"The matter of the patriarch's disappearance has also reached the family." Ling Ying looked at Xun'er before her, and sighed, "Now the family is rather disordered. The disappearance of Xiao Zhan might also indicate that the 'keys' belonging to the Xiao family have vanished as well. You know how highly the family values him." "Has anyone from the family been dispatched to investigate the whereabouts of Uncle Xiao?" Xun'er furrowed her brows, and after a moment, suddenly asked. "Inquiries have indeed begun, though no updates have yet come. Perhaps only the Grand Master of Yunlan Sect, who was pursuing Xiao Zhan that day, knows the full details. Unfortunately, under the fury of Xiao Yan, he was killed." Ling Ying shook her head. "Xiao Yan has always held Uncle Xiao in high regard. When Uncle Xiao was chased and ultimately disappeared by Yunlan Sect, he naturally became furious, losing his composure." Xun'er sighed, then shifted the topic, saying, "Let's begin with Father's instructions." "The elder said that if the lady could not find that portion of the keys, she should immediately return. Since the keys have vanished with Xiao Zhan's disappearance, there would be no point in wasting time on Master Xiao Yan. Ling Ying spoke softly, "Lady, your persistent refusal to return and your continued presence with Master Xiao Yan—these details the Elder has likely sensed. He seems quite dissatisfied. Several senior elders share the same sentiment. They believe Master Xiao Yan is not worthy of you." Xun'er's face remained calm and composed, unaffected by the remarks. After a while, she said gently, "Whether or not he is worthy will become clear in time." "But now, time has run out. Originally, when Master Xiao Yan left Wutan City, you were supposed to return then. Yet you've stayed on—now for three years. The elders' growing dissatisfaction is understandable. After all, your importance to the family cannot be compared to that of other branch members." "Lin Ying spoke softly, "So the Clan Elder has issued a firm command—within one month, if you still haven't returned, someone from the clan may come personally. Miss Xun surely doesn't want the current Xiao Yan少爷 to have any direct contact with the clan, does she? You yourself know that Xiao Yan's current strength holds no merit worthy of the clan's attention."紧咬着红唇，Xun pressed her slender fingers tightly together, and after a while, gave a slight nod. "Yes, I understand." Although she already knew where the Xiao family's so-called 'keys' were located, she hadn't mentioned it—because she was certain that once the news reached the clan, Xiao Yan would surely come. Gazing at Xun's serene, composed face, Lin Ying sighed with a sense of helplessness, then twisted her body, fading into a blurred silhouette as she moved swiftly into the shadows, finally gently curling into stillness and vanishing. For a long time after Ling Ying had vanished, Xun'er finally moved slowly toward the window, gazing at the vast night sky, a faint bitterness touching her cheeks. She had never doubted Xiao Yan's potential, even when he had fallen from a prodigy to a mere waste, struggling through years of decline. She had always believed he would eventually rise once again to stand at the pinnacle admired by all. Yet, even among that immense and awe-inspiring power, a prodigy remained but a single grain of sand in the sea—barely worthy of notice. Over countless generations, that ancient force had witnessed countless prodigies rise and fall. Thus, the very term "prodigy" no longer stirred any surprise in them. What truly mattered to them was not whether someone was a prodigy, but rather, what level of achievement they had reached at this very moment. Now, Xiao Yan is merely a Spirit Realm cultivator. Though he is not yet twenty, this doesn't speak much—after all, the path of cultivation is fraught with peril, and no one can truly be certain that Xiao Yan will rise to the pinnacle and stand above all others. The ancient sect is so vast and powerful that, unless he reaches that peak, his progress remains merely a fifty-step or a hundred-step difference—no fundamental distinction. "They don't believe..." a faint, mocking smile curled at the corner of Xun'er's lips as she murmured softly, "All I need is to believe myself..." As soon as they stepped out of the room and into the grand hall, Zi Yan appeared like a ghost, her dark eyes blinking rapidly at Xiao Yan. Seeing her like this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but laugh and sigh, setting the jade bottle into her hands. He silently smiled at her delighted expression, realizing that despite her strong abilities, her mental maturity was still quite similar to that of a child her age. Once receiving the delicious, energy-rich pills, Zi Yan finally stopped clinging to Xiao Yan. However, she was still shy to immediately leave, so she sat quietly by the side, her delicate and charming demeanor making Huo Jia long to rush over and give her a good squeeze. At that moment, Xun Er, Huo Jia, and Wu Hao were all present in the hall. Today, Wu Hao had not rushed off to the arena as usual—his passionate enthusiasm for combat was simply beginning to drive even Xiao Yan and his companions a bit crazy. During breakfast, he asked薰儿 and the others about the recent developments at Panmen. Only after confirming everything was going well did he finally exhale in relief. After all, he had always been the leader of Panmen, even if his leadership had been somewhat negligent—he had never denied his role. "Hmm, who is this little girl... pfft..." While chewing on her steamed bun, Lin Yan paid no attention to Xiao Yan and the others, his gaze suddenly shifting to Zi Yan, who was seated beside him. Just as he smiled and asked, his face instantly went rigid under the astonished eyes of Xun'er, Huo Jia, and Wu Hao. The chewed-up steamed bun, now mixed with saliva, was forcefully sprayed out in a burst. A moment later, as if electrified, he hurried backward, his face pale with shock. "Y-you... how are you here?" The sharp, breathless voice poured out from Lin Yan as he retreated. Seeing Lin Yan's sudden transformation, Xun'er, Huo Jia, and Wu Hao all found themselves puzzled. Only Xiao Yan clearly recognized that Lin Yan had also spotted Zi Yan. "What are you all shouting about?" Zi Yan, holding her ears, expressed her growing irritation at Lin Yan's visibly stunned expression. Swallowing a lump of saliva, Lin Yan saw Zi Yan making no special move, which gave him a bit of reassurance. He stepped around the large table in the hall and carefully approached the back of Xiao Yan and his companions, whispering, "For heaven's sake, how did this guy end up here? Are you all okay?" "Good," Xiao Yan said, spreading his hands with a smile. Observing Xiao Yan's composed demeanor, Lin Yan couldn't help but glare at him, "Do you know her identity?" "Ah, yes," Xiao Yan replied, walking over to Zi Yan and gently patting her head, smiling, "Such a cute little girl." "Cute..." Lin Yan's mouth twitched. In his mind, he sighed—had he seen the scene from the last Strong Rank Tournament, where this very person had kicked all the contestants off the field, he might not have thought so. "I'm done. Hmph. Off I go." With her breakfast stuffed into her mouth, Zǐ Yán shook her head, pushing Xiāo Yīn’s hand aside, and hummed at Lín Yàn before hopping excitedly toward the door. As she stepped out, she turned back to Xiāo Yīn and said, "Don't forget our deal—also, if you see anyone bothering you, come find me. As for those people around you, I'll take one punch for each." With a proud lift of her small fist, the little girl bounced and vanished from the sight of Xiāo Yīn and the others. Choked by Xiao Yan's mockery, Lin Yan's face flushed slightly, and he huffed, saying, "With this monster protecting you, what could you possibly fear from Liu Qing? That man only takes a detour whenever he sees her. 'I'm counting on a little girl to support my back?' Xiao Yan chuckled and shook his head. As a man of his stature, he didn't want to parade himself merely because of a girl's name. He gave a friendly pat on Lin Yan's shoulder, just about to speak, when suddenly a sharp knock came from the door. Then, amid Xun'er's soft voice, a figure hurried in. "Ah Tai? What's going on?" Xiao Yan asked, startled at the man who burst in, breathless. "Heh, head, there's something about you," Ah Tai said, adjusting his head. "Yesterday I took a leave to visit the outer courtyard, and I heard someone urgently looking for you." "Oh? Who is it?" Xiao Yan blinked, frowning. "It seems to be Xiao Yu. She even called you her sister." "Atai said, 'She looks genuinely urgent. The inner courtyard doesn't allow outer courtyard students to enter, so she asked me to deliver a message—no matter what, you must go to the outer courtyard at once.' Her expression slightly changed. Xiao Yan knew Xiao Yu well; if it weren't truly something serious, she wouldn't be this anxious. But what could possibly go wrong in the outer courtyard? Taking a few steps back and forth, Xiao Yan finally turned and walked toward the door, saying firmly, 'Let's go!'”