142: Journey to the Ancient Realm, Secret of Heaven

Leaving the Pill Tower Holy Domain, Xiao Chen and Feng Xian did not head directly to the Ancient World. Instead, they first detoured to Starfall Pavilion and had a half-day secret discussion with Venerable Feng, acquiring more intelligence about the ancient clans and the Yan Clan.

As the Pavilion Master of Starfall Pavilion, Venerable Feng had extensive connections and knew a great deal about ancient races.

"The ancient clans have been reclusive for a long time. Their clan land, the Ancient World, is located deep within the 'Endless Ice Plains' in the far north of the Central Region. Its entrance is hidden by a powerful spatial barrier, making it extremely difficult to find," Venerable Feng said with a solemn expression.

"Within the ancient clans, it's not a monolithic entity. There are radical factions advocating for their emergence to resist the Soul Hall, and conservative factions insisting on remaining reclusive for self-preservation. The current Ancient Clan Patriarch, Gu Yuan, possesses unfathomable strength, rumored to have reached Peak Seven-Star Dou Zun, but his attitude is ambiguous and hard to predict."

"As for the Yan Clan, their clan land, the Yan Realm, is in the core of the 'Lava Fire Domain' in the southern part of the Central Region, an extremely harsh environment. The Yan Clan members have fiery tempers and worship strength. If you can display sufficient strength, you might find it easier to gain their recognition. However, the Yan Clan seems to have no direct conflict with the Soul Hall, making it even harder to persuade them to join the Anti-Alliance."

Xiao Chen carefully noted down this information, gaining a clearer understanding of the challenges he was about to face. Persuading the two great ancient clans would be no easy feat.

"Furthermore," Venerable Feng lowered his voice, "the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's reach is ubiquitous. You must be careful on this journey. According to my informants within the Soul Hall, it seems the Soul Hall has already learned of your movements and has dispatched powerful experts to intercept you.

The Heavenly Secret Pavilion... I'm afraid they will also secretly cause trouble."

Xiao Chen and Feng Xian exchanged glances, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes. The road ahead was indeed fraught with thorns.

Bidding farewell to Venerable Feng, the two piloted the Starry Flying Shuttle, concealing their tracks, and headed towards the Endless Ice Plains in the far north.

Along the way, they carefully avoided areas where the Soul Hall might have laid an ambush, choosing instead to travel through remote and dangerous terrain.

Several days later, a boundless world of silver appeared before their eyes. The cold wind was biting, and towering icebergs, like sharp swords, stood on the ice plains.

The air was filled with an bone-chilling cold. This was the Endless Ice Plains; even ordinary Dou Zong experts would find their Dou Qi frozen here.

"According to the jade slip's guidance, the Ancient World's entrance should be near this 'Aurora Ice Valley,'" Xiao Chen's soul perception spread out, carefully probing the surrounding spatial fluctuations.

The Aurora Ice Valley was a peculiar sight on the ice plains, often illuminated by dazzling auroras, and possessed a unique spatial structure.

The two descended from their flying shuttle and cautiously searched within the ice valley. The temperature inside the ice valley was extremely low, making even space feel viscous as if frozen, and soul perception was greatly suppressed.

"Movement!" Feng Xian suddenly exclaimed in a low voice, pointing towards the depths of the ice valley.

A brilliant seven-colored aurora descended from the sky, shining upon a seemingly ordinary ice wall at the bottom of the valley. Under the aurora's illumination, the ice wall rippled like water, and a spatial vortex, just wide enough for one person, slowly formed!

"The Ancient World's entrance!" Xiao Chen's eyes lit up. This entrance clearly required specific conditions (the aurora) to open, and its duration was extremely short.

"Quickly, enter!" The two dared not delay, transforming into streaks of light and shooting towards the vortex.

However, just as they were about to step into the vortex, an unexpected change occurred!

"Buzz!"

Four shadowy figures, like specters, emerged from the void, instantly sealing off the four sides of the entrance!

A powerful mixture of death qi and cold formed a solid barrier, blocking Xiao Chen and Feng Xian!

The leader was an old man shrouded in ice-blue death qi, his aura having reached Mid Stage Five-Star Dou Zun! Behind him were three others: two Peak Four-Star Dou Zun and one Peak Three-Star Dou Zun! It was the Ice Prison Squad dispatched by the Soul Hall! They had already been lying in ambush here!

"Xiao Chen! Feng Xian! We've been waiting for a long time!" Ice Prison Heavenly Venerable sneered, "The Ancient World's entrance has appeared, but you... won't be getting in!"

"Soul Hall's dogs, haunting us like ghosts!" Feng Xian cursed, his Starry Sword already unsheathed.

Xiao Chen's eyes were cold, but his soul perception subtly swept the surroundings. He vaguely sensed that, in addition to these four Soul Hall Heavenly Venerables, there seemed to be an even more concealed and bizarre aura lurking in the shadows, like a venomous snake observing everything.

"Heavenly Secret Pavilion's people..." Xiao Chen's heart was stern. They had indeed come, and chose to strike at the crucial moment the Ancient World's entrance opened, their intention obvious—to prevent them from entering the Ancient World!

"No time to get entangled with them! We must finish this quickly!" Xiao Chen transmitted to Feng Xian, "I'll hold them off, you seize the opportunity to rush into the entrance!"

"Good!" Feng Xian nodded, knowing the entrance's opening time was limited.

"Want to go in? Dream on!" Ice Prison Heavenly Venerable saw through their intentions and roared, "Form the Profound Ice Underworld Prison Array! Seal!"

The four Soul Hall Heavenly Venerables simultaneously formed hand seals. The vast death qi merged with the cold of the ice plains, transforming into a massive ice crystal prison that completely froze and sealed off the entire entrance area!

Inside the prison, the temperature plummeted to absolute zero, threatening to freeze even one's soul and thoughts! Countless ice souls and malevolent spirits howled and lunged!

"Petty tricks!" Xiao Chen snorted coldly, his Four-Star Dou Zun aura fully erupting!

His Star Immortal Body circulated to its limit, a faint golden light membrane isolating the cold! He clasped his hands, and the dark golden Starry Battle Axe instantly condensed!

"Nine Axes of Heaven Opening—Fifth Form, Void Breaking! Slash!"

A condensed axe qi tore through the biting cold, fiercely striking the light barrier of the Profound Ice Underworld Prison Array!

"Boom!"

The ice crystal prison vibrated violently, cracks spreading! But the array was jointly maintained by the four Heavenly Venerables, especially with Mid Stage Five-Star Dou Zun Ice Prison Heavenly Venerable at its core, making it difficult to break for a time!

"Brother Feng, lend me a hand!" Xiao Chen yelled.

Feng Xian understood. His Starry Sword qi merged with Xiao Chen's Heaven Opening Axe Intent, transforming into an even sharper attack that once again slammed into the array!

"Crack!"

The array's light barrier finally couldn't withstand it and shattered! But Ice Prison Heavenly Venerable and the other three immediately filled the gap, death qi surging, attempting to reform the array!

"Now!" Xiao Chen's eyes flashed with fierce determination, no longer holding back!

The star origin imprint on his brow glowed faintly, a surge of pure Power of Starlight injecting into the battle axe! At the same time, inspiration struck him, and he fused a trace of the newly comprehended "Chaos Heaven Opening Seal" into his axe technique!

"Pseudo-Chaos Heaven Opening, Split!"

The battle axe slashed out, no longer a simple axe qi, but a chaotic blade that twisted light and seemed capable of severing cause and effect!

Where the blade passed, the death qi barrier jointly laid by Ice Prison Heavenly Venerable and the other three collapsed instantly as if encountering its nemesis! Even the protective death qi around their bodies was severed!

"What?!" Ice Prison Heavenly Venerable's face paled in horror, hastily retreating!

The other three Heavenly Venerables were swept by the aftermath of the chaotic blade, spitting blood and flying back, severely wounded!

The entrance blockade was instantly broken!

"Brother Feng, go!" Xiao Chen pushed Feng Xian towards the spatial vortex!

Feng Xian didn't hesitate, his figure disappearing into the vortex.

"Damn it!" Ice Prison Heavenly Venerable roared in fury, and with the other two less severely wounded Peak Four-Star Dou Zun, frantically lunged at Xiao Chen, attempting to stop him or rush into the vortex!

"Your opponent is me!" Xiao Chen stood with his axe held horizontally, blocking the vortex, his gaze disdainful!

Although he had expended a great deal of energy, his momentum was like a rainbow, and he, by himself, managed to block the three Soul Hall Heavenly Venerables (one Mid Stage Five-Star, two Peak Four-Star) outside the entrance!

The fierce battle erupted once more! Xiao Chen pushed his Four-Star Dou Zun combat power to its limit, alternating between Star Immortal Fist and Heaven Opening Axe Intent.

Though at a disadvantage, he fiercely entangled the three, not allowing them to cross the line!

The spatial vortex's light began to flicker, clearly about to close.

Just as Xiao Chen was about to pull back and retreat into the vortex at the last moment, another unexpected change occurred!

The eerie aura that had been lurking in the shadows finally moved! A black and white thread, so subtle it was almost imperceptible, ignored spatial distance and instantly wrapped around Xiao Chen's ankle!

This thread had no offensive power, but it carried a strange force that twisted fate and shifted trajectories! Xiao Chen felt his body stiffen, and his precisely calculated movement to retreat into the vortex showed a barely noticeable deviation!

It was this tiny deviation! Ice Prison Heavenly Venerable seized the opportunity, slamming a Profound Nether Death Seal, imbued with all his power, onto Xiao Chen's back!

The other two Peak Four-Star Dou Zun also launched their ultimate attacks simultaneously!

With powerful enemies in front and a sneak attack from behind, Xiao Chen was in a desperate situation!

"Heavenly Secret Pavilion! It was you after all!" Xiao Chen roared internally, his Heavenly Realm Soul frantically circulating, trying to break free from the entanglement of the karmic thread!

But that power was mysterious and unpredictable, making it difficult to shake off immediately!

Seeing that he was about to be hit by the three killing moves, Xiao Chen's eyes flashed with madness! He no longer tried to retreat into the vortex but suddenly turned around, condensing all his power into a fist!

"star origin, burn! dragon phoenix essence blood, burst! Chaos Heaven Opening Seal, open for me!"

He was actually going to use offense as defense, directly confronting the three Heavenly Venerables' ultimate attacks!

"Boom!"

A terrifying energy storm completely erupted before the Ancient World's entrance! The spatial vortex flickered violently in the storm, finally dissipating completely!

A bottomless giant pit was blasted into the ice plains, and Ice Prison Heavenly Venerable and the other two were sent flying back, spitting blood, their injuries worsening!

At the center of the storm, Xiao Chen's figure was swallowed by endless light, his life or death unknown... And in the distance, that blurry phantom quietly appeared, looking at the dissipated vortex and the center of the explosion, a strange arc forming at the corner of his mouth.

"The chess piece has deviated from its path... Next, it's time to place a piece in the Yan Realm."

The figure slowly dissipated, as if it had never appeared.

After an unknown period, the aftermath of the explosion gradually subsided. At the bottom of the giant pit, Xiao Chen knelt on one knee, his clothes tattered, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, his aura extremely weak.

Forcibly confronting the three Heavenly Venerables' ultimate attacks, even with all his trump cards, he had suffered severe injuries. But his eyes burned with unprecedented fury and determination!

"Heavenly Secret Pavilion... This grudge, I've noted it down!" He wiped away the blood, looking at the direction where the Ancient World's entrance had disappeared, his eyes complex.

Feng Xian had successfully entered the Ancient World, while he himself was left outside, and his whereabouts had been exposed.

"The Ancient World's entrance has closed and cannot be reopened for a short time. For now, I can only go to the Yan Realm first!" Xiao Chen struggled to stand up, took some pills, and forcibly suppressed his injuries.

He identified a direction and, limping, headed towards the Lava Fire Domain in the south.

His journey to the Ancient World had started poorly. The Heavenly Secret Pavilion's hidden hand was impossible to guard against. The road ahead was even more difficult.

But Xiao Chen's steps became even more resolute. He knew that this game concerning the fate of the continent had just begun. And he would never admit defeat!