The vast stone plaza stretched endlessly before them, and at its very center stood a massive stone platform. Atop it, a silver-white light circle dozens of meters wide rotated slowly, radiating waves of astonishing spatial energy.
Poof! Poof!
Suddenly, ripples of spatial distortion flared within the circle, and several figures shot out from the wormhole. After a brief moment of imbalance, they steadied themselves and landed on the ground.
"Finally out! That space wormhole was boring me to death! Big Brother, how far are we from the Central Region now?" Purple flames danced in Zi Yan's eyes as she pouted, her youthful face full of impatience. Months of constant travel had left her utterly restless.
Liu Xi chuckled lightly, sweeping his gaze around.
"This is the Central Region," he said, "though only the northwest corner of it. The place we need to reach—Falling God Ravine—lies near the heart of the Central Domain, close to the Pill Region. We still have some distance to cover."
The Central Plains lay at the heart of the entire Dou Qi Continent—boundless, vast, and teeming with powerhouses. And at its very core was this so-called Central Region—the realm of true titans.
After leaving Cape City, the trio had traveled to Tian Kui City's space wormhole, their first transfer point toward the Central Plains. Along the way, they had passed through several space wormholes, with countless days lost in the transition tunnels. Altogether, nearly half a year had slipped by—half a year of pure monotony.
In that time, Liu Xi had reached the peak of 9-Star Dou Huang. Zi Yan's aura had grown deeper and more refined, and Xiao Yixian had broken through to 4-Star Dou Zong. The power of her Woeful Poison Body had become increasingly potent and ominous.
"Still far?" Zi Yan's small face scrunched into a pout—patience was never her strong suit.
"Almost there," Liu Xi said warmly. "We'll rest for a day in this city. Tomorrow, we continue. You've both earned a break."
He spoke softly but firmly. Xiao Yixian's Woeful Poison Body could not be delayed for long. Even with the tempering of Earth Core Body Refining Milk, as her strength increased, the day of the poison body's eruption drew near.
As long as Xiao Yixian broke through to Dou Zun—or if Zi Yan advanced to Dou Zong—their future travels would become far easier.
A Dou Zun could tear open space and create temporary wormholes at will. And once Zi Yan, with her Void Ancient Dragon bloodline, ascended to a 7th Rank Magical Beast, she could traverse the void freely. It was no wonder her clan was regarded as one of the continent's top races—few dared to even dream of riding such beings.
"Yay!" Zi Yan cheered, her purple eyes sparkling with joy.
Ever since acknowledging Liu Xi as her Big Brother, she had been fiercely loyal. Whatever he asked, she did without hesitation. A single day of fun, after months of travel, was more than enough to make her happy.
"Let's go," Liu Xi said with a smile, stepping off the platform toward the city gates.
Zi Yan hopped along behind him, humming cheerfully, while Xiao Yixian followed quietly, her expression serene. She knew all too well that Liu Xi's every choice was for her sake—to suppress the looming threat of the Woeful Poison Body.
As they entered the city, Liu Xi couldn't shake an odd feeling. For a city with a space wormhole, it was strangely… empty.
It lacked the vibrant life typical of large cities. Something essential was missing.
Still, he paid it little mind. With Xiao Yixian and the Earth Demon Puppet, Ah Da, at his side, there was little to fear.
Their footsteps echoed softly on the blue stone streets. Wherever they passed, mercenaries and traders instinctively made way, their eyes flickering with something strange—fear, perhaps, or pity.
"Big Brother, are we that scary?" Zi Yan asked, hands clasped behind her back, blinking up at him curiously.
"It's fine," Liu Xi replied with an easy smile. "Let them be wary. What can two Dou Huang and one Dou Zong not handle? And if something truly troublesome comes… we still have our ultimate weapon."
His tone was calm, almost amused. Xiao Yixian frowned slightly, her silver eyes cold. "In those gazes… I sense not only greed, but pity. Something's off."
"Come," Liu Xi said. "Let's eat first—and see what we can find out."
He had barely finished speaking when the sound of hooves shattered the air.
Clatter! Clatter!
"Hahaha! Out of the way, all of you! Let this Young Master take a look—where's the new beauty everyone's talking about!?"
The arrogant voice rolled across the street. Around them, merchants and mercenaries turned pale and scattered in all directions, diving into shops and alleys. Chaos spread like wildfire.
Moments later, a blazing red stallion thundered down the street, its hooves sparking against the cobblestone. Its rider—a white-robed young man—had handsome features, but his eyes gleamed with vulgar lust. A faint perfume of women clung to him, sickeningly sweet.
The aura emanating from his body marked him as a Dou Wang, but his Dou Qi was unstable and weak, more for show than substance.
When the stallion halted a few paces before Liu Xi, its rider yanked the reins sharply, stopping just short of the trio.
The young man's gaze swept over Xiao Yixian's graceful figure, then over the petite Zi Yan—completely ignoring Liu Xi, as though he didn't exist.
"Tsk, tsk… two beauties! One mature and elegant, one fresh and tender. That fine waist, that figure… and the little one—heh, must be quite the taste!"
His vulgar words dripped with lust as his gaze lingered shamelessly.
Xiao Yixian's expression froze over, killing intent flickering in her eyes. She waited only for Liu Xi's word to end this man's life.
Zi Yan tilted her head slightly, not angry—just… bored. Her amethyst eyes gleamed coldly, as if looking at a walking corpse.
Liu Xi, meanwhile, finally understood what had been bothering him earlier. 'So that's it.'
This city lacked young women—beautiful ones especially. The streets were filled with mercenaries, merchants, and vendors—all men. The few women around were rough, scarred, and built sturdier than most men he'd met.
Before Liu Xi could speak, the young man sneered again.
"Two beauties like you should stop struggling. This Young Master will be very gentle. After all, a fine woman shouldn't be bruised—spoils the fun."
"Young Master, these three have strong auras," came a sudden warning.
Two figures appeared in a blur—elderly men in yellow robes—landing before the horse like a living shield.
Their expressions were grave, their eyes wary as they locked onto Liu Xi's group. Both were Dou Huang, and both could clearly sense the overwhelming pressure radiating from Xiao Yixian in particular.
But the young man just laughed. "Even better! Such strong beauties—rare treasures indeed! My father never lets me play with the powerful ones, but today's my lucky day!"
His lips curled into a wicked grin. "Elder Zhao, Elder Xu—capture those two women for me. Who in this city would dare defy me anyway? My father is the Sect Master of Desire Immortal Sect—Tian Xie City's strongest man, Zhang Erhe!"
(End of Chapter)
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