Tianya City!

Just as the group was preparing to leave, the First Elder suddenly hurried over and said to Xiao Ze, "Young Friend Xiao Ze, please take Zi Yan with you on this trip to the Central Plains."

Looking at Zi Yan's petite and delicate appearance, Xiao Ze smiled and said, "Fine, we'll take her along."

He knew about Zi Yan; as the daughter of the Ancient Void Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun, she possessed the purest royal bloodline.

It was just that her bloodline had yet to awaken, so she still appeared to be a little girl on the outside.

The First Elder said apologetically, "Zi Yan's identity is special; perhaps only the Central Plains can provide the answers she needs. I entrust her to you, Young Friend Xiao Ze."

"Leave everything to me."

"Zi Yan, you must be well-behaved and listen to Young Friend Xiao Ze. The Central Plains is not like our Jia Nan Academy; no one there will indulge you." As they parted, the First Elder watched Zi Yan's mischievous expression and couldn't help but twitch his mouth.

She was fine in every other regard, but her temper was truly beyond praise.

He didn't know if heading to the Central Plains would be good or bad for her, so he could only entrust her to Xiao Ze.

With him protecting her, she shouldn't be able to stir up too much trouble.

"Old man, don't look down on me! I'm a Dou Emperor powerhouse; do you really think I'd be a burden to them?"

Facing the First Elder's slight, Zi Yan immediately widened her eyes and huffed in dissatisfaction.

She had long since grown tired of the Inner Academy; if the old man hadn't forbidden her from leaving, she might have reached the Central Plains long ago.

The First Elder's face darkened, and he dismissively told her to leave at once.

"First Elder, then we shall take our leave."

Seeing this, Xiao Ze also cupped his hands in farewell.

Watching their retreating backs, the First Elder felt a complex mix of emotions.

Surrounded by Xiao Yi Xian, Yun Yun, and Qing Lin, Zi Yan couldn't have been happier.

"Big Sisters, what is the Central Plains like?" Zi Yan's large, sparkling eyes shone as she hugged one of their legs, a display of affection that even made Xiao Ze feel a twinge of jealousy.

However, none of the three women had ever been to the Central Plains, so naturally, they didn't know what it was like.

Immediately, the gazes of all four turned toward Xiao Ze, their eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.

Xiao Ze stood with his hands behind his back, cleared his throat, and said, "In the Central Plains, human factions are roughly divided into the One Hall, One Tower, Two Sects, Three Valleys, and Four Pavilions."

"One Hall, One Tower, Two Sects, Three Valleys, and Four Pavilions?" Repeating the words slowly, the four of them gained a sense of understanding.

"As the pillars of the Central Plains, their strength is unimaginably powerful, and there is no shortage of Dou Saint powerhouses among them."

Although he was now a one-star Dou Zun and could roam the Central Plains, he still had to keep his tail tucked when facing a Dou Saint.

Otherwise, you wouldn't even know how you died.

Even though there was only a one-rank difference between a Dou Saint and a Dou Zun, the chasm between them was like a natural moat.

Those who have not entered the Dou Saint realm are all like ants.

The group had different expressions, their hearts filled with infinite imagination. As the top-tier factions of the Central Plains, they were the holy lands in the hearts of countless people, and naturally, they were eager to experience them.

Under Xiao Ze's lead, the group soon arrived at Tianya City.

As the only place in the Black-Corner Region with a spatial wormhole, one had to enter Tianya City to reach the Central Plains. Otherwise, even though he was a Dou Zun, tearing through space blindly wasn't realistic—after all, he had never been to the Central Plains, let alone had a coordinate to lock onto.

Therefore, for the first time, he had to rely on someone else's spatial wormhole.

Arriving at the Tianqing Mountains, a network of wide roads suddenly appeared in the field of vision of Xiao Ze and the others, stretching out in all directions.

On those roads, countless figures could be seen, and even from a great distance, one could still hear the clamor rising from the ground.

The level of activity was far beyond what Maple City could compare to.

In the sky above the mountains, one could also see many strange-looking flying beasts flapping their wings as they flew into the mountain range.

"We've arrived at Tianya City. Let's rest here for the night and head to the Central Plains tomorrow," Xiao Ze said to those beside him.

"Agreed." The group had no objections.

With a few flashes of movement, the group arrived in the sky above Tianya City.

Looking at the bustling scene, everyone couldn't help but marvel; Tianya City truly lived up to its reputation as a major city.

However, just at that moment, a beam of light suddenly flashed up from the city gate, instantly transforming into an old man in yellow robes.

The old man looked at these few youngsters who didn't know the rules and was about to shout, but seeing them treading on the void with such unbothered confidence, the profanity he was about to unleash was instantly swallowed back into his throat.

His face turned a shade of green and white.

"Everyone, flying is prohibited above Tianya City. I ask that you do not make things difficult for this old man," the old man said with an awkward expression.

None of these individuals were people he could afford to provoke.

"Apologies, it is indeed our first time here," Xiao Ze said to him apologetically.

"No matter, no matter."

"Are you all perhaps looking to use the city's spatial wormhole?" The old man looked at their hurried appearance and asked very politely.

"That's right, we intend to use your city's spatial wormhole to head to the Central Plains," Xiao Ze said bluntly.

"That is rather unfortunate," the old man said, his face twisting into an expression of distress. "The spatial wormhole in this city recently developed some issues, and it is temporarily unavailable."

"However, the ancestor of our Luo Clan is currently gathering manpower, but experts at the Dou Zong level are hard to come by. Would you be willing to lend us a hand?" The old man looked toward the man in the lead and cupped his hands in a salute.

Hearing this, Xiao Ze curled his lips into a faint smile. "Asking a Dou Zun expert to intervene comes at a high price."

As these words fell, they struck like a bolt of lightning. The old man's eyes widened instantly, and he began to mutter incessantly, though it was unclear what he was saying.

The person before him was actually a Dou Zun expert!

The old man felt as if his breathing had become difficult. He had originally assumed that since the other party could tread upon the void, he was merely a Dou Zong expert; he had never expected him to be the far more terrifying Dou Zun!

Since when had such a monstrous figure appeared in their Tianya City?

"Old man, he asked you a question. Why are you standing there like a fool?" Zi Yan felt impatient; they had been standing there for quite a while.

"Apologies, my apologies," the old man hurriedly bowed to apologize.

In his heart, he wished he could slap himself across the face.

To dare intercept a Dou Zun expert—was he tired of living?

"Sir, I am unable to make the call on this matter. Why not come to our estate for a chat and let our Luo Clan ancestor discuss the details with you?" The old man was extremely humble.

A Dou Zun expert was not someone he was qualified to converse with; he had to summon the ancestor of their Luo Clan.

Hearing this, Xiao Ze nodded. Going to the Luo Clan was fine; he could see if there was anything useful there. After all, the soul of Venerable Skyfire was still with him, waiting to have his physical body reshaped.

"Lead the way."

Seeing this, the old man felt a surge of joy. With a Dou Zun expert taking action, a mere spatial wormhole would be easy to handle.

As for the price, the Luo Clan should be able to afford it given their net worth.

Soon, under the old man's guidance, the group spent about half an hour crossing half of Tianya City before finally arriving at the Luo Clan estate.

In front of the estate lay a massive plaza paved with black stone.

The plaza was incredibly vast, constructed entirely from a type of black stone. It exuded a cold, sturdy aura, and at this moment, the area had been cordoned off by numerous Luo Clan guards.

The ancestor of the Luo Clan was currently situated right in the middle of it.