Chapter 694 Arrival at the Ancient Holy City

Seeing Xiao Yan's solemn expression, Xiao Ling nodded again, his tone tinged with a hint of regret:

"Yes, yes, we are both descendants of the Xiao clan, one of the eight ancient clans. But who could have imagined that the Xiao clan, which once dominated the entire Dou Qi Continent, would fall to such a state, eventually having to live in a small city in the Northwest Continent? It's truly lamentable."

Hearing Xiao Ling's words, Xiao Yan's heart was also stirred. He remained silent for a moment, then softly echoed:
“You’re right. No one would have imagined that the Xiao family, who were previously unknown in that small place called Wutan City, actually had such a profound history and were descendants of the once glorious Xiao clan.”

Without dwelling on the topic, Xiao Ling shook his head, raised his hand and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, his tone becoming lighter:
"Alright, now that you know this, prepare yourself mentally. Go pack your things now, and tomorrow morning I will take you to the Ancient Clan's Ancient Realm to participate in this coming-of-age ceremony. After the ceremony, I will take you to the Heavenly Tomb for trials. That place will greatly benefit your cultivation and will definitely allow you to take your strength to the next level."

Xiao Ling's words also brought Xiao Yan's wandering thoughts back.

When Xiao Ling introduced the Heavenly Tomb before, he was eager to enter it for trials and quickly improve his cultivation. Now, upon hearing this, he nodded emphatically, his tone resolute: "I understand, cousin! I'll go pack right away and make sure it doesn't delay our departure tomorrow."

Seeing his decisiveness, Xiao Ling nodded in satisfaction and didn't linger any longer, saying only, "In that case, I'll come to see you again first thing tomorrow morning."

After saying that, he waved to Xiao Yan and turned to walk out of the courtyard.

Upon reaching the courtyard entrance, Xiao Ling leaped lightly, his fighting spirit surging as he transformed into a streak of light, disappearing completely from Xiao Yan's sight in the blink of an eye.

……

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Xiao Yan set off early to Lingyue Peak to find Xiao Ling. After the two met and made some quick preparations, they didn't linger and quietly departed.

The trip was extremely low-key. Apart from a few people like Elder Yao who knew the inside story, it did not disturb the other people in the pavilion, and the figure quickly disappeared into the distance.

……

The Ancient Realm lies quietly in the vast land of the Eastern Region of Central Continent. In this expansive territory, eight or nine out of ten forces must rely on the Ancient Clan for their survival, establishing themselves under the guise of "subordination."

Even so, most of the leaders of the various forces have never seen the true face of this "Supreme Emperor" of the Eastern Region. All they can sense is his unfathomable and terrifying strength, like the divine might hanging over their heads.

Therefore, when venturing into the Eastern Region, if one can gain the title of "affiliated" with an ancient clan, it is like holding a golden token of immunity from death imbued with majesty, enough to make most conflicts detour.

Ancient tribes, whose lineage has been passed down from antiquity to the present day, are inherently mysterious and powerful beings.

Their innate talent is enough to make ordinary cultivators look up to them. What others see as a path of cultivation paved with blood and sweat and full of thorns is a smooth road to heaven under the feet of the ancient clan disciples.

With just a little practice, they can break through to a level that ordinary people can hardly reach even with all their efforts, leaving their peers, who burn the midnight oil in their arduous cultivation, far behind.

In the end, dazzling halos such as "genius" and "strongman" are nothing more than ordinary embellishments that naturally fall on their shoulders.

This power etched into their bloodline, coupled with their secretive nature that they rarely reveal, has made the ancient clan a special symbol in the hearts of the people of the Eastern Region.

In some remote areas, some people even worship it as a deity, and their almost fanatical fervor is unbelievable to those who have witnessed it.

But people know in their hearts that there are no true gods in this world. The ancient races are so revered only because their strength has long surpassed the boundaries of mortal cognition, placing them at the very top of the power pyramid on this continent...

"laugh--"

As if the azure sky had been suddenly torn apart, a slender black shadow, accompanied by a sharp whistle, sped by at lightning speed. Wherever its massive body passed, a gust of wind and visible air waves spread out in layers, even tearing open a brief gap in the clouds.

On the broad back of the Sky Piercer, two figures sat steadily. Xiao Ling pressed his fingertips against a map with an ancient luster, his gaze sweeping over the routes marked on it, and said to Xiao Yan beside him, "At our current speed, we can enter the Eastern Region tomorrow. However, the entrance to the Ancient Realm is hidden in the center of the Eastern Region, in a place called the Ancient Holy City."

“Ancient Holy City…” Xiao Yan nodded slowly, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the fabric of his clothes. He had heard of this name in his travelogues in the Central Plains. In the Eastern Region, the city’s reputation even surpassed that of the Holy Pill City, where the Pill Tower was located, simply because it was the only gateway to the Ancient Realm.

"There's no need to worry about that." Xiao Ling put away the map, his tone relaxed.

"Most major cities in the Eastern Region have spatial wormholes that lead directly to the vicinity of the Ancient Holy City. If you use these wormholes to travel, you should be able to stand outside the Ancient Holy City in just two days. At that time, you will be able to see with your own eyes just how magnificent the real ancient eight clans are."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but scratch his head, a hint of anticipation appearing on his lips:
"Then I really look forward to seeing it soon. But then again, when our Xiao clan was at its peak, it shouldn't have been inferior to the ancient clans, right? Although things have improved a lot with your help, cousin, compared to these famous ancient races, there is still an insurmountable gap. We are not even qualified to be compared with them."

Xiao Ling rolled up the map and put it into his storage ring. He then patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, his tone both expectant and relaxed:
"Then you must take this as your goal. You are the young patriarch of the Xiao clan, and the responsibility of the clan's revival will fall on your shoulders sooner or later. You must cultivate diligently. I don't expect the Xiao clan to surpass the glory of our ancestors, but at least we must regain our footing and not lose the name of the eight ancient clans."

After Xiao Ling said that, Xiao Yan couldn't help but scratch his head a little embarrassedly, shaking his head with an awkward smile:

“Cousin, you’re giving me too much credit. Our Xiao clan is an ancient imperial clan that has produced Dou Di. If I want to surpass our ancestors, do you expect me to become a Dou Di as well? But the Dou Qi Continent hasn’t produced a Dou Di in ten thousand years.”

Then, he changed the subject and looked at Xiao Ling: "To be honest, this important task should actually be given to you, cousin. With your abilities, you are the one who can truly lead the Xiao clan to revival, right?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling simply smiled faintly, shook his head slightly, and didn't continue the conversation, turning his gaze back to the clouds passing by in the distance...

……

Without further obstacles, Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan officially entered the territory of the Eastern Region of Central State the next morning.

Without lingering for a moment, the two went straight to a massive city. After finding the spatial wormhole leading to the area around the ancient holy city, they immediately stepped inside.

As they passed through the wormhole, the two were somewhat surprised to find that the spatial passage was unusually lively. Various colored streaks of light flashed by rapidly along the way, and they could even see many powerful figures walking directly through the air.

The weakest of the people they encountered along the way was at least a Dou Zong level cultivator. Clearly, these people were all heading towards the Ancient Sacred City, but it was difficult to determine which faction they belonged to.

Because the passage was filled with all sorts of people, Xiao Yan and Xiao Ling didn't talk to anyone and just kept moving forward in silence. Nearly three days passed quickly as they traveled in silence.

On the morning of the third day, Xiao Ling, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, slowly opened them at Xiao Yan's gentle prompting. His gaze fell upon the end of the silver spatial passage, where the spatial energy was fluctuating violently, and a silver ball of light was faintly visible in the chaos, but was already clearly discernible.

"The ancient holy city... we're finally here."

Xiao Ling gazed at the ball of silver light, exhaled softly, and a gentle feeling quietly welled up in his heart.

He subconsciously raised his hand, his fingertips caressing the jade pendant around his neck. In his mind, that stunningly beautiful face was becoming clearer and clearer.

……

Before me stretched an endless grassland, its lush greenery stretching across the sky and earth. Every blade of grass exuded vibrant life, and even the wind carried the fresh scent of grass and trees.

In the center of the grassland, a magnificent and imposing stone plaza rises from the ground, hundreds of feet high. Countless thick stone pillars support the platform steadily. From a distance, it looks like a giant standing between heaven and earth, with an overwhelming aura that makes people hold their breath.

Above the megalithic plaza, space distorted slightly, with flashes of silver light appearing intermittently. Figures emerged from these streaks of light, landing lightly on the platform. The plaza was already packed with people, the sounds of chatter and conversation mingling and rising into the sky on the wind, bustling like a marketplace.

"Shoot-"

The space in mid-air suddenly twisted violently, and two figures leaped out from it, landing steadily on the edge of the platform. As soon as Xiao Yan and Xiao Ling were on their feet, they couldn't help but look around, a hint of surprise flashing across their faces.

Looking at the magnificent stone platform beneath his feet, Xiao Yan clicked his tongue, his tone full of shock. He turned to Xiao Ling and said, "This should be the ancient stone plaza mentioned on the map. It seems we haven't gone the wrong way. The scale is too grand. As expected of the ancient clan's territory, it exudes grandeur everywhere."

"Hmm." Xiao Ling nodded lightly, his gaze quickly sweeping over the crowd in the square.

With his keen eyesight, he could easily sense that the auras of everyone on the platform were unusual, with several Dou Zun-level auras hidden among them, having already reached the level of compressing Dou Qi.

"As expected of an ancient clan, those invited by them are indeed true powerhouses. Their influence is truly terrifying," Xiao Ling thought to himself.

He quickly snapped out of his reverie, looked up to the east, and at the horizon, the outline of a massive city that nearly blotted out the sky was faintly visible.

"That's our destination, the Ancient Holy City. Let's go." Xiao Ling waved to Xiao Yan, and as he finished speaking, a hint of eagerness flickered in his eyes.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Ling's fighting spirit surged slightly, and his figure transformed into a pale blue streak of light, speeding towards the city's silhouette that blotted out the sky, leaving a trail of afterimages in the blink of an eye.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan didn't hesitate. He lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped into the air. His fighting spirit condensed into a faint light shield around him, and he flew away closely behind Xiao Ling. The two figures, one in front of the other, quickly sped towards the direction of the Ancient Holy City.

……

In the sky, there were many figures flying towards the ancient holy city along with Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan.

Judging from the air currents they created as they broke through the air and the aura of battle qi that gathered around them, they were all people of unfathomable strength.

Xiao Ling remained calm throughout, focusing his attention solely on the city skyline ahead, paying no extra attention whatsoever.

As Xiao Yan flew by, his gaze couldn't help but linger on the figures passing by, secretly observing these unfamiliar powerhouses.

However, as he looked around, Xiao Yan did not see any familiar symbols of any faction. There were neither the distinctive clothing of the major sects in the Central Plains nor the aura often carried by the elders of top factions. Only then did he feel a sudden chill in his heart.

People always say that the Central Plains are full of hidden talents and powerful figures. Although he had heard of this before, he had never truly experienced it. Only after seeing it with his own eyes today did he realize that this was absolutely true.

These people possessed a powerful and refined aura, and their strength was in no way inferior to the core elders of those first-rate forces. However, they were like dragons hidden in a deep pool, keeping a low profile so that no one could detect their existence.

Although the grassland beneath their feet was vast and boundless, stretching to the horizon, for people of Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan's cultivation level, this distance was nothing.

In just ten minutes, the vast city that had been faintly visible at the edge of their field of vision was now clearly laid out before them, with even the patterns on the city walls and the outlines of the city towers faintly discernible.

When Xiao Ling first saw the ancient holy city, even he, whose mind was already at peace, couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

It wasn't as imposing and domineering as one might imagine. The entire city was built from pale blue giant rocks. Perhaps due to the erosion of tens of thousands of years, the surface of the rocks was covered with lines of varying depths, and some places even had weathered marks, giving it a sense of antiquity and age.

An unusually ancient aura, like a fine vintage wine, slowly wafted from the city, enveloping the two of them. It was a scent mixed with dust, vegetation, and the passage of time, making them feel as if they were touching the hem of clothing from ancient times.

As the two drew closer, they discovered that the ancient city was enveloped in a nearly transparent, pale golden light.

The light barrier was so thin that it seemed as if a gust of wind could break it, but when the two people's auras touched the edge of the light barrier, a pressure from the depths of their souls suddenly came, as if an invisible giant hand had gripped their minds.

Under such pressure, many of the figures flying alongside him subconsciously slowed down, their faces turning slightly pale.

Those veteran powerhouses who already knew the origins of the Ancient Holy City unconsciously showed a hint of awe on their faces, and even their breathing became lighter. Clearly, they were wary of and deeply respectful of the power behind this protective barrier.

"This ancient holy city has been preserved since ancient times. It is said that it was built by the Dou Di powerhouse of the ancient clan. As for the light barrier outside the city, it contains a trace of Dou Di power. With such power protecting it, this ancient holy city can be called truly impregnable and foolproof."

Having already learned about the relevant information, Xiao Ling turned her head and gave a brief explanation to Xiao Yan beside her.

"It's actually the power of a Dou Di... No wonder it has such terrifying pressure."

Xiao Yan suddenly realized what was going on and nodded subconsciously.

No wonder the closer we got to the city, the more intense the oppressive feeling that pierced our very soul became, even making it hard to breathe. It turned out to be power originating from a Dou Di level expert. This kind of power, which only existed in legends, had finally been truly felt today, and we felt some of its awe-inspiring presence. (End of Chapter)