59: The secrets of the Xiao clan deep in the Corpse Burial Mountains

Armed with the detailed map provided by the Pill Tower and his Spirit Realm Great Perfection soul perception, Xiao Chen moved like a phantom through the perilous Corpse Burial Mountain Range.

He avoided spatial rifts, concealed his aura to bypass powerful ancient corpse puppets, and advanced with a clear objective towards the direction where his bloodline resonance was strongest.

Days later, he arrived deep within a canyon shrouded in dense death qi.

At the bottom of the valley stood a half-collapsed ancient altar, built from dark red giant stones, inscribed with runes that were already blurred.

The summoning sensation that made Xiao Chen's bloodline stir came from a subtle spatial crack in the center of the altar.

“This is it,” Xiao Chen took a deep breath, his soul power carefully Scanning the surroundings, confirming there were no Soul Hall ambushes or powerful undead creatures.

He then circulated the Myriad Souls Returning Flow Art to protect his soul and stepped into the spatial crack.

Passing through the crack, the scene before him suddenly changed.

This was a small, independent space with a grey sky and scorched earth.

In the center stood a severely damaged bronze hall.

Inside the hall, there were no luxurious decorations, only a cracked stone statue, vaguely discernible as a burly man holding an axe, exuding a desolate and tragic aura.

As Xiao Chen approached the statue, an anomaly suddenly occurred!

The statue's eyes lit up with a red glow, and an extremely weak but supremely majestic soul remnant emerged.

The remnant's face was unclear, but Xiao Chen's Xiao Clan bloodline instantly boiled, and his clan mark spontaneously appeared on his brow, buzzing!

“Descendant… finally… someone has come…” The remnant emitted intermittent mental fluctuations, as if spanning eons, “I am Clan Leader, the three hundred and seventy-first generation clan leader of the Xiao Clan (not the Clan Leader of Wutan City, but an ancient Xiao Clan clan leader)… a wisp of my obsession…”

“Xiao Chen, a junior of the Xiao Clan, greets ancestor!” Xiao Chen’s mind was greatly shaken, and he quickly bowed in salute.

He hadn't expected the summons here to come from an ancient Xiao Clan clan leader!

“Your soul… is peculiar… not of this world’s norm… yet the bloodline cannot be faked…” The remnant scrutinized Xiao Chen, his tone carrying a hint of relief and solemnity, “Time is short… listen to what I have to say…”

The remnant recounted a long-sealed secret to Xiao Chen: In ancient times, the Xiao Clan was once a top-tier powerful clan on the Dou Qi Continent, with numerous Dou Saints emerging from within, and even ancestors who touched the threshold of a Dou Emperor.

However, a sudden catastrophe swept across the continent.

During this calamity, a mysterious race called the “Soul Clan” quietly rose.

They rapidly grew stronger by devouring souls and refining bloodlines, launching devastating attacks on many ancient races, including the Xiao Clan.

The Xiao Clan bore the brunt, countless powerhouses died in battle, and their bloodline was almost severed.

This secret realm was a hiding place created by a Xiao Clan elder with his last strength before his demise, also serving as a means to leave behind some inheritance and warnings.

“The Soul Clan… is the predecessor of the current Soul Hall!” The remnant’s voice carried an intense hatred, “They coveted the secret of a trace of Origin Qi contained within my Xiao Clan bloodline! This is the key to achieving Dou Emperor!”

A tempest raged in Xiao Chen’s heart!

The root of the Soul Hall’s pursuit was actually this!

The secret to achieving Dou Emperor was hidden within the Xiao Clan bloodline!

“This wisp of my remnant soul… is about to dissipate… with my last strength… I will help you awaken the true meaning of your bloodline… and bestow upon you… this item!” After the remnant finished speaking, his entire ethereal form ignited, transforming into a pure golden bloodline origin, which surged into Xiao Chen’s body!

At the same time, a palm-sized black token, neither gold nor wood, etched with complex axe-shaped patterns, emerged from the base of the statue and fell into Xiao Chen’s hand.

Awakening of the Bloodline’s True Meaning: As the golden origin entered his body, Xiao Chen felt his entire bloodline boil like magma, his bones rumbled, and the clan mark on his brow completely solidified, transforming into a clear golden battle-axe imprint!

His physical strength surged, his vital energy roared like a dragon, and his affinity for the energy of heaven and earth doubled!

More importantly, he vaguely sensed a vast, star-sea-like power dormant deep within his bloodline—that was the seed of “Origin Qi”!

Although it was far from the time for its activation, the path ahead was now clear!

Mysterious Token: The system Scan showed that this item was named [ancestral axe token], one of the key fragments to unlock a certain ultimate inheritance ground of the Xiao Clan.

Its material was special and could not be replicated, requiring the collection of other parts to reveal its true purpose.

Breakthrough! Spirit Realm Great Perfection Peak!

During the process of receiving the ancestor’s gift, Xiao Chen’s soul and bloodline resonated deeply, and the bottleneck of Spirit Realm Great Perfection loosened once more!

He seized the opportunity to circulate the Soul Emperor Canon, guiding this immense power to elevate his soul realm to Spirit Realm Great Perfection Peak in one fell swoop!

He was now just one step away from the legendary Heavenly Realm Soul!

His Soul Imprint also became more solidified, greatly increasing his perception of ancient information.

However, just as Xiao Chen was receiving the inheritance, and his aura could not be completely concealed, outside the secret realm, above the Corpse Burial Mountain Range, the situation suddenly changed!

Several terrifying auras abruptly descended, directly sealing off the entire area!

The leader was none other than a Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable, clad in a black robe, his face shrouded in shadows!

His aura was comparable to a high-level Dou Venerate!

“Indeed, he is here! Xiao Clan remnant, hand over the secret of Origin Qi!” The Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable’s voice was like a chilling wind from the netherworld, directly piercing through space, causing the entire secret realm to tremble.

They had clearly been monitoring this area, and Xiao Chen’s arrival and the fluctuations of the inheritance completely exposed his position!

Xiao Chen’s expression changed; he knew things were bad!

Facing a Heavenly Venerable, he had no chance of winning!

“Clan member… flee quickly… with the token… you can tear open a sliver of space…” The last voice of the ancestor’s remnant echoed in his mind, then completely dissipated.

Xiao Chen did not hesitate, fully activating his newly awakened bloodline power and his Spirit Realm Great Perfection Peak soul, injecting them into the ancestral axe token!

The token burst forth with dazzling golden light, and a tiny but incredibly resilient spatial crack was forcibly torn open!

Outside, the Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable roared, and a colossal black palm, obscuring the sky, slammed down fiercely!

Just as the giant palm was about to descend, Xiao Chen transformed into a golden streak of light, narrowly slipping into the spatial crack!

The giant palm struck, and the entire secret realm completely collapsed, turning into nothingness!

When Xiao Chen reappeared, he was in a desolate mountain range thousands of miles away.

He was covered in blood, his aura weak; although he had escaped, the aftershock of the Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable’s palm had caused him significant internal injuries.

He endured, set up a concealment array, and immediately swallowed a medicinal pill to heal his wounds.

“The Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable… his strength is terrifying.” Xiao Chen felt lingering fear.

Although he had narrowly escaped death this time, the gains were immense!

Not only had he awakened the true meaning of his bloodline, and his soul realm greatly increased, but he had also obtained the ancestral axe token, clarifying his future direction—to collect the tokens, find the ultimate inheritance of the Xiao Clan, uncover the secret of Origin Qi, and confront the Soul Hall (Soul Clan)!

He knew that the commotion in the Corpse Burial Mountain Range would certainly not escape the Soul Hall’s notice, and they would undoubtedly intensify their search.

He had to leave this area as soon as possible and find a safe place to plan his next move.

Perhaps he should temporarily seek refuge in the more chaotic and harder-to-track Ghost Mountain Range in Central Plains or the outskirts of the Pill Domain?

As Xiao Chen healed, his eyes grew even more determined.

The Soul Hall’s relentless pursuit, on the contrary, ignited an even stronger fighting spirit within him.

The hope of the Xiao Clan might truly rest on him alone.

A new storm, sparked by him, would also be brought to an end by his own hands.