Chapter 30: Shock from the Other World

"Hahahaha! Congratulations, Senior Xiao Yan, on your breakthrough in strength!"

Liu Huabai and the great elder of the Liu family, Liu Xincheng, smiled broadly and clasped their fists in congratulation.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan returned the smile warmly, exchanged a few casual words, and then departed the ruined site with them.

Inside the Liu family's meeting hall, Xiao Yan and Liu Huabai sat in the head seats. Xiao Yan, still smiling, casually looked at Liu Huabai, who had been intently watching him. Finally, Xiao Yan asked:

  "I wonder what Master Liu wants to say. If you have something on your mind, just tell me directly—I'm sure you wouldn't say anything unpleasant."

At these words, Liu Huabai's pupils contracted slightly and his expression became momentarily uneasy. After a long pause as his thoughts raced, he managed a smile and said:

  "Yes, you're right. I do have a few questions I'd like you to explain."

As Liu Huabai spoke, his gaze took on a somewhat evasive quality, but Xiao Yan paid little heed. He already knew that Liu Feng's attempts (as seen on the golden plaque) to force him to swear the Heavenly Thunder Oath would eventually reveal the Liu family's true intentions. After all, the Heavenly Thunder Oath was originally meant to restrain Xiao Yan—but he had discovered its secret, or else he would have become a puppet of the Liu family. Now, with the two Nine Heavens Divine Thunders in play, Liu Huabai wished to know exactly what Xiao Yan was doing in the golden plaque.

Though Xiao Yan felt a twinge of dissatisfaction at being pressed with questions, he reminded himself that he had at least secured the inheritance—and lost nothing—so he was not overly concerned. After a brief pause, under Liu Huabai's nervous gaze, Xiao Yan replied coolly:

  "Yes, your Liu family's ancestors have essentially achieved their goal."

For a moment, Liu Huabai was speechless; his slightly agape mouth remained so as his eyes stared blankly at Xiao Yan—a sight that appeared rather ridiculous. Xiao Yan merely smiled, and Liu Huabai, reacting to that smile, broke into a cold sweat. Unconsciously, he sat up straighter, his mouth twitching into a grimace as he managed to force out,

  "I… I don't quite understand what you mean by that, Senior."

Xiao Yan's smile grew cold, and his gaze turned bone-chillingly sharp. Suddenly, Liu Huabai's face changed; his body trembled as he quickly stood and bowed in apology:

  "I apologize for the offense, Senior. Please forgive me—I simply did not react for a moment. I hope you can bear with me."

Xiao Yan snorted, "Humph! Just understand that some things, if spoken aloud, can kill!"

No sooner had he spoken than the teacup in Xiao Yan's hand exploded into a fine powder, scattering in the air. At the same moment, Liu Huabai's expression shifted again; his already hunched body bent further into a near-right angle, obscuring his view of Xiao Yan's face. Whether this was intentional avoidance, no one could tell.

Unfortunately, as Liu Huabai bent to hide his eyes, he missed Xiao Yan's playful expression. Clearing his throat, Xiao Yan was about to speak further when Liu Huabai quickly fetched a fine teacup and prepared a steaming cup of tea for him.

  "Humph! For the sake of your ancestor's inheritance, I'll spare your life today. But mark my words—your Liu family's ancestor is indeed a great man. Unfortunately, the methods were too cruel; I made the Heavenly Thunder Oath this time, and I fear I've been cheated for the first time in my life!"

"Humph! As for you, descendant of the Liu family, Liu Feng must have told you his plan. Don't get your hopes up—I've promised him I will protect your Liu family in times of crisis, which is the most I can do. So I advise you to stop causing trouble for me when I'm not around. Otherwise, even if you are bound by the Thunder Oath, I will still destroy your Liu family!"

Liu Huabai's face changed, though less harshly this time. He rolled his eyes, bowed to Xiao Yan, and then spoke calmly:

  "I understand that what you have done is the greatest concession to my Liu family. I will discipline my clansmen to prevent further trouble. If anyone violates this rule, I won't let them off easily!"

Liu Huabai's decisive tone carried an air of certainty. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, then sipped a few more cups of tea, stood up, and slowly left the hall. Liu Huabai hurriedly followed.

After a short while, Liu Huabai frowned as he glanced at the ruins underfoot, then looked up at Xiao Yan and asked:

  "I wonder what this is, Senior?"

Xiao Yan offered a slight smile but said nothing further. He moved on and soon arrived at the door of the library.

Liu Huabai raised his eyebrows as he recalled Xiao Yan's request from half a month ago, then shook his head in helplessness. The strong always care deeply about certain things—even a small family library, no matter how glorious its past, might now seem insignificant.

Liu Huabai quickly accompanied Xiao Yan to the library door. The plaque that once symbolized the family's important legacy no longer hung on the library—it now resembled nothing more than an ordinary attic. Standing there, Liu Huabai made a series of mysterious seals with his hands. These seals struck the wooden door, sending out ripples like water waves.

Xiao Yan stood quietly behind him, observing the lonely pavilion on the ruins, and then glanced at a golden plaque mounted on a bluestone wall. He sighed softly and stretched out his hand. With a low, muffled sound, a thumb-sized emerald green flame rose from his index finger. Although small, the flame seemed to set the very heavens and earth roaring in protest.

Stirred, Xiao Yan let his soul power flow along with the emerald flame. The energy clung to the ruins of the entire bamboo forest, then, under his control, slowly sank into the ground and disappeared.

At that moment, Liu Huabai finally opened the library door. Xiao Yan looked at him—his nose beaded with sweat—smiled slightly, and stepped inside. Liu Huabai glanced again at the ruins before sighing, turning around, and following Xiao Yan into the library.

Inside, neatly arranged storage shelves held ancient books on martial arts. In the innermost section, Xiao Yan noticed a shelf long unused, bearing the four large characters "Literary Classics." Xiao Yan smiled; such books, though of little practical use to a small family, were exactly what he needed.

He stepped forward, reached the storage rack, and with white palms, gently flipped through the dusty old books. Finally, his gaze settled on an ancient, tattered volume placed in a corner. Eagerly, Xiao Yan opened it to reveal pictures and explanations of various medicinal herbs and their effects.

Xiao Yan flipped his palm, and a lush green medicinal herb with slender stems and leaves—about a foot long with a little soil clinging to its roots like a vine—flashed out from the intermediate storage ring that he had obtained from Liu Huabai.

Using the vine's pattern as a reference, Xiao Yan searched the book. Liu Huabai noticed Xiao Yan had discovered something and was about to move closer, but Xiao Yan waved his sleeves, and a curtain of Dou Qi sprang up three feet away, blocking his advance. The fighting spirit light curtain obscured the details, forcing Liu Huabai to wait patiently.

Wisteria Tendril—the main ingredient of the ninth-grade elixir Zixu Tianling Dan. It takes one hundred years for its buds to sprout, one thousand years for them to become full-grown, and five thousand years for them to truly mature.

In its seedling stage, the accumulated energy of heaven and earth over a thousand years can trigger a thunderstorm, baptizing the plant with the power of thunder and refining its medicinal properties.

If the wisteria tendrils survive this tribulation, they mature into fully developed wisteria spirit tendrils, capable of transforming into spiritual intelligence and moving among people, with cultivation potentially reaching the level of a Fighting Saint.

Xiao Yan sighed upon seeing this. He hadn't expected that such a medicinal herb could, after the thunder tribulation, elevate one to Dou Sheng level. "Tsk tsk, my cultivation level has dropped to that of a dog. Tsk tsk…" he murmured.

Evil Soul Demon Fruit—a necessary ingredient for the Ninth-Rank Emperor Pill. This first-rank herb absorbs the turbid spirits of all dead souls to capture evil for a hundred years, or the undead souls of Dou Zong powerhouses for a thousand years, or the undead souls of Dou Zun powerhouses for a hundred years, transforming into a mysterious fruit.

The Ink Blood Demon Tree bears fruit after a thousand years, and it takes ten thousand years for one tree to produce ten fruits. Of these, only nine are usable; the tenth must be discarded—otherwise, its user is doomed to death. No one knows why; past users of the tenth pill have all exploded and died before they could use it.

Thus, anyone who obtains an evil soul fruit of unknown origin discards it, as no one wants to risk certain death.

Because of this, people avoid evil spirits and evil fruits whenever they encounter them.

Xiao Yan studied the herbs for several hours, growing both surprised and shocked. Several types of herbs, long extinct on the Dou Qi Continent, and rare plants he had only heard of in legends, stunned him to the point of numbness. An entire afternoon passed as Xiao Yan was repeatedly astonished. It wasn't until dark that he returned to the Liu family residence, looking shocked, with Liu Huabai equally confused. Unfortunately, Liu Huabai knew nothing and could only blink and remain silent.

Indeed, the strong are exceedingly strange. When Liu Huabai escorted Xiao Yan away, they did not notice that the ruins around them had transformed into a vast, lush green bamboo forest. It wasn't until the next morning that Liu Huabai recalled the events of last night under the shocked gazes of his clansmen—a recollection that startled him greatly.

The strong are truly powerful—they can do anything! Strength is the true creator of the world. With strength, everything—even nature—is insignificant.

Liu Huabai sighed deeply, "The Liu family is still too weak!"

In the following days, Xiao Yan stayed temporarily with the Liu family, which pleased Liu Huabai somewhat. After all, as long as Xiao Yan was around, no one would dare trouble Qingyang City.

Time flew; ten days passed, and it had been a month since Xiao Yan arrived in this strange world. On that day, while practicing, Liu Huabai awakened Xiao Yan with a smile:

  "Senior, tomorrow is Qingyang City's annual grand auction. Are you interested in participating?"

Xiao Yan raised his eyebrows, thought for a moment, and a smile played at the corner of his mouth. He nodded to Liu Huabai, said no more, and resumed his practice.