Dong Ziwan was extremely conflicted. Previously, she had not wanted Xiang Shaoyun to come because she did not wish to put him in danger. But he had come and had even saved her clan. Seeing that he was in no danger staying, she was now hopeful that he could stay longer.
However, she did not know what to do. She was worried that she would put him in a difficult position if she invited him to stay. After all, he had already made his intention to leave clear.
All the Dong Clan members were looking at Dong Ziwan expectantly.
After looking at her clan members, she hesitated for a bit more before she looked at Xiang Shaoyun and asked seriously, "Can you stay?"
Xiang Shaoyun smiled. "This is your place. If you want me to stay, I'll stay. And if you do not want me as your guest, I will naturally leave."
"Stay, then," said Dong Ziwan with her eyes wide.
"Sure, I'll stay," Xiang Shaoyun agreed without any hesitation.
Dong Zhuoyue heaved a sigh of relief. If he had offended Xiang Shaoyun enough to make him leave, he would have a hard time keeping his position as the clan leader.
Looks like this kid has some feelings for Little Wan, thought Dong Zhuoyue inwardly.
He was not alone as many in the Dong Clan had reached the same conclusion. They also thought that both Xiang Shaoyun and Dong Ziwan were akin to a match made in heaven.
"Great. Saviors, please come in and take a seat. Men, clean up the battlefield," said Dong Qinggu.
They were all relieved to receive the assistance of two powerful late-stage Dragon Ascension Realm experts. Xiang Shaoyun did not hesitate and went into the Dong Clan estate with Devouring Ghost, Du Xuanhao, and Jin Wo.
The clan estate was akin to a city within a city. It occupied an expansive area; a large number of ancient buildings stood tall everywhere. Only those from the clan's direct line of descent were allowed to reside here. As for the clan's branch families, they all lived at different locations within the city. In fact, more than half the residents of the city shared the surname Dong.
After entering the estate, Dong Qinggu and Dong Zhongyuan had Dong Zhuoyue arrange a feast to welcome Xiang Shaoyun's group. Although the clan was overall still enveloped in sorrow because of the casualties they had suffered, they still couldn't slight such important guests.
During the feast, most of the Dong Clan members appeared lost in thought, their faces still covered with worry. Because of the sombre mood, Xiang Shaoyun couldn't really bring himself to enjoy the food. He quickly found a random excuse to end the feast.
"Everyone, go handle your affairs first. I will be staying for a bit anyway," said Xiang Shaoyun forthrightly.
When Dong Qinggu, Dong Zhongyuan, and Dong Zhuoyue heard that, they were finally able to leave and go handle the clan affairs without worrying they would offend him. After they left, Dong Ziwan apologized, "Sorry, Xiang Shaoyun."
"There is no need to apologize. We are friends," said Xiang Shaoyun with a smile. "Prepare a place for us to rest. I believe there is a lot you need to deal with as well. We can meet again when you are done with your clan affairs."
Dong Ziwan nodded gratefully before bringing them to the residence prepared for them. And just like that, Xiang Shaoyun's group started staying at the Dong Clan.
"Young master, are you interested in that girl?" asked Devouring Ghost.
Xiang Shaoyun replied, "We are only friends who have survived a dangerous encounter together."
"Good. Young master, your future is full of promise. Your wife should be the best of the best, a remarkable beauty with outstanding talent. Although this girl looks decent, she is still not good enough for you," said Devouring Ghost. "Your future wife should be picked from the most eligible ladies of the various regions."
"Hehe, I never knew you placed such importance on status," said Xiang Shaoyun with a smile.
"The superpowers of the various regions have stood tall all these years relying not only on their terrifying accumulation but also on their selective method of picking their other halves. That is how these superpowers ensure that their offspring possess an extraordinary bloodline as well. This is something you need to be very careful about, young master," reminded Devouring Ghost. He then laughed and added, "Hehe, but if she is willing to be your concubine, I don't really care."
The reason Devouring Ghost had said all that was because he did not wish for Xiang Shaoyun to only see Dong Ziwan alone. It was obvious how much hope he placed on Xiang Shaoyun.
Xiang Shaoyun understood Devouring Ghost's feelings, but he did not really care. He would simply follow his heart. Dong Ziwan was beautiful and kind, but he hadn't really fallen in love with her. However, he did not deny that he did have a high opinion of her. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered helping her and her clan.
Suddenly, Du Xuanhao said, "Young master, I am going to break through,"
Pleasantly surprised, Xiang Shaoyun said, "Really?"
"Yes. After cultivating the Scorching Sun Manual, I have been growing rapidly. After this battle, I feel like a few days of seclusion will be enough for me to smoothly break through," said Du Xuanhao seriously.
"That's great! We need to quickly find a place for you to break through," said Xiang Shaoyun gleefully. A troubled look covered his face as he said, "Trouble might come here at any moment, so this is not a good place for that. What should we do?"
He had just promised to stay for a bit, so he would be too embarrassed to suddenly leave.
"Don't worry, young master. I can do it here. Even if another battle erupts, it won't affect me. I have broken through in the midst of battle many times before. Some minor disturbances won't be able to stop me. In fact, it will help me break through more quickly," said Du Xuanhao confidently.
"Fine, you will attempt your breakthrough here. Devouring Ghost and Jin Wo will stand guard for you," said Xiang Shaoyun.
If Du Xuanhao could break through as well, with his combat prowess, Du Xuanhao would no longer need to fear any Dragon Ascension Realm experts. At that time, with both Devouring Ghost and Du Xuanhao by his side, Xiang Shaoyun would be safe so long as they did not encounter Sovereigns. Xiang Shaoyun felt incredibly lucky to have accepted Du Xuanhao as his follower.
Just as Du Xuanhao was about to start his seclusion, Xiang Shaoyun recalled something and called out to him, "Big Brother Du, I have something for you."
He then took out a pile of spirit crystals. There were at least 100,000 of them, and all of them were mid-grade spirit crystals. This was a wealth enough to shock even Du Xuanhao. Although he was an Emperor, he was not as wealthy as Xiang Shaoyun.
"Take these spirit crystals as backup," said Xiang Shaoyun. A brightly colored object then appeared in his palm as he said, "Take this as well. I want you to grow as fast as possible."
When Du Xuanhao saw the item in Xiang Shaoyun's hand, he cried out in alarm, "T-this is a blaze flower!"