Martial Conquest of the Nine Desolates
Chapter 452 - 448: Meeting the Parents

Chapter 452: Chapter 448: Meeting the Parents

"Xiao Teng, it’s really Xiao Teng!" Shi Bo and Wu Daniu’s eyes widened as they stared intently at Xiao Teng.

Within the Xiao Alliance, the former villagers of Xiao Family Village were even more incredulous.

The name Xiao Teng was one they had never forgotten. At the year’s marriage selection tournament, he had dominated over many young men from different villages, and if it weren’t for his final defeat by Xiao Ye, he would have been the champion of that tournament.

Unfortunately, due to his father Xiao Ba’s greed, he embarked on a path of no return, his whereabouts unknown after a bloody clash with the Blood Wolf Gang.

Over the years, Xiao Teng was seldom mentioned, but whenever he was, it was with a sigh of regret. Because Xiao Teng was a talent with exceptional gifts, a rare genius even in Green Sun Town. If nothing had gone wrong, he could have been a pillar of the Xiao Alliance, second in strength only to Xiao Ye, far stronger than Shi Bo, Wu Daniu, and others, further enhancing the prestige of the Xiao Alliance.

And now, the long-lost Xiao Teng has returned? What on earth is going on?

Suddenly, the scene quieted down, and everyone’s puzzled looks shifted between Xiao Ye and Xiao Teng.

Xiao Teng’s emotions were complicated. Seeing the people of the Xiao Alliance reminded him of the mistakes he had made in the past. Despite the many years, the memory still filled him with guilt.

After all, because of him and Xiao Ba, many villagers lost their lives.

Looking at Xiao Teng, Xiao Ye reached out to pull him over, smiling as he said, "Xiao Teng and I met in the True Spirit Continent..."

Listening to Xiao Ye’s account, everyone understood and realized that Xiao Teng felt guilty for the misdeeds he had committed in the past. Most importantly, since Xiao Ye had forgiven Xiao Teng, what was there for them to bear a grudge about?

"Haha, it’s good that you’re back, the Xiao Alliance has always been your home! I, Big Bull, didn’t like you at first, but now I think you’re not bad, the prodigal son has finally returned home!" Wu Daniu stepped forward, patted Xiao Teng’s shoulder, and said with a wide smile.

"Yes, Xiao Teng, the past is past, you are still one of us, a member of the Xiao Alliance," said Shi Bo with a smile.

"You all..." Looking at the sincere eyes of the Xiao Alliance members, Xiao Teng’s body trembled, tears shimmering in his eyes, and then he bowed with a fist, "Thank you all for your magnanimity. From now on, I will do my best to repay the Xiao Alliance and make up for my past mistakes."

"Enough talk, Xiao Teng, let’s head home together. I bet Uncle Xiao Ba has been missing you these years," Xiao Ye told Xiao Teng.

"Yes, that’s our home!" Xiao Teng nodded emphatically, his heartstrings quivering.

After years of wandering, the word ’home’ had a distinct warmth for him.

"Let’s go home!" Wu Daniu bellowed, and having attained the Mystic Martial level, he soared into the sky, leading Xiao Ye and the others towards the home of the Xiao Alliance.

"Supreme Xiao Ye has returned!" The hundreds of thousands of Martial Artists in the arena looked up as the imposing figures of the Xiao Alliance experts cleaved through Heaven, murmuring to themselves. It was believed that before long, this news would shake the entire Yulan Domain.

...

Black Dragon Country, Wu’an County.

Ever since Xiao Ye rose to prominence, the previous Monarch of the Black Dragon Kingdom had bestowed Wu’an County to Xiao Ye, making it the territory of the Xiao Alliance. After nine years of development, the once desolate Wu’an County had seen numerous cities spring up with straight streets crisscrossing in all directions, signifying immense prosperity, a place many Martial Artists yearned for.

The reason is nothing else but that this place is the territory of the first genius in the history of the Yulan Domain, the Supreme Genius, Supreme Xiao Ye.

As Xiao Ye’s family force, the Xiao Alliance had developed incredibly fast over these nine years. Thanks to the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, secret techniques, and Martial Arts Weapons that Xiao Ye brought back from the Empress’s Hard Cultivation Land, together with the treasures contributed by the Thirteen Countries of the Yulan Domain, the Xiao Alliance had a surge of strong members. There were countless Innate Martial Artists, and even several King-level behemoths, on par with the Thirteen Countries of the Yulan Domain.

Moreover, because of Xiao Ye, the Thirteen Countries of the Yulan Domain dared not offend the Xiao Alliance in the slightest. Instead, they paid tribute with treasures annually to maintain good relations with the Xiao Alliance.

This also made the Xiao Alliance an undisputed transcendent existence in the Yulan Domain, unchallenged by anyone.

At this moment, in the core city of the Xiao Alliance in Wu’an County, a large number of junior members of the Xiao Alliance were practicing boxing and kicking in the spacious plaza, with the sounds of exertion echoing endlessly, sweat flying, a picture of youthful vigor.

"Hmph, all of you, focus and don’t slack off!" A strong man with his upper body bared walked back and forth, his gaze as sharp as the edge of a blade, sweeping constantly. Any junior he noticed would tremble all over.

This middle-aged man was Xiao Dashan from Xiao Family Village, who once taught the juniors the entry-level Martial Arts.

Nine years had passed, and thanks to regular ingestion of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Xiao Dashan was still robust, with no trace of the years visible on him, his Cultivation improving day by day. He had broken through to the Innate Realm, his Blood Qi surging like a tiger’s might.

"Our Xiao Alliance’s Supreme Xiao Ye, at your age, was on the verge of breaking through to the Postnatal Realm. Yet, he still insisted on intense daily cultivation. Take him as your role model and become the pride of our Xiao Alliance!"

While Xiao Dashan was patrolling, he shouted this in his heart.

Hearing this, the youngsters’ eyes ignited with a blazing light, and their fatigue seemed to dissipate.

Although Xiao Dashan had repeated these words year in and year out, they still served as a significant motivation for them.

Just then, a whistling sound approached. Xiao Dashan looked up, only to see several figures flying through the air, heading straight into the Inner Mansion of the Xiao Alliance.

There are only a few people who dare to fly freely within the Xiao Alliance.

"It looks like Xiao Fan has come back from his duel, but I wonder how it turned out," mused Xiao Dashan to himself. Suddenly, his body trembled, his mouth agape as he stared fixedly at one of the figures.

He had been Xiao Ye’s martial arts enlightenment master since childhood, and even after so many years, he could still recognize Xiao Ye’s figure from behind at a glance.

"Xiao Ye, it’s Xiao Ye, the kid’s actually returned!" Xiao Dashan burst out laughing and then took off running toward the Xiao Alliance Inner Mansion, leaving behind the younger generation of the Xiao Alliance with stunned expressions.

"Did Uncle Dashan just say... Xiao Ye? The first genius of our Xiao Alliance, the Supreme Xiao Ye?" A youth said with a face of disbelief.

The next moment—

Whoosh!

The entire square erupted into commotion, the younger generation no longer practicing their moves but howling like wolves and scrambling towards the Inner Mansion.

The Xiao Alliance Inner Mansion is where important family members reside. There are clusters of buildings, with countless pavilions and towers, all exquisitely and luxuriously constructed.

But there is one courtyard that looks somewhat simple yet very tidy, which seems out of place here.

This is the home of Xiao Yang, Luo Meilan, and Xiao Fan, a family of three.

Although the Xiao Alliance has already become the undisputedly most powerful force in the Yulan Domain, Xiao Yang still ordered the building of a courtyard similar to the one back in Xiao Family Village, maintaining the frugal customs of their past, and they even did not have a single servant or maid.

At this moment, Xiao Yang, wearing a loose robe, was pruning the flowers and plants in the courtyard, while Luo Meilan was busy in the kitchen, occasionally looking up at the courtyard. Warm sunlight poured down, forming a beautiful scene.

Creak!

Just then, the courtyard door was pushed open and Xiao Fan walked in: "Dad, Mom!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yang turned his head and smiled, putting down the pruning tools and said, "Let Dad guess, our Fan must have won, right?"

Xiao Fan heard this and proudly held his head high: "Of course, my goal is to emulate brother, who was respected among his peers in the Thirteen Countries of the Yulan Domain and swept through as an invincible force. I must do the same; otherwise, it’d be a disgrace to brother!"

"Hehe..." Xiao Yang laughed proudly, but when he thought of Xiao Ye, a tinge of sadness crossed his eyes.

"You, always too competitive, insisting on comparing yourself to your brother," Luo Meilan walked out of the kitchen. Seeing that Xiao Fan wasn’t injured, she let out a sigh of relief.

After all, with the protection of the Xiao Alliance’s powerhouses and the care from the thirteen kings, it would be difficult for Xiao Fan to get into trouble.

Hearing Luo Meilan’s gentle reproach, Xiao Fan stuck out his tongue, then smiled mysteriously and said, "Dad, Mom, today we’ll need to set one more place at the table."

"What do you mean?" Both Xiao Yang and Luo Meilan were stunned, looking at Xiao Fan with puzzlement.

At that moment, Xiao Fan turned his head and called out to the outside, "Brother, come on in!"

Boom!

That phrase struck Xiao Yang and Luo Meilan like thunder, making their bodies tremble as they breathlessly fixed their gaze toward the door, not blinking once.

They longed to ask Xiao Fan if it was Xiao Ye who had returned, but they dared not ask for fear of receiving a negative answer that would plunge them into disappointment again.

Tap!

The sound of light, unhurried footsteps then rose, and a black-robed youth stepped in from outside, appearing in the sight of Xiao Yang and Luo Meilan.

"Dad, Mom, your unfilial son, Xiao Ye, has returned!" Xiao Ye’s eyes immediately reddened as he looked at his parents, tears rolling down his face, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing deeply.

No matter how strong he had become, he was still the son of Xiao Yang and Luo Meilan.

"Ye’er, it’s really you who’ve come back!" Xiao Yang and Luo Meilan’s voices choked with emotion as they rushed over and embraced Xiao Ye in their arms, with Luo Meilan crying like a fountain of tears.

After a warm heart-to-heart reunion, Xiao Yang with his cheeks aglow declared loudly, "I want to drink today, and won’t stop until I’ve had my fill!"

"Alright, Dad, I’ll drink with you and little brother," Xiao Ye also said with a smile, feeling warmth and affection with his family, as if all troubles had vanished.

"Dad, Mom, you don’t know, as soon as brother came back, he gave me a beating, and I’m still sore now," Xiao Fan exaggerated.

"Kid, you looking for another beating?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Ye put on a stern face, glaring at Xiao Fan, but then, in an instant, the facade melted away, leaving behind a helpless smile.

For after revealing his identity, in front of this younger brother, he just couldn’t bring himself to be harsh.