Ten days flew by amidst the rush of preparations. During these ten days, Chen Guan had originally planned to travel to the northwest and then to Dragon Island, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the trip to Dragon Island was delayed.
When Xiao Yan arrived at Qingce Manor as scheduled, he happened to see Xiao Yixian, suppressing a smile, applying a facial mask to Chen Guan. Xiao Yan looked closely and noticed that Chen Guan's face appeared to have some scars.
"Brother Guan, what's wrong with you?"
"Uh, I bumped into a wall while walking at night the other day,"
Chen Guan replied calmly, his face calm and his heart steady. He mentally cursed the gatekeeper, Youdu, the old monster. How could he not notify him of a guest?
Xiao Yan nodded slightly. That was it.
Bullshit! What kind of wall could possibly bruise a Dou Zun powerhouse?
Crucially, even with Brother Guan's alchemy skills, he couldn't recover immediately.
Clearly, there was something fishy going on!
But seeing Chen Guan's expression, Xiao Yan tactfully kept quiet.
"Alright, that's it. Once we get to the Ancient Realm, there shouldn't be any problems."
Stopping Xiao Yixian, Chen Guan stood up and said.
He could sense that the old man had clearly done it on purpose. The scars left behind showed traces of Dou Qi, but he'd controlled it just enough to avoid embarrassing him in this state.
So, the old man seemed pretty nice.
Haha.
"Are we leaving?" Xiao Yixian whispered softly.
"Yes, arriving early will allow us to learn more about the Eight Ancient Clans. This trip isn't risky, so don't worry about me. I'll leave Qingyan in your care."
Xiao Yan had already arrived, and Chen Guan didn't waste any time. After a brief explanation, he set off.
...
The Ancient Realm, located in the eastern region of Zhongzhou.
In this region, nearly all factions are considered descendants of the Ancient Clan. However, many of these leaders are completely unfamiliar with the Eastern Region's Retired Emperor. All they know is that this Retired Emperor-like figure possesses immense power. To survive in the vast Eastern Region of Zhongzhou, the title of a descendant of the Ancient Clan is a powerful escape hatch.
The Ancient Clan, a mysterious and powerful race, has been passed down from ancient times to the present day.
The Dou Emperor's bloodline imbues them with talents that ordinary people envy. What others consider an arduous path of cultivation is, to them, a smooth path to the heavens. With only a limited amount of practice, they can become considered powerful, rapidly surpassing their peers who diligently cultivate, ultimately imbuing themselves with a dazzling halo.
Because of these factors, the Ancient Clan holds a shroud of mystery in the eyes of many in the Eastern Region.
Even in remote areas, some still worship him as a god-like being. Such fanaticism is hard for ordinary people to believe, as everyone knows there are no gods in this world.
And the thing that created all this was that thing.
The Dou Di bloodline!
This thing was simply outrageous.
Shengdan City was a considerable distance from the Eastern Region. Even with Chen Guan and his companions' speed, and with the added convenience of traveling through wormholes, it would still take them over ten days to reach the Eastern Region.
With this situation, the two of them had no choice but to hurry. Fortunately, calculating the time showed they still had plenty of time left until the date agreed with Gu Xun'er.
It was mainly because Xiao Yan's strength was slightly lower that Chen Guan had to slow down a bit; otherwise, he would have been able to go much faster.
…
"Swish!"
Above the azure sky, two dark figures streaked past at lightning speed, creating visible gusts of air that slowly spread out in their wake.
"Brother Guan, at our current speed, we should be able to reach the Eastern Region tomorrow. This Ancient Sacred City in the center of the Eastern Region on the map is said to be the entrance to the Ancient Realm."
Xiao Yan said to Chen Guan, clutching the map Gu Xun'er had left him.
Chen Guan nodded slightly, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
The name of the Ancient Sacred City is quite famous in the Eastern Region, even more so than the Holy Dan City in Danta.
Because it's the entrance to the Ancient Realm!
"Brother Guan, before coming here, I asked my teacher. This Ancient Sacred City is strictly off-limits to outsiders. It seems many powerful ancient clans guard it. Without an invitation, I'm afraid we'd have a hard time even entering the Ancient Realm, let alone the Ancient Realm. We'd have to go to a nearby city, transit through a space wormhole, and try to pass ourselves off as the real thing. That would take about four or five days."
With these ancient clans' powerful guarding, forcing a breakthrough is practically impossible. Even a peak Dou Zun warrior would be a disaster.
Of course, unless one was a lunatic, no one would attempt to force their way in.
"There's no need. Although we don't have an invitation, it was their eldest daughter who personally invited us. If we can't even enter the Ancient Saint City, it won't be our loss of face, but their eldest daughter's."
Chen Guan shook his head slightly, smilingly rejecting Xiao Yan's proposal.
Based on his two encounters with Gu Xun'er, Chen Guan knew that she wasn't like the average imperial clan member. She was extremely thoughtful. Unless she was deliberately doing something like that, she wouldn't have done it.
"Yes, I'll listen to you, Brother Guan. By the way, this is what the teacher asked me to pass on to you. It's useless for him to keep it, but maybe you'll need it someday."
With that, Xiao Yan produced an elixir recipe and handed it to Chen Guan along with a map.
Chen Guan took it, infiltrating it with his spiritual power, and smiled helplessly. Yao Chen was truly thoughtful.
A ninth-grade elixir recipe!
It must be incredibly valuable, yet he just gave it to him so casually.
Of course, Chen Guan understood Yao Chen's intentions; it was simply asking him to look after Xiao Yan in the Ancient Realm, or rather, within the Heavenly Tomb.
Without a doubt, Yao Chen was a highly qualified teacher.
"Master, Master, like a teacher, like a father! "
But even without the formula, he wouldn't let Xiao Yan suffer. On this journey to the Ancient Realm, the two of them were one.
"Next time you return to Xingyun Pavilion, thank your teacher for me."
Without hesitation, Chen Guan placed the formula in his ring.
Pubfuture Ads
Truly, this recipe truly works!
Without further ado, Chen Guan glanced at the map, selecting a direction, and dashed off first, Xiao Yan following closely behind. In the blink of an eye, the two vanished into the horizon.
Their journey was smooth, and by the early morning of the next day, they had truly entered the territory of Zhongzhou's Eastern Region.
Entering the Eastern Region, both were somewhat surprised to find it just as lively as the Alchemy Region. In fact, because the Alchemy Region was primarily populated by alchemists, the atmosphere seemed even more vibrant. From time to time, streaks of light flashed by, and powerful figures could often be seen walking through the air. Most
of them were Dou Zong masters!
Chen Guan was fine with this, but Xiao Yan was quite shocked. He understood why Chen Guan had specifically advised him before their arrival. With his newly achieved Dou Zong strength, he would be nothing but mediocre even in the Eastern Region, let alone the Ancient Realm.
"Many of these people...seem to be heading towards the Ancient Holy City."
"No wonder. Just like in the Dan Realm, most people wouldn't miss the opportunity to see the Holy Dan City."
Chen Guan chuckled at the analogy, but something else occurred to him. Gu Xun'er and the others seemed to have awakened their clan emblems around this time.
This was a major event for the Ancient Clan. With
the Emperor emeritus pregnant, it was understandable that those below would come to congratulate and offer gifts upon hearing the news.
While they might not be able to enter the Ancient Realm, at least their intentions were there, and their gesture had been acknowledged.
After three days of whispered conversation, the two finally caught sight of the magnificent city in the distance.
The Ancient Holy City!
From their perch in the distance, the entire city resembled a savage beast, sprawled and sleeping, motionless, yet unable to conceal its awe-inspiring grandeur.
As they drew closer, Chen Guan and Xiao Yan realized that the city wasn't as imposing as they'd imagined. Constructed of pale blue rock, it looked somewhat decayed, perhaps due to the erosion of time. An unusually ancient aura permeated the city, giving it a glimpse of antiquity.
Surprisingly, it was quite fitting for an ancient clan.
As they drew closer, they saw that the ancient city was completely enveloped in a slightly transparent veil of light.
The veil seemed fragile, yet it imbued everyone with a sense of pressure, as if emanating from the soul.
The stronger the soul, the more tangible the feeling!
The expressions of some unfamiliar warriors also changed, and some, familiar with the city's history, were filled with awe.
"This Ancient Holy City is a relic of ancient times. It's said to have been built by a Dou Di master from the ancient clan. The light shield contains a trace of Dou Di's power. Protected by this shield, this Ancient Holy City can be said to be impregnable."
A powerful figure whispered this explanation to those around him, his words filled with reverence.
Chen Guan and Xiao Yan also heard it and exchanged a look of surprise.
"The power of a Dou Di... no wonder it's so terrifying." He
hadn't expected such a powerful figure.
No wonder he felt the pressure growing stronger as he got closer to the city.
"As a sign of respect for the Dou Di master, no one is allowed to fly within a thousand feet of the Ancient Holy City. We'll reach there on foot, otherwise the pressure will only grow stronger."
The powerful figure who had spoken earlier spoke again, leading those around him to descend to the ground. After landing, their speed didn't slow at all, transforming into blurry figures that streaked towards the ancient city at lightning speed.
An unfamiliar eight-star Dou Zun!
Zhongzhou is truly home to hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
"Let's go too."
After a moment's exclamation, Chen Guan and Xiao Yan began their journey.
Soon, they arrived at the gates of Ancient Saint City, where they slowly paused.
As mentioned earlier, Ancient Saint City isn't a place open to the public. Without an invitation from the Ancient Clan, ordinary people are generally prohibited from entering. While the entry procedures are rather cumbersome, the Ancient Clan's reputable reputation means no one dares to act recklessly.
It was still early for their appointment with Gu Xun'er, so Chen Guan wasn't in a hurry. He led Xiao Yan slowly forward, following the group. After a while, they finally reached the city gates.
Glancing around, they saw nearly a hundred figures in black armor standing upright on either side of the gates, spears in hand. Their sharp, cold gazes swept across the area, and a powerful aura emanated from their bodies, making one marvel at the Ancient Clan's generosity.
Turning his gaze away from the Black Oblivion soldiers, Chen Guan suddenly noticed a familiar figure. His eyes narrowed slightly, then returned to normal in an instant, then he stared at him again with undisguised disgust.
The twists and turns happened in an instant.
Lingquan!
This man had once been so arrogant in the northwest, looking down on everyone. Given Chen Guan's former royal status, if he remained calm when they met again now, it would only arouse suspicion.
Chen Guan wasn't sure if someone was secretly watching him, nor was he sure if the ancient clan had intentionally placed Lingquan there, but he could be sure to be more cautious.
At the city gate, Lingquan stood upright, his armor shimmering with a faint green light, giving him a cold, cold look. The swirling cape behind him made him look even more arrogant and showy.
Chen Guan's undisguised disgust was instantly sensed by Lingquan, and he suddenly looked up.
Although Lingquan didn't know why the young man before him was so hostile, it didn't prevent a hint of murderous intent from rising within him, and his expression darkened.
"Who are you? This commander has checked the list, and it doesn't seem you're included in this invitation."
Lingquan's suddenly sullen expression and cold bark caused many eyes to shift, finally resting on Chen Guan in surprise.
Even Xiao Yan, who was following behind Chen Guan, hadn't expected Chen Guan to engage in a confrontation with an Ancient Clan leader before even entering the city. Chen Guan
ignored Lingquan's rebuke, all sorts of possibilities flashing through his mind, his fighting spirit surging.
Then, in full view of everyone, a crimson longsword flashed in his hand, carrying an extremely fiery edge. In a flash, he was in front of Lingquan and slashed down with the longsword, holding nothing back.
The Ancient Clan wanted to test him, and Chen Guan played along.
But his dislike for this man was genuine!
"Dead man, you have no right to know my name!"
(End of this chapter)