Chapter 706

An ancient forest steeped in primordial energy, its colossal trees—hundreds of zhang tall—stood like giants.

The canopy blotted out sun and sky; even daylight struggled to pierce through. Gazing into the forest's depths, a heart-stopping darkness hung thick, punctuated now and then by ferocious beast roars that sent chills down the spine.

Naturally, for some, these chilling cries were merely noisy disturbances.

After arriving at the entrance of the Manhuang Ancient Domain, Zi Yan blurted out, "Xiao Yan, why not just level the entire Manhuang Ancient Domain to the ground?"

Though Zi Yan lacked Xiao Yan's terrifying power, and though she sensed the presence of terrifying Nine-Rank Magical Beasts within the Manhuang Ancient Domain—even if weaker than Zhu Kun—she knew she couldn't easily defeat these ancient feral beasts in this peculiar land.

But Xiao Yan was different: no matter how fearsome or powerful the domain's beasts, with his current Dou Emperor realm, flattening the entire Manhuang Ancient Domain posed no problem.

Hearing this, Xiao Yan gave her a strange look and said, "We're here to explore ruins, not to destroy."

Xiao Yan could easily reduce the entire Manhuang Ancient Domain to a hollow crater with a Buddha Fury Lotus—but then he'd lose any chance of obtaining vital information.

"The place where the ancient Tai Xu Ancient Dragon elders fell should lie deeper within. Let's head straight to the deepest part of the Manhuang Ancient Domain."

Hearing Xiao Yan's suggestion, Zi Yan nodded. She had yet to sense anything. The Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit had appeared in ancient times, even among powerful Dragon Phoenix beings—if their ancestral forebear had once consumed the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit and awakened the Dragon Phoenix Bloodline, Zi Yan should have been able to sense the Dragon Phoenix power, just as Feng Qing'er had in the Saint's Ruins.

The ambient energy around the Manhuang Ancient Domain exerted some suppression; Zi Yan needed to draw closer to sense it.

Shhh—shhh! Two wind-splitting sounds rang out as Xiao Yan and Zi Yan flew carefree across the skies of the Manhuang Ancient Domain, moving slowly to avoid missing any subtle resonance.

"What?! These two are insane—they're flying over the Manhuang Ancient Domain?!"

"Don't they know the airspace here belongs to that invincible being?!"

Seeing two streaks of light cut across the sky, several mercenary groups who specialized in traversing the Manhuang Ancient Domain stared in shock.

These mercenary groups operated deep within the Manhuang Ancient Domain, their strength formidable; they didn't merely live on the edge of death—they even ambushed and killed sect elders to plunder treasures.

When the Bodhi Ancient Tree emerged, besides a few great clans, some mercenary groups had also joined the fray. A few squads even broke through the beast tide—but in the end, everything ended up in Xiao Yan's hands.

Just as Xiao Yan and Zi Yan flew across the domain, nearing the spot where the Bodhi Ancient Tree had once emerged, a staggering aura suddenly descended.

With a thunderous crash, a colossal creature awoke. As it fully unfolded its body, countless objects rained down. On closer look, the place it had been resting turned out to be a mountain of bones—skulls piled like an ocean.

This bone mountain was built from the skulls of countless magical beasts, many of them enormous and extremely ancient. The colossal creature had slumbered among these remains.

Cchhh! A hissing sound rose as it lifted its head, fixing its gaze on Xiao Yan and Zi Yan as they flew past.

This Manhuang feral beast was immense, its body serpentine, its scales black as iron. Yet it was no serpent—its head resembled both dragon and tiger, strangely formed, with three long, sword-tipped tails that flowed like water, and a pair of vast wings that blotted out the sky.

Most peculiar of all, atop its head grew a fleshy crest that, from afar, looked like a crown resting upon its brow.

For a moment, neither Xiao Yan nor Zi Yan knew what this Manhuang feral beast was called.

This beast's power was no weaker than that of Huang Tian or the Three Great Dragon Kings. The Manhuang Ancient Domain was known as a human forbidden land—indeed, even the Three Great Demon Beast Families dared not enter lightly. The domain's overall strength likely surpassed even the former Shou Yu.

Yet these Manhuang feral beasts never left this realm.

Facing the terrifying aura of the feral beast, Xiao Yan remained unmoved, standing casually, glancing at the creature with indifference.

"Do you know where the great Tai Xu Ancient Dragon elder once fell?" Xiao Yan smiled politely, his tone courteous.

Cchhhhh! A deafening roar erupted. Xiao Yan and Zi Yan exchanged glances, both shrugging helplessly. The Manhuang Ancient Domain's feral beasts were powerful, but paid the price of savage, irrational tempers.

"You're too noisy!" Zi Yan's eyes narrowed; purple dragon scales sprouted across her body. She let out a deafening roar: "Grrrrr!!"

Having completed Huangquan Heavenly Rage, Zi Yan's mere roar could shatter souls and split mountains. The terrifying Dragon Roar echoed across the entire Manhuang Ancient Domain, her near Sixth-Star Saint cultivation realm suppressing the whole domain!

An ancient Dragon Might surged forth, vast and overwhelming.

Wuuuum! At the instant Zi Yan unleashed her aura, Nine-Rank Magical Beast energies erupted from every corner of the Manhuang Ancient Domain—brimming with savagery and bloodlust.

Had the Bodhi Ancient Tree not been corrupted by the Dou Emperor's negative emotions, causing the domain's overlord to sense danger and avoid it, Xiao Yan and the others would never have secured the Bodhi Heart so easily.

Facing these hidden Nine-Rank feral beasts within this forbidden land, Xiao Yan said calmly, "Interesting. Looks like this trip won't be in vain."

Last time, Xiao Yan had merely scanned the domain with his Soul Force—he had never ventured into its deepest reaches.

Standing midair, Xiao Yan took one slow step forward. With a thunderous boom, Emperor Might crushed the heavens—the entire Manhuang Ancient Domain felt as if the sky itself had collapsed.

The light emitted by Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's statue had once suppressed Zhu Kun, Gu Yuan, and Hun Tian Di. Now, Xiao Yan was a true Dou Emperor.

Since becoming a Dou Emperor, this was the first time Xiao Yan had unleashed his Dou Emperor aura. Upon achieving Emperor status, one gains the ability known as Dou Emperor's Body—allowing one to grow to divine proportions.

Though Xiao Yan had not yet activated his Dou Emperor's Body, from afar, his spiritual pressure appeared like that of a colossal deity—before him, all must bow in submission.

Merely taking one step forward silenced all aura and sound within the Manhuang Ancient Domain—even mercenary groups searching for treasures instinctively prostrated themselves on the ground.

The Manhuang Ancient Domain harbored ancient feral beasts reaching high-level Saint realm—but before Xiao Yan, even a Nine-Rank peak magical beast meant nothing.

Before Xiao Yan now, dragons cowered, tigers hid.

"I've come today to find one thing. I have no intention of harming your Manhuang Ancient Domain." Xiao Yan's voice echoed across the entire domain, then he retracted his aura.

On the Dou Qi Continent, strength determines status—and Xiao Yan was now a Dou Emperor.

Wuuu! Suddenly, a shadow appeared: "Your Majesty."

Seeing the shadow, Xiao Yan smiled. "So it's you."

Xiao Yan recognized this shadow. When he and Xiao Yixian had entered the Manhuang Ancient Domain to construct the Protective Barrier for the Xiao Realm, they had encountered this strange Manhuang feral beast.

The shadow nodded. Who could have imagined that in just a few years, the human who once seized a territory in the Manhuang Ancient Domain had broken through to Dou Emperor?!

With a single step, he had suppressed the entire Manhuang Ancient Domain, forcing its overlords to hide, not daring to look Xiao Yan in the eye.

"The great battle in the Manhuang Ancient Domain long ago must have involved the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon clan. I wish to know where the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon elders fell." Though now a Dou Emperor, Xiao Yan was no unreasonable tyrant—he had not come to slaughter.

The shadow pointed to a location, then instantly teleported deeper into the Manhuang Ancient Domain—far beyond where the Bodhi Ancient Tree had once emerged.

The deepest part of the Manhuang Ancient Domain was vast and barren, dominated by stone: stone mountains, stone piles, stone beaches. Trees were scarce; the horizon was a land of rock. Even mountains and great peaks rarely bore trees or flowers.

This was Xiao Yan's first time personally setting foot in the deepest reaches of the Manhuang Ancient Domain.

"Xiao Yan, I sense something!" Zi Yan suddenly exclaimed, excited, feeling a faint but distinct reaction in her Dragon Phoenix Bloodline.

"Oh?" Xiao Yan frowned. Had his Imperial Soul Force missed it?

But that wasn't surprising—his Soul Force had only just entered the Emperor realm. Even an Imperial Soul Force seal could not penetrate another's, just as Hun Tian Di could not locate the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave Mansion without the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade.

"Yes! Underground! I sense a hidden space!" Zi Yan's eyes gleamed with excitement as she grabbed Xiao Yan's arm.

"Don't rush. Who's going to steal it from you?" Xiao Yan chuckled, then his gaze sharpened as his Dou Qi began to surge rapidly.

Since defeating Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, Xiao Yan had not fought in a long time—but as he activated the Burning Scripture, a familiar heat surged through his veins. Perhaps he was still meant for battle across the lands.

"Earth-Covering Seal, rise!"

Xiao Yan let out a loud roar, then slammed his palm into the ground—with a boom—the Emperor of Fighting Qi's energy was terrifyingly immense; under Xiao Yan's exquisitely precise control, the earth hundreds of zhang deep trembled, and countless chunks of soil and rock flew outward.

Although the Manhuang Ancient Domain held many guardians, none of them could stand against Xiao Yan's single strike.

The earth hundreds of zhang deep in the Manhuang Ancient Domain seemed as if turned over by an invisible giant hand—entirely flattened by Xiao Yan's single Earth-Covering palm strike.

Amid the flying soil, the bones long buried by centuries of erosion were all unearthed by Xiao Yan.

As far as the eye could see, bones lay everywhere—piles of them, forests of them; even after a thousand or ten thousand years, these bones had not rotted away, and one could still sense faint energies swirling within them, and traces of extremely diluted essence blood remained inside the bones.

(End of Chapter)