The Search Came Up Empty! A Leap in Life!

"Yes."

The attendant accepted the order and left.

Qian Renxue's gaze returned to the direction of Sunset Forest. The golden pillar of light had already vanished, but traces of that netherworld aura still lingered in the air.

"Could some heavenly treasure have emerged?"

She quietly speculated.

If that was the case...

Then this was getting interesting.

Time flew by.

An hour later.

Outside the valley of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes, Sunset Forest.

Three groups arrived almost one after another.

The Tiandou Imperial Family had dispatched an elite squad led by a Soul Douluo. There were ten of them in total, all direct forces cultivated by the imperial family.

The lineup sent by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was even more impressive.

Sword Douluo Chen Xin personally led the group, accompanied by two additional Soul Douluos and five Soul Saints.

As for the group Qian Renxue sent, they were Spirit Hall elites hidden in the shadows. There were not many of them, only three, but every one was skilled in concealment and reconnaissance.

The three groups encountered one another at the outskirts of Sunset Forest. They exchanged glances without speaking, then entered the forest separately and searched in the direction where the pillar of light had appeared.

However...

One hour later.

Two hours later.

Three hours later.

Dawn broke.

All three groups returned empty-handed.

The Soul Douluo squad from the Tiandou Imperial Family searched the forest for an entire night. They found the approximate area where the pillar had appeared, but apart from a patch of overturned earth and faint energy fluctuations lingering in the air, there was nothing.

There were no heavenly treasures, no Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, not even a decent immortal herb.

Sword Douluo Chen Xin of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect personally acted, sweeping the area within several miles with his spiritual power, yet he found nothing as well.

That earth-shaking aura seemed to have vanished into thin air.

The Spirit Hall elites sent by Qian Renxue had not even managed to locate the exact spot where the pillar had appeared.

It was not because they lacked ability, but because Dugu Bo had deliberately used Netherworld Power to erase most of the traces before leaving.

If a powerhouse at the level of a Titled Douluo wanted to conceal his tracks, it was not something a few Soul Douluos and Soul Saints could possibly trace.

What was more, Dugu Bo now possessed the god-level Martial Soul, the Nine Nether Divine Dragon. His strength was no longer what it had once been.

Heaven Dou City, imperial palace.

After listening to the report, Xue Ye remained silent for a long time.

"Withdraw."

"Yes."

He stood before the window, watching the sky gradually brighten. A trace of exhaustion appeared on his aged face.

They found nothing?

With such a huge disturbance, how could there possibly have been nothing there?

Either that thing had already been taken away.

Or the owner of that power was someone they could not afford to provoke.

Neither possibility was good news for the Tiandou Empire.

"Sunset Forest... We will need to watch it more closely from now on."

Xue Ye murmured softly.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

After hearing Chen Xin's report, Ning Fengzhi frowned deeply.

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing at all."

Chen Xin shook his head. "I thoroughly examined that area. There truly was nothing of value there. Only a patch of overturned soil, as though someone had dug something out."

"Dug out?" Ning Fengzhi's eyes narrowed. "Did someone get there first?"

"Most likely." Chen Xin said, "And that person's strength was no weaker than mine. The energy fluctuations left at the scene were faint, but that aura... was very unusual."

"What kind of aura?"

"I cannot describe it."

A rare look of confusion appeared on Chen Xin's face. "It was not poison, nor was it darkness, yet it felt like a fusion of both. And there was also a trace of... Dragon Might."

"Dragon Might?"

Ning Fengzhi fell into deep thought.

Within the Tiandou Empire, there were only a handful of Soul Masters with dragon-type Martial Souls.

Those capable of possessing Dragon Might were even rarer.

Who could it be?

Crown Prince's Mansion.

As Qian Renxue listened to the attendant's report, the smile at the corner of her lips deepened.

"They found nothing?"

"Yes, Your Highness. That area seemed to have been deliberately cleared. No valuable clues were left behind."

"Interesting. Very interesting."

Qian Renxue turned around, her golden hair tracing a graceful arc through the air.

"To erase all traces beneath Sword Douluo Chen Xin's very eyes, that person must at least be a Titled Douluo."

"And there are only a few Titled Douluos within the Tiandou Empire..."

"Who could it be?"

She walked to the window and looked toward distant Sunset Forest. A flicker of curiosity passed through her golden eyes.

"Whoever it is, that person is worth watching."

"Keep investigating."

"Yes."

The attendant withdrew.

Qian Renxue stood before the window, her fingers lightly tapping against the sill.

The Angel Martial Soul within her trembled faintly, as though warning her.

That direction, that aura, might become an unforeseen variable for her in the future.

And she did not like variables.

Heaven Dou City, Dugu Manor.

The night before dawn was at its darkest, and the entire manor was immersed in silence.

A black shadow silently descended into the rear courtyard, alerting none of the guards.

Dugu Bo had returned.

After leaving the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes, he had not truly returned here right away.

He knew that his Heavenly Tribulation had caused an enormous commotion, so he had deliberately wandered through other parts of the forest to pass the time. At the same time, he secretly watched to see whether anyone had discovered his private garden. If anyone did, he would kill them immediately.

During that time, he had also seen people from the Tiandou Empire, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and undercover Spirit Hall agents searching the area.

But none of them found the place, so he finally returned with ease of mind.

He skillfully bypassed the patrolling guards and entered his private chamber.

Only when the door closed behind him did he truly relax.

What he had experienced that night was nothing short of earth-shattering.

From the Jade Python Snake Emperor to the Nine Nether Divine Dragon; from being gravely ill to brimming with vitality; from rank ninety-two to rank ninety-three; from yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black to black, black, black, black, black, black, black, red, red.

In a single night, he had been completely reborn.

Dugu Bo summoned a servant and ordered hot water to be prepared.

Since his back was turned toward the servant, and the servant kept his head lowered, the servant did not notice Dugu Bo's transformation.

Before long, mist filled the bathing room as warm water washed away the charred grime and dust from his body.

The marks left by the Heavenly Tribulation gradually peeled away with the water, revealing newly regenerated skin beneath.

He closed his eyes and soaked in the bath, feeling every pore in his body open as every cell rejoiced.

Half an hour later, Dugu Bo rose from the bath.

Droplets of water ran down his firm skin. His shoulders were broad and his waist narrow, his muscles smooth but not exaggerated, containing explosive power.

The gaunt, hunched figure he once had was gone forever.

He dried himself and walked to the wardrobe.

His gaze swept over the colorful robes inside.

Green, dark green, jade green—greens of every shade.

Those had been his preferred colors in the past. Combined with the poisonous nature of the Jade Python Snake Emperor Martial Soul, they had indeed suited him well.

But now...