383: The Eldar disappeared

Time is merciless, and several decades flowed by again.

The Central Plains seemed calm, but beneath the surface, undercurrents raged.

Friction between major powers was constant, and some ancient inheritances gradually began to reveal their traces.

On this day, a shocking piece of news spread like a plague among the upper echelons of all top powers in the Central Plains, causing unprecedented shock and panic!

The Ling Clan, one of the Ancient Eight Clans, along with its tribal lands and all its clansmen, completely lost all contact and trace overnight!

The entrance to the Spirit Realm was sealed, all communication stones sank into the sea, and the experts sent to investigate vanished without a trace, like clay oxen entering the ocean.

The entire Ling Clan, along with the independent space it occupied, seemed to have been erased from the Fighting Qi Continent by an invisible giant hand!

When the news reached Sound Valley, Jiang Donghua was playing chess and enjoying tea with his wife, Red Silk, and his master, Mo Xuan, in the courtyard.

After listening to the report from the Valley Master Mu Qingxian, Jiang Donghua's hand holding the chess piece paused slightly, then he slowly placed a black piece on the board, emitting a crisp sound.

He raised his head, his gaze deep as he looked toward the core region of the Central Plains. There was not much surprise on his face; instead, it was as if something he had been waiting for had finally happened.

He lightly coughed twice, his tone calm but carrying a clear understanding of worldly affairs.

"Cough, cough. It's finally starting."

Red Silk, Mo Xuan, and Mu Qingxian all had a solemn expression upon hearing this.

They all knew that what Jiang Donghua meant by 'starting' was definitely not a small matter.

Red Silk put down her teacup, a hint of gravity flashing in her beautiful eyes, and softly asked.

"Husband, do you mean that the matter of the Ling Clan is just a prelude?"

Jiang Donghua nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the few people closest to him, and slowly said.

"The Ancient Eight Clans have a long history and profound heritage. Although the Ling Clan is not the strongest, they are definitely not something ordinary forces can shake. For them to disappear so silently, this likely involves unimaginable terrifying existences and earth-shattering conspiracies."

He paused, his tone becoming somewhat ethereal.

"The sky of this Fighting Qi Continent is probably about to change."

He stood up, walked to the window, and stood with his hands behind his back, feeling the majestic Dou Qi within him that had long reached the peak of Nine-Star Dou Sheng, seemingly separated from the legendary Dou Di realm by only a thin pane of paper. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

[Host: Jiang Donghua]

[Realm: Peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng (999999 / 999999)]

[Main Cultivation Art: Burning Heaven Fierce Sun Art (Heaven Tier High Rank)]

Breakthrough Condition: Emperor Realm Soul (Satisfied)

Source Qi (0 / 1) (Unsatisfied)

"I have been trapped in this realm for nearly a century."

Jiang Donghua turned around and looked at Red Silk, his tone gentle yet firm.

"Now that the opportunity has appeared, continuing closed-door cultivation will likely yield no progress. What I lack is no longer ordinary energy accumulation, but the legendary Source Qi!"

"Source Qi?"

Red Silk and the others exchanged glances. This term was both unfamiliar and mysterious to them.

"Mm,"

Jiang Donghua nodded.

"It is a type of primordial energy that has long been extinct on the Fighting Qi Continent, and it is the key to assaulting that supreme realm. I have a premonition that this continental upheaval might be related to the reappearance of Source Qi."

He walked up to Red Silk, held her hand, and said softly.

"Wife, I plan to leave Sound Valley for a period of time and go into seclusion near the former site of Jia Nan Academy to observe the changes. That is where I first entered the Fighting Qi Continent, and perhaps I can find a trace of opportunity there."

Red Silk, thanks to Jiang Donghua's unwavering resource support and her own talent and effort, had long since made tremendous progress in cultivation, reaching the peak of One-Star Dou Sheng!

Looking across the entire Central Plains, she was already ranked among the top experts.

As for the Valley Master of Sound Valley, Mu Qingxian, she had surpassed her teacher, relying on Sound Valley's foundation and Jiang Donghua's guidance, and had already stepped into the late stage of Two-Star Dou Sheng!

Under the protection of Jiang Donghua, this towering tree, the entire Sound Valley had flourished over the past century, its strength skyrocketing!

Currently, there were astonishingly twelve Dou Sheng-level experts within the valley!

This level of power already surpassed the scope of the ordinary three valleys and was comparable to the peripheral forces of some ancient races with deep heritage!

Therefore, although Red Silk, Mu Qingxian, and the others were reluctant about Jiang Donghua wanting to travel and seek a breakthrough opportunity, they were also very understanding and supportive.

With Sound Valley's current strength, it was sufficient to protect itself, and Jiang Donghua did not need to be constantly stationed there.

Red Silk held Jiang Donghua's hand in return. Although there was worry in her eyes, there was more trust and support.

"Husband, please go with peace of mind. With me, Junior Niece Qingxian, and the elders in the valley, everything will be fine. However, this journey is fraught with unknown dangers, so Husband must be careful!"

Mu Qingxian also said seriously.

"Senior Uncle, please rest assured. Sound Valley is now impregnable. Focus on seeking your breakthrough, and we will await your good news!"

Jiang Donghua felt gratified looking at these two family members who were already capable of handling matters independently.

He nodded.

"In that case, I am relieved. I will maintain contact with you all at all times."

Several days later, Jiang Donghua quietly left Sound Valley without alarming anyone.

He tore through space, heading toward the direction in his memory, towards Jia Nan Academy located in the Black-Corner Region.

Jiang Donghua did not head directly to Jia Nan Academy.

He tore through space, crossed thousands of mountains and rivers, and finally landed in a remote mountain range thousands of miles away from Jia Nan Academy.

This place was the valley where he had briefly lived in seclusion years ago.

He remembered that when he left, he had casually set up a spatial lock at the valley entrance to prevent outsiders or low-level magical beasts from intruding and destroying some medicinal herbs he had planted on a whim back then.

However, when he stepped into this familiar yet strange valley again, the sight before him caused him to pause slightly.

At the valley entrance, the spatial lock he had set up years ago had long run out of energy and completely failed.

Inside the valley, the originally secluded path was now covered by dense weeds and vines, making the route almost unrecognizable.

The familiar waterfall in the distance still roared, mist filling the air, but the edge of the pool beneath the waterfall was also overgrown with moss and water weeds, presenting a scene of desolation.

"It seems time truly is the most merciless thing."

Jiang Donghua shook his head and laughed self-deprecatingly, then stepped into the valley.

Soul Power spread out like mercury pouring across the ground, instantly enveloping the entire valley.

Soon, he sensed that in the depths of the valley, at the location of the small medicinal garden he had established back then, there were still a few lingering energy fluctuations that were quite strong. It seemed that some medicinal herbs had survived, and there was also an aura that did not belong to a plant!

Jiang Donghua raised an eyebrow slightly, and his figure flickered, instantly appearing at the former site of the medicinal garden.

The originally neat herb beds were now completely taken over by weeds, but in the crevices of several boulders and next to a spring, a few stalks of medicinal herbs were stubbornly growing, emitting a faint glow. Their quality was actually quite good, clearly indicating that the energy here was still abundant.

Right beside those medicinal herbs, on a relatively dry and flat boulder, sat a middle-aged beautiful woman, dressed in a colorful, brilliant skirt, with a seductive appearance and a hint of serpentine vertical pupils at the corners of her eyes.

She was emitting Dou Zong-level fluctuations, seemingly in the midst of cultivation.

Jiang Donghua's appearance clearly startled her.

The beautiful woman suddenly opened her eyes, and a hint of vigilance and annoyance at being disturbed flashed in her vertical pupils.

She abruptly stood up, placed her hands on her hips, adopting the posture of the owner of the place, and shouted in a somewhat sharp voice.

"Where did this ignorant Stinky Kid come from? How dare you trespass into this Serpent Sect Master's cave dwelling! If you know what's good for you, scram immediately, or else..."

Before she could finish her threatening words, her voice abruptly stopped!

Because Jiang Donghua merely raised his hand casually.

"Buzz—!"

An invisible force, infinitely more subtle and powerful than the spatial power she understood, instantly enveloped her body!

She felt as if she had been frozen inside a piece of ten-thousand-year-old profound ice. Forget moving, even the circulation of Dou Qi within her body became incredibly sluggish!

Spatial Lock!

And it was an absolute lock that she could not resist at all!

The beautiful woman's arrogant demeanor instantly vanished without a trace, replaced by extreme terror and shock!

She stared wide-eyed with her vertical pupils, looking incredulously at the seemingly unremarkable black-robed young man before her, a tempest surging in her heart!

"Senior, spare me! This junior was blind! I offended Senior! Senior, please spare my life!"

She immediately adopted a pitiful, tearful expression, her voice trembling as she begged for mercy, completely losing the feisty attitude she had moments before.

Jiang Donghua didn't bother with nonsense. He picked her up, spatial power binding her like she was a small chicken, and walked to the medicinal herbs, asking plainly.

"I ask you, when you arrived, were there many medicinal herbs in this valley?"

The Serpent Sect beautiful woman felt her soul tremble under Jiang Donghua's gaze, which was as deep as the starry sky. How could she dare to conceal anything?

She nodded frantically, her eyes clear like those of a newborn baby, terrified that she wouldn't clearly convey her honesty.

"Yes, yes, yes! Senior is wise! When this junior discovered this place a few years ago, there were indeed many medicinal herbs here! They were growing exceptionally well! The energy was abundant! This junior thought it was ownerless land, so... so..."

Her voice grew softer and softer, and an expression of guilt and despair appeared on her face.

Seeing her appearance, how could Jiang Donghua not understand?

He let out a cold snort.

"Hmph! So they were all eaten by you, you scoundrel!"

The medicinal herbs he had casually planted back then, though not top-tier, were great tonics for low-level cultivators and magical beasts.

It seemed that after this serpentine magical beast discovered it, she treated it as her own backyard and ruined all the mature herbs.

"Senior, spare my life! This junior didn't know this was Senior's medicinal garden! This junior is willing to compensate! I am willing to serve Senior as a slave!"

The beautiful woman was scared out of her wits, tears and snot streaming down her face as she desperately begged for mercy.

She had only one thought in her mind.

It's over! I kicked an iron plate!

And a red-hot iron plate at that! This Senior's strength is simply unfathomable!

Jiang Donghua looked at the few medicinal herbs under his feet that had miraculously survived, or perhaps grown later, and then looked at the snake demon in his hand, who was so frightened she was about to revert to her original form. He shook his head.

Bothering with such a minor character was truly beneath him.

He casually withdrew the spatial lock, threw her aside like garbage, and said coldly.

"Scram. If I ever see you here again, you will be wiped out, body and soul."

The Serpent Sect beautiful woman felt as if she had received a great amnesty. She scrambled away, not daring to look back, transforming into a streak of colorful light and instantly vanishing without a trace.

Jiang Donghua looked at the desolate valley and smiled helplessly.

Oh well, revisiting an old place, things have changed and people are different.

He waved his hand, cleared an open area, set up new restrictions, and decided to temporarily reside here to quietly observe the changing tides of the Central Plains.

As for those few medicinal herbs, he would just let them grow naturally.

The current him no longer cared for such meager things.