Word Count: 2,939 Words
******
"Let me go with you."
"No need!" Feng Qing Er cried out in alarm, then immediately added in a colder tone, "I can go by myself."
As she walked out of the pavilion, the handsome young man in white robes gazed after her retreating figure with undisguised fascination.
Within the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, Feng Qing Er's beauty and talent had made her the goddess of countless men's dreams.
"Qing Er is truly diligent, already eager to inspect the ancient ruin the moment she arrives." Elder Huang Xuan, the 5-star Dou Venerate, stroked his beard and nodded with satisfaction.
Such ambition! This child has the makings of a Dou Saint!
Feng Qing Er had come because the tribe suspected the ancient ruin might contain the remains of an Ancient Heaven Phoenix. There could be valuable treasures within, and by leading the expedition personally, she would be entitled to a share of any discoveries.
Yet not even in her worst nightmares had she imagined he would be here too!
…
At the edge of a small lake on the Bone Mountain Range, moonlight scattered across the water's surface in pale ripples. A black-robed figure stood silently at the shore, admiring the moon's reflection in the still water.
Even without seeing his face, Feng Qing Er knew exactly who it was!
Xiao Yan!
She stood at a distance, a storm of shock, fear, and a flicker of anger churning inside her as she stared at his back.
You're the champion of the Pill Gathering, so why are you competing with others over a mere Low Tian Class Dou Technique? With your ability to refine tier 8 medicinal pills, would it really be that hard to trade for one?!
Before coming, she had briefly considered whether Xiao Yan might appear but had dismissed the thought. How could someone of his status show interest in a low-level Dou Saint's ruin?
Despite all her calculations, she had never imagined this man truly lacked a Tian Class Dou Technique!
The black-robed figure turned slowly. Moonlight illuminated Xiao Yan's faint smile as his predatory gaze swept over Feng Qing Er from head to toe.
Under that scrutiny, she involuntarily retreated half a step. Her fists clenched and her teeth pressed into her red lips as she froze, unsure how to respond.
"Your strength has improved quite a bit," Xiao Yan said, his eyes narrowing slightly, his smile carrying a teasing glint.
His words were a veiled jab; her strength had indeed grown, but she was still weak.
Over the past year, after breaking through to Rank 8 and enhancing her bloodline, Feng Qing Er had enjoyed every privilege she desired within her tribe. The experience had been so intoxicating that she had almost forgotten Xiao Yan even existed.
Rustle rustle—
A night breeze rustled past, followed by footsteps. Xiao Yan approached with measured steps, walking torturously slowly. Each footfall seemed to land directly on her heart.
She could flee or attack, but reason screamed that either choice would end with her corpse lying here in the next second, her jade-like beauty perishing in the dust. And death would be the best possible outcome. The worst… Feng Qing Er dared not even imagine!
Xiao Yan took a full minute to cross the few dozen meters, giving her ample time to think clearly.
A shadow gradually loomed before her, bringing with it a wave of heat. It was that scorching presence she would never forget!
Feng Qing Er raised despairing eyes to the face now less than half a meter away.
He had appeared before her again!
Xiao Yan's hand settled gently on her delicate shoulder. The touch sent uncontrollable tremors through her body, and she stood frozen in place.
"Don't be so afraid. Think about it. You broke through to Rank 8 and improved your bloodline, all thanks to me. Strictly speaking, I'm your benefactor." Xiao Yan's voice was remarkably gentle, as if making casual conversation.
Though technically true, something about it felt profoundly wrong.
"But then again…" His hand moved upward, warm fingers lifting her smooth chin, idly kneading her soft lips. "It seems you haven't even said thank you."
With her chin held aloft, Feng Qing Er's lips trembled. "Thank you… for your grace, Master."
She dared not move, standing there like a human doll.
Xiao Yan patted her shoulder and guided her forward. "Come. Such beautiful moonlight and scenery shouldn't be wasted."
He led the stiff, wooden Feng Qing Er to the lakeside. Her mind had no room for scenery; the terror from over a year ago was flooding back piece by piece!
After a while, Xiao Yan casually began asking questions about the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe's activities, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe's situation, and the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe's strength.
However, Feng Qing Er only knew trivial details, nothing substantial.
"Hmm…" Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then glanced at her. "So, why has your Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe come to this ancient ruin?"
Why would the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe want a Tian Class Dou Technique? That was for human cultivators. They had their own beast techniques and bloodline powers. There was no need for them to be here.
Many magical beast tribes had come after hearing about an ancient forest, planning to harvest herbs for consumption or trade, but few Rank 8 beasts were among them.
A flicker passed through Feng Qing Er's eyes. "Our tribe heard about an ancient forest appearing, so we came to see if there were any ancient medicinal herbs."
Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed, the corners of his mouth curving upward. Feng Qing Er had no idea his Spiritual Strength had reached the Heavenly State! Lying to him was courting death!
Though her words were half-truths—or perhaps technically all true—his Spiritual Strength sensed that she was deliberately concealing something.
Xiao Yan smiled, his hand stroking her silky hair. "Not only has your cultivation grown stronger, but your courage has as well."
Spiritual Strength surged forth. In the abyss beneath Xiao Yan's feet, a pair of blood-red demonic eyes snapped open. With a harsh clatter, black chains hidden within Feng Qing Er's soul body suddenly manifested.
These were no ordinary soul chains; sharp, thorn-like barbs studded their length.
"Ah!!!"
The barbed chains pierced viciously into her soul body and tightened with terrible force. The barbs seemed ready to tear her soul apart, to hook out her very soul essence. The agony was excruciating.
With his Spiritual Strength now at the Heavenly State, Xiao Yan's power far exceeded anything Feng Qing Er could withstand. Furthermore, his cultivation of the complete Asura Soul Reaping Technique had strengthened the Asura Slave Seal to the point where not even the giants of the Pill Tower could remove it.
"Ahhhhh!" Feng Qing Er writhed on the ground, her body convulsing as she screamed. A weak, colored light emanated from her, but it was utterly useless against the power of the Asura Soul Reaping Technique.
"Please, Master, forgive Qing Er!" Fighting through the soul-rending pain, Feng Qing Er hurriedly knelt, begging for mercy.
To Xiao Yan, her value lay in intelligence. If the information she provided was incomplete, she was worthless.
"Though I've already refined bone wings, you're still a Rank 8 magical beast after all…" Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength swept through her, immediately locking onto the location of her Monster Core.
A Rank 8 magical beast definitely possessed a Monster Core; to them, it was akin to a heart.
Sensing Xiao Yan targeting her Monster Core, absolute terror filled Feng Qing Er's eyes. She crawled on all fours, clutching his trouser leg with both hands. Looking up with tear-filled eyes, she shook her head desperately. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was wrong, don't kill me, please don't..."
In that moment, she felt only the pure fear of death. To truly face one's end was a terror so profound that ignoring it was simply impossible.
Xiao Yan's eyes were incomparably cold as he looked down at the terrified, tear-streaked woman, who no longer bore any resemblance to the proud prodigy of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe.
A soul chain materialized in Xiao Yan's hand with a clatter, its other end looping around Feng Qing Er's neck. He yanked sharply, pulling her neck high.
"Urk—" Feng Qing Er's soul instantly felt suffocated, her expression contorting in pain.
Xiao Yan slowly bent down, leaning close to her ear. "Feng Qing Er, if the day comes when you lose your value, I'll take you to the Hall of Souls."
Hall of Souls!!
Those words shattered Feng Qing Er's spirit completely. Tears she could no longer contain streamed from her eyes.
She closed her eyes and nodded frantically.
Xiao Yan smiled coldly at this display. He had no feelings for her; it was just that right now, she still had value.
At the very least, he needed her for intelligence on the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe and the Beast Region until Zi Yan completed her unification.
Even Xiao Yan could not escape the simple truth: a person of value does not die so easily.
The soul chains vanished with a clatter. Feng Qing Er collapsed to the ground with a thud. Xiao Yan gazed toward the lake and spoke indifferently, "Well then, your life is back in your own hands. I hope you won't make me want to take it from you again."
If the Third Tianzun were present, he would surely have applauded Xiao Yan. Who better to carry forward the spirit of the Hall of Souls!
"Thank you, Master. Thank you for your magnanimity."
After this 'friendly' exchange, Xiao Yan finally learned the full story.
The Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe had consulted their genealogies and ancient texts and discovered that a powerful Ancient Heaven Phoenix had once fought to the death with an equally powerful Ancient Void Dragon. Their clash had shattered the sky and ruptured the void.
It was very likely they had both fallen, yet no corpses were found despite extensive searches. When this ruin appeared, the tribe employed a Secret Method and detected faint auras of both an Ancient Heaven Phoenix and an Ancient Void Dragon inside. They suspected that some powerful, ultimate treasure had appeared within.
Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly after hearing her explanation. The Ancient Void Dragon Tribe was truly unreliable. How could they remain ignorant of something so important while still embroiled in a civil war?
They might finish their internal conflict only to find themselves wiped out by the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe!
He looked down at the despairing Feng Qing Er kneeling before him. After a moment's thought, he took a jade slip from his storage ring, lifted her head, pinched her cheeks, and placed it in her mouth.
"This is my soul jade slip. Contact me if anything happens. Don't you dare lose it," Xiao Yan said with a faint smile, though the expression carried an unmistakable undercurrent of threat and coldness.
Feng Qing Er held the jade slip in her mouth and nodded frantically. Losing this meant losing her little life!
Xiao Yan smiled with satisfaction, carefully tidying her disheveled hair and brushing dirt from her colorful dress. Even when his hands deliberately patted certain areas, she didn't dare resist.
Anyone watching would surely have thought this was a husband helping his wife with her clothes!
"Clean yourself up properly. Don't let anyone notice," Xiao Yan smiled, instructing her to conceal everything well.
Clenching the jade slip between her teeth, Feng Qing Er had lost all thought of resistance. She could only nod frantically, not daring to utter another word.
With another smile, Xiao Yan didn't trouble her further and vanished into the darkness.
Only long after he had gone did Feng Qing Er dare to take the jade slip from her mouth. She wanted to crush it, but her hands lacked the strength. Those beautiful gem-like eyes held only infinite despair, confusion about the future, and endless regret.
Why did I ever provoke him in the first place?!
…
Time passed steadily as the ancient ruin's seal approached its breaking point.
When dawn's first rays pierced the darkness shrouding the mountains, the previously quiet range erupted with astonishing vitality. The sky filled with the sound of rushing wind as countless figures shot toward the mountain's center like a locust swarm.
Today, the seal would be completely released.
At the mountain range's edge, Xiao Yan's group had finished their preparations, gazing at the distant, distorted space.
They shook their heads as they watched the figures blotting out the sky. Many possessed only Dou Emperor or even Dou King strength, yet the words 'Dou Saint Ruin' had driven them to abandon all reason.
They all imagined discovering some hidden treasure and soaring to success.
Such fantasies were all too common.
"Let's go."
Without further delay, Xiao Yan waved his hand. The Little Lion King carried them all, transforming into a purple streak that shot toward the ruin.
The Bone Mountain Range now pulsed with a shocking vitality, its source the countless figures leaping through the air. The sheer number of people was so terrifying that even the range's characteristic sinister atmosphere had been forcibly diluted.
While heading toward the ruin, Xiao Yan's superior spiritual perception detected long-dormant auras in the surrounding peaks stirring to life, transforming into rainbow streaks that flashed from the mountains.
'Tsk tsk tsk, the number of Dou Venerates really isn't small.'
Including the Rank 8 magical beasts, at least thirty Dou Venerate experts had come to compete for the Tian Class Dou Technique.
Soon, Xiao Yan's group reached the ruin's entrance.
A basin spanning a thousand miles stretched before them, now completely filled with stark white bones. From afar, the sea of white gleamed blindingly, creating a bone-chilling sight.
Around this ocean of bone, densely packed figures stood with burning gazes fixed on the distorted space at its center. The moment that spatial seal dissipated, the crowd would surge forward like an endless tidal wave.
Upon arriving, Xiao Yan immediately sensed several cold gazes, which naturally came from Venerable Lei, the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python experts, Elder Huang Xuan, and the others.
Xiao Yan smiled at Venerable Lei's group, then glanced at Feng Qing Er, who stood at their center. She wore a cold and indifferent expression, refusing to look his way as if she didn't know him.
Her inner thoughts, of course, remained a mystery.
There were friendly faces as well. From the Burning Flame Valley, Xiao Yan saw Valley Master Tang Zhen and Tang Huo Er waving at him.
Suddenly, Xiao Yan's brow furrowed as he looked toward the distorted space. His eyes narrowed slightly as he said quietly, "It's coming."
Just as his words fell—whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The violently twisting space emitted a sound like rushing water. As the noise spread, the spatial fluctuations grew increasingly intense.
A resounding explosion reverberated as the space shattered. In an instant, the eyes of countless people turned red, and their breathing grew heavy. The hands gripping weapons slowly tightened.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
An extremely terrifying energy surged out from beneath the entire bone sea, blasting away all those who had been greedy for a head start.
A massive hall, as large as a mountain range, rose from beneath the sea of bones.
Compared to such a colossal structure, even the mountain peaks seemed small. Gazing up at this behemoth standing between heaven and earth, a sense of one's own insignificance welled up from within.
The giant hall was entirely crimson, appearing from a distance as if it were wreathed in rising flames. Amidst the stark white sea of bones, it was exceptionally glaring.
Even Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened at the hall's appearance, a hint of fire in his eyes. All the intelligence he had gathered suggested this ancient ruin was far from simple. Hidden things likely lurked within. This Saint Zhao Hua was not merely the Half-Saint or low-level Dou Saint he appeared to be.
"The doors are opening!"
"Charge! The Tian Class Dou Technique is mine!"
"In your dreams!"
The instant the doors opened, many eyes turned bloodshot. Those unable to restrain themselves immediately shot forward, appearing outside the passage in a few flashes before charging in with loud laughter.
Hai Bodong showed a disdainful sneer at their haste. If this ruin truly rewarded speed, the Dou Venerates would have charged in long ago. Would it be left to these mere Dou Kings and Dou Emperors?
Sure enough, the moment the doors opened, the pitch-black passage suddenly turned crimson. The hard floor slowly cracked, and everyone watched as boiling magma erupted from within. Simultaneously, bewitching blue pillars of fire shot from the passage walls. Anyone touched by the blue flames turned to ash before they could even scream.
"As expected, there are defensive traps." Xiao Yan's group wasn't surprised. What ancient ruin would lack defenses?
After the flame passage quieted, Hai Bodong looked at Xiao Yan and asked, "Shall we enter?"
"Mm, it's about time. There's no point in waiting longer."
Just as Xiao Yan prepared for the Little Lion King to enter the hall, his eyes suddenly contracted. He whipped his head around, his Spiritual Strength having sensed a familiar aura!
Space distorted. Several flower petals drifted out from a newly formed spatial channel, and a clear, elegant floral fragrance wafted through the air. Several graceful figures emerged from the passage.
The Flower Sect!
But what surprised Xiao Yan wasn't the arrival of the Flower Sect. It was that among their group, the person in the lead was none other than the long-absent Yun Yun!