Battle Through the Heavens: Xiao Yan, I am your second master.

As for taking his life, that's probably impossible. After all, he's an old friend's disciple, and they discovered him long ago. If they wanted him dead, they would have done it long ago. Why keep him alive now?

The old apothecary felt that his only value was his alchemy skills, and he figured he'd have to work for someone else his whole life.

outside world,

Xiao Yan hesitated, but still mustered his courage and asked, "Second Grandmother, has Second Grandfather returned?"

Yun Yun shook her head: "No."

Xiao Yan's heart sank, but he still asked, "Could Second Grandmother help me see what symptoms I have? My Dou Qi cannot be condensed, and it disappears inexplicably every time I finish cultivating."

Yun Yun looked at Xiao Yan and whispered, "Put your arm on the table, and I'll take a look at it for you."

"Yes!" Xiao Yan rolled up his sleeves, revealing his arm, and placed it on the table.

Yun Yun gently placed her jade-like hand on Xiao Yan's pulse and used her Dou Qi to sense his soul power.

“There is nothing wrong with your body; you are perfectly healthy. But I don’t know how your fighting spirit disappeared.”

Yun Yun shook her head. She didn't want to disrupt her husband's plans. She knew Xiao Li must have his own ideas, so she didn't say anything.

Xiao Yan immediately became depressed. He then stood up, bowed to Yun Yun and Zi Yan, and forced an ugly smile onto his face.

"Thank you, Second Madam. Xiao Yan may be a person with little fortune. Please tell Second Grandfather that Xiao Yan may disappoint him."

After Xiao Yan finished speaking, he left, his mood unusually low.

Even the old doctor in the Bone Flame Ring sensed something was wrong. He was really afraid that Xiao Yan couldn't withstand it and would take his own life.

Yun Yun also sighed, but she didn't say anything.

"Sister Yun, why did Xiao Yan's fighting spirit disappear? I feel something's not right," Zi Yan said, stroking her chin.

Yun Yun: "You don't need to worry about Zi Yan's affairs. Xiao Li has his own plans."

Zi Yan nodded: "I know." Then Zi Yan went to Yun Yun's side and said with a smile: "Sister Yun, can I have another Purple Dragon Spirit Pill? I'll take it and go to sleep so I won't say anything, hehe."

Yun Yun shook her head helplessly, then took out a jade bottle from her storage ring: "Go back to your room and eat."

"Okay, Sister Yun is the best." Zi Yan hugged Yun Yun and ran back to her room.

The Purple Dragon Spirit-Nourishing Pill, an eighth-grade pill, can summon at least four-colored pill lightning. It was created by Xiao Li based on Zi Yan's physique. The pill contains extremely strong energy, which can only be absorbed by a powerful body like the Ancient Void Dragon.

However, even the Ancient Void Dragon needs to go into a deep sleep to aid absorption. Note that humans below the Dou Zun level cannot consume it unless they possess a physical body no less powerful than the Ancient Void Dragon, otherwise they will explode and die.

Zi Yan returned to her room and undressed to prepare for bed.

"Aww! So sweet! Xiao Li's pills are so delicious. I'm so sleepy." After Zi Yan poured out the pills and swallowed them, she lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep.

. . . . . .

Meanwhile, inside the Heavenly Tomb, two and a half years had passed.

Like an old monk in deep meditation, Xiao Li's aura grew stronger and stronger. The battle qi he was emitting was completely different from that of a Dou Zun.

Xiao Xuan put his hands behind his back and smiled: "I have successfully advanced. Reaching the level of a half-saint in my thirties is a rare achievement, even during the peak of the Xiao clan."

Chapter 208 Half Saint

(As usual, the third update will be a little later.)

hum-

Xiao Li opened his eyes, and an extremely powerful battle aura was released from his body.

Xiao Xuan smiled faintly, "You've successfully broken through. Not bad for a beginner-level half-saint."

At this moment, Xiao Li's eyes were closed, and a powerful aura surged around him. However, he looked as if he had been turned into a statue, completely still, which even puzzled Xiao Xuan.

"Is this an epiphany? Or something else? I don't think I had anything like this back then. I woke up immediately after breaking through to the advanced semi-saint level. Why is he like this?"

Xiao Xuan crossed his arms and pondered, because his cultivation progress was very smooth back then, and he never encountered any bottlenecks. Xiao Li was already a Dou Sheng at that age, while Xiao Xuan's biggest bottleneck was the Dou Di bottleneck.

At this moment, the clan mark between Xiao Li's eyebrows appeared, and then the drop of Dou Di bloodline in Xiao Li's heart began to boil.

Xiao Li's gaze fell upon the Xiao family, upon the bustling clansmen, upon his elder brother who was cultivating, upon Xiao Zhan who was reviewing clan affairs, and upon Xiao Kong who was drinking tea on the back mountain.

However, Xiao Kong seemed to sense him and nodded with a smile toward Xiao Li's position.

Then Xiao Li's gaze shifted to another place, a range of towering mountains. However, the space above this place was extremely distorted, and a milky white light could be faintly seen seeping out from the distorted space.

Xiao Li's gaze then fell upon the vast hall inside, filled with milky white flames. On this massive hall plaza, which was nearly several thousand feet wide, countless fiery figures stood upright. They made no sound, yet an extremely terrifying aura permeated the space. That aura seemed to merge together, transforming into a giant fiery dragon that hovered above the heads of these fiery figures, exuding murderous intent.

Finally, Xiao Li saw a gaunt figure. He was dressed in the most ordinary clothes, his face was stiff and expressionless, and his eyes were cold, like ice that had never melted for thousands of years.

What's most eye-catching is the enormous, blood-red axe he holds in his right hand, several meters long and looking extremely exaggerated and bizarre! Against the backdrop of this giant axe, his gaunt figure appears somewhat comical.

"That's the Xiao clan's crest!"

Xiao Li noticed the Xiao Clan's clan mark between the man's eyebrows. Then, Xiao Li felt a sense of closeness from his bloodline, especially the Dou Di bloodline in his heart, which was particularly restless!

"Who dares to intrude upon my territory!"

A furious shout shattered Xiao Li's wisp of soul imprint.

"Brother Xiao Xuan of the Xiao Clan"

A glint of clarity flashed in the eyes of the figure wielding the blood axe, and he spoke haltingly.

. . . . . .

In the Heavenly Tomb,

Xiao Li's blank gaze suddenly brightened, and then he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"What happened?" Xiao Xuan asked anxiously.

"It's nothing." Xiao Li wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He seemed to have just caught a glimpse of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame!

“Ancestor, I just saw a living member of the Xiao clan, wielding a giant, blood-red axe! Do you know who he is?”

Xiao Li had already guessed who that person was, but he couldn't say it outright.

"Xiao Chen! You saw Xiao Chen? He's still alive? I searched the whole continent for him back then, but I couldn't find him no matter what I did. Where is he? Where is he now?" Xiao Xuan never expected to hear news of Xiao Chen again. There was still someone alive in the Xiao clan!

"In a special space, filled with milky white flames, it should be the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, ranked third on the Strange Flame Ranking. However, judging from its state, Xiao Chen's ancestor may have been controlled by the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, like a puppet."

Xiao Li recounted Xiao Chen's situation in detail.

"What! The Pure Lotus Demon Flame! Good, good, good! If it weren't for the Soul Clan and the Ancient Clan back then, I would have taken it in long ago. I never expected it to be like this!"

Before Xiao Chen left the clan, he said he would give me a surprise, but he never heard from me again. Heh, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame! Good! Very good! Xiao Xuan clenched his fist, but then relaxed it. He was just barely clinging to life now, and he would die if he left this Heavenly Tomb.

Xiao Li had always known of Xiao Chen's existence, but he didn't know how to get him out. If he could be rescued, it would be of great benefit to the Xiao Clan.

"Ancestor, do you have a way to rescue Ancestor Xiao Chen? It seems that the Pure Lotus Demon Flame has not completely controlled Ancestor Xiao Chen," Xiao Li asked.

“If I were alive, I would naturally have a way to rescue Xiao Chen, but I have no way now. Elder, what is your cultivation level now?” Xiao Xuan suddenly asked.

Xiao Li: "Elder, you have now recovered to the early stage of Seven Star Dou Sheng. Do you have a solution?"

Xiao Xuan frowned: "Seven-star Dou Sheng early stage, that's a bit difficult. If the Grand Elder were still at his peak, it wouldn't be a problem, but it's difficult now."

Xiao Li's heart sank. Did he really have to wait for the Pure Lotus Demon Flame to be activated before he could rescue Xiao Chen?

Isn't that too late?

Xiao Li intended to rescue Xiao Chen as soon as possible, so that he could improve Xiao Chen's cultivation and make the Xiao family safer.

Although Xiao Li wasn't very confident about achieving the ninth-grade Golden Core, he was quite certain about achieving the ninth-grade Profound Core. If he could make good use of the opportunities that came his way, Xiao Li was confident that he could reach the level of a five-star Dou Sheng. At that time, with the soul of a Great Perfection of the Heavenly Realm, he could refine the ninth-grade Profound Core and give Xiao Chen a boost in strength.

Xiao Li remembered that Xiao Chen's combat power was amazing. He fought to a draw with the Soul Demon Elder, who was a late-stage Five-Star Dou Sheng, with the strength of a mid-stage Five-Star Dou Sheng.

A single Grade 9 Xuan Dan can easily elevate someone to the level of a Six-Star Dou Sheng.

Of course, Xiao Li would definitely eat the ninth-grade Xuan Dan himself first, or give it to Zi Yan. After all, if Zi Yan could become a dragon-phoenix, she would have the most powerful physique in the entire Dou Qi Continent. A fully-formed dragon-phoenix could rival a Dou Di.

Zi Yan is a latecomer and needs careful nurturing.

Xiao Xuan pondered something, then looked at Xiao Li: "Do you have any space crystals here?"

“Yes!” Xiao Li took out a silver stone from his storage ring and handed it to Xiao Xuan.

"There really is! You little guy, you're quite the treasure trove. If we have it, maybe we can give it a try!"

Xiao Xuan then used all the power he could to inscribe it onto the spatial crystal.

Space crystals are extremely rare mineral treasures. They are special stones that only form after the space created by a Dou Sheng is destroyed and the Dou Sheng space is weathered over time. Such stones are truly rare and hard to come by, and it is unknown how long it takes for them to be formed.

Xiao Li's spatial crystal came from the collection of the Thousand Demon Saint. It has to be said that the Thousand Demon Saint was a really good person. His legacy was too rich. The entire Xiao Clan and Yin Valley were supported by the legacy of the Thousand Demon Saint.

The Thousand Demon Saint is a really good person, but unfortunately he is a scheming powerhouse. After all, he is a rogue cultivator with a complicated mind. Having such a person around is like having a ticking time bomb; it's best to get rid of him.

Otherwise, Xiao Li would have to sleep with his eyes open.

At this moment, Xiao Xuan was creating a special spatial item. Xiao Li did not disturb him. Instead, Xiao Li turned to look at the two ladies and his grandfather.

After entering the Heavenly Tomb, the Pei sisters and Xiao Ting all made progress in their cultivation. The Pei sisters' cultivation level increased by one star each, reaching the level of a nine-star Dou Zun.

Xiao Ting has reached the peak of the Seven-Star Dou Zun, and with a little more effort, he might be able to reach the Eight-Star Dou Zun.

"How long have I been in seclusion?" Xiao Li asked.

Pei Yuhan: "Two years and five months, we'll be leaving Tianmu in a few months."

"That's it."

Chapter 209 The Soul Emperor's Interest

"It's done." Xiao Xuan refined the spatial crystal into a special spatial artifact.

"Ancestor, are you alright?" Xiao Li looked at Xiao Xuan. Xiao Xuan was no longer young. His temples had turned gray, and the wrinkles around his eyes had deepened, making him look more than thirty years older.

"It's just a bit of a drain on energy, nothing to worry about! Take this and give it to the Grand Elder later. I've left a mark on it, so he knows how to use it. With this spatial treasure, he can enter the Demon Flame Space and rescue Xiao Chen."

Xiao Xuan handed the spatial treasure to Xiao Li.

"Ancestor, did you take the Soul Infant Fruit and the Spirit Dragon Heavenly Herb?" Xiao Li asked, sensing that Xiao Xuan's condition was very poor.

"Not yet, don't worry, I won't die that easily. Didn't you say that a more outstanding young person than you would come in the future? I want to see it with my own eyes."

Xiao Xuan joked that he really didn't want to die yet. Before, when he was wandering in the Heavenly Tomb, he felt that he was worse than dead and hoped that the younger generation of the Xiao Clan would come. However, as time went by, Xiao Xuan gradually lost this hope.

This is also why Xiao Xuan's emotions are abnormally violent, often leading him to confront the spirits of the Heavenly Tomb and frequently leave the tomb to hunt down those energy entities.

It wasn't until Xiao Li and the others entered the Heavenly Tomb that Xiao Xuan sensed the familiar Xiao Clan bloodline, and his former hopes resurfaced.

"Rest assured, ancestors, what our Xiao clan has in abundance is an indomitable spirit. Our Xiao clan will never give up. As long as we grit our teeth and persevere, we will always find a solution. Never giving up and never admitting defeat is the spirit of our Xiao clan!"

Xiao Li said with a firm gaze.

"Never give up, never admit defeat? Hahahaha, good, good! This is the spirit that our Xiao clan men should have! I will teach you some more cultivation techniques and fighting skills in the coming days. Take them out and pass them on to the people of our Xiao clan."

"Let those old guys see that even without the bloodline of a Dou Di, our Xiao clan can still surpass them!" Xiao Xuan said with a smile, patting Xiao Li on the shoulder.

. . . . . .

A few months later

"Judging by the time, you'll be leaving the Heavenly Tomb today. Time really flies," Xiao Xuan said calmly.

This period was one of the few happy times he had in the Heavenly Tomb, but such time was ultimately short-lived.

"Don't worry, Ancestor, I will come again. Please remember our agreement. Next time, there will be even more outstanding little ones coming, and there may be my children. Please take good care of them. When that time comes, you can bring them directly to the Heavenly Tomb and let them keep you company."

Parting is always the hardest thing. Xiao Li could feel Xiao Xuan's pain. He had endured thousands of years of loneliness here, all for the sake of protecting the Xiao clan's heritage.

Xiao Xuan stepped forward, patted Xiao Li on the shoulder, and smiled with satisfaction: "Alright, a real man doesn't need to act like this. You are excellent. Strive to break through to Dou Di. At that time, you might really be able to help me get out of trouble."

And those two girls over there, you're both excellent. Remember to contribute to the Xiao clan's lineage; I love children the most.”

"Definitely." The Pei sisters clasped their hands in greeting to Xiao Xuan. Over the years, they had received a lot of guidance from Xiao Xuan and were naturally very grateful to this ancestor. They also hoped that this ancestor could live on.

"Take care, ancestor!" Xiao Ting said, bowing with his hands clasped.

Suddenly, a violent spatial fluctuation emanated from the four of them, and an irresistible suction force emanated from the surrounding space, as if trying to forcibly pull them into the space.

Ancestor, please take care!

As soon as Xiao Li finished speaking, a large hole instantly opened in the surrounding space, and a surge of suction force swallowed Xiao Li and the other three people in a single gulp.

"Whoo~"

Xiao Xuan sighed, glanced at the spot where the others had been standing, then turned around and walked to the chair above the main hall.