People fight and become emperors in advance

Chapter 194 Changes
Five days is neither a long nor a short time.

Having gained experience from condensing the talisman seals in the previous stage, the eighteen talisman seals were not difficult for Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor.

Furthermore, the two even exceeded their targets. By the fifth day, Chen Xiao had condensed thirty-two talismans, while Little Fairy Doctor had condensed twenty-four.

With the required number of talismans reached, the next step is to activate the eighteen talismans according to the array diagram.

The instant the formation was completed, as described in the introduction, a special field seemed to form around the two people, covering dozens of feet, frantically absorbing the ice and fire attribute energy of this space.

Immediately, a wave of fire suddenly erupted from the ground, while high above, ice spikes shot down continuously, like arrows.

Being there is like experiencing both ice and fire.

A protective barrier of battle aura materialized around the two of them, blocking the fire waves and ice spikes, giving them a more direct understanding of the power of the Flame-Ice Array.

"This formation is no threat to Dou Zong level people, but it might be a bit troublesome for Dou Wang and Dou Huang level people," Little Fairy Doctor commented.

Chen Xiao casually removed the formation and laughed, "As expected, we can only be considered beginners now, and we can't set up any more complex formations. In fact, the power of this Flame Ice Formation, which we used to practice with, has already exceeded our expectations."

"So, we've passed the second hurdle now?"

"It should have been calculated."

Chen Xiao sensed his surroundings but did not detect any other movement.

"Let's delve deeper."

Just when the two thought that the next challenge would be the same as before, after going a certain distance, a sudden change occurred.

All around, mist surged, the world spun, and the scenery changed accordingly.

Immediately afterwards, an intense heat wave, accompanied by dazzling white light, rushed towards us.

Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor instinctively closed their eyes and circulated their fighting spirit to resist the heat wave. When they opened their eyes after a short adjustment, what came into view was a cold white flame that was burning fiercely.

"Bone Spirit Cold Flame!"

Upon seeing the strange flame again, Chen Xiao immediately realized the problem and abruptly looked towards the outermost edge.

A colossal hall of terrifying scale, two thrones facing each other across the distance, a massive disc supporting the bone spirit's cold flames, and those incredibly conspicuous chains...

This was the very palace he had once consciously peered into!

Little Fairy Doctor looked at Chen Xiao, and Chen Xiao nodded slightly; their tacit understanding was enough to require no further words.

"Is the test over?"

"No, it should be interrupted."

The test left by a top expert is not something that can be easily completed.

Rather than believing they had already passed the test, Chen Xiao preferred to believe that someone had brought them here.

Just as Chen Xiao finished speaking, two figures quietly appeared on the thrones facing each other in the hall.

They were completely silent, without even the slightest spatial fluctuation, so Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor didn't notice them at first. It wasn't until they felt their intense scrutinizing gazes that they realized their presence.

Little Fairy Doctor stepped forward, unleashing the full power of a Dou Zun expert, and warily scrutinized the two figures she had heard of.

Chen Xiao's expression also turned serious. He silently took Little Fairy Doctor's hand, ready to run away at any moment.

"Don't be nervous, it was I who interrupted your test."

Seeing the change in their expressions, the woman on the left spoke up.

Judging from her appearance, she is the previous Xuan Yin Saintess of the Dream Realm.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiao immediately felt puzzled.

The last time he infiltrated this place, the other party made it clear that it was against the rules.

But now that the test is being conducted according to the rules, the other party has interrupted the test. Why is that?
Moreover, it was truly unexpected that this saintess possessed such authority.

"The inheritance here consists of nine levels. Apart from the first three levels which are basic introductory levels, the latter six levels require a lot of time to master, even if you have talent in array formations. It took Qi Wu and me nearly twenty years to obtain the inheritance."

"Since you have participated in the test, you should have gone through this process, but unfortunately, there is no time left now."

Seeing the growing doubt in Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor's eyes, Saintess Xuan Yin chuckled and said helplessly, "Because outside, someone has discovered this small world, and their strength is quite good. For someone of her age to reach the high-level Dou Zun, her background must be extraordinary. She can't break through this world, but she might attract some powerful figures who could cause the situation to get out of control."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor immediately understood.

Blue Scales!

It must have been that girl who followed their trail and discovered the spatial node they left behind!

It's no wonder that the Holy Maiden Xuanyin would have some misunderstandings; Qinglin's strength and age do indeed easily arouse people's imaginations.

Such a young high-level Dou Zun would be an outstanding figure even among ancient races; a force without a solid foundation simply could not cultivate such a talent.

Upon thinking of this, Chen Xiao couldn't help but chuckle.

Unexpectedly, the brief separation from Qinglin had such an unexpected effect.

Otherwise, according to the Holy Maiden Xuanyin, undergoing trials in a strict and orderly manner would take one or two decades, which is simply unacceptable to them.

"Does the interruption of the trial mean that we are also cut off from that inheritance?"

Chen Xiao had many doubts in his mind, but at this moment he was more concerned about the practical benefits.

Ever since he confirmed that the powerful figure had obtained the inheritance of the Great Thousand World Spirit Array Master, he had been looking forward to this inheritance.

If you miss out, you'll inevitably feel regret.

“No, you still have a chance. As I just said, Qi Wu and I received the inheritance. In other words, we can also give the inheritance to you.” Saintess Xuan Yin shook her head and said.

However, while she made it sound simple, Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor were not so naive.

"What do you need us to do, or rather, what price do we need to pay?"

There's no such thing as a free lunch. If something does fall from the sky, it's likely a trap set by someone else. Chen Xiao didn't know much about this inheritance, but he could already see its value. The fact that the other party was willing to give it away was itself highly suspicious.

After a brief silence, the Holy Maiden Xuanyin replied, "I want you to lead the Bai Clan out of the False Heaven!"

"With our strength, can we do it?"

"No, but if I combine my accumulated power over ten thousand years with the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, there's a high probability that I can do it!"

Seeing the confident look on the Holy Maiden Xuanyin's face, Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor were both slightly taken aback, feeling more and more confused as they listened.

This saintess is only a figure from the last few decades, so how can she have accumulated ten thousand years of experience?
Just then, the Holy Maiden Qiwu on the other side sighed softly, drawing the attention of the three of them.

"White Dragon, your communication skills are too poor. Let me do it."

Meeting Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor's astonished gazes, Saintess Qiwu explained, "You are confused simply because you don't know his identity. I will give you a brief introduction, and you will understand quickly."

“You heard me right. This guy is not the Xuan Yin Saintess you know. Xuan Yin failed the test and perished in the sixth level. He is the White Dragon Venerable from ten thousand years ago, and is now the High Priest of the Dream Realm.”

Upon hearing these two names, both Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor were startled.

They had long suspected that the high priest was not as simple as he seemed, but they never expected that there would be such a secret involved.

Suddenly, Chen Xiao thought of the "Heavenly Wind Soul Canon" and suddenly understood.

The Heavenly Wind Soul Manual contains many secret techniques, one of which is the technique of splitting the soul.

This secret technique can split the soul in two, creating a clone. The two are connected in mind and are essentially one person, but in the eyes of others, they are no different from two completely different individuals. Their talents are different, their appearances are different, and even their personalities can be faked. As long as they do not expose themselves, no one can detect it.

However, this secret technique also has a major side effect: once the soul is split, one can never advance to the level of Dou Sheng again.

However, even so, for certain people at certain times, it can still have unexpected and wonderful uses.

Xuan Yin… no, Venerable White Dragon did not refute, but instead nodded frankly in acknowledgment, and then proceeded to talk about the topic of Saintess Qiwu.

"More than 10,000 years ago, I entered this place first, passed the test and received the inheritance, which is the fundamental reason why I was able to make a name for myself so quickly."

"From the legacy of that senior, I learned the truth about this world for the first time. Millions of people in the Dream Realm lived in such ignorance, and except for a very few, the rest never knew that there was a heaven beyond heaven until their death."

"If this state could continue indefinitely, that would be fine. But from that senior's last words, I learned some terrible news: this small world, without anyone to stabilize it, will eventually break through and be revealed. Even if a few Battle Saints are born in the Dream Realm during this period, they will absolutely not be able to stop this trend."

"Because the resources in this world are limited, the energy and opportunities that the great array periodically absorbs from the outside world by luck are simply not enough to support the birth of many strong individuals. As time goes by, it will only become more and more difficult for strong individuals to be born in the Dream Realm, and their strength will become weaker and weaker."

"It was at that time that I made a decision: I would break down this barrier! At the very least, whether my people leave or stay, they should have the right to choose their future!"

"For this, I have done a lot of things. I named this world the False Heaven. I secretly controlled the great array that spread throughout the Dream Realm and kept trying to break the deadlock."

"However, after countless attempts, my results were minimal. I could only create a very brief opening when the formation periodically absorbed external energy."

"However, this also gave me hope, enough to allow me to spread the news of the False Heaven and at the same time bring in some creatures near the gap."

“From that time on, I began to prepare for the birth of the Bai people. The Bai people, who have always been in comfort, cannot withstand any hardship. If they are born in this state, they will only become easy prey in the eyes of various forces. Going out would be tantamount to sending them to their deaths.”

"Therefore, I wanted to create a crisis for them. I brought in a peak seventh-tier magical beast from the outside world and made it kill. When they were most desperate, I killed it, which made them feel the crisis and also gave me a very high reputation!"

"After that, I split my soul in two. One part hid in the shadows to accumulate power, while the other served as the High Priestess. When the physical body decayed, it would take over a new body and continue to serve as the High Priestess, nurturing generation after generation of saintesses."

"Once they have the ability, I will tell them the truth they know. Without exception, they all make the same choice, entering here to participate in the test, trying to become the one who takes the lead."

"Unfortunately, reality is too cruel. After me and Qi Wu, their level has dropped by a whole grade. None of them have succeeded since they came here."

Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor became increasingly alarmed as they listened; this White Dragon Venerable was indeed difficult to assess.

This person is difficult to judge by traditional standards of good or bad; he's more like a madman who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals…

"Half of your soul resides in the bodies of successive high priests. It's understandable that you would constantly possess new bodies for convenience, but why is the other half of your soul occupying the body of the Holy Maiden of Xuan Yin?"

Little Fairy Doctor frowned and asked.

The thought that a ten-thousand-year-old creature lived inside that exquisite body made Little Fairy Doctor feel disgusted.

The White Dragon Venerable could sense Little Fairy Doctor's dislike, but he didn't care at all.

"Because my physical body has already decayed. After using the secret technique, I will stop at the peak of the ninth-level Dou Zun in this life. My lifespan is simply not enough to last that long. Even if I try my best, I can only make my soul leave."

“Without a body, no matter how hard you try to maintain it, the soul will continue to weaken. You have never experienced the power of time, so it is difficult for you to understand. If I had not been born in a body, I would probably be like Qi Wu now, with only a remnant soul left in the world. How could I be in such a state to take charge of the overall situation?”

"Moreover, including Xuan Yin, we met with each of them before they perished, and the matter of borrowing bodies was agreed upon by all of them."

After listening to the White Dragon Venerable's explanation, the two turned their gaze to the Holy Maiden Qiwu.

They hadn't realized before that the saintess was already in a remnant soul state.

"Did Senior Qiwu fail to advance to the Dou Sheng realm?"

Saintess Qiwu shook her head, "The Dou Sheng level is extremely difficult. Even the Dou Di bloodline, which is highly valued by the major imperial clans, offers very little help. Apart from a very few people, most find it difficult to advance to the Dou Sheng level."

"My talent is not as good as Bai Long's, and I don't have any opportunities to defy fate in the Dream Realm. The peak of Dou Zun is my limit. If it weren't for the replenishment of my soul essence, my remnant soul would probably have already dissipated."

“I know you have doubts about Bai Long, which is normal. When I first learned that countless people had died because of him, I also found it hard to accept, and even fought him to the death. But it is undeniable that his methods, although extreme, have some effect.”

"Under the pressure he exerted, the Dream Realm remains as it is now. One can only imagine what it would be like without this pressure. If the Bai Clan were to emerge in that state, the day they were born would probably be the day of their extermination."

No one can say for sure what will happen before it happens.

Compared to that, Chen Xiao cared more about the four words "the origin of the soul".

"When I broke through in the Holy City, what I absorbed was actually the essence of the soul..."

"Don't worry about it. Your soul has already reached the peak of the mortal realm. You only need an opportunity to break through. After you switch to cultivating the higher-grade 'Heavenly Wind Soul Scripture,' that will be the opportunity. Even if I hadn't given you that wisp of origin that day, it wouldn't have been long before you entered the spirit realm."

"As for those soul origins, there's no need to pay them any mind. Every race has its bad apples, and the Bai race is no exception. All I can do is maximize their value, that's all."

Chen Xiao nodded slowly. Having learned too much at once, he was now completely unmoved by the discovery that this White Dragon Venerable was also involved in the matter of the soul origin.

"You said earlier that there's a high probability of breaking through the Dream Realm. What should I do?"

(End of this chapter)