The Jia Ma Imperial family was undoubtedly the happiest faction during this period, even more so than the Snake-People Race.
The deeply entrenched Yun Lan Sect was like a mountain to the Jia Ma Empire, preventing the royal family from ever relaxing. They even stationed heavy troops around it for defense, which was a testament to this.
But now, it was all good. After Xiao Yan's commotion, the Yun Lan Sect became history, effectively removing a major threat for the royal family.
What made the royal family even more excited was that on the tenth day after the great battle at the Yun Lan Sect concluded, the Dou Wang experts who had guided Heavenly Flame Honored One to decapitate targets in the three great empires brought back good news.
The Poison Sect of the Chu Yun Empire, the Jin Yan Sect of the Luo Yan Empire, and the Mu Lan Valley of the Mu Lan Empire – these three factions, which had been itching to unite and start a war, were all annihilated!
Without these three leading forces, the three great empires suffered heavy losses, and war would certainly not break out again in a short period.
A huge threat was thus resolved indirectly.
The Jia Ma Imperial family had won by doing nothing!
"Prepare a generous gift, no, two. I will visit the Ice Emperor tomorrow and then personally go to Tagor to express my gratitude!"
Listening to the report from the returning Dou Wang experts, Jia Xing Tian was unable to contain his excitement. His gaze drifted towards the starry sky above, and he quickly made a decision.
Regardless of Chen Xiao's original intentions, he had solved a huge problem for the royal family, and for both moral and logical reasons, he had to show his appreciation.
Furthermore, Jia Xing Tian harbored a secret hope.
Perhaps, he could use this opportunity to foster a closer relationship, which would bring greater stability to the Jia Ma Empire.
He might even find a way to break through to Dou Zong.
Jia Xing Tian was incredibly envious of Hai Bo Dong's improvement in strength.
If even Hai Bo Dong could establish a connection, why couldn't he and the royal family?
Tagor Desert, Snake-People Race Holy City.
Hai Bo Dong, whom Jia Xing Tian envied, was currently a guest in the Holy City.
Inside the Divine Hall, Heavenly Flame Honored One, who had just returned from decapitation, was still standing, or rather, floating.
"Hall Master, these storage rings are the spoils from this mission. I took the liberty of organizing them, placing medicinal herbs and elixirs, poisons and poisonous materials, cultivation techniques and Dou Skills, etc., into separate storage rings. These two scrolls are the Jin Yan Sect's 'Heavenly Goose Nine-Rank Wings' and the Mu Lan Valley's 'Three Beasts Savage Art', which are the biggest gains from this mission."
Returning the puppets, Heavenly Flame Honored One presented a handful of storage rings.
The Mu Lan Valley's "Three Beasts Savage Art" was a Middle-Level Earth Tier Cultivation Technique passed down from ancient times. It could also be considered a combined Dou Skill, where three people with perfect tacit understanding and connection could pool their strength together.
The three elders of Mu Lan only had the strength of Peak Dou Huang, yet they could contend with ordinary Dou Zong experts by relying on this cultivation technique, which was enough to prove its marvel.
The Jin Yan Valley's "Heavenly Goose Nine-Rank Wings" could not be viewed with conventional eyes. To be precise, it was a method for creating a flying Dou Skill, and its specific rank would depend on the materials used for its creation.
When Chen Xiao obtained the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Corpse in the Black-Corner Region, he had thought of this item. However, by then, he had already cultivated "Three Thousand Lightning Movement" to perfection, giving him extremely strong self-preservation abilities, so his need for the Heavenly Goose Nine-Rank Wings was relatively low.
"Well done. Did you encounter any trouble this time?"
Raising his hand to draw the handful of storage rings and two scrolls towards him, Chen Xiao's consciousness seeped in. Seeing the neatly organized spoils of war within, his smile deepened, and he couldn't help but praise him.
"We swept through unimpeded, without encountering any trouble," Heavenly Flame Honored One replied truthfully.
The Jia Ma Imperial family had sent people to guide the way for this mission, but Heavenly Flame Honored One's role was essentially the same.
After all, with nine puppets accompanying him, he didn't even have a chance to make a move.
Chen Xiao nodded slightly, not too surprised.
As far as he knew, there was a Soul Hall Protector in the Chu Yun Empire, and possibly in the other two empires as well.
However, Soul Hall Protectors were only at the Dou Zong level, posing no threat to Heavenly Flame Honored One, who was accompanied by nine puppets.
Furthermore, the Soul Hall had always avoided direct involvement in conflicts, preferring to operate in the shadows. It was predictable that they would choose to remain hidden.
"Cai Lin, you can have the 'Three Beasts Savage Art' for the four elders to try cultivating. The four elders have excellent tacit understanding, so there should be hope for them to succeed."
"Xian'er, these are the spoils from the Poison Sect."
"Old Hai, the remaining ones are for you. They will be added to the Purple Firmament Pavilion's treasury afterward."
After scanning the storage rings, Chen Xiao kept only one that contained Dou Skills, cultivation techniques, and some ancient texts and notebooks. The rest were distributed.
Whoever could use them would get them. Anything that couldn't be used would be added to the treasury, and after being converted by the Purple Firmament Pavilion, it would become usable resources.
This was Chen Xiao's usual way of handling spoils of war.
Cai Lin, Little Fairy Doctor, and Hai Bo Dong all nodded in agreement, not saying much.
However, Heavenly Flame Honored One seemed to have noticed Chen Xiao's preferences. He raised his hand and waved, taking out a pile of scrolls from a storage ring.
Among them was his famous signature skill, the "Five Wheels Burning Flame Method"!
"Hall Master, these are some of the Dou Skills and cultivation techniques I've collected. I used to hoard them, but now I feel that every scroll is flawed. Please take a look and offer some guidance."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall couldn't help but laugh.
It was no secret that Heavenly Flame Honored One was obligated to serve Chen Xiao for ten years as per their agreement, and they all knew it.
In terms of closeness, Heavenly Flame Honored One was not yet considered one of their own by Hai Bo Dong and the others.
Heavenly Flame Honored One's actions now indicated his willingness to pledge allegiance, even taking out his most prized collections, which clearly showed his attitude.
"Alright, I'll take a look and return them to you. You should go into the storage ring to recuperate. We'll depart for the Central State tomorrow. I will help you look into the matter of resurrection in the future."
Chen Xiao naturally wouldn't turn away a Dou Zun expert who actively offered his allegiance. He immediately collected all the scrolls.
His consciousness sank into his mind, and the progress of the pre-paid cultivation techniques was displayed.
[48680/50000]
He was very close to completing the subsequent stages.
This was mainly because he had spent too much time refining the Bone Spirit Cold Flame in the False Heaven. Otherwise, he would have completed this part long ago.
However, it didn't matter. Chen Xiao had already scanned through them. Once he finished reading these cultivation techniques, Dou Skills, and ancient texts, he would definitely be able to complete the subsequent stages.
"Thank you, Hall Master!"
Upon hearing the word "resurrection," Heavenly Flame Honored One suddenly looked up, unable to contain his excitement.
His decision to actively pledge allegiance was greatly influenced by some things he had witnessed at the bottom of the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower.
Chen Xiao's group, with their Woeful Poison Body, Azure Snake Three-Flower Pupils, Heavenly Flames, and formations, had overwhelmed Heavenly Flame Honored One.
At the same time, he could also feel the terrifying potential of this group.
Therefore, Heavenly Flame Honored One had proactively boarded this grand ship, the sooner the better.
If that was the case, in eight to ten years, he might also become a veteran of Chen Xiao's faction.
Dreaming of a bright future, Heavenly Flame Honored One hadn't expected that after being truly accepted, Chen Xiao would give him such a great surprise.
Although the matter of resurrection was still just a promise, it had already filled Heavenly Flame Honored One with motivation.
"Let's continue discussing the migration. Tomorrow morning, Xian'er, Qing Lin, Old Hai, and I will set off first. Old Hai will return to the Black-Corner Region to make preparations, and I will go to Tian Bei in the Central State to select a location. Once the location is confirmed, I will send you a message. After the spatial wormhole is opened, you can transfer in batches..."
The main reason for returning to the Northwest was not wanting to miss his daughter's birth. Now that major and minor matters were mostly settled, it was time to return to his normal cultivation path.
Although Chen Xiao didn't want to be separated from Cai Lin and their daughter, Yao Yao was still too young to endure the journey.
Therefore, it would be better to go to the Central State, open the spatial wormhole, and then bring them over. It wouldn't take too long, estimated to be a few months.
At that time, the family could finally be reunited.
The plan had already been finalized; they were just discussing the details this time.
A new day.
As dawn broke in the east, Chen Xiao and his group were ready to depart.
"Cai Lin, you and Yao Yao wait for me. We'll see each other again very soon this time."
After holding his daughter and playing with her for a while, Chen Xiao reluctantly handed Little Yao to Cai Lin and instructed her.
Cai Lin nodded slightly, "Be careful with everything."
Chen Xiao nodded, then stepped forward again to embrace her full figure, causing Cai Lin to blush instantly.
When they were alone in private, Cai Lin was very uninhibited and even quite proactive during their intimate moments.
However, being so affectionate in front of Little Fairy Doctor and the others, especially with many Snake-People soldiers on the city walls, made Cai Lin a little uncomfortable.
After all, this was completely different from the proud and aloof Queen in the eyes of her people.
Fortunately, Chen Xiao didn't overdo it. He released her quickly, gently pinched Yao Yao's little face, and performed a magic trick amidst her childish laughter. He tore open space with his hand and stepped into it with Little Fairy Doctor and the other two.
With a clear plan, Chen Xiao didn't linger much upon returning to the Black-Corner Region. He didn't even visit Jia Nan Academy again. After sending Hai Bo Dong back to the Purple Firmament Pavilion, he took Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin straight to Horizon City.
Although they could also tear through space to travel, and their speed was no slower than a spatial wormhole, it was better to use the existing spatial wormhole if it was available.
After all, the distance between Horizon City and the Black-Corner Region was, to them now, almost like being right next door.
"Once the spatial wormhole between the Black-Corner Region and Tagor is opened, the traffic in Horizon City will likely plummet by several levels instantly."
Arriving at Horizon City and seeing the massive flow of people, Qing Lin couldn't help but chuckle. She could already imagine what Horizon City would be like in a few months.
The spatial wormhole in Tagor was one thing, but if the Black-Corner Region had a spatial wormhole, only a fool would choose to pass through Horizon City.
After all, for those below Dou Zun, this journey was quite long, unlike them who could tear through space and arrive at extremely high speeds.
"There's nothing that can be done about it. As our strength increases, it will inevitably affect the rise and fall of various factions. We can't possibly consider everyone."
Chen Xiao chuckled and shook his head, not caring about this.
Let alone in a world like the Dou Qi Continent where the strong prey on the weak, even in ordinary worlds, a single event could trigger a chain reaction. Doing a small business would attract customers away from competitors, and one person's progress in learning would push another person down.
They were all strangers to each other, so who would delay their own progress for someone else?
"Let's go, don't worry about them."
The next ten-plus days required no further explanation.
Unlike before, with Qing Lin present, they no longer needed to spare people to maintain the spatial ship. Qing Lin handed over this task entirely to the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor took advantage of their free time to continuously impart the ways of formations to Qing Lin. Occasionally, they would also seal Heavenly Flame Honored One and spend some intimate time together, covering thousands of miles in a day.
Central State, Tian Bei, Xian City.
This was also the other end of the spatial wormhole connected to Horizon City.
It was a vast gravel plaza, with a massive stone platform erected in the center.
At the top of the stone platform, a black wormhole, dozens of feet wide, was slowly rotating, emitting astonishing spatial fluctuations continuously.
The silence of the gravel plaza lasted for a while, then a series of dull 'poof poof' sounds suddenly rang out.
Along with these sounds, the space around the wormhole violently fluctuated, and figures shot out directly from the wormhole, then scattered and landed on the plaza.
"This spatial wormhole seems a bit unstable. The spatial barriers in several places along the way were very weak, and the probability of encountering a spatial storm is quite high."
Basking in the sunlight, Little Fairy Doctor took a deep breath of the fresh air outside before looking back at the spatial wormhole behind her.
Spatial storms were not a threat to people like them who sought convenience, but for those below Dou Zun, if they truly encountered one, even Dou Zong experts would find it troublesome.
Below Dou Zong, unless they were some kind of chosen one, the probability of them perishing was extremely high!
"Look at the notice over there. They are aware of this and are already recruiting people for repairs."
Chen Xiao's eyes were sharp, and he immediately spotted a notice on a nearby stone pillar.
Moreover, from his memories, he also knew that Horizon City was doing the same thing.
In the original timeline, Little Fairy Doctor had participated in it.
Unfortunately, she had ultimately encountered a spatial storm.
Following Chen Xiao's gaze, Little Fairy Doctor chuckled and said no more.
If others were unaware of the hidden danger, she could offer a humanitarian reminder. Since they were aware, there was no need for unnecessary action.
"Young Master, where are we going now?"
Qing Lin was not concerned with trivial matters and asked from the side.
In fact, Chen Xiao had already told her about his arrangements after arriving in the Central State before they even set off from Tagor. Qing Lin's selective amnesia at this moment was simply because she didn't want to be separated.
Chen Xiao gave her a helpless look and smiled, "Let's stick to the original plan. Xian'er, you go accept the inheritance and come back quickly. Qing Lin, you have no mission, so take this opportunity to explore and relax in the Central State. If you lose patience, you can always come back anytime, as I'll be here in Tian Bei anyway."
The residual soul of the Ancient Heavenly Serpent was not within the current scope of pre-paid information, so Chen Xiao did not know the specific details.
Everything could only depend on fate.
It would be best if Qing Lin could encounter it, but if they missed it, it wouldn't matter much. When the pre-payment limit increased in the future, Chen Xiao would definitely obtain accurate information.
In fact, it wasn't impossible to find a living Ancient Heavenly Serpent for Qing Lin in the future.
Hearing Chen Xiao's words, Little Fairy Doctor nodded with a smile.
The inheritance of the Woeful Poison Body was a tangible benefit, and she was determined to go.
If she didn't go now, she would have to go later.
She wasn't sure if she would have as much free time in the future, so it was better to go and return quickly rather than delaying it.
When she returned, the reunion after a short separation would be a novel experience.
Just like when they returned to Tagor, Little Fairy Doctor stayed in the room next to Cai Lin's, often sensing their passionate encounters until late at night...
And Qing Lin, upon hearing Chen Xiao say that she could return anytime, no longer resisted.
She understood Chen Xiao very well and knew that he wouldn't make pointless arrangements. Since he said so, it was likely that exploring would bring benefits.
"Young Master, please be careful by yourself in Tian Bei. If you encounter any enemies, send me a message immediately, and I'll rush back."
"Don't worry. Although the Central State is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, Tian Bei doesn't have many strong experts. Your Young Master is already at the peak of a one-star Dou Zun. I don't even know how strong I am now."
Chen Xiao made a joke, which wasn't entirely untrue.
He had some understanding of the situation in Tian Bei, Central State.
Hearing this, Qing Lin finally felt at ease.
"You both go. I won't see you off. It's been many years since I've traveled alone. I'm going to reminisce a bit."
Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin nodded slightly and wasted no more words. They tore open space on the spot and, under Chen Xiao's watchful gaze, disappeared into it.
It was only at this moment that the surrounding passersby were shocked to realize that those two peerless beauties were both Dou Zun experts!
Everyone collectively gasped. To have two beautiful women at the Dou Zun level accompanying him, then the remaining one...
All eyes turned to Chen Xiao, filled with envy and uncertainty.
Chen Xiao smiled slightly, unconcerned by their gazes, and his figure flickered, disappearing from his original spot.
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