"Empress, envoys from the Ancient God Tribe have arrived, requesting our Royal Court dispatch three Overlords to assist them in hunting Li Xiaotian. Regardless of the outcome, the Ancient God Tribe will reward us with ten drops of Ancient God Essence Blood and one divine bone!"
In the palace, a colossal beast spoke respectfully. Its tone grew slightly urgent when mentioning the divine bone. The other colossal beasts present also stirred, and even the woman draped in sheer gauze couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"One divine bone... it seems the Ancient God Tribe is truly enraged by this Li Xiaotian," the woman said unhurriedly, her slender fingers gently caressing her jade-like body, seemingly captivated by her own form.
Alas, no one present appreciated such a tempting sight, which brought a flicker of disappointment to her eyes.
"Inform the people from the Ancient God Tribe that this Empress agrees," the woman declared. She then looked at the various Beast Sovereigns and continued,
"Peng Sovereign, Rat Sovereign, Poison Sovereign, the three of you shall go. Remember, if you encounter Li Xiaotian, you may offer him some assistance. And, if you see the Dragon Horse, ask it if it is willing to join the Royal Court."
"Yes, Empress!"
The three beasts nodded, showing no hesitation in obeying the woman's command. After all, the Myriad Demon Royal Court had always been suppressed by the Ancient God Tribe. They were more than willing to see the Ancient God Tribe face misfortune.
"Wait a moment, hehe, this Empress suddenly has an interesting idea."
As the three named beasts were about to depart, the woman suddenly spoke, a smile gracing her lips, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
At the same time, in the northernmost reaches of the Savage Continent, a desolate and cruel land, sparsely populated and perpetually snow-bound.
Within a mountain valley, a will emanated from a dark and frigid cave.
"A Golden Body realm expert! Escaped from Gu Qiankun unscathed! Heh heh! Go, find him, provide him with all the assistance he needs. The rise or fall of the God Devourer clan rests entirely on this person!"
Instantly, throughout the frozen landscape, in hidden areas, black caves appeared abruptly. At the mouth of these caves, figures slowly emerged.
"The God Devourer clan will reclaim the glory that belongs to us!"
Countless intentions responded in unison.
Throughout the entire Savage Continent, ambitious and powerful individuals began to act. Some sought Li Xiaotian's Golden Body, others the rewards from the Ancient God Tribe.
One day later, in a boundless desert, a man and a horse were advancing towards the direction of the Chaotic War Domain.
The man, an elder, was actually Li Xiaotian in disguise. A Golden Body realm expert could alter their physique and appearance at will. At this moment, as long as he didn't unleash his full power, even his closest companions would not recognize him.
Li Xiaotian walked leisurely, but his mind was focused on the Dragon King Hall within his body.
Inside the Dragon King Hall, on the Demon Lord's throne, a small jade-colored tree was now planted. It was the Witch Spirit sapling that Xiang Xiang had insisted on giving to Li Xiaotian.
"Tie Suo Tribe's secret technique of body-melting chains is merely a superficial one. Its true purpose is known only to the patriarch and the great shamans of each generation. In that critical moment, I could only preserve a trace of Xiang Xiang's soul and meld it into the Witch Spirit sapling."
Recalling Tie Xiong's words as he departed, Li Xiaotian felt a little better. At the very least, the little girl wasn't truly dead. If the Demon Lord could revive with just a sliver of his remnant consciousness, then Xiang Xiang also had hope. Now, he just needed to wait for the Demon Lord to awaken and then have him restore Xiang Xiang's soul, at which point Xiang Xiang would be resurrected.
Tie Xiong was not dead, but he was crippled. His strength would likely be permanently capped at the mid-stage of the Emperor realm. He hadn't abandoned his people and was leading the scattered tribes towards more barren lands. While survival was harder in such places, there were fewer powerful individuals, making it the best choice for the Tie Suo Tribe.
Li Xiaotian glanced at the Dragon Horse. The creature had been unusually quiet since the battle yesterday, its mood noticeably low.
"It has some conscience," Li Xiaotian thought. The Dragon Horse didn't know about Xiang Xiang's condition and believed she was truly dead. Of course, Li Xiaotian wouldn't volunteer the truth. The creature was too timid. If Li Xiaotian hadn't misjudged the situation at the Tie Suo Tribe, none of this would have happened.
"We're only a day away from the Chaotic War Domain. Once my identity is exposed, the Ancient God Tribe will surely arrive and blockade the exit."
"They will hunt me down layer by layer within the Chaotic War Domain. It's too risky for you to continue following me," Li Xiaotian said to the Dragon Horse.
"As you saw, that old fellow Gu Qiankun is very strong, and I am no match for him."
"What do you mean? Li Xiaotian, you think this lord is afraid? A joke! This lord fears there won't be enough people coming for me to kill!"
The Dragon Horse glanced sideways at Li Xiaotian, its expression defiant.
"It's good that you know your limits," Li Xiaotian replied. Suddenly sensing a powerful overlord-level expert passing overhead, Li Xiaotian stopped and said,
"Let's rest for a night, and I'll help you absorb the demonic energy within you."
The Dragon Horse still had a lot of demonic energy, which was why it remained black, a fact that often troubled it. It longed to be its magnificent, golden self, but currently, it couldn't even bear to look at itself.
A day later, the man and the horse finally saw the Chaotic War Domain. Even though Li Xiaotian was considered well-traveled, he was still astonished. High above in the distance was an endless sea of lightning, with countless bolts of lightning, which even Li Xiaotian sensed danger from, striking down incessantly. Simultaneously, beneath the lightning sea, tornadoes surged directly into it.
The ground was scorched black, with fissures everywhere and lava spewing forth. Li Xiaotian couldn't help but stop and gaze. Beneath the lightning sea lay the Chaotic War Domain! The supreme experts of the Savage Continent had established a grand formation in ancient times, naming it the Chaotic War Domain. Since the Savage Continent had thin energy reserves, they drew upon the destructive energy born from natural disasters to maintain the formation's operation.
As long as the lightning sea did not dissipate and the fierce winds did not cease, the formation would endure!
"The methods and wisdom of the ancient human race are truly admirable!" Li Xiaotian thought. With his modern mindset, he could understand the operational principles of the Chaotic War Domain. Both the lightning and the winds contained energy, much like modern wind and solar power generation.
"Heh, coming to the War Domain for the first time at your age? Old man, just take a look from the outside and go back! The War Domain isn't suitable for you!"
Just then, not far from Li Xiaotian, a group of young men and women were present. One of them, seeing Li Xiaotian's stunned expression, couldn't resist taunting him. People visiting the Chaotic War Domain for the first time invariably reacted this way, but the people of the Savage Continent were warlike, and most would come here to challenge themselves in their youth. Li Xiaotian, still in the guise of an elder, was therefore mocked by them. This was the custom in the Savage Continent: reverence for the strong, contempt for the weak!