Chapter 723: The End of Space

After becoming an Emperor, Xiao Yan controlled virtually everything on the Dou Qi Continent except the Soul Sovereign, and after years of exploring ancient history, he naturally knew even more.

According to Xiao Yan's speculation, the distant, inaccessible ancient history suggests the Xiao Clan's Dou Emperor was likely the first Dou Emperor on the Dou Qi Continent, and perhaps even the entire Dou Qi cultivation system was established by that mysterious Xiao Clan ancestor.

Although there is now no evidence to prove this, the Xiao Clan's bloodline power is undoubtedly the most dominant on the Dou Qi Continent, because the Xiao Clan's Clan Mark enhances Dou Qi cultivation the most among all Dou Emperor Families.

This shows the Xiao Clan's Dou Di Bloodline is exceptionally compatible with Dou Qi, offering the greatest amplification, while the Soul Sovereign enhances Spiritual Soul power—no other Dou Emperor Family's bloodline can increase Soul Force, only the Soul Sovereign can.

The Yao Clan, Gu Clan, and others are the same—their Dou Di Bloodlines are uniquely extraordinary, far beyond merely boosting talent.

Since ancient times, many Dou Emperor Families have existed, but after the Di An incident fifty thousand years ago, constant conflicts arose among them, and many vanished entirely over these fifty thousand years, leaving only the eight clans Xiao Yan now knows.

These eight clans that survived time and war likely did so not merely by luck, but because their ancestors were among the most powerful Dou Emperors, leaving behind the finest legacies and most outstanding Dou Di Bloodlines.

"Then I must go to the Space where the Xiao Realm once stood—perhaps I can find some traces."

The Xiao Realm, like the Ancient Realm and the Soul Realm, once existed within Space, an endless domain constructed by a Dou Emperor, comparable to a small continent, though it later fell—and now Xiao Yan has placed it within the Shou Yu.

Shhhhh~~~ The Bodhi Ancient Tree swayed its branches, congratulating Xiao Yan on his breakthrough to Dou Emperor realm.

Xiao Yan bowed slightly and smiled humbly: "Just luck—I could never compare to the ancient Emperors."

Shhhhh!! The Bodhi Ancient Tree violently shook its branches, and a green light curtain descended, once again displaying the ancient battle between the two Emperors it had shown Xiao Yan before. Then the tree pointed its branches at the two Dou Emperors, then at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan, of course, understood—the Bodhi Ancient Tree felt Xiao Yan was far stronger than those two Dou Emperors.

The Bodhi Ancient Tree had truly seen Dou Emperors, even fought them—its judgment was more accurate than anyone else's.

Xiao Yan smiled faintly, not at all proud; from his own eyesight, the two Dou Emperors in the Bodhi Ancient Tree's memory were clearly no stronger than the legacy consciousness left by Tuoshe Ancient Emperor—both were merely newly entered Dou Emperors.

Yet Xiao Yan had seized Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's legacy outright and destroyed the Heavenly Flame Square with a single Buddha Fury Lotus—though both were newly entered Dou Emperors, Xiao Yan was undoubtedly one of the strongest among them, possibly even ranking among the top ten.

Xiao Yan felt his Dou Emperor rank was still quite high—even if not reaching ninth rank, it was certainly not far behind.

The Dou Qi Continent could birth Dou Emperors, but all Dou Emperors' cultivation realms were identical: Dou Emperor level, with no star gradations, for the Dou Qi Continent had no resources left to elevate a Dou Emperor's cultivation—they must enter the Great Thousand World to gain such resources.

The pinnacle of the Dou Qi Continent was the Dou Emperor.

Thus, the so-called "Nine Ranks of Dou Emperor" did not refer to cultivation level, but to comparisons among Dou Emperors themselves.

Afterwards, Xiao Yan spoke with the Bodhi Ancient Tree about ancient times, but unfortunately, the tree had lived for eons in the Earth's Core, emerging only once per millennium to bless the world—it knew very little.

After Xiao Yan helped the Bodhi Ancient Tree refine the Elixir, he exited the Ancient Tree's space.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yixian stood outside the Earth's Core, gazing far off at the colossal Ancient Tree. Nourished by Xiao Yan's Elixir, the place teemed with more vitality than when they first arrived, brimming with life and serenity—as if it were a secluded paradise, far from the dust of the world, amid the boundless heavens.

Immersed in an unbreakable life force, one could easily mistake oneself for having stepped into a celestial realm.

"The Bodhi Ancient Tree has fully recovered—it should emerge again within less than a hundred years," Xiao Yixian said, gazing at the tree with a satisfied smile.

Watching the Bodhi Ancient Tree radiate emerald light, glowing like a Precious Jade, both their moods lifted. The branches shimmered with a luster resembling supreme celestial jade.

The Dou Qi Continent has changed beyond recognition—Emperors rise, Emperors fade—but the Bodhi Ancient Tree still gleamed brightly, still radiated beauty, showing no sign of age—as if it could live another million years without issue.

Xiao Yan silently sighed inwardly, feeling a faint melancholy, murmuring: "Though the Bodhi Ancient Tree cannot become an Emperor or gather Spirits, isn't that also a blessing? To open and close one's eyes is a thousand years—mere flickers of time, all but mist and smoke."

"Sometimes, this is not bad," Xiao Yixian nodded gently; she herself cherished stillness.

Xiao Yan took Xiao Yixian's jade hand and said: "Come, let's go to the former Xiao Realm."

"Mm, I'll go with you."

After Xiao Yan and Xiao Yixian departed, the mysterious space within the Earth's Core sank once more into silence, untouched for countless years.

The Bodhi Ancient Tree remained the Bodhi Ancient Tree—or perhaps, in the next Hundred Lifetimes Reincarnation, someone will experience the life of the legendary Dou Emperor Xiao Yan and gain profound benefit.

With a hum, Xiao Yan carried Xiao Yixian through a series of Space rifts, tearing open one after another, until they selected a ruined Xu Kong Zhi Di.

"Stabilize!" Xiao Yan unleashed his Dou Qi; terrifying Dou Emperor-level energy surged forth, freezing the shattered space in place. His Dou Qi swept outward, clearing all Space Turbulence around him, then he stepped into the ancient, fractured space now invaded by Void Passage chaos.

This was the place where the Xiao Clan's Xiao Realm once stood.

A hiss sounded—the moment Xiao Yan and Xiao Yixian neared the Xiao Realm, the Void's suction force instantly pulled them inside.

In an instant, the two were sucked into a long, chaotic passage, where time twisted, creating a sense of temporal disorientation.

This passage had once connected the Xiao Realm to the outside world—just as Xiao Yan had once traveled to the Ancient Realm, first arriving at Shen Cheng, then boarding a Space Shuttle through a Space Channel to enter the Ancient Realm.

The entire passage was crystal-clear as jade, but many sections had collapsed, each crack radiating terrifying Time Storms and Space Turbulence—even a tiny fissure's storm could instantly shred a Dou Saint.

Along this passage were rough chisel marks, and from these marks still emanated an immensely powerful aura—the aura of a Dou Emperor, which no amount of time could erase.

"To carve such a Void Passage connecting endless Space would require incalculable effort—even a Dou Emperor would find it difficult to create such a Space Channel," Xiao Yan mused as he walked along it.

Constructing Space Channels varies in difficulty—on the Dou Qi Continent, even a Dou Zun can build one—but in Space, especially in such a place, resisting ceaseless Space Turbulence from all directions demands immense effort.

This is why Xiao Yan had no intention of relocating the Xiao Realm back—it may offer better cultivation conditions in Space, but maintaining it requires constant upkeep and immense time to rebuild the vast Xu Kong Zhi Di, making it extremely troublesome.

"We're here," Xiao Yixian said.

Xiao Yan pushed through the Space Turbulence to the passage's end, where lay utter stillness and darkness.

No substance existed here, no light, no fluctuation—this space was utterly silent. It was absolute darkness and void, like an unfathomable Shen Yuan, chilling the soul.

The end of Space seemed an intensely cold and silent place, like an ice world. The entire space was frigid, devoid of warmth or energy flow. Here, Xiao Yan felt as if he sensed the universe's silence and infinite vastness—as if standing at the universe's very edge.

"To go further ahead would require considerable courage," Xiao Yan said, staring at the scene—even as a Dou Emperor, his heart stirred uneasily.

This might be what is called Tian Yu—the realms of Dou Emperor Families were all created by Dou Emperors, existing beyond the Dou Qi Continent, like fortresses guarding its front lines.

Or perhaps these Dou Emperor Families were the vanguard forces heading toward the Great Thousand World.

Of course, not all Dou Emperor Family realms lay in Tian Yu or outer space—even the place Xiao Yan now stood was merely a space fissure between the Dou Qi Continent and Tian Yu.

To truly reach Tian Yu, Xiao Yan must "break heaven"—pierce a hole to leave the Dou Qi Continent.

"My Ancestor was truly formidable—how did he reach the Great Thousand World without any guidance or coordinates?" Xiao Yan chuckled bitterly. He now had Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's fire seed as a guide, so it was no problem—but what did the ancients have?

(End of Chapter)