Battle Through the Heavens: The Strongest in the Entire Map, I Will Always Be Above You

"Nephew Xiao Yan, this storage ring contains all the rare medicinal herbs that the Nalan family has collected up to today. The other ring contains copies of all the Nalan family's fighting techniques and cultivation methods. There are three high-level Xuan-rank cultivation methods, seven high-level Xuan-rank fighting techniques, and the rest are mid-level and below Xuan-rank techniques, totaling eight hundred and thirty-two!"

"Each of these five purple-gold cards contains ten million gold coins!"

"This contract is the land deed for your Xiao family's original residence. The Tang family has already moved out, and I've had everything inside renovated."

"If your Xiao family wants to move back to Wutan City, I will contact Brother Xiao and help your Xiao family to rebuild your mansion."

Nalan Su looked at Xiao Yan and finished explaining the matter of the reward in one go.

"Thank you, Patriarch Nalan."

Xiao Yan swept his soul power and got a general understanding of everything. As for whether the cultivation techniques and fighting skills were complete, Xiao Yan didn't care. These cultivation techniques were enough for the Xiao family to regain its footing in the capital for the next few decades.

When the time comes, he can go out and make his own way in the world, and bring back some high-level cultivation techniques and fighting skills. It will only be a matter of time before the Xiao family regains its former glory as a Dou Wang family.

"In that case, please stay, Elder Nalan. I'll take my leave now." Having received the money, Xiao Yan naturally didn't linger any longer.

After a few days of rest and recuperation, and having passed the fourth-grade alchemist exam, the next step is to head to the Monster Mountain Range to help Sister-in-law Qinglin catch snake-like monsters.

"Young Yan, stay for a meal before you leave!" Nalan Jie said, standing up.

"No need, Brother Yang still has some instructions, I have to go back. We'll meet again in about five months, no rush!" Xiao Yan waved his hand gently and said.

“Since that person has something to attend to, then I won’t keep you any longer. Come and visit when you’re free. Even if you and Yanran are not destined to be together, your grandfather and I were very close back then. That rebellious daughter won’t prevent us from being grandfather and granddaughter friends,” Nalan Jie said with a smile.

"Alright!" Xiao Yan nodded, shook his alchemist robe, turned and left gracefully, with Nalan Yanran hurriedly following to see him off.

Only after the two left Nalan Jie's courtyard and disappeared around the corner of the corridor did Nalan Jie let out a long sigh and slump into a chair.

"In the Jia Ma Empire, and even in the Dou Qi Continent, I'm afraid no one can stop Xiao Yan's rise!" Nalan Jie looked at Nalan Su with a bitter expression.

“How could Yun Yun have… sigh…” Nalan Su sighed, wanting to blame Yun Yun, but then remembered that Yun Yun was the woman of that Dou Zong powerhouse, so he swallowed his words.

“Fortunately, the Nalan family did not completely offend Xiao Yan and that Dou Zong expert. In fact, because of Yanran, they even had some connections with that Dou Zong expert. I suppose you agreed to Xiao Yan’s conditions after hearing about Yun Yun’s relationship with that expert from Yanran?” Nalan Jie shook his head and said.

“Indeed, these are considerations, but of course, Father’s safety is the most important,” Nalan Su said.

"I heard that the old man from the royal family and Fa Ma from the Alchemist Guild offended that Dou Zong powerhouse?" Nalan Jie nodded and suddenly asked.

"Yes!" Nalan Su nodded.

“It seems that my decision to have Yanran become Yun Yun’s disciple has backfired. This is for the best. The relationship between the Empire and Yunlan Sect is delicate, and now a Dou Zong powerhouse connected to Yun Yun has emerged. The Nalan family must choose the right side this time!” After saying this, Nalan Jie thought for a moment and then instructed Nalan Su.

“Yanran should be returning to Yunlan Sect soon. Take some time to go to Wutan City and meet with Xiao Zhan. Convey our Nalan family’s apologies and goodwill. If Xiao Zhan asks why you didn’t go when Yanran broke off the engagement, just say that I was poisoned at the time and you couldn’t travel far. Everyone in the capital’s high society knows about this. If you tell him, even if Xiao Zhan continues to blame you, he will have some understanding in his heart!” Nalan Jie said quickly.

“Understood, Father!” Nalan Su nodded.

"Whether our Nalan family can stand firm amidst this upheaval, or even advance further, depends on this!"

……

"Then...then the three-year agreement, are you really still going to fight me?" On the way, Nalan Yanran looked at Xiao Yan, who had a smile on his lips, and suddenly asked in a low voice.

"Huh?" Xiao Yan was currently communicating with Yao Lao and didn't pay much attention to Nalan Yanran's question.

"This little girl is asking if you really still want to fight her three-year agreement?" the old apothecary kindly reminded her.

"Oh... about this, let's fight it out. We need to give each other an explanation. If you don't like the term 'three-year agreement,' we can change it to something else, like 'friendly sparring.' After all, you're Sister-in-law Yun Yun's disciple. I can't really kill you with a single blow, can I?" Xiao Yan was carrying a huge sum of nearly 100 million gold coins, almost the savings of a generation of a Dou Wang family. He was feeling quite smug, so he started joking with Nalan Yanran.

"Perhaps, I really should have made a bet with you back then, and if I lost, I would become your slave or something..." Nalan Yanran murmured softly as she looked at Xiao Yan's profile.

"..." Xiao Yan's lips twitched slightly as he turned his head to look at her, then he turned his head to look at her, pretending to be a little confused. "What did you just say?"

Nalan Yanran blushed and quickly shook her head: "No...it's nothing..."

Seeing this, Xiao Yan chuckled and said, "Then I'll be going!"

With that, Xiao Yan strode away from the Nalan family and headed straight for the Mittel family.

……

After returning to the Mittel family, Xiao Yan first wrote a letter home, and then went to Teng Shan to ask him to send it to the Xiao family in Wutan City. The letter explained his recent experiences and the details of his transactions with the Nalan family.

After sending the letter, Xiao Yan went to Chen Yang's place, preparing to set off together with the Little Purple Crystal Winged Lion King.

"Boom boom boom!"

"Enter!"

Chen Yang's voice rang out.

Xiao Yan pushed open the courtyard gate and entered, only to see Chen Yang instructing Little Fairy Doctor and Consort Ya in their combat techniques.

"Brother Yang!"

Xiao Yan cupped his hands and greeted him.

Chen Yang stopped what he was doing, flashed to Xiao Yan's side, and patted him on the shoulder: "Not bad, a fourth-grade alchemist!"

Xiao Yan chuckled: "Hehe, I'm still not as good as Brother Yang. I need to keep working hard!"

Chen Yang looked Xiao Yan up and down, glancing at his alchemist robe and then at the storage ring on his finger, which made Xiao Yan feel uneasy.

Just as Xiao Yan was about to reveal his purpose, Chen Yang suddenly said, "Xiao Yan, congratulations on making a fortune again..."

Xiao Yan: "..."

Chapter 78 Speculation about Xun'er and the Heavenly Serpent Mansion!

Looking at Chen Yang, who was chuckling and practically channeling the brigade commander with just a pair of glasses, Xiao Yan felt utterly miserable. The money hadn't even warmed up yet, and it was already gone again.

"Brother Yang, at least let me hold onto this money for a while. I just got it, less than half an hour ago!"

"Moreover, the Nalan family helped me take back the Xiao family's original mansion from the Tang family. If the Xiao family wants to move here, they will also need money to settle them down!"

Xiao Yan clutched the storage ring on his hand and said with a bitter expression.

"I don't care. The Earth Fire Azure Lotus Pill is priced at fifty million gold coins. You decide what to do!" Chen Yang shrugged.

"Fifty million, phew... half of the Nalan family, trading for a Dou Wang is quite worthwhile." Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Chen Yang would ask for one hundred million, in which case he would really have to work his life up to refine pills to make money, since he really didn't have that many gold coins on hand right now!

"Damn, that's too little!" Chen Yang laughed and cursed when he heard Xiao Yan say that.

"..." Xiao Yan rolled his eyes at Chen Yang, then turned around and went to the doghouse to find the son of the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King.

"Hahaha..." Seeing Xiao Yan's helpless expression, Chen Yang laughed freely. He was naturally not after Xiao Yan's little bit of gold coins.

Or rather, at the beginning, he was somewhat mercenary, feeling that he had few ties in this world and had a carefree attitude towards life. Even though Xiao Yan was half a fellow villager, he only helped him out of consideration for Xiao Yan's character and made some gold coins along the way.

After knowing each other for two and a half years, he now sees Xiao Yan more as a good friend, so the gold coins are just something he finds amusing.

……

Nestled in the heart of the Black Corner Region, a lawless area between several major empires in the northwest, lies an ancient complex of buildings amidst lush forests—the renowned Canaan Academy of the Dou Qi Continent.

At this moment, on a secluded green mountain in the academy, by a cliff with craggy rocks, a girl in a light blue dress stood alone, her figure graceful and ethereal.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..." Several barely perceptible sounds of air being cut rang out, and a figure dressed in a black robe appeared behind the girl, kneeling on one knee.

"Miss, Young Master Xiao Yan has arrived in the capital!" Ling Ying said respectfully to Xun'er. (In the original story, this wasn't Ling Ying, but since Chen Yang is with Xiao Yan now, Ling Ying isn't present.)

Xun'er slowly turned around and looked at Ling Ying: "I didn't expect Brother Xiao Yan to be so fast. Has he reached the Great Dou Master level yet?"

Ling Ying was slightly taken aback, then exclaimed in amazement, "Young Master Xiao Yan is already... a three-star Dou Ling!"

Xun'er reached up and rubbed her ear in disbelief: "Elder Ling, are you saying that Brother Xiao Yan has already... reached the Three-Star Dou Ling level???"

Ling Ying nodded bitterly: "Moreover, Young Master Xiao Yan now possesses combat strength comparable to the Dou Wang level, and when I left the capital, he was already a third-grade alchemist!"

After Xun'er recovered from her shock, she helped Ling Ying up, then turned to look at the lush forest below the cliff. Suddenly, she smiled and said, "He always manages to bring me some unexpected surprises. It was like that when we were little, and it's still like that now..."

Ling Ying kept his mouth tightly shut. He was the only one who knew that Xiao Yan had taken advantage of the young lady when he was young. Although they were both four or five years old at the time, Xun'er was, after all, the eldest daughter of an ancient clan. It was better for him to keep some things to himself.

"Elder Ling, do you think that if Brother Xiao Yan comes to Canaan Academy in another six months, he can graduate directly?" Xun'er suddenly asked again.

Ordinary students at Canaan Academy need to complete a certain number of years of study before they can graduate, while genius students can graduate once they break through to the Dou Wang level. At that time, students can choose to stay at Canaan Academy or return to their hometown. However, most students choose to stay at Canaan Academy as elders, since the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower is useful even for Dou Wang level experts.

Ling Ying shook her head slightly: "Although Young Master Xiao Yan has extraordinary talent, as far as I know, his breakthrough to Dou Ling was entirely due to absorbing a strange fire. In the next six months, it would be quite good if he could cultivate to six or seven stars Dou Ling!"

Xun'er remained noncommittal upon hearing this. She had a vague intuition that her brother Xiao Yan might give her an even bigger surprise in six months.

Next, Ling Ying reported on Xiao Yan's journey. Xun'er nodded with great satisfaction after listening: "Brother Xiao Yan is honest; he didn't go around flirting with women on his cultivation path..."

Ling Ying continued to pretend to be deaf. After Xun'er remained silent for two and a half seconds, he continued to talk about some things that Xiao Yan might do next.

Xun'er nodded as she pondered. After a long while, she turned to Ling Ying and asked in a deep voice, "Regarding Chen Yang and the mysterious soul beside Brother Xiao Yan, does Elder Ling have any directions for investigation?"

Ling Ying lowered her head and replied, "Regarding Chen Yang, all we know so far is that he comes from Zhongzhou and is very likely a descendant of some ancient clan. However, we cannot find out about his fighting techniques or his name. The only clue is that he has mastered the volcanic stone flame, which is ranked seventeenth on the Strange Flame Ranking!"

Upon hearing the name "volcanic stone flame," Xun'er murmured, "Is it the volcanic stone flame controlled by the Yan Clan patriarch?"

Ling Ying nodded, but then said, "It might not be the one belonging to the Yan Clan Chief. After all, apart from the three that are ranked in the top three of the Strange Flame Ranking, there have been records of several different Strange Flames in the history of the Dou Qi Continent. It's possible that his Strange Flame was obtained from somewhere else!"

Xun'er nodded, pondering to herself: 'If he is from the Yan Clan, then what is his purpose in approaching Brother Xiao Yan? Is it also for that thing?'

'If they are not from the Yan Clan, then what are they?' Xun'er wanted to send a message to her clan to ask for their help in investigating, but she was afraid that her clan members would force her to do something, so she decided against it.

"Let's not worry about him for now. As long as he's good to Brother Xiao Yan, that's fine!" Based on what Ling Ying just said, Chen Yang is indeed very good to Xiao Yan. He not only helped him obtain the Strange Fire, but also gave Xiao Yan many pills and even helped the Xiao family.

"Brother Xiao Yan once said that no one in this world is perfect. Some things should be judged by their actions, not their intentions. If we judge by their intentions, then there are no good people!" Xun'er's words were both an evaluation of Chen Yang and a description of herself.

Her initial goal was indeed the ancient jade from the Xiao family, but now... it can only be said that Gu Yuan's little cotton-padded jacket has long been leaking!

“Yes…” Ling Ying nodded and slowly disappeared from the spot!

……

The Northwest region, far from both the Gama Empire and the Black Corner Region, is also surrounded by lush forests.

Nestled among those mountains, a group of solemn and ancient buildings, bearing some snake-like symbols, sit amidst the mountains, exuding an air of mystery when viewed from the sky.

"brush!"

On this day, a green figure suddenly streaked across the sky and landed among the buildings.

"Elder Green Barbarian, you're back!" A disciple saw Green Barbarian return and respectfully stepped forward to pay his respects.

"Where is the Lord?" Green Barbarian asked breathlessly.

“This… the Lord of the Palace should be in the Heavenly Serpent Palace!” The disciple scratched his head.

"Alright!" Green Barbarian nodded, spread his battle qi wings and took to the air again, heading straight for the tall building in the center of the complex that looked like two giant snakes intertwined.

"The Serpent Spirit, Green Barbarian, requests an audience with the Lord of the Palace!" Upon arriving at the entrance of the Heavenly Serpent Palace, Green Barbarian called out loudly into the palace.

"Come in!" After a few seconds, an old voice came from inside.