Xiao Jietian surveyed the queue before the spatial wormhole. It was not overly long, yet he felt no impatience. In such moments, revealing even a wisp of his Dou Zun aura would typically see him courteously ushered to the front within moments—guards bowing, crowds parting like waves before a dragon.
Yet today he refrained.
There was a subtle difference between approaching of one's own accord and being respectfully invited forward. The former carried a different flavor, one he savored quietly.
This small matter also reminded him of something long neglected: it had been ages since he last tested for an alchemist's badge. Unlike certain fated sons of destiny who delighted in concealing their brilliance only to be trampled upon before delivering a resounding face-slapping retort, Xiao Jietian preferred a different path.
He favored crushing all opposition with absolute power from the very first breath.
After all, he had cultivated with diligent effort—would it not be a pity to hide such strength away?
Thus the three companions chatted idly as they waited in line. From time to time Xiao Jietian's dry wit or gentle teasing drew soft laughter from the women. Hu Jia in particular laughed so freely that her shoulders shook, causing the crimson silk of her robes to ripple like wind over still water. Were they still within the Eternal Heaven Palace, she might well have rolled across the ground in mirth.
Roughly half an hour later, the trio finally stepped into the spatial wormhole.
Xiao Jietian summoned his personal spatial vessel—a sleek, jade-white skiff no larger than a pleasure boat. The three settled within its protective barrier and drifted slowly forward through the silver tunnel.
After their earlier closeness, an unspoken intimacy had settled between them. Hu Jia and Han Xue nestled comfortably against Xiao Jietian's sides while his hands rested lightly upon their flat, silken abdomens, gently massaging in slow circles.
Neither woman protested. On the contrary—this was precisely what they had hoped for.
As the skiff glided onward, the two women began recounting amusing tales from their pasts, their voices weaving back and forth across Xiao Jietian like harmonious strings.
After another half hour, the silver light at the tunnel's end grew bright. The skiff passed smoothly through the shimmering gate and emerged into open air.
Before them lay an enormous city.
Without hesitation, Xiao Jietian led the two women forward. After a simple registration with the gate guards, they stepped through the towering archway.
The moment they crossed the threshold, a series of clear, melodious wind chimes drifted into their ears—each note carrying a tranquil, heart-soothing charm.
Xiao Jietian traced the sound to its source.
High upon the upturned eaves of numerous elegant pavilions hung wind chimes the size of a grown man's head. Clearly these were no ordinary ornaments; though stirred by winds of varying strength and direction, the notes never clashed. Instead they wove together in subtle harmony, as though an invisible orchestra played in perfect unison.
"As expected of a domain under the Sound Valley," Hu Jia exclaimed softly. "Even the wind here produces music of uncommon beauty."
"Truly marvelous," Han Xue agreed, eyes bright. "My entire body feels lighter, as though cleansed by the sound itself. It is said the Sound Valley has long remained apart from the world—few outsiders ever tread here."
"Let us go and experience this mysterious sect for ourselves."
With those words, Xiao Jietian set off in a specific direction.
The true headquarters of the Sound Valley did not lie within Tianyin City itself, but in a range known as the Miaoyin Mountains beyond the city walls.
"Do you know the location of their sect?" Han Xue asked curiously.
Xiao Jietian nodded. "Follow me closely. Do not wander off."
As for how he knew the way… naturally it was thanks to his wealthy and well-informed fiancée, Miss Xun'er.
Information concerning a sect such as the Sound Valley would be meticulously documented in the Gu Clan's archives. Xun'er had transmitted the full record to him in a single jade slip—though the information was somewhat dated. From the perspective of an ancient clan, a mere second-rate sect warranted little ongoing attention.
Hu Jia and Han Xue hurried to keep pace. This time, however, they refrained from clinging to his arms. With stronger cultivators undoubtedly present in this domain, such open displays might inadvertently restrict his movements.
Xiao Jietian led them across the breadth of Tianyin City, flying at a leisurely pace until they reached a seemingly ordinary mountain range beyond the walls.
The entire range appeared unremarkable at first glance—only the towering ancient trees hinted at great age.
"Is this truly the place?" Han Xue asked doubtfully. "It seems so ordinary, with no distinguishing features."
Hu Jia nodded in agreement. "Indeed… yet somehow it feels strangely familiar."
"Jia Nan Academy," Xiao Jietian said quietly, gazing at the verdant expanse.
"Snap!" Hu Jia clapped her hands together, eyes lighting up. "Exactly! Just like the Inner Academy—concealed deep within a hidden valley!"
"So Jia Nan Academy is also surrounded by endless forest," Han Xue murmured sourly, arms crossed. Inwardly she thought: If only I had entered Jia Nan Academy back then… perhaps I would have met Xiao Jietian far sooner.
"Precisely. Deep within the mountain woods," Hu Jia confirmed, then turned to Xiao Jietian. "So is the Sound Valley likewise concealed in such a manner?"
"We shall know once we enter."
Xiao Jietian stepped into the forest without further hesitation. Hu Jia and Han Xue followed close behind.
Along the path, numerous magical beasts lunged from the undergrowth, only to be swiftly dispatched.
Xiao Jietian left the weaker ones for Han Xue and Hu Jia to handle, allowing them to sharpen their Dou Techniques while occasionally offering calm pointers.
Half a day later, the trio arrived at the foot of a towering mountain. Below them lay a deep valley shrouded in mist.
"Is the Sound Valley down there?" Han Xue asked, puzzled.
"Indeed."
"But… there appears to be nothing at all," Hu Jia said, peering left and right.
"The entire valley is concealed by a grand formation. Even a passing Dou Zun would sense nothing amiss."
Only Xiao Jietian's exceptionally powerful soul force—combined with prior knowledge—allowed him to detect the faint anomaly.
He could not yet determine whether this concealment was naturally formed, like the hidden valley of the Starfall Pavilion, or deliberately arranged afterward.
In the Dou Qi Continent, formations existed in abundance. Many sects maintained guardian arrays, yet these were typically vast protective barriers or combined-attack formations—never the casually deployed offensive arrays so common in tales from other worlds.
"Then how do we enter?" Hu Jia tilted her head. "We cannot simply knock upon the door."
"Who dares spy upon our domain?"
The moment the words left her mouth, the void above the valley slowly distorted.
Five figures emerged from rippling space.
The leader was clearly a Dou Zong, standing proudly in midair. Behind him followed four Dou Huangs.
The instant the Dou Zong appeared, Xiao Jietian felt a strangely familiar aura emanate from the man—and with it came an inexplicable wave of revulsion.
He frowned inwardly.
He had never crossed paths with anyone from the Sound Valley, nor harbored any enmity toward them. Why then this instinctive disgust?
Stranger still—the aversion arose solely from the Dou Zong before him. The four Dou Huangs behind him stirred no such feeling whatsoever.