The Northern Region of the Central Plains.
This was the area closest to the Northwest Region. After leaving the Northwest, Liu Xi and his group's first stop was the Northern Region of the Central Plains. Along the journey, they deliberately gathered information — after all, if news of his survival spread, the Hall of Souls would have no qualms about sending assassins to kill him.
To avoid unnecessary trouble — and more importantly, to stay off the radar of the Hun Clan that stood behind the Hall of Souls — caution was essential.
The Central Plains remained mostly peaceful on the surface. The Pill Tower and the Hall of Souls still exchanged public insults from time to time, venting their mutual dissatisfaction. It was all the aftermath of the Pill Gathering incident — the Pill Tower had lost face in public but suffered no real loss, while the Hall of Souls appeared unscathed yet had paid a heavy price in secret.
Both sides were wary of each other, so their confrontation stayed mostly in words. Yet, beneath that calm surface...
Liu Xi had heard multiple rumors: certain sects and factions suddenly clashing, annihilating each other with devastating losses. The more he heard, the more familiar it all sounded — the Hall of Souls' old tactic for harvesting souls. Only now, they did it discreetly.
That realization made Liu Xi deeply alert. The sense of urgency in his heart grew stronger. The Hall of Souls had already accelerated its movements — which meant the Hun Clan behind them was growing impatient.
Inside a spatial wormhole, Liu Xi muttered softly, "A storm is coming."
He sighed, mind wandering. 'Where did Xiao Yan vanish to again?' Ever since the Pill Gathering, the man had disappeared without a trace.
"Young Master, are you worried about something?" Qing Lin asked gently from his left.
Liu Xi looked into the endless void ahead. "Worried? Maybe. I'm wondering whether, before the heavens collapse, I can grow strong enough to become the pillar that holds them up."
Too many things had changed already. He couldn't predict how it would all shape the future — but one thing he didn't regret was taking control of his own fate. 'So-called destiny? My fate is my own to command.'
The "heavens" he spoke of — they symbolized everything external. Relying on others was unreliable. The only strength that would never betray him was his own.
On his right, the now-mature Zi Yan understood the hidden meaning in his words. "Once we return," she said softly, "I'll begin consolidating control over East Dragon Island — and eventually the other three islands. Once the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe is united, no one on this continent will ever be able to harm you, Big Brother."
Liu Xi smiled faintly. 'Yes, what's the point of worrying? Strength is the only truth.' In the eyes of those ancient imperial clans, he was only barely qualified to be acknowledged. There was no time to hesitate.
He suddenly waved his hand and smiled. "Forget the Pill Region — we'll head straight to the Beast Region instead. Zi Yan, how much do you know about the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe?"
"The Nine Serene Deep Ground Pythons?" Zi Yan blinked. "Big Brother, are you planning to go there?"
Liu Xi nodded. "According to some hidden information, within their territory in the Beast Region lies a place called the Bone Mountain Range. It's said there's a Dou Saint's relic buried there — filled with treasures beyond counting. It hasn't fully emerged yet, so if we're fast enough, we might sweep everything inside before anyone else."
"A Dou Saint's relic…" Zi Yan's violet eyes lit up. No matter how good or bad it turned out, treasure hunts always thrilled her — it was like unwrapping a surprise gift.
"In the Beast Region, there are supposedly three top-tier clans — the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, and the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe. But honestly," Zi Yan smirked, "the latter two are mostly boasting."
"The Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe still retains traces of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix bloodline, so they're somewhat decent. But as for the Nine Serene Deep Ground Pythons…" she chuckled disdainfully. "Their only advantage is numbers. And that came at the cost of diluting their bloodline. Their power varies wildly, and few among them can even compare to true dragonkind."
"So there's nothing to worry about, Big Brother. Even if that Dou Saint relic were in the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe's territory, we'd still rob them blind."
Her tone was playful, but the sparkle of excitement in her violet eyes betrayed her eagerness. Despite her maturity, Zi Yan's spirited side hadn't changed — though her body had indeed matured.
The Nine Serene Deep Ground Pythons didn't concern Liu Xi much. Their strongest member was only a 1-Star Dou Saint — and now, with the Blood Crystal from the Old Dragon Emperor, even that wasn't beyond his reach.
Still, he couldn't help but wonder — if Qing Lin could subdue the entire Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, what kind of tremor would that cause in the Beast Region's balance of power? Such a move could spark fear among all magical beast tribes. Best to proceed carefully, lest things spiral out of control.
After all, he fully intended to "offer" the Nine Serene Deep Ground Pythons to Qing Lin eventually — just not too hastily.
Zi Yan had now broken through to the Dou Zun Realm, and her control over spatial power had grown far beyond his and Qing Lin's. After seven days of travel, the endless mountains of the Beast Region finally came into view.
The Beast Region was famed as the "Ten Thousand Mountains." It held countless mysteries — like this Dou Saint relic. Who could have guessed it might even contain a Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit?
That was Liu Xi's true goal. Zi Yan's bloodline might already surpass the Three Dragon Kings, but it still couldn't compare to Zhu Kun. If she could consume the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, her bloodline would exceed even her father's.
The Bone Mountain Range lay in the southwestern part of the Beast Region. Another day passed before Liu Xi hovered in midair, gazing over a vast land of bleached-white beast bones.
"So this is the Bone Mountain Range. The name fits — bones everywhere," Liu Xi said with a chuckle. "And plenty of magical beasts too."
Zi Yan looked over dismissively. "The residual beast energy from so many bones does help low-ranked beasts cultivate, but that's all. True magical beast tribes have far superior training grounds. Big Brother, where exactly is this Dou Saint relic? Let's head there now."
Her eyes gleamed faintly with impatience.
"I don't know," Liu Xi said casually.
"Huh?" Zi Yan blinked in confusion.
Liu Xi smiled, patting her shoulder. "I only know it's somewhere in this mountain range. But with your mastery of spatial power, finding a collapsing spatial node should be easy, right?"
If he hadn't met the Old Dragon Emperor and helped Zi Yan ascend to the Dou Zun Realm, he'd probably have had to ask the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe for help finding this relic.
Zi Yan rolled her eyes but nodded proudly. "Leave it to me. If this relic truly lies within the Bone Mountain Range, it can't hide from the perception of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe."
As she began her search, Qing Lin suddenly spoke, confusion flickering in her gentle eyes. "Young Master, Zi Yan… I sense something in this Bone Mountain Range — something that's calling out to me."
(End of Chapter)
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