#705 - In fact, it was all arranged by Xiao Zhan.

Passing through the aperture, they arrived inside the space where the Sky Hall was located. Inside was a forest, and at the end of the forest was a large open space filled with flowers and plants, butterflies fluttering, and birds taking flight.

In the very center of the open space was a huge square, where many black iron pillars stood tall. Each pillar was as thick as an ancient tree, its surface covered with dark red patterns. Iron chains crisscrossed between the pillars, the heavy chains swaying slightly in the wind, emitting a grating metallic screech.

At the end of the square was a magnificent hall. The entire hall was as black as ink, as if carved from a single piece of black iron. The hall was over a hundred feet tall, with layered eaves and brackets, each corner as sharp as a knife, reflecting a cold light in the dim light.

The surface of the hall walls was covered with intricate dark patterns, like runes or totems, with faint dark red streams of light wandering within, flowing slowly like blood vessels.

Unlike the gloomy atmosphere of the Earth Hall they had visited before, this place was more solemn and majestic, with a heavy sense of age.

Passing through the bronze-cast gate and walking through a long passage, they arrived in a large hall.

Xiao Yu and the others had separated from them at the fork in the road, leaving only Xiao Zhan and Xiao Yan present. The father and son looked at each other, a sense of estrangement and unfamiliarity arising spontaneously.

Looking at his grown-up son, whose eyes were filled with vigilance and suspicion, Xiao Zhan felt both gratified and somewhat saddened. He broke the silence and said softly:

"Ask whatever questions you have. I will tell you everything I know."

"Everything. Everything the Xiao family has experienced over the years," Xiao Yan said.

Xiao Zhan organized his words and slowly said, "Over the years, the Xiao family has experienced many things, and indeed, there have been times when we were almost exterminated…"

"The Xiao family's current state is mainly related to one person… The Xiao family was once the Xiao clan of the past, you should know this by now, right?"

Xiao Yan nodded: "The events of a thousand years ago, Ancestor Xiao Xuan has already told me everything."

"In short, Ancestor Xiao Yuanshan survived. He secretly became active, investigating the Soul clan's information. During these thousand years, he accidentally met Ammon, who had fallen from the Great Thousand World to the Dou Qi continent due to special reasons."

Ammon… Hearing this familiar name, Xiao Yan's pupils constricted.

Xiao Zhan continued, "At that time, Ammon was seriously injured. Ancestor Xiao Yuanshan rescued him, and he was very grateful for this. Also, because their goals had some overlap, he became an ally of our Xiao clan.

"Ammon is a peculiar creature, somewhat similar to Stone-Eating Ants. He can merge with humans… or rather, parasitize… The person parasitized by him can unleash his power. If a person's body is parasitized by an Ammon with the strength of a Dou Huang, then that person is equivalent to a Dou Huang."

Xiao Yan couldn't help but interrupt: "So Xiao Yu, Xiao Ning, and the others are so strong because their bodies are parasitized by 'Ammon'?"

Xiao Zhan nodded: "It's not just them, I am too. The Xiao clan has declined too much, so much that we can only compete with the Jia Lie family and the Ao Ba family for such a small piece of land in Wu Tan City.

"I know there are considerable hidden dangers in this. Ancestor Xiao Yuanshan also knows, but what else can we do? At least Ammon's gratitude towards the ancestor is still there, at least he is willing to lend us his power.

"Otherwise, the Xiao clan would probably have been wiped out by the Soul clan like the Ling clan."

"Back then, it should have been around the time you went to the Yun Lan Sect to fulfill your three-year agreement with Nalan Yanran when Protector Wu was ordered to come and seize the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade from the Xiao family.

"At that time, Ammon's injuries had not recovered, and we didn't have such powerful strength as we do now. Ancestor Xiao Yuanshan also didn't have the power to resist the Soul clan.

"Although a Protector Wu is nothing, if it was discovered that the Xiao clan still had remaining strength, the Soul clan would definitely not mind sending experts to completely eliminate this ancient enemy from a thousand years ago.

"Therefore, Ancestor Xiao Yuanshan had members of the Ammon clan disguise themselves as us and be killed by the people sent by Protector Wu.

"Yan'er, you must remember, this is what we owe the Ammon clan. Although those deceased members of the Ammon clan had no complaints, and they didn't seem to care much about their own life and death, we must never forget this kindness!"

Xiao Yan nodded heavily, then revealed a look of sudden realization: "So this is the truth behind the Xiao family's extermination back then?"

"Yes, the people of the Xiao family are still alive, Great Elder, Second Elder, Third Elder, and so on, none of them died. Only the people of the Ammon clan died," Xiao Zhan nodded and said.

"The Ammon disguised as me was sent to the Soul Palace by Protector Wu, then transferred to the Sky Hall, and finally sent to the Soul clan. I don't know what Ammon said to the Soul Emperor, perhaps some news about the Great Thousand World.

"It made the Soul Emperor mistakenly believe that the Xiao clan still had a lot of hidden strength, and that the Xiao family was just a lure deliberately released by the hidden Xiao clan, placed on the surface."

Xiao Yan's lips twitched, he could already imagine the scene of the Soul Emperor solemnly discussing the Xiao clan with Gu Yuan, misleading Gu Yuan…

Did Uncle Gu Yuan get some information from the Soul Emperor, and then communicate with me at Canaan Academy, misleading me too?

So the hidden Xiao clan was actually formed in this way?

Xiao Zhan continued to narrate the development of events: "Ammon has a special ability to communicate remotely with other Ammon…"

"I used the body of the Ammon who was captured to the Soul Realm to talk with the Soul Emperor, and found that he had misunderstood something, so I went along with it and deliberately created the illusion that such a Xiao clan did exist.

"And formed an alliance with him, agreeing to collect the ancient jade together and open the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Cave.

"At that time, the Soul Emperor had already determined the location of the remaining six clan's ancient jade, and had arranged spies in each clan, only lacking our Xiao clan's piece.

"Each fragment of the ancient jade is indispensable, so the Soul Emperor was quite polite to me, placing us in a relatively equal position."

"The Soul clan has the ambition of wolves and cannot be trusted," Xiao Yan couldn't help but say.

Xiao Zhan said with a smile, "I have never trusted him either, we only agreed to open the Ancient Emperor's Cave together. As for what happens after that, it depends on our abilities.

"I said, Ammon's alliance with our clan, Ammon's gratitude to Ancestor Xiao Yuanshan is only part of the reason, more importantly, his purpose, which overlaps with our purpose in some aspects."

Xiao Yan's brow furrowed, he didn't speak, waiting for Xiao Zhan's answer.

"Ancestor Xiao Yuanshan wanted to make a desperate gamble and cultivate a Dou Di, and Ammon also needed a Dou Di to take him back to the Great Thousand World… This is the basis of our two clans' cooperation.

"After Ammon's injuries recovered, his strength gradually returned, and it grew rapidly, which gave us the confidence to compete with the Soul clan.

"And our cultivation target is the most outstanding disciple of our Xiao family's generation."

Saying that, Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Yan with a strong smile.

Xiao Yan already understood something in his heart, pointing to himself: "Me?"

At this moment, he strung all the things together… No wonder there were so many monocles along the way, no wonder he could always find bargains from people wearing monocles, no wonder he could always snatch good things from magical beasts with white circles on their right eyes…

So all of this was arranged by the family!

The family was cultivating me, sending me opportunities in a different way!

Perhaps it was done a little roughly during the execution, which gave me the kind of horror and weirdness I felt at the beginning…

However, there also seemed to be some problems within the Ammon clan. The Ammon who claimed that he and Xiao Meng were traitors of the Ammon clan obviously had some differences with the clan leader Ammon on the Xiao family's side… Xiao Yan thought to himself.

"Yes, it's you! We don't have much time, we need you to grow up as soon as possible, to the point where you can compete with the Soul Emperor for the throne of Emperor.

"So after the incident of Protector Wu attacking the Xiao family, I chose to hide it, not telling you the truth, just to give you the motivation to move forward.

"A true powerhouse always needs to experience swords, blood, and fire to reach the peak. The Xiao family has reached the end of the road, we can only make a desperate gamble."

Xiao Zhan's expression became serious, his tone adding a bit of solemnity.

"Facts have proved that you are indeed excellent enough, you have not disappointed Ancestor Xiao Yuanshan's expectations, you have not disappointed my expectations, you have not disappointed the expectations of the entire Xiao family!"

Xiao Yan only felt that the burden on his shoulders was heavier, his heart heavy, and he was filled with mixed feelings.

"It's just Yan'er, you have suffered…" Xiao Zhan said with a hint of apology, "It's my uselessness as a father, I can only put all the pressure on you, let you bear everything."

Hearing Xiao Zhan say this, Xiao Yan had the urge to cry, he really felt an infinite grievance in his heart. It didn't matter to bear these burdens, the injuries and blood shed along the way didn't matter, what he couldn't let go of was the passing of those beauties.

He still had many questions in his heart, many incomprehensions. After thinking for a while, he didn't mention Little Fairy Doctor and Xiao Meng's affairs first, but asked:

"Why not cooperate with the Gu clan? Uncle Gu Yuan, you should have met him too, compared to the Soul Emperor, he should be a better cooperation partner, right?"

"The Gu clan?" Xiao Zhan shook his head, "If the Gu clan is trustworthy, and a good cooperation partner, then the Soul clan should have been exterminated a thousand years ago."