Yan Clan, Huo Xuan
As the morning light of the third day poured down from the sky, the Ancient Holy City became exceptionally lively. Today was the day the gate to the Ancient World opened. Most people here were filled with curiosity about this mysterious place where space was completely created by human hands. After all, such a great supernatural power to create space was not something that ordinary strong people could do.
As the city was filled with commotion, Xiao Yuan and his group were in top form. After leaving their room, they departed the manor and followed the flow of people, heading straight for the city center.
In the heart of the Ancient Holy City lies an enormous lake, exceptionally clear, yet seemingly endless.
At this moment, the area around the lake was occupied by numerous figures, and even the surrounding buildings had been filled with them. Many eyes were focused on the clear lake, where armored figures stood upright with guns, their powerful auras making no one dare to step into the lake.
"Everyone, the Ancient World will soon open. The Ancient World Realm is vast, and if you wander around recklessly, you will inevitably lose your way. If you enter some Space Rift, you may perish in the Void Space. Therefore, I hope that you will not wander around recklessly after entering."
In the center of the lake, Elder Gu Xun, whom Xiao Yuan and the others had met yesterday, shouted loudly.
"Upon entering the Ancient World, you will be received and then transported to the center of the Ancient World, the Ancient Holy Mountain Range. Furthermore, there are Ancient Clan Descendants within the Ancient World. We hope you will not interfere with them, otherwise, you may be blacklisted by our Ancient Clan. Is everyone clear on this?"
Upon hearing Gu Xun's words, some polite echoes resounded from outside the lake.
"Ancient Clan Descendants?"
This title, however, made Xiao Yuan pause slightly.
"The Ancient Clan Descendants are the lowest level of the Ancient Clan, but also the most important level. After countless years of reproduction, the number of Ancient Clan Descendants in the Ancient World is probably quite large. They all possess the Dou Emperor Bloodline, but it is almost negligible. Of course, there will be some accidents or mutations that cause the bloodline power to become stronger. Once these descendants are discovered, their value will skyrocket, and they will become true members of the Ancient Clan, enjoying unparalleled respect."
Heavenly Flame Venerable only learned of this news in the last few days, and explained with a smile.
"So, it's not so strange that I awakened the Dou Emperor Bloodline, is it?"
Xiao Yuan nodded slightly, then suddenly said thoughtfully.
Heavenly Flame Venerable hesitated for a moment. "It's not quite the same. After all, according to what you said, your Xiao Clan's Dou Emperor Bloodline should have been completely exhausted."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan smiled helplessly. Indeed, in his memory, it seemed that Xiao Xuan had transferred the Dou Emperor Bloodline of the Xiao Clan to himself in an attempt to break through the barrier of Dou Di, but unfortunately, he failed.
As the two were talking, ripples suddenly appeared on the calm lake, and then everyone felt an extremely terrifying spatial fluctuation spreading out from the space above the lake.
"Laugh!"
When this terrifying spatial fluctuation reached its peak, an extremely dazzling beam of light suddenly shot out from the bottom of the lake and finally connected with the energy shield of the city.
"Boom!"
The moment the two connected, a thunderous sound suddenly resounded from the space above the lake. Then, amidst shocked gazes, the space was slowly torn apart. After a while, a black spatial gate leading to the unknown depths appeared before the eyes of many.
"The portal to the Ancient World has been opened. Please enter!"
Looking at the enormous spatial gate, Gu Xun smiled slightly and then spoke loudly.
As soon as Gu Xun finished speaking, figures flashed around and appeared in front of the spatial gate. After curiously looking around, the skilled and bold man took the lead and flew into it.
They were quite at ease with the Ancient Clan and weren't worried about what they might do to them.
If it were the Soul Clan, it would probably be a case of whoever enters dies.
Once someone started, the crowd behind them began to stir and started rushing toward the portal one after another. Faced with such a large-scale entry, the portal was like a bottomless pit, and no matter how much it was filled, it did not fluctuate in the slightest.
Let's go too.
Seeing that there was nothing unusual about the spatial gate, Xiao Yuan smiled and then took the lead in walking into the lake, stepping on the water and heading towards the spatial gate. Xiao Yi Xian and the others followed closely behind.
The space gate was heavily guarded by the Black Annihilation Army warriors. Xiao Yuan immediately spotted Ling Quan was at the head of the group, as well as Lin Xiu, the second commander who had appeared that day. As for the third commander, Yang Hao, he did not see him. He was probably recuperating from his injuries, since Xiao Yuan had not held back.
Upon seeing Xiao Yuan and his group arrive, Lin Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly, glanced at the busy Elder Gu Xun, and immediately took a light step to the left, blocking Xiao Yan, who was standing on the left side behind Xiao Yuan.
However, before Xiao Yan could even react to his obstruction, Xiao Yuan changed course and headed straight for Lin Xiu. In the end, the two bodies collided with a soft thud.
"Bang!"
At the moment of impact, a faint, low sound quietly emanated, and the lake water beneath their feet suddenly rippled violently. However, both of them had perfect control over their strength, so this fierce clash did not cause much of a commotion.
"Snort!"
Immediately afterwards, Lin Xiu's face paled slightly. The force emanating from Xiao Yuan's body was terrifyingly violent. A muffled groan came from his throat, and he staggered back three steps on the lake surface. On the last step, his ankle even sank into the lake water.
Clearly, in this clash, the second commander of the Black Annihilation Army suffered a great loss.
Xiao Yuan didn't even glance at Lin Xiu, whose face was extremely ugly, and led his men into the spatial gate.
"Puff!"
The next moment, under the shocked gazes of Ling Quan and some of the Black Annihilation Army, Lin Xiu spat out a mouthful of blood and hurriedly took out a high-grade Healing Pill from his Storage Ring and swallowed it.
His left shoulder was completely shattered.
"Is that guy even human?"
Fear flashed in Lin Xiu's eyes. He now knew why Yang Hao was the way he was.
Xiao Yuan's body is even stronger than that of a magical beast!
"Xiao Yan is my brother, Xiao Yuan's brother. He's not someone you trash can insult at will. Xun'er is my sister and sister-in-law. It's none of your business to worry about her. Your disgraceful level doesn't represent the Ancient Clan!"
Xiao Yuan's voice rang softly in the ears of the Black Annihilation Army's commanders.
Above the boundless azure sky, clouds drifted by, and occasionally a gentle breeze would blow, creating a green wave that stretched to the horizon across the grassland below. "Swoosh!"
Suddenly, a violent fluctuation emanated from the sky, and then a huge, pitch-black spatial gate appeared out of thin air. Subsequently, figures flew out from it one after another, finally standing in this unfamiliar world.
"Is this the Ancient World? The energy of heaven and earth is so dense, it's at least several times stronger than the outside world!"
"As expected of Dou Sheng Expert, such divine power is truly incredible."
As those figures appeared, exclamations of surprise gradually followed.
Amidst everyone's astonishment, Xiao Yuan and his group also emerged from the spatial gate, feeling the rich energy of this world, their faces showing surprise.
"Such strong spiritual energy! If one cultivates here, the progress would probably be twice as fast as outside. This Ancient Clan not only has exceptional talent in cultivation, but also possesses such a blessed land. It's no wonder they are so powerful."
Xiao Yuan grabbed a handful of air and felt the abundant energy of heaven and earth within it, and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"This kind of opened space is almost like another world. Although it is not as large as the Douqi Continent, it is precisely because of this that the energy of heaven and earth is concentrated. Cultivating here can achieve twice the result with half the effort."
Heavenly Flame Venerable nodded and said.
"Boom!"
While Xiao Yuan was talking with Heavenly Flame Venerable, a muffled thunder suddenly sounded in the distant sky. Soon after, everyone saw a large, thick, dark cloud rolling in from all directions.
That is...
Xiao Yuan narrowed his eyes, staring at the dark cloud. After a moment, he raised an eyebrow. "A flying warship?"
When Xiao Yuan discovered the dark cloud, other sharp-eyed individuals also noticed it, and exclamations of surprise rang out. It turned out that the dark cloud was actually formed by dozens of warships flying in the sky. The dark cloud spread around the warships, and from a distance, it looked as if the warships were riding the dark cloud and bringing thunder, creating a magnificent and awe-inspiring sight.
"As expected of the Ancient Clan, such generosity is truly enviable. I should try to get some of these kinds of good stuff myself."
Looking at the approaching warship, Xiao Yuan chuckled.
"Boom!"
Dark clouds, carrying a sky full of thunder, arrived and finally came to a stop on the horizon. An aged voice came from the warship.
"Please board the ship, esteemed guests."
As the aged voice faded, the swirling dark clouds suddenly split open, revealing a crack that led directly to the warship. Upon seeing this, some people hesitated for a moment before leaping aboard a massive warship. Xiao Yuan and his group waited for a while, and seeing no further changes, followed suit.
After boarding the warship, Xiao Yuan and the others realized just how enormous it was. Standing inside, they appeared incredibly small. Throughout the warship, Black Annihilation Army warriors wielding long spears could be seen everywhere, and the defenses were exceptionally tight.
After everyone had boarded the warship, the aged voice rang out again. Immediately afterward, the ship shuddered, and Xiao Yuan immediately sensed that the surrounding space was fluctuating extremely violently. He closed his eyes and sensed it for a moment, his face filled with surprise.
"What an amazing warship, traversing through space."
"Hehe, this kind of warship is something that has been passed down from the Ancient Clan by the ancient race. It is called the Shuttle Void Boat. In terms of speed, even Dou Zun Peak expert probably can't catch up with it. But unfortunately, such things are extremely rare nowadays."
Just as Xiao Yuan was surprised, a laugh suddenly came from behind him.
Xiao Yuan turned his head and saw a white-robed man standing behind him with a smile. On the man's forehead, a lifelike flame mark was slowly burning. This was the same person Xiao Yuan had seen in the tavern and pavilion that day.
"Thank you for informing me, friends from the Yan Clan."
The white-robed man's smile was natural, and Xiao Yuan could sense that he didn't have any ill intentions. So Xiao Yuan smiled back and clasped his hands in greeting.
"Hehe, you're too kind. My name is Huo Xuan."
The man in white robes didn't seem surprised that Xiao Yuan had seen through his identity. Instead, he smiled and introduced himself.
"Xiao Yuan." Xiao Yuan also smiled, but Huo Xuan waved his hand and said, "I naturally know the famous little giant of the Danta, Xiao Yuan. And I have also heard a lot about this Pill Gathering champion, Brother Xiao Yan. The fact that the Xiao Clan can produce two twin stars means that there is hope for its revival."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan bowed to Huo Xuan and nodded with a smile.
"Hehe, thank you for your kind words, Brother Huo Xuan."
Xiao Yuan smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.
Huo Xuan smiled and continued, "To be honest, our two clans have a long history. I wonder if Brother Xiao Yuan's visit to the Ancient World this time is also for the opening of the Heavenly Tomb?"
"The Heavenly Tomb?"
Upon hearing this term, Xiao Yuan remained calm, but Xiao Yan, who was standing beside him, was taken aback.
Seeing Xiao Yan's reaction, Huo Xuan was also taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized and said:
"That was my oversight. Since Senior Xiao Xuan's passing, the Xiao Clan has never come to the Ancient World again. It seems that some things have been lost in the process of inheritance."
"Brother Huo Xuan, could you tell me what this Heavenly Tomb is?"
Xiao Yuan couldn't very well say that he knew everything, so he took the opportunity to let Xiao Yan know about it through Huo Xuan.
"This matter is not a secret to you two, so there's no harm in telling you," Huo Xuan nodded and smiled. "This Heavenly Tomb has existed since ancient times, containing the tombs of many powerful figures, including the tomb of your Ancestor, Tomb of Xiao Xuan."
Xiao Yuan smiled and nodded. One of the most important tasks of his trip to the Ancient Clan was to meet Xiao Xuan, their ancestor.
"The Heavenly Tomb is extremely mysterious. It contains the energy imprints of many ancient powerhouses. Moreover, these imprints have transformed into their former appearances over the years. As long as you defeat them, you can obtain the energy imprints and absorb them to enhance your strength."
Huo Xuan continued.
"You must understand, these energy imprints are equivalent to truly high-grade elixirs, the kind that can be continuously ingested without significantly reducing their effectiveness. Of course, most importantly, time flows much more slowly within the Heavenly Tomb than outside. In fact, five days within the Heavenly Tomb are equivalent to only one day outside."
Upon hearing this, everyone except Xiao Yuan showed expressions of shock. Could there really be such a wondrous place in this world? Five days inside, one day outside—does that mean a month inside is only six days outside? A year inside is only two and a half months outside? "Hehe, the Heavenly Tomb is indeed wondrous, but it also has limitations. It opens once every twenty years, and each time you're inside, the maximum time is three years, which is equivalent to a little over half a year outside," Huo Xuan laughed. "Of course, only members of our Ancient Eight Clans are qualified to enter the Heavenly Tomb. Others don't have that qualification. Speaking of which, you two should also be able to enter."