While in Battle Through the Heavens, one can pre-appoint oneself as an emperor.

Chapter 268 Relics Appear in the World

As the morning mist dissipated, the rosy glow spread over the mountaintops, and the sky became clear and transparent, as if washed clean.

Knowing that Little Fairy Doctor and the other women were not in danger, Chen Xiao was not in a hurry, even though he was traveling at top speed.

In comparison, curiosity outweighs curiosity.

After all, the northern part of the sky is neither small nor very big.

Chen Xiao had seen all the major and minor powers and families on the list, but none of them could cause any trouble.

Under these circumstances, Chen Xiao thought long and hard about what important matter could make Little Fairy Doctor and others crush the jade slip to inform him of, and it seemed that the Tianbei Ruins, which he had been searching for, was the most likely one!

"I hope I'm not mistaken."

With anticipation, Chen Xiao increased his speed even further.

The constant travel was too tedious, so Chen Xiao had a thought and took out the jade bottle that sealed the souls of the Eight Heavenly Venerables from his storage ring.

Removing the seal from the bottle's mouth, Chen Xiao flicked his finger, and a cluster of cold white flames immediately flew into it, greeting the Eight Heavenly Venerables affectionately, "Ahhh... Chen Xiao, what's wrong with you?"

Ignoring the Eight Heavenly Venerables' angry rebuke, Chen Xiao chuckled and said, "Now, I'll ask, you answer. Understand?"

"Hehehe, do you think I would tell you anything? Do you think you'd let me go if I answered your question?"

Without the torment of the strange fire, the Eight Heavenly Venerables began to stubbornly deny everything again.

Chen Xiao smiled slightly, "Indeed, if you fall into my hands, you will surely die. However, I can make your death quicker."

Seeing the disbelief written all over the Eight Heavenly Venerables' distorted face, Chen Xiao didn't waste any words. A wisp of bone spirit cold fire floated into the jade bottle again, sealing the bottle before the Eight Heavenly Venerables could even scream.

Although the Bone Spirit Cold Flame does not have the same special restraint on the soul as the Fallen Heart Flame, it is still sufficient for creating soul bodies.

After traveling for two hours with his head down, Chen Xiao stopped pouring more strange fire into the jade bottle.

He wiped away the seal from the bottle opening and looked at the Eighth Heavenly Venerable's soul form, which was almost unrecognizable as human, and flames appeared from his fingertips.

"What—what do you want to know—"

That short sentence almost exhausted all of the Eight Heavenly Venerables' strength.

He didn't want to experience the agony of being burned by the strange fire fifty times.

Since the ending is already predetermined, it's better to die a quick and painless death, as Chen Xiao suggested.

"My first question is, back in Yellow Maple Valley, you said that the ancient clans and several other clans crossed the border first, and only then did the Soul Hall enter the Eastern Region to cause trouble. What do you mean by that?"

The Eight Heavenly Venerables' souls took a long time to recover before they began to answer intermittently.

"Literally, although my Soul Palace has been capturing souls on the continent, we still maintain a policy of non-interference with the territories of other ancient races. It's not that we're afraid of them, but rather that we don't want to create unnecessary trouble."

"But ever since that old fellow Yao Chen revealed the secret of the Soul Palace's collection of soul origins, the six clans have repeatedly opposed my Soul Palace. If it were just that, it would be fine, but they actually sent people to secretly and closely monitor the branch palaces and the Soul Clan."

"A few months ago, the Soul Palace transferred a batch of soul essences, but they were intercepted en route. The leader of the group was a Dou Sheng powerhouse from an ancient clan!"

"Because of this, the Soul Clan's higher-ups were furious and ordered the Soul Palace to enter the territories of the six clans to cause them some trouble. As long as their demonic forces are in chaos, they will naturally not have the energy to monitor them."

Listening to the Eight Heavenly Venerables' narration, Chen Xiaoran,

These six clans really acted quickly.

And the Soul Clan was also quite patient!

Given the strength of the Soul Clan, if they were to really get serious, the powerful figures of the other six clans wouldn't stand a chance to monitor them; they'd be lucky if they weren't hunted down and killed.

This can be considered a case of ignorance being bliss.

"There must be more to it than that, right?"

"Of course not! The so-called six ancient races are nothing but birds of a feather with the Soul Clan behind my Soul Palace. In fact, these hypocrites are even more disgusting! Let me tell you something I personally experienced, and you might understand."

"Before I entered the Eastern Region, during a battle with the Pill Tower, I was almost killed by Tian Leizi. However, when Tian Leizi tried to pursue me, he was stopped by someone."

"It's not just me; in just half a year, at least dozens of similar cases have occurred, involving the powerful figures sent by the six races to support the Pill Tower."

"Thanks to them! If they hadn't repeatedly thwarted us at crucial moments, even though my Soul Palace is powerful, it wouldn't have been able to withstand the attack from the Pill Tower, which was supported by the six clans!"

"Since the Soul Palace and the Pill Tower officially went to war, the Soul Palace's speed in collecting soul essence has increased more than fivefold, and this is all thanks to the efforts of the six races!"

"They outwardly uphold justice, but they secretly hope this struggle lasts as long as possible, ideally allowing the Soul Palace to collect enough soul essence to divide among the six races, so that each race can cultivate an Emperor-level soul. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"Anyway, the Soul Hall will bear the infamy. They all contributed their efforts to this struggle to eliminate the Soul Hall, which will be a good story if it gets out."

"What do they care about the lives or deaths of those ants?"

After listening to the Eighth Heavenly Venerable recount the whole story, Chen Xiao silently resealed it.

Previously it was just speculation, but now it has been confirmed. Chen Xiao felt that these ancient races truly lived up to the Eighth Heavenly Venerable's words: they were all birds of a feather!

Chen Xiao always felt that he was not a good person and was an egoist.

Just like the Soul Palace's soul essence, he would seize it whenever he could and use it without any psychological burden.

Even so, if he were to stir up the situation in Zhongzhou to help the Soul Palace collect soul essence faster and thus gain greater benefits, Chen Xiao asked himself if he could do such a disgusting thing!

Taking a deep breath, Chen Xiao tore open the space and stepped out.

He had already entered the Dan Domain, and with a sweep of his gaze, he landed on an unfamiliar city at the edge of his vision.

After a moment's hesitation, Chen Xiao decided to delay and write a letter to Xuan Kongzi to verify the information.

The Eighth Heavenly Venerable's words are ultimately only one side of the story.

It is neither entirely unbelievable nor completely unbelievable.

After a fifteen-minute delay, Chen Xiao continued on his way.

When Chen Xiao left the Pill Domain and entered the Tianbei area, he keenly sensed the anomaly even before he went deep inside.

Along the way, large numbers of people rushed towards the depths of Tianbei, all in a hurry, wishing they could increase their speed tenfold or a hundredfold.

"Brother Li, why are you in such a hurry to call me out of seclusion?"

"Enough with the nonsense. I'm doing this for your own good. You can go into seclusion anytime, but if you miss this opportunity, you'll regret it."

"Tell me more about it."

"It's hard to explain in a short time, but all you need to know is that on the edge of the northern desert, an ancient relic has emerged!"

As Chen Xiao traveled, his soul perception quietly emerged, and the conversations of these people confirmed his suspicions.

Indeed, it is an ancient relic from the northern lands that has appeared in the world!

Ancient relics, as the name suggests, are things that have been passed down from ancient times. Those that have survived the changes of time and still leave traces must have belonged to extraordinary people, and many of them were even left by powerful warriors!

This is a consensus among all cultivators.

Therefore, every time an ancient relic is discovered, it will bring about a bloodbath.

After all, the allure of the items left behind by a Dou Sheng-level expert is enough to drive people crazy.

Take cultivation techniques as an example. The reason why many Dou Zun experts progress slowly or even make no progress at all is because they cannot obtain higher-grade cultivation techniques.

Among the ancient relics left behind by these powerful warriors, there is a high possibility that they possessed the cultivation techniques they practiced during their lifetime, which would be a source of hope for reaching a higher realm!

Furthermore, anything is possible in ancient ruins.

Skills, techniques, medicinal herbs, elixirs, and so on—any gain, however small, can be a life-changing opportunity for many. Therefore, even knowing the competition is fierce and the odds are against them, countless people still rush headlong into it like moths to a flame.

Having determined the cause of the incident, Chen Xiao no longer became distracted and focused all his attention on continuing his journey.

Zixiao Pavilion.

On the huge plaza beneath the Thunder Tower, squads of inner and outer disciples stood ready for battle.

In front of the square, Little Fairy Doctor calmly gave orders.

"Elder Yang, take a group of disciples to Ten Thousand Snake Gorge and inform the four elders of the Snake-People Clan to observe the situation and not rush into action. Wait for the Pavilion Master to return before making a decision. After that, you will be stationed at Ten Thousand Snake Gorge to protect the Snake-People Clan and await orders."

"Yes!" An elder bowed and accepted the order, then led more than ten cabinet disciples away quickly.

With a large influx of powerful individuals into Tianbei, conflict is inevitable.

With Cai Lin already in seclusion and Chen Xiao out and not yet returned, the Snake-People Clan naturally needed to be looked after.

"Han Chi, take a team of inner disciples to the Sand Shadow Mountains and await Qing Lin's instructions."

"yes!"

"Iron Sword, seal off Qifeng Mountain for the time being. No one except those from the Purple Cloud Pavilion is allowed to enter or leave!"

With the issuance of orders, 99% of the people in the Zixiao Pavilion began to get busy.

It was also at dusk that Chen Xiao finally returned.

Upon entering Qifeng Mountain, Chen Xiao immediately noticed that the pavilion was sparsely populated, with at least half of the people missing.

Although some disciples came and went in a hurry, they were orderly and clearly acting on orders from higher-ups.

Seeing this, Chen Xiao didn't stop him and quickly went to the backyard.

Unlike the increasingly tense atmosphere outside, the backyard was peaceful and serene.

Two fiery red figures accompanied Yao Yao, and the three little ones huddled together playing, their clear laughter ringing out. None of them noticed Chen Xiao's arrival.

In front of a courtyard, Little Fairy Doctor and Cao Ying stood side by side, watching the three little ones playing, their smiles faint, whispering private words to each other.

Suddenly, a soft cough broke the harmonious scene.

Five pairs of eyes looked at it at the same time, each showing a different expression of joy.

"Father!"

"teacher!"

The three little ones were the first to arrive.

The changes in the external situation have nothing to do with them.

For them, there was only the joy of reuniting with their loved ones at this moment.

Chen Xiao couldn't bear to break the silence, so he looked at Little Fairy Doctor and Cao Ying who were walking over and gestured for them to wait a moment.

After talking with the three little ones for about ten minutes and calming them down, Chen Xiao then walked towards Little Fairy Doctor and Cao Ying.

"Xian'er, Ying'er, I heard some things about the ancient ruins on the way back, but I don't know much. Could you tell me more about it?"

"Sister Fairy Doctor, please tell me. If there's anything I've missed, I'll add it."

Little Fairy Doctor nodded slightly, without refusing, and after a few words, began to explain in detail.

"You would never guess that this ancient ruin was actually discovered by Qinglin."

"Azure Scales?"

Chen Xiao was somewhat surprised; he truly hadn't expected this.

On the way back, he still thought it was thanks to Hei Qing.

"That's right. Before you left, didn't you ask Brother Hei Qing to bring those puppets back to Dragon Island to improve their rank? Brother Hei Qing was very fast. He brought all the puppets back in less than a month. Without exception, they all advanced to the Heavenly Demon Puppet rank. Now, our Purple Cloud Pavilion has nearly forty Dou Zun-level combatants!"

"After Brother Hei Qing handed the puppets over to us, he continued his search for ancient ruins. Qing Lin was curious that day; nine puppets at the Dou Zong level could unleash power comparable to a one-star Dou Zun when they formed an array. What kind of power would nine puppets at the Dou Zun level have?"

"Out of curiosity, she took the puppets into the Northern Desert to verify it, and had the puppets form an array to attack her. As a result, they reached the Sand Shadow Mountains on the edge of the desert. Under the intense aftershocks of the battle, she realized that there was something unusual about the space there."

"Later, we asked Brother Hei Qing to go and check, and sure enough, the ancient ruins were hidden there!"

"Perhaps it was influenced by the battle between Qinglin and Kui that day. The spatial fluctuations there became abnormal and became more and more obvious each day. In just four or five days, even though we sealed off that space and set up many illusion arrays there, the news still leaked out."

"Is it a magical beast from the Sand Shadow Mountains?"

"It could be them, or it could be humans. The Sand Shadow Mountains are one of the larger magical beast mountain ranges near the Northern Desert. There are countless magical beasts in it, including many high-level ones, and powerful individuals often come and go. If they are not far away when spatial fluctuations occur, they may also be able to detect them," Little Fairy Doctor nodded helplessly.

This is truly impossible.

After all, no one knew it would be such a coincidence; there was absolutely no mental preparation.

Moreover, although the emergence of ancient relics is not as "announced to the entire server" as a celestial phenomenon, the impact is still significant and cannot be easily concealed.

However, Chen Xiao noticed a problem from Little Fairy Doctor's narration.

The owner of this ancient ruin was certainly not as powerful as the Array Master who created the False Heaven. This can be seen from the stability of the ruin.

Perhaps, without Qinglin's chance discovery, this ruin would have appeared on its own in a few hundred or a thousand years.

"After the news of the ruins spread, a large number of people have been flocking to the northern lands every day. The flow of people has increased dramatically, and unfamiliar powerful figures can be seen everywhere. The Sand Shadow Mountains are even more crowded, and there is almost no place for magical beasts to stand."

"Qinglin, Venerable Tianhuo, and Brother Heiqing are all over there controlling the situation. It's fortunate that the ruins haven't fully emerged yet."

Once the situation there stabilizes, it could spiral out of control in an instant.

"I've informed the Snake-People clan and the various families and forces that have sided with the Purple Cloud Pavilion. I've asked them to remain calm and wait for your return before making a decision."

Chen Xiao nodded slightly. What's done is done; it wouldn't be so easy for him to have it all to himself this time.

Most importantly, this is a completely unfamiliar ancient ruin, unlike the ruin in the Beast Realm.

Chen Xiao's foresight is of no help whatsoever in exploring this ruin.

After a little deliberation, Chen Xiao quickly made a decision.

"Exploring ancient ruins is no small matter, and it's good that the news has spread. At least it can reduce a lot of casualties for us. Since so many people are interested in these ancient ruins, why not let them explore the way!"

"Let's compete fairly! With the eight ancient clans out of the picture and the Soul Palace preoccupied with its own problems, we have no fear of any competition given our current strength!"

Of all the things in this ruin, there was only one that Chen Xiao valued most.

That is the recipe for the Spirit-Nourishing Powder!

This is the only remaining prescription on the mainland today, and it is the key to his completion of the subsequent expenses.

However, even if the formula falls into the hands of others, as long as it is not destroyed, Chen Xiao will have a way to find it!

Therefore, fair competition is fine!