Turmoil in the North-Western Region!

Deep within the Beast Region lies the Phoenix Nest Mountain Range. This place was once the habitat of the ancient Heaven Phoenix race. As their descendants, the Heaven Demon Phoenix tribe, has resided here for generations.

For thousands of miles around these mountains, no other magical beast clans have dared to settle. At the heart of the Phoenix Nest Mountains, atop a towering peak, stood phoenix trees glowing with a radiant golden light. The ancient trees stretch high into the sky, their trunks massive, dozens of meters wide, even larger than the ancient trees found in primeval forests. Their golden leaves form a vast canopy that blots out the sun, interspersed with patches of vibrant green, creating a spectacular view.

These ancient trees, marked by the passage of time, radiate an aura of deep antiquity. The scars of history are etched upon their massive trunks, each ring telling stories of ages past.

Suddenly, a piercing screech echoed from the mountain peak. A colossal golden phoenix circled in the sky, its expansive wings casting a shadow that blotted out the heavens. Its cry was filled with fury and sorrow.

"The Grand Elder is furious again!"

"After the young clan leader's death, even the Grand Elder cannot answer to the tribe leader!"

"Why are we to blame for the young tribe leader's death?"

"Could we have stopped Gu Fei from killing him? How can this be our fault?"

In a wooden prison set high in one of the massive trees, Feng Qing'er and other members of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe who had previously visited the Ancient Wasteland Region were held captive. Their confinement was heavily sealed with strong barriers.

"Are you dissatisfied with your punishment?" A black-robed elder appeared outside the prison, his voice icy.

"Yes, I am!" One of the members retorted. "Even if the Grand Elder had been there, Gu Fei could still have killed the young tribe leader!"

"Exactly, what could we have done?"

Others chimed in agreement.

"The young tribe leader provoked Gu Fei, and you followed him without trying to stop him. Is that not a crime worthy of death?" The black-robed elder's voice thundered as he executed the two who had spoken out.

Watching this from inside the wooden prison, Feng Qing'er felt a deep coldness toward her own tribe. The lives of ordinary tribe members seemed worthless. The two who had narrowly escaped death in the wasteland region had not died at the hands of their enemies but were now executed by their own kind. It was a pitiful and tragic fate.

...

"That puny Heaven Demon Phoenix clan is not worth worrying about," Gu Fei said dismissively as he listened to Yao Ming's account beside the Nine Serene Springs. 

"True…" Yao Ming nodded in agreement, offering a slightly awkward smile.

"Yao Ming, for the time being, keep everyone away from the Nine Serene Springs."

"Understood! I'll make the necessary arrangements!" Yao Ming replied earnestly. He had already sworn loyalty to Gu Fei.

"Dear, I'll head down now!" Cai Lin, having fully prepared herself, was ready to descend into the depths of the Yellow Springs. Its chilling energy, combined with the help of the Great Bodhisattva Return Pill, would surely enhance her strength significantly during this retreat.

"You don't need to stay here. I'll return after my seclusion is over!" Cai Lin assured him.

Gu Fei nodded in agreement. After watching over her for a few days, he left, as there were other matters awaiting his attention.

...

The North-Western Region.

Unlike the Central Plains, the Northwestern region was where countless sects and empires existed in constant conflict. Though several powerful forces had attempted to unite the region, none had succeeded. The so-called powerful factions there would rank only as first-rate forces in the Central Plains, far from the level of something like the Four Pavilion sects.

Thus, the factions and experts of the Central Plains paid little attention to the Northwestern region.

However, a year ago, a sect named the Profound Lion Sect began a relentless campaign of conquest. Its forces were unstoppable, and within half a year, nearly half of the Northwestern region had fallen under its control. The Sect's aggressive expansion plunged the entire region into chaos and warfare.

Normally, the Gu Clan wouldn't concern themselves with such events. But ever since Gu Fei's revelation about the Hall of Souls in the clan's grand hall, the Gu Clan had started paying attention to the activities of the Hun Clan.

This time, the Profound Lion Sect's campaign bore the hallmarks of the Soul Hall's involvement, a fact that Gu Fei had quietly discovered.

"It seems that after losing the soul essences from two of their main halls, the Hun Clan has become desperate, reaching even into the Northwestern region," Gu Fei mused to himself. He knew the real reason behind the turmoil over there far better than those sent to investigate.

Though the Northwestern region did not compare to the Central Plains in terms of powerful figures, it was vast and home to numerous experts at the Dou Venerate level. The idea that the Profound Lion Sect could single-handedly conquer half of the region seemed impossible.

Originally, the Sect ranked only among the top ten factions in the Northwestern region. It was not an unbeatable force. However, their strength had recently skyrocketed, and they had gained several mysterious, incredibly powerful experts. These new experts were from the Hall of Souls.

They had deliberately incited the war to harvest the souls of those who perished on the battlefield.

"Gu Fei, are you saying that this war was started by the Hall of Souls just to collect souls, without any regard for human lives?" Gu Nanhai and the others frowned deeply as they listened to Gu Fei's explanation. The Hall of Souls' actions were despicable and inhumane.

"Exactly. They chose the Northwestern region because it is far less complicated than the Central Plains, where even they don't dare to start a large-scale war. But in a place like the Northwestern region, Hall of Souls has the power to dominate a one-sided war, and after it's over, they can harvest countless souls," Gu Fei explained.

"If they are so intent on gathering souls, we must foil their plans!" Gu Nanhai made up his mind. Even if they had to send Dou Saint experts, they would quell the chaos in the Northwestern region.

"Yes, the longer this war drags on, the more benefits the Hun Clan will gain!" Gu Fei agreed, nodding. The Hun Clan no longer cared about the quality of the souls they gathered. They were now aiming to meet their quota through sheer quantity.

Since their plan had been exposed, Gu Fei would not allow them to succeed.

(TL/n: RIP Concord. You won't be missed. Probably one of the biggest fails in gaming history- arguably the entire Entertainment history. Over 200 million dollars and 8 years of development- yet couldnt even last two weeks xD.

Anyways thanks a lot for the support. Don't forget to leave a review if you're enjoying it so far. 

I'll catch you all on the next episode~)