The Ancient Domain Terrace is a rare safe zone within the Untamed Ancient Domain.
Scattered historical records indicate that in ancient times, a devastating and far-reaching war erupted within the Untamed Ancient Domain.
This Ancient Domain Terrace was the site of that war's final battle!
Numerous supreme beings have perished in this region, resulting in a strange, oppressive presence. It is this very pressure that has made it the only place in the Untamed Ancient Domain where ferocious beasts fear to tread.
Over ten teams have gathered at the Ancient Domain Terrace, representing the most powerful factions in the Dou Qi Continent.
Among these, the Ancient Clan and the Soul Clan are the most prominent, maintaining a subtle, aloof stance.
At the edge of the Ancient Domain Terrace, Gu Xun'er, as pure as a lotus, stood shoulder to shoulder with a young man in black, gazing into the depths of the Untamed Ancient Domain, like a pair of old friends with perfect balance.
"I heard you had contact with Chen Guan and the remnants of the Xiao family at the Heavenly Tomb. Did you gain anything?" the black-clad youth asked casually.
Gu Xun'er glanced at him but didn't reply.
The black-clad youth remained calm, his expression gentle.
"Back then, our clan ordered the Soul Palace to launch an attack, and just as it was about to succeed, it was intercepted by your people. However, after a thorough investigation, we discovered the artifact wasn't in the hands of the Ancient Clan either. While the snipe and the clam were fighting, you took advantage of the situation. That third party was incredibly daring and cunning, using a trick to trick us all. Your repeated attempts at contact with Chen Guan must have confirmed he had the artifact, right?"
With these words, the black-clad youth's identity was immediately revealed.
The Soul Clan!
The two ancient races had always been at war, and as the leading members of their younger generation, it was a rare opportunity for a peaceful conversation within the Ancient Domain Platform—a truly remarkable sight.
Gu Xun'er grew wary. How could this guy be so absolutely certain the Ancient Clan hadn't obtained the ancient jade?
"Do you believe me when I say I'm unsure?"
"Haha, why bother kidding yourself? Chen Guan has some hidden tricks up his sleeve, ones that even you and I can't ignore. The beast tide blocking our path right now presents a shared opportunity. All we need is a little intervention from you and me, and even if that brat has immense abilities, he'll be cornered. We can then manipulate him at will."
Gu Xun'er glanced at him. This kind of suggestion would be perfectly normal for anyone else, but coming from this man, it was as bizarre as the sun rising from the west. It was practically written all over his face:
ulterior motives. Playing dumb while knowing the truth?
Gu Xun'er wasn't sure of the man's true intentions, but she didn't bother to delve into them.
As long as I don't get involved, no scheme can succeed.
"He's my friend!"
With that, Gu Xun'er turned and left, unwilling to waste any more time with him.
The man in black didn't take it personally; instead, he smiled in relief.
...
Elsewhere,
after two days of continuous training, Yun Yun and the others had emerged from the Heavenly Demon Blood Pool, their strengths significantly improved.
Among them, Xiao Yixian broke through to the Eight-Star Dou Zun realm, tying with Yun Yun. This was expected by everyone.
Apart from this, only Qing Lin and the weakest Hua Wu each increased their strength by one star.
As for the others, they all reached the peak of their respective realms and chose not to break through.
Yun Yun, for example, was currently at the peak of the Eight-Star Dou Zun realm.
While the improvement might seem small, it was a tremendous transformation compared to two days ago. If she were to face the Grand Elder of the Tianming Sect again, the battle would definitely not be so difficult.
With a swish—
with the last Hua Sect elder leaping out of the Heavenly Demon Blood Pool, the advancement process came to a close.
"Thank you, Master Chen Guan,"
Chen Guan nodded slightly, rising and approaching the Heavenly Demon Blood Pool.
The blood pool was no longer what it once was, even its color had turned a pale red, its energy depleted by 99%. Even so, even in a remote location like the northwest, it was still enough to propel a small clan to prominence.
Chen Guan naturally disdained such a minor advantage. He waved his hand slightly, signaling everyone to step aside. Then, his inner fighting spirit surged, condensing into two massive hands that grabbed boulders one by one.
Soon, a man-made rockery took shape.
While it didn't look naturally formed, with time and the growth of vegetation, these minor flaws would gradually fade.
Over the past two days, Chen Guan had discovered that a significant number of snake-like monsters existed outside the Ancient Sky Demon Python's territory. Perhaps one day, they would mutate again, and then, perhaps, the nearly depleted Sky Demon Blood Pool might be able to recover.
He acted on impulse, not with any other considerations, and had no intention of returning for another harvest.
"Let's go! We've been delayed for two days, and we're probably behind schedule."
Fortunately, the general direction of advance remained on track, and Chen Guan wasn't in a hurry.
Everyone nodded. With Chen Guan's approval, Qing Lin summoned the Ancient Sky Demon Python as a mount, charging forward relentlessly, accelerating their progress.
Clearly, even in this treacherous and desolate Ancient Domain, a Sky Demonic Python, comparable to a fifth-rank Dou Zun, was a dominant force.
Thanks to this, Chen Guan and his companions rarely had the opportunity to attack over the next three days.
The demonic beasts they encountered along the way either retreated or attacked with a fierce vengeance, only to be mauled to pulp by the Ancient Sky Demonic Python's tail.
Suddenly, an indescribable, heavy aura descended from the front, causing the Ancient Sky
Demonic Python to halt in its tracks, its enormous pupils flickering with unease. "Young Master, the Ancient Domain Terrace must be ahead. The Sky Demonic Python dares not approach
," Qing Lin retracted the Sky Demonic Python as they descended to investigate.
In the entire Ancient Domain, only the Ancient Domain Terrace possessed this kind of 'magic power.'
"Most likely, let's fly over there too."
Chen Guan nodded slightly, gazing into the distance. He could see figures flitting in from other directions.
It was quite remarkable that this time, they had only encountered the Tianming Sect's team, and no one else.
With a tap of his toes, Chen Guan took the lead.
His flight wasn't very fast, but after about twenty breaths, he'd covered about ten miles.
Finally, a square roughly the size of four or five football fields came into view.
He could see crowds of people gathered there, ranging from three or five to forty or fifty. There were hardly any lone travelers.
Among them were a number of powerful figures, nearly a hundred Dou Zun auras, several of which made Chen Guan's expression grow serious.
Hundreds of feet away, they were within the blink of an eye. As they landed on the square, they all sensed something was wrong.
"What a strong smell of blood!"
Not just one or two people, but everyone felt the same way, as if they had just escaped from a battlefield.
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However, the bloody smell was filled with a murderous aura, seemingly not of human origin.
Eyes darted around, and the surrounding crowd also glanced over with scrutiny. As they sized each other up, Chen Guan and his companions ventured deeper into the square, searching for familiar faces.
"Sister Yun'er, Chen Guan!"
A familiar, clear voice called out, and Yun Yun turned with surprise.
"Sister Qingchen!"
Still dressed in a pristine white dress, her face covered by a veil.
Her graceful steps were picturesque, sanctified beyond mortal form.
If Gu Xun'er was as noble as a blue lotus, then Ran Qingchen was more like the purity of a Tianshan snow lotus. They each possessed a unique aura, similar yet distinct, the latter in particular, making it impossible to disrespect her.
Behind Ran Qingchen, two others followed.
One was the Granny Lu whom Chen Guan had met before. Her strength had improved, but Chen Guan could now discern that she had reached the third level of Dou Zun.
The other person was a beautiful young woman, a two-star Dou Zun, who had obviously just broken through, not much different from Hua Wu of the Hua Sect.
What surprised Chen Guan the most was Ran Qingchen. She had already reached the peak strength of a seven-star Dou Zun!
After all, when Chen Guan left Yin Valley, she hadn't even reached Dou Zun yet.
Such progress was truly astonishing.
But considering some of the information Yin Valley's Master had mentioned earlier, Chen Guan wasn't surprised. If it weren't for his ambition to soar to the top, why would the dignified Young Master of Yin Valley be so slow to break through?
"Sister Qingchen, why did you come out?"
Yun Yun asked with a smile as beautiful as a flower, clearly quite surprised.
She didn't have many friends in Zhongzhou, and Ran Qingchen was one of them.
And according to Yin Valley's usual style, such occasions were avoided whenever possible.
"I just arrived, too. My mother asked me to go out for a walk. Qingshui recently achieved a Dou Zun breakthrough, so I brought her along for some training. After hearing about the ancient tree, I guessed you might come, so I waited here,"
Ran Qingchen replied with a chuckle. Qingshui must be the name of the young woman behind him.
Yin Gu, unlike other factions, only has about a hundred people in total. The arrival of a Dou Zun is a welcome occasion.
With the three of them, they're more than capable of protecting themselves.
"I see. How about Sister Qingchen joining us?"
Chen Guan invited, and Yun Yun looked over expectantly.
"Very well, then I'll take care of you,"
Ran Qingchen gladly accepted.
Chen Guan and Yin Gu have a close relationship, even calling the Yin Gu master "Auntie Ran." This makes him and Ran Qingchen half-siblings. Since they've met, it's natural for them to look out for each other.
With the addition of the three Yin Gu members, the team is even stronger, making it easier to deal with any future crises.
Chen Guan led the way deeper, while Yun Yun abandoned him and pulled Ran Qingchen along to introduce her to Xiao Yixian and the others. The atmosphere was harmonious.
Passing one group after another, Chen Guan spotted familiar faces, such as Tang Zhen from Burning Flame Valley, now standing with Yao Chen and Xiao Yan.
They all nodded and greeted Chen Guan upon seeing him, but they seemed to be discussing something important and didn't approach to speak. Even Xiao Yan simply waved from a distance, offering an apologetic look.
It wasn't long before Chen Guan spotted the Ancient and Soul Clan teams. As expected, they were both at the deepest point of the Ancient Domain Platform, demonstrating their respective power positions.
The Ancient Clan team was small, only seven or eight, and Chen Guan had already recognized most of them, such as Gu Qingyang.
The Soul Clan team was similarly matched, each comprised of elite individuals, with the weakest being above the Five-Star Dou Zun level. They were led by a man in black.
This man was handsome and well-dressed, with long black hair casually draped behind him, giving him a rather uninhibited and carefree demeanor. His face, as white as jade, exuded a remarkably gentle air, without a trace of gloom, more like a scholar with a forthright personality.
Noticing Chen Guan's gaze, the man in black also looked up, nodded slightly in greeting, and offered a kind smile.
"Yue Buqun!
" This thought instantly crossed Chen Guan's mind. He and the Soul Clan had long been at odds, and this man, whose emotions remained hidden, clearly possessed considerable cunning.
As he was studying him, Gu Xun'er approached, beaming, "Finally, you've arrived."
Just as Chen Guan knew Gu Xun'er wouldn't miss the opportunity to find the Ancient Bodhi Tree, she also knew he wouldn't give up.
Chen Guan nodded slightly and asked bluntly, "What's the situation now?"
Gu Xun'er didn't hide anything, pointing her delicate finger towards the north of the Ancient Domain. "From here, going further in, you'll reach the deepest core of the Wild Ancient Domain, and the Ancient Bodhi Tree is there."
"However, reaching the Ancient Bodhi Tree is very difficult. A hundred miles from here, a vast army of ferocious beasts is stationed to intercept us. They've surrounded the depths. If we want to enter, we must forge through that sea of ferocious beasts. Not only are their numbers formidable, but some are also powerful, making them extremely difficult to deal with."
"Many forces have attempted to break through in the past few days, but all have been repelled. We've attempted several joint operations, but most have only managed to contribute a third of their strength, leading to the current stalemate."
Human nature is like this. Even close friends and family can harbor resentment, let alone these people from different airports, many of whom are already enemies. Scheming against each other is inevitable. No one wants to make a fuss only to have someone else take advantage.
No wonder everyone here reeks of blood; it turns out they've been invading the ferocious beast army.
The group also suddenly realized what had happened.
Chen Guan nodded in understanding, glancing at the young leader of the Soul Clan.
"Who is he?"
Chen Guan remembered that the Soul Clan had two divine bloodlines, one of which belonged to this person.
However, he had never met them before, and knew very little about them, relying entirely on the treasure trove of information in his mind.
Gu Xun'er smoothed her long-lost hair across her forehead with her jade hand, her face tilted to the side, her beautiful eyes calm.
"Hun Yu, the Soul Clan's divine bloodline, has been leading the charge these days, frequently organizing alliances. He's incredibly powerful, undefeated since birth, and has long since begun to condense and compress his Dou Qi. His strength is comparable to mine. Furthermore, he holds an extremely high position within the Soul Clan, making him one of the two young souls most likely to become the next Soul Clan leader."
Gu Xun'er gave Hun Yu a highly compliment. The mere statement that he was "on par with her" was enough to make Chen Guan wary.
However, during their conversation, Gu Xun'er didn't use soundproofing, seemingly unconcerned about being overheard.
Chen Guan sensed it carefully and found that Soul Jade was just like Gu Xun'er, with something on her body that concealed her strength, making it impossible to see through her.
Hearing the two discussing him, Hun Yu was incredibly humble, waving his hands repeatedly.
"You're joking! Even the clan leader said, Gu Xun'er, you're the undisputed leader of the younger generation. When I was at the fourth level, you were already at the fifth. Now I'm at the fifth level, and you're already at the seventh. We can't compare, we can't compare."