Chapter 223: Mysterious Ancient Path

Xu Qing was immediately aware of Revered Master Dongyou's arrival. Although Revered Master Dongyou did not disembark at Port 176, Xu Qing's intelligence network was excellent because the entire Seven Blood Eyes' Bounty Division was currently under his command, tasked with capturing and searching for Night Doves. This endeavor had also eased the tensions between Xu Qing and the Bounty Divisions of the other six peaks, which had arisen from previous boundary infringements.

After all, apprehending criminals brought immense merit and profit, especially with Night Doves, where each capture yielded a significant amount of spirit stones. This was the primary reason why the chiefs of the Bounty Divisions from the other six peaks were willing to follow Xu Qing's arrangements. Otherwise, despite Xu Qing's considerable combat prowess and reputation, the Bounty Divisions of the other six peaks could still refuse to obey him. After all, in this world, no one owes anyone anything.

Even though Xu Qing was a Sequence, it wasn't unheard of for Sequences to die mysteriously. These were all individuals who had clawed their way up from the bottom, capable of leading a division, possessing sharp minds and numerous strategies. Yet, when mutual benefit was involved, they were all good friends, so sharing information was a natural outcome.

Upon hearing this news, Xu Qing was quite vigilant. However, he had already analyzed the situation, so his guard, though present, wasn't enough to disrupt his daily life. At the same time, while Xu Qing remained on alert, Blood Refiner had already invited Revered Master Dongyou to the Fourth Peak.

Blood Refiner hailed from the Fourth Peak, and his usual residence was there. After dismissing their attendants, the two cultivators, both at the Grand Exalt level, discussed important matters.

As they concluded their discussion, Revered Master Dongyou casually remarked, "I heard my granddaughter made a friend named Xu Qing during her time in the Seven Blood Eyes. This child, Xu Qing, seems quite promising; I'll give him a gift." A faint smile appeared on Revered Master Dongyou's wrinkled face as she took out a jade box and handed it to Blood Refiner.

Blood Refiner chuckled, not feigning ignorance. At their level of cultivation, many matters were handled subtly. For instance, Revered Master Dongyou didn't ask a single question about the matter, but the gift itself conveyed her stance. Blood Refiner naturally understood, accepting it with a laugh. He didn't seem to make any specific arrangements, but shortly after their casual conversation, a whooshing sound came from outside, and then Yan Yan, who had just been released, rushed in.

Her minor injuries had long since healed after her recuperation, and there was no hint of grievance in her expression. Upon seeing her grandmother, her eyes lit up, and she quickly rushed forward, hugging Revered Master Dongyou's arm. "Grandma, why are you here?"

Revered Master Dongyou's gaze fell upon her granddaughter. Noticing that everything was normal, she smiled faintly. Yet, deep down, she still felt a pang of sympathy for the hardships her granddaughter had endured recently. She was, in fact, somewhat displeased with Xu Qing. She raised her hand to stroke Yan Yan's head, just about to speak.

But Yan Yan preempted her, startlingly blurting out, "Grandma, I want to marry Xu Qing!"

Revered Master Dongyou was stunned. She was aware of her granddaughter's issues, and the more she knew, the more incredible it seemed to her to hear such a sudden declaration.

Blood Refiner was also taken aback. This matter was truly beyond his expectations. He knew his old friend's junior had her quirks, but he never imagined that after being "entertained" by Xu Qing and confined for several months, she would immediately utter such a statement upon her release.

"I believe that in this world, only he is worthy of me, Grandma. I want to marry him; I will marry no one else!" Yan Yan shook Revered Master Dongyou's arm, her expression filled with unprecedented seriousness.

"Impudent! What kind of behavior is this in front of your elders!" Revered Master Dongyou sternly rebuked her, and Yan Yan lowered her head, looking wronged.

Although Revered Master Dongyou spoke that way, her inner shock was intense. She turned to Blood Refiner and said, "Fellow Daoist Blood Refiner, if you have time later, could you arrange for this old one to meet that child, Xu Qing?"

Blood Refiner hesitated. He found the matter a bit strange, but if this marriage could actually be arranged, it seemed quite favorable. So he chuckled and nodded in agreement, though without specifying a time. For some unknown reason, this matter quickly spread throughout the sect, and within a day, all seven peaks knew about it. Among them, Ding Xue's reaction was the strongest; she seemed about to explode.

Zhao Zhongheng, on the other hand, was overjoyed.

Meanwhile, in Gu Muqing's cave dwelling on the Second Peak, several pills exploded.

Xu Qing naturally heard about it, and his brows furrowed. He found the matter somewhat absurd. Furthermore, Xu Qing believed that matters between men and women were a great waste of cultivation time and offered no benefits. As a child, he had heard teachers mention romantic feelings between men and women, but he had never experienced them, nor did he know what that feeling was like. In his memories, the slums and scavenger camps were predominantly populated by solitary individuals.

"Nonsensical," Xu Qing thought, his expression calm and his heart unperturbed.

In the following days, he repeatedly declined Yan Yan's invitations. For Xu Qing, who was currently immersed in refining the wish box and dealing with the Night Dove situation, time was precious, and he had no desire to concern himself with unimportant matters or people.

Furthermore, as time passed, the Seven Blood Eyes' port became exceptionally lively with the continuous arrival of foreign envoys and allies. Among the arrivals, cultivators from the Vast Ancient Continent appeared for the first time!

The cultivators who arrived from the Vast Ancient Continent were three women dressed in long cyan dresses and wearing veils. Their figures were graceful, and faint mist emanated from their bodies. This was clearly a peculiar cultivation method, distinctly different from that of the Seven Blood Eyes cultivators. Embroidered on their long dresses was an immortal mountain, and amidst the vines, it seemed to contain a certain Dao charm, making them appear lofty and unapproachable. Especially noteworthy was the remarkably small amount of impurities on their bodies. Though not entirely absent, it was so minimal that it was almost undetectable without careful sensing. All of this drew significant attention from the Seven Blood Eyes disciples.

Indeed, for many years, visitors from the Vast Ancient Continent had been virtually nonexistent. For the Seven Blood Eyes disciples, the Vast Ancient Continent was filled with immense mystery and unpredictability. Many even instinctively felt that cultivators from the Vast Ancient Continent were superior. In reality, this was true; whether in terms of spiritual energy, cultivation techniques, vision, or Dao lineage, the Vast Ancient Continent far surpassed the Seven Blood Eyes, and its sects and cultivators naturally adopted a transcendent demeanor.

Particularly, the three female cultivators who arrived not only possessed an ethereal grace but also carried a delicate fragrance, appearing otherworldly from head to toe. Moreover, their cultivation was astonishing. Among the three, two had opened around a hundred Dharma Apertures in their bodies, clearly aiming to break through to the Four Flames realm. The tallest one had one hundred and twenty Dharma Apertures shining with starlight within her body, and even without entering the Profound Radiance state, she still exuded an aura as if the world itself were being tempered by starlight. Their arrival was like that of a brilliant moon, dimming countless stars, and for a time, they became the focus of attention and a hot topic within the Seven Blood Eyes.

As for their specific details, Xu Qing only knew about the three arrivals from their dossiers; he had not met them in person, so he could not investigate further. However, he also learned from the dossiers that these three cultivators from the Vast Ancient Continent represented a force called the Grand Diviner Immortal Sect.

At the same time, the Seven Blood Eyes suddenly disclosed some secrets and information about the Vast Ancient Continent to all the Foundation Establishment disciples in the sect. Ordinarily, the sect would not easily reveal such matters, and most disciples knew little about them. But now, with the arrival of individuals from the Vast Ancient Continent and the release of sect information, the mysterious veil over the Vast Ancient Continent was lifted in the minds of the Seven Blood Eyes disciples.

The Vast Ancient Continent was boundless and immense, divided into several major domains. Within each domain were prefectures, and within each prefecture were states. Countless races thrived, and peculiarities were abundant everywhere. It was almost impossible for anyone to traverse the entire Vast Ancient Continent; its sheer scale surpassed imagination.

The origin of the human race was deep within this incredibly vast Vast Ancient Continent, immensely far from the forbidden sea outside the Seven Blood Eyes. It was the location of the imperial capital founded by the last Human Ancient Emperor, and the most sacred place for humanity on the Vast Ancient Continent. That Ancient Emperor was named Xuanyou. He not only suppressed myriad races to establish an era and unified the Vast Ancient Continent, but also constructed a road from the imperial capital to the forbidden sea. This road traversed thirty-seven great domains and stretched to the coastline. It was once known as the Xuanyou Imperial Road, but now, after multiple eras, its name has changed to the Xuanyou Ancient Path.

Although humanity has now declined, myriad races have risen, and countless forbidden zones have formed, leading to humanity losing its former glory and vast territories, it has still managed to preserve this ancient path. The continuation of the human race also unfolds around this ancient path. Along this ancient path, over the years, seven human prefectures have formed. Within them, human sects and forces have risen and fallen, fluctuating, with their overall strength steadily declining. But even so, humanity, possessing these seven prefectures and an imperial capital domain, remains one of the strong races on the Vast Ancient Continent.

As for the seven human prefectures on the Xuanyou Ancient Path, they are located in different major domains. The end of the ancient path is the human Seventh Prefecture, located within the Sacred Orchid Great Domain, near the forbidden sea, and is named Fenghai Prefecture. Seemingly just a single prefecture, its actual scope is still immensely vast compared to the Seven Blood Eyes. It is divided into five states, each of which is more than ten times the size of Southern Phoenix State.

The state closest to the forbidden sea is Yinghuang State within Fenghai Prefecture. Legend has it that Ancient Emperor Xuanyou attained the Dao overseas, disembarked from this very place, and began his ambitious quest to unify Vast Ancient. Hence, this state acquired its name, which has been in use ever since.

Within Yinghuang State, various forces are intertwined, with multiple powers vying for supremacy. Foreign races have also established garrison cities within it. After countless years and numerous wars and changes, six major forces have risen to prominence, their names echoing throughout the eight directions. They are:

First, hundreds of small and medium-sized sects are scattered and gathered, forming a massive entity led by seven major sects, known as the Seven Sects Alliance.

Second, the Litou Cult within Yinghuang State fanatically reveres Ancient Emperor Xuanyou and has repeatedly engaged in insane acts, instigating bloody sacrificial rituals at the Litou Dao Altar.

Third, the native cultivators of Yinghuang State, possessing mysterious inheritances and nominally the head of Yinghuang State, are the Grand Diviner Immortal Sect!

Fourth, the Three Spirits Dao-Suppressing Mountain, which gathers countless strange and bizarre entities, feeding on flesh and blood and drinking souls. Its fierce reputation can strike fear and despair into all cultivators. It enslaves one hundred and thirty-seven human cities, with corpses strewn across the wilderness and the ground covered in mud formed from rotting flesh and blood, yet it leaves other factions powerless.

As for the fifth force, they are more transcendent, rarely participating in any conflicts of interest within Yinghuang State. They gather around the Primordial Liuyou Pillar, a legacy left behind by an unknown half-step master from multiple eras ago. This pillar is actually a lineage; its height pierces the clouds, and few can truly reach its peak. It is said that whoever reaches its summit can obtain its inheritance. To date, only two individuals have reached the very peak. Countless names are engraved on the entire Primordial Liuyou Pillar; anyone qualified to carve their name here will receive a divine soul protection from Primordial Liuyou.

And the last force is a monstrous ghostly figure, clad in armor, wielding a massive blade, bearing two worlds on its shoulders, its origin unfathomable. This ghost is a staggering hundred thousand zhang tall, like the spirit of an evil god, seated cross-legged within Yinghuang State. Its might is earth-shattering, its aura engulfing eternities, while it resembles a colossal mountain. The two worlds on its shoulders constitute this sixth force, named Nanyue Ghost Mountain. As for the spirit of the evil god, it is also known as the Nanyue Ghost Emperor. Furthermore, there are multiple foreign race garrisons and numerous forbidden zones, along with two terrifying forbidden lands that suppress all directions and annually expand with dense impurities.