Battle Through the Heavens: It turns out I'm actually the patriarch of the Xiao family!

Chapter 64 is right, it's us!

"Our Jia Ma Empire is located in the northwest of the Dou Qi Continent. In this vast region of the northwest, there are at least nearly a hundred countries of varying sizes, and the Jia Ma Empire is just one of them."

"In every empire, there are more or less some powerful sects and forces, and the total number of them is countless."

Seeing Qing Lin's puzzled expression, Xiao Chen smiled slightly and explained, "You must have heard of the Yunlan Sect, but it can only act arrogantly within the empire. Let alone in the vast Dou Qi Continent, even in the northwest region of this continent where we are, it can only be considered a second-rate power."

"Don't be fooled by the Yunlan Sect's power in the empire. At the sect conference held every five years in the northwest of this continent, they don't get much better treatment. They get a lot of scorn and ridicule."

"Sectarian meeting?"

Upon hearing this, Qinglin was taken aback; this was a level she could not comprehend.

"The sect conference is actually organized by some of the most powerful forces in the Northwest region."

"Some ambitious individuals want to unify all the forces in this northwest region and become a force comparable to the top powers on the continent."

"However, no one has yet achieved this ambition. The Northwest region is too vast, with numerous forces and complex relationships. It is no easy task to bring them all under the sect's control. Therefore, to this day, no true overlord has emerged in the Northwest region, and it can only be a place where many powerful forces coexist."

"Of course, this overlord will appear soon."

Hearing Xiao Chen recount these previously unknown facts, Qing Lin was filled with amazement.

It's unexpected that the Yunlan Sect, which once swaggered around the Jia Ma Empire, could only hold such a low position in this northwestern region.

"Senior, could this overlord be—"

"Haha—" Xiao Chen couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh.

He gazed at Qinglin's small face, which held both uncertainty and hidden expectation, and nodded leisurely with his hands behind his back.

"That's right, it's us!"

His gaze was fixed on the distant horizon, as if piercing through space to see a wider battlefield.

"The chaos of countless sects and warlords vying for power in the Northwest Continent will end in our hands."

Qinglin's mouth opened slightly as she listened, her emerald eyes sparkling with a mixture of awe and longing.

She knew that Senior Xiao Chen was very strong and remarkable, but she never imagined that his strength had reached such a level.

"I see----"

Qinglin murmured softly, and the awe she once held for the Yunlan Sect vanished completely at that moment.

"The Heavenly Serpent Empire that you mentioned earlier, senior—"

"To be precise, we are going to the Heavenly Serpent Palace."

"The Heavenly Serpent Palace?"

"The Heavenly Serpent Empire is located in the central part of the Northwest region, and the Heavenly Serpent Palace is the most powerful force in the Heavenly Serpent Empire. It holds a transcendent position within the empire, and even the succession of the royal family there is secretly manipulated by them."

"The Heavenly Serpent Mansion is a truly first-class power in the Northwest region, far surpassing the Cloud Mist Sect in strength. Back then, it almost defeated the sect leaders at the sect conference and became the overlord of the Northwest."

"So amazing!" Qinglin's rosy lips parted slightly.

"Because the Gama Empire is relatively new and located in the west, it is rarely visited by powerful foreigners. Apart from the empire's major powers and the royal family, it is difficult for ordinary people to understand this level."

The journey from the Gama Empire to the Tianshe Empire is extremely long, requiring passage through dozens of kingdoms scattered across the northwest region and crossing countless mountains and rivers.

Of course, this wouldn't even take Xiao Chen half a quarter of an hour.

But Xiao Chen was not in a hurry to travel.

-

On the one hand, he also wanted to understand the full picture of the Northwest region.

On the other hand, and more importantly, he needs to find those two beads!

Along the way, Qinglin served him closely. Whether they were in the deep mountains and forests, braving the elements, or wandering in the bustling world, she followed him step by step. She was very capable and took great care of Xiao Chen. She was happy to do so and took on all sorts of trivial matters.

Because of the presence of the two-headed fire spirit snake, although the two occasionally encountered some disputes along the way, Qing Lin could easily resolve them without Xiao Chen having to intervene.

A month has passed in a flash.

Xiao Chen and his companion had already traversed seven or eight empires and crossed countless mountains and rivers.

this day.

Within the territory of the Tianheng Empire, in the distance of a mountain range called Shuiyun Mountain, there is a gently flowing river.

Beside the river lies an extremely remote mountain village.

It was night, the river was flowing, and in the distance, Shuiyun Mountain looked like a huge creature, shrouded in the inky darkness.

"Senior, what are they doing?"

Qinglin pointed to the riverbank in the distance, her face full of curiosity and doubt.

Many lights were lit there.

The villagers, young and old, gathered there and released river lanterns of various shapes and sizes, each with a lit candle, into the river.

At first glance, the flickering lights flow downstream, standing out strikingly in the night.

Xiao Chen stood with his hands behind his back, the night wind ruffling his clothes, his figure appearing somewhat ethereal in the hazy light and shadow.

He swept his light across the river lanterns drifting away with the current, then cast it towards the distant outline of Shuiyun Mountain, which resembled a lurking beast in the night.

"It must be a local custom, perhaps a ritual or prayer?"

Xiao Chen smiled faintly.

"It is common to express one's wishes through river lanterns, letting them drift away with the water, to communicate with the gods or to entrust one's feelings."

Qinglin gave a soft "Oh," seemingly understanding but not quite.

Having lived in the Stone Desert City in the desert since childhood, serving as a slave and servant, and later following Xiao Chen away, she knew very little about the customs of this remote desert.

The scene of flickering lights and a large group of people was both novel and strangely serene to her, which fueled her curiosity even more.

"Senior, shall we—go take a closer look?" Qinglin asked tentatively, her tone filled with girlish excitement and caution.

Xiao Chen nodded and smiled, "Alright, since we've stumbled upon it by chance, let's go take a look. This Shuiyun Mountain—it exudes a strange aura, so it might not be an ordinary place."

His gaze swept across the river where lights converged and the distant mountains, lost in thought.

The two figures disappeared into the night, seemingly blending into the darkness, silently approaching the bright spot by the river.

As they drew closer, the villagers' deep prayers became clearer: "May the River God protect us and prevent him from causing further trouble."

"—Farewell to the soul in the river, may you rest in peace and never disturb us again—"

"—The lamp goes out, taking away disaster and bringing peace—"

"May the mountain god appease us this year and grant us peace."

The sounds were chaotic, conveying a strong sense of helplessness, fear, and longing for peace.

It was not a purely joyous prayer, but rather a ritual imbued with suppressed grief and a deep plea.

Qinglin softened her breathing, her fingertips unconsciously tightening around a corner of Xiao Chen's sleeve.

She could feel the oppressive atmosphere in the air.

The barely suppressed tears in the eyes of the women and children, and the heavy expression on the man's face, made her heart tighten.

The aura of the two-headed fire spirit swirled slightly at her sleeve, as if it too had sensed the unusual atmosphere of the place.

They stood quietly in the shade of the trees on the riverbank, a little distance from the crowd, observing.

An elderly man with white hair and beard, seemingly the village chief, tremblingly placed the largest lotus-shaped river lantern into the water. He clasped his hands together, his voice aged and sorrowful: "River God of Shuiyun Mountain, spirit beasts and immortals of the mountain, please accept the lantern offerings and rest in peace—do not be angry anymore—the village cannot withstand any more turmoil—"

Qinglin couldn't hold back any longer. She gently tugged at the sleeve of a kind-looking middle-aged woman next to her, her voice extremely low: "Auntie—excuse me, what are you doing?"

"Why—why does everyone look unhappy?"