The next day.
In the lush Ancient Forest, Holding Up the Heavens ancient trees stand tall. Through the dense foliage, beams of sunlight pierce through the gaps, illuminating the ground and forming round spots of light, just like the bright stars in the night sky.
Meanwhile, in the forest, beneath a particularly tall ancient tree, in a spacious tree hollow, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged. As the Flame Mantra Technique within his body slowly circulated, strands of Tienti energy seemed to be drawn towards Xiao Yan's body in the tree hollow, as if by some force.
After Formation Plate Xiao Yan Xiao Yan, the chaotic energy of heaven and earth gradually seeped into his body through the pores of his black robe. Following the path of the Flame Mantra Technique, it quietly circulated and, after a full cycle of refinement, was further refined by the Heavenly Flames until it solidified into a drop of pure Dou Qi water, which then merged into the space within the Qi vortex.
This repeated refining continued for a long time until it was already bright daylight. Only then did Xiao Yan emerge from his cultivation state. His eyes, which had been closed all night, slowly opened at this moment. The instant he opened them, a very subtle glint of light flashed from the depths of his pupils.
Opening his eyes, Xiao Yan exhaled a breath of stale air that had been trapped in his chest all night. Then, he glanced at his surroundings, a smile playing on his lips. He shook his head slightly, stood up, and stepped out of the tree hole.
Stepping out of the tree hollow, Xiao Yan's thoughts stirred, and the dazzling flames that were still floating in mid-air instantly transformed into several streams of light, which disappeared into Xiao Yan's body in the blink of an eye.
With the ancient tree protecting him, Xiao Yan Xiao Yan was indeed undisturbed by any sound all night. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, thinking that this guy was really going all out to survive.
As Xiao Yan chuckled inwardly, the miniature, terrified body of the One-Horned Whale Serpent slowly appeared in the void beside him.
"Heh heh, you've certainly done your duty. In that case, we'll spare your life."
Looking at the ancient tree in front of him, the One-Horned Whale Serpent chuckled. It had guessed about 70-80% of what Xiao Yan was thinking.
"Splash..."
Upon hearing this, the ancient tree, which had been silent all night, began to shake violently, and a look of sullenness appeared in its pair of emerald green beast eyes.
However, it then turned its gaze to Xiao Yan. Although the One-Horned Whale Serpent had already spoken, after this incident, it understood that the human in black robes was clearly the one in charge between the two. The final decision-making power was still in the hands of this human, including its own life and death.
Thinking of this, the ancient tree's heart, which had just settled, immediately tightened again. Xiao Yan, seeing this, also sensed something, smiled calmly, then turned around, raising his hand slightly as he spoke to the One-Horned Whale Serpent:
"Alright, I've had a good night's rest, it's time for me to leave. Also, thank you for your hospitality."
At the end of his sentence, when Xiao Yan said the word "hospitality," his tone became slightly more forceful. This caused the ancient tree, which had just relaxed, to tense up again, letting out two low growls in frustration. Then, Xiao Yan and the One-Horned Whale Serpent slowly disappeared from sight under the latter's awe-inspiring gaze.
After a night's rest, Xiao Yan's aura had noticeably recovered. Over the next few days, Xiao Yan and the One-Horned Whale Serpent continued their journey deeper into the ruins, traveling by day and resting by night. Along the way, Xiao Yan discovered many traces left by Dou Di experts who had passed through. Judging from the length of time those traces had been there, Xiao Yan and his companion's travel speed was not much different.
After four consecutive days of cultivation, Xiao Yan's injuries had fully healed, and his strength, which had just broken through to the Middle Six-Star Half-Emperor, had also been completely stabilized. In addition, the Northern King in his Storage Ring had also fully recovered his strength. This meant that Xiao Yan now had two Dou Di experts by his side, and with Xiao Yan's strength far exceeding his own level, the only people in the entire ruins who could probably swallow up their group were probably the members of the Four Great Clans.
Finally, after four days of continuous travel, at noon on the fifth day, Xiao Yan, carrying the One-Horned Whale Serpent, finally emerged from the vast Ancient Forest behind them.
As Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan in black robes, was fully bathed in sunlight, his field of vision widened Xiao Yan. After flying forward a short distance, a massive, Old Gu palace finally came into view.
"It seems this must be the main hall."
He murmured softly to himself, and at the same time, Xiao Yan's gaze fell upon the main hall before him.
The entire hall is golden in color, with the golden light of the glazed tiles covering the Old Gu hall, making the whole hall look magnificent and imposing.
The same golden flagstones paved a wide road, seemingly welcoming guests.
Xiao Yan moved swiftly, his feet landing on the golden road.
The moment Xiao Yan Xiao Yan, an aura filled with ancient Old Gu emanated from the golden stone slab beneath his feet, and an extremely powerful pressure descended upon Xiao Yan's head.
Although the oppressive aura lasted only a moment, Xiao Yan's expression under the black robe instantly turned horrified. He couldn't help but feel a deep sense of awe for the owner of this ruin. Just how powerful must this person be to leave behind such a terrifying aura and oppressive aura even after so many years since their fall!
Immediately, Xiao Yan, having regained his senses, stopped dawdling and leaped towards the magnificent hall before him.
A short while later, Xiao Yan finally arrived in front of the main hall. At this moment, a considerable number of people had already gathered outside the hall. Although Xiao Yan's arrival was not late, it was certainly not early either.