121: The situation changes suddenly, the ancestral land calls

Pill Tower core, deliberation hall. The atmosphere in the hall was solemn, with projections of the three giants, Xuan Kongzi, Heavenly Thunder Master, and Mysterious Robe, gathered together. Below them sat several Inner Academy elders with profound auras.

When Xiao Chen stepped into the hall, everyone’s gaze instantly focused on him, filled with relief, astonishment, and a hint of unconcealed solemnity.

“Disciple Xiao Chen greets Master and all the elders.” Xiao Chen bowed respectfully, his gaze calm.

“Good! Good! Good!” Xuan Kongzi stroked his beard and laughed heartily, his eyes full of admiration. “Heavenly Realm Soul! A Heavenly Realm Soul at twenty years old! Chen’er, you’ve surprised your master once again!” Although he was only a projection, his heartfelt joy was incredibly genuine.

Heavenly Thunder Master, with faint lightning flickering around him, nodded and said, “His aura is steady, his soul is as profound as an abyss, and his foundation is solid. Not bad.”

Mysterious Robe’s beautiful eyes swept over him, and she said softly, “It seems the seclusion in the star tower yielded great results.”

Xiao Chen humbly replied, “It’s all thanks to Master’s guidance and the sect’s resources.”

After the pleasantries, Xuan Kongzi’s expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, “Chen’er, during your seclusion, the situation in Central Plains has drastically changed!”

He waved his sleeve, and a light screen appeared, displaying a map of the Central Plains. It was marked with dense red dots and arrows, making the strategic map even more complex and perilous than before!

“Due to its defeat in Heavenly Secret Ancient City, the Soul Hall, enraged and humiliated, has officially allied with the Heavenly Nether Sect and Ice River Valley, forming the ‘Pill Extermination Alliance’!” Xuan Kongzi’s tone was heavy. “The Alliance’s power is immense, and it has begun to fully suppress our Pill Tower and its allies! Many strongholds in the Northern Region have been eradicated, and our affiliated forces have suffered heavy losses! Along the Central Region border, skirmishes are constant, and a major war is on the verge of breaking out!”

Xiao Chen’s eyes narrowed, “Pill Extermination Alliance? The Soul Hall has finally shown its true colors.”

“Not only that,” Heavenly Thunder Master interjected, his voice carrying the wrath of thunder, “the Soul Hall Master, Hun Tiandi (projection), has personally spoken, and the bounty has been increased again! Anyone who captures or kills you, or provides your exact whereabouts, will be rewarded with a low-tier Heaven Rank cultivation technique scroll, an eighth-grade medicinal pill, and a position of real power as a Vice Hall Master of the Soul Hall! Now, throughout the entire Central Plains, countless desperate individuals are searching for your whereabouts!”

Mysterious Robe added, “What’s more troubling is that the Heavenly Secret Pavilion has been unusually active recently, seemingly in secret contact with the Soul Hall. This pavilion has extensive intelligence; if it’s used by the Soul Hall, your movements will be difficult to conceal.”

The severity of the situation far exceeded Xiao Chen’s expectations! The Soul Hall was determined to kill him at all costs, even if it meant igniting a war that would sweep across the Central Plains!

“Is it because of my Xiao Clan bloodline, and… the inheritance of Heavenly Secret Ancient City?” Xiao Chen calmly analyzed.

“Precisely.” Xuan Kongzi nodded. “The Xiao Clan bloodline is related to the mystery of Origin Qi, and the Heavenly Secret inheritance might touch upon ancient secrets. These are all things the Soul Hall is determined to obtain. Now that your wings are growing, they are naturally resorting to desperate measures.”

Xiao Chen was silent for a moment, then looked up and said, “Master, elders, I have something to report.” He then recounted his experience of sensing an abnormal fluctuation in the Xiao Clan Ancestral Land’s imprint while in the star tower.

“A summons from the Xiao Clan Ancestral Land?” Upon hearing this, Xuan Kongzi and the others’ expressions all changed!

“Yun Shen Mountain Range… that’s a forbidden land that even Dou Saints dare not easily venture into!” an elder exclaimed.

Xuan Kongzi pondered, “An ancestral land summons is no small matter. It might be related to your bloodline’s complete awakening and your achievement of the Heavenly Realm Soul. It might hide the key to the Xiao Clan’s rise and fall, and even… clues to Origin Qi!” He looked sharply at Xiao Chen, “Chen’er, what are your intentions?”

Xiao Chen’s gaze was firm: “This disciple must go! The ancestral land concerns the fate of our clan; even if it’s a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair, I must venture in!”

“Good! You have courage!” Heavenly Thunder Master praised. “However, the Yun Shen Mountain Range is fraught with danger; it’s too perilous for you to go alone.”

Xuan Kongzi deliberated for a moment and said, “This matter is of great importance; our Pill Tower cannot stand by idly. How about this, Chen’er, take my token and you can go to the Starfall Pavilion for help. Venerable Feng, the Pavilion Master of Starfall Pavilion, and I have a deep friendship. His pavilion has an ancient star map of the Yun Shen Mountain Range, which might be helpful to you. Moreover, Feng Xian, the Young Pavilion Master of Starfall Pavilion, also has some acquaintance with you and can accompany you for mutual support.”

“Starfall Pavilion?” Xiao Chen’s heart stirred. He had met Feng Xian once in Heavenly Secret Ancient City; he was an upright person with considerable strength.

“Additionally,” Mysterious Robe took out a silver talisman emitting spatial fluctuations and handed it to Xiao Chen, “this is a Splitting Space Talisman. At a critical moment, it can tear space apart, allowing you to flee tens of thousands of miles, but it can only be used once. Keep it safe for emergencies.”

“Thank you, Elder Mysterious Robe!” Xiao Chen solemnly accepted it. This was a valuable life-saving item.

“There’s no time to lose; you should set off immediately for the Starfall Pavilion.” Xuan Kongzi finally instructed, “Remember, preserving yourself is paramount! Regarding the ancestral land, act within your capabilities! The Pill Tower will always be your backing!”

“This disciple understands! I will not fail you!” Xiao Chen bowed, no longer delaying, and turned to stride out of the deliberation hall.

Watching Xiao Chen’s departing figure, Xuan Kongzi’s eyes flashed with a hint of worry: “Yun Shen Mountain Range… I hope this boy has good fortune.”

Heavenly Thunder Master snorted coldly: “A young eagle must always learn to soar on its own. After this trial, if he can return, he will truly grow into a towering giant!”

...Leaving the Pill Tower Holy Domain, Xiao Chen immediately concealed his aura and changed his appearance, transforming into an ordinary Dou Huang cultivator. He blended into the crowd and headed towards “Heavenly Star City,” where the Starfall Pavilion was located. He dared not use spatial teleportation to avoid attracting attention.

Along the way, he clearly felt that the atmosphere in the Central Region had become much more tense. City checkpoints were strictly inspected, and Soul Hall and Heavenly Nether Sect patrol teams occasionally flew overhead, carrying a murderous aura. News of the “Pill Extermination Alliance” and Xiao Chen’s sky-high bounty had already spread like wildfire. Xiao Chen even sensed several faint soul powers secretly scanning passersby, clearly Soul Hall scouts.

“The Soul Hall’s net is cast wide enough.” Xiao Chen sneered inwardly. With the profundity of his Heavenly Realm Soul, he easily evaded all detection, proceeding without incident.

Days later, a majestic Star City appeared on the horizon. The entire city seemed to be constructed from countless star fragments, shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight. Above the city, a huge star-light barrier enveloped it, emitting powerful energy fluctuations. This was the headquarters of the Starfall Pavilion—Heavenly Star City!

Xiao Chen paid the entrance fee and successfully entered the city. The city’s architecture was unique, mostly adopting streamlined designs and inlaid with various luminous crystals. The streets were bustling with people, whose auras were generally strong, with cultivators practicing star-attribute cultivation techniques being the majority.

Following the contact method given by Xuan Kongzi, he found an inn called “Star-Gazing Tower.” This tower was an asset of the Starfall Pavilion and also a secret contact point.

After presenting Xuan Kongzi’s token, Xiao Chen was respectfully invited into a quiet room on the top floor. Soon, the door to the quiet room opened, and a handsome young man in a star-robe with bright eyes quickly entered. It was Feng Xian!

“Brother Xiao! It really is you!” Feng Xian’s face lit up with surprise upon seeing Xiao Chen. He quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands, “Since our farewell in Heavenly Secret Ancient City, Brother Xiao’s demeanor has become even more impressive! I heard Brother Xiao broke through to the Heavenly Realm Soul; truly congratulations are in order!”

“Brother Feng is too polite.” Xiao Chen returned the greeting, sensing that Feng Xian’s aura was even more refined, having reached Peak Eight-star Dou Zong, not far from Nine-star, his progress also remarkably swift.

The two sat down, and Feng Xian’s expression turned serious: “Senior Xuan Kongzi has already informed me of Brother Xiao’s intentions. The Yun Shen Mountain Range is a place of great peril; is Brother Xiao certain he wants to go?”

Xiao Chen nodded: “The ancestral land summons, I must go. I heard your esteemed pavilion has a star map of the Yun Shen Mountain Range, so I came to seek assistance.”

Feng Xian pondered, “The star map does exist. It was left by our Starfall Pavilion ancestors and records the celestial trajectories and spatial nodes of some areas on the outer periphery of the mountain range, which might help avoid some natural dangers. However, the depths of the mountain range are not recorded on the star map, and the dangers are unpredictable.” He paused, then sincerely said, “If Brother Xiao insists on going, I, Feng, am willing to accompany you! More people mean more support!”

Xiao Chen was somewhat surprised; he hadn’t expected Feng Xian to be so righteous. The Yun Shen Mountain Range had a notorious reputation, and ordinary people avoided it.

“Brother Feng, this journey is extremely perilous, you…”

“Brother Xiao, there’s no need to say more.” Feng Xian waved his hand to interrupt, smiling, “Our Starfall Pavilion cultivates the Way of Stars, and we inherently have an interest in exploring places like the Yun Shen Mountain Range where the starry sky is chaotic. Moreover, adventuring alongside a talent like Brother Xiao is also a pleasure! Besides, I’ve long disliked those scoundrels from the Soul Hall!”

Seeing Feng Xian’s firm attitude, Xiao Chen no longer declined, feeling grateful in his heart: “Since that’s the case, then many thanks, Brother Feng!”

“There’s no time to lose; we’ll make some preparations and set off immediately!” Feng Xian was resolute and efficient.

Half an hour later, Xiao Chen and Feng Xian quietly left Heavenly Star City, heading west towards the Yun Shen Mountain Range, a place rumored to be feared even by Dou Saints!

And shortly after they left, in a certain shadow outside Heavenly Star City, a figure shrouded in a black robe slowly appeared. He crushed a communication jade talisman in his hand, his cold gaze directed westward.

“The target has appeared, heading… Yun Shen Mountain Range. Inform Lord Heavenly Venerate; we can cast the net now.”

A more perilous trap, specifically targeting Xiao Chen, had already been quietly laid at the entrance of the Yun Shen Mountain Range! And Xiao Chen’s journey to his ancestral land was destined to be anything but peaceful!