Just as Old Wang had expected, not long after he and Xiao Li left, several groups of people gradually followed after them.
Once Xiao Li and Old Wang had traveled far from Xuan Ye City, Old Wang suddenly stopped. A strange axe appeared in his hand.
"Teacher, have they arrived?" Xiao Li naturally understood what his teacher's actions meant. A large red-and-white sword appeared in his hand as well. Its bright, translucent blade was etched with flame patterns.
The sword's guard was exceptionally broad, and it could be opened. Inside was a compartment used to store Fire Attribute Magical Cores.
This sword, Heavenly Fierce, was presumably an excellent work of an ancient Weapon Refiner. Unfortunately, the inheritance of Weapon Refiners on the Dou Qi Continent was nowhere near as complete as that of Alchemists.
"Li'er, they're here. Two Dou Emperors, one Two-Star and one Three-Star; eight Dou Kings; over a dozen Dou Lings. There are too many Da Dou Shis to count." Old Wang's Soul Force had already detected the enemy's numbers.
"Uh, that many? Teacher, two Dou Emperors alone are enough to keep you busy. Wouldn't the rest be able to chop me into minced meat?" Xiao Li said with a bitter expression.
"Not enough meat on you!" Old Wang still had the mood to joke. "Ahem, enough joking. Everyone ahead is an enemy, but since this old man stopped, it naturally means our allies have arrived. Old Man Su, shouldn't you show yourself now?"
Crack—
A small rift suddenly opened in the void.
"Hehe, Old Wang, I didn't expect your Soul Perception to still be so astonishing." An aged voice came from the void. An elderly man in black robes stepped out from it alongside a middle-aged man dressed in black.
The middle-aged man had a pair of Dou Qi Wings behind his back, while the elder at the front was Stepping on the Void as he slowly walked toward Old Wang.
"Stepping on the Void—a Dou Ancestor Expert!"
This was Xiao Li's first time seeing a Dou Ancestor Expert. On the Northwest Continent, a Dou Zong stood at the very peak. A Dou Zong was the dividing line between ordinary cultivators and true powerhouses; only after entering the Dou Zong realm could one be considered a powerhouse of the continent.
"You old fellow actually broke through to the Dou Zong realm? Good. Help this old man wipe out all these enemies." Old Wang's tone was somewhat sharp. He was clearly still angry.
"You old bastard, you want this old man to be your hired thug? You're the first Dou Emperor who's dared to order a Dou Zong around!" Su Qian said irritably.
Seeing the two speak like this, they must have shared a deep friendship. Wu Tianlang had not expected the Great Elder to know this mysterious Alchemist.
Xiao Li, meanwhile, had not expected his teacher to have acquaintances everywhere. Perhaps once they reached the Central Continent, his teacher would know people there too.
"We can talk later. Let's cut off these tails first, then discuss matters once we reach Peace Town. While we're at it, introduce this young and promising little fellow to me. His Bone Age is around sixteen or seventeen, yet he's already a Three-Star Dou Ling—more monstrous than even the little ones in the Inner Academy!"
Su Qian's gaze fell upon Xiao Li, and his eyes practically shone as though he were examining some rare treasure.
"Uh, Senior, please don't look at me like that. That gaze of yours is making me a little scared." Goosebumps rose all over Xiao Li's body. Being stared at by an old man like that was rather unsettling.
"Ahem, Old Man Su, deal with these tails. This old man has important matters to discuss with you as well." Old Wang coughed.
"Hey! Hand over your pills and Storage Rings, and I can spare your—"
Splat—
The speaking Dou Emperor's head was split open like a shattered watermelon.
Splat, splat, splat, splat—
In only a few breaths, Su Qian had dealt with every enemy. Two low-level Dou Emperors and a few Dou Kings were not even enough to warm him up.
"So this is a Dou Zong? Truly impressive." Old Wang sighed.
Xiao Li, meanwhile, ran over to loot the bodies. After all, these people were more or less powerhouses of the Black Horn Region, so they had to possess some wealth. It would be a waste not to take it.
After Xiao Li collected all the Storage Rings, he returned to Old Wang's side.
"Let's go."
The four of them departed, heading toward Peace Town of Jia Nan Academy.
Not long afterward,
Several more groups of powerhouses arrived, but all they found was a scene of devastation.
"Heavens, two Dou Emperors and several Dou Kings are all dead. Even their Storage Rings are gone. Just what faction did this?"
After flying for an entire day, Xiao Li saw a faintly visible town in the gap between two majestic mountains in the distance.
"Alright, we've reached Peace Town. We'll enter on foot from here." Su Qian said with a smile.
Jia Nan Academy had an unwritten rule: within a hundred li of the academy, no one was allowed to fly through the air without permission. Otherwise, they would invite attack!
As the Great Elder of the Inner Academy, Su Qian naturally had to set an example. Peace Town was very safe, after all. As for anyone who dared cause trouble here... hehe, they would soon get to see one of Jia Nan Academy's famous sights.
The moment Xiao Li stood at the entrance of Peace Town, a strange sight greeted him.
It was an odd, pitch-black tree. Its canopy spread in every direction like clawing talons, and even beneath the sunlight, it gave off a faintly chilling air.
Between the branches, corpses had been impaled and hung directly upon them. When the breeze blew, they swayed back and forth, producing creaking sounds that made one's scalp tingle.
"Hiss... that's a little creepy!" Xiao Li sucked in a breath. This bizarre scene had somewhat exceeded the limits of what he could bear, and he felt like vomiting.
This tree was called the Death Spirit Tree!
The eerie aura seeping from this strange Death Spirit Tree made the people gathered at the town entrance feel a chill deep in their bones.
Within the Black Horn Region, the Death Spirit Tree's reputation was enough to strike fear into the hearts of its people. More than a decade ago, a certain faction of the Black Horn Region had fought a bloody battle with Jia Nan Academy.
No one knew the reason for the war. They only knew that after that bloody battle, two Dou Kings and one Dou Emperor Expert had been hung from the old tree in Peace Town.
Thus, this tree came to be known as the Death Spirit Tree.
From that point onward, the area surrounding Jia Nan Academy became a peaceful zone utterly out of place with the outside world. No powerhouse of the Black Horn Region dared enter these towns with murderous intent anymore. Even when occasional disturbances occurred, the troublemakers would become corpses impaled upon the Death Spirit Tree within less than an hour.
At that moment, Xiao Li looked at the corpses swaying in the wind upon the Death Spirit Tree like hanging dolls. It was truly chilling.
"Li'er, do you know why Jia Nan Academy can nurture geniuses in a chaotic place like the Black Horn Region? It relies on overwhelming strength! Only a place like this can produce geniuses!"
Old Wang said with a smile. He had visited Jia Nan Academy many times and seen quite a few geniuses. Now, he was bringing out the little genius he had personally raised to compete with the geniuses from all across the continent!
"Oh? Old Wang, do you intend to let this little fellow join Jia Nan Academy?" Su Qian suddenly asked with interest.
"Of course. My disciple is gifted and intelligent. At sixteen, he has already reached the Three-Star Dou Ling realm. Tell me, when has Jia Nan Academy ever had such a genius?
"However, some people seem utterly ordinary in the early stages, only to mature late and soar into the heavens afterward. Others have smooth sailing early on, only to die before they can truly rise.
"Li'er, remember this: never underestimate anyone. There are always greater people beyond people, and greater heavens beyond the heavens."
Old Wang's tone was extremely serious. Perhaps he had once been that kind of person himself—smooth sailing in his early years, displaying extraordinary talent, only to have his entire family slaughtered.
"This disciple understands!" Xiao Li nodded heavily. Everyone has their moment of glory; never mistake one moment for forever. Wasn't the Xiao Tribe the same once?
Before you continue