Journey to the Barren Ancient Domain

Xiao Yuan acted swiftly and decisively. Once he made up his mind, he would not linger for a moment and set off immediately for the northeast of Central State. This time, he brought four people with him: Xiao Yan, Cai Lin, Xiao Yi Xian, and Heavenly Flame Venerable.

As for Qing Lian, she is temporarily residing in the Heavenly Serpent Mansion, where the turmoil in the Northwest Continent has caused some unrest within the palace.

The group's strength was basically above the peak of the Nine Stars Dou Zun, so their strength was self-evident. In addition, with Xiao Yuan being an excessively powerful figure, this trip to the Bodhi Ancient Tree was a sure thing.

The Barren Ancient Domain is located outside the northeast of Central State, quite far from where the Starfall Pavilion is located. Therefore, even though Xiao Yuan and the others pushed their speed to the limit and traversed Space Wormhole several times along the way, it was still five days later when they arrived at the northeastern border of Central State.

During their journey, Xiao Yuan and his group encountered a massive influx of people heading in the same direction. Clearly, their destination was the Barren Ancient Domain. This discovery caused Xiao Yuan to sigh inwardly. He hadn't expected the Bodhi Ancient Tree's allure to be so terrifying, making these people forget the horrors of the Barren Ancient Domain. It used to be known as Forbidden Area for humans. Barren Town was the closest human city to the Barren Ancient Domain, but usually, few people lived there, and due to the Barren Ancient Domain's infamous reputation, few ventured there. Therefore, the town was almost perpetually deserted. But now, things were different. The emergence of the Bodhi Ancient Tree had attracted countless people, instantly transforming the once quiet town into a bustling hub of activity. The noise could be faintly heard several miles away.

Xiao Yuan and his group's first stop was this small town called Barren Town. They needed to obtain some information about the Barren Ancient Domain here first, otherwise, rushing in like blind men would probably cause some unnecessary trouble.

Therefore, after arriving at Barren Town, Xiao Yuan first settled everyone in, and then went out to gather intelligence. About two hours later, he reunited with Cai Lin and the others.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Xiao Yuan's expression when they reunited, Cai Lin couldn't help but ask.

"Hmm," Xiao Yuan pondered for a moment, then said, "According to the intelligence I've gathered, it seems that the entire group that entered the Barren Ancient Domain earlier has perished, including some Dou Zun level experts."

Upon hearing Xiao Yuan's words, Cai Lin and the others paled. They were all dead? Was this Barren Ancient Domain truly this ferocious? "What do we do then?"

Xiao Yi Xian frowned slightly as she spoke.

"Tomorrow, some powerful individuals from here will enter together. We'll follow behind that large group. This Barren Ancient Domain, since it's known as Forbidden Area for humans, is certainly not a safe place. Let's follow behind them and observe first."

Xiao Yuan tapped his fingers lightly on the table. This Barren Ancient Domain must have its strange aspects. To truly reach its depths, one must remain calm at all times. Any slight negligence could lead to the complete destruction of an entire team!

Although Xiao Yuan and his group were powerful and had no such worries, they were unwilling to cause trouble for no reason.

The following day, outside the Barren Town, a dense crowd of people gathered, their noises merging into a massive wave that spread far and wide.

Xiao Yuan and his group stood at the back, looking at the crowd of more than several thousand people in front of them. They couldn't help but click their tongues and shake their heads. This was the first time they had ever seen such a large gathering of powerful people.

Not far ahead of this massive crowd lies a primeval forest exuding an ancient aura. Giant trees, hundreds of feet tall, stand like giants, their shade blocking out the sun. Even the sunlight struggles to penetrate. Looking into the depths of the forest, a chilling darkness pervades, occasionally emanating from within, filled with ferocious roars that send shivers down one's spine.

"These guys have all been lured by the Bodhi Ancient Tree and lost their minds."

Xiao Yuan shook his head. The Barren Ancient Domain is known as Forbidden Area for humans. Even Dou Zun expert would face great danger if he entered it. But now, many people here are only at the Dou Zong or even Dou Emperor level. If such people enter the Ancient Domain, they will probably perish here if they encounter any trouble, becoming fertilizer to nourish those towering trees.

"However, this Barren Ancient Domain is indeed quite terrifying."

Xiao Yi Xian said softly, "Under those giant trees that are hundreds of feet tall, everyone felt a sense of insignificance. It was an insignificance in the face of ancient times. After all, this region has always been known as the oldest place on the continent."

Xiao Yuan nodded and withdrew his scanning gaze. There were simply too many people here, and he couldn't find any familiar faces among them. Just as he looked away, the massive crowd began to stir, indicating that these guys were planning to break in.

"Boom!"

Thousands of people ran together, and the earth trembled with a thunderous roar. Amidst shouts, countless figures flashed out and rushed into the silent, ancient land.

Looking at the terrifying commotion these guys were making, Xiao Yuan shook his head, then said softly:

"Let's wait until they've gone most of the way before we set off. Since someone's clearing the way, we can save ourselves some trouble."

Upon hearing this, everyone smiled and nodded.

The group sat in a secluded spot and waited for about half an hour before Xiao Yuan stood up. Looking at the forest, which had become chaotic due to the intrusion of so many people, he waved his hand and said, "Let's go. Everyone be careful!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yuan lightly touched the ground with his toes and transformed into a black shadow, rushing into the ancient forest like lightning. Behind him, Xiao Yan and the others followed closely.

"Laugh!"

The moment Xiao Yuan rushed into the ancient forest, the surrounding light suddenly dimmed, and the smell of decaying leaves permeated from all directions.

Upon entering the forest, Xiao Yuan paused briefly, glancing at the scattered groups of people not far away. He had no intention of stopping to talk to them and continued his darting away.

Xiao Yuan and his group were not slow. In less than ten minutes, they had traveled nearly ten miles. Along the way, there were no special changes. Even if they occasionally encountered one or two ferocious beasts, they would be swarmed by the crowd and instantly chopped into mincemeat.

Although the journey was smooth, Xiao Yuan's brows gradually furrowed. The Barren Ancient Domain was known as Forbidden Area humans, so it couldn't possibly be so peaceful. Even though this was just the edge, things shouldn't have gone so smoothly. Thinking of this, Xiao Yuan gradually became more vigilant and slowed down his pace, simply following the large group of figures ahead at a distance. With these guys as the vanguard, even if something unexpected happened, they would have enough time to react.

Cai Lin and the others understood what Xiao Yuan was thinking, and therefore gradually became more vigilant.

Under their vigilance, the group gradually moved further and further away from the edge of the Barren Ancient Domain. "Swoosh!"

In the dimly lit forest, several figures flashed by, finally stopping abruptly on a giant tree.

"A toxic fog has risen up around us."

Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes swept around. She was most sensitive to poisonous gas, so she noticed it as soon as some poisonous gas appeared in the air.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan and the others were slightly startled. In the Barren Ancient Domain, poisonous miasma was an extremely troublesome matter. If one inhaled too much, even Dou Zun expert would die from the poison.

"Taking these antidote Poison Pill will help resist these poisonous miasmas."

Xiao Yi Xian smiled slightly and handed several scarlet pills to Xiao Yuan and the others. When it came to alchemy, she was indeed no match for Xiao Yuan, but when it came to understanding poisons and toxic gases, probably ten Xiao Yuan couldn't catch up with her.

Xiao Yuan shrugged, took the pill and popped it into his mouth. Just as he was about to speak, a series of shrill screams suddenly came from the crowd in front of him, causing a commotion.

"It seems they've been poisoned."

Xiao Yuan shook his head slightly. The poison gas here was extremely potent. If one's strength was insufficient, inhaling even a small amount could be fatal. These guys had truly tasted the bitter fruit of their arrogance.

Let's go.

Seeing that everyone had taken the Poison Pill, Xiao Yuan said softly, then sped up again. As for those unlucky guys, he didn't have the kindness to save them one by one. Since they couldn't resist their greed and came here, they had to take responsibility for their fate.

As the speed increased, the surrounding poisonous fog became thicker and thicker, and the screams coming from all around became more and more shrill. Later, violent fluctuations of Dou Qi were also heard, indicating that some powerful people who had been poisoned had been driven to the point of losing their minds.

"Boom!"

As Xiao Yuan and his group trudged through the poisonous fog with furrowed brows, a sudden and extremely intense fluctuation of Dou Qi emanated from not far ahead. Sensing this fluctuation, Xiao Yuan raised an eyebrow, slowed down, and appeared on the ground. He looked at a blackened corpse in the open space ahead, whose face still bore traces of fear and regret.

"Dou Zun expert."

Xiao Yuan looked thoughtful, then with a thought, golden Heavenly Flames burst forth from his body, transforming into a fire dragon that enveloped everyone.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Yi Xian asked hurriedly when she saw Xiao Yuan like this.

Xiao Yuan did not answer, but the Heavenly Flames within his body suddenly ignited, eventually sweeping through every part of his body, and the high temperature directly penetrated into his blood vessels.

"Squeak!"

As Xiao Yuan circulated his Heavenly Flames to burn himself, a chilling squeaking sound suddenly rang out from his body, as if countless poisonous insects had been burned to death in an instant.

"This is not a poisonous barrier, but a poisonous insect so tiny that it cannot be seen with the naked eye."

As Xiao Yuan spoke, he flicked his finger, and clumps of black ash shot out from his fingertip—the ash of the poisonous insects that had burrowed into his body.

After expelling the poisonous insects from their bodies, Xiao Yuan quickly swirled Heavenly Flames around his palms and then slapped them directly onto everyone's bodies. The high temperature spread through their skin, and in the end, except for Xiao Yi Xian, a series of squeaking sounds rang out from the bodies of the others, sending chills down their spines.

"These poisonous insects can ignore the protective aura of Dou Qi!"

Seeing this, Xiao Yi Xian also showed a look of realization. These poisonous insects were not as poisonous as her, so they could not possibly survive in her body. They would be poisoned to death as soon as they entered her body, so she naturally could not detect it.

As the golden fire dragon condensed, the poisonous miasma, as if startled, retreated repeatedly, making way for it.

"This layer of poisonous miasma alone is enough to keep eighty percent of people out. This Barren Ancient Domain truly lives up to its reputation."

"After dispelling the poisonous miasma," Xiao Yuan said with a smile.

"Hey, but that alone won't stop us!"

Xiao Yuan clenched his fist, his eyes burning as he gazed intently into the depths of the ancient domain. He figured that some powerful individuals had already successfully entered, so he had to speed things up as well. He was determined to get the Bodhi Heart this time!

Even in the poisonous miasma-filled forest, the piercing screams still echoed from afar, creating an extremely eerie atmosphere.

"Laugh!"

Suddenly, a whooshing sound rang out from within the dense poisonous miasma, and a faint flame appeared. Strangely, when the flame appeared, the surrounding poisonous miasma seemed to be startled and automatically retreated, making way for a clear, empty path.

"It seems these poisonous insects are quite afraid of the Heavenly Flames."

Xiao Yi Xian looked at the road that had automatically split open ahead, smiled slightly, and said.

"Most poisonous insects are cold and yin, while Heavenly Flames is extremely yang and intense, so they are naturally afraid of it."

Xiao Yuan smiled and glanced back at the massive group of thousands of people behind him. Of those people, probably less than one-tenth were actually able to get through this strange and poisonous miasma.

"The Barren Ancient Domain truly lives up to its name."

Xiao Yuan sighed again in his heart. This was only the outer perimeter. He really didn't know what kind of troublesome obstacles he would encounter if he went deeper into the area.

"The poisonous miasma is gradually thinning out; it seems we'll be getting out of this area soon."

Xiao Yan looked around at the clearer view than before and said.

"Hmm, let's speed things up. This seclusion has slowed things down considerably. People from some of the major powers in Central State have probably already entered the central part of the Barren Ancient Domain."

Xiao Yuan nodded, his toes barely touching the ground, and his figure shot out like an arrow. Behind him, several figures followed in the lightning speed.

Xiao Yan's perception was correct. As the group ventured deeper into the area, the surrounding poisonous miasma thinned out, and eventually, it completely disappeared.

Having broken free of the poisonous miasma, Xiao Yuan and his companions leaped onto a nearby boulder. A glance ahead revealed a massive Heavenly Rift, hundreds of feet long, stretching before them. This Heavenly Rift was incredibly deep, shrouded in poisonous gas, its end invisible. Beyond the Heavenly Rift lay an endless mountain range, towering Wan Ren high, like giant dragons coiled around each other. An ancient, primordial aura emanated from it, permeating the entire landscape.

That place is the true Barren Ancient Domain!