97. Where to Next? The Dao Sect!

As the Nine Kings Palace leader’s agonizing screams echoed, his demonic body was completely devoured by the storm, turning to nothing in an instant.

Before he lost consciousness and his body dispersed, he used a secret technique to send out a final message.

Chen Xuan tried to interrupt but was too late; he could only capture the remnants of the leader’s soul with his Soul Banner.

Of course, Chen Xuan didn’t waste the shattered pieces of the Devil Emperor Armor either. Despite its sinister aura, it contained tremendous energy. Refining it would be incredibly beneficial, so he collected it as well.

Additionally, the spirit of the Ancient Monument, already deeply corrupted by demonic energy and exhausted from helping Chen Xuan, fell into a deep sleep.

Chen Xuan took the spirit into his system, planning to help it recover when he had the chance.

“Thank you, young friend. The devil is now destroyed, and I can finally rest in peace,” said the faint figure of the Black-Eyed Elder, bowing to Chen Xuan.

He extended a finger, sending a stream of mystical lights towards Chen Xuan. With his last bit of strength used up, he finally passed away.

Chen Xuan looked at the dazzling light particles, which emanated a reincarnation aura.

He knew they were insights from the Black-Eyed Elder on how to reach the Reincarnation Realm.

He quickly called Yun Yun, who had been waiting outside, to join him.

Yun Yun gazed at the enchanting scene, her eyes slightly dazed. “This… what is this?”

“Even though you practice Dou Qi, this is a rare opportunity. Missing it would be a huge loss,” Chen Xuan replied.

Curious, Yun Yun asked, “What realm was that Black-Eyed Elder in?”

“In the Dou Qi Continent, probably above the Dou Saint level.”

“What? A Dou Saint?” Yun Yun’s beautiful eyes shone with disbelief.

In the Jia Ma Empire, even a Dou Emperor was a top-tier expert, and a Dou Zong stood unrivaled.

A Dou Saint… such figures were legends. She never imagined she’d receive blessings from someone of that level, all thanks to Chen Xuan. Her gaze toward him held an emotion known only to her.

Chen Xuan urged, “What are you waiting for? Sit down and start meditating!”

“Oh, right.” Yun Yun quickly sat cross-legged, following his lead.

Chen Xuan, seeing Yun Yun enter a meditative state, purchased a Profound Life Pill from his system.

This pill would ensure he could break through to the Profound Life Realm after reaching the peak of the Nine Yuan Nirvana. Consuming the pill, Chen Xuan began pushing for his breakthrough.


---

Meanwhile, in a dark region of the Western Xuan Region's desert, a blood-red lantern burned with endless demonic energy.

Suddenly, a voice echoed from one of the sinister blood lamps. “No! No! Ah! Boss, he has, he has…” The voice abruptly cut off as the blood lamp went out.

In the darkness, several figures gathered around the extinguished blood lamp.

“It seems the Ninth King has been killed,” said a raspy voice.

Thousands of years ago, the Nine Kings Palace leader had volunteered to deal with the previous wielder of the Devouring Ancestral Symbol.

He disappeared, but the demonic prison saw that his life lamp still burned, indicating he was alive, albeit likely sealed. They had been planning his rescue—yet now he had suddenly perished.

“Ninth King was strong. Even sealed for a millennium, it shouldn’t have been easy to kill him,” another voice remarked.

“True, and he had the Devil Emperor Armor. Killing him should have been nearly impossible!”

“What was he trying to convey in his last message?”

“Could it be that some ancient rulers have awakened and are now hunting us, stumbling upon the sealed Ninth King in the process?”

“Unlikely. Those guys are severely injured as well; they should still be recovering.”

“It looks like we need to speed up our plans.”

“Oh? Are we moving ahead sooner than expected?”

“Heh, after thousands of years of patience, we can finally unleash our strength!”

“No need to rush. It’s still not time for us to make a direct move. Let those fools go in first.”

“No matter what, without the Ancestral Symbol, and with the Ice Master’s whereabouts unknown, let’s see how they handle it!”

In the dark space, as those shadowy figures dispersed, the sinister aura gradually faded away.


---

“Boom!”

After a week of deep contemplation and training, Chen Xuan finally broke through to the Profound Life Realm!

He clenched his fists. Even though he had just reached the Profound Life Realm, he could feel traces of the Reincarnation energy within his surging internal power.

Later on, when he reached the Samsara Realm, it would be much easier for him to step into the Reincarnation Realm than for most people.

He stood up. Beside him, Yun Yun had her beautiful eyes closed, her long lashes fluttering, as if she was reaching a crucial point in her breakthrough.

However, since she cultivated Dou Qi, breaking through took a bit more time. Chen Xuan quickly purchased a low-tier conversion array from the system store for 2,000 Emotion Points. This array could temporarily convert elemental energy into Dou Qi.

After setting up the array, Chen Xuan waited nearby. Yun Yun, who thought she’d reached the peak of Dou Emperor and was about to step into Dou Zong, felt frustrated that the local energy couldn’t be converted to Dou Qi.

She was ready to give up when suddenly it felt as if she were back in the Dou Qi Continent. Dou Qi energy surrounded her, flooding into her body, and soon, with a loud bang, she broke through to the Dou Zong level.

“I...I did it! I broke through!” Yun Yun exclaimed excitedly, without noticing anything odd about her words.

Chen Xuan teased, “Broke through?”

“Mm! I thought I’d be stuck as a Dou Emperor in this world, but I made it to Dou Zong!” Yun Yun, thrilled, hugged Chen Xuan. Realizing this, she quickly let go, blushing as she brushed back a lock of hair. “Uh...sorry, I was just too happy.”

“I don’t mind,” Chen Xuan shrugged. Though if it had been a guy, he’d have minded.

“By the way, now that you’ve defeated the demon, when will you take me back to the Dou Qi Continent?” Yun Yun asked with a smile, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Chen Xuan replied, “That was just one of them. I still don’t know the full situation, so for now, leaving may not be possible.” The so-called Eight Devil Generals had been vague in their words, and even at the end, they didn’t reveal everything. He needed to uncover the truth about Qingzhu’s past, and besides... he hadn’t yet obtained a teleportation talisman.

“Alright,” Yun Yun replied, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes. Then she asked, “So, where are we going next?”

“We’re going… to the Dao Sect!”

“Dao Sect? Where is that? And how do we get there?”

“Follow me!” Chen Xuan said.