The City of the Horizon, nestled in the Tianqing Mountains, a location ten thousand miles away from the Black-Corner Region, is the only city within a thousand-mile radius that has a spatial wormhole leading to the Central State. Thus, it can be considered one of the most prosperous cities in the vicinity. With the speed of a griffin, it would take at least half a month to travel from the Black-Corner Region to the City of the Horizon in the Tianqing Mountains. Xiao Yan and his companions had no choice but to endure this, as Xing Lan had not yet reached the Dou Wang class. Even if she managed to just barely reach it, she would still be unable to fly all the way to the City of the Horizon. Thus, it was better to simply ride the griffins, which would be much simpler. Although this method would take slightly longer, a few extra days would not be a big issue after they got used to it.
During their flight, through conversations with Xing Lan, Xiao Yan gained a deeper understanding of the Central State. The Central State was an extremely vast land. Therefore, many large cities within the Central State were equipped with so-called “spatial wormholes” to reduce the time needed for travel. These wormholes were mostly constructed by the peak experts or elders of the respective cities. So, if the elder who built the wormhole belonged to a particular family, then the “spatial wormhole” would become the property of that family. Of course, even the most powerful families would not dare to monopolize these public transportation facilities. However, it was also rare for families to engage in such foolish acts, as opening a “spatial wormhole” would generate a significant profit annually, which could sustain the entire family. Therefore, in the Central State, the appearance of every “spatial wormhole” would attract the attention and envy of countless forces. But apart from some of the more formidable families or sects, others could only gaze upon them with longing. After all, not everyone could afford to hire a Dou Zun expert to build such a “spatial wormhole.” So, the “spatial wormhole” in the Central State symbolized wealth and power, and its possession was mostly reserved for the top-ranked forces. This, of course, excluded those families that merely enjoyed the legacy left by their ancestors.
“The Central State is indeed different from other places. These spatial wormholes don’t even exist in the Black-Corner Region,” Xiao Yan said, whistling and smiling after listening to Xing Lan’s explanation of the spatial wormhole while riding on the griffin.
“Connecting distant points in space requires a very delicate control of spatial power. Apart from Dou Zun experts, it is hard for anyone else to achieve this,” Little Healer Immortal nodded slightly, with a hint of wonder in her tone.
“Spacial wormholes are just one of the special features of the Central State. Once you and Brother Xiao Yan arrive there, you will be able to experience it firsthand,” Xing Lan smiled.
“What are some of the most powerful forces in the Central State?” Xiao Yan nodded, hesitated for a moment, and asked. It was necessary to know who to offend and who not to when traveling in those regions.
“Regarding the division of forces in the Central State, I only know about the human side. As for the magic beast clans and other races, I’m not too sure,” Xing Lan mused for a moment before saying, “In the Central State, the major human forces are divided into One Hall, One Tower, Two Sects, Three Valleys, and Four Pavilions.”
“One Hall, One Tower, Two Sects, Three Valleys, and Four Pavilions?” Xiao Yan slowly repeated, furrowing his brows. “This One Tower must be the Dan Tower, right?”
“Yes, the Tower is Dan Tower, and the Hall… it’s the Soul Hall…” Xing Lan stared at Xiao Yan, speaking in a low voice. She had also heard Elder tell her about his considerable enmity with the Soul Hall.
“Soul Hall?” These two words instantly made Xiao Yan’s face turn cold, with a sharp killing intent flickering in his dark eyes.
“The Soul Hall is extremely mysterious in the Central State. Ordinary people rarely encounter members of the Soul Hall. Not to mention its headquarters, even the branches are unknown to many. Yet, the Soul Hall remains on par with Dan Tower, demonstrating how terrifying its hidden strength must be.” Xing Lan nodded, hesitating for a moment before continuing, “Brother Xiao Yan, I know you have a significant grudge with the Soul Hall. However, for your safety, I suggest you hold back until you have the strength to truly contend with them. Even Dan Tower, which boasts three legendary powerhouses ranking among the top ten in the Central State, is cautious of the Soul Hall. There are rumors in the Central State that the three powerhouses of Dan Tower have secretly engaged in battles with the mysterious Hall Master of the Soul Hall, though the outcome of those encounters is unknown.”
Xiao Yan silently nodded at Xing Lan’s advice, taking a deep breath to suppress the killing intent within him. Since the Soul Hall had taken root in the Central State, he would eventually find a way to pull them out. No matter how strong they were, Xiao Yan would not hesitate or retreat!
“And what about the Two Sects, Three Valleys, and Four Pavilions?” Shaking off his turbulent thoughts, Xiao Yan shifted the topic and asked.
“The Two Sects are the Heavenly Darkness Sect and the Flower Sect. These two sects possess immense power in the Central State, with many strong experts, though they don’t match up to Dan Tower and the Soul Hall, they are still forces to be reckoned with. The Three Valleys are Ice River Valley, Sound Valley, and Burning Flame Valley.”
“Burning Flame Valley?” Xiao Yan’s eyebrow twitched as he heard this familiar name. It was the only force he knew of that possessed a unique fire. Moreover, the Three Heavenly Fire Techniques he had learned were a secret kept by this force.
“If there’s a chance, perhaps I can visit Burning Flame Valley to see if I can obtain the last two stages of the Three Heavenly Fire Techniques. If possible, my strength will increase significantly,” Xiao Yan’s eyes twinkled as he muttered to himself. With his current strength, just using the first stage of the Three Heavenly Fire Techniques placed him in an invincible position among the Battle Emperor class. If he could acquire the other two stages, he might even stand toe-to-toe with Battle Sect experts without using the Buddha’s Wrath Fiery Lotus.
Xing Lan, of course, did not know Xiao Yan’s thoughts. Seeing his peculiar expression, she thought he was concerned about Burning Flame Valley possessing a unique flame. She quickly reminded him, “Brother Xiao Yan, the Nine Dragons Sky Bearer Flame of Burning Flame Valley has been sealed by successive generations. Even if outsiders obtain it, they will find it difficult to master. Offending such a powerful force for a flame you can’t use would be quite unwise.”
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, saying, “Don’t worry, though I need a unique flame, I’m not so desperate as to do something irrational.”
Reassured by his words, Xing Lan let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t want Xiao Yan to arrive in the Central State and immediately get into major troubles. Her family, while having some influence in the Central State, was not immune to the likes of Burning Flame Valley.
“Starfall Pavilion, Sword Pavilion, Yellow Spring Pavilion, and Wind and Thunder Pavilion are called the Four Pavilions because they are located in the four corners of the Central State. Their strength is also very formidable, ranking among the best in the top forces of the Central State. In the future, try to avoid these forces,” Xing Lan reminded seriously.
“Wind and Thunder Pavilion?” Another familiar name, causing Xiao Yan’s face to look somewhat strange. He clearly remembered that the Three Thousand Lightning Movement he practiced was one of the top-tier techniques of this Wind and Thunder Pavilion, right?
“Of course, these are just the most famous forces in the Central State. However, the Central State is full of hidden geniuses. Some seemingly unremarkable forces may actually hide top-tier experts. So, when dealing with forces in the Central State, be careful at all times,” Xing Lan patted her hands and said.
“As for non-human forces, I don’t know much, but their strength is also extremely terrifying, and there are no shortage of forces that can rival Dan Tower,” Xing Lan warned, her brows furrowing. “Also, if you want to hunt a magic beast in the Central State, make sure to find out if it belongs to any family. If it does, handle it discreetly. Otherwise, you might face retaliation from the magic beast’s family.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. The Central State was indeed peculiar. Do you really need to check the background of a magic beast before killing it?
“Giggles, of course, ordinary magic beasts don’t require such caution. I am referring to those magic beasts capable of speaking and possessing some level of intelligence. Magic beast families vary in strength, and they are not a monolithic bloc. Apart from some particularly terrifying ones, as long as you act covertly, nothing should go wrong,” Xing Lan giggled, seeing Xiao Yan’s bewildered expression.
Relieved, Xiao Yan took a deep breath. He now had a rough idea of the power distribution in the Central State, and his smile indicated that it indeed seemed intriguing. At least, based on Xing Lan’s introduction, he felt no disappointment.
As Xiao Yan pondered, Xing Lan suddenly looked delighted, pointing to a distant mountain range, and exclaimed happily, “Tianqing Mountains, Brother Xiao Yan, we’ve arrived!”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage