85: The inheritance of the ancestral stone, the wind rises in Zhongzhou

Inside the Meteorite Platform, the deathly silence after the fierce battle was replaced by an even more solemn atmosphere. The starlight orb still hung quietly, casting soft starlight, but the terrifying energy fluctuations and spatial cracks remaining on the platform silently spoke of the brief but thrilling Dou Zun-level confrontation that had just occurred.

Zi Yan, Lin Xiuyai, and Han Yue stood around Xiao Chen, their gazes complex as they looked at the ancestral stone, which had now returned to its ancient simplicity, in his hand, and at his tightly closed eyes and slightly furrowed brow. The fleeting appearance of the ancestral remnant, which defeated a powerful enemy, brought a shock that lingered. They understood that what Xiao Chen carried was far more than personal grievances; it was tied to the rise and fall of an ancient clan’s secrets.

“Let him cultivate in peace. We’ll guard him.” Lin Xiuyai took a deep breath, suppressing his churning qi and blood. He, Han Yue, and Zi Yan spread out, forming a triangle to protect Xiao Chen in the center. Each of them swallowed a medicinal pill, simultaneously healing their injuries and vigilantly sensing their surroundings. Although the Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable Projection had retreated, no one could guarantee that there wouldn't be a follow-up attack.

Xiao Chen’s mind was completely immersed in the ancestral stone.

Unlike the previous vague sensation, the interior of the ancestral stone now seemed to have unveiled a mysterious veil. His soul consciousness entered a vast, boundless golden space. In the center of the space, a dark golden giant axe phantom, reaching to the heavens, hovered. The axe body was engraved with countless complex and ancient runes, exuding a supreme majesty that could cleave the heavens and earth and sever karma. This was precisely the manifestation of Blood Axe Xiao Chen’s battle will!

Around the giant axe, torrents of information, composed of countless intricate light runes, flowed. Xiao Chen’s soul cautiously touched and deciphered them.

What first flooded his mind were not specific cultivation techniques or Dou Techniques (Fighting Skills), but fragments of vast memory imprints:

In the primordial land, giant beasts roamed, and the ancestors toiled through hardships... A burly figure holding a giant axe led his clansmen through thorns and brambles, fighting against heaven, earth, and all myriad races... Where the axe light struck, mountains and rivers yielded; those were the most glorious years of the Xiao Clan... However, the scene suddenly shifted, the world lost its color, black mist permeated, and countless strange and powerful enemies descended from the void. The leader had a cold and dead aura, originating from the Soul Hall, but was even more powerful and terrifying... A tragic battle, stars fell, the continent shattered... The giant axe broke, the figure was stained with blood, and the clansmen withered... Finally, the surviving clansmen scattered and went into hiding, and the glorious Xiao Clan became dust in history... “The Soul Clan... the ancient war... the reason for the Xiao Clan’s decline...” Xiao Chen’s mind was greatly shaken. These memory fragments revealed a corner of ancient truth to him, and also made him more clearly realize the terrifying nature of the Soul Hall (Soul Clan) and the heaviness of his destiny.

Immediately following this, the cultivation inheritance within the information torrent emerged:

“Indestructible Battle Soul Body”: This was not a simple body refining technique, but a supreme method that fused battle intent, soul, Dou Qi, and bloodline into one furnace! It comprised nine stages. With each stage cultivated, the physical body, soul, and Dou Qi would undergo a qualitative change, and a “Battle Soul” could be condensed. As long as the battle intent did not extinguish, the physical body would be indestructible! Cultivating it to its peak allowed one to physically withstand Heaven-ranked Dou Techniques (Fighting Skills) and render the soul immune to myriad tribulations! However, the cultivation conditions were extremely harsh, requiring great perseverance and great fortune, and it had to be guided by the Xiao Clan bloodline.

The complete artistic conception inheritance of the Nine Axes of Heaven Opening: No longer a vague understanding, but a perfectly clear and true interpretation of the nine axe stances! From the River Severing to the ninth form, “Path Breaking,” each stance contained the supreme artistic conception of severing rules and splitting open origins. Although there were no specific Dou Qi operation methods (requiring self-creation), this artistic conception inheritance was far more valuable than Heaven-ranked Dou Techniques (Fighting Skills)!

In addition, there was a vast amount of scattered knowledge regarding soul cultivation, spatial comprehension, pill identification, and array breaking, encompassing everything and profound.

“This... this is the true core inheritance of the Xiao Clan!” Xiao Chen’s heart was stirred by a tempest. Whether it was the “Indestructible Battle Soul Body” or the Nine Axes of Heaven Opening, their levels far exceeded his current understanding. These were definitely not cultivation techniques that a Dou Zun or even a Dou Saint could create; they likely touched upon the realm of a Dou Di!

He tried to understand the first introductory method of the “Indestructible Battle Soul Body” and immediately felt his soul, Dou Qi, and bloodline boil violently, as if they were being forcibly fused, bringing a tearing pain. He quickly stopped. Clearly, with his current strength, he could not truly cultivate it yet; he could only comprehend it first to lay the foundation.

As for the artistic conception of the Nine Axes of Heaven Opening, although profound, he already had a preliminary foundation. Combined with the Dao charm of the giant axe phantom in the ancestral stone space, his comprehension became much smoother. He immersed himself in the ocean of axe intent, completely unaware of the passage of time in the outside world.

There was no sun or moon within the Meteorite Platform, and he didn't know how much time had passed (perhaps only a few days outside, but nearly half a month inside).

The aura around Xiao Chen began to undergo subtle changes. His originally restrained sharpness gradually became apparent, and his entire being seemed to transform into a battle axe about to be unsheathed. A battle intent to sever everything and bravely advance naturally emanated from him. Under the nourishment of the starlight power and the stimulation of his axe intent comprehension, his cultivation quietly broke through to the mid-stage of Five-Star Dou Zong, and his soul power became even more condensed, his perception of space increasingly clear.

He slowly opened his eyes, and an axe-shaped golden light flashed and disappeared in them.

“You’re awake?” The three guards immediately gathered around him.

“How do you feel?” Han Yue asked with concern. She could feel that Xiao Chen’s aura had undergone a qualitative transformation.

Xiao Chen took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and nodded: “I’ve gained a lot. But time is short; we must leave this place as soon as possible.”

He looked up at the sky above the Meteorite Platform. Although the protective light barrier had been shattered by the ancestral remnant, the external restrictions set by Elder Su Qian were still in place. However, if the Soul Hall could find this place once, they could find it a second time. Next time, it would likely be the true Dou Zun himself! Jia Nan Academy was no longer a safe place to stay.

“Let’s go see the Great Elder.”

The four left the Meteorite Platform via the teleportation array and appeared directly in Su Qian’s secret chamber.

When Su Qian saw the increasingly profound and sharp-witted Xiao Chen, and after hearing Zi Yan’s rambling, and Lin Xiuyai and Han Yue’s supplementary accounts of the Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable Projection’s attack and the appearance of the ancestral remnant, this Inner Academy Great Elder, who had seen many storms, remained silent for a long time, his expression extremely solemn.

“Dou Zun Projection... Xiao Clan Ancestral Remnant...” Su Qian murmured to himself, finally letting out a long sigh, “It seems the situation is far more severe than we anticipated. The Soul Hall’s emphasis on Xiao Chen far exceeds the norm.”

He looked at Xiao Chen, his gaze complex: “Child, the Academy has done its best. But in the face of a Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable-level existence, Jia Nan Academy’s protection is no longer enough.”

Xiao Chen nodded calmly: “I understand. Great Elder, I plan to leave the Academy.”

Su Qian seemed to have expected this and was not surprised, merely saying in a deep voice: “Where do you intend to go?”

“The Central Plains.” Xiao Chen’s gaze was firm, “Only in the vast lands of the Central Plains, where experts gather and opportunities abound, can I grow faster and have the ability to cope with future storms. Moreover, there might be other clues about the Xiao Clan there.”

Su Qian pondered for a moment, then said: “The Central Plains is indeed a place for tempering, but it is also fraught with danger. The main hall of the Soul Hall is in the Northern Region of the Central Plains, its power deeply entrenched. Your journey there is tantamount to entering a tiger’s den.”

“Only by entering the tiger’s den can one capture the tiger’s cub.” Xiao Chen’s tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable determination.

“Good!” Su Qian was not one to be indecisive. He knew that fledglings must eventually spread their wings and soar. “The Academy will prepare some things for you. Furthermore, you can take my token and seek out an old fellow named Xuan Kongzi in the Pill Tower of the Central Plains. He and I have some acquaintance, and he might be able to offer you some protection.”

“Thank you, Great Elder!” Xiao Chen bowed deeply. He would remember this kindness.

Leaving the secret chamber, Xiao Chen bid farewell to Zi Yan, Lin Xiuyai, and Han Yue.

“Hey! Xiao Chen, you’re going to the Central Plains? Wait for me! I want to go too!” Zi Yan immediately jumped up, her big eyes full of excitement. “The Central Plains must have lots of delicious energy bodies!”

Xiao Chen looked at the simple-minded Ancient Void Dragon girl, feeling warmth in his heart, but shook his head: “Zi Yan, the Central Plains is too dangerous. Your strength hasn’t fully recovered yet, and following me would only make it more dangerous. Staying in the Academy, with the elders looking after you, is safer.”

Zi Yan pouted her small mouth, just about to retort, when Xiao Chen added: “Once I establish myself in the Central Plains, I will definitely come to pick you up. By then, I’ll take you to eat all the delicacies of the Central Plains.”

Only then did Zi Yan reluctantly huff: “You better keep your word! Otherwise, I’ll come to the Central Plains to settle the score with you!”

Lin Xiuyai and Han Yue also stepped forward.

“Brother Xiao, take care. The Central Plains is a place where heroes gather; we will surely meet again someday.” Lin Xiuyai cupped his hands, his eyes filled with blessings and anticipation.

“Be careful in everything.” A hint of imperceptible concern flashed in Han Yue’s clear, cold eyes as she handed him a jade bottle. “These are some detoxifying and recovery pills, for emergencies.”

“Thank you.” Xiao Chen took the jade bottle and carefully put it away. This camaraderie among fellow disciples was equally precious.

Without much lingering sentimentality, Xiao Chen returned to his small courtyard to make his final preparations. He sorted and categorized the medicinal materials and pills he had accumulated in the Academy over the years, leaving most of them for the Academy and his friends, taking only the essentials. He particularly checked the ancestral stone, the fragment of the heaven burning furnace, and the broken axe blade from the ancient tomb.

Three days later, at dawn.

Behind Jia Nan Academy, in front of a hidden spatial wormhole. Great Elder Su Qian, Vice President Hu Qian, and Instructor Ruolin, among a few others, came to see him off.

“Xiao Chen, this path is one you chose yourself. The future is fraught with peril; take care of yourself.” Su Qian handed Xiao Chen a storage ring and a token engraved with a medicine cauldron. “The ring contains some resources and a map of the Central Plains. The token can help you seek an audience with Xuan Kongzi in the Pill Tower.”

“This disciple will remember.” Xiao Chen bowed deeply, his gaze sweeping over everyone, finally settling on the direction of the Inner Academy in the distance, where he had left his footprints of struggle and where his friends, whom he cared about, resided.

He no longer hesitated, turned, and stepped into the spatial wormhole. Light flashed, and his figure disappeared.

At the same time that Xiao Chen left Jia Nan Academy and traveled to the Central Plains through the spatial wormhole.

In the Northern Region of the Central Plains, deep within a grand and eerie black hall in the main hall of the Soul Hall.

On the throne, a figure shrouded in endless black mist slowly opened his eyes. His gaze seemed to pierce through endless space, landing on the young figure who had just disappeared into the wormhole.

“A remnant of the Xiao Clan... has finally left his shell, has he?”

A hoarse voice, like ten thousand years of cold ice, echoed in the great hall.

“Issue the order: the ‘Soul Capture Plan’ is officially launched. Notify all branch halls in the Northern Region to seal off all vital routes leading to the core area of the Central Plains. This Venerable wants to make sure he... cannot escape with wings!”

A hunting storm, sweeping across the Northern Region of the Central Plains, quietly unfurled its bloody prelude with Xiao Chen’s arrival. The new journey was destined to be fraught with deadly peril at every step!