Battle Through the Heavens: The Holy Sun Immortal Venerable

Chapter 123 It was all the work of the Soul Palace!

"Wutan City, I, Xiao Yan, have finally returned..."

"It's been two years, and not much has changed."

He chuckled softly, the faint warmth of returning home softening the gloom on Xiao Yan's face. He lifted his foot and walked quickly toward the street he had walked for over a decade. But for some reason, looking at the somewhat deserted market, Xiao Yan frowned slightly and quickened his pace.

Not quite right.

Under Xiao Yan's management, the Xiao family had already occupied the majority of the market share in Wutan City. The Xiao family's market should not be so deserted!

Xiao Yan traversed several streets with practiced ease. A few minutes later, he suddenly stopped and looked up at the massive courtyard at the end of the street, bearing the words "Xiao Family."

The familiar mansion brought a smile to Xiao Yan's face, but then his expression darkened.

Desolate!

It's so deserted!

The Xiao family, if not dominating Wutan City, should never have ended up like this. What happened?

Xiao Yan quickened his pace, but as soon as he took a step closer, he heard cries and then smelled a strong scent of blood.

"Wait, blood energy!"

Xiao Yan's pupils contracted, his face suddenly turned extremely ugly, and he quickened his pace, even generating bursts of energy. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Yan's figure entered the mansion.

The entire Xiao residence had clearly been cleaned, but Xiao Yan could still see many traces of the battle, and even some lingering battle qi. Many healers hurried through the residence, their expressions sorrowful.

"Who...who are you?"

A childish voice suddenly rang out beside Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan paused slightly and looked in the direction of the voice. A pretty little girl, who looked to be only about twelve or thirteen years old, was staring at him with wide eyes and a face full of hostility.

"you……"

His gaze slowly swept over the little girl, and memories from several years ago rose from the depths of his mind. Xiao Yan's face softened slightly: "I remember, your name is Xiao Qing, right? Cousin Xiao Mei's younger sister. It's been two years since I last saw you, and you've grown so much."

Upon hearing Xiao Yan call out her name, the little girl was clearly taken aback, staring at the vaguely familiar silhouette. She frowned, deep in thought.

After frowning and pondering for a long time, Xiao Qing suddenly remembered something. Her face, which had been staring at Xiao Yan, instantly turned red. Her bright eyes sparkled with surprise and excitement. A moment later, unable to contain her excitement, the little girl suddenly pounced on Xiao Yan.

"Cousin Xiao Yan? It really is you! You're finally back!"

Taking a step forward, Xiao Yan caught the little girl who rushed towards him. He smiled and stroked Xiao Qing's hair, saying gently, "Little girl, it's been two years. You've almost caught up with your sister. You'll definitely grow up to be a great beauty."

"Cousin, sob sob, you're finally back! Something terrible has happened in the clan! The clan leader and the elders are all... all..." Lifting her tear-streaked face from Xiao Yan's arms, Xiao Qing sobbed, her eyes red.

Xiao Yan's body trembled violently, his hands involuntarily gripping Xiao Qing's shoulders. His gaze was fixed on Xiao Qing, his breathing rapid, and his voice hoarse: "What happened to Father?"

Looking at Xiao Yan's extremely ugly, even ferocious, face, Xiao Qing was momentarily terrified and stood frozen in place.

Xiao Yan didn't say much to the little girl, and directly stepped into the house.

At this moment, there are a large number of wounded people in the Xiao residence. Several elders are directing the doctors and servants to treat the wounded and even move the corpses with worried expressions.

"Third Elder!"

Xiao Yan weaved through the crowd and instantly appeared before the Third Elder: "Where is Father? Tell me, where is Father?!"

The Third Elder was clearly caught off guard, and the entire hall fell silent after Xiao Yan's abrupt action, with only the slightly rapid breathing of the injured.

Gazing at that handsome face, which had lost some of its youthful innocence and gained a more rugged look compared to two years ago, the Third Elder suddenly froze, his voice trembling slightly as he asked, "Xiao Yan, is it Xiao Yan?!"

"Third Elder, it really is Young Master Xiao Yan!"

"Young Master Xiao Yan is back! Our Xiao family is saved!" The members of the Xiao family were overjoyed, almost to the point of speaking recklessly.

Looking at that face that still vaguely resembled some familiar features from two years ago, the Xiao family members, who had been extremely tense these past two days, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Instantly, a joyful atmosphere replaced the previous despair, and some of those with weaker willpower couldn't help but cheer.

Xiao Yan's deeds at the Yunlan Sect had already spread throughout the Jia Ma Empire. As the Xiao family's base, Wutan City naturally received the news early on. In the eyes of the Xiao family, Xiao Yan had long been the pride of the family.

After all, this was a defeat of Nalan Yanran, the young sect master of the Yunlan Sect!

Looking at Xiao Yan in front of him, the Third Elder's eyes turned red with excitement, and he almost fell over, but Xiao Yan caught him in time.

"Third Elder, what exactly happened in the clan? How could this be? When I came in just now, Ah Qing told me that Father and the elders were in trouble. What's the situation now?!"

Xiao Yan asked a series of questions. The Third Elder opened his mouth, remained silent for a moment, and then sighed, "Since you left Wutan City, the Xiao family has gradually increased its power in Wutan City with the help of the large number of healing medicines you left behind. However, three days ago, we were suddenly attacked by an unknown powerful figure."

"That man descended from the sky like a demon, killing our Xiao family's strongest guard squad with a single palm strike. The patriarch was furious and led the stronger members of our Xiao family to confront him..."

"However, the strength of the newcomer completely exceeded our expectations. Our eldest brother, second brother, and the clan leader didn't even last a single move against that black-robed expert before they were directly... directly..."

"boom!!"

A terrifying aura burst forth from Xiao Yan's body. His intense emotions even caused the Myriad Spirit Beast Fire to surge and rise from within him. Enveloped in blood-red flames, coupled with Xiao Yan's ferocious face, he looked like a demon!

"What happened?!"

Xiao Yan's voice was hoarse. Although he already had a guess, he still held onto a sliver of hope: "Tell me!"

"The clan leader and the three of us were in the backyard covering the clansmen's attack, but that powerful figure only needed one strike to kill the clan leader, my eldest brother, and my second brother... their bodies were never found," the third elder said through gritted teeth.

"boom!"

A fierce aura suddenly surged up in the hall, and the table next to it shattered instantly. The clansmen who were moving around cleaning up the hall all stared stiffly at Xiao Yan, whose face was contorted with rage.

They certainly understood what this outcome meant for Xiao Yan; the clan leader was not only the clan leader, but also Xiao Yan's father!

Xiao Yan rushed to the backyard like a madman.

He had just lost his teacher a few days ago, and if he were to lose his father now, Xiao Yan didn't know what crazy things he would do or what he would become.

In an instant, Xiao Yan, who was about to erupt like a volcano, arrived at the backyard, only to find it in complete disarray.

The entire Xiao family's backyard seemed to have been crushed by an unparalleled and terrifying force, with all the scenery destroyed and even a large hole blasted into the ground.

Under such a powerful attack, even Xiao Zhan, a Grand Dou Master, would likely be...

"No...no..."

Xiao Yan murmured, his eyes bloodshot, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud, trembling and shaking.

"The remnants of the Soul Clan's battle aura remain here..."

A sudden sound rang out beside Xiao Yan, and two aged figures tore through space and appeared beside him. One of the old men stared at the situation in the backyard and suddenly spoke.

Xiao Yan suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the old man, his face full of ferocity and anger.

"The Soul Clan? What is the Soul Clan?!"

"You little rascal..." The old man sighed softly, looking at Xiao Yan with a complicated expression: "That kind of thing is too early for you. Knowing it now will only do you more harm than good."

"tell me!"

Xiao Yan's voice was completely hoarse and broken, almost like he was going crazy.

"Tell him that the Xiao family patriarch is dead, and as the young patriarch, he will be the future patriarch of the Xiao family." Another elder suddenly spoke up, "He has the right to know such things."

"Are you sure? Our mission is just to protect this kid. What if he finds out something he shouldn't know..."

"There's nothing we shouldn't know. Since those Soul Clan guys have already made their move, it means they've already taken that thing. In that case, not only us, but even Miss, have no reason to stay here any longer."

The old man said calmly, "Next, the young lady will probably be called back by the clan elders. Besides, you know that this kid just lost his master and now he has lost his father."

"If we don't give him some goals... he'll go crazy."

"Mad?" The old man smiled bitterly. "You'd only go mad if you knew."

That's the Soul Clan! They're a terrifying existence among the ancient races, capable of completely rivaling our Ancient Clan. Even our Ancient Clan can only say that it's a 50/50 match against the Soul Clan.

Faced with such a magnificent existence, even a Dou Sheng powerhouse is nothing.

And what about Xiao Yan in front of us?

He's just a Grand Master!

"What kind of riddles are you playing! I know you were sent by Xun'er, but I don't care about that now. Tell me, what is the Soul Clan, where are they, and are they related to the Soul Palace!" Xiao Yan interrupted the two old men, hissing.

Looking at Xiao Yan's appearance, the old man who had spoken first sighed.

"Very well. Kid, the Dou Qi Continent is vast, and it is teeming with powerful individuals. Even those Dou Zong experts who are considered extremely strong in the Jia Ma Empire, or the Dou Zun you saw in the Yunlan Sect, would have to restrain their arrogance once they arrived on the continent."

"Because there are many people on this continent who are stronger than them."

The old man spoke slowly, as if revealing some secret. Xiao Yan took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He must stay calm!

"The Soul Hall you mentioned is an extremely powerful force on this vast continent. Their methods are also very strange, with their main task being to collect souls. On this continent, they are like soul cleaners. Any powerful soul that has left the body will be sensed by them, and then they will send people to intercept and kill it mysteriously."

"teacher……"

Xiao Yan murmured to himself, "The reason my teacher was taken away is probably because he is a soul, and he was targeted by those people from the Soul Palace!"

"Of course, although the Soul Palace has a great reputation, it is nothing compared to the Soul Clan."

The old man spoke eloquently, but when he spoke of the Soul Clan, even he couldn't help but show a solemn expression: "Because the Soul Palace was founded by the people of the Soul Clan!"

"There are extremely strong traces of Soul Clan, or rather, Soul Palace members' battle aura, in your backyard. They are the ones who made the move... I know you are very angry, but kid, you must calm down. Putting aside the Soul Clan, even the weakest protector in the Soul Palace is a Dou Zong level expert. With your current strength, going to cause trouble for the Soul Palace is just suicide."

"You should understand what I mean. Although your life or death is insignificant to me, you are very important to Miss."

Xiao Yan's body jolted violently.

Xun'er...

"Don't even think about making a move on Miss." Another old man said calmly, "Although Miss cares about you, you are as weak as an ant. There are countless geniuses in the clan waiting for Miss. Compared to them, you are nothing."

"Besides, Miss is about to return to her clan. If you're thinking of using her for revenge or anything like that, you should forget about it."

"Use Xun'er for revenge? This is my revenge!" Xiao Yan suddenly raised his head, glaring angrily at the old man: "I won't let them get away with this!"

"I will grow up quickly and take my revenge. The Soul Palace and the Soul Clan both deserve to die!"

"...Very good eyesight, and very good words," the old man said calmly, "but to achieve that is not easy."

"Old Ji, what happened to the Xiao family is of great importance. I'm going to report to the elders of the clan first. You stay here and watch over this kid for now."

Having said that, without receiving a response from the old man or Xiao Yan, he directly tore through space, stepped into it, and disappeared.

The old man, referred to as Lao Ji, looked helpless and shook his head at Xiao Yan.

"I also need to go and report to the young lady first. You'd better pray for yourself from now on."

The Xiao family's "key" was suspected to have been seized by a powerful member of the Soul Clan, causing the Xiao family's value to plummet. Even if Xun'er valued Xiao Yan highly, it was only Xun'er who truly cared for him.

To be honest, these old guys from the ancient clans wished Xiao Yan dead. How could a pathetic brat without imperial blood, with a bleak future and no power, be worthy of their clan's prodigy?!

Perhaps only after Xiao Yan dies will Xun'er, the young lady of the ancient clan, regain her composure and turn her attention back to the geniuses of the Dao clan.

"Elder Ji, there's no need for further words. I understand."

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, cupped his hands in greeting to Elder Ji, who glanced at him with a complicated expression, tore through space, and stepped inside, leaving behind a sigh.

"You'd better watch yourself."

"Take care of yourself..."

Staring at the closed spatial rift, Xiao Yan clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his fingertips sank into his palms, and blood flowed out, but he didn't even notice.

"Without strength, one is powerless and can do nothing."

Xiao Yan murmured to himself. At this moment, he once again felt the same helplessness and yearning for power he had felt three years ago in the Xiao family hall when he faced Nalan Yanran!

"Power! I need power!"

With a deep roar in his heart, fueled by hatred and rage, Xiao Yan made his most urgent request to himself!

"I can't stay in the Xiao family any longer. I need power. The capital... no, the capital doesn't have the power I need. The place I need to go... should be Canaan Academy!"

With a surge of fighting spirit at his fingertips, Xiao Yan took out a map from his storage ring and stared at it intently.

"Xiao Yan..."

The Third Elder cautiously called out to Xiao Yan. He could clearly sense that something was wrong with Xiao Yan's condition, but he didn't know how to comfort him.

With her father dead, any words of comfort seemed so pale and powerless.

Watching Xiao Yan's retreating figure, the Third Elder remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, "Calm down, Xiao Yan. At least, at least we're still here, the Xiao family is still here, and you're still here too."

"Third Elder."

Xiao Yan suddenly raised his head and looked at the Third Elder: "The Xiao family can no longer stay in Wutan City. With Father, the First Elder, and the Second Elder dead, our clan no longer has enough strong individuals. If we continue to stay in Wutan City, what awaits our Xiao family, besides suppression and coercion from other families, is the danger of annihilation!"

"Don't think about me. I still need to cultivate. I'll be leaving in a couple of days. Besides, I can't stop this chaos at all."

The chaos Xiao Yan spoke of was naturally the impending war!

"The Xiao family..." The Third Elder hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"The Xiao family is the culmination of my father and grandfather's efforts, and I will never watch it wither away!" Xiao Yan said in a deep voice. "I wonder if my words still hold true in the current Xiao family?"

"Calculate!"

The Third Elder's face froze for a moment, but without the slightest hesitation, he said solemnly, "At this moment, facing a desperate situation, only Xiao Yan, standing before us, has the ability to pull the Xiao family out of the mire."

"Alright, tomorrow, the entire Xiao family will move to the capital. I am a close friend of the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, and he will arrange everything for you after you enter the capital," Xiao Yan said in a deep voice.

Although the alliance's plan was put on hold because Yun Yun broke through to the Dou Zong realm, Xiao Yan believed that his relationship with Hai Bodong was enough for the Mittel family to protect the Xiao family.

"To the capital?" The Third Elder was slightly taken aback. "That far?!"

The capital city and Wutan City are separated by most of the empire. It took Xiao Yan three to five days to fly there. If the entire Xiao family were to relocate, it would take at least half a month, or even a month.

"This is the only place I consider safe, with the protection of powerful figures. Third Elder, you should also know the current situation. If the capital is in chaos, then the rest of the Gama Empire would probably have already become a living hell."

"Alright..." The Third Elder nodded in acceptance, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "When shall we begin our departure?"

Xiao Yan said in a deep voice, "Depart immediately, in batches. Family members and younger members without combat power should go first. We will travel directly on flying magical beasts!"

"Furthermore, from now on, Third Elder, you will begin to organize all the affairs of the Xiao family, all the property, take everything that can be taken away. As for those dozen or so markets, I will let Demitr Auction House manage them, and then the profits will be split with them."

"After I've spoken with the Mittel Auction House, I'll leave immediately. The most important thing about the clan is still up to you, Third Elder."

"Don't worry," the Third Elder replied.

"besides……"

Xiao Yan's expression was solemn as he issued orders methodically. Although he was furious and his mind was almost consumed by anger and hatred, he knew he had to be rational and stay clear-headed.

Looking at Xiao Yan in this state, the Third Elder was momentarily dazed.

Is this still the same little guy?

……

(End of this chapter)