Breaking the Masked Man

Hai Bodong nodded in agreement, took out a recording stone from his storage ring, and recorded the appearance of the fragmented map. He then handed the fragmented map back to Yao Yan. As for the gift Yao Yan mentioned, he did not inquire about it. It's better to have more anticipation for some things.

He continued, "It's unlikely there will be any news about this in the short term, so you should be prepared."

"It's alright, I'm not in a hurry."

Yao Yan calmly replied.

Hai Bodong turned to Yao Yan and introduced, "This is Teng Shan, the patriarch of the Mittel family. He is also a friend of mine for many years. If you have any needs, you can ask him to help you prepare them."

"I've been wanting to refine some things myself. May I take a look at the Mittel family's warehouse?"

Yao Yan didn't mince words and looked at Teng Shan, making a rather excessive request.

Teng Shan was not annoyed at all upon hearing this; in fact, a smile appeared on his lips. He took out a scroll from his storage ring and handed it over, saying with a smile, "All the precious items are recorded on this scroll. In addition, there are some rare items. If you need them, I can fetch them for you."

"Thank you."

Yao Yan accepted the scroll, thanked him softly, and swept it over with his soul power. A massive amount of information flooded into his mind, giving him more confidence in his next plan.

To steal the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade, the substitute is crucial. It can't be too fake; it must at least be able to store soul power. If it can't even do that, it probably won't even fool the Xiao family. As for whether Gu Yuan will notice the substitution... well, we can only gamble that Gu Yuan doesn't care about it at all.

However, based on the other party's behavior in the original work, it is clear that he has no interest in this ancient jade. Gu Yuan is indeed a calm and indifferent person who does not compete or fight, which is completely unlike a peak nine-star Dou Sheng or a patriarch of an ancient clan.

His killing of Xiao Lin was an experiment to see if Gu Yuan was watching.

Apparently not.

But the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade that followed was different.

In the original novel, Gu Yuan visited the Xiao family when Xiao Yan was born. Although he only mentioned it briefly, that brief mention put a lot of pressure on Yao Yan.

He knew what losing the bet meant.

Let's see... Yao Yan quickly made up his mind. He was never a coward. He had come this far, so how could he be willing to give up without trying? As for the price of failure, he could just betray the Soul Clan and join the Ancient Clan!

Perhaps this is a good path!

Although the risks are high, the rewards will definitely not be low.

As for loyalty... Yao Yan is only loyal to himself.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 79 was performed with utmost seriousness.

The Xiao family's residence was located near the imperial city.

In recent years, as Xiao Lin entered the Dou Wang realm and befriended Nalan Jie, the Xiao family's status has risen accordingly, and they have also secured a place in the capital of the Jia Ma Empire. Although they have not truly become the fourth largest family in the Jia Ma Empire, their reputation is vaguely superior to that of other forces.

This also made the Xiao family a thorn in the side of many people, but they didn't do anything because they were always wary of Xiao Lin and Nalan Jie.

Now that the two have suddenly died, the forces lurking in the shadows have naturally bared their fangs, like a pack of greedy hyenas, eyeing the Xiao family intently, wanting to tear a piece of flesh from them. If they weren't worried about how they would behave, they might have already divided up the Xiao family.

……

As night fell, inside the Xiao family's reception hall.

The three elders of the Xiao family are currently arguing fiercely about the future of the Xiao family. The second elder believes that the Xiao family should give up everything in the capital and choose to develop in other cities. After all, the Xiao family can no longer hold onto its huge family business. If too much time passes, those who have grudges against the Xiao family will inevitably surround it and divide it up.

Rather than waiting for such a thing to happen, it's better to make a tough decision and at least preserve the possibility of the Xiao family's rise.

The Third Elder was unwilling to give up the assets in the capital. The Xiao family had paid too much to get to where it was today, so how could they just give up? As for those who coveted the Xiao family's assets, he didn't believe anyone would dare to kill them directly in the capital.

The capital city has its own rules, and the royal family of the Gama Empire is not just for show!

The two then got into a huge argument.

The eldest elder listened silently to the argument between the two, then finally raised his hand and looked down at a man in his thirties, saying, "Xiao Zhan, as the young clan leader, tell us your thoughts."

“I agree with the Second Elder’s idea. We cannot gamble on the enemy’s mercy. Moreover, the royal family’s attitude towards the Xiao family has always been ambiguous. My father gave his life for the Jia Ma Empire, but they have never given the Xiao family an explanation. They don’t even know who the murderer is. I don’t think the royal family will protect the Xiao family.”

With bloodshot eyes, Xiao Zhan spoke in a low voice, still unable to recover from his father's death.

"The clan leader died for the Jia Ma Empire. I don't believe that the royal family would sit idly by and watch the Xiao family suffer. If that's the case, who will be willing to serve the Jia Ma Empire in the future!"

The Third Elder immediately retorted.

"It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark..."

The Second Elder spoke quietly, revealing the truth in a single sentence.

Everyone here is intelligent. The rules on the surface can be followed, but whether you can guard against them in secret depends on yourself. The royal family is not a charity, and they are always cold and pragmatic. If you have value, they will naturally try to win you over; if you have no value, they don't care who you are.

Upon hearing this, the Third Elder's expression turned cold, and he said in a chilling voice, "Sneaky tricks? It's not like they're the only ones who know how to do that. The three of us old folks aren't dead yet!"

All three were at the Dou Ling level. As long as the Dou Wang didn't make any obvious moves, he wasn't afraid of their underhanded tactics.

"Then let's take another look!"

The First Elder said in a deep voice that he was also unwilling to give up the Xiao family's business directly. The Xiao family had truly sacrificed generation after generation for the current business. How could they give up everything because of Xiao Lin's death? If they went to other cities, they would undoubtedly have to start all over again, and the family's power would decline to a terrifying degree, not to mention the lack of cultivation resources.

There was a pause.

He then looked at Xiao Zhan and asked, "Go to the Nalan family tomorrow and ask if they are willing to join forces with our Xiao family so that we can support each other!"

"it is good."

Xiao Zhan nodded and did not refuse. His third son, Xiao Yan, was engaged to Nalan Yanran of the Nalan family when she was one year old. The two families were considered to be united by marriage. If they joined forces at this time, it might be beneficial to both families. If they could stay in the capital, that would be the best.

Meanwhile, in a cozy bedroom.

A gentle young woman was telling a story to a toddler. The little one blinked his bright eyes, neither crying nor fussing, and listened quietly to his mother's story. He looked well-behaved and sensible until he became sleepy and slowly fell asleep in the young woman's arms.

Looking at her well-behaved third child, she also showed a gentle smile. Compared to the first two children, this third child was unexpectedly easy to take care of. Since birth, he has never cried or made a fuss. He seems to be extremely intelligent and very lovable.

However, a trace of worry soon appeared between her brows. How could she not know the predicament the Xiao family was facing? But as a woman, she couldn't offer any advice. As she pondered these matters, a sudden wave of drowsiness washed over her, causing her to shake her head slightly before falling asleep with her baby in her arms.

As the woman fell asleep, her left index finger suddenly twitched, as if an invisible force was enveloping it and peeling off a black ring from her hand.

"Hey~"

The moment the ring was removed, it transformed into a streak of light, bursting through the window and flying towards a dark place.

In the darkness, a blurry figure reached out and caught the ring. Looking at the storage ring in his hand, a golden flame flashed in his eyes. After a moment, the flame disappeared, and he solemnly put the storage ring away. Then, he took out another ring of the same color from the storage ring and threw it back. Using his soul power, he controlled it and steadily slipped it onto the woman's index finger.

This person was naturally Yao Yan. He had scouted the location beforehand for tonight's trip and made some preparations to eliminate any potential trouble.

When it comes to the burning of the imperial seal and the jade of the ancient emperor Tuoshe, one cannot be too cautious.

In fact, with his sixth-grade alchemist level soul power, he didn't need to worry about anyone discovering him. The fact that he had put Xiao Yan's mother to sleep was just a rudimentary application of his soul power. Just like how people easily faint when they lack oxygen, powerful soul power can easily knock people unconscious.

As for Xiao Yan, the protagonist of the original work, he only glanced at him before looking away and did not kill him directly, because there was no need. He did not think that the other party could threaten him. Without the Burning Blade and Yao Lao, Xiao Yan's life was almost set.

If the other party truly possesses the so-called protagonist's luck and rises against all odds... Yao Yan is actually quite looking forward to it!

What remains is the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade... Yao Yan's gaze narrowed slightly. He had already found the whereabouts of this item. Before his soul power, the entire Xiao family had no secrets. That unique Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade was placed in the Xiao family's ancestral hall.

To go or not to go!

Having just obtained the Bone Flame Ring, he hesitated, feeling somewhat worried. However, he quickly dismissed these worries, hardened his heart, and headed towards the Xiao family ancestral hall. The Xiao family guards along the way were as if they were non-existent in his soul perception, unable to detect even the slightest trace of his presence.

Soon Yao Yan arrived at the Xiao family ancestral hall, where there were two guards. However, under the shock of his soul power, the two guards, who were already quite tired, fell into a deep sleep.

He strode in, looked at the memorial tablets, and finally settled on the one at the very top.

As his soul power spread out, the highest memorial tablet slowly moved away, revealing an exquisite brocade box underneath. Under his control, the brocade box floated to Yao Yan's front, and the lid slowly opened, revealing an ancient jade that emitted a strange light. Its surface had strange patterns that sometimes shone and sometimes faded, as if it were breathing.

"Could this Xiao family really be related to that imperial clan?"

Yao Yan muttered to himself, seemingly quite surprised that the item actually existed. After examining it carefully for a while, a look of wild joy appeared on his face: "I'm really lucky. I accidentally ended up in such a remote place and actually managed to encounter the Xiao Clan, who had long since disappeared. If I take this back, those old guys in the Yao Clan will probably go crazy!"

At this moment, he acted with utmost seriousness!

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 80 Acquisition and the Soul-Eating Grass

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Yao Yan felt that every breath was incredibly long, as if everything had been paused. Even after he put the ancient jade into his storage ring, the surroundings remained quiet and still.

Time seemed to have resumed its flow...

Damn, that scared the hell out of me!

After a battle of wits with thin air, Yao Yan's heart was pounding in his throat. Although he knew that Gu Yuan didn't care about the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade, he didn't expect that the other party would really do nothing, letting the Xiao Clan fend for itself, and even ignoring the final whereabouts of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade.

Because there are eight pieces of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade, why are they unmoved?!

How arrogant!

At this moment, Yao Yan inexplicably felt sorry for Hun Tiandi. Such a powerful figure had actually been defeated by the protagonist's halo. Compared to the Soul Clan, Gu Yuan and his ilk were simply a joke, indulging in the glory of the past and thinking that being from a Dou Di family meant they were safe and sound. It was utterly ironic.

It wasn't until the moment when all the other races were wiped out that the remaining races panicked, realized they needed to unite against the Soul Race, and abandoned their former arrogance!

Weakness and ignorance are not obstacles to survival; arrogance is!

The phrase inexplicably appeared in Yao Yan's mind, and his agitated emotions instantly calmed down. He then took out a jade tablet that could store soul power from his storage ring, melted it with the Illusionary Gold Fire, reshaped it, and finally condensed it into the shape of ancient jade. Even the strange glint on it was replaced with moonstone powder.

In the span of a dozen breaths, he forged a piece of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade that was so realistic that it could be mistaken for the real thing.

of course.

The fake here is only meant to fool the Xiao family, but that's enough. He never expected it to fool those in the know. Anyone who has actually seen the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade can tell the difference between real and fake at a glance.

Yao Yan put the fake Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade back in its original place, used his soul power to control the spirit tablet to return to its position, without leaving any trace or aura, and with a flash, he disappeared into the Xiao family's ancestral hall.