Southwest of the Central Plains.
The vast sky was painted with soft, drifting clouds. Warm sunlight spilled down from above, bringing with it a sense of endless serenity, while a gentle breeze brushed across the heavens—cool and refreshing.
A shadow, over ten zhang long, flashed across the sky like lightning, tearing through the clouds as a violent gust followed in its wake.
It was a massive serpent, covered in black scales, with four wings extending from its back—an authentic 7th Rank Magical Beast. Its fierce and domineering aura rippled through the air.
Seated cross-legged atop the serpent's head was Liu Xi. His hands rested loosely on his knees, his gaze unfocused, lost in deep thought.
'The Central Plains are descending into chaos. Conflict and bloodshed are everywhere—too many factions clashing, too many lives lost.'
'If someone told me the Hall of Souls isn't behind all this, I'd never believe it.'
'Yellow Spring Pavilion and Falling Star Pavilion, Ice River Valley and Burning Flame Valley, Profound Sky Sect and Flower Sect… even these factions are being subtly pitted against one another.'
'The Hall of Souls really does hide itself well.'
After leaving the Beast Region, Liu Xi had not used spatial tearing to rush his journey to the Central Plains. Instead, he traveled leisurely, stopping in major cities along the way.
Part of it was to gather intelligence—after all, he had been away for quite some time and needed to understand what was happening in the Central Plains before deciding his next steps.
The other reason was to seek heavenly treasures and ancient relics. Though he still possessed some Fire Beads, Dou Saint Marrow, and Ancient Void Dragon Blood, the path toward becoming a Dou Saint was long—better to prepare early.
While he had found no treasures, he did hear countless rumors. Some were false, but the broader picture was clear enough:
The Hall of Souls was growing reckless. Such haste meant that the Hun Clan behind them was losing patience. The calamity of the world's end was drawing near.
'Where can I go now? The Wind Lightning Pavilion, Burning Flame Valley, and Sound Valley—all too weak to stand against the Hall of Souls. Only the Pill Tower's strength can make them hesitate.'
'If I want to face the Hall of Souls head-on, I must have control of the Pill Tower. Only then will I have the qualifications to unite the other powers.'
Liu Xi's thoughts grew clearer as he planned. The Hall of Souls' power was too great for any single faction to resist. Behind them, the Hun Clan acted as an inexhaustible source of strength.
'The Hun Clan may still restrain themselves because of the other Ancient Imperial Clans, but those clans… their arrogance knows no bounds.'
'Even if I appeared before them now, I doubt they would treat me seriously.'
He smirked faintly, a hint of pride flickering in his eyes. Liu Xi had no intention of bowing and scraping to those who looked down on him. 'When the Hun Clan destroys one or two of their clans, they'll finally abandon their pride and seek cooperation. But not before then.'
Right now, two goals mattered above all:
First—strengthen himself. Without reaching the Dou Saint realm, others could still crush him with a wave of the hand.
Second—gain more power and resources, so he would have a voice when the great powers of the world began to move.
'To those Ancient Imperial Clans, I'll always just be a lucky commoner—someone who can never reach their level.'
The thought flashed through his mind, but no discouragement showed on his face. He had reached the 3-Turn Dou Zun realm not by relying on bloodline, but through his own effort.
If he could obtain another Heavenly Flame, he was confident he could break through quickly—and with the Heavenly Flame's tempering, his foundation would only become stronger.
'In the end, it's still a matter of strength. I can't enter the Heavenly Tomb, but the Bodhi Ancient Tree might be worth visiting. For now though… back to the Pill Tower!'
Beside him, Qing Lin was steering the winged serpent. When she noticed Liu Xi's faraway expression, she smiled softly. That calm yet resolute aura of his made her heart flutter uncontrollably.
Her heartbeat quickened. Quietly, she moved closer behind him and gently placed her slender hands on his shoulders, kneading away his fatigue.
Liu Xi leaned back naturally, resting his head against her smooth, supple thighs. Tilting his gaze upward, he saw her face flushed crimson.
"Qing Lin," he said with a teasing smile, "aren't you curious what I was just thinking about?"
Qing Lin shook her head lightly, her hands continuing to massage his shoulders.
"When the Young Master wishes to speak, Qing Lin will listen earnestly."
"When the Young Master wishes silence, Qing Lin will not pry."
"When the Young Master has questions, Qing Lin will answer truthfully."
"And when the Young Master gives orders—whatever they are—Qing Lin will… obey."
By the end, her cheeks were glowing with a faint, rosy hue, and her beautiful eyes shimmered like spring water—filled with both shyness and anticipation.
Liu Xi chuckled wickedly. Of course, he understood what she meant. With a grin, he brushed his head playfully against her thigh and said, "I do have one request, Qing Lin. You must reach the Dou Saint realm. Only then can you truly help me with what's to come."
"The Jade Snake Three-Flower Pupils—the continent's number one divine eye—holds immense potential. I believe it can take you to the Dou Saint realm and beyond."
"Work hard, my girl. Don't let me down."
Qing Lin froze, her earlier thoughts instantly scattered. Her face turned determined. "Rest assured, Young Master. Qing Lin won't disappoint you."
Liu Xi smiled faintly. Qing Lin was his—there was no need to rush.
"Come with me to the Central Plains," he said, standing. "We're heading to the Pill Tower."
"Yes, Young Master."
The serpent beneath them was a 7th Rank beast under Qing Lin's control—the strongest she possessed aside from the Ancient Heaven Serpent. Even with its speed, it still took them half a month to cross from the southwestern border back into the Pill Region at the heart of the Central Plains.
Under the Pill Tower's direct influence, the Pill Region remained relatively peaceful. The disputes of other sects rarely affected it—and as a neutral force, the Pill Tower itself seldom interfered with others.
Even if everyone suspected the Hall of Souls was stirring up trouble behind the scenes, could Xuan Kongzi truly command other sects to cease their wars? Could he dictate their external affairs?
Take the Falling Star Pavilion and Yellow Spring Pavilion, for instance—both counted among the Four Pavilions, yet Venerable Feng and Venerable Huang had long-standing grudges.
The same went for Ice River Valley and Burning Flame Valley. Even if the Hall of Souls was fanning the flames, those conflicts were rooted in old animosities.
As for the Profound Sky Sect and Flower Sect—Profound Sky Sect had coveted Flower Sect's all-female members for years. When the previous Sect Master perished and the sect fell into chaos, Profound Sky Sect supported Hua Jin, pushing her to vie for leadership.
But the late Sect Master had prepared for this, passing her Dou Qi and position to a new successor, Hua Ying.
Thus began the Flower Sect's civil strife: Hua Ying, backed by the elders, versus Hua Jin, supported by Profound Sky.
At first glance, these disputes seemed unrelated to the Hall of Souls—but in every war, when bodies fell and chaos spread, the ultimate beneficiary was always the same.
The Hall of Souls.
Liu Xi had considered exploiting this turmoil for his own gain, but after much thought, he realized he had no room to intervene in such conflicts.
He could only let the tides of the Central Plains flow as they would.
(End of Chapter)
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