People fight and become emperors in advance

Chapter 297 Ancient World
The people of Dragon Island watched for half a day, and seeing that Chen Xiao showed no sign of ending it, they reluctantly dispersed.

They all have their own things to do and can't waste their time here.

"Ziyan, I need to go back to the pavilion. Do you want to come with me?"

"Are you bringing Yao Yao and the others?"

"No, let them stay here. I'll go back and arrange things, then I'll come back and guide their cultivation," Cai Lin said, shaking her head.

Zi Yan considered it for a moment and figured that it wouldn't take too much time to go back and forth. Chen Xiao might not even be finished by the time she got back, so she nodded.

"Then I'll go with Sister Cailin."

...

While everyone on Dragon Island went about their business, a denunciation meeting was being held on the other side of the Medicine Clan.

The protagonist is none other than Yao Wangui, who suffered a crushing defeat.

The battle at the Heavenly Palace was entirely managed by the Medicine Clan, but the result was a complete failure. They not only gained no benefit, but also lost a four-star Dou Sheng.

As the person in charge of this operation, Yao Wangui was naturally to blame, even though everyone knew that Yao Wangui had actually done his best and the failure was entirely due to the gap in strength.

After promising numerous compensations to the powerful members of the five races who came to demand their soul essence, and finally managing to send them away, Yao Dan, the patriarch of the Yao clan, looked at the listless Yao Wangui and sighed deeply.

This loss was enormous for the Medicine Clan, almost wiping out all the benefits they had gained over the past few years.

"Yao Wangui, in your current condition, you are no longer suitable to serve as the Elder of Punishments. From now on, you should go into seclusion to recuperate. Your injuries are too severe, and it will take several years to recover. In addition, all the pills promised to the five clans this time will be refined by your lineage. You must settle this matter within five years!"

Hearing this result, Yao Wangui felt heavy-hearted, but dared not raise any objections.

You have to consider the consequences of everything you do. Take this operation, for example. If he succeeds, he will be a great hero. If he fails, he will be punished, which is reasonable.

"Yao Wan Gui obeys the order and thanks the clan chief."

Yao Dan shook his head. What's done is done. He couldn't just kill Yao Wangui to vent his anger, could he?

This is simply not realistic.

No matter what, he was a four-star Dou Sheng, one of the pillars of the Yao Clan. Removing Yao Wangui from his position and giving him some punishment was already the limit.

"Clan leader, the failure of this operation was partly due to our underestimation of the Soul Hall Master, but more importantly, it was due to the two people who appeared later. Although those two were powerful and their methods were unheard of, I don't think they could really defeat Gu Nanhai. A late-stage four-star Dou Sheng is not so easy to deal with. Yao Wanming and I are examples of that."

"What do you want to say?" Yao Dan frowned slightly.

"Clan leader, I suspect that this was done by the ancient clan! There aren't many clans on the entire continent that can simultaneously mobilize a four-star Dou Sheng and a three-star Dou Sheng, but the ancient clan definitely has that capability. The fact that Gu Nanhai was easily defeated is even more suspicious!"

Yao Wangui gritted his teeth and revealed all his guesses.

However, Yao Dan shook his head slightly.

"The five clans even suspected that our Medicine Clan was putting on an act, but they didn't say much. They just took the agreed-upon benefits. Since they didn't have the soul essence, they offered pills as compensation. This matter is settled, and there's no need to say anything more about it."

Yao Wangui was still unwilling. If those two hadn't interfered, he wouldn't have ended up in such a state.
Seeing that Yao Dan's mind was made up, he immediately knew that further words would be of no use.

...

Inside the ancient tribe on the other side.

After negotiating a compensation plan with the Medicine Clan, Gu Nanhai returned to the Ancient Realm satisfied.

Upon entering the ancient realm, his back was no longer bent, his face was no longer pale, and he looked refreshed and energetic, showing no trace of the severe injuries he had suffered.
"It seems nothing has gone wrong."

A voice rang out in the void, and immediately afterward, Gu Nanhai discovered that the surrounding scenery suddenly began to change, as if an invisible giant hand had moved him to another place.

Seeing this, Gu Nanhai was not alarmed. After seeing the middle-aged man standing with his hands behind his back on the mountaintop, he stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"The clan leader's calculations are flawless; everything is going according to plan!"

Gu Yuan, with his back to Gu Nanhai, nodded slightly in satisfaction.

"Even if the soul essence of the Heavenly Palace is divided into six, combined with what we have already obtained, it is enough for our clan to cultivate a powerful expert at the Great Perfection of the Soul Heaven Realm from scratch."

Even Gu Yuan was quite satisfied with this outcome.

The value of cultivating a Celestial Realm expert from scratch is vastly different from cultivating one from the early or middle stages of the Celestial Realm.

Gu Nanhai found Gu Yuan's statement about "dividing into six" a bit strange, but he didn't pay much attention to it, assuming it was just a slip of the tongue by Gu Yuan.

"It's all thanks to the clan leader's strategic planning!"

Gu Yuan turned around with a smile, feeling that Gu Nanhai was a bit different today; his words were even more pleasant, and the flattery made him extremely happy.

"Alright, I don't like to hear these flattering words. Take out the Soul Essence. Afterwards, I still need to discuss with the elders who should use this Soul Essence."

Gu Yuan really wanted to focus all his energy on Xun'er, but unfortunately, even as the patriarch of the Gu Clan, he couldn't do everything according to his own wishes within the clan.

In this respect alone, the Soul Emperor is far ahead.

Gu Nanhai was stunned upon hearing Gu Yuan's words.

"What soul essence? Didn't the patriarch already send someone to bring back the soul essence of the Heavenly Palace?"

Gu Yuan's smile froze, his brows furrowed, and he asked in confusion, "When did I send out other people? Apart from the powerful subordinates who participated in the previous battle, you are the only one from the clan who participated in this operation."

wrong!

This is not right!

Gu Nanhai didn't think Gu Yuan was lying to him; Gu Yuan had no reason to lie to him.

Since Gu Yuan said so, it is most likely true.

But if that's the case...

"Oh no! Clan chief, someone is acting in the name of our ancient clan!"

"what happened!"

"Reporting to the clan leader, during the battle at the Heavenly Palace that day, Hun Miesheng perished, but Yao Wanming also died, and Yao Wangui was seriously injured. Everyone thought that the matter was settled, but unexpectedly, two mysterious Dou Sheng suddenly appeared and took away Hun Miesheng's corpse and storage ring. His soul essence also fell into their hands."

"Yao Wangui was already too weak to fight, so I had no choice but to show myself and stop them. Who would have thought that one of them would conceal himself in the void and use the Annihilation Seal right in front of me, even stating that they were also there on orders. I assumed that the clan leader had other plans, so I secretly cooperated with them and let them take away the soul's essence..."

The more Gu Nanhai spoke, the uglier his face became.

Because this means more than just that he was tricked once.

Most importantly, the ancient clan's Imperial Seal Technique has been leaked!

Gu Yuan's expression also turned somewhat gloomy. Almost instantly, a suspect came to mind.

Outsiders can never learn the Emperor's Seal Technique unless it is personally taught by someone from an ancient clan.

He could only think of two such people.

Chen Xiao and Qing Lin!

Qinglin, needless to say, had spent many years in the ancient clans and was as close as sisters with Xun'er. She had also practiced many of the ancient clans' fighting techniques.

As for Chen Xiao, it's not impossible that he was secretly taught the Emperor's Seal Technique, regardless of his relationship with Qing Lin or Xun'er.

"What's their strength?"

"One is a four-star Dou Sheng in the early stage, and the other is a three-star Dou Sheng in the late stage."

Gu Nanhai dared not conceal the truth and answered truthfully.

Upon hearing this, a look of astonishment flashed across Gu Yuan's gloomy face.

He remembered clearly that more than half a year ago, he had seen Chen Xiao at Zixiao Pavilion and sensed Qing Lin, who was in seclusion.

At that time, Chen Xiao had just advanced to the Dou Sheng realm.

Qing Lin only has the cultivation level of a peak ninth-level Dou Zun.

In just about six months, he was promoted to the late stage of the three-star Dou Sheng realm?

This is simply impossible!

Even with Gu Yuan's extensive knowledge, he had never seen anything so fantastical.

In an instant, the suspicion against Chen Xiao and Qing Lin was almost zero.

"Clan leader, after returning from the Nine Nether Ruins, I and the people from the other four clans went to the Medicine Clan first. The Medicine Clan leader is quite responsible and did not shirk responsibility for this defeat. He has agreed to give each clan a compensation equivalent to the value of the soul essence they deserve. However, since no one knows exactly how much soul essence the Heavenly Palace possesses, the agreed compensation is within the range that each clan can accept."

Seeing Gu Yuan's ever-changing expression, Gu Nanhai quickly added.

With the compensation from the Medicine Clan, the remaining five clans did not make a wasted trip.

Gu Yuan nodded, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "Just tell the elders about this. Also, investigate carefully whether any of the clan's experts have left the Ancient Realm during this period." The Emperor Seal Technique was an unavoidable hurdle. Although he didn't know exactly who those two people were, he was certain that they were definitely related to the Ancient Clan.

Therefore, this matter is not good to publicize; it is best to investigate it privately.

"Yes!"

Gu Nanhai accepted the order and left.

In less than half a day, Gu Nanhai brought Gu Yuan the results.

During this period, no powerful figures in the ancient realm ventured out on their own.

"That's enough, you don't need to worry about this anymore."

After leaving behind a sentence, Gu Yuan's figure flashed, and when he reappeared, he was already on a mountain peak that looked like it was carved from green jade.

On the platform atop the mountain, a beautiful figure sat with her eyes closed, immersed in cultivation, seemingly unaware of Gu Yuan's arrival.

Sensing Xun'er's slight mood, Gu Yuan sighed softly. Ever since the ancient clan became involved in the series of events concerning the origin of the soul, the relationship between father and daughter had never been as harmonious as before.

Without rushing forward, Gu Yuan stood still and began to speak as if to himself.

"A few days ago, two Dou Sheng powerhouses appeared at the Soul Palace headquarters, used the Emperor Seal Technique to deceive Gu Nanhai, and took away all of his soul essence..."

Gu Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but he was sure Xun'er could hear him.

While recounting what had happened, Gu Yuan also kept an eye on Xun'er.

Even though Xun'er maintained her composure perfectly, without any change in expression, her aura still fluctuated for a moment when she heard the Emperor's Seal Technique.

Gu Yuan realized this and understood.

Chen Xiao probably really does know the Emperor's Seal Technique!

Those two mysterious figures are most likely Chen Xiao and his companion.

Even now, Gu Yuan still doesn't understand how Chen Xiao achieved such a level of improvement in just six months, but he can't think of any other clues besides Chen Xiao.

“Xun’er, I could have gone to see Chen Xiao one more time. Just one look would have made many things clear. But then I thought, even if I knew the answer, there was nothing I could do about him, so I just gave up and didn’t bother.”

"The coming-of-age ceremony of the ancient clan is not far away. I hope this kid can give me more surprises. As long as he is strong enough, he can naturally shut up those elders in the clan."

Xun'er slowly opened her tightly closed eyes, and two clusters of golden flames flashed and disappeared in her eyes.

Meeting Gu Yuan's gaze, Xun'er chuckled and said, "With Brother Chen Xiao's background, to advance to the Dou Sheng realm at the age of twenty-four, such talent, how can the clan elders still find fault? Does Father mean that we have to wait until Brother Chen Xiao becomes a Dou Di to become powerful?"

Xun'er had something she didn't say: if that day ever came, if she were Chen Xiao, it would be better to let such an ungrateful ancient clan perish on its own.

"Battle Emperor..."

A longing flashed in Gu Yuan's eyes, then he smiled and shook his head.

That realm is too ethereal and unattainable.

Ever since Xiao Xuan's desperate attempt to break through failed a thousand years ago, Gu Yuan had lost all hope.

"It's not that exaggerated. If we disregard his identity as an ancient race, he already has enough."

Xun'er nodded slightly, feeling much relieved to see that Gu Yuan really had no other plans.

Although she and Chen Xiao rarely saw each other, they always understood each other very well.

Xun'er could guess some of Chen Xiao's thoughts from Zixiao Pavilion's decision to exclude ancient races and unite with forces such as Dan Tower to eliminate the Soul Palace.

In the future, the Dou Qi Continent will inevitably see three opposing stances emerge on the surface.

One of them is the Soul Clan.

The second is the remaining six ancient races.

Finally, there were the forces from Zhongzhou, led by Zixiao Pavilion and Dan Tower.

Between the three parties, there is an insurmountable barrier caused by a series of events stemming from the origin of their souls. It would be the limit if they could avoid becoming enemies; harmonious coexistence is absolutely impossible.

Gu Yuan's somewhat laissez-faire attitude at the moment makes Xun'er quite happy.

At the very least, this way, even if Chen Xiao has disagreements with the ancient clan in the future, there will still be room for reconciliation with Gu Yuan personally.

...

Donglong Island.

Time passed quietly, day by day, in the midst of cultivation.

However, the soul fluctuations that emanated from the highest peak did not disappear; instead, they gradually grew stronger.

A month later, the entire Donglong Island, along with the surrounding thousands of miles, was shrouded in that invisible fluctuation, making it difficult for anyone to even fly, except for a few Dou Sheng powerhouses such as Elder Qingshan.

Because once they take off, they can feel the oppressive pressure on their souls, which is extremely difficult for the ancient dragons who are not good at dealing with souls. They may fall directly if they are not careful.

Therefore, instead of seeking out suffering, it's better to run wildly on the ground.

Even Ziyan was helpless in this situation.

However, as a young Dragon Emperor, Zi Yan often had a rather unconventional perspective. She quickly realized that this omnipresent soul pressure was actually a kind of training for the ancient dragon race.

Instead of helping her people resist the oppressive force, Zi Yan even organized a competition, encouraging those below the level of a half-saint to actively approach the mountain where Chen Xiao was located every day, with the reward being more generous for those who were closer.

Thanks to Da Ziyan's efforts, Donglong Island has been incredibly lively for nearly a month, making it a truly rare and grand event.

A month is but a fleeting moment for the ancient dragon clan, whose lifespans are long and rich.

However, in that month they discovered that, in such a short time, under that soul pressure, their souls had actually improved to a great extent.

Having tasted such success, Gu Long and his ilk became increasingly motivated to climb to new heights, to the point that Zi Yan no longer needed to push them further.

In this state, another month quietly passed.

High in the sky, space twisted for a moment, and Cai Lin, Zi Yan, and Cao Ying, who had just emerged from seclusion, appeared.

Looking at the group of ancient dragons climbing towards the mountain peak, Zi Yan held her head high, her face full of pride.

With Donglong Island thriving, she, the Dragon Queen, naturally felt proud.

"Sister Cao Ying, before you came out of seclusion, Sister Cai Lin and I discussed it. This kind of opportunity is once in a hundred years. We can select a group of outstanding disciples from Zixiao Pavilion and bring them over to experience the benefits of this soul pressure. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this suggestion, Cao Ying smiled and shook her head.

Seeing Zi Yan's confusion, he explained, "There's no need for that. Improving soul power is very difficult. The reason why the ancient dragons improved so much is mainly because the soul is their weakness. In comparison, humans certainly wouldn't improve as much in the same amount of time."

The logic is simple: just like a student with poor grades, there's naturally a lot of room for improvement.

On the other hand, those that are slightly better don't have as much room for improvement.

The same ten-point increase in difficulty has completely different challenges.

Cao Ying smiled and continued, "And there's one more crucial point: two months have passed, and our man's time to end is almost up."

That's the key point. Otherwise, even a small improvement would be welcome, and Cao Ying would definitely be happy to see it happen.

Upon hearing this, both Zi Yan and Cai Lin were somewhat taken aback.

Although they were stronger, their understanding of the soul was indeed inferior to Cao Ying's, and they could not predict how long Chen Xiao's breakthrough would take.

"Well, it seems I missed out on the Purple Cloud Pavilion this time. If I want to experience this benefit, I'll have to wait until I break through to the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Realm!"

Zi Yan reluctantly accepted the result, her confident words making Cai Lin and Cao Ying want to facepalm.

At that very moment, all three of them simultaneously noticed that the soul pressure that had enveloped the entire Donglong Island was gradually weakening and receding.

On the mountaintop, a vast, invisible wave, as immense as heaven and earth, was quietly gathering!
"As expected, he's about to wake up!"

Cai Lin's beautiful eyes flickered slightly, and she immediately looked towards the mountain peak.

Zi Yan and Cao Ying also fell silent, gazing at each other quietly.

Another half day passed as the three waited.

At the summit, Chen Xiao sat quietly in meditation. Before him was a figure whose body was enveloped in a strange, crystal-like layer.

The face of this figure was exactly the same as Chen Xiao's!
"boom!"

Suddenly, Chen Xiao's soul body trembled violently, and a dazzling light burst forth from his body. A vast and abyss-like aura swept out from his body like a storm!

At this moment, dark clouds filled the sky above Dragon Island, and thunder roared wildly!
(End of this chapter)