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

"Oh, it's no big deal. Your grandpa is in his prime right now, and I still have decades to live. I could even give you and Lin'er another little uncle without any problem."

"Don't worry, leave this to me." Xiao Ting said with a smile. Since relinquishing the heavy responsibility of the family head and breaking through to the Dou Huang realm, Xiao Ting felt much more relaxed.

"Although it's a bit formal to say thank you to you, Grandpa, I can't think of any other words. Thank you, Grandpa. By the way, Grandpa, you're now a four-star Dou Huang, so I suppose the Qingyuan Pill isn't very effective for you anymore, right?"

Xiao Li said that although the Douhuang realm can increase lifespan by a lot, it is still not enough. Only by reaching the Douzong realm can one live to be a figure like an ancestor.

People like Yunshan and Jia Xingtian are determined to break through to the Dou Zong level because the lifespan of a Dou Huang is much shorter than that of a Dou Zong. They both have things they need to protect, so lifespan is extremely important to them.

"It's definitely not that big anymore. Maybe I've taken too much and developed a resistance." Xiao Ting did indeed find that the Qingyuan Pill wasn't as effective as before.

"Hmm~ At least for now, I can make the family eat pills like food. Grandpa, please wait a moment. In the next year, I will refine pills suitable for your cultivation."

Although pills suitable for cultivating lightning-attribute Dou Huang are rare, Xiao Li does have them. It has to be said that the seventh-grade alchemist that Elder Wang encountered has a truly rich lineage.

For alchemists, the most important thing is the strange fire, and the second most important thing is the pill formula. No matter how good the alchemy skills are, it is useless without the pill formula.

"Alright, Grandpa will wait here. By the way, Li'er, take good care of the family, your elder brother, and the clansmen. It's a bit of a waste for this old man to have invested so much."

The gifted younger members of the family deserve more nurturing. You might not know this, but Zhan'er is about to become a father.

Xiao Ting said with a smile.

"Huh? How old is this kid? He just came of age not long ago, how come he's going to be a father already?" Xiao Li was also surprised. The little rascal who used to follow him around was going to be a father!

"What do you think? Your old man, who was still a minor, kidnapped your mother and brought her home. I almost broke his leg. There are no special customs about marriage in our Dou Qi Continent."

"Old men marrying young women, young men marrying old women, polygamy, and polyandry are commonplace. In this world, power is everything," Xiao Ting said slowly.

"That's true. Xiao Zhan already has a son. It seems I'm going to be a grandfather soon. Since he's Xiao Zhan's son, I, as his second grandfather, will naturally have to help him out more."

A top-tier seventh-grade pill, the Profound Bodhi Foundation Establishment Pill—this is a treasure! Not only is its medicinal property mild, but it also possesses extremely strong foundation-building effects. One pill is equivalent to gaining the potential of a Dou Zong!

Xiao Li introduced the Xuanpu Foundation Establishment Pill to Xiao Ting, explaining that it was different from the previous Grade 5 and Grade 6 Foundation Establishment Pills.

Xuanpu Foundation Building Pill is specially formulated for infants and young children. It is mild in nature and its medicinal power penetrates deep into the child's body, stimulating as the child grows.

According to Dan Fang, one Xuanpu Foundation Building Pill is enough to create a Dou Zong powerhouse. It may sound exaggerated, but the facts are all too common!

The Xuanpu Foundation Building Pill is one of the most frequently used pills by large families for their children to build their foundation.

However, above the Profound Foundation Building Pill, there is an eighth-grade pill called the Beginning Pill. The Beginning Pill has even more amazing effects, surpassing the Profound Foundation Building Pill in every aspect.

A child who can take the First Beginning Pill has the potential to become a Battle Master!

Unfortunately, Xiao Li doesn't have the recipe for the First Beginning Pill; he can look for it later.

"Haha, I'll leave the family affairs to you and Lin'er. By the way, Li'er, before I left the family, Lin'er told me that there's a girl in the family whose fighting spirit is fire attribute mixed with a trace of wood."

"Take some time to go home and see if that girl can become an alchemist. You have a better eye than us old folks. Oh, by the way, that little girl should be considered your niece."

Xiao Ting told Xiao Li about what happened at home.

"Oh? Is that so? Haha, let me go and take a look. If there is an alchemist in the family, that would be good. At least I wouldn't need to refine the lower-grade pills."

The Xiao family is now thriving, and Xiao Li is confident that he can produce several Dou Zong and over a dozen Dou Huang within the next twenty years. If Xiao Li's own alchemy skills improve further, becoming a Dou Zun is not out of the question.

"Sigh~ I don't want to think about it anymore, let's cultivate!" Xiao Li began his cultivation; he still loved cultivation as much as ever.

. . . . . .

One year later, in the capital, the Xiao family

"I'm leaving now. Take good care of the family, elder brother. I've preserved a wisp of Yang Fire within you; it can save your life in a critical moment."

Xiao Li patted his elder brother Xiao Lin on the shoulder. He had spent most of the year at the Xiao family. Yun Yun returned to the Yunlan Sect to inherit the position of sect leader, becoming the ninth sect leader of the Yunlan Sect and breaking through to the Dou Huang realm in seclusion.

The previous sect leader, Yunshan, also announced his seclusion, and now the Yunlan Sect is managed by the Grand Elder, Yunji.

"Hey kid, you still don't trust your older brother? Although I'm not as good as you and Grandpa, I'm still an eight-star Dou Wang. Among the Dou Wangs in the Jia Ma Empire, I'm one of the strongest. Besides me, there's also Butler Xia. You can rest assured."

Xiao Lin patted his chest and said, his body radiating a strong aura of menace.

After the Strongest Tournament concluded, Jia Xingtian appointed Xiao Lin, the patriarch of the Xiao family, as the Grand Marshal of Wind and Thunder, and Nalan Jie, the patriarch of the Nalan family, as the Grand Marshal of Lionheart.

Just a year ago, Jia Xingtian ordered Xiao Lin to lead troops to garrison in the western part of the empire for half a year. During those six months, Xiao Lin fought there and killed two Dou Wangs, shocking the entire empire.

Among the four major families of the Jia Ma Empire, the Xiao family is showing signs of becoming the strongest.

However, Xiao Li scoffed at these titles. After Xiao Lin was sent out, the Xiao family encountered challengers who challenged whether the Xiao family's reputation was true.

The newcomers were two Dou Wangs and several Dou Lings, clearly intending to humiliate the Xiao family! Fortunately, Xiao Li returned just in time and casually beheaded the two Dou Wangs, hanging their bodies at the Xiao family's gate.

Afterwards, Xiao Li went to the palace and fought a great battle with Jia Xingtian. He warned Jia Xingtian that if he did such a disgraceful thing again, he would send a Dou Zong and several Dou Huang to kill him!

Jia Xingtian had no choice but to back down. He couldn't afford to offend a sixth-grade alchemist. He hadn't expected that even Yun Shan wouldn't turn against him, but this young man would go berserk!

After more than a year apart, Jia Xingtian discovered that this young man had become a Dou Huang powerhouse. Although there was a significant gap between his cultivation and Xiao Li's, Xiao Li possessed a secret technique to enhance cultivation and had a powerful physical body. He fought Xiao Li to a standstill, and Xiao Li also controlled a dangerous black flame, causing Jia Xingtian considerable suffering.

Jia Xingtian ran into a brick wall, and subsequently resigned from the throne, becoming part of the royal family's foundation. He stopped interfering in matters of public affairs, and only Jia Xingtian himself knew whether he had truly relinquished power.

After resolving the issues in Jia Ma Capital, Xiao Li began to carefully cultivate his family. He discovered that the Xiao family seemed to lose its backbone as soon as Xiao Lin left.

Fortunately, Xia Yilong broke through to the Dou Wang level that year, and he married a woman from the Xiao family, officially becoming a member of the Xiao family.

Chapter 64 The Growth of the Xiao Family

"Don't worry, little brother. Even if I'm not around, Steward Xia can protect the family. Even if Steward Xia can't hold on, the guards you've trained over the past year are more than enough to cover for him," Xiao Lin said with a smile, patting Xiao Li on the shoulder.

"Secret guards, secret guards, of course, are guards who protect the family in secret. They cannot appear at will. Once they are exposed, the secret guards will not be very useful."

Moreover, the Dou Qi Continent is vast, and our Xiao Clan has an extraordinary origin. We will inevitably encounter powerful beings in the future, and only through diligent cultivation can we protect our clan.

Xiao Li spent the past year nurturing the family, refining a Longevity King Pill for each of the older elders to extend their lifespan by three years, and also giving them pills to improve their cultivation.

Those Douling elders had all reached the Douwang level, and some were still in seclusion breaking through. Xiao Li instructed them to hide away, relinquish their important positions, and hand them over to the younger generation in the family.

These elders became the family's secret guards, protecting the Xiao family in secret, and spending the rest of their time cultivating and striving to break through their cultivation levels.

For these elderly people, only if they can break through to the Dou Huang level will they have enough lifespan to protect their families.

Xiao Li gave them everything he could: cultivation pills and high-level Xuan-rank cultivation techniques. Whether they could break through to the Dou Huang realm depended entirely on themselves.

"Big brother, let's go." A pair of black flame wings appeared on Xiao Li's back, and then he flew away.

Xiao Lin looked up at his younger brother as he departed, and sighed, "Ever since my younger brother displayed his extraordinary talent and sacrificed so much for the family, even with two Dou Huangs and several Dou Wangs, it still isn't enough. It seems the family's future enemies are quite formidable."

Could it be a Dou Zun? Or a Dou Sheng? It seems everything depends on this thing.

Xiao Lin was playing with an ancient jade that emitted a strange glow in his hand. Under the sunlight, strange patterns appeared on the surface of the jade.

"Grandpa said this thing belongs to the Xiao family—no! It's the heirloom of the Xiao clan! Even if the clan is destroyed and its people perish, this thing cannot be lost. It seems my little brother has learned something. Cultivate! Strive to break through to the Dou Huang realm before my little brother returns, and give him a surprise!"

Xiao Lin thought to himself, his cultivation is improving rapidly. It's only been a short time since he broke through to the Dou Wang level, and he's already an eight-star Dou Wang. He also has a lot of pills to help him with his cultivation.

If you can't even become a Dou Huang, you might as well go to the Monster Mountain Range and find a fusion ape to spend the rest of your life with.

"Father, Uncle has left?" A young man walked over. This young man was quite handsome and walked with a powerful stride. Most importantly, he looked seven parts like Xiao Lin.

"Zhan'er is here. That's right, your uncle has left. According to him, he will be going to Zhongzhou with the Dou Zun Dean of Canaan Academy." Xiao Lin said calmly. That's right, this young man is Xiao Zhan, the future Yan Emperor's father!

Xiao Zhan's eyes were filled with envy, but he also felt a little disappointed as he said, "I really envy Uncle's talent. It's a pity that I'm not talented enough. I'm almost nineteen years old and I'm only a barely eight-star Dou Shi. I feel a little sorry for the pills Uncle gave me."

Xiao Lin patted Xiao Zhan's head: "Sigh~ If it weren't for your uncle, you would probably only be a Dou Zhe now. And your uncle also said that even if you don't have the talent, he can use pills to make you reach the Dou Zong level."

There are many pills in the Dou Qi Continent that can improve one's aptitude. Some powerful individuals even achieve great things late in life. You don't need to be too nervous. It's just that your progress is slow right now. There is still hope for the future.

I've always felt that Zhan'er has the potential to become a Dou Sheng (Battle Saint)!

Xiao Lin said with a smile, little did he know that his words would actually come true in the future.

"Thank you for your encouragement, Father. By the way, Father, please teach me how to handle family affairs. Since my talent is not outstanding, I will help you with some matters and lighten your burden so that you can focus on your cultivation."

Xiao Zhan may not be outstanding in cultivation talent, but he is exceptionally serious when dealing with family matters. He is very responsible and truly cares about his family.

Xiao Lin nodded: "Good! I don't think your uncle will take over as the head of the family in the future. He has already made himself a Supreme Elder, so he probably doesn't want to be the head of the family."

The responsibility of being the head of this family will eventually fall on your shoulders, but Zhan'er, remember this: as the head of the family, your cultivation must be excellent! Your methods must also be superb, otherwise you'll easily be bullied!

While handling family affairs, don't neglect your cultivation. Although your talent isn't unparalleled, it's still quite good. Cultivate diligently and strive to reach the Dou Ling level before you turn twenty-five.

"I understand, Father. By the way, Father, where is Great-Grandfather?" Xiao Zhan asked.

Xiao Zhan knew that his great-grandfather was still alive and had broken through to the Dou Huang level. As the future young patriarch of the Xiao family, he knew a lot.

“Your great-grandfather is busy with some things and will probably need to stay away for a few years. This matter is also related to your uncle, so don’t worry. By the way, as always, don’t talk about anything related to your great-grandfather.”

Xiao Lin said seriously, after all, not many people knew that Xiao Ting was alive. Even Jia Xingtian thought that Xiao Ting was gone. Who would have thought that Xiao Ting was not only alive, but also broke through to the Dou Huang level, and is now a six-star Dou Huang.

That's right, in just one year, Xiao Ting broke through two stars in the Dou Huang realm.

Xiao Li collected several good pill formulas in the Yunlan Sect's treasury, including one that could enhance the cultivation of a Thunder Attribute Dou Huang. Xiao Ting had improved his cultivation by one star thanks to this pill.

In addition, Xiao Li also had a pill that could help a lightning-attribute Dou Huang improve his cultivation. With the help of these two pills, Old Master Xiao reached the level of a six-star Dou Huang, but this was not his final goal.

Five years. In just five years, Grandpa Xiao will reach the peak of Dou Huang, at which point he can attempt to break through to Dou Zong.

The entire Xiao family is steadily improving. Xiao Li's three cousins, Xiao Lie, Xiao Ying, and Xiao Hu, have all made significant progress, reaching the level of Great Dou Master. Xiao Ying's cultivation has even reached the level of a four-star Great Dou Master.

All three of them were quite accomplished in handling family affairs. Now, most of the older elders of the Xiao family have stepped down from their posts and handed over the affairs to the younger members of the family.

. . . . . .

Yunlan Sect, Sect Master's Hall

The previous sect leader, Yun Shan, went into seclusion to break through to the Dou Zong realm, while the current sect leader, Yun Yun, is breaking through to the Dou Huang realm. The current leader of the Yunlan Sect is the Grand Elder, Yun Ji.

"Elder, the Mo family of Yancheng has offered many fine gifts in hopes of securing a position as a steward of the Yunlan Sect. What is your opinion, Elder?" A white-robed elder stood up and said to Yun Ji.

At this moment, in the main hall of the sect, the elders of the Yunlan Sect gathered for a brief meeting. The old man who was speaking was seated at the back of the table and belonged to the Douling Elder.

Yun Ji frowned: "The Mo family of Yancheng? What kind of family is that? Why are they trying to seize the position of steward of my Yunlan Sect? Are they trying to use the name of my Yunlan Sect to do some dirty deeds? Explain yourself, Yun Ling!"

The old man named Yun Leng was one of the forces that led Yunlan Sect to its destruction. However, Yun Leng had only been a member of the Yunlan Sect's elder council for less than five years, but he was still very dedicated to the sect and did his best to protect its reputation.

Yun Leng's cultivation is also quite good. He currently has the cultivation of an eight-star Dou Ling, and he may be able to try to break through to Dou Wang soon.

"This, Elder..." Yun Leng didn't expect the Elder to ask such a question. He had accepted Mo Cheng's gift and intended to help Mo Cheng, but Yun Leng hadn't thoroughly investigated the Mo family.

"Hmph! Everyone, remember this: Yunlan Sect is a sacred place for cultivation. This place is for quiet cultivation, not for fighting for power and profit. If anyone violates the sect rules, I will not show any mercy. Do you understand?" Yun Ji said sternly, his Dou Huang aura intimidating the entire audience.

"Understood!"

Yun Leng lowered his head, and began to rethink what he wanted to do in the future.

Yun Ji suddenly raised his head: "Hmm? Why is he here? Ahem, everyone, disperse. Remember what I said."

After giving his instructions, Yun Ji left, and the other elders followed suit.

Chapter 65 The World the Dean Talked About

Xiao Li stood atop a mountain in the Yunlan Sect, gazing down at the scene below.

"Sigh~ It seems she hasn't come out of seclusion yet." Xiao Li shook his head, because his soul power could not sense Yun Yun's aura.

“Indeed, he hasn’t left the seclusion.” A voice rang out, and Yun Ji flew over from a distance.

"Elder Yunji, it's been a long time," Xiao Li said, clasping his hands in greeting.

Yun Ji also clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Elder Xiao, you are too kind. The sect leader has indeed not yet emerged from seclusion. Is there anything you wish to say? Perhaps I could convey your message?"

"Then I'll leave it to the Elder. By the way, the pills have been refined: two Imperial Extreme Pills and four Battle Spirit Pills. They're here." Xiao Li handed a storage ring to Yun Ji.

"Yes, thanks to you. With you here, the rise of our Yunlan Sect is just around the corner. The old sect master is currently in seclusion breaking through to the Dou Zong level, and the sect master is breaking through to the Dou Huang level."

Even I, an old man, have benefited from your kindness and am now a four-star Dou Huang. As the Grand Elder of the Yunlan Sect, I express my gratitude to you.

Yun Ji clasped his hands in a salute to Xiao Li.

"Oh! Elder, you're too kind. I am an elder of the Yunlan Sect, and the Yunlan Sect has even used its most treasured resources to support me."

I, Xiao Li, am not an ungrateful person. Helping the Yunlan Sect refine some pills is merely my duty.

"By the way, Elder, if Yun'er emerges from seclusion, tell her I've gone to Zhongzhou and will return after completing my training. Tell her not to worry."

Xiao Li clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yun Ji, and then left.

Yun Ji watched Xiao Li's departing figure, stroked his beard and laughed, "Hehe, as expected, you're still thinking about the sect leader. But when will they get married? I won't feel at ease until they're married."

. . . . . .

Several days later, Canaan College

"Phew, we've finally arrived. Let's hang these two on the Undead Tree."