[Mu Qing Luan]: You were the one who started bragging first. Know your place.
[Feng Qing Er]: Did you really think I would be mount for life?
[Mu Qing Luan]: What? Do you think you can reverse the roles and become the master?
[Feng Qing Er]: If Sister Huo Zhi can go all out, then I, Feng Qing Er, can also go all out.
[Mu Qing Luan]: Even so, you're still just a mount. The only difference is the location.
[Yun Yun]: Recently, there have been fewer incidents of people from the Hall of Souls being attacked with swords.
[Mu Qing Luan]: Ahem, sisters, I'm only targeting Feng Qing Er.
[Feng Qing Er]: You will always be just a junior sister.
[Mu Qing Luan]: You're using reverse psychology. I'm not afraid of you.
…
The women were chatting casually in the group.
In reality, they were all sitting on the deck watching the secret medicine being refined.
However, since refining a second-rank pill took a long time, they could not watch the entire process.
In the blink of an eye, several days passed. Suddenly, the exit of a spatial wormhole appeared in front of the spatial passage leading to the Space Boat.
Ordinary cultivators could only use specific spiritual arrays to move from a specific location to another specific location and disembark there.
However, Xiao Ting's power was comparable to that of a Dou Saint, and even half-Saints could easily create spatial wormholes.
At that moment, the Space Boat passed through the spatial passage and arrived above the mountain range in the Western Region.
Rumble!
As the birth of an eighth-rank spiritual medicine drew near, changes occurred in the surrounding heaven and earth energy, triggering celestial phenomena.
This situation immediately attracted the attention of multiple Dou Ancestor-level Protectors and Dou Venerable-level elders from the nearby Hall of Souls.
Central Plains and the Western Region were where the headquarters of the Hall of Souls was located. Most of the important locations were ruled by or allied with the Hall of Souls.
With an eighth-rank spiritual medicine about to be born, cultivators at the Dou Ancestor and Dou Venerable levels rushed over, drawn by the fragrance.
They coveted not only the spiritual medicine but also the soul of the alchemist who could refine an eighth-rank spiritual medicine.
"Receive!"
When the pill refinement was complete, Xiao Ting controlled the soul cauldron in his hand. It flew out, enveloped the pill, and directly swallowed the pill lightning in the air, performing internal nurturing and tempering.
Seeing this, several elders of the Hall of Souls immediately took action, intending to seize the eighth-rank pill.
However, the moment they moved, countless purple flames appeared around them, as if accompanied by thunder.
"Destroy!"
With a casual and swift kill, Xiao Ting eliminated over a dozen Dou Ancestors and three others. He deliberately spared the weakest one and said coldly, "Go back and tell the people of the Hall of Souls that this Xiao Ting killed the dogs of the Hall of Souls."
"If you have any complaints, feel free to come and die."
Leaving these words behind, Xiao Ting controlled the Space Boat and departed toward the south, intending to cross the entire Western Region from north to south.
Along the way, people from the Hall of Souls attempted to counterattack several times, but all were killed by Xiao Ting.
One after another, numerous messages were sent out and quickly spread throughout Central Plains.
"Did you hear? The headquarters of the Hall of Souls was destroyed by a mysterious Dou Venerable."
"What mysterious Dou Venerable? He didn't hide his identity at all. It's just Xiao Ting, the City Lord of Purple Sky City in the Black-Corner Region, who recently became famous in the Northwestern Continent."
"So it was him! I heard he reached the Dou Venerable level before the age of twenty. At the time I thought it was impossible, but now it seems it was true."
"That's absolutely right. The Hall of Souls has lost over a dozen Dou Venerables in succession."
"Several?!"
"Around twelve?"
"Each of the Four Square Pavilions seems to have only one Dou Venerable, so why does the Hall of Souls have over a dozen?"
"I'm ignorant. In this Central Plains, the Hall of Souls and the Pill Tower are in a league of their own. They not only have Dou Saint experts but also many Dou Venerable experts. The so-called Four Square Pavilions are only comparable to the Earthly Demon Halls."
"I heard that most of the branch halls of the Hall of Souls are managed by Dou Ancestor Protectors, but there are twenty-four Earthly Demon Halls and special branch halls, each with a Venerable Elder in charge, and each with two Dou Venerable-level experts."
"Who would have thought that Xiao Ting would challenge the Hall of Souls? What is he relying on?!"
What was Xiao Ting relying on?
The Seventh Heavenly Venerable and Eighth Heavenly Venerable of the Hall of Souls simultaneously intervened to stop Xiao Ting and directly questioned him.
With two peak eight-star Dou Venerables making a move, he had already decided his own way of dying!
"I'll send the two of you to Mo Yu. He will definitely be happy!"
Even when facing the Seventh and Eighth Heavenly Venerables of the Hall of Souls, Xiao Ting still displayed absolute power and suppressed them.
With a single strike from a Dou Saint-level expert, they were completely annihilated without even having time to exchange warnings.
Bang!
In the Soul Stone Hall inside the Human Hall within the Heavenly Hall, two more soul stones shattered.
One of the messages wrapped in black flame read, "The culprit is seven-star Dou Venerable Xiao Ting."
A figure filled with killing intent and bloodlust appeared. His blood-red pupils seemed to contain a terrifying sea of blood.
"A seven-star Dou Venerable was able to kill the Seventh and Eighth Brothers. His combat power is comparable to a nine-star Dou Venerable."
"Recently, I reached the peak of the Dou Venerable, so I want to test my strength against you."
A blood-red blade-like streak of light appeared, as if tearing through space, and then disappeared in an instant.
Immediately after, two more phantoms appeared, staring expressionlessly at the shattered soul stele.
"Fourth Brother has made a move. Are you going too?"
"Go. Fourth Brother has reached the peak of the Dou Venerable. He is different from the other useless ones. If given the chance, he can even rise to the half-Saint level."
"Take this jade slip. If you discover someone behind Xiao Ting, crush it. This Saint will also rush over."
The two people having this conversation were the Second Heavenly Venerable Hun Qing Sheng, a high-ranking half-Saint of the Hun Clan, and the Third Venerable of the Hall of Souls, who had recently reached the half-Saint level.
When the Great Heavenly Venerable went into seclusion, the Human Hall was managed by these two individuals.
"Good!"
The Third Venerable accepted the spatial jade slip and disappeared in an instant.
…
At the same time, Xiao Ting controlled the Space Boat and arrived at the border of the western, southern, and southwestern regions of Central Plains.
This region, spanning thousands of miles, was filled with countless volcanoes. Although the natural environment was extremely harsh, it contained extremely abundant fire-attribute energy. During this period, Xiao Ting noticed that his own cultivation had improved significantly.
When the Space Boat arrived at the valley, Xiao Ting released the aura of an eight-star Dou Venerable that he had recently reached.
Deep in the Burning Flame Valley, where Huo Yun Ancestor was in seclusion, he opened his eyes and transmitted his voice to Tang Zhen, the current Valley Master of Burning Flame Valley. "An eight-star Dou Venerable has arrived at the mountain gate. His soul power is not weak. He is probably an eighth-rank alchemist. Prepare a grand welcome."
Even if someone came to Burning Flame Valley with hostile intentions, they would never release their aura to convey a message in a proper manner.
"Yes, Ancestor!"
When Tang Zhen sensed the presence of an unfamiliar Dou Venerable outside the mountain gate and received the message from his ancestor, he immediately took action.
After Xiao Ting and his group arrived, they received a grand welcome. Tang Zhen brought his daughter Tang Huo Er and younger sister Tang Xin to host a banquet in the main hall.
On the surface, Tang Huo Er was only observing Xiao Ting out of curiosity, but inside she was extremely excited and was chatting with the other women in the group chat.
"Valley Master Tang Zhen, the reason I went to such great lengths to come here is because there is a deep connection of a thousand years between my Xiao Clan and your valley."
Upon hearing this, Tang Zhen and the others showed curious expressions.
They had never dreamed that Burning Flame Valley had any connection with the Xiao Clan.
However, Tang Huo Er did not want her father to waste time being foolish, so she asked, "Are you a descendant of Xiao Xuan?"
....