Battle Through the Heavens: Xiao Yan, I am your second master.

"Mang Tianchi! You just wait and see!" Gu Qian and Gu Xu cursed at Mang Tianchi, but they ran away very fast, breaking through space and leaving.

"Hmph! A bunch of weaklings, they're really easy to beat. Qianmu, you've broken through to the Dou Zun level now, you should cultivate properly. You can definitely surpass these kinds of trash!"

Mang Tianchi turned to look at Qianmu. Although Qianmu had only just entered the Dou Zun realm, his path had not yet come to an end, and anything was possible.

"understood."

Now that Qianmu has reached the Dou Zun level, he understands how big the gap is between Dou Zun. Among the Dou Zun experts present, he seems to be the weakest, while these Dou Zun experts cannot even put up a fight against Mang Tianchi.

"It seems I can't slack off in my training," Qianmu muttered to himself.

Mang Tianchi then strode towards Xiao Li: "Boy, I didn't expect you to be a descendant of the Xiao clan. No wonder you used the alias Wang Li when you came to Zhongzhou. So that's how it is. Remember to be careful of other imperial clans in the future."

I'll take care of things with the Thunder Clan for you, so you don't need to worry. But you need to be careful with the Ancient Clan, Soul Clan, Medicine Clan, and Spirit Clan, especially the Spirit Clan, whose Dou Di bloodline is severely weakened.

Your Xiao clan must possess a family heirloom; they will stop at nothing to get their hands on it, so you must be careful.

"I understand, thank you, Dean. Does the Spirit Clan have any information?" Xiao Li asked. He was quite familiar with the Ancient Clan, the Soul Clan, and the Medicine Clan, and knew exactly what their family's structure was.

Wasn't the Spirit Race just mobbed by the Soul Race? How can they become enemies?

"The current situation of the Spirit Clan is the same as that of the Xiao Clan a thousand years ago. However, back then, the Xiao Clan still had Xiao Xuan and many other Xiao Clan experts to keep it in check. In particular, Xiao Xuan was the leader of the five strongest experts in the world, which made the Xiao Clan the most powerful family."

The Spirit Clan is different. Their Dou Di bloodline is now depleted, and it is difficult for even an eighth-grade bloodline to emerge in the clan. Moreover, the current patriarch of the Spirit Clan, Ling Yuan, has the weakest cultivation among the seven clans, with only a mere six-star Dou Sheng cultivation.

Compared to other clan leaders, the gap is huge, even inferior to the elders of other imperial clans. Moreover, the Spirit Clan is now extremely rare in Dou Sheng, except for one five-star Dou Sheng elder.

The remaining elders were all below the four-star Dou Sheng level, and their numbers were few. Even so, they were still a behemoth, capable of sweeping away any force in the Central Continent except for the Soul Hall and the Pill Tower! You must be careful!

Mang Tianchi told Xiao Li about the Spirit Clan.

"Understood, thank you, Dean." Xiao Li said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

"It's alright, this also serves as repayment for the favor I owe you. If you need my help again in the future, I'll have to charge you a price, but it won't be high—five grade eight pills," Mang Tianchi said with a smile.

"Forehead...."

. . . . . .

"Hehehe, what a show! Jia Xingtian, you'd better think it over. I'm taking my leave now. If you're interested in making a deal with me, use this horn, and someone will contact you! Hehehe~"

The demon protector vanished in a wisp of black smoke; he had to return to report the news to the palace master.

Jia Xingtian looked at the black horn in his hand, then at the devastated Holy City of Jiama, and gritted his teeth.

. . . . . .

Northwest Continent, Branch Hall

"Wu Ying, keep an eye on the Jia Ma Empire in the Northwest Continent for me during this time. Just keep an eye on it, don't go too deep or you'll lose your life," the Chi Protector said to another dark figure.

"Understood. Where are you going, Protector Chi? The Venerable Elder has not yet returned," Protector Wu inquired.

"This is none of your business. Keep a close eye on the Gama Empire, and you'll reap the rewards. I'm going to meet the Palace Master now."

The Demon Protector arrived at the spatial wormhole of the branch hall and went straight inside.

"The Jia Ma Empire? What's so special about it?" Wu Hufa was completely baffled, but he had to carry out the orders of Chi Hufa.

The Demon Protector is a Heavenly Protector, and one of the top Heavenly Protectors at that. He is highly regarded by the elders and even appreciated by the Heavenly Venerable.

However, Protector Wu was merely a human-level protector, and was only a novice in this Northwest Branch Hall.

Chapter 135 The Soul Palace's Scheme

Soul Palace, Heavenly Hall, Heavenly Palace

"Oh? Is that so? The Great Celestial Venerable has sent that Dharma Protector to pay homage to me!"

The person speaking was dressed in a black robe, with no outstanding features on his face. He looked ordinary and unremarkable, and his hands, which had slipped out of his sleeves, were also somewhat rough.

But this ordinary person is quite famous in Zhongzhou, or rather, renowned!

Because he is the Lord of the Soul Palace, Soul Extinction and Life!

This Soul Palace Master once massacred dozens of sects in one night. That night, blood flowed like rivers and corpses littered the fields. Five peak experts with the strength of two-star Dou Sheng all perished in his hands.

That night, the Soul Palace Master gained a bad reputation and made the Soul Palace the undisputed overlord of Zhongzhou. Even Danta did not dare to confront him easily!

But this ruthless man is now so peaceful, with even a slight smile on his face.

"Yes!"

Below the Hall Master of the Soul Palace was a hunched figure, as withered as bones, who slowly appeared. He wore a black robe, and his aged face was extremely dry. His eyes were sunken, and two ghostly flames flickered in his eye sockets, exuding a hint of eeriness.

This person is the Great Heavenly Venerable among the nine Heavenly Venerables of the Soul Palace, a top expert in the Soul Palace, and highly valued by the Hall Master and Vice Hall Master of the Soul Palace. The Great Heavenly Venerable is in charge of the Human Hall among the three Heavenly Gang Halls of the Soul Palace, so you can imagine how high his status is!

Not long after the Great Celestial Venerable left, he entered with a dark figure. At this moment, the full appearance of the dark figure could be seen, and it turned out to be a woman with a somewhat attractive face!

"Demon, I pay my respects to the Palace Master!" The woman bowed deeply upon seeing the Palace Master of the Soul Palace.

"Heavenly Guardian, you demon! I know you. You once brought back five souls at the Dou Zun level, one of which was a Spirit Realm soul. Even I have heard of your deeds. Well done!"

Hun Miesheng looked down at the woman below who had a fairly pretty face and said with a smile.

"It is my honor to serve the Lord of the Hall! Everything is for the sake of the Soul Hall!" Chimei said respectfully.

"Well, tell me in detail what happened in the Northwest Continent!" Hun Miesheng tapped the armrest of his throne, clearly showing his patience.

"Yes, Lord Palace Master, this subordinate was in the Gama Empire of the Northwest Continent this time."

The demon told Hun Miesheng everything that had happened in the Northwest Continent.

"Oh? People from the ancient clans, and Mang Tianchi from the Lei clan? There's a Xiao family there? This is indeed very important news, and your plans there are quite good."

Not only did they bewitch the native Dou Huangs there to act as spies, but they also ordered several Soul Envoys to secretly gather intelligence. This is good. Since the ancient clans appeared there, it means that the Xiao family is a descendant of the Xiao clan.

That thing might be there, but since the ancient clan has come once, it means they will come again. This is not easy to handle. If we are not careful, the ancient clan might discover our grand plan!

"Chimei, for now, just remain still and observe. No need to take action, just watch, or have your spies do the watching. The ancient race might be coming in more than one wave! We can't afford to expose ourselves!"

Hun Miesheng squinted and said that he was not afraid of the ancient clans. The ancient clans were nothing but withered bones in the tomb. Apart from the Xiao clan a thousand years ago, the Hun clan had no rivals now!

However, caution is always necessary. It would be bad if other imperial clans joined forces. So, the key is to observe first and not let anyone find out. Then, we can slowly seize the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade!

"Understood!" The demon bowed and knelt again.

"Yes, Great Celestial Venerable, effective immediately, the demon will be promoted to Elder, her physical body will be rebuilt, and she will be promoted to Dou Zun. She will be in charge of the Xiao family affairs in the Northwest Continent!"

The Great Celestial Venerable bowed and said, "Yes."

"Demon, do a good job. If you do well, I will reward you handsomely!" Hun Miesheng said with a faint smile.

"I am willing to die for the Lord of the Palace!" the demon said excitedly.

The Great Celestial Venerable then left with the Demon Protector—oh, now he should be called the Demon Venerable Elder.

Soul Extinction's eyes flashed: "Hmph, the Xiao Clan has finally been found. Once we obtain the Xiao Clan's Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade, the Clan Chief's plan should be implemented. The Dou Qi Continent will ultimately belong to my Soul Clan! Hehehehehehe—"

. . . . . .

The Jia Ma Empire, the Xiao family

"Elder Su, do you mean you just vaguely sensed the aura of the Soul Palace?" Xiao Li asked in surprise.

"Yes, although it's very subtle, it is indeed the aura of the Soul Palace. She should just be a protector. I originally wanted to capture her, but she ran away. Now there are several Soul Envoy auras in this Jia Ma Holy City."

The old man with the Heavenly Sound said with his beard.

"Tsk, looks like we've been noticed after all. This is troublesome. I'm afraid I can't stay in the capital anymore." Xiao Li frowned. The ancient clansmen really have something wrong with their brains. They've exposed all the wealth he's painstakingly accumulated.

Elder Tianyin said, “How about this, you bring your family to Tianyin Mountain Range. It’s a large place, enough for your family to live in.”

Xiao Li shook his head: "Zhongzhou is the headquarters of the Soul Hall. The Soul Hall's experts are all there. You already know that we are from the Xiao Clan. Once the Soul Hall's experts find out, they will definitely launch a large-scale attack on Yin Valley."

With only you, sir, holding down the fort in Yin Valley, it's not enough to contend with the Soul Palace. It will only be much safer once you break through to the Dou Sheng realm. The Xiao family should stay in the Northwest Continent.

"I can't stay in the capital any longer, so let's move to another place. I think Wutan City is quite nice."

Xiao Li plans to move his entire clan to Wutan City. Wutan City belongs to the Jia Ma Empire. Although the city is among the major cities of the empire due to its location at the foot of the Monster Mountain Range, it is only ranked last.

Most importantly, Xiao Li believed that the Xiao family's lineage would only be complete after a Yan Emperor emerged from Wutan City.

"Since you have your own ideas, then I don't need to say anything more. By the way, you wanted medicines related to the soul before, right? You especially needed Soul Infant Fruit or Spirit Dragon Heavenly Mushroom, right?"

"Yi'er went to great lengths to obtain the Spirit Dragon Heavenly Herb from an ancient ruin. You can take it." The Heavenly Sound Elder handed a simple, rough wooden box to Xiao Li.

"Thank you, Elder Su. May I ask you a few questions? I intend to break through to the Dou Zun level. Where can I find abundant fire-attribute energy? Also, I would like to obtain a complete Dou Sheng's remains."

Xiao Li told Elder Tianyin about his request, and Elder Tianyin frowned upon hearing it.

"There are quite a few places in Zhongzhou with abundant fire-attribute energy. The Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool in the northern region of Zhongzhou, which is closest to you, is quite good. However, it can help peak Dou Huangs advance to Dou Zong."

"Your ambition to advance from the peak of Dou Zong to Dou Zun will likely be difficult, but you could try venturing into the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool. As for the Dou Sheng remains you mentioned, what use are they to you?"

The Heavenly Sound Elder didn't quite understand what Xiao Li wanted the remains of a Battle Saint for. Was he going to use them to create a puppet?

"Elder Su, could you please create a space?" Xiao Li looked around.

"can."

With a wave of his hand, the Heavenly Sound Elder created a barrier, preventing others from hearing what they were saying.

"Elder Su, I have found a senior member of the Xiao clan. I need to revive him, so I am preparing materials. Among them, the remains of a Dou Sheng are the key." Xiao Li revealed his purpose.

Having seen much of the world, the usually calm and collected Elder Tianyin was now completely stunned.

"Ah? You found the Xiao clan's predecessor? The Xiao clan declined rapidly a thousand years ago. I didn't expect there would still be predecessors left behind. May I ask what this predecessor's name is?" Elder Tianyin said excitedly.

Because the founder of Yin Valley, Yin Sheng, had a close relationship with a young lady from the Xiao clan, and Yin Sheng was thinking of that person even on his deathbed.

"This..." Xiao Li was stumped.

“Little fellow, it’s alright. Yin Gu? That’s a familiar name! I am Xiao Kong, and I’m afraid I’m not the person you know.”

Chapter 136 Main materials are available

(The third update will be coming soon; I'm already working on it.)

"I am Xiao Kong, and I am not the person you know!"

Xiao Kong slowly floated out of Xiao Li's storage ring. At this moment, his soul state was extremely solid. During this period, his soul power had recovered to the point of reaching the perfection of the spiritual realm.

"Greetings, Senior Xiao Clan." Elder Tianyin clasped his hands in greeting. He looked the soul body up and down; its soul power had reached the peak of the Spirit Realm, comparable to his own.

"Hmm, Yin Gu. Yin Sheng? Is his name Lin Luyin?" Xiao Kong asked.

"Indeed! Senior, do you know the Sound Saint Ancestor?" Elder Tianyin was surprised that this senior from the Xiao Clan actually knew the founder of the Sound Valley.

"Hehe, how could I not recognize him? Back then, he made quite a name for himself. In the Eight Clans Grand Competition, as a rogue cultivator, he defeated all the geniuses of the eight clans, astonishing the entire audience, and even forcefully won over the Holy Maiden of my Xiao Clan."

Xiao Kong recalled that there was indeed a man with six fingers who practiced music and played the guzheng. He defeated all the geniuses of the eight clans with a song called "Heartbreak", which shocked the high-ranking members of the eight clans.

"I wonder if you could tell me, senior, whether the wife of the Sound Saint Ancestor is still alive?" Tianyin Elder asked. He had heard his master say that the Sound Saint often looked up at the sky in his later years and murmured the words "Wan Yao".

“That girl is gone. She was killed by the Soul Clan. She passed away right before my eyes. I couldn’t protect her back then,” Xiao Kong said, shaking his head.

"I see. The ancestor never found any trace of that lady before his death. Perhaps the ancestor already knew that the lady had been murdered, which is why he died in despair." The old man Tianyin was quite depressed.

"Senior, are you going to be resurrected?" Elder Tianyin asked Xiao Kong again.

"Yes, the Xiao clan is currently facing serious internal and external troubles. Xiao Li still needs time to grow. I also saw what happened to the ancient clan just now. I didn't expect that things would change so much after a thousand years."

Hehe, I saw it all back then: the ancient clans were nothing but sycophants and opportunists. They were lucky to have Gu Yuan as their clan leader. No sooner had the clan leader formed an alliance with them than the Soul Clan arrived.

Heh, thinking about it now, it's truly terrifying. These days, even a few juniors of this ethnicity dare to trample on the Xiao clan. If I don't resurrect, the Xiao clan might be wiped out by them!

Xiao Kong then looked at Xiao Li. Originally, he was not particularly optimistic about Xiao Li's resurrection of him, or rather, he did not want Xiao Li to slack off in his cultivation because of this matter. But now it seemed very necessary.

The most powerful person in the Xiao Clan right now is Xiao Li, but Xiao Li is only an eight-star Dou Zong. He may be invincible among Dou Zongs, but he can also fight against a one-star Dou Zun.

However, all imperial clans possess Dou Sheng (Battle Saints). With Xiao Li's aptitude, it would take at least several decades for him to become a Dou Sheng. Time waits for no one.

The Heavenly Sound Elder nodded: "Understood. Since you are lacking the remains of a Dou Sheng, then let us use the remains of our Yin Valley Ancestor, the Sound Saint."

The ancestor left a will that if he ever encountered members of the Xiao clan, he should do his best to help them. Now that the senior needs to be resurrected, the remains of a newly ascended Dou Sheng might affect the senior's strength.

Using the ancestor's remains might allow the predecessor to recover as much of his peak strength as possible.

"Thank you, Xiao Kong." Xiao Kong clasped his hands in thanks to Elder Tianyin, surprised that Yin Valley would support the Xiao Clan so much.

"Thank you, Elder Su!" Xiao Li knelt on one knee and bowed to Elder Tianyin.

The old man Tianyin smiled and helped Xiao Li up: "I also see hope for advancement in you. I am only a mid-level half-saint now, but perhaps I can advance to a high-level half-saint after cultivating for more than ten years."