People fight and become emperors in advance

Chapter 291 Frost Crystal
Gu Yuan's words did not shake Chen Xiao's resolve; he had already considered these obstacles long ago.

"So, Chief Gu doesn't want me to be with Xun'er?"

“That’s not it. Xun’er’s personality is not like mine. She’s rather stubborn. Once she’s made up her mind about something, it’s hard to change it. Now that she’s so determined, I, as her father, can’t force her. Besides, if she really has divine blood, even I, as the patriarch of the ancient clan, can’t force her to do anything.” Gu Yuan shook his head, feeling quite helpless about it.

According to the experience accumulated by the ancient clans over countless years, as long as one can reach the ninth rank of bloodline, one has the potential to advance to the Dou Sheng realm.

As for divine bloodlines, even ancient clans haven't seen one for many years.

Her potential might be enough to allow her to reach the peak of the Dou Sheng realm!

With such potential, her status will inevitably rise accordingly. Even as the clan leader, Gu Yuan cannot force Xun'er to do anything.

Of course, Xun'er's bloodline is not yet confirmed, and what Gu Yuan said is only a possibility for the future.

Chen Xiao smiled; this was probably the only good news he had heard from Gu Yuan today.

As long as Gu Yuan doesn't truly stand on the opposite side, Chen Xiao and his relationship might deteriorate to the point of mutual dislike, but it won't escalate too much.

Chen Xiao didn't care about this, but Xun'er would be very conflicted if Chen Xiao and Gu Yuan were to become enemies.

"The clan chief will not regret this decision."

"Hehe, you seem quite confident. But even if I don't interfere, the clan elders won't let you get what you want so easily. A one-star Dou Sheng is quite strong, but within my ancient clan, there are dozens of experts of that level. This is the foundation of an ancient race. You should be aware of the obstacles you face."

Chen Xiao shook his head slightly, his face showing no emotion.

He was now eager to see if Gu Yuan would still be so confident when the Soul Clan's millennium plan was launched and these ancient races were successively outmaneuvered.
I imagine the look on your face back then must have been priceless!

“I am well aware of this. Those who know about the eight ancient races generally believe that the ancient races are the strongest among them.”

"Basic?"

Gu Yuan was not satisfied with this statement.

He was wary of the Soul Emperor and also of the Soul Clan.

However, like most powerful members of the ancient races, they currently believe that the overall strength of the ancient races surpasses that of the Soul Race.

After all, the Soul Clan suffered considerable losses in the great war a thousand years ago.

Chen Xiao smiled but didn't explain.

If it weren't for the series of events triggered by the origin of his soul, he would probably have talked to Gu Yuan more and offered some well-intentioned advice.

Unfortunately, no if.

He now feels extremely disgusted with these ancient races and is happy to see the eight ancient races fighting each other.

From a purely economic standpoint, ignoring this conflict would be most beneficial to him.

Seeing that Chen Xiao didn't continue, Gu Yuan took a breath and suppressed his urge to ask more questions.

He is the patriarch of an ancient clan, one of the top three figures on the continent; he cannot afford to lose his status or prestige.

"Besides Xun'er's matter, there is another matter I have to discuss with you this time."

"Could it be that Patriarch Gu wants to reclaim the soul essence obtained by Zixiao Pavilion? Unfortunately, you're too late. The few portions that Zixiao Pavilion obtained have already been used up. In fact, we should thank you for this. If you hadn't allowed the Soul Palace to act recklessly, they wouldn't have been able to collect so much. Zixiao Pavilion only gained a small benefit, yet it still allowed my soul to reach the late stage of the Heavenly Realm. Ying'er is only one step away from the Heavenly Realm."

Gu Yuan became increasingly uncomfortable as he listened. He could now sense that Chen Xiao had a lot of opinions about their ancient races.

If it weren't for Xun'er, the ancient clan and he probably wouldn't have been able to coexist.

"I am not so greedy as to covet such things. The soul essence collected in the branch halls of the Soul Hall is limited. The three halls of Heaven, Earth and Man are the most important."

"What I want to tell you is, don't even think about the Three Palaces of Heaven, Earth, and Man. Otherwise, I won't say anything about the Ancient Clan, and Xun'er can help ease the situation, but it's hard to guarantee that no one from the other clans will make a move against you."

"You may not understand how much they value the origin of the soul. The number of alchemists in the Medicine Clan is the largest, and the origin of the soul is of the greatest benefit to them. You also have alchemists around you, so you should be able to understand."

"The bloodlines of the Stone Clan and the Spirit Clan have declined to the extreme and are difficult to continue. If we can obtain a sufficient amount of soul essence, it can extend their lives for a long time."

“The Thunder Clan and the Flame Clan are in a better situation, but if they could become even more powerful, no one would refuse.”

"Do you understand what I'm saying?"

The ancient races kept a relatively low profile this year, without causing too much trouble, and this was a major reason for that.

The soul essence within each of the three Heavenly Palaces (Heaven, Earth, and Man) may exceed the total of all the branch palaces combined!

These three halls are the most important!
"Patriarch Gu, you are overthinking it. If one can cultivate in peace, who would be willing to risk their life to compete for temporary superiority? Better to be a firefly drawn to a flame than a tree that remains forever young? I don't know myself to be that enlightened, but today, the Purple Cloud Pavilion and the Soul Palace are already mortal enemies. If you put yourself in my shoes, Patriarch Gu, can you be at ease without completely eradicating the Soul Palace?"

Gu Yuan gave Chen Xiao a deep look and slowly nodded.

Chen Xiao's meaning was clear: the Soul Palace had to be destroyed, and there was no room for discussion.

However, this is all the result he wants.

As for how the three palaces of Heaven, Earth, and Man were destroyed, and by whom, that is actually not important.

If the six ancient races did not want the soul essence of the Heaven, Earth, and Man Palaces to fall into his hands, they could have taken action first.

"That's good. This matter will be settled within six months."

Chen Xiao nodded slightly, showing no doubt about Gu Yuan's words.

As long as the Soul Clan continues to conceal their true strength, it would still be quite easy for the six ancient races to wipe out the Soul Palace.

"That's settled then. There are still five years until the ancient clan's coming-of-age ceremony. Come to my ancient realm in five years."

Gu Yuan glanced at the mountainside below, left a sentence, and without waiting for Chen Xiao's reply, quietly disappeared from the spot.

The coming-of-age ceremony of the ancient tribe was extremely solemn, and the bloodline level of the younger generation was also determined during the ceremony.

Only after undergoing the coming-of-age ceremony can these younger generations truly become the core of the clan.

Their marriage, too, could only take place after they had completed their coming-of-age ceremony.

Only when Chen Xiao can gain the approval of the elders of the ancient clan can his relationship with Xun'er be officially settled.

"Five years..."

"Who is this person? He's incredibly strong!"

While Chen Xiao was pondering, Zi Yan appeared and looked at the spot where Gu Yuan had just stood, asking with a rather solemn expression.

Since she emerged from seclusion, not a single person she has encountered or seen has posed a threat to her.

Only tonight, when she and Gu Yuan exchanged a glance halfway up the mountain, did Zi Yan's heart skip a beat.

"The patriarch of the ancient clan, and also Xun'er's father."

"So it was him. That makes it no surprise."

Zi Yan looked enlightened, then asked curiously, "What is he doing at our Zixiao Pavilion? Is it for the Soul Source or for Sister Xun'er?"

"All of them."

Chen Xiao didn't hide anything and briefly explained Gu Yuan's purpose for coming.

After hearing Chen Xiao's story, Zi Yan immediately scoffed.

"This old guy really thinks he's invincible. If we get the chance, we'll lure him to the Ancient Emperor's Cave and see if he's respectful." During the time she was refining the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit, Zi Yan was also able to sense the outside world and even communicate verbally at any time.

It was during that time that she heard the old Dragon Emperor boast about his glorious past.

Over time, Zi Yan gained a general understanding of the old Dragon Emperor's strength.

Whether it's Gu Yuan or the Soul Emperor, if you take them out individually, they're probably no match for the Old Dragon Emperor.

"I'm too lazy to argue with him, but I might give it a try if the opportunity arises."

"Then it's settled. If it weren't for Sister Xun'er, I would definitely have to take a tour of each and every one of those ancient races for what they did!"

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

Others might just be talking nonsense, but Zi Yan is different; she truly has that ability.

Do you even understand the value of the only Supreme Dragon-Phoenix in the Dou Qi Continent?

"By the way, are we really just going to abandon the Soul Hall?"

“There’s no rush. We can completely eradicate the Soul Palace within three years. It’s only been a little over a year now. There are still Dou Sheng experts in the Heaven, Earth, and Human Palaces. Letting the ancient races wear them down isn’t a bad idea. We can take this opportunity to further improve our strength. We should be able to complete it in about six months,” Chen Xiao replied with a light laugh.

See people talking, see ghosts talking.

Unlike in front of Gu Yuan, Chen Xiao would not hide his intentions from Zi Yan.

He already had a rift with the ancient race, and Chen Xiao didn't care if their relationship worsened.

Of course, the improvement of strength must also keep up, otherwise, if those ancient races really turn against us, the threat will be considerable.

"You're preparing to refine the Demon Saint's essence blood?"

After a moment's thought, Zi Yan guessed the truth.

Refining the essence blood of a demon saint also takes time, and the fact that the six ancient races are willing to get serious saves Chen Xiao a lot of energy.

Chen Xiao nodded slightly and smiled, "That's right. The calmer the Soul Clan is now, the more frantic they will be when they make their move. They won't have much free time in the future, so the sooner you refine the Demon Saint's essence blood, the better."

As he spoke, Chen Xiao flipped his hand and took out the essence blood from his storage ring.

Immediately, he made a light stroke with his fingers, and his essence and blood split in two.

Chen Xiao kept one portion and sent the other to Zi Yan.

"Give it to Xian'er when she comes out of seclusion."

Zi Yan nodded, looking at the essence blood in front of her, without any other thoughts.

She's not as greedy as she used to be, because ordinary foods no longer provide her with much energy.

Although the Demon Saint's essence blood is unusual, if it is divided into four parts, the possibility of it helping her advance to the six-star Dou Sheng level is not high.

"When do you plan to go into seclusion?" Zi Yan asked after putting away the essence blood for Little Fairy Doctor.

"Let's go to Dragon Island in three days. We'll go check it out first, then make some arrangements. I'll have Tianhuo find another strange fire and bring it back. The Pill Gathering isn't far away. Ying'er's strength can be improved a bit more. Keep an eye on things then."

Over the past year, Qinglin and the others have been busy dealing with the Soul Palace, and Chen Xiao has had no time to spare, so the search for the Strange Flame has been temporarily put aside.

For the next six months or so, the Soul Palace won't need to worry about this anymore, and can continue with this matter.

Zi Yan nodded slightly in agreement.

...

three days later.

Having explained everything that needed to be explained, Chen Xiao announced his seclusion once again.

As they gazed at the suddenly slammed shut door of the secret chamber, Venerable Tianhuo and his entourage all felt a slight sense of solemnity.

"The Pavilion Master has been in seclusion far more frequently in the past two years than ever before. It seems that the situation in Zhongzhou has not yet reached its most critical point," Hai Bodong said thoughtfully.

He knew Chen Xiao very well. Even though Chen Xiao didn't say it explicitly, he could deduce a lot of things from some subtle details.

The Iron Sword Venerable nodded in agreement without expression, "Even the Pavilion Master feels that our current strength is insufficient, so we must also pay more attention."

The current struggle between the Pill Tower, the Purple Cloud Pavilion, and other forces has almost swept across the entire Central Continent.

The only way to make this situation worse is for the ancient races to intervene directly!

Venerable Tianhuo nodded and smiled, "I'll leave the pavilion to you for the time being. With that person from Dragon Island here, nothing will go wrong. My mission this time is quite important. I need to bring back the Strange Flame. In addition, there is a secret mission. If necessary, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble that person to help me."

Upon hearing this, Hai Bodong and the others immediately rolled their eyes at him.

Since it's a secret mission, we can't say or ask too many questions. By bringing it up now, aren't you just deliberately keeping us in suspense?
However, we can't ask about the secret mission, but we can inquire about the strange fire.

"What kind of strange fire is it this time?" Second Elder Qiu Cheng asked with some curiosity.

"Ranked sixteenth on the Strange Flame List, Fire Cloud Water Flame!"

...

In the secret room.

Chen Xiao was speechless upon hearing Venerable Tianhuo's words. Although he had given Venerable Tianhuo an extra task, he hadn't said anything about keeping it a secret.

The Venerable Heavenly Fire was clearly teasing Hai Bodong and the others on purpose when he said that.

He smiled and shook his head, immediately ceasing to pay attention to what was happening outside.

With a casual wave of his hand, another barrier enveloped the secret chamber.

Immediately, he took out an ice-blue bead the size of an infant's fist.

The instant the bead appeared, terrifying chills rose up, accompanied by crackling sounds of ice freezing. A thick layer of ice, over a meter thick, encased the entire secret chamber, instantly shrinking the originally spacious room by more than half. The temperature within also plummeted at that moment.

"This is the Frost Crystal?"

Chen Xiao was slightly surprised as he examined the icy blue bead in his hand.

Many years ago, back in the Gama Empire, Chen Xiao already knew of the existence of this strange object.

However, even after he reached the Dou Zun level, he never had the chance to use this item in advance.

Although he was able to receive the funds in advance, Chen Xiao chose a more important cultivation method.

After repeated delays, I finally got to see this item today.

However, it didn't cause any delays. According to the description in the advance payment information, this Frost Spirit Crystal doesn't have the strength of a Dou Sheng, so even if it's paid out in advance, it can't be used to its fullest potential.

"It looks like a larger pill, no wonder it's called the Ice Soul Treasure Pill."

With a slight smile, Chen Xiao glanced at the advance payment information in his mind.

【Frost Essence Crystal: Also known as the Ice Soul Elixir, it contains extremely terrifying energy, comparable to a ninth-grade elixir.】

[Advance payment for follow-up...]

(End of this chapter)