Fighting: Practice makes it real, start with a poisonous body.

"Very good, the engraving is successful."

Gu Yuan slowly withdrew his hand, and the black light at his fingertips receded like a tide. Above the ninth-grade golden core and Xiao Xuan's Emperor Realm soul body, which were suspended in mid-air, were now covered with mysterious and complex black runes.

The runes writhed slightly like living things, shimmering with a cold luster, firmly locking the brilliant golden light of the Golden Core and the boundless soul power of the soul body within them, faintly exuding a strange suction force.

Gu Yuan let out a long sigh, his face growing paler. His lips, which had regained some color, turned a pale gray, clearly indicating that inscribing the array had almost drained the remaining holy power in his body.

But when his gaze swept over the two figures of light covered by runes, Gu Yuan's lips curled into a strange smile. The smile was so fleeting that it was almost an illusion. When everyone looked over, all that remained on his face was exhaustion and weakness.

"The inscription of the array patterns this time has taken a huge toll, and I am very weak now."

Gu Yuan slowly stood up, supporting himself on the array platform. His steps were unsteady before he regained his balance: "The formal resurrection ceremony will require me to recover some of my strength to preside over it, so let's set it for seven days from now."

Shennong Elder stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over Danta Ancestor and Xiao Xuan. After confirming that the array patterns were stable and secure, he slowly nodded: "It's acceptable."

For the next seven days, the Pill Tower will provide you with the best healing pills and cultivation resources, so please rest and recuperate.

He paused for a moment, then added, "But you'd better remember that the Xuanhuang Linglong Pagoda is always present within the Dan Domain, so don't try anything funny."

"Don't worry." Gu Yuan glanced at him indifferently, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger: "I'm not stupid enough to seek my own death."

Xiao Yan, however, had no time to pay attention to Gu Yuan's condition. His gaze was fixed on Xiao Xuan's soul, his brows furrowed and his expression full of worry.

"Ancestor, when you were inscribing the array patterns, did you feel any discomfort?"

Xiao Xuan's soul body swayed slightly, and two illusory gazes fell on Xiao Yan. He slowly shook his head: "There is nothing unusual. It's just that his soul power is being drawn by these runes, and he is faintly resonating with the Pill Tower Ancestor."

He paused, a hint of hesitation in his voice: "But... I feel like I've seen these runes before."

Their arrangement bears a resemblance to some of the secret techniques of the Soul Clan, but upon closer inspection, I cannot recognize them…

"A secret technique of the Soul Clan?" Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

How could the resurrection array patterns engraved by Gu Yuanming be related to the secret techniques of the Soul Clan?
"Perhaps I remembered it wrong."

Seeing Xiao Yan's solemn expression, Xiao Xuan slowly spoke again: "After all, a thousand years have passed, and many memories have become blurred."

Moreover, these runes lacked the sinister, devouring power of the Soul Clan's secret arts; instead, they exuded a strange power that...draws into the soul.

Xiao Yan frowned even more, about to ask something else, when Gu Ming suddenly stepped forward and coldly said to everyone, "The clan leader is extremely weak at the moment and needs to rest."

If you have nothing else to do, please leave as soon as possible and do not disturb us!

Shennong glanced at Gu Yuan and, seeing that he was indeed exhausted, said no more. He waved to the crowd and said, "In that case, let's go back first."

Seven days later, I will return to this place to preside over the resurrection ceremony.

Although Xiao Yan had doubts, he knew it was not wise to linger. He took a deep look at Xiao Xuan's soul before saying in a low voice, "Take care, Ancestor."

Xiao Xuan's soul nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

Afterwards, Xiao Yan, Shennong the Elder, Yao Lao, and others turned around and left the secluded cultivation hall.

The palace doors slowly closed, isolating all outside noise and leaving only Gu Yuan, Gu Ming, and Gu Jian, as well as the golden core and soul body floating in the palace, emitting an eerie light.

…………

After leaving the Dan Tower's secluded cultivation hall, Xiao Yan did not return to the core area of ​​the Dan Tower with Elder Shennong, but went straight back to the Flower Sect's temporary residence.

He stepped heavily into the courtyard, his brow still furrowed, the words of his ancestor making him hesitate.

Gu Yuan's actions were already unpredictable, and now the involvement of the Soul Clan made him suspect that the so-called resurrection of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint might have been a meticulously planned deception from the very beginning… But now, with the Yan Clan's demise as a stark warning, they had no way out.
"Brother Xiao Yan."

At that moment, a soft but somewhat weak voice sounded from behind.

Xiao Yan turned around and saw Xiao Xun'er wearing a light purple dress, slowly walking out of a side room deep in the courtyard.

Her face was slightly pale, and her steps were somewhat unsteady, clearly indicating that the source power she had consumed to help Xiao Yan stabilize his injuries had not yet fully recovered.

"Xun'er, why did you come out? Why don't you rest a little longer?"

Xiao Yan quickly stepped forward, naturally taking her arm, his tone full of concern.

Xiao Xun'er gently shook her head, her gaze falling on his furrowed brows, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes: "You look so serious, has something happened?"

Xiao Yan sighed, helped her sit down on the stone bench in the courtyard, and recounted in detail everything from the news of the Yan Clan's destruction being transmitted to the Pill Tower, to Gu Yuan inscribing the array patterns, and then to Xiao Xuan noticing the similarity between the runes and the Soul Clan's secret techniques.

After listening, Xiao Xun'er frowned deeply, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly, her eyes filled with thought: "Soul Clan secret technique? Father... how could he have inscribed runes related to the Soul Clan?"

She knew a little about her father's methods. The ancient clans' traditions and the Soul Clan's had always been irreconcilable. Logically speaking, her father should never have come into contact with the Soul Clan's secret techniques.

But after thinking about it carefully, she couldn't figure out the key, and could only shake her head helplessly: "I'm not sure if these runes are really related to the Soul Clan."

The ancient clan's heritage never mentions similar array patterns. Perhaps... Senior Xiao Xuan is mistaken?

Xiao Yan remained silent. Their ancestors would never easily admit their mistakes; those runes must have something strange about them, they were probably just unable to see through them yet.

Seeing Xiao Yan's increasingly somber expression, a trace of guilt flashed in Xiao Xun'er's eyes. She gently grasped Xiao Yan's hand, her voice filled with deep apology: "Brother Xiao Yan, I'm sorry."

Father's actions have caused you and the Xiao clan so much trouble, I..."

"Fool, why are you apologizing?"

Xiao Yan interrupted her, took her hand in his own, and smiled gently as he patted the back of her hand. "This was all Gu Yuan's doing, it has nothing to do with you."

You have never wronged me, nor have you wronged the Xiao clan. On the contrary, you have been quietly helping me all these years, and I am grateful beyond words.

His tone was sincere, and his eyes were full of tenderness: "Don't think too much about it. Leave this to me. The most important thing for you right now is to rest and recover."

Feeling the warmth of Xiao Yan's palm and the gentleness in his words, Xiao Xun'er's guilt gradually dissipated, and tears welled up in her eyes.

She took a deep breath, her eyes becoming incredibly resolute, and solemnly said, "Brother Xiao Yan, from this day forward, I will completely change my surname to Xiao, and no longer the Gu clan. Everything about the Gu clan has nothing to do with me."

"it is good!"

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up with surprise. He gripped her hand tightly and laughed heartily, "That's more like it!"

"Completely sever ties with the past. From now on, you are a member of the Xiao family. We will no longer be bound by those past grievances!"

Seeing Xiao Yan's genuine smile, Xiao Xun'er couldn't help but smile back, and the gloom in her eyes completely disappeared.

But her smile quickly faded. She bit her lip, her expression becoming somewhat complicated. After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke softly, "Brother Xiao Yan, I have another request."

"Go ahead," Xiao Yan nodded. "Whatever your request, I'll grant it."

"When the Pure Lotus Demon Saint's resurrection ceremony takes place seven days from now, can you take me with you?"

Xiao Xun'er's expression was complicated: "He is still my father, and I want to see him one more time." (End of Chapter)