Chapter 874

Looking at Yun Yun beside her with a gentle smile, Nalan Yanran chuckled, gripping the Soul Token tighter, beaming like a girl who'd just received flowers.

"Master, let's first exchange some cultivation techniques, then head to the North Desert Hill," Nalan Yanran said.

"Mm." Yun Yun nodded lightly.

This time, their journey to the Great Thousand World wasn't just for cultivation—Xiao Yan had given Nalan Yanran and Yun Yun these three thousand Execution Demon Points not only so they could exchange them for useful Supreme Body techniques and Divine Techniques, but also to go to the North Desert Hill.

The North Desert Hill is the location of Wan Mu Land, one of the Great Thousand World's top factions; its master, the Lord of Immortality, is famed alongside the Green Robed Sword Saint. Several years ago, Xiao Xuan sought a chance at resurrection and took the Heavenly Tomb and Gu Yuan to the North Desert Hill.

Now Xiao Yan had not only obtained the Vein of the World, but also gained considerable strength—he could protect himself, no longer the little brat who'd first arrived in the Great Thousand World—and it was time to repay his Ancestor.

One must never forget one's roots; how could Xiao Yan ever forget his Ancestor Xiao Xuan? So he sent Nalan Yanran and Yun Yun to the North Desert Hill to check on Xiao Xuan and Gu Yuan's current condition—if they needed help, Xiao Yan would rush there immediately.

The North Desert Hill was also the battlefield where, fifty thousand years ago, the Great Thousand World fought the Heavenly Demon God; thus, the area teems with the residual spiritual souls of Demon Emperors and Demon Lords. Coming to the Great Thousand Palace first to obtain an Execution Demon Token would let them train while gathering Execution Demon Points—Xiao Yan had arranged everything perfectly.

Xiao Yan's arrangement wasn't without reason: Qing Lin, Zi Yan, and Cai Lin were all tied to demonic beasts, so they'd gone ahead to the Shen Shou Continent to meet Zhu Kun; Xiao Yixian and Xun Er would continue receiving the Vein of the World's purification, perfecting their Spirit Array inheritance and Eternal Calamity Poison body to lay a solid foundation for becoming a Supreme Heavenly Sovereign—once Xiao Yan could brew the Elixir to help them break through, they'd ascend at once.

Nalan Yanran and Yun Yun would join the Great Thousand Palace and reunite with Gu Yuan and Xiao Xuan; Ya Fei and Xiao Yu would guard the main base, developing resources on the Ning Tian Continent and cultivating talent from the Dou Qi Continent.

The Dou Qi Continent had been unsealed for a long time, and Xiao Yan had built considerable prestige in the Great Thousand World—even super-factions dared not invade the Dou Qi Continent or the Ning Tian Continent, so it was time to dispatch personnel across the Great Thousand World to seize prime territories and gradually expand the Dou Qi Continent's influence.

Relying solely on the Dou Qi Continent's resources, it'd be hard to produce even one more Supreme Heavenly Sovereign; no matter how powerful Xiao Yan was, he was still only one man, with limited capacity.

Xiao Yan had completed half his mission—he'd obtained Divine Fire to evolve the Burning Scripture; now he'd focus on refining his Pill Alchemy. The Vein of the World was gone, and the Great Thousand Palace had none to give him—his breakthrough to Supreme Heavenly Sovereign now depended entirely on his Pill Alchemy.

Xiao Yan was no longer a lone cultivator—he was not only Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan, but also the ruler of the Dou Qi Continent, possessing its Vein of the World. He bore the responsibility to make the Dou Qi Continent stronger. He didn't need just another faction like the Sword Domain, Soul Sect, or Magic Core Divine Clan—he needed a vast Dou Qi Universe.

After Nalan Yanran and Yun Yun exchanged their Supreme Body techniques and left Da Qian Lou, the Execution Demon List flickered golden light once more—and this time, the new name on it was naturally Hun Tian Di.

"Senior Execution Demon Master, Hun Tian Di? Who is this person?"

"What's going on today? Two people became Senior Execution Demon Masters!"

"It's been over a decade since a new Senior Execution Demon Master appeared—and now two in one day!"

Seeing another Senior Execution Demon Master appear on the list, many cultivators stuck at Intermediate Execution Demon Master level groaned in frustration—this was so unfair!

"You want a Vein of the World too?!" SuGong stared wide-eyed at Hun Tian Di, for Hun Tian Di wished to exchange three thousand Execution Demon Points for a Vein of the World.

Hun Tian Di's smile carried a tinge of bitterness. "I am Clan Leader of my family. My Lower Plane has no Vein of the World left—I hope my clan grows stronger and produces another Supreme Heavenly Sovereign."

Hearing this, ShangGuanYan patted Hun Tian Di's shoulder, as if moved by what a fine Clan Leader he was, then shook his head. "It's not that the Great Thousand Palace hoards resources—it's simply that Veins of the World are in far too little supply."

"However…" ShangGuanYan changed tone.

"However what?" Hun Tian Di asked curiously.

"Obtaining a Vein of the World is difficult, but if you wish to help your clan members break through to Supreme Heavenly Sovereign, there is a way." ShangGuanYan smiled, then waved his hand—a screen appeared, showing a vast continent.

"What is this?"

ShangGuanYan explained: "This is a continent in the far north of the Great Thousand World. It dwarfs your Lower Plane by immense scale—in ancient times, it was a super-continent equal to Tian Luo Da Lu."

"Though its Vein of the World is gone, the continent's accumulated continental force over these years remains formidable. If you seize the entire continent and activate its force for purification, your chances of ascending to Supreme Heavenly Sovereign are greatly increased."

Hearing this, Hun Tian Di's face lit up with surprise and joy. "How can one obtain this continent? How many Execution Demon Points are needed?"

ShangGuanYan raised his hand, his expression grave. "Lord Hun Tian Di, please remain calm. Though this super-continent was once mighty, that was long ago. Now, in a sense, it is ownerless—neither part of the Great Thousand World nor of the Domain Beyond."

"Its ancient name is lost. This super-continent is now called Bei Ji Da Lu, for it lies within the Bei Zhi Ji Zhan Xian—the battlefield between the Great Thousand World and the Domain Beyond. Countless powerful beings perish here daily."

Hearing this, Hun Tian Di's eyes flashed with shock. "So it's a battlefield…"

"Acquiring this Bei Ji Da Lu isn't difficult. The strong prevail. If you can repel the Domain Beyond's invasions and hold the land, it becomes yours." ShangGuanYan's gaze lingered on Hun Tian Di.

This was, of course, ShangGuanYan's deliberate wording—no resource could rival a super-continent. The things a super-continent could produce were irresistible—even a Sage Emperor coveted them.

For tens of thousands of years, the Great Thousand World and the Domain Beyond fixed their frontlines here precisely to contest Bei Ji Da Lu—both sides wanted it, and it was one of the fiercest battlegrounds, alongside another in the Ji Nan Fang Xiang.

"In the past fifty thousand years, the only one who ever drove back the Domain Beyond and secured a territory was the Green Robed Sword Saint—he built his Sword Domain on a super-continent, the Great Thousand World's most vital force."

The allure of a super-continent was boundless—just like Tian Luo Da Lu, countless super-factions had infiltrated it to vie for dominance and divide its resources. Even the mighty Western Heaven War Emperor dared not contest a super-continent, content to show off his power on the mid-sized Western Heaven Continent.

Forget the Kuang Ji and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures—just the Ruins and legacies left by ancient powerhouses were enough to make even a Supreme Heavenly Sovereign drool.

"I understand the principle: when the lips are gone, the teeth feel the cold. If every cultivator hides behind the lines—even Supreme Heavenly Sovereigns content with peace and comfort—when the Domain Beyond strikes again, without the Immortal Emperor, we'll be powerless to resist. Our descendants and clansmen will become slaves and Cauldrons." Hun Tian Di's eyes suddenly flashed with fervor, his gaze hardening. "To protect our homeland, clan, and loved ones, the best way is to repel all enemies beyond our borders. Please tell me the location of Bei Ji Da Lu—I, Hun Tian Di, am willing to lead from the front and lend my strength to the Great Thousand World."

Hearing Hun Tian Di's words, not only ShangGuanYan and SuGong, but even Execution Demon Masters browsing the exchange catalog in Da Qian Lou were stunned.

Instantly, their blood boiled—they longed to rush out and battle the Domain Beyond right now!

SuGong's eyes gleamed with excitement. "I never expected a Supreme Heavenly Sovereign from a Lower Plane to possess such awareness. Lord Hun Tian Di, you may first exchange for resources—in a few days, a Void Ancient Ship will depart directly for Bei Ji Da Lu; you can board it and avoid relay teleportation arrays."

"Then I am in your debt, Guest Su," Hun Tian Di bowed.

With a rustle, as Hun Tian Di bowed, his arm shifted slightly—the bracelet on his wrist emitted a faint chime. It was none other than the shrunken Gate of Death!

Inside the Gate of Death, it seemed like a demonic world—and indeed, a demon was sealed within: Hun Tian Di's Soul Body, saturated with thick Demon Qi, and on his forehead grew a strange golden Saint Pupil.

Xiao Yan could detach his Soul Body and control the Demon God Asura Body, possessing a Saint Pupil—but Hun Tian Di's Soul Body was different. Remember, Hun Tian Di was the true Clan Leader of the Soul Sovereign, possessing the genuine Dou Di Bloodline and the ancient mysterious legacy left by the Soul Emperor.

Hun Tian Di indeed cultivates Spiritual Force—but like Xiao Yan, or like the Divine Technique "One Qi Transforms into Three," his Soul Body can detach and cultivate a second power—and this power, even Xiao Yan lacks: the Domain Beyond's Demon Qi!

"One Qi Transforms into Three" is one of the Thirty-Six Absolute Divine Abilities and can split into three—but it cultivates only Spiritual Force. Hun Tian Di's Emperor Soul Scripture differs: though it only allows Soul Body detachment, it permits cultivation of other forces, and he can return to his original body at will.

Watching ShangGuanYan and SuGong walk ahead, Hun Tian Di's eyes narrowed slightly, his lips curling into a knowing smile.

If Xiao Yan were here and saw this smile, he'd surely say: "That's right—this is the real Hun Tian Di!"

ShangGuanYan, SuGong, even Xiao Yan would never have guessed that years later, a super-faction would emerge on Bei Ji Da Lu, rising to become a supreme, supreme, supreme power within just a dozen years—standing equal to the Sword Domain, Wan Mu Land, and the later-rising Wu Jing, becoming one of the Great Thousand World's Four War Zones, founded by the Soul Emperor Hun Tian Di.

Its unique Soul Revival technique, capable of restoring the original power of shattered Divine Souls, became famed throughout the Great Thousand World—a singular ability unmatched even there, guarding the Great Thousand World's northern frontier and striking terror into countless Domain Beyond demons.

And this faction was called: Infinite Soul Domain!

Later, a saying spread through the Great Thousand World: "Infinite Soul Domain, under Soul Emperor's command—ten thousand souls devour the heavens, Soul Sect crushes the cosmos!"

Of course, all this was future history—none of it had happened yet. And the Soul Sect? Only the One Hall Xiao Yan had built on Ning Tian Continent.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yan, unaware his fate had veered wildly off course, was traveling toward the Ancient Myriad Grassland via Divine Fire, reading the ShenghuaPill Pill Formula.

"No wonder the Great Thousand Palace traded this formula—the ShenghuaPill's brewing is profoundly intricate." Xiao Yan spent considerable time using his Soul Force to read the full formula; merely understanding it took nearly a month.

"It's difficult, yes—but that's what makes it interesting. The harder the Elixir to brew, the more wondrous its effects." Difficulty didn't defeat Xiao Yan—it only stoked his interest. He longed to break through every obstacle in the formula, neglecting food and sleep to study it.

This tenacious, focused mindset was one reason Xiao Yan's Pill Alchemy was so powerful.

Yet, as Xiao Yan pondered the formula, suddenly a rich medicinal fragrance filled his nose. Xiao Yan snapped open his eyes—and the next instant, Mao Wu's Void Transit halted, guided by the Soul Token, arriving at a point in Universe Space.

A hum rang out, and a green glow spread everywhere; when Xiao Yan emerged from the Void Passage, he was utterly stunned by the sight before him.

"Grass?!"

In the dark Void, Xiao Yan saw a colossal ancient "grass" with two blades of grass towering into the heavens!

"So the Ancient Myriad Grassland really is a 'grass'land?!" Xiao Yan could only stare in shock; from afar, it looked like a tiny green grass emitting green light planted in the cosmos, its two blades resembling two immense continents fused together, with a central sea between them, filled with seawater.

The Ancient Myriad Grassland lived up to its name—an ancient, grass stretching tens of millions of li.

No wonder the Ancient Myriad Grassland abounded in Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and produced countless Medicinal Materials—it was the Holy Land of Alchemists. With such vigorous Life Force, how could it not teem with Medicinal Materials?

Xiao Yan could only shake his head helplessly; indeed, the bigger the forest, the more strange birds there are—in the Great Thousand World, everything was truly enormous!

"So this is one of the two top Pill Alchemy Factions in the Great Thousand World? From its appearance, it certainly carries the prestige of a supreme Pill Alchemy Faction." Xiao Yan smiled faintly, then fixed his gaze on one direction, stepped forward, and teleported into the Ancient Myriad Grassland, beginning his journey of Pill Alchemy in the Great Thousand World.

New chapter begins—rest for two days. Recent updates have been unstable; I'm stockpiling drafts to ensure steady updates.