106: Coming out of retreat! Peak of Eight-Star Dou Zong!

Inside the Pill Tower's inner sanctum, in the deepest secluded cultivation chamber, time seemed to lose its meaning. Xiao Chen sat cross-legged, his aura like a dormant volcano, contained yet vast. Within the chamber, the rich, almost solidified, Heaven and Earth energy formed a faint mist, constantly being absorbed by his pores and integrating into his limbs and bones.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the dark-gold phantom of the Heaven Opening Battle Axe became increasingly solid, with ancient patterns on its body flowing with a mysterious luster. The artistic conceptions of the first four axe forms—River Severing, Sea Splitting, Splitting Sky, and Meteor Fall—had been thoroughly mastered by him; with a thought, he could unleash terrifying power capable of annihilating everything. As for the fifth form, Void Breaking, which touched upon the superficial aspects of spatial laws, after countless deductions and insights, he had finally reached its threshold. Although he couldn't fully execute it, he could already initially utilize its characteristics of distorting space and disrupting trajectories, making his movement and attacks even more unpredictable.

The cultivation of the Indestructible Soul Armor also showed initial results; a layer of dark-gold soul armor, as thin as a cicada's wing yet incredibly tough, could instantly cover his Sea of Consciousness with a thought, greatly increasing his defense. Deep within his Qi Sea, the embryo of the life-generating fortune pill, nurtured by Dou Qi, emitted an increasingly rich life-generating vitality, subtly resonating with the Xiao Clan's fighting spirit in his bloodline.

The biggest change came from his fully awakened Xiao Clan bloodline. His pale-gold blood surged like mercury; each circulation brought a subtle increase in strength. His affinity for Heaven and Earth energy reached an astonishing level, and his cultivation speed advanced by leaps and bounds.

Who knows how much time had passed—perhaps a month, perhaps several months.

On this day, a certain barrier within Xiao Chen's body seemed to break. Within his Qi Sea, the pale-gold Dou Qi stars suddenly expanded, shining brightly! An aura several times more powerful and vast than before, like a breached flood, erupted with a roar!

Peak Eight-star Dou Zong!

It was a natural progression! Without any hindrance!

The powerful energy fluctuations even triggered the guardian array outside the cultivation chamber; lights flowed, firmly sealing the aura within.

Xiao Chen slowly opened his eyes, a dark-gold axe-light flashing and then receding, leaving his gaze calm and profound as an abyss. He felt the surging power within his body, a satisfied smile gracing his lips. At this moment, purely in terms of Dou Qi cultivation, he was already comparable to an ordinary Nine-star Dou Zong! If combined with his Spirit Realm Great Perfection soul power, the terrifying might of the Nine Axes of Heaven Opening, and the enhancement of the Xiao Clan bloodline, his true combat strength was enough to directly contend with a newly advanced Dou Zun (Fighting Venerate) expert without defeat!

"It's time to come out of seclusion," Xiao Chen rose to his feet, his bones emitting a crisp cracking sound. He pushed open the stone door of the chamber, and the dazzling sunlight streamed in, causing him to squint slightly.

Outside the chamber, Xuan Kongzi had already sensed the commotion. He stood with his hands behind his back, and upon seeing Xiao Chen emerge, his eyes revealed unconcealed surprise and admiration.

"Good! Good! Good!" Xuan Kongzi exclaimed three times, hurrying forward to examine Xiao Chen closely. He stroked his beard and laughed heartily, "Peak Eight-star Dou Zong! Soul refined like steel! Even more remarkable is this calm and reserved demeanor! Chen'er, your seclusion this time has yielded far more than your master anticipated!"

"It's all thanks to Master's guidance and the Pill Tower's resources," Xiao Chen bowed respectfully, his tone deferential.

"No need to be modest," Xuan Kongzi waved his hand, his expression turning serious. "During your time in seclusion, the outside world has been turbulent."

He flicked his sleeve, and a light screen appeared, displaying a map of the Northern Region of the Central Plains and even broader areas, marked with countless red dots and arrows, indicating intense conflicts and standoffs.

"The Soul Hall has gone completely mad because of Soul Annihilation Life's death," Xuan Kongzi said in a deep voice. "All the elites from their branch halls in the Northern Region have been dispatched, engaging in dozens of large-scale conflicts with the Pill Tower's affiliated forces, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides. Forces like the Heavenly Nether Sect and Ice River Valley are also stirring, secretly colluding with the Soul Hall, making the situation quite unfavorable for our Pill Tower."

Xiao Chen's eyes turned cold: "Is it because of me?"

"Yes, and not entirely," Xuan Kongzi replied. "The Soul Hall has long coveted the Xiao Clan bloodline and the mystery of Origin Qi; your appearance was merely the fuse. Even without you, the conflict between the Soul Hall and our Pill Tower was bound to happen sooner or later. Now, it has simply erupted prematurely."

He paused, then continued, "However, you don't need to blame yourself too much. After this battle, you have become famous among the younger generation in the Central Plains. The name 'soul sword' is known to all. Many neutral forces have even secretly shown goodwill to our Pill Tower, believing you are the hope for resisting the Soul Hall in the future."

Xiao Chen was silent for a moment, then asked, "Master, what should I do next?"

Xuan Kongzi's gaze was profound: "A hothouse flower cannot withstand the storms. Although your strength has greatly increased, true powerhouses need to be tempered in blood and fire. Keeping you sheltered under the Pill Tower's wing indefinitely is not a long-term solution."

"Master means... you want me to go out and gain experience?" Xiao Chen's heart stirred.

"Precisely," Xuan Kongzi nodded. "The Central Plains is vast, with countless opportunities. True top-tier powerhouses are all those who have traversed mountains and rivers, experienced life and death, before they can stand at the pinnacle. Now that you have the ability to protect yourself, it's time for you to venture into a broader world."

He took out an ancient jade slip and a token, handing them to Xiao Chen: "This jade slip contains information about some dangerous places, secret realms, and ancient ruins in the Central Plains that may be related to the Xiao Clan. This token is the highest-level guest elder token of the Pill Tower. With it, you can mobilize most of the Pill Tower's external resources and seek help from Pill Tower strongholds in times of crisis."

Xiao Chen solemnly accepted the jade slip and token, a warm current flowing through his heart. He knew this was his master's greatest trust and support for him.

"In addition," Xuan Kongzi's tone became serious, "you must be especially careful of a mysterious organization called Heavenly Secret Pavilion. This organization is spread throughout the Central Plains, living by selling intelligence. Their information is extremely well-informed, but they are both righteous and evil, and cannot be fully trusted. The Soul Hall is very likely to track your whereabouts through them."

"Heavenly Secret Pavilion... Disciple has noted it," Xiao Chen nodded.

"Go now," Xuan Kongzi patted Xiao Chen's shoulder, his eyes filled with anticipation. "A young eagle must eventually spread its wings and fly high. Remember, the Pill Tower will always be your backing. But your path, ultimately, you must walk yourself."

"Disciple will not fail Master's high expectations!" Xiao Chen bowed deeply, his gaze firm.

Without much farewell, Xiao Chen changed into a simple blue robe, concealed most of his aura, and quietly left the Pill Tower's inner sanctum. He did not directly leave through the spatial wormhole in Pill City, as that would make him too conspicuous. Instead, he chose to depart from the Pill Domain through a secluded side gate, preparing to trek through a desolate mountain range before heading to the core region of the Central Plains.

Walking through the desolate mountains, Xiao Chen felt a long-lost sense of freedom and vastness. The sky was high and the clouds were light, the mountains majestic, and a heroic spirit surged in his chest. He knew that the road ahead would undoubtedly be full of thorns and danger, but he was fearless.

"Soul Hall... Heavenly Nether Sect... and that mysterious Heavenly Secret Pavilion..." Xiao Chen's gaze was sharp as he looked into the distance. "I'm coming. The stage of the Central Plains will surely become even more exciting because of me!"

His footsteps were firm, and his figure gradually disappeared into the vast mountains. A new journey had officially begun! And a greater storm, sweeping across the entire Central Plains, was about to unfold because of his departure!

Far away, at the peak of the Pill Tower, Xuan Kongzi gazed in the direction where Xiao Chen had disappeared, muttering to himself: "Kid, the road ahead is up to you. I hope that when we meet again, you will truly be able to stand on your own..."

The situation in the Central Plains would be completely changed by the flapping wings of this young eagle!