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Xiao Guang, Nine-Star Dou Zong, died by assassination.
Xiao Ang, Seven-Star Dou Zong, perished along with his enemy.
Xiao Bi, Three-Star Dou Zong, died at the hands of a Magic Beast.
Xiao Chenzhou, Eight-Star Dou Zong, died of poisoning.
Xiao Hongshen, Five-Star Dou Zong, died in a struggle.
Xiao Kai, Two-Star Dou Zong, died by assassination.
Xiao Qiu, Seven-Star Dou Huang, died during secret realm exploration.
Xiao Yiyou, Four-Star Dou Huang, died during the clan's relocation process.
Xiao Xiu, Two-Star Dou Huang, died of poisoning.
Xiao Xue, One-Star Dou Huang, died in a vendetta killing. ...
As Xiao Lin flipped through the pages of the book handed over by Clan Leader Xiao Dongcheng, the more he read, the more an indescribable horror filled his heart.
Starting from nearly a thousand years ago, among those in the Xiao Clan who surpassed the Dou Huang level, not a single one had died of old age!
Various accidents would always occur to snatch away the lives of these Xiao Clan ancestors. Don't be fooled by the fact that the Xiao Clan had produced so many experts above the Dou Huang level—some even approaching the Dou Zun level—over the past millennium.
The tragic reality was that every single one of them failed to reach a natural end due to various specific reasons. Xiao Lin knew exactly what this represented. If only a few individual ancestors had died by accident, it wouldn't be much of an issue.
After all, on this Dou Qi Continent where strength is revered, dying by accident is perfectly normal.
However, if every single expert above the Dou Huang level in the Xiao Clan for a thousand years died by "accident," and one still called that normal, then there were truly ghosts afoot!
"This, this..."
Even with Xiao Lin's temperament, after finishing the book provided by Clan Leader Xiao Dongcheng, he was unable to maintain his composure. In fact, at this moment, Xiao Lin's face was filled with lingering fear.
Fortunately, he had chosen to follow the low-profile path!
If he had truly been so high-profile as to directly expose his cultivation, he might have also been "forced" into an accidental death. While Xiao Lin was secretly feeling lucky, Clan Leader Xiao Dongcheng spoke again.
"Xiao Lin, you see it now, don't you? Our Xiao Clan once had its glory. As far as I know, the roots of our Xiao Clan are not actually in the Jia Ma Empire, nor even the Northwestern Region, but come from that magical place known as the Central Plains!"
"However, through the passage of time, the ancestors of our Xiao Clan seemed to be cursed, always falling due to various accidents. Thus, along with the decline of our Xiao Clan, we eventually migrated to the Jia Ma Empire."
"Yet, our Xiao Clan has never been able to produce another expert above the Dou Wang level."
Speaking to this point, Xiao Dongcheng's face was full of sighs.
He also wanted the Xiao Clan to return to its peak, but alas, his capability was insufficient, leaving the Xiao Clan trapped within the Jia Ma Empire. However, Xiao Dongcheng's words caused Xiao Lin to daze again.
Did Xiao Dongcheng fail to see the problem inherent in this?
"Clan Leader, don't you think the deaths of our Xiao Clan ancestors are suspicious?"
Having doubts, Xiao Lin naturally asked them.
This was a problem he could see at a glance, yet Xiao Dongcheng, as the Clan Leader, hadn't noticed at all; this was what Xiao Lin found hard to understand.
"Hehe, Xiao Lin, I know what you want to say. Are you suspecting that our Xiao Clan is being targeted in the shadows, which is why the ancestors died from various accidents?"
As if he had long expected this, Xiao Dongcheng smiled and asked in return.
"Is it not?"
Xiao Lin really wanted to say that, but before he could ask, Xiao Dongcheng continued.
"I once had the same suspicions as you, feeling that the Xiao Clan might be targeted by some unknown powerful enemy. But later, thinking it over, I felt it was quite unlikely. After all, this kind of thing has persisted for at least a thousand years!"
"Who would be so bored as to keep their eyes on our Xiao Clan for a millennium? Moreover, the deaths of those ancestors are all clearly recorded; naturally, there's no such thing as being targeted by an unknown powerful enemy."
"Besides, the previous Clan Leader was one of those who died of old age. Many people in our Xiao Clan live until they are old. Xiao Lin, you must understand that while this is indeed a world where the strong prey on the weak, sometimes the stronger one is, the more they must compete with others, which leads to their deaths."
"Conversely, ordinary people sometimes find it easier to live until old age. Taking another step back, if there really were such an unknown enemy targeting our Xiao Clan in the dark, why would our Xiao Clan still exist after a thousand years?"
"That unknown powerful enemy might as well have just wiped us out directly. Therefore, the deaths of those above the Dou Wang level in our Xiao Clan, in my view, seem more like a curse."
Xiao Dongcheng's explanation actually sounded quite reasonable upon first hearing.
Because if such a hidden enemy truly existed, many things wouldn't make sense.
However, although Xiao Dongcheng understood some secrets of the Xiao Clan, his understanding ultimately had its limitations. Unlike Xiao Lin, who after awakening his past memories, understood the Xiao Clan even better than the current Xiao Dongcheng!
The black hand directing the downfall of the Xiao Clan from the shadows was the Hall of Souls—or rather, the Hun Clan!
If the Gu Clan had only swallowed the resources of the former Xiao Clan, then the ones who slaughtered every Xiao Clan member above the Dou Wang level could only be the Hun Clan. When resources are gone, they can be reacquired, but when people are gone, they are truly gone!
Therefore, in Xiao Lin's view, although the Gu Clan swallowed the resources and didn't look after the Xiao Clan afterward, they weren't the main reason for the clan's decline.
After all, even if the Gu Clan hadn't taken the resources, as long as the Xiao Clan kept producing experts above the Dou Wang level, they would still die at the hands of the Hun Clan.
The Xiao Clan would most likely still have declined into the current Xiao Clan. As for why the Hun Clan didn't just wipe out the Xiao Clan, it was because the Xiao Clan held an Ancient God Jade.
The other Dou Di Clans would not allow the Hun Clan to exterminate the Xiao Clan. They could ignore the decline of the Xiao Clan and even turn a blind eye to it. But to wipe out the Xiao Clan was absolutely forbidden!
The other Dou Di Clans would not allow the Hun Clan to obtain a second piece of the Ancient God Jade. This was the main reason the Hun Clan only orchestrated the Xiao Clan's decline but did not destroy them!
It wasn't that they didn't want to, but that they couldn't!
Especially during the thousand years Hun Tiandi spent recovering from his injuries; without him, the Hun Clan was no match for the Gu Clan.
A single Gu Yuan could block off the Hun Realm!
Would the Hun Clan dare to act recklessly? If the Hun Clan wiped out the Xiao Clan to snatch the jade today, the other six clans would be blocking their front door tomorrow.
However, while Xiao Lin knew all this, Xiao Dongcheng clearly did not.
The most he understood was that the Xiao Clan's ancestors were once wealthy and powerful. On a deeper level, after a thousand years, how could even the current Clan Leader have any understanding of the Xiao Clan that was once one of the Eight Ancient Clans?
Nevertheless, Xiao Lin was certain, especially after finishing that book recording the deaths of those above the Dou Huang level, that he absolutely did not believe so many ancestors died due to mere accidents!
Even if they were accidents, they were merely "forced" accidents orchestrated by the Hun Clan in the shadows. At this moment, Xiao Lin felt incredibly lucky about his decision to hide his strength. Otherwise, he might have already been targeted by the Hun Clan.
With his current strength, if he were targeted, there was no doubt this book would soon record the process of Xiao Lin's "forced" accidental death.
"It seems my earlier guesses were correct. The Hun Clan really has been watching the Xiao Clan from the shadows!"
"I wonder if I entered their sight after I 'broke through' to Dou Wang? Looking at my death in the original story, that possibility isn't just there—it's quite high! To avoid my future 'forced' accidental death, I really should make some preparations early."
Xiao Lin thought silently to himself.
At the same time, after learning about so many ancestors who suffered "forced" accidental deaths, Xiao Lin's resolve to go out and travel was strengthened.
After all, the earlier Hun Clan only targeted those above the Dou Huang level, but who's to say they won't lower their standards in the future and target even a Dou Wang? Therefore, increasing his strength as much as possible was extremely necessary.
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