Chapter 323: The Three Brothers Reunite
In the Western Sky Continent, Luoshui City
Led by Luo Yang and a group of Luoshen Clan guards, Xiao Tiance, Xiao Xuan, and the others arrived at a stunningly ornate palace.
Inside the grand hall, Luo Yang respectfully clasped his hands and said, "Lord Tiance, this is the finest guest palace of our Luoshen Clan. Please let me know if it meets your satisfaction."
The palace was extraordinarily beautiful, far surpassing Xiao Tiance's Tiance Residence back in the Dou Qi Continent. The walls were adorned with elegant paintings of noblewomen and spiritual energy infused scrolls. The furnishings included spirit artifacts, and most impressively, the palace was surrounded by a seventh grade Spirit Gathering Array. The spiritual energy within was so rich that anyone below the Supreme level residing here might reach it within a year or two.
"This place is excellent. Thank you, Young Leader Luo Yang," Xiao Tiance said with a slight smile.
"You flatter me, Lord Tiance. Someone of your stature would be treated with the utmost respect no matter where you go in the Great Thousand World," Luo Yang replied with a polite smile.
His words were not without merit. While the strongest figures in the Great Thousand World were celestial grade Heavenly Supremes, Xiao Tiance, though not yet at that level, was already immensely powerful.
A peak Earth Supreme like Xiao Tiance was formidable enough to command respect across the realm. Even the ancient divine clans would tread carefully around someone of his strength. Moreover, forging friendships with individuals on the cusp of the Heavenly Supreme realm was an opportunity few would pass up.
For the Luoshen Clan, a second tier power in the Great Thousand World, gaining the favor of someone like Xiao Tiance could be a strategic advantage especially in their ongoing conflict with the Blood God Clan.
If Luo Yang had known that Xiao Tiance had already extorted a low grade sacred artifact from the Blood God Clan, he might have been even more eager to curry favor. After all, the Blood God Clan was their mortal enemy, and an enemy's enemy often became an ally especially one they couldn't afford to offend.
Returning to the present, Xiao Tiance waved a hand dismissively and turned his thoughts to the Tianqiong Academy's headmaster and their group. He looked at Luo Yang and said, "Young Leader Luo Yang, may I invite some companions to stay here as well? This palace is large, and we won't fill it with just the few of us."
"Of course. If you stay here, this palace is yours for as long as you wish. You may invite whomever you like to join you," Luo Yang replied promptly.
"That's good."
Xiao Tiance nodded and then turned to Zhang He. "Zhang He, please invite the headmaster and the others to join us here. I won't be going personally."
"Yes, Lord Tiance. I'll go immediately," Zhang He said. Although he hadn't fully recovered from his injuries, Xiao Tiance's earlier treatment had restored enough of his strength for him to move freely.
At this, Luo Yang interjected, "Lord Tiance, may I ask if the headmaster you mentioned is the Iron Blood Scholar from Tianqiong Academy in the Tian Cang Continent?"
"That's correct," Xiao Tiance confirmed. "Along with him, there are people from Lingjian Mountain and Tianluo Hall. I traveled here to Luoshui City with them."
"Ah! So it really is the Tianqiong Academy Headmaster, along with the leaders of Lingjian Mountain and Tianluo Hall!" Luo Yang exclaimed, visibly excited.
The chance to connect with Earth Supremes was too valuable to pass up. The Blood God Clan now had three Earth Supremes, with several others nearing that rank. The Luoshen Clan, on the other hand, had only two his father, Luo Tianshen, and an elderly ancestor whose life was nearing its end.
If the Luoshen Clan couldn't bolster their ranks of Earth Supremes soon, they would be no match for the Blood God Clan. This was why the Luoshen Clan had offered palaces to powerful outsiders for the upcoming ancient secret realm it was a gamble to secure alliances.
Luo Yang's excitement didn't escape Xiao Tiance's notice. He couldn't help but think, Your future son in law is incredibly capable you don't need to grovel like this.
But upon reflection, Xiao Tiance decided to let the present circumstances play out. The future was the future, and for now, the Luoshen Clan was in no position to stand against the Blood God Clan.
"If you're willing to make the trip personally, then I'll leave it to you," Xiao Tiance said graciously.
Perhaps it was his goodwill toward Luo Li that gave him a favorable impression of Luo Yang.
"It's no trouble at all, Lord Tiance. I'll head there immediately and return to chat with you later."
After respectfully bowing, Luo Yang departed with his entourage.
Once he was gone, Xiao Xuan, seated next to Xiao Tiance, remarked, "I didn't expect the Great Thousand World to be so similar to the Dou Qi Continent strength reigns supreme. To think that the future leader of the Luoshen Clan would show us such deference."
Xiao Tiance chuckled. "Brother Xuan, no matter where you go, strength speaks loudest. Power commands respect.
"The Luoshen Clan is cornered by the Blood God Clan. Luo Yang's courtesy is just a bid to gain our favor. In the future, they may seek our help.
"Still, I find his humility refreshing. As the young leader of the Luoshen Clan, he's willing to lower himself to win allies. If he survives long enough, he might very well restore the Luoshen Clan to its former glory."
His words carried clear admiration for Luo Yang. Xiao Xuan and Gu Xun'er exchanged glances, recognizing that Xiao Tiance didn't often hold people in such high regard.
Xiao Xuan smirked. "Hmph. Strength is indeed the only hard truth. If I could return to my peak, I wouldn't fear those Blood God Clan scum. Even if I couldn't defeat them outright, I'd make sure I could escape unscathed."
His fists clenched tightly, frustration evident in his voice. Of all the hardships in his life, the time spent under the shadow of the Blood God Clan was the most humiliating. Even knowing that Xiao Tiance had extorted a sacred artifact from them didn't lessen his personal grudge.
"One day, the Blood God Clan will pay."
"Brother Xuan, why waste energy being upset over the past? Didn't you say before that you'd use the Blood God Clan as practice? Let them serve as the stepping stones to establish your name in the Great Thousand World.
"If that's the case, why not wait until your strength recovers before picking a fight with them? I certainly won't stop you.
"Also, since the Luoshen Clan has deep seated enmity with the Blood God Clan, if you're looking for allies, I'd suggest showing more goodwill toward Luo Yang when he comes back later. Trust me, once he learns about your grudge against the Blood God Clan, he'll be more than happy to curry favor with you," Xiao Tiance said with a chuckle, both comforting Xiao Xuan and offering him a suggestion.
Hearing this, Xiao Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I'll have a good chat with Luo Yang when he returns."
"That's the spirit."
Xiao Tiance turned to Gu Xun'er with a teasing smile. "Xun'er, your brother Xiao Yan owes Luo Tianshen, the Luoshen Clan leader, a great favor. Don't you want to help him repay it?"
"Ah!"
Gu Xun'er jumped, startled that the topic had shifted to her. Flustered, she quickly replied, "Uncle Tiance, my Brother Xiao Yan can repay his debts on his own. I believe he's more than capable of settling things with the Luoshen Clan.
"As for me, my only concern right now is rescuing Lord Tianluo. Knowing he's trapped in the Western Sky Battle City alone makes me uneasy."
Xiao Tiance nodded and waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, girl. Lord Tianluo is in no immediate danger. I placed a restriction in his mind; if he's ever in serious peril, I'll know.
"The reason we couldn't locate him earlier is likely because the Western Sky Battle City exists within the Small Western Sky Realm, a pocket dimension that blocks the tracking connection between his token and ours.
"Now that we've confirmed his location in the Western Sky Battle City, there's no need to worry. Compared to a ninth grade Supreme puppet like Tianluo, Ling Longzi, one of the Four Sons, holds far greater value to them."
Xiao Xuan nodded in agreement. Ling Longzi was not only an Earth Supreme but also one of the hall's most important figures, with the Western Sky Battle Emperor as his mentor. Using him as leverage to exchange for Tianluo seemed entirely feasible.
However, Xiao Xuan remained cautious. If it came to that, the Western Sky Battle Emperor might intervene. Though Xiao Tiance was incredibly strong, could he stand against a celestial grade Heavenly Supreme?
Sensing Xiao Xuan's unease, Xiao Tiance smiled confidently and said, "Brother Xuan, you're overthinking it. After meeting with Tianming, you'll all need to focus on assimilating your Dou Qi into spiritual energy. Once you recover, your strength should range from upper Earth Supreme to peak Earth Supreme.
"If I were alone at peak Earth Supreme, the Western Sky Battle Emperor might consider taking action. But with all of you back in top form, even he would think twice before starting a conflict with us.
"Besides, you know me. I don't take risks without careful preparation. Once I've decided to do something, I always have contingency plans.
"The Western Sky Battle Emperor may be powerful, but he's not invincible. He's still a celestial grade Heavenly Supreme, not a saint grade Heavenly Supreme. With my current strength, I'm not entirely without the means to fight him."
"Phew!"
Xiao Xuan let out a long breath, visibly more relaxed after hearing Xiao Tiance's words. Still, he didn't want Xiao Tiance to shoulder all the burden in the Great Thousand World.
With a firm nod, Xiao Xuan said, "Alright, Tiance. We'll recover our strength as soon as possible so we can help you when the time comes."
"Hahaha! Brother Xuan, are you feeling pressured because I've been holding the spotlight?" Xiao Tiance laughed and teased.
"You brat. No matter how strong you get, you'll always call me Brother Xuan!"
Just as he finished speaking, an excited voice came from outside the room.
"Tiance! Brother Xuan! It's really you!"
Xiao Tianming ran inside, beaming with excitement. Spotting Xiao Tiance and Xiao Xuan, he rushed forward and hugged them both.
"You're alright that's all that matters," Xiao Xuan said, patting Xiao Tianming on the back, his joy evident. Among everyone who had come from the Dou Qi Continent to the Great Thousand World, Xiao Tianming had been his greatest worry. Now, he could finally relax.
"Heh, with Brother Xuan looking out for me, of course I'm fine," Xiao Tianming said with a cheeky grin.
"Uncle Tianming!"
Gu Xun'er stepped forward to greet him politely after the men had exchanged greetings.
"Hahaha, so Tiance found you too, Xun'er. That's wonderful!" Xiao Tianming said with a hearty laugh. Then, his expression turned serious as he added, "By the way, Xun'er, I heard about a certain peak ninth grade Supreme named Xiao Yan who fought against the Power God Clan outside Luoshui City. He even managed to escape from a lower Earth Supreme. If I'm not mistaken, that must be your Brother Xiao Yan."
Hearing this, Gu Xun'er tensed up immediately. "Uncle Tianming, do you know if my Brother Xiao Yan was injured?"
"I heard he took some minor injuries, but there's no need to worry. Xiao Yan is an exceptional alchemist those wounds won't slow him down," Xiao Tianming replied reassuringly.
"Don't worry, girl," Xiao Tiance added. "Xiao Yan's survival skills are probably better than yours.
"With his restless nature, I suspect he'll show up at the upcoming ancient secret realm. You'll likely see him there."
Reassured by Xiao Tiance's words, Gu Xun'er finally relaxed.
At that moment, Luo Yang entered with the Tianqiong Academy Headmaster and his group. Bowing respectfully, Luo Yang said, "Lord Tiance, I've brought the Tianqiong Academy Headmaster and the others."
"Hahaha! Tiance, you're true to your word. When Young Leader Luo Yang came to invite us, I guessed it must be you!" the Headmaster said with a laugh.
"Greetings, Lord Tiance," said Wan Sui and Liu Changkong, bowing respectfully.
"You don't need to be so formal," Xiao Tiance said with a smile. Turning to Liu Changkong and Wan Sui, he added, "Make yourselves comfortable."
Then he gestured toward Xiao Xuan and Gu Xun'er. "Let me introduce you. This is my cousin, Xiao Xuan, and this is Gu Xun'er, who can be considered a junior of mine.
"They were both strong in the past but have yet to fully convert their Dou Qi into spiritual energy, so their power hasn't been restored."
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