On New Year's Eve, after using White Dragon Breaks the Night, Xiao Yan broke through to rank forty-seven without a hitch. He then spent several more days in seclusion in the cultivation room.
By the time he finished cultivating and came out, the lively New Year atmosphere had all but faded.
Though Xiao Yan wasn't there to supervise her, Xiao Xiao still cultivated for six hours every day before going out to stroll the streets.
Xiao Zhan, meanwhile, took advantage of the New Year to handle some specific family affairs and set the course for the year ahead.
Three days passed like this.
Afraid Xiao Xiao would be too heartbroken, Xiao Yan said goodbye only to his father, Xiao Zhan, and Uncle Zhong, then left Xiaoshan City under cover of night.
Beneath the pitch-black sky, Xiaoshan City looked especially imposing, and the lights atop its walls flickered in the wind.
Only after he had walked outside the city did Xiao Yan's steps slow of their own accord.
Even from a great distance, Xiao Yan could still clearly sense a familiar petite figure atop the city wall.
Who else could it be but Xiao Xiao?
Xiao Yan had noticed someone following him from the moment he left home. Once he realized it was Xiao Xiao, he said nothing.
He knew that although Xiao Xiao seemed lively and cheerful and loved to cling to him, she might not be able to keep from being sad when the time came to part.
He just hadn't expected the stubborn little girl to follow him all the way here.
Xiao Yan raised his head and looked toward the figure atop the wall.
Xiao Xiao stood on the wall, waving at him with all her might.
She had already decided to see her brother off cheerfully when he left, but now that the moment had come, she couldn't bring herself to be happy.
But she also knew that her brother was leaving to cultivate more effectively and carry out his own plans, so she, as his little sister, couldn't hold him back.
As she watched that familiar figure gradually recede, the reluctance to part and attachment Xiao Xiao had held inside for so long still surged to the surface.
Her eyes gradually reddened.
Xiao Xiao hurriedly lowered her head and covered her mouth with one hand, stifling her sobs.
But the tears still betrayed her, sliding down her cheeks.
She was already a rank thirty-six Soul Elder, already strong... so why was she still...
At that moment, Xiao Xiao felt as though she had returned to her childhood.
Brother!
"I'll make you happy for me! I'll make you proud of me!"
Xiao Xiao pursed her lips, brushed away her tears, and raised her head high.
But Xiao Yan had turned away decisively, and he didn't stop.
As he turned his back, he let out a soft sigh.
That girl...
With his back to Xiaoshan City, Xiao Yan gave a gentle wave.
He walked deeper into the darkness, until the pitch-black night swallowed him whole and he vanished from sight.
A ray of light illuminated the darkness on the mountain path. Heaven and earth grew clear as a dazzling dawn arrived.
The journey from the Star Luo Empire to the Sun Moon Empire couldn't be made in a day or two. Both countries covered vast territories, and one had to pass through several cities, as well as stretches of wilderness and mountain roads, before reaching their border.
Joining a large merchant caravan and riding in their vehicles would save him considerable trouble, but it would inevitably restrict his travel plans.
Xiao Yan wasn't traveling for pleasure, though. He was doing it to temper himself, and this was also a necessary part of growing up.
Besides, the hardships of travel were nothing much to a Soul Master.
Over the next month, Xiao Yan made his way through several cities.
He traveled by day. At night, if he was near a city, he would go inside to rest and replenish his dry rations. If he was still far from a city, he would rest where he was in the wilderness.
In every city he reached, he learned about local affairs, paying particular attention to matters concerning Soul Masters and Soul Tools.
But the Star Luo Empire was ultimately unlike the Sun Moon Empire. Traditional Soul Masters held the dominant position here.
Although most Soul Masters knew about Soul Tools, they still regarded them as external aids, far from treating them as a new path for Soul Masters as the Sun Moon Empire did.
Xiao Yan wasn't surprised by this. Time would prove everything.
As Xiao Yan pressed onward, the scenery along the way changed as well.
Prosperous cities grew fewer and farther between, replaced by rolling hills and vast plains. Occasionally, he would come across a merchant caravan or two making its way along the road.
Xiao Yan also encountered several merchant caravans on the road that had just returned from the direction of the Sun Moon Empire.
He took the opportunity during rest stops to chat with some of the merchants. Although the two countries had established normal relations, crossing the border was still no simple matter.
Merchant caravans carrying large quantities of goods had to submit to inspections by the troops at both countries' passes, who checked their cargo manifests against the travel documents issued by the state.
A Soul Master traveling alone did not have to undergo the same cumbersome checks as a merchant caravan, but still had to prove his identity and state his purpose for entering the country.
This was much the same as what he had wanted to learn.
Half a month later.
Xiao Yan finally reached the outskirts of the Ming Dou Mountain Range. Looking up from the foot of the mountains, he saw green peaks stretching on and on, ridges rising one behind another.
The towering peaks were like giant swords piercing straight into the clouds. Clouds and mist curled among them, separating the lands on either side.
This was the longest mountain range stretching across the Douluo Continent and the Sun Moon Continent.
The range had formed when the two continental plates collided, and could be called a barrier between the two great empires.
For an ordinary person, crossing such a mountain range was no easy feat.
For an ordinary person, crossing such a mountain range was no easy feat.
Even leaving aside whether there were Soul Beasts within, the steep, rugged mountain paths alone were all but impassable for an ordinary person.
However, travel between the empires had continued for over a thousand years, and many trade routes had been developed to allow goods to pass between them.
These passes were built against the mountains, making it convenient to control the flow of goods and even easier for officials of both countries to inspect people and cargo crossing the border.
Xiao Yan's destination on this journey was called Wind Mausoleum Pass.
"It should be just ahead."
Xiao Yan took out his map and checked his direction. Once he was sure, he put it away and continued along the mountain road.
The farther the King of Yue followed the mountain road, the more travelers appeared, and the smoother the road became.
There were merchant caravans laden with goods, young nobles riding Soul Beasts, and Soul Masters dressed in fitted clothes with Soul Tools at their waists.
They were scattered along the mountain road, keeping a certain safe distance from one another.
Occasionally, a caravan would stop to rest, and people would take out water skins and dry rations. Others would take the opportunity to exchange information with fellow travelers.
Occasionally, a caravan would stop, and its members would take out water skins and dry rations to eat during the break. At such times, some would take the opportunity to exchange information and trade with others who had also stopped to rest.
Xiao Yan didn't approach anyone to talk. He simply observed his surroundings in silence as he walked on.
He did notice, however, that the closer he got to the border between the two countries, the more military patrols there were on the road. Anyone whose identity seemed suspicious would be taken away for questioning.
That was only natural. After all, this was the boundary between the two countries. A great many people came and went, a jumble of honest folk and shady characters, and there was no telling whether Evil Soul Masters might be hiding among the crowd.
Without enough strength to maintain order, cargo disputes and bandit trouble alone would be enough to plunge the place into chaos.
Without enough strength to guard the border, that alone would be enough to cause unrest along it and give rise to a chaotic faction.