Chapter 74: "It Doesn't Matter, I'll Handle It!"
Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xiao Shaopei paused momentarily, glancing at the medicine cauldron emitting faint heat nearby. A slight smile crossed his lips.
"It seems I overlooked something."
With a wave of his hand, a gentle breeze swept through the area, and the fiery cauldron, which even a Half Saint couldn't break, disintegrated into flames that scattered into the air.
"Cough, cough! That damn brat…" Out of the dissipating cauldron emerged Xiao Wu, his clothes scorched and disheveled.
His face was covered in soot, and much of his hair had been burned away.
"Cough, cough." From the sidelines, Xiao Wen let out a light cough.
"Old Wen! You've finally come to save me. You don't know how hot that cauldron was!" Xiao Wu laughed as he turned to Xiao Wen, only to notice the regal figure in purple gold robes standing beside him.
Instantly, the smile on Xiao Wu's face vanished. He dropped to one knee and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Clan Leader!"
"Stand up." Xiao Shaopei's tone was calm as he waved him off, his focus already elsewhere. His gaze turned toward the ancient city in the distance, and the usual dignified expression on his face softened into one of deep emotion.
"Wait a minute… Could the clan leader and the Yin Yang Evil Saint have been… close?" Xiao Yan shivered inexplicably as he observed Xiao Shaopei's expression.
Without paying attention to the murmurs around him, Xiao Shaopei raised his hand, pressing lightly into the air.
"Boom!"
The heavens and earth trembled as an immense, overwhelming energy converged into the area, forming a colossal hand spanning over a thousand feet.
"Open!"
As Xiao Shaopei clenched his hand lightly, the energy manifested as a giant palm that gently gripped the ancient city below.
"Crack! Crack!"
The city began to fracture, its structures crumbling into dust that scattered with the wind. From Xiao Yan's vantage point, it seemed like mere buildings were being obliterated. However, from Xiao Wen and Xiao Wu's perspectives, they could see layers of ancient spatial forces and defensive formations that had stood for millennia being dismantled and erased.
As the city crumbled, an ancient spatial power dissipated into the world, and even a larger, hidden city began to emerge from the void. This larger city had long been eroded by time and the loss of the saintly power that once maintained it. Only two core structures remained intact: the Yin Yang altars on either side of the city.
Through it all, Xiao Shaopei's focus never wavered. His gaze pierced through the void, fixed on the altar within the Yin side of the ancient ruins.
When the city finally merged back into the Dou Qi Continent's spatial plane, Xiao Shaopei took a single step forward.
With that step, he instantly appeared atop the Yin altar.
At the altar's center sat a terrifying red haired creature, its eyes closed as it remained in a meditative position. Hovering above its head was a faint, ethereal figure, floating silently.
As this figure sensed the Dou Qi Continent's presence once more, countless emotions swirled within it.
When it saw the purple gold robed figure before it, their gazes locked, and the passage of time seemed to collapse into a single, poignant moment.
"Shaopei!" Even in his spiritual form, the Yin Yang Evil Saint's voice carried a quiver of emotion.
"Lang Bi!" Xiao Shaopei's eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"Shaopei!"
"Lang Bi!"
The exchange of names lingered in the air, heavy with the weight of centuries.
Finally, Xiao Shaopei spoke, his voice breaking the silence.
"What happened a thousand years ago? How did you end up like this?"
His gaze shifted to the monstrous red haired creature beneath Lang Bi's spirit. The faint but ominous aura emanating from it caused his brows to furrow.
"That's your physical body?"
Lang Bi nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"A thousand years, and yet you still carry the same flair as when you ruled Zhongzhou as the most dashing rogue. I never thought you'd truly fulfill your ambitions and become the Xiao Clan's leader!"
"And you've reached Nine Star Dou Sheng strength?"
"Nine Star Dou Sheng… peak!" Xiao Shaopei corrected him with a touch of pride that he no longer bothered to hide.
Even in front of Xiao Yan or Yao Tian, Xiao Shaopei had maintained a composed demeanor. But now, standing before his old friend, he allowed his smugness to surface.
"Haha, even after a thousand years, you're still as eager to show off as ever." Lang Bi chuckled softly. His soul descended from his monstrous body, shrinking and condensing until it was no larger than a thumb. It floated gently into Xiao Shaopei's hand.
Lang Bi's trust in his old friend was absolute.
"Trouble? You mean your body?" Xiao Shaopei asked, glancing at the grotesque creature below.
"Exactly." Lang Bi nodded.
At that moment, the red haired monster stirred. Its blood red eyes snapped open, and a guttural roar echoed through the ruins.
Seeing Xiao Shaopei, the monster hesitated briefly before turning and bolting in the opposite direction, its survival instincts kicking in.
"Don't let it escape! If it does, Zhongzhou will be plunged into chaos!" Lang Bi warned urgently.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it." Xiao Shaopei chuckled lightly.
With his left hand holding Lang Bi's condensed soul, his right hand extended forward.
"Boom!"
The massive energy hand from earlier shifted, the space within its grasp becoming impossibly dense.
The monster howled in frustration but couldn't escape the palm's grip. Finally, the energy hand clenched, holding the creature in place.
"Your strength has truly reached awe inspiring heights," Lang Bi remarked with a mix of admiration and melancholy as he gazed at the enormous hand.
"Finish it," he said softly.
Xiao Shaopei nodded.
In the next moment, a devastating burst of energy erupted from the hand, its sheer power enough to annihilate even a Dou Sheng.
The monster's roars grew frantic as it struggled, only to be obliterated. All that remained was a thick, viscous mass of black mist, writhing ominously.
"That black mist is incredibly peculiar," Xiao Shaopei mused, his brows furrowing.
With another wave of his hand, the energy crushed the mist into nothingness, erasing even the faintest trace.
"What is this thing?" Xiao Shaopei asked, turning to Lang Bi.
Lang Bi let out a weary sigh. "It's a long story…"
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