai-Ge, you're famous, you know that?"
Xiao Yan plopped down beside him after the greeting, grabbing a teapot from the table and gulping down a cup. He couldn't wait to spill the news. "I went to the Alchemist Guild today to gather materials for the Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pill. All along the way, everyone was talking about you!"
"Oh?"
"Hey, Bai-Ge, aren't you curious what they're saying?" Xiao Yan pouted, dissatisfied with Xiao Bai's indifference.
"Not really," Xiao Bai said, shaking his head. He extended a hand, smiling. "Hand over the materials."
"Tch!" Xiao Yan pulled the materials from his storage ring, setting them on the table, grumbling. "Bai-Ge, you're not even twenty yet! Why do you act like an old man?"
Xiao Bai ignored the hyperactive teen, sorting through the materials on the table. His gaze flicked to Zi Yan, who'd sidled up beside him, her big eyes staring expectantly.
"Alright, what do you want?"
"My little sugar pills… they're gone," Zi Yan said, blinking pitifully, her face scrunching up.
… Xiao Bai couldn't help but chuckle at her woebegone expression. "Got any materials left?" he asked gently.
"Yup, yup!" Zi Yan nodded eagerly, her small hands waving as she pulled a pile of items from her storage ring.
Xiao Bai's eyes scanned the heap of materials on the table, when suddenly his gaze locked onto something, his voice tinged with surprise. "Thunder Origin Grass!"
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