As the sun set, a blood-red sun shone low in the sky, radiating its last rays of warmth to the land.
Chen Guan and Xiao Yan returned in the fading light. Without anyone around, Xiao Yan relaxed. He constantly marveled at the astonishment he had experienced today, occasionally imitating Elder Tongxuan's gestures with his hands, clearly envious of such immense strength.
Chen Guan listened quietly, but undeniably felt a surge of envy.
Dou Sheng!
Dou Zun seemed close, but Chen Guan still had a long way to go to reach that level. A careful calculation would suggest more than ten minor realms...
As he was internally lamenting, Chen Guan suddenly paused, his expression grave as he stared at the nearby cabin.
"Brother Guan, what's wrong?"
After taking a few steps, Xiao Yan noticed something was wrong and quickly retreated to ask.
"It's okay, I was just overthinking it."
Chen Guan smiled in relief, his thoughts turning. He strode towards the house.
He could sense that a powerful, uninvited guest was waiting inside the room.
Their power was even greater than that of Elder Tongxuan.
Initially, Chen Guan was instinctively wary, but then he realized that even if someone of his strength harbored ill intentions, he wouldn't have noticed.
Therefore, they were likely not an enemy.
His curiosity grew even more intense.
Pushing the door open, he took in the small, empty space.
"Senior, please show yourself! Why bother with all this?"
Xiao Yan continued searching, even using his mental energy. Chen Guan, however, focused his attention on an extra teacup on the table and sat down.
"Haha, young man, your perception is unprecedented in my life. I apologize for my rudeness."
A soft laugh echoed from beside Xiao Yan, startling him. He quickly turned around and saw someone else sitting in the chair next to him.
The man appeared middle-aged, dressed in a phantom-white robe. He had a slender figure and strikingly handsome features, though his skin was a shade paler than normal. Sitting next to Xiao Yan, who was already somewhat swarthy and dressed in black, they looked like the Black and White Impermanence.
As soon as the man appeared, he gently bowed, his manner extremely humble, devoid of the arrogance of a supremely powerful being.
This demeanor further assured Chen Guan that he wasn't here to cause trouble.
"Senior, thank you for your kindness. May I ask who you are..."
"Oh, I almost forgot. I'm Ling Chong," the man replied with a polite smile, which faded quickly, a smile clearly forced, as if he were burdened with too many worries.
"The Ling Clan?" Xiao Yan blurted out, then quickly shut his mouth and gave a shy smile, indicating that he didn't mean to say anything. "You guys continue, I won't interrupt."
It wasn't surprising that Xiao Yan thought so. The surname Ling was uncommon, and with his recent interactions with the Eight Ancient Clans, it was hard not to think of it.
Chen Guan shared the same sentiment.
At the same time, he couldn't help but take a few more glances at this incredibly kind... senior.
The Spirit Clan, a race that had no presence in the original trajectory, even their leader's name didn't appear once, making them quite a bystander.
But there's a saying that a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Even though the Spirit Clan ranks last among the eight clans, its strength is unmatched by those in Zhongzhou.
Just like this Ling Chong, he is absolutely a genuine Dou Sheng!
"As you two young friends think, I am indeed a Spirit Clan member."
Ling Chong's affirmative answer also made Chen Guan somewhat understand the other party's attitude, including the source of his unconcealed worry.
After all, the Spirit Clan is suffering, completely reduced to a testing ground for the Soul Clan.
In such a situation, it would be strange if the other party could still laugh out loud.
"Senior, did you come specifically to see us?"
Chen Guan asked bluntly. He felt like something was amiss with him. Just now, he, a mere six-star Dou Zun, had actually sympathized with a Dou Sheng…
As for whether he was coming for them, it was easy to guess. After all, the Spirit Clan had given up their place in the Heavenly Tomb this time. It wouldn't make sense for the entire Spirit Clan to send a powerful figure out to watch the ceremony and relax when the entire clan was in dire straits.
After a brief hesitation, Ling Chong nodded truthfully.
"To be honest, my friend, the Spirit Clan gave up their place in the Heavenly Tomb this time and requested Gu Yuan return the Xiao Clan's place. It was my suggestion that Gu Xun'er invite you to attend,"
Ling Chong explained. Chen Guan and Xiao Yan listened quietly, pondering the matter.
This senior must have high status within the Spirit Clan.
After all, he could address Gu Yuan by name.
"I'm sure you two have heard something. The Spirit Clan is in a very dire situation right now. The entire clan is essentially under lockdown and surveillance. Even this time, we were able to escape thanks to Gu Yuan's help, which took considerable effort."
"And the reason I went to such great lengths to invite you to meet me has to do with the puppets that have been appearing in the Spirit Realm. Some time ago, I received a message that these puppets were largely modeled after one captured by the enemy."
At this point, Chen Guan understood.
"Old Man Mu Gu?"
"Yes! This information was deliberately left behind by someone among the puppets we discovered entering the Spirit Realm. The person who left it also stated that 'Old Man Mu Gu' was created by you."
Upon hearing this, Chen Guan felt a surge of joy.
While this was rude to the Spirit Clan, Ling Chong's words confirmed Li Changan's situation.
Without a doubt, the only person in the Soul Clan who had the motivation to do such a thing was this former classmate.
Compared with the elves, Li Changan is considered a friend of Chen Guan. Knowing that the other party is safe is indeed good news for him.
Pubfuture Ads
"That's why I've come out in person this time, asking you to accompany me to the Spirit Clan after you emerge from the Heavenly Tomb. I believe that with your assistance, the Spirit Clan will be able to more easily deal with those puppets, perhaps even counterattack, minimizing unnecessary sacrifices. You're truly exceptional in this area."
Ling Chong clasped his fists, stating his purpose. His attitude was truly sincere, and he didn't place the blame on Chen Guan, which undoubtedly endeared him.
Even Xiao Yan, listening nearby, couldn't help but glance at Chen Guan, certain he would agree.
After all, if this were accomplished, he would earn the friendship of the entire Spirit Clan!
Although the other party hadn't promised anything, the more generous the offer, the more generous the reward, far superior to those who verbally declared themselves permanent VIPs. This was a principle Xiao Yan had learned from years of traveling.
However, they were all disappointed.
Chen Guan barely considered it, simply shaking his head in refusal.
What a joke! The Soul Clan's ambitions are now clear, their millennium plan already underway. Void Devouring Flame could personally dispatch and annihilate the Spirit Clan at any moment. If he went to the Spirit Clan, wouldn't that be walking into a trap?
Even with the few life-saving measures the old Dragon Emperor had given Chen Guan, there was no chance of escape from the
Nine-Star Dou Sheng's Void Devouring Flame. A true confrontation would be a sure death!
"I'm sorry, Senior, but I'm powerless to do this. After returning from the Heavenly Tomb, I must travel to Dragon Island, where the Taixu Ancient Dragon resides. Furthermore, Chen Guan doesn't believe my puppetry research can surpass the thousands of years of heritage of the Soul... the Eight Ancient Clans."
Aside from the excuse of going to Dragon Island, the rest of his words were the truth.
Even if the true puppetry technique had been lost, no one knew whether the Eight Ancient Clans had preserved its legacy.
Furthermore, Chen Guan hadn't forgotten what his teacher had said: the puppetry technique he inherited was only a partial one, not the complete one.
Following Chen Guan's refusal, Ling Chong visibly sighed, his expression becoming more dejected.
It was clear, even as he tried to put on a smile, that the Spirit Clan was in dire straits.
Perhaps even this time, inviting Chen Guan to the Spirit Clan was a last-ditch effort, merely prolonging the crisis, not completely changing its fate.
Ultimately, it was just a self-defeating ploy.
In desperate situations, people tend to magnify even the smallest glimmer of hope.
This is true for ordinary people, let alone the Eight Ancient Clans, who have enjoyed a transcendent status for millennia.
The Soul Clan had managed to shatter the Spirit Clan's detached mentality, to the point where a Dou Sheng could now speak to a mere Dou Zun like Chen Guan with a remarkably humble attitude. This was a monumental change.
Watching Ling Chong's prolonged silence, his brow furrowed, Chen Guan felt a wave of helplessness, a wave of helplessness welling up within him.
After a long pause, Chen Guan broke the silence.
"Senior Ling Chong, although I cannot personally visit the Spirit Clan, I am willing to contribute my services."
With a wave of his hand, Chen Guan launched a row of puppets onto the open space outside the gate. They were the ten or so puppets he had retrieved from the ancient ruins.
After undergoing the baptism of Dragon Island's Void Thunder Pool, these puppets had all evolved into Celestial Demon Puppets. When combined into a formation, they were powerful enough to defeat a five- or six-star Dou Zun.
"These puppets were acquired by chance. I subsequently refined them with some simple refinements, and they bear my mark. I am sending them to you, Senior. Perhaps through them, the Spirit Clan can devise better strategies to combat the puppets that appear in the spirit world." It was
a simple logic. Since the Soul Clan could study Chen Guan's puppets, Chen Guan would allow them to do the same. By then, everyone would be able to understand them, making their management much simpler.
As for these ten or so puppets, were they precious?
Absolutely.
They were powerful enough to rival a five- or six-star Dou Zun.
However, this level of combat power was of little consequence to Chen Guan at this point.
Giving it to the Spirit Tribe was a way to compensate for Elder Mu Gu's "loss."
Or perhaps, it could be considered a way to establish a good relationship.
If the Spirit Tribe were still annihilated sometime later, Chen Guan would be helpless.
But if the Soul Tribe's plan went awry, this good relationship would be invaluable.
Chen Guan wanted to remind Ling Chong to evacuate the Spirit Tribe's talented young members as soon as possible, but remembering Ling Chong's previous statement that the entire Spirit Tribe was under lockdown and surveillance, he immediately put it off.
If possible, the Spirit Tribe might have already begun this process.
Huh!
Ling Chong let out a long sigh of frustration, but without a word, he bowed deeply and disappeared from his seat.
Along with him, the row of puppets outside the door vanished.
On the table in front of Chen Guan and Xiao Yan, a snow-white, flawless, high-level storage ring stood out prominently.
"Is this something Senior Ling Chong left behind?"
Xiao Yan asked knowingly. At Chen Guan's nod, he picked it up and infused it with his spiritual power.
Then, he was stunned.
He couldn't get in, no matter what he did, he couldn't get in!
"Brother Guan, it seems there's a restriction, you try."
Chen Guan took it and tried to penetrate with his mental power, but soon he felt blocked by a solid door.
"It's indeed ownerless, but Senior Ling Chong left a restriction. My mental power needs to break through a small realm, or break through the Dou Sheng, before it can be broken."
"Well, this Senior Ling Chong is... weird. Just give the reward, but leave a restriction. Isn't it just to make things difficult for me?"
Xiao Yan complained. He really couldn't understand Ling Chong's intention.
To be honest, Chen Guan didn't understand either.
But it didn't matter. He didn't expect any reward for giving those puppets.
As for the storage ring, just keep an eye on it. It can also give him another reason to practice hard.
"Don't think about it. Senior Ling Chong must have his own reasons for doing this. Practicing well and preparing for the Heavenly Tomb is the top priority. Once you enter the Heavenly Tomb, you will have to fight for real."