Chapter 597: Chapter 597: Exiting Seclusion

Word Count: 2,886 Words

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"How many meters closer did you get today?"

"Closer my ass. I’m already satisfied just being able to stand within a kilometer of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring."

"Hehe, I walked three steps forward today and lasted an extra ten minutes."

"Damn, you’re defying the heavens."

By now, the area within several kilometers of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring had become a genuine soul cultivation holy land. The Snake-People Tribe, the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, and even several magical beast tribes had all begun sending their younger generations here on ’pilgrimage.’

In truth, many of the great clans and so-called training holy lands scattered across the Dou Qi Continent were very likely lingering blessings left behind by some ancient powerhouse, remnants of a single breakthrough or moment of enlightenment.

The Heaven Eye Mountain Range that Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran had once visited together was a perfect example. That Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool might well have formed when some Dou Saint expert broke through and, through the Qi Method he cultivated, drew forth the energy of the world to create such a pool, which thereafter became a cultivation sacred ground.

For magical beasts who had yet to transform, or were only halfway through their transformation, raising Spiritual Strength was of immense benefit when it came time to endure the tribulation of taking human form.

’Grandmaster Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength really is terrifying to the extreme. Just the fluctuations released from his breakthrough alone have created this kind of cultivation holy land.’ The one who had walked the closest was naturally the current Tribe Leader of the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, Yao Ming.

His expression was grave. Like a lone traveler walking through a sandstorm, he forced himself forward step by step, withstanding that matchless soul suppression as he approached the man whose entire body was wrapped in a special crystalline layer.

Although only about ten steps still separated Yao Ming from Xiao Yan, those last ten steps felt even more difficult than the trial of the Yellow Spring Divine Anger!

On the surface, it looked like a simple ten paces. In reality, it was a distance like a natural chasm. Yao Ming knew all too well that he would likely never cross that gulf in this lifetime.

Behind him stood several experts of the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, as well as tribe leaders of the Snake-People Tribe such as Yue Mei. None of them intended to press any closer. They simply sat down cross-legged where they were and began tempering their own Spiritual Strength.

For magical beasts, cultivating the soul was incomparably difficult. The heavens had given them powerful bodies and long lives, and in exchange, had taken something else away.

After this period of tempering, quite a few Snake-People tribe leaders had begun to break through. Several snake-people who had been stuck at the peak of Dou Ancestor despite already consuming a Body Transformation Pill actually managed to seize this fortuitous opportunity and push through, reaching Rank 8.

Then, at that very moment, a fine crack suddenly appeared in the crystalline layer enveloping Xiao Yan’s cross-legged form. A faint ka echoed out.

The sound was extremely soft, but Yao Ming, Yue Mei, and the others, all possessing Dou Saint or Dou Venerate strength, caught it clearly.

Yue Mei’s beautiful eyes snapped open. Withdrawing from her cultivation state, she said in surprise, "He’s exiting seclusion!"

Ka ka ka!!

Like an eggshell shattering, one crack became many. Spiderweb-like fissures spread from that first line until they covered the entire soul crystal shell.

Within the crystal, Xiao Yan’s tightly shut eyes suddenly flew open.

BOOM!

His body jolted violently, and blinding light burst from within him as if a sun had ignited in his flesh. An invisible fluctuation surged outward in waves, sweeping across the land like a world-devouring storm.

"Retreat!!" Yao Ming, closest of all, felt his heart lurch. He erupted with every ounce of speed he possessed, ripping open space itself as he fled backward in a frantic rush.

An appalling soul shockwave burst forth. Behind Xiao Yan, the Nine Serene Yellow Spring began to churn violently, its waters rising in towering swells that crashed outward like an inland sea in full fury.

Dark clouds smothered the sky in an instant. Wild lightning danced!

Rumble!

Bolts of lightning, bright as writhing silver serpents, flared and vanished in quick succession. Thunder boomed again and again, shaking the surrounding land. A boundless, formless fluctuation so immense it seemed to mirror the sky spread outward with Xiao Yan at its center, sweeping silently in all directions like a storm.

A pitch-black soul storm burst upward, piercing into the sky. From afar, it looked as if the end of the world had descended.

"What happened?!"

"Such terrifying soul fluctuations."

"Could it be that Grandmaster Xiao Yan is exiting seclusion?"

"What do you mean, ’exiting seclusion’?"

"Hah? You don’t know? This whole soul field was created by Grandmaster Xiao Yan’s cultivation. Otherwise, did you think this place had always been like this?"

"Ahhh??"

Quite a few people, hearing for the first time that this soul field had been created by a single person’s cultivation, were struck dumb on the spot. They had all assumed this was some naturally formed cultivation sacred ground, the kind that appeared on its own at regular intervals!

To think this was all because of one man!

...

On a certain mountain peak within the Yellow Springs Mountain Range, two graceful figures stared up at the phenomena churning across the sky, their faces solemn and their eyes filled with shock.

They were none other than Feng Qing Er and Feng Huang, the last remaining Phoenix Saint among the Three Heaven Demon Phoenixes.

"He’s broken through to 3-star Dou Saint..." The beautiful woman’s eyes brimmed with undisguised fear as she gazed toward the center of the phenomenon. Her own cultivation had reached the late 2-star Dou Saint, so she could instantly sense that Xiao Yan’s strength had risen yet again, already surpassing hers!

Feng Qing Er, clad in a simple dress of black cloth traced with a few strands of colorful gold thread, had an unreadable emotion flickering in her beautiful eyes. She said softly, "Supreme Elder Feng Huang, do you still believe that once our Tribe Leader exits seclusion and joins hands with the three Dragon Kings, he can contend with the Yan Alliance and the Dragon Emperor of Eastern Dragon Island?"

Feng Huang’s body trembled. She had still been clinging to a last fragment of hope.

Because of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe’s thousands of years of civil war, even with the Dragon Emperor’s return, her strength was only at 4-star Dou Saint. Once Tribe Leader Huang Tian left seclusion, his cultivation would reach the late stage of 5-star Dou Saint. The Dragon Slaying Sword was only effective against the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe; against the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, it was no more than an ordinary High Tian Class Dou Technique.

If Huang Tian could hold Zi Yan in check and the three Dragon Kings joined forces, there would be a chance to overcome the Yan Alliance.

But now, the greatest variable was not the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe at all. It was the Yan Alliance, or rather, Xiao Yan.

And that wasn’t even considering his other identity. He was a 9th-tier alchemist. Coupled with his relationship with the Gu Clan, he could summon far too many powerful experts.

This latest scene shattered even that last sliver of fantasy. With this man, they could not even afford to dream.

"Sigh... Qing Er, you have suffered."

Feng Huang looked at her with a trace of sorrow. Feng Qing Er only revealed a smile that was both poignant and beautiful, her nobility tinged with a faint, gloomy melancholy. She shook her head slowly. "In this world where the strong are revered, a single misstep leads to destruction. Weren’t the once-mighty Ancient Heaven Phoenix Tribe, Ancient Heaven Serpent Tribe, and Heaven Swallowing Python Tribe all reduced to mere strokes in history? Even the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe has fallen to this state."

"The fact that we haven’t been drowned completely by the tides of time and can still cling to life is already a stroke of luck."

Feng Huang sighed silently. Once, they had believed the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe was on the verge of rising. Who could have known they would nearly fall into an abyss from which there was no return?

Fate was ever fickle.

"Let’s go. Whatever happens, Huang Tian will never abandon his plans. He hasn’t faced this monster himself, so he’ll never understand." A fierce glint suddenly flashed through Feng Qing Er’s eyes, and her voice dropped to a grave tone. "Perhaps this is also an opportunity for our Feng Clan."

Not long after Feng Qing Er departed, the phenomenon in the sky slowly began to subside.

Xiao Yan had completed his breakthrough and could now freely restrain his aura. The celestial disturbance had only erupted because he couldn’t yet control his suddenly skyrocketing Spiritual Strength in the immediate aftermath.

He exhaled a long, steadying breath. Glancing once in the direction where Feng Qing Er had stood, he slowly rose to his feet and turned his attention inward, sensing the terrifying Spiritual Strength within his body.

’Such powerful Spiritual Strength. It should be somewhat stronger than that of an ordinary perfected Heavenly State.’ He could clearly feel how incomparably dense and mighty his soul had become. After cultivating the Emperor Soul Technique, his soul had undergone a qualitative transformation. The strength of his soul body alone, separated from his flesh, was now comparable to a 3-star Dou Saint.

’Legend has it that once one steps into the Emperor State, the soul becomes truly indestructible. Even if someone forcibly scatters it, the remaining soul particles can gradually reconverge until it is reborn anew... I’m not at the Emperor State yet, but I certainly can’t be compared to the usual perfected Heavenly State either.’

Hum—

Xiao Yan’s soul body stepped free of his physical form. Two ’Xiao Yans’ looked at each other, and both couldn’t help feeling the scene was a little bizarre.

’As long as the soul reaches the perfected Heavenly State, it becomes no different from the physical body. In battle, the soul can separate and fight alongside the flesh. That level of tacit coordination is something no one else can match, and the combat power multiplies... So this is what it feels like. Strange indeed.’

His eyes narrowed and a faint smile curled at the corner of his lips. In an instant, his hands formed a seal and the Emperor Soul Technique began to circulate. A streak of dark radiance surfaced at the center of the soul body’s brow. The Hun Clan’s Clan Mark instantly spread across his entire soul form, and a veil of darkness descended over it, making it look as if he were wearing a Soul Robe.

’Emperor State... After cultivating the Emperor Soul Technique, activating the Hun Clan’s Clan Mark can actually raise my Spiritual Strength to the Emperor State temporarily!’ Xiao Yan’s gaze sharpened. The Emperor Soul Technique was even more formidable than he had imagined. Augmented by the power of the Divine Grade Clan Mark, it had actually allowed him to touch, for a fleeting moment, that legendary realm!

Even if it was only temporary, a brief instant of eruption was enough. If he suddenly unleashed powerful Soul Skills like the Asura Soul Reaping Technique from that height, catching an enemy off guard, it would be sufficient to heavily injure a 4-star Dou Saint!

And this was merely his Spiritual Strength. If he added his own cultivation base and hidden cards like his Heavenly Flames, even he could no longer fathom what level his current battle power might reach!

’If I can obtain the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame and let the Flame Mantra evolve into a God Class Qi Method, I’ll possess the power of "Double Emperors"!’ A fierce heat surged in Xiao Yan’s chest. Two God Class powers at once; what kind of invincibility would that be?

But he quickly calmed himself. Life was full of ups and downs; the biggest taboo was popping champagne at halftime.

He had yet to obtain the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame. His soul had only been raised to the Emperor State temporarily by relying on the Divine Grade Bloodline and the Emperor Soul Technique. It was not a true Emperor State soul.

One should not build castles in the air.

Xiao Yan glanced at Zi Yan once he had reined in his emotions. She was also on the verge of completing her inheritance and would soon exit seclusion, in time to join the expedition for the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame.

’Let’s see how Cai Lin is doing. I wonder if she can make it in time for the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame’s descent.’

His terrifying Spiritual Strength coalesced into a soul shadow and plunged into the Nine Serene Yellow Spring before him. Even the yin-cold power of the Yellow Spring couldn’t block it. That formidable Spiritual Strength dove straight to the very bottom, laying the entirety of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring bare before his perception!

’Hm? Where is Cai Lin?’ His soul projection’s heart sank. He had swept the entire bottom of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring, yet there was no sign of her!

’No... there’s something more beneath the bottom of this Yellow Spring!’ Through his Heavenly Flame connection, Xiao Yan quickly discovered that Cai Lin was actually deep in a lower layer beneath the Nine Serene Yellow Spring. Another space lay hidden below!

Just as he discovered this hidden depth and prepared to enter, a pillar of nine-colored divine light suddenly blasted into the sky!

A massive beam of nine-colored radiance pierced straight into the sky. The dazzling splendor painted the surrounding world in brilliant, multicolored hues.

"What happened now?!"

"A nine-colored light pillar... this is...!"

The abrupt change left many onlookers shocked and at a loss. They had no idea where this nine-colored pillar had come from.

When had Xiao Yan ever emitted nine-colored radiance?

"This feeling! It’s Her Majesty the Queen!!" Hua She Er’s face was alight with excitement. As Cai Lin’s personal guard, how could she possibly fail to recognize Cai Lin’s aura?

"This is bloodline suppression... how can this be?!" Yao Ming and the other Elders of the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe stared at that column of light, their expressions shifting between shock and disbelief. From within that pillar, they could actually feel a suppression that reached deep into their very bloodlines and souls.

Yao Ming in particular was struck with terror. He had never felt anything like this, not even when facing Cai Lin in the past.

Although Cai Lin was a Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, a king-bloodline of the Heaven Swallowing Python Tribe, Yao Ming carried the blood of the Ancient Heaven Serpent. Even if they were both of snake clans, their bloodlines didn’t intersect. He had only ever acknowledged that she was powerful; there had never been any bloodline suppression.

But this time was different! This time, Yao Ming actually felt his soul trembling. It was a trembling born of submission!

The Ancient Heaven Serpent bloodline was showing submission?! Even a Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python shouldn’t have been able to force that!

Bang!

Xiao Yan’s soul body was blasted back and instantly snapped into his physical form. Even his perfected Heavenly State Spiritual Strength had been shaken loose by that surge of nine-colored divine light.

"Nine colors... Cai Lin’s evolution succeeded!" A smile of excitement spread across Xiao Yan’s face. He was truly happy for her.

Cai Lin had pursued strength her entire life. Her nature was unyielding, and evolving to a higher bloodline had been her lifelong goal. It was only after she had borne Xiao Xiao and Xiao Cai that this desire had been buried under a layer of gentle motherhood.

Now, the nine-colored light pillar appeared almost solid to the eye. A moment later, its surface exploded outward, and a colossal nine-colored python, at least ten thousand feet in length, slowly emerged within the radiance. The Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python raised its head and roared at the sky, as if intent on swallowing the heavens! 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Countless onlookers sucked in cold breaths one after another at the sight of that nine-colored giant python stretching almost from heaven to earth. Shock welled up in every eye.

"This is... a Heaven Swallowing Python... and..."

The Elders of the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe stared at the magnificent python in a daze. Its entire body shimmered with nine colors, iridescent and resplendent. Human-sized scales gleamed with prismatic light, packed tightly across that enormous frame. As its sinuous body rippled and coiled, an almost palpable sense of ancient vigor emanated from it, a power that seemed capable of grinding mountain ranges to dust. The sight shook every onlooker to their core!

"It’s the legendary Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python!"

Yao Ming finally understood why he had felt that uncontrollable tremor. That overwhelming aura did not belong to the king of the Heaven Swallowing Python Tribe. It belonged to the Heaven Swallowing Python Tribe’s sole hegemon. The supreme emperor. The Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python!