Chapter 271: Father and Son Reunite

Chapter 271: Father and Son Reunite

Xiao Tian said, "Xiao Diao, open the seal."

Hearing this, Xiao Diao threw out the blood feather, tearing through the sealing barrier. Xiao Tian summoned the Ancestor Stone into his hand.

"Hum!"

Under Xiao Tian's control, a gentle white light emanated, purifying the emerging flower fragrance. The light enveloped them as they entered the cave. Xiao Tian first absorbed the Eternal Phantom Flower into the Ancestor Stone, then directed the stone's gentle glow to wrap around the Tian Yao Diao Clan leader.

"Sizzle, sizzle!"

In the next moment, the leader's rock-like body began to tremble slightly. Tiny wisps of black gas seeped out from his pores, carrying a strange scent that made one feel drowsy just by inhaling. However, these black wisps vanished upon contact with the white light, being completely purified.

As the illusionary fragrance was cleansed, a look of confusion appeared on the Tian Yao Diao Clan leader's face. Clearly, he was starting to sense something was wrong with the illusion.

"Brother Xiao Tian, why hasn't my father woken up yet?" Xiao Diao asked anxiously, seeing his father still sitting there.

"Waking up will take some time; otherwise, it could damage his mind," Xiao Tian explained. "Let's go and rescue the other elders first."

"Alright," Xiao Diao nodded.

The two then retraced their steps, cleansing the other elders. Once they had finished, they touched the darkness again, and ripples spread out. This time, however, no cave appeared. But both of them could feel a deeply ancient and powerful presence behind it.

Xiao Tian knew that was where the Lord of Space was in seclusion. The Tian Yao Diao Clan was one of the four dominant clans of the demon race because of their connection to the Lord of Space.

They didn't venture further but returned to the Tian Yao Diao Clan leader's seclusion spot. Just as they arrived, they saw the leader slowly open his eyes. The moment he did, a vast storm of energy surged forth.

"Father!" Xiao Diao shouted excitedly.

Hearing Xiao Diao's voice, the majestic figure trembled slightly and turned his head. Seeing Xiao Diao, he smiled and said, "Ah Diao, thank you for coming to save me!"

He then looked at the profound Xiao Tian standing beside him and said, "Thank you for your help, sir."

Xiao Tian waved his hand and replied, "No need for thanks, Clan Leader. I consider Xiao Diao my brother. If his father is in trouble, I won't just stand by."

"It's a blessing for our Tian Yao Diao Clan that my son has a brother like you!" the clan leader said gratefully.

"Don't celebrate too soon, Clan Leader. Your clan has been heavily infiltrated by the Evil Demons," Xiao Tian warned. "A hundred years ago, Xiao Diao was nearly killed by the Evil Demons. Now, both you and many elders have been trapped in illusions by the Evil Demon's Eternal Phantom Flowers. They haven't killed you because they want to use your clan's power to stir up trouble in the demon domain. Otherwise, you'd all be dead by now."

"What? Our clan has fallen to such a state?" The clan leader was shocked by Xiao Tian's words. He couldn't believe that in just a hundred years, not only had his son almost died, but his entire clan was on the brink of being taken over.

Furious, the clan leader vowed, "If I find out who the traitor is, I will kill him!"

"Father, tomorrow is the day to decide the true candidate for the next clan leader!" Xiao Diao reminded. "All the clan members will be there. We can catch the traitor red-handed. But first, we should inform the elders in the Celestial Cave about the situation."

"Alright!"

The next day.

At the Tian Yao Diao Clan's ancestral hall.

On normal days, the ancestral hall was a heavily guarded area, off-limits to everyone. But today, it was bustling with clan members because they were going to decide the true candidate for the next clan leader. The atmosphere, however, was tense and divided.

The clan members were split into two groups: one supporting Xiao Diao and the other supporting Wu Jiuyou.

"Where is your precious Young Clan Leader? Is he too scared to show up?" someone from Wu Jiuyou's side taunted.

"Why don't you tell us?" one of Xiao Diao's loyal followers shot back. "I seriously suspect you did something to Xiao Diao!"

"Watch your mouth, Wu Chong! We're all clan members. Why would we harm our own?" Wu Jiuyou retorted coldly.

Wu Chong scoffed, "Wu Jiuyou, you were just a tagalong for Brother Xiao Diao."

"That was a long time ago," Wu Jiuyou sneered. "Now Xiao Diao is no match for me."

As the two sides argued, ten elders appeared on the steps of the ancestral hall. Since the clan leader went into seclusion, these elders had been managing clan affairs. Leading them was an old man in a gray robe, with white hair and a childlike face, his eyes flashing with wisdom and a powerful aura.

This man was the Grand Elder, Zhu Li.

"Everyone knows why we're here. The clan leader has been in seclusion for a hundred years, and the clan needs a candidate to handle its affairs," Zhu Li began. "Currently, Xiao Diao and Wu Jiuyou are the candidates, but the elder council couldn't decide. So, we need a duel to determine the winner!"

"But Xiao Diao isn't here. There's no need for a duel," someone from Wu Jiuyou's side suggested.

"Grand Elder, I suspect Xiao Diao's disappearance has something to do with Wu Jiuyou's people!" Wu Chong accused.

"That's nonsense!" Wu Jiuyou's supporter shouted. "Wu Jiuyou treats everyone well. He would never do such a thing!"

"Then where is Xiao Diao?" Wu Chong challenged.

"Right here!" a voice rang out. Figures appeared in the sky, causing everyone to look up in shock.

"Greetings, Clan Leader!" the clan members greeted in unison.

"Rise," the Tian Yao Diao Clan leader commanded, then turned to Zhu Li, "Grand Elder, you have disappointed me."

"Clan Leader?" Zhu Li was confused, not understanding why he was being reprimanded.

(End of Chapter)