People in Doupo: The beginning of the game intercepts the rich woman Xun'er

Time flies, years pass quietly, and a year has gone by in the blink of an eye.

The secluded cultivation chamber deep within Ancient Dragon Island, which was protected by multiple restrictions set up by Xiao Ling, was always shrouded in a layer of intertwined spiritual energy, its aura calm and vast, without ever showing the slightest disorder.

During this year, there was very little movement within the forbidden chamber, except for the lingering aura of refining the essence of the strange fire, which slowly surged like an undercurrent in the deep sea.

During this period, Xiao Xuan and Zhu Kun also came to investigate several times together. The two stood outside the barrier, their soul perception quietly probing in, trying to see what was going on inside, but they found nothing.

However, the two of them could still roughly tell that the situation was relatively normal, so at first neither of them felt anything was unusual.

But as half a year and a year slowly passed, even with Xiao Xuan and Zhu Kun's perspective, they couldn't help but feel surprised.

Logically speaking, given Xiao Ling's talent for devouring and his fundamental strength, even if refining this source would take a considerable amount of time, it shouldn't have been delayed until now.

Although they had some doubts, the two of them did not disturb the matter. As peak Dou Sheng, they knew that the most important thing in refining the origin of a strange fire was to avoid external interference, as the slightest carelessness could lead to the loss of all their previous efforts.

Even though they were curious about what level of refinement Xiao Ling was undergoing, they remained outside the forbidden area, allowing Xiao Ling to immerse himself in seclusion and focus on completing this crucial cultivation that would transform his strength.

During this year, the Dou Qi Continent appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, undercurrents were already surging.

In the Central Plains, clashes between various forces are becoming more frequent, and open and covert struggles are intensifying. Many frictions have moved from behind the scenes to the open, and the situation is becoming increasingly tense.

Even the ancient races that have always been aloof from the world have suddenly increased their probing and clashes with each other, and the air is filled with a tense atmosphere that is about to erupt.

All these unusual movements subtly point to the Soul Clan.

Perhaps it was the mysterious disappearance and complete loss of trace of the Void Devouring Flame that disrupted the Soul Emperor's overall plan, causing him to change his usual restrained behavior and become increasingly impatient and ruthless.

As expected, unnoticed in the shadows, the Soul Emperor secretly ordered his Soul Clan assassins, who were lurking within the three ancient races of Medicine, Thunder, and Flame, to infiltrate and steal the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade from the three races.

Whether it was because the Soul Clan's arrangements were too meticulous and well-concealed, or because the three major races had long held high positions and were lax in their vigilance, the Soul Clan seized the perfect opportunity.

While the chieftains of the Medicine, Thunder, and Flame clans were away meeting to discuss the situation on the mainland, the long-lurking undercover agents suddenly launched their attack, silently infiltrating the clans' important territory and successfully stealing all the ancient Tuoshe jade treasured by the three clans.

By the time the three clans realized what was happening, the ancient jade had already vanished without a trace.

Overnight, the Soul Clan gained three more pieces of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade. The number of ancient jades they had collected now surpassed that of all other ancient races, and the balance of power on the Dou Qi Continent was thus completely tilted.

This dramatic change immediately enraged the three ancient races of Medicine, Thunder, and Flame, causing their hatred and vigilance towards the Soul Clan to reach their peak.

However, even though the Void Devouring Flame has disappeared, the terrifying foundation accumulated by the Soul Clan over thousands of years is still far beyond what these three races can directly confront.

Despite their burning anger, the three races could only suppress their resentment and dared not make any rash moves on the surface. They were completely powerless in the face of the Soul Clan's domineering behavior.

Left with no other choice, the powerful figures from the three races rushed to the Ancient Clan one after another, hoping to get the Ancient Clan, which was the most powerful and prestigious among the eight ancient races, to step forward and support them in order to restrain the increasingly rampant Soul Clan.

Gu Yuan, who knew the inside story, had already learned from Xiao Ling about the true schemes of the Soul Emperor and the crisis on the continent. Faced with the three races' requests for help, he simply declined politely without showing any emotion and did not easily get involved.

Gu Yuan had his own plans. He quietly oversaw the Ancient Clan, secretly keeping watch on the Soul Clan's movements while patiently waiting for Xiao Ling to emerge from seclusion.

He knew that Xiao Ling's seclusion to refine the Void Devouring Flame Origin was of great importance. He would wait for Xiao Ling to emerge from seclusion before deciding on the subsequent plans and determining the final direction of the Dou Qi Continent.

The Medicine, Thunder, and Flame clans were naturally filled with dissatisfaction and resentment at the Ancient Clan's aloof and indifferent attitude. However, facing the Ancient Clan with its profound foundation, they dared not show it at all. Instead, they had to force a smile and deliberately maintain a facade of harmony, for fear of accidentally straining their relationship.

The mere confrontation with the Soul Clan has already placed immense pressure on the three clans, making them feel as if they are walking on thin ice. If they were to offend the Ancient Clan as well, it would likely not be long before they followed in the footsteps of the Stone Clan and the Spirit Clan, suffering the tragic fate of annihilation and the loss of their entire race.

Meanwhile, the Soul Clan, after obtaining three pieces of Ancient Emperor Jade, surprisingly took the initiative to send a message to the Ancient Clan, stating their desire to join forces with them.

To Gu Yuan's surprise, the Soul Emperor made no attempt to hide anything and openly admitted that the true culprit behind the destruction of the Spirit Clan was the Soul Clan. However, despite the massacre and looting, they did not find the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade that belonged to the Spirit Clan.

Upon hearing this, even Gu Yuan, with his calm demeanor, couldn't help but show surprise.

He already knew that the destruction of the Spirit Clan was the work of the Soul Clan, and the one who did it was the Void Devouring Flame. However, he expected that the Spirit Clan's Ancient Emperor Jade should have already fallen into the hands of the Soul Clan. He never expected that in the end, the Soul Clan would have worked for nothing, and the most important Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade would have disappeared without a trace.

The true purpose of the Soul Emperor's visit to Gu Yuan was to join forces with the Ancient Clan, so that the two top ancient races could work together to find the missing Spirit Clan Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade.

Gu Yuan did not immediately reject the proposal, but merely feigned agreement and symbolically dispatched some powerful members of the ancient clans to secretly investigate various parts of the Dou Qi Continent. After all, he was equally concerned about the whereabouts of the Spirit Clan's Ancient Emperor Jade.

Only by collecting all eight pieces of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade can the Ancient Emperor's Cave be opened; this is a secret known throughout the continent.

The ownership of the original eight ancient jade pieces was already fairly clear: the Ancient Clan held two pieces, one for themselves and one for the Xiao Clan, while the Soul Clan, after stealing the ancient jade pieces from the Medicine, Thunder, and Flame Clans, now possessed six pieces.

The traces of the eight ancient jades seemed clear, but who would have thought that the one belonging to the Spirit Clan would become an unexpected variable, disappearing without a trace.

In this way, even if the Soul Clan and the Ancient Clan fight to the death and each seizes the ancient jade from the other, without the crucial piece from the Spirit Clan, they will ultimately be unable to open the Ancient Emperor's Cave.

Therefore, Gu Yuan readily agreed to join forces with the Soul Emperor, going along with the other party's wishes and pretending to agree that the two races would work together to search for the missing Spirit Race Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade. He even accepted the Soul Emperor's suggestion that the two races would work together to explore the Ancient Emperor's Cave after all eight pieces of the ancient jade were collected, without the slightest refusal.

But Gu Yuan had lived for so many years and knew the wolfish ambitions of the Soul Emperor well, so how could he believe such hypocritical lies?

He knew in his heart that the Soul Emperor's feigned weakness and alliance was merely a temporary measure. He must have secretly laid a trap, waiting for the ancient jade to be collected before turning against him and using his backup plan to wipe him and the ancient clan out of the world, attempting to monopolize the eight pieces of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade and seize the opportunity of the Ancient Emperor's Cave.

Even though he saw through the sinister intentions of the Soul Emperor, Gu Yuan still did not refuse this seemingly dangerous cooperation, simply because he had plenty of confidence in his hands.

With his patriarch, the ancient clan leader, Xiao Xuan, the ancestor of the Xiao clan, and Zhu Kun, the old dragon emperor of the Taixu Ancient Dragon who had just returned to Ancient Dragon Island, the three peak nine-star Dou Sheng experts are in charge. Such a lineup is enough to sweep away any force on the continent.

Even if the Soul Emperor had used all his trump cards and possessed extraordinary abilities, could he possibly contend against three top-tier experts of the same level on his own?
It was precisely because of this reliance that Gu Yuan dared to go with the flow and feign cooperation with the Soul Clan.

He decided to go along with the Soul Emperor's wishes, and the two races would jointly search for the whereabouts of the Spirit Race's ancient jade. This would allow them to use the Soul Race's power and intelligence to find this crucial ancient jade more quickly, and also catch the Soul Emperor off guard the moment they found it. At that time, the three peak Dou Sheng would act together to directly suppress the Soul Race, seize the six ancient jades in their possession, along with the recovered Spirit Race ancient jade, completely control the situation, and shatter all of the Soul Emperor's delusions.

During this period, he only needs to remain still, pretending to cooperate with the Soul Clan's investigation while quietly waiting for Xiao Ling to finish his seclusion. As long as Xiao Ling successfully refines the Void Devouring Flame Origin and comes out of seclusion, their chances of winning will increase significantly.

As for the Soul Emperor, he had already decided to break ties with the ancient clans and confront them head-on to seize the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade.

The Soul Emperor could also understand that Gu Yuan must have seen through his feigned cooperation and his real intention to monopolize the ancient jade, but he didn't care at all.

For him, opening the ancient emperor's cave and obtaining the emperor-level inheritance within was his lifelong obsession. The missing ancient emperor jade of the spirit race, Tuoshe, was the key to collecting all eight ancient jade pieces. No matter the cost, he had to find it.

Even knowing that Gu Yuan's alliance was feigned, he still took the initiative to propose cooperation, simply to use the power and intelligence of the ancient clan to speed up the search for the spirit clan's ancient jade and save himself a lot of trouble.

He knew in his heart that the falling out between the two races was inevitable and could not be resolved by empty promises of cooperation.

Even if the Spirit Clan's ancient jade had not disappeared, in order to seize the two pieces of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade belonging to the Ancient Clan and the Xiao Clan respectively, the Soul Clan and the Ancient Clan would eventually have a decisive battle to the death.

Since a battle is inevitable sooner or later, it's better to temporarily set aside the confrontation and pretend to join forces to find the whereabouts of the Spirit Clan's ancient jade.

Once all eight pieces of ancient jade are collected, the feud will be completely broken. Relying on the Soul Clan's foundation and its millennia-long strategy, the Ancient Clan will be wiped out in one fell swoop, and all the ancient imperial jades will be taken into their possession, thus completing their life's work.

However, no matter how much the Soul Emperor and Gu Yuan planned, they never expected that their large-scale search for the Spirit Clan's Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade would ultimately be in vain.

The key ancient jade that was crucial to opening the ancient emperor's cave was currently hidden quietly deep within Xiao Ling's system space, undetected by any external presence.

Even if they turned the entire Dou Qi Continent upside down, they wouldn't be able to find a single trace.

……

Deep within Gulong Island, in a courtyard imbued with spiritual energy and elegant scenery, lush green grass and scattered flowers create a serene and peaceful atmosphere.

Medusa, who had fully inherited the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python clan's heritage and whose strength had increased by leaps and bounds, leaned against the pavilion. Her usually cold and aloof, somewhat eerie and fierce face had now lost all its sharpness, revealing a rare gentleness and tenderness.

Her gaze lingered as she quietly watched the two small figures frolicking on the lawn in the courtyard, a faint, gentle smile unconsciously curving her lips.

On the lush green lawn, Xiao Xi'er stood with her hands on her hips, behaving like a little adult as she directed Xiao Jinchen.

The chubby little boy lay obediently on the grass, not daring to move, as his older sister took small steps and nimbly rode on his back.

"Giddy up! Giddy up—"

Xiao Xi'er gently patted Xiao Jinchen's back with her small hands, and her clear and cheerful laughter echoed throughout the courtyard.

Xiao Jinchen crawled clumsily across the lawn, carrying his sister in slow circles. Although he looked helpless, he dared not resist at all and obediently let his domineering sister "drive" him around.

Sunlight streamed down, children played and laughed, creating a warm and lively scene, a stark contrast to the turbulent undercurrents on the mainland outside the island, a world apart from the island itself.

Just then, a soft footstep sound came from outside the courtyard.

Medusa turned her head slightly and saw Little Fairy Doctor, dressed in a simple white dress, slowly walking into the courtyard. When she saw Medusa looking over, she nodded in acknowledgment.

"Congratulations, it seems your cultivation has improved again."

Medusa nodded slightly and said.

"It's just a slight breakthrough; compared to you, it's still far behind."

Little Fairy Doctor gently shook her head and smiled faintly.

Compared to Medusa, a five-star Dou Sheng, she knew she still had a long way to go.

"I only had a bit of luck. You have the Calamity Poison Body, and your talent is limitless. As long as you can find enough highly poisonous substances to refine, catching up with me, or even surpassing me, is only a matter of time."

Medusa showed no pride in Little Fairy Doctor's words. She knew perfectly well where her current cultivation level came from.

If it weren't for obtaining the complete inheritance of the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python clan, I would have been far behind Little Fairy Doctor by now, let alone surpass her.

Upon hearing this, Little Fairy Doctor simply nodded and did not argue further.

She was well aware that although her Calamity Poison Body seemed to be defying the heavens and that her cultivation was entirely built up by poisons, her current realm was already quite advanced, and ordinary poisons on the Dou Qi Continent were no longer effective against her. If she wanted to advance further, she could only rely on accumulating a massive amount of deadly poisons day by day, which meant that her progress was destined to be slow.

Watching the two little ones frolicking in the courtyard, Little Fairy Doctor's lips unconsciously curved into a gentle smile, and she softly uttered:

"I wonder how long Xiao Ling will remain in seclusion. These two little ones are always thinking about him."

Medusa deeply resonated with Little Fairy Doctor's words. These past few days, her beloved daughter had been calling her "Daddy" constantly, almost to the point of making her ears calloused.

But just as she was about to speak in agreement, a strange change occurred in the courtyard.

"Boom!"

A deafening roar suddenly echoed throughout the courtyard.

Xiao Xi'er, who was laughing and playing on the lawn, suddenly unleashed a violent and pure terrifying energy fluctuation from within her body without warning.

The smile on her face froze instantly, her expression turning blank involuntarily, and her small body was lifted into the air uncontrollably. (End of Chapter)