"Hu… hu…"
Bing He furrowed his brows, his eyes locked coldly onto Liu Xi. Though anger surged within him, his face remained expressionless — and he didn't dare make the first move.
Just a hundred meters ahead stood Yao Tianhuo and Xiao Yixian, both Dou Zun experts, their gazes sharp and unkind. Their combined auras pressed down upon him like a mountain. If he struck, the ripple of that attack would draw retaliation from two Dou Zuns — a storm of violence he couldn't possibly withstand.
What truly unsettled him, though, was that he had never seen this second Dou Zun before. There were only so many Dou Zuns on the Central Plains; he knew them all by name. Yet this one — with strength equal to his own — had suddenly appeared out of nowhere!
And that woman… the Woeful Poison Body. Never in recorded history had anyone with a natural Woeful Poison Body managed to suppress its rampage and break through to the Dou Zun Realm. Where had this mysterious method of control come from?
Bing He was a clever man — but clever men overthink. If he had been a reckless brute, Yao Tianhuo and Xiao Yixian might already have been forced to fight for their lives.
Liu Xi knew this well. That was why he'd come here to intimidate, not annihilate. If Bing He had been impulsive, Liu Xi would have either hidden his identity and fled or gone for a clean, ruthless kill.
From afar, countless white-robed figures appeared in the skies above Ice River Valley. Four Dou Zong elders led the way, but not a single other Dou Zun accompanied them.
They stopped a hundred meters behind Bing He — as if they'd struck an invisible wall — and watched with grim faces.
Two Dou Zuns. That was enough to rank this small group among the top-tier powers of the continent. Even the mighty Four Pavilion Alliance, each with only a single Dou Zun, couldn't compare.
For such beings, a fight would be cataclysmic. None of the Dou Zongs dared to interfere; they could only stare at their valley master in growing unease.
Bing He's expression turned colder still. The black snowflake sigil between his brows began to glow faintly, exuding a sinister light that sent shivers through everyone who looked upon it.
Three Dou Zuns' auras clashed, turning the air itself solid. The floating clouds were torn apart; the void trembled violently and split open, webbed with endless cracks of pure black.
Those rifts carried destructive power so great that even a Dou Zong who brushed against one would be torn into nothingness.
The confrontation was suffocating. Faint strands of killing intent intertwined through the air, ready to ignite into battle at any moment.
A great war — on the brink of eruption!
Yao Tianhuo and Xiao Yixian both held back, wary of escalating needlessly. Bing He, however, was filled with unwillingness — he didn't want to retreat, but he couldn't advance either.
He had lost too much already: half of Ice River Valley's elders, and his left hand, Tian Shuangzi — a fellow Dou Zun and his most trusted aide.
A Dou Zun was not easily cultivated. Strength, luck, temperament, opportunity — any missing piece, and the path would end forever.
Finally, Bing He exhaled a long breath. His eyes shifted past Yao Tianhuo and Xiao Yixian, locking instead on Liu Xi.
His tone was heavy but controlled.
"This matter… was indeed Ice River Valley's fault. I will withdraw all pursuit orders and recall my men. I hope this will not sour relations between us."
It wasn't just Ice River Valley he was protecting — it was his own life. Without another Dou Zun's support, starting this fight would be suicidal.
Liu Xi smiled faintly, offering neither mockery nor reconciliation. His tone remained light.
"Since that's the case, Elder Yao — let's go."
Yao Tianhuo nodded and raised a sleeve. The void rippled like waves, collapsing inward. A surge of invisible force enveloped the group, and in an instant, they vanished.
Bing He stood silently, hands clasped behind his back, watching the air close again where the rift had been. His expression remained calm, but his eyes gleamed with deep unwillingness.
Unwilling to be humiliated. Unwilling to yield.
He was the master of Ice River Valley — when had he ever been forced to bow his head?
And unwilling because of the Artificial Woeful Poison Body. His cultivation had already reached its limit; without an opportunity, he could never advance further. If he could have obtained that Innate Weful Poison Body, his future path would have been limitless.
"Woeful Poison Body…" he muttered under his breath.
"Valley Master," an elder's hesitant voice sounded from behind. "I will send word to silence all who know of this matter. No rumors will spread."
Bing He turned his head slightly, giving the man a single indifferent glance. The elder's body stiffened, scalp tingling, despair flooding his heart.
'I'm doomed!'
But Bing He merely withdrew his gaze, waving one sleeve as ripples formed beneath his feet. His figure slowly faded into the air, leaving behind only a cold, detached voice:
"Recall everyone. I will enter seclusion. Handle the sect's affairs yourselves."
"Yes!"
The elder froze in disbelief, then exhaled in relief, bowing deeply.
He and the other elders quickly began issuing orders, arranging the valley's matters with care. The most important — silence. No word of the confrontation could leave the valley.
But in this world, no wall was without cracks. Especially not when three Dou Zuns had clashed — rumor spread like wildfire.
Soon, across the Central Plains, the tale spread far and wide: A handsome young man, accompanied by a white-haired elder, a graceful beauty, and a youthful girl, had forced the mighty Bing He, master of Ice River Valley, to bow his head!
The story took on countless embellished forms — all glorifying the mysterious Liu Xi.
Yet Liu Xi himself knew none of it.
"This time, our actions were necessary," he said quietly, gazing toward the northern skies. "But it was too high-profile. We'll leave the Central Region for now — head to the Beast Region."
He turned to Zi Yan, his voice soft. "One, to help you find your kin. Two, to help you seek a chance for breakthrough."
'Big Brother still cares about me…' Zi Yan bit her lip, her violet eyes glimmering with emotion. Since Liu Xi and Xiao Yixian had both advanced and Yao Tianhuo had been reborn, she had felt increasingly forgotten — but now, her heart warmed again.
Xiao Yixian only smiled sweetly. Her heart and soul both belonged to Liu Xi — wherever he went, she would follow. And besides, she too wished to help Zi Yan find her clan. Zi Yan had helped her before, in subduing the Sky Poison Dragon Scorpion Beast and seeking the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva.
Yao Tianhuo stroked his beard thoughtfully, then laughed aloud.
"My little friend has done much for me. Since I've nothing pressing to do, I'll accompany you through the Beast Region!"
The Beast Region — the Ten Thousand Mountains — home to nearly seventy percent of all magical beast clans on the Dou Qi Continent.
It was a realm ruled by beasts, including the three great lineages of the magical beast world: the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, and the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe.
A place where even a Dou Zun had to tread carefully — for high-tier beasts roamed in great numbers, and one misstep could mean death.
And to find the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, they would need to rely on Zi Yan's bloodline sense — for only through her could they uncover the path of her people's inheritance.
(End of Chapter)
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