Battle Through the Heavens: Soul Travels Through Clouds and Mountains, Becoming a Winning Artist

Chapter 36 Elder Xiao Zhan of the Yunlan Sect!

"Master Guhe's presence at my humble abode is an honor to the Xiao family..." Under the immense shock, Xiao Zhan's brain had completely shut down. He mechanically repeated the prepared lines and greeted Guhe with clasped hands.

"Hahaha." Seeing Xiao Zhan's stiff posture, as if he were performing a robotic dance, Yun Congxin couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing.

"Uh, Elder Yun, why did you come in person?" Xiao Yan, who had run off to slack off earlier, was dragged back by Xiao Yu. He looked up and saw Yun Congxin, who couldn't hold back his laughter, and scratched his head.

Yun Congxin looked over upon hearing the sound and saw the embarrassed Xiao Yan and the surprised Xiao Yu behind him. He quickly coughed twice to put on a serious face and gestured for Xiao Yan to hurry up and save the day.

When Xiao Yan saw that his father was stiff as if his joints were rusty, he immediately understood and quickly stepped forward to help Xiao Zhan out of the predicament.

Xiao Yu, on the other hand, visibly panicked. Two blushes rose on her pretty face, and she became timid and awkward, a stark contrast to her fierce demeanor when she had just caught Xiao Yan slacking off.

Seeing Xiao Yu's bewildered expression, Yun Congxin assumed it was because she had overheard him secretly laughing at his elders. He quickly explained, "Ahem, misunderstanding, misunderstanding. Chief Tengshan just told two amusing stories, which were so funny that I laughed... Don't you think so, Chief Tengshan?"

"Yes...yes. It was because I told some jokes about my niece that made Sect Leader Yun laugh..." Under Yun Congxin's threatening gaze, Tengshan quickly nodded in agreement.

"Why are you all here, Yu'er? Have you packed everything for your trip back to the academy?" Xiao Zhan, who had been freed from Xiao Yan's predicament, invited Gu He to Yun Congxin's table as well. He was somewhat surprised to see Xiao Yu acting like a little girl.

"Academy? Canaan Academy?" Yun Congxin suddenly remembered that Xiao Yu should already be at Canaan Academy by now, right?

Presumably, she was originally going to return before Yunling attacked the Xiao family, but her plans changed because of my sudden visit.

"I have not..."

"That's great! Actually, I haven't finished packing yet!" Hearing this, Xiao Yan, who had found another opportunity to slack off, brightened up and quickly chimed in, "These are all elders from various families. It's not appropriate for us juniors to come. Let's go pack our luggage first!"

"Elder Yun is also going to the Black Corner Region, and we'll be going the same way anyway, so there's no need to rush to say anything now..." Xiao Yan leaned closer to Xiao Yu and whispered.

Ever since he learned about his cousin's little secret, Xiao Yan found her much more agreeable. After all, a girl experiencing first love is always much cuter than a humanoid tyrannosaurus rex...

The relationship between the siblings has subtly changed as a result. Although they still tease each other when they meet, they are no longer as hostile as before.

"After Sect Master Yun broke through to the Dou Zong realm and regained his youth, his charm has truly increased..." Gu He sat next to Yun Congxin and exclaimed in a low voice as he watched the young people of the Xiao family take their leave.

"What's soaring?" Yun Congxin, who was busy eating fried peanuts, turned around and looked at Gu He, asking.

Gu He smiled and shook his head, thinking that as expected, after Sect Master Yun broke through, he had unloaded many burdens. Not only was his temperament no longer gloomy, but his personality had also become more carefree.

"I mean, since his breakthrough, Sect Master Yun has regained his youth and has become the most handsome man in the Jia Ma Empire back in the day, showering carriages with fruit..."

"You flatter me..." Yun Congxin scratched his face somewhat awkwardly, then changed the subject, "I heard from Yun'er that Mr. Guhe once went deep into the desert to search for the strange fire. I wonder what the result was..."

Upon hearing this, Gu He gave a wry smile: "Don't laugh at me, Sect Leader Yun, but the strange fire I was searching for was the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame in Xiao Yan's possession. We fought tooth and nail with the Snake-People tribe for so long, only to have it end up with this kid..."

"Treasures of nature are meant for those with the right fate..." Yun Congxin comforted him before speaking earnestly, "But I also know of a rare flame, and I plan to try and obtain it for Mr. Guhe..."

Since we're going to the Black Corner Region anyway, we can't let it go for nothing. Anyway, that bastard Han Feng has run into that jinx Xiao Yan and is basically dead, so I might as well help him speed things up...

Hai Xinyan felt wronged in his hands, so I'll just have to take the trouble and accept it on his behalf.

"Is this really true?" Gu He's voice changed with excitement upon hearing Yun Congxin's words.

"Don't get excited, don't get excited..." Yun Congxin smiled and poured himself and Gu He a cup, then began to negotiate: "Mr. Gu He has always been a friend of my Yunlan Sect, and I have always valued our friendship. But as you know, different flames are very dangerous, and it's not really certain whether this will work out..."

Gu He held the cup with both hands, clinked it with Yun Congxin's, and drank it all in one gulp, saying, "If I can obtain a single strange flame, I am willing to join the Yunlan Sect and serve Sect Master Yun faithfully!"

"Hey, you're too kind. We're all friends, there's no point in saying such formal things." Yun Congxin knew that Gu He was always an honest and kind person, so he said with a smile.

The strange fire is rather useless to me; at most, it can only be used as an extra and cannot shine as brightly as it does in the hands of an alchemist like Xiao Yan.

Furthermore, devouring a strange fire was far too dangerous, so Yun Congxin had no intention of keeping it for himself. In his view, the best use of this useless and dangerous thing was to bind a promising high-level alchemist like Gu He to his warship.

Taking this opportunity, Yun Congxin and Gu He talked for a long time. In the end, the usually steady Gu He decided to take a chance and go to the Black Corner Region with Yun Congxin.

Yun Congxin was overjoyed and couldn't help but drink a few more cups.

"Sect Leader Yun, it's almost time, you see..." Just then, Xiao Zhan personally invited Yun Congxin to come up on stage and say a few words before the banquet began.

"Come and have a drink." Yun Congxin smiled and picked up the wine pot to pour wine for Xiao Zhan. He wasn't actually drunk; he just wanted to show everyone how much Yunlan Sect valued the Xiao family.

"Oh, no, no, I'll pour it, I'll pour it," Xiao Zhan said, quickly taking the wine pot from Yun Congxin's hand.

"Haha, Clan Chief Xiao, you're too kind." Under everyone's gaze, Yun Congxin clinked glasses with Xiao Zhan and drank it all in one gulp. He laughed and said, "From now on, you're an elder of my Yunlan Sect. We're all family, so don't be so reserved..."

Elder? Isn't that an outer sect steward?

The guests looked at each other in bewilderment, wondering what Yun Congxin was up to.

"Sect Master Yun, this doesn't seem to conform to the rules of the Yunlan Sect, does it?" Gu He thought Yun Congxin had drunk too much and was afraid that Yun Congxin would embarrass himself, so he quickly reminded him.

"What rules? I am the rule!"

Yun Congxin walked steadily onto the stage, his eyes clear and showing no signs of intoxication. He said earnestly, "Everyone received the correct invitations. The position originally intended for Patriarch Xiao was that of an Outer Sect Steward. However, we have recently discovered that the Mo family of Black Rock City has committed treason! Their Grand Elder, Mo Cheng, is utterly depraved and deserves to die! Fortunately, the young Patriarch of the Xiao family reacted swiftly, reporting the matter to the sect as a guest elder of the Yunlan Sect to purge the sect, thus preventing a major disaster!"

"Therefore, the Yunlan Sect has decided to confer upon Clan Chief Xiao Zhan the position of Elder of the Yunlan Sect as a sign of recognition!"