Chapter 178: The Soul Clan’s Move

One year later.

Star Realm, atop the Ancient Star Tree.

"Whoosh."

Perched in quiet meditation atop the ancient tree, Chen Xiaoming sat cross-legged, bathed in starlight. A faint silver glow flickered around his body, subtly warping the space around him as if he resided in another dimension altogether.

Suddenly, a figure pierced through the sky. Chen Xiaoming opened his eyes slowly to see Xiao Xun'er flying toward him in haste, her expression filled with urgency.

"Teacher! Something terrible has happened, the Shi Clan, Ling Clan, and Yao Clan have all been annihilated!"

Xiao Xun'er's anxious voice rang out as she extended a jade transmission token, etched with the ancient clan's mark, toward him.

"Hm?"

Chen Xiaoming's brow lifted slightly in surprise. Already? The Soul (Hun) Clan made their move this soon?

According to the original timeline, their attack shouldn't have happened for at least another four years. Why the sudden change?

Accepting the ancient token, Chen Xiaoming infused it with a wisp of Dou Qi. Immediately, a familiar voice echoed forth:

"The Shi Clan, Ling Clan, and Yao Clan have been destroyed by a mysterious force. Return immediately!"

It was Gu Yuan's voice. Yet the contents of the message raised more questions than answers.

Three entire clans—wiped out. And now they wanted Xiao Xun'er to return? That was practically a death sentence.

Which meant the message was likely meant for him.

No doubt in his mind who this so-called "mysterious force" was. It could only be the Soul Clan.

But what puzzled him was why they moved now.

"Let's go. I'll go with you."

Rising slowly, Chen Xiaoming set aside his questions. If the Soul Clan's Soul Heavenly Emperor dared make a move now, he must be confident.

Though he didn't know what gave the emperor that confidence, Chen Xiaoming had been dormant for far too long. It was time for a worthy opponent.

If Hun Tiandi had truly broken through to the Dou God level, then this might just be interesting enough to get involved.

Rip.

With a casual motion, he tore through the space before him, forming a dimensional rift. The unstable void quickly solidified into a proper spatial passage.

"Zi Jin, wake up. Watch the place while I'm gone. Some rats may try something."

He transmitted his voice to the slumbering Violet-Gold Lion King beneath the ancient tree. Chen Xiaoming had a nagging feeling that his departure would prompt the Soul Clan to act against the Star Realm.

After all, those pills he refined gave them more than enough reason.

Roar!

The Violet-Gold Lion King's eyes opened. Its massive body stirred as a fearsome aura burst forth, shaking the entire Star Realm.

"Why has Lord Zi Jin awakened?"

"Could something have happened?"

"Unlikely. That's the Ancient Star Tree—where the Palace Master cultivates."

Murmurs filled the realm. While many were puzzled by the lion's sudden roar, few worried about the Star Realm's safety.

With both the Palace Master and the Violet-Gold Lion King watching over them, who on this continent would dare make a move against them?

The last one who tried had already ended up in the lion's belly.

Above the Ancient Star Tree, the dimensional passage shimmered.

Chen Xiaoming cast a satisfied glance at the guardian below. After years of investment—and copious amounts of alchemical resources—Zi Jin had reached the peak of Nine-Star Dou Saint.

If not for the lack of Origin Qi, Chen Xiaoming was confident he could've forged a Dou God by now.

Xiao Xun'er, on the other hand, had also progressed over the past year—reaching Six-Star Dou Saint. Still too slow.

With the Soul Clan on the move, unless she reached Nine-Star Dou Saint, he wouldn't dare let her fight alone.

"Guard the realm well."

With those parting words, Chen Xiaoming stepped into the spatial tunnel with Xiao Xun'er in tow. They vanished from sight.

The Violet-Gold Lion King remained where it was, no longer lying down to sleep. Instead, it leapt up, hovering above the Ancient Star Tree, keeping vigil over the entire Star Realm.

Though it had reached the peak of Nine-Star Dou Saint, it still obeyed Chen Xiaoming's words without question.

For it remembered clearly—it was Chen Xiaoming who had brought it up from nothing and nurtured it to power. It would never repay that kindness with betrayal.

Despite Chen Xiaoming's departure, life in the Star Realm continued as usual. Many didn't even know he had left.

But to Chen Xiaoming, those details no longer mattered.

With Xiao Xun'er by his side, he soared through space toward the Ancient Realm.

With his current strength, traversing half of the Central Plains took less than half a day. Before long, they reached the gates of the Ancient Holy City.

Meanwhile, far from the Star Realm in the Heavenly Star Mountain Range, space was torn apart—revealing a pitch-black spatial corridor.

Inside, the dimensional turbulence gradually stilled. A figure cloaked in black flame emerged.

Dark fire coiled around his body, etched with ominous black runes. His eyes—bottomless voids—exuded a terrifying devouring force.

Hovering in the air, he stared at the space before him. An ancient and sinister aura slowly permeated the heavens and earth.

"Lord Void, shall we begin?"

From behind him, several figures emerged from the rift—each of considerable power. The weakest among them was a Five-Star Dou Saint; two had already reached Seven-Star.

"Yes. It's time."

A greedy glint flickered in the eyes of the black-flamed figure. He had waited far too long for this moment. Now, with Chen Xiaoming gone, the Star Realm lay open—ripe for the taking.

He imagined the miraculous pills within… If he could claim them, breaking through to peak Nine-Star Dou Saint was all but guaranteed.

The black flames around him flared. Slowly, he extended both hands toward the void before him.

Flames ignited the very air, distorting the space. With a sudden push, a spatial fissure tore open.

Beyond the rift wasn't chaotic void—but a serene world bathed in starlight.

"Open."

Joy gleamed in his eyes. Flames surged, and the rift widened into a stable corridor.

"Move."

With a flash, he shot through the passage. The others followed in quick succession.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Within the Star Realm, the once-peaceful void suddenly tore open with a sharp spatial rift, from which several figures shot forth.

High atop the Ancient Star Tree, overlooking the entirety of the Star Realm, the Violet-Gold Lion King's eyes lit up. His amethyst pupils flicked slightly as he cast his gaze toward the figures emerging from the sky.

"So, some fools truly dared to come?" he murmured, a trace of disdain beneath the curiosity in his voice.

But in the very next instant—when the Violet-Gold Lion King sensed the power radiating from these intruders—his eyes gleamed with excitement, and a string of saliva glistened at the corner of his mouth.

"More spicy morsels, hm? Looks like I'll be feasting on something fresh today!"

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