Chapter 845: The Soul Sovereign Vanishes

Xiao Yan closed his eyes, leaning back against the bathtub's edge, letting the special elixir wash over his body—it was no ordinary water, but a precious fluid brought back from the Great Thousand World, capable of cleansing the flesh, soothing hidden injuries, and making the physique more acute.

Of course, for Xiao Yan's Emperor-level body, this elixir had little effect—it was mainly intended for Yun Yun and others; as the fluid flowed over them, everything became ethereal and blissful.

It felt as if he were lying on white clouds, with a gentle breeze and a blue sky dotted with green.

He didn't know how long it had been when he felt someone gently massaging his temples—so tender, so natural.

Xiao Yan opened his eyes slightly—it was Yun Yun. He smiled faintly, glancing down at the exquisite curves beneath the water; Nalan Yanran sat sideways on his thigh like a sleeping kitten, arms wrapped around his body, her cheek pressed against his chest, her breath soft as orchid fragrance, sending waves of gentle warmth through him.

Nalan Yanran's robes hung loosely, but when fully soaked, her full, shapely figure became evident—her slender waist, easily clasped in one hand, undeniably sensual.

Clearly, she was exhausted.

Xiao Yan closed his eyes again, savoring this emperor's treatment. Yun Yun was so gentle, her movements so delicate, radiating exceptional virtue.

"The Dou Qi Continent is still more comfortable," Xiao Yan murmured, eyes shut.

Without doubt, returning to the Dou Qi Continent gave Xiao Yan a sense of coming home; though the Great Thousand World was vast, it held no place for him.

Yun Yun's beautiful eyes held concern and tenderness as she softly caressed Xiao Yan's cheeks and said gently, "Then stay longer on the Dou Qi Continent."

"Mm."

Yun Yun's gaze brimmed with deep affection for Xiao Yan; she gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, lowered her head, and kissed him. Her eyes shimmered in the dim moonlight, glowing with soft warmth.

Unfortunately, the bliss in the bathtub went unseen by anyone.

Xiao Yan's return to the Dou Qi Continent was inevitably no secret, and he made no effort to conceal it—even deliberately spread the news.

Without needing to guess, the news of Xiao Yan's return exploded across the entire Dou Qi Continent like a nuclear bomb, triggering a seismic upheaval throughout the cultivation world.

"Xiao Yan His Majesty has returned?!!!"

"Kuang! His Majesty has returned from beyond the heavens!"

Upon first hearing this, many still thought it was false.

"It's true! And word is His Majesty brought back countless cultivation methods, secret treasures, and supreme treasures—he returned fully laden!" A young cultivator's eyes sparkled with golden light, brimming with admiration.

"My heavens! No wonder His Majesty Xiao Yan—he not only opened the heavens to channel cosmic power, filling the continent's heavenly energy and accelerating our cultivation, but even the powerful beyond the heavens couldn't stop his steps!"

"Sigh, if only I could go beyond the heavens too—maybe I could carve out my own destiny," muttered a cultivator with mediocre talent, yearning for change.

"Don't say that—don't say it—but it might actually be true!" A young man in Miter Corporation attire rushed over, ecstatic.

"Xiao Mi, come here, come here—tell us what little news you've got!"

"Xiao Er, bring Xiao Mi a pot of fine tea and a few small dishes—on me!"

Seeing the young man in Miter Corporation attire arrive, everyone in the small shop hurried over.

After all, everyone on the Dou Qi Continent knew the relationship between the Miter Corporation and Xiao Yan—Hai Bodong, one of the corporation's Founders and the Ice Saint, shared a life-or-death bond with Xiao Yan, while its leader, Mi Tiel E Ya Fei, functioned like his personal secretary, deeply entwined in helping him manage the vast enterprise.

Thus, whenever Xiao Yan took action, the Miter Corporation was invariably the one to announce it.

The man named Xiao Mi sipped his tea and feigned mystery: "Everyone knows His Majesty Xiao Yan has returned—this news first emerged from the Yun Lan Sect. It's said that upon returning to the Dou Qi Continent, His Majesty went straight to Yun Lan Sect to meet Sect Master Nalan and Sect Master Yun Yun."

Instantly, the eyes of every male present softened, lips curling into knowing, comical smiles—men understood, and they couldn't help but envy.

"I always said His Majesty's relationship with both Sect Masters was far from ordinary."

"Pfft, you think we need you to say that? When His Majesty became Emperor, ten consorts were granted Sub-Flame Imprints—any fool could see that."

"Cough, cough—I'm not talking about His Majesty's romantic exploits," Xiao Mi quickly interrupted, continuing: "Before this, the Yun Lan Sect had already spread word of anomalies in the Life and Death Gate; powerful factions across the continent have sent their strongest bloodline heirs to join Yun Lan Sect."

"Rumors say this was His Majesty's doing—he brought back numerous secret treasures from beyond the heavens, and intends to bestow blessings upon all cultivators, even taking some to the Great Thousand World beyond to forge new achievements and conquer the four directions!"

Sssss!!!!!

Upon hearing Xiao Yan planned to lead cultivators beyond the heavens to the Great Thousand World, countless cultivators gasped in shock, their blood boiling with excitement!

A fantasy arose—to follow an ultimate powerhouse, conquer the eight directions, and build glorious achievements!

"Is His Majesty truly planning to lead us beyond the heavens, to wage war across the cosmos?!" someone asked, disbelieving.

"Of course not just anyone can follow His Majesty—he plans to set a Trial within the Life and Death Gate; only those who pass it will qualify."

Hearing this, many hearts instantly leapt with hope—they longed to rush into the Life and Death Gate and undergo the Dou Di Trial!

"Is there a rank restriction? I'm only a Great Dou Shi—I probably have no chance," some weaker, younger cultivators worried.

Xiao Mi's expression carried pride: "You don't understand—His Majesty Xiao Yan said this is a blessing for all. No matter your rank—even Dou Li power can enter the Life and Death Gate to undergo the Dou Di Trial. If you pass, you gain the Emperor Inheritance—you'll truly soar!"

Within an almost impossibly short time, the news that the Life and Death Gate had established a Dou Di Trial spread like wings across the entire Dou Qi Continent.

Just as when the Bodhi Ancient Tree first appeared, Dou Zun-level experts and even Dou Emperor Families surged into action, vying for the Bodhi Heart, flooding the Manhuang Ancient Domain.

But this time, it was even more outrageous—it wasn't the Bodhi Heart, nor merely Liu Di Cheng Sheng—it was the Dou Di Inheritance Trial! If Xiao Yan intended it, he could not only grant Liu Di Cheng Sheng—he could enable breakthroughs into Dou Emperor!

He was already a High-level Pill Grandmaster; crafting the Zhongsheng Po Di Pill was no longer difficult—he could even brew even higher-grade elixirs.

In short, Xiao Yan was now more Bodhi Ancient Tree than the Bodhi Ancient Tree itself. In the past, he had chased after inheritances, ruins, and secret treasures—now, he was the one leaving them behind.

Instantly, the name Xiao Yan once again shook the entire Dou Qi Continent; countless people abandoned everything, flooding toward the Jia Ma Empire from every corner of the continent.

Even though the Jia Ma Empire was no longer a small nation but the largest empire on the Dou Qi Continent, vast in territory and brimming with countless space-transport arrays, it could barely handle the sudden deluge of people.

Of course, the mastermind behind all this was Xiao Yan—or rather, the Miter Corporation. This was precisely the effect Xiao Yan desired.

Several days later, in the headquarters of the Miter Corporation.

"The Soul Sovereign has vanished?"

In the lavish meeting hall, Xiao Yan, seated at the head, frowned slightly. Though his Soul Force was immensely strong, surpassing Dou Emperor level, upon returning to the Dou Qi Continent he refrained from using Soul Force Perception to scan the entire continent—it would be extremely impolite.

Naturally, he had also not used Soul Power to observe the condition of each clan.

Below, Hai Bodong, the Ice Saint, now at High-level Half-Saint, also looked grave and nodded: "Yes. The news of the Life and Death Gate has spread across the continent. The Gu Clan, Yan Clan, Lei Clan—even the Yao, Shi, and Ling clans, who no longer call themselves Dou Emperor Families—all responded, saying they would send their strongest bloodline heirs into the Life and Death Gate. Only the Soul Sovereign did not."

"So I went to the Soul Realm with Heavenly Flame, Xiao Ding, and Xiao Li—and found the Soul Realm completely empty."

The Soul Sovereign had always been mysterious, rarely appearing on the continent, always active within their own Soul Realm; no one noticed when exactly they vanished.

Xiao Yan's eyes flickered with unusual light. After Hun Tian Di went to the Great Thousand World, he too vanished early on. Given Hun Tian Di's nature and strength, Xiao Yan did not believe he had died there. Clearly, the Soul Sovereign's disappearance was tied to Hun Tian Di—or perhaps he had taken them away.

Xiao Yan unleashed his Soul Force; a wave of Soul Perception pierced endless Space, locking onto the Soul Realm—everything within the Soul Realm appeared clearly in Xiao Yan's mind.

Within the Soul Realm, Heavenly Energy was so dense it seemed impossible to disperse; stretching as far as the eye could see, it resembled a divine holy land—after all, Hun Tian Di had become an Emperor; the Soul Realm was naturally the second-strongest Dou Emperor world, after Xiao Realm.

The entire Soul Realm's territory spanned thousands of li, with majestic mountains and rivers, waterfalls hanging in midair, Shen Shu towering to the heavens, and ancient palaces of jade and jade-like stone floating amidst the clouds; yet in Xiao Yan's perception, though the Soul Realm was a peerless Holy Land, not a single Soul Sovereign descendant could be found—not even a single Soul Sovereign commoner.

The entire Soul Realm was eerily silent, like a dead city, utterly devoid of any life, which fit perfectly the stereotype of the Soul Realm.