dmims 801. Renewed Dispute
801. Renewed Dispute
"What happened to Second Brother Xiao Li, and the dangers faced by the other members of the Xiao family, is all my fault for not protecting them properly. I have let down Brother Xiao Yan's trust, and I am so sorry..."
Xun'er's voice choked with sobs, filled with self-blame and pain, a sound that would break anyone's heart. She even timidly stopped a short distance from Xiao Yan, not daring to approach him.
"Xun'er doesn't expect Brother Xiao Yan to forgive me, she only begs Brother Xiao Yan not to send me away. This trip to the Heavenly Tomb is extremely dangerous! Let me stay by your side to ensure your safety this time..."
Xiao Yan felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart tightly, causing him immense pain. He wasn't blind; he naturally knew the enormous sacrifice Xun'er had made by publicly declaring her separation from the ancient clan and representing the Xiao clan. This affection was too heavy for him to ignore.
He opened his mouth, but the comforting words, "It has nothing to do with you," stuck in his throat, impossible to utter. But looking at Xun'er's tear-streaked face, he couldn't bring himself to say anything harsher either. His second brother's death and the family's suffering weighed heavily on his heart, rendering him unable to offer Xun'er any warmth, leaving only silence.
However, while Xiao Yan and Xun'er fell silent, commotion also broke out in the Soul Clan's ranks.
"Ahem!"
At the forefront of the Soul Clan's ranks, the figure who had been silently standing behind Soul Jade, shrouded in a wide black robe, slowly took a step forward. The enormous black robe almost completely concealed his figure, but this was the Soul Clan's usual style, and no one had noticed anything unusual before. Now, however, his voice drew everyone's attention.
Hunyu's signature playful smile deepened. He turned slightly to the side, seemingly giving the black-robed man center position, his eyes filled with a sense of anticipation for a good show.
The man in black robes then walked to the center of the arena and briefly scanned the entire area.
"Gentlemen, now that the quotas for the Ancient Clan and the Xiao Clan have been decided, let's not waste any more time. Let's discuss the next steps."
From within the Soul Clan, a figure who had remained hidden in a black robe emerged, unnoticed by anyone before. He suddenly spoke, and neither the Soul Clan leader nor Soul Jade, clearly the clan's most outstanding prodigy, stopped him from continuing. On the contrary, Soul Jade's eyes held a hint of anticipation and mockery.
"What do you mean?"
Gu Zechuan was already overwhelmed by Xiao Yan's situation, his face so dark it could drip water. Seeing the Soul Clan suddenly launch an attack, his brows furrowed even more. The Soul Clan was known for its secretive and ruthless methods, never playing by the rules. Their intervention at this crucial moment, after Xiao Yan's outburst, was definitely not just a simple matter of discussing the progress of the operation.
If the Soul Clan were to truly make a move, the commotion they would cause would be no less than that of Xiao Yan. However, even with the Soul Clan's surprise attack on the Flame Clan, the attitude of the higher-ups remains somewhat ambiguous, and this kind of unresolved matter is the most difficult to handle.
"I also feel that this spot is somewhat inappropriate, and I want to compete for it!" the man in black robes continued.
"Um?!"
Looking at the man, Xiao Yan felt a strange sense of unease; he inexplicably felt that this person was extremely dangerous. He even sensed a considerable degree of hostility from the man's earlier glance.
"You cowardly junior, even my patience has its limits. Does the Soul Clan think they can set their sights on my Ancient Clan?"
Upon hearing this, the man in black robes suddenly smiled and said, "Don't misunderstand, I have no objection to the allocation of the spots this time."
"The spot I want to compete for is... for the Flame Clan!"
The man in black slowly raised his hand, then removed the hood covering his head, revealing his true face. His features were young and handsome, yet strangely pale. However, these details were subconsciously ignored, because compared to these minor matters, his identity was what truly shocked everyone present.
"What the hell! Am I seeing things?"
"How is that possible?"
"Isn't this Huo Xuan of the Yan Clan?"
"How did he end up in the Soul Clan's ranks?"
Huo Xuan, the most dazzling genius of the younger generation of the Yan Clan, went missing after the Yan Clan was attacked by the Soul Clan. Everyone assumed he had perished in that catastrophe. Now, he is standing here alive and well, and on the side of the Soul Clan!
"Among the Yan Clan, there should be one spot that belongs to me." Huo Xuan suddenly smiled mysteriously.
The moment Huo Zhi saw that face, she was struck dumb, her mind went blank, and her body swayed uncontrollably, almost losing her balance. It was Huo Xuan, her cousin with whom she had grown up since childhood, someone she considered like a brother!
Although Huo Xuan and she were not biological siblings, they had grown up together since childhood because Huo Xuan was a prodigy of the Yan Clan. To her, Huo Xuan was an extremely important older brother.
His face was etched in her memory!
But in the next instant, an even colder chill shot from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head!
No! Something's not right!
Although the face was exactly the same, the eyes lacked the usual fiery confidence of Huo Xuan. Instead, they were filled with indifference. That look could never belong to her cousin Huo Xuan!
Yan Chao also frowned. His experience told him that the current "Huo Xuan" was completely different from the Huo Xuan of the past.
"You're not Huo Xuan!" Huo Zhi's voice was filled with sharp anger as she took a step forward and pointed at "Huo Xuan".
"Brother Huoxuan would rather die than stand with those bastards from the Soul Clan! Who are you?! And where is Brother Huoxuan?"
"Don't you understand?"
"I am Huo Xuan, the pride of the Yan Clan!"
Huo Xuan gave a strange smile, and suddenly stretched out his pale hand.
A domineering and incomparable black flame, containing terrifying destructive power, surged violently from his palm without warning.
An extremely powerful force of decay and destruction erupted from the core of the flames, instantly startling everyone present. That pure aura of decay impacted everyone there.
"Hiss—Eight Desolate Annihilation Flame!"
This time, the exclamations were even louder.
This flame was already quite familiar to everyone present; it was the powerful Strange Flame ranked sixth on the Strange Flame Ranking, the Eight Desolate Annihilation Flame!
This flame has always been a signature flame of the Yan Clan, traditionally passed down to core members of the clan. Over a decade ago, Huo Xuan displayed talent far surpassing his peers within the Yan Clan, earning him the right to inherit the Eight Desolate Annihilation Flame. After the Yan Clan was ambushed by the Soul Clan, there was no news of Huo Xuan, leading all the surviving members of the Yan Clan to believe he had fallen victim to the Soul Clan's cruelty. Now, this Eight Desolate Annihilation Flame is sufficient proof of Huo Xuan's identity.
He really is Huo Xuan himself!