Chapter 298: Yan Alliance Branch
Hearing Cai Lin's words, Han Yue glanced at her again, her eyes showing a mix of apprehension and confusion. However, after a moment of hesitation, she chose to follow in Xiao Yan's footsteps.
At that moment, Cai Lin exchanged a glance with Xiao Yan. A wealth of subtle information passed between them, a silent understanding as natural as breathing.
"Everyone, the Flame Valley is now under your jurisdiction. The students behind me will remain here to train alongside you," Xiao Yan instructed, turning to the three Dou Zong elders and a group of Dou Huang experts. Behind them stood Lin Xiuya and other students.
"Investigate the history of everyone here. Those guilty of heinous crimes shall be executed, while others can be judged based on their circumstances," Xiao Yan said with a faint smile.
"Yes, Alliance Master!" The Yan Alliance elders respectfully nodded in agreement.
After delegating these tasks, Xiao Yan led Cai Lin and the others toward a particular direction within the Flame Valley.
The Flame Valley's treasure vault contained the accumulated wealth of the valley over many years. While it was modest by the standards of Xiao Yan's former status as the Xiao Clan's heir, such resources were now worth gathering since his clan's support was no longer readily available.
With his soul now in the Spirit Realm, Xiao Yan easily located the treasure vault, hidden with great care by the Earth Demon Elder.
After several minutes of traversing rugged tunnels, they arrived at a rocky wall overgrown with wild grass. The wall appeared entirely seamless, blending naturally with its surroundings. Without Xiao Yan's advanced soul power, locating this hidden vault would have been impossible.
With a casual wave of his hand, Xiao Yan unleashed a surge of powerful Dou Qi mixed with his unique flames. The intense energy burned through the thick rock, carving a ten meter long tunnel into the wall and revealing a dark cavern beyond.
Looking at the cavern, Xiao Yan smiled faintly, while Cai Lin and Han Yue's faces showed excitement.
For Xiao Yan and Xiao Li, scions of a powerful clan, the treasures of a minor faction like the Flame Valley were insignificant. However, for Cai Lin and Han Yue, it felt like discovering a trove of riches, especially given the thrill of acquiring such treasures effortlessly.
"Too bad the Earth Demon Elder was rescued by Hun Miaomiao," Xiao Yan thought with some regret. "Otherwise, his body could've made a fine vessel for Tian Huo Zun zhe's resurrection."
The thought left Xiao Yan shaking his head. If the Earth Demon Elder knew Xiao Yan's intentions, he would probably never dare return to the Northwest Continent.
The tunnel was dimly lit by moonstones embedded at intervals, casting a soft glow that illuminated the way. After descending a set of stone steps, they reached a thick stone door.
"So much trouble for such a small hoard. How annoying!" Xiao Yan grumbled, firing another burst of Dou Qi.
"Boom!"
The stone door shattered instantly, and a burst of blinding light erupted from the room beyond.
"Be careful!" Cai Lin warned, her expression shifting slightly.
However, Xiao Yan remained unbothered. With a casual wave, a fiery wall formed from his flames, blocking the sudden burst of light. Metallic shards that had flown out melted harmlessly upon contact with the wall.
"Hmph, mere tricks!" Xiao Yan snorted, releasing a surge of oppressive energy into the stone chamber. The aura instantly subdued a powerful snake like magical beast that had been lying in wait.
"Hiss!"
Sensing Xiao Yan's overwhelming presence, the beast recoiled in submission.
Cai Lin let out a disdainful snort, and her unique aura as the Seven Colored Heaven Swallowing Python leaked out. The beast trembled violently under her pressure.
Inside the chamber, the walls were made of obsidian like black steel. Shelves neatly held rows of scrolls, while crystal cabinets contained various rare herbs and ingredients.
"This is not bad. The collection is of some value," Xiao Yan said with a faint smile, turning his gaze toward the deeper part of the vault.
Though the items were treasures to most, they were ordinary in Xiao Yan's eyes.
Han Yue, however, was visibly elated. The lowest ranked techniques here were at the Profound Tier, which would excite anyone. Seeing such an abundance of resources gave her a euphoric sense of having discovered a treasure trove.
At the end of the chamber stood four ancient stone pedestals, separated from the rest by faint protective light shields. Xiao Yan frowned slightly upon noticing that one pedestal was empty.
"Damn it. Don't tell me that Hun Miaomiao woman took the Heavenly Demon Puppet scroll," Xiao Yan muttered in frustration.
The scroll detailing the method to craft the Heavenly Demon Puppet had been the only item here that truly interested him. The crafting technique, essentially part of the ancient artifact pathway, was likely why Hun Miaomiao had taken it.
Of the remaining items, only one a fire controlling manual held some value to Xiao Yan, though it was far from rare.
Reaching out, Xiao Yan channeled spatial energy through his palm. The protective light shields, formidable against even Dou Zong experts, dissolved effortlessly under his touch.
Three wooden boxes were retrieved in no time. Opening the first, Xiao Yan found two silver scrolls of excellent craftsmanship. However, a cursory glance left him unimpressed. He tossed the box to Xiao Li.
"Second Brother, here are some lightning attribute techniques. See if they're useful to you."
"Lightning attribute techniques?" Xiao Li accepted the box eagerly. However, upon examining the contents, his initial joy turned to resignation.
"Figures. This lousy place only has mid tier Earth level techniques," Xiao Li said with a wry smile.
Although Xiao Li wasn't among the Xiao Clan's top prospects, his youth and Dou Zong level strength, coupled with a bloodline ranked around the seventh or eighth tier, were remarkable. Moreover, having a Dou Sheng grandfather ensured his cultivation techniques were high grade Earth level. For him, the Thunderbolt Mirror was hardly impressive.
As for the mid tier Earth level combat technique, it was passable but not extraordinary.
"Since it's like this, we can use it to train new talents in the Yan Alliance," Xiao Yan remarked with a smile before opening the second wooden box.
Inside was a crimson scroll with three bold characters written on it:
"Flame Manipulation Art!"
"Ah, as expected, it's the Flame Manipulation Art," Xiao Yan chuckled.
While the scroll wouldn't significantly boost his current strength, its methods of nurturing flames were worth studying. After all, although Heavenly Flames were born of the world's elemental forces, their strength could be enhanced by their master's care and refinement.
A prime example of this was the Yin Yang Evil Saint, who, through relentless effort and dual cultivation, nurtured the Yin Yang Sacred Flame to a level rivaling the Falling Heart Flame.
Casually placing the Flame Manipulation Art into his storage ring, Xiao Yan opened the third box.
Inside was a fist sized, perfectly round, fiery red orb. Its intense fire energy made Cai Lin and Han Yue widen their beautiful eyes in awe.
However, Xiao Yan seemed uninterested.
"Just a seventh tier magical beast's core," he said dismissively. Back when he and Xiao Li were children, such cores were little more than toys for them to play billiards with.
Even so, it might come in handy someday, perhaps during Tian Huo Zun zhe's resurrection.
As for the final pedestal, it was already empty.
At this realization, Xiao Yan confirmed his earlier suspicion: the Heavenly Demon Puppet scroll had indeed been taken by Hun Miaomiao.
"No wonder the dignified Soul Clan Saintess appeared in the Flame Valley," he muttered, piecing the puzzle together.
Hun Miaomiao had likely learned about the Heavenly Demon Puppet crafting method stored here and had arrived ahead of him. Along the way, she subdued the Earth Demon Elder, explaining why she protected him.
With a sigh, Xiao Yan led the group out of the treasure vault.
"Second Brother, you'll be in charge of overseeing the Flame Valley for now. This place will serve as the Yan Alliance's main base in the Black Corner Region," Xiao Yan instructed.
"With the Flame Valley handled, I'll head back first," he added.
Before leaving, Cai Lin flashed a captivating smile, her presence momentarily brightening the world around her. She turned to Han Yue with a playful yet piercing look.
"Sister, feel free to visit the Yan Alliance anytime. Since you're with this guy, we're family now no need to stand on ceremony," Cai Lin said with a dazzling smile.
Leaving Han Yue with a strikingly elegant yet imposing silhouette, Cai Lin stepped into a spatial wormhole and disappeared.
Watching Cai Lin's retreating figure, the slight excitement on Han Yue's face faded into a disheartened expression.
From Cai Lin, she felt an unprecedented sense of pressure. This woman wasn't just stunningly beautiful with an unparalleled figure; her power and poise were equally overwhelming. And worst of all, she was magnanimous.
What man could resist such a woman as the head of his harem?
Han Yue's thoughts grew gloomier as she cast a wistful glance at Xiao Yan.
"Heh, Cai Lin does have a point," Xiao Yan teased, noticing her gaze. His smile faltered when her expression remained forlorn. With no other choice, he gently took her jade like hand.
"They're really easy to get along with," he said, though he regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.
With Xiao Li taking charge, the Flame Valley was swiftly integrated into the Yan Alliance, marking the beginning of a new era for the Black Corner Region.
Lin Xiuya and the others thoroughly vetted the Flame Valley's members. Those guilty of heinous crimes were executed on the spot. Even Dou Huang experts couldn't resist when surrounded by three Dou Zong elders. In mere moments, half of the Flame Valley's leadership was eradicated.
As a semi demonic faction, the Flame Valley wasn't as universally wicked as the Blood Sect, but truly good people were nonexistent. Ultimately, only one tenth of the Valley's elders and disciples were deemed suitable for integration into the Yan Alliance.
The rest, though spared, were not let off lightly. Under Xiao Li's oppressive nine star Dou Zong aura, they were consigned to hard labor as punishment.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan sat leisurely in Su Qian's courtyard.
"You're suggesting we let some of the academy's graduates join the Yan Alliance?" Su Qian asked, sipping tea and looking startled.
"Why not? Is there a problem?" Xiao Yan replied, also sipping his tea, his expression calm and calculating.
"The Jia Nan Academy nurtures many talented individuals, but most come from humble backgrounds. If left to wander on their own, who knows how long it will take for them to make their mark?
"On the other hand, the Yan Alliance is in a critical growth phase. If these students join us and grow alongside the Alliance, they could become major figures in the Northwest Continent within decades.
"As for those with influential families, let them be. While talented, they often lack the dedication needed for real work."
Su Qian fell silent for a moment, considering Xiao Yan's school to alliance pipeline proposal. After some thought, he nodded slowly.
With Su Qian's tentative approval, Xiao Yan smiled. The Yan Alliance urgently needed clean, talented recruits, and the academy's students were the perfect candidates. For the students, it offered a rare opportunity to showcase their talents.
After tying up loose ends, Xiao Yan checked on Zi Yan, who was still in a deep slumber, before deciding to return to the Yan Alliance.
However, a message from Black Seal City changed his plans entirely.
(To be continued)
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