194: The twilight of the ancestral land, the crisis on the way home

In the Chaos Xiao Realm, atop the pyramid altar.

Xiao Chen sat cross-legged, the chaotic currents around him flowing gently like docile streams. The newly formed xiao clan tribal mark on his brow emitted a soft yet profound radiance. His eyes were slightly closed, his mind completely immersed in the earth-shattering changes within his body.

The vast Saint Force of a Five-Turn Dou Saint Peak surged like a rushing river through his meridians, which had widened several times over! In the depths of his Qi Sea, the Chaos Sacred Realm, now expanded to three hundred zhang, had even more solid and thick world barriers. Within it, the nascent forms of the four fundamental laws—earth, water, fire, and wind—were clearly visible. Mountain phantoms and river networks became increasingly realistic, and there were even faint flickers of plants and light within the realm, as if a true miniature world was being nurtured and growing! In the center of the Sacred Realm, the origin qi seed, which had fused with a fragment of Hun Tiandi's Emperor Origin, pulsed slowly like the heart of the world, emitting a gentle light that nourished all things, perfectly integrating with the entire Sacred Realm and even Xiao Chen's soul origin!

What surprised Xiao Chen even more was that his soul realm, nourished by the Ancestor's final gift and the Origin Qi, had completely stabilized at the early Saint Realm! His perception range had expanded to several million li, and his insight into and control over the laws of heaven and earth had increased by more than tenfold! With a single thought, he could mobilize the energy of heaven and earth within a thousand li radius! His soul, transformed into a sword, was powerful enough to easily obliterate the souls of ordinary Dou Saints!

“Hoo…” Xiao Chen slowly opened his eyes, the chaotic light in his pupils now restrained, yet appearing even more profound and vast. He gently clenched his fist, feeling the terrifying power within him that seemed capable of shattering stars with a single punch, a satisfied arc curving at the corner of his mouth.

“Five-Turn Peak… Saint Realm soul… Chaos Sacred Realm initially formed… origin qi seed stabilized… Now, even if I face Soul Destruction Heaven at his peak, I am enough to… crush him head-on!” A powerful confidence welled up within him.

However, this confidence did not last long. He looked up at the chaotic crystal at the top of the pyramid, its light now so dim it was almost extinguished, and an indescribable weight and sense of responsibility arose in his heart.

“Ancestor… ancestral land… to help me achieve nirvana, it exhausted its last origin…” Xiao Chen could feel that the energy of the entire Chaos Xiao Realm was rapidly draining, and the spatial barriers were becoming extremely unstable. This ancestral land, which had carried the Xiao Clan's eternal glory and tragedy, was about to… completely fall into oblivion.

“I, Xiao Chen, a descendant, will not fail the high hopes of my ancestors! I will revitalize the Xiao Clan and protect all living beings!” Xiao Chen solemnly bowed nine times to the pyramid, making a blood oath!

Immediately, he no longer hesitated. His heart yearned to return! A considerable amount of time had passed in the outside world, and the situation of the Anti-Alliance must be precarious! He had to return at once!

“It's time to go.” Xiao Chen rose to his feet, taking a single step that brought him to the edge of the Chaos Xiao Realm's barrier. He pointed his fingers like a blade, the Chaos Heaven Opening Fist intent condensing at his fingertips, and lightly swiped at the incredibly thick spatial barrier!

“Chila—!”

A stable spatial crack quietly appeared! Beyond the crack was the still raging Chaos Sea!

“Hmm?” Just as Xiao Chen was about to step into the crack, the clan mark on his brow suddenly warmed slightly! An extremely subtle sense of warning, like ice water, poured into the depths of his soul!

“Danger?!” Xiao Chen's pupils contracted slightly, his Saint Realm soul power instantly pushed to its limit, like an invisible net, penetrating the spatial crack and spreading towards the depths of the Chaos Sea!

Indeed! In a relatively calm chaotic area tens of thousands of li away from the Chaos Xiao Realm, he sensed several extremely powerful and hidden auras! These auras were not ancient beasts naturally bred in the Chaos Sea, but bore obvious artificial traces and chilling killing intent! The strongest of them had reached the level of a Sixth Revolution Dou Saint late-stage! The others were all around the Fifth Turn Dou Saint level!

“Are they people from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion?! They… actually found their way near the ancestral land? Or are they… waiting for a rabbit?” Xiao Chen's heart tightened! He immediately thought of the huge commotion caused by Hun Tiandi's self-detonation and the breaking of the Ten Million Souls Prostration to Emperor Formation during his nirvana, which likely alerted the Pavilion Master Tianji! The opponent might not be able to precisely locate the Chaos Xiao Realm, but could roughly deduce that he might be hiding in the depths of the Chaos Sea, and had dispatched elite forces to intercept him on his possible return path!

“What a Pavilion Master Tianji! Truly cunning!” Xiao Chen's eyes were cold. The opponent dispatching such a powerful lineup clearly meant they were determined to eliminate him, this major hidden danger, before he could return to the continent!

“One Six Revolution late-stage, three Fifth Turn early to mid-stage… they certainly think highly of me.” A cold arc curved at Xiao Chen's lips. If it had been before his nirvana, facing such a lineup, he would have had no choice but to avoid their sharp edge. But now… it was completely different!

“Perfect… I'll use you all to test my newfound strength! And while I'm at it… clear some obstacles on my way back!” Instead of retreating, Xiao Chen actively restrained most of his aura. His figure flickered, transforming into an almost imperceptible chaotic stream of light, silently… slipping into the spatial crack and stealthily heading towards the direction of the ambush!

He was going to… counter-hunt!

In the Chaos Sea, that seemingly calm area. Four figures shrouded in gloomy cloaks, like reefs, floated silently amidst the chaotic currents. The leader was the Sixth Revolution Dou Saint late-stage Heavenly Secret Pavilion Patrol Elder—You Yan! Behind him were three Soul Hall Venerables (now incorporated into the Heavenly Secret Pavilion) of the Fifth Turn Dou Saint level, whose auras were sinister and cold.

“Elder, we've been waiting here for three months, and haven't seen a single ghost. Could that Xiao Chen… have already died in the depths of the Chaos Sea?” One of the Soul Hall Venerables transmitted impatiently.

“Shut up!” You Yan coldly swept his gaze over him, his voice like the chilling wind of the Nine Nether, “The Pavilion Master Tianji personally deduced with the Great Destiny Art that Xiao Chen is definitely not dead, and is in this area! He will definitely return to the Central Region! Be patient… wait! If he escapes, you… know the consequences!”

The three Venerables immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word.

However, just as their voices faded—

“Chih!”

A spatial fluctuation so subtle it was almost imperceptible suddenly emanated from the void behind You Yan!

“Not good!” You Yan was indeed a Sixth Revolution Dou Saint, reacting extremely quickly! Without thinking, he struck out with a backhand! Within the palm wind was the Netherworld Death Qi that corroded souls!

“Bang!”

A fist entwined with chaotic currents silently emerged from the void and… violently collided with his palm!

“Crack!”

A crisp sound of bone breaking! You Yan's face changed drastically. He felt an indescribable immense force surge wildly along his arm! The bones of his entire arm instantly… shattered inch by inch! His body was sent flying as if struck by a meteor!

“How is this possible?!” A storm raged in You Yan's heart! He was a Sixth Revolution Dou Saint late-stage! The attacker's power was actually… so terrifying?!

“I've been waiting for you!” A calm yet bone-chilling voice, like the whisper of death, sounded in his ear!

Xiao Chen's figure, like a ghost, stepped out of the void! The Chaos Sacred Realm naturally unfolded around him, instantly… enveloping the other three Soul Hall Venerables who had just reacted!

“Chaos Sacred Realm! Suppress!”

“Om—!”

The two-hundred-zhang world pressed down with a roar! The power of the world, like invisible shackles, firmly pinned the three Fifth Turn Dou Saints in place! They discovered in horror that their proud Dou Qi and laws, in this strange world, actually… operated sluggishly, their power greatly reduced!

“Die!”

Xiao Chen's eyes were cold. He pointed his fingers like a sword, and three hazy chaotic sword auras, like invitations from the Grim Reaper, shot towards the brows of the three Venerables respectively!

“No—!!!”

The three Venerables let out desperate roars, struggling frantically and unleashing various life-saving trump cards! But under the absolute suppression of the Chaos Sacred Realm and the terrifying power of the chaotic sword aura, all resistance was like paper!

“Puff! Puff! Puff!”

Three soft sounds! The heads of the three Fifth Turn Dou Saints… exploded simultaneously like watermelons! Their souls… instantly annihilated!

Instant kill! Clean and decisive!

“It's your turn.” Xiao Chen slowly turned around, his cold gaze locked onto You Yan, who had just stabilized his figure and was filled with horror!

“You… what kind of monster are you?!” You Yan looked at his three subordinates who were instantly killed, and then felt the unfathomable aura on Xiao Chen, his voice trembling slightly! The intelligence was wrong! Terribly wrong! Xiao Chen's strength was definitely far beyond the Pavilion Master Tianji's estimation!

“A dying man, why ask so many questions.” Xiao Chen took a step, space folded, and he instantly appeared before You Yan! The Chaos Heaven Opening Fist… blasted out again! This time, the punch contained the complete Heaven Opening artistic conception and the vast power of Origin Qi!

“Netherworld Escape to Heaven!” You Yan was terrified, burning his essence blood and performing a life-saving secret technique. His body turned into a black smoke, attempting to escape into the depths of the chaotic currents!

“Can you escape?” Xiao Chen sneered, the clan mark on his brow lighting up! The world power of the Chaos Sacred Realm instantly sealed the surrounding ten thousand zhang of void! Space… solidified!

“No—!!!” You Yan let out one last unwilling roar, his body forcibly expelled from the escape technique!

“Dong—!!!”

The chaotic fist print solidly imprinted on his chest!

“Puff—!”

Blood mixed with fragments of internal organs spurted out! You Yan's body flew backward like a broken sack, his aura instantly withered to the extreme! His eyes were filled with incredible fear and… despair!

Xiao Chen's figure moved again, catching up as if teleporting, his palm pressing on You Yan's crown!

“Soul Search!”

Overbearing soul power forcibly invaded You Yan's sea of consciousness! He wanted to… read the Pavilion Master Tianji's latest plan!

A brief encounter battle ended with Xiao Chen's absolute strength… crushing his opponents! The first obstacle on his return journey was easily… shattered! But Xiao Chen knew that this was only… the beginning! The true storm was waiting for him… on the continent!