At dawn, the golden rooster announced the arrival of the new day.
Li Xiao rose early and delegated the upcoming responsibilities to Bai Ling. With her strength as a Ninth Transformation Dou Venerate and the alchemy-obsessed Dou Saint, Ye Chen by her side, there was likely no one in the entire Northwestern Region who would dare to cause trouble.
Moreover, the Heaven Ascending Pavilion had its own consciousness. Should any formidable enemies approach, they would simply be eliminated.
Li Xiao, accompanied by little Zi Yan, began their flight toward the Black-Corner Region. The Magic Beast Mountain Range in the eastern part of the Jia Ma Empire was thousands of miles away from the Black-Corner Region. Without the aid of a Dou Venerate expert, reaching it in a short time was no easy task.
As Zi Yan chewed on another pill, she started to complain, "Brother Li Xiao, why don't you just tear open the space? At this rate, when will we ever reach the Black-Corner Region?"
Li Xiao forced a bitter smile, unsure how to respond. He hadn't yet mastered the ability to tear open space. Of course, if he used a Heaven-class Dou Technique, he might be able to do so, but who knows what kind of unexpected dangers that might bring.
So, Li Xiao decided against attempting it.
"This is nice too—enjoying the breeze of the Magic Beast Mountain Range. It's quite refreshing," Li Xiao said as he closed his eyes, spreading his arms to savor the feeling of the wind on his face.
Zi Yan rolled her eyes, ignoring him as she continued to munch on the pills Ye Chen had given her. Though these were experimental pills, the energy contained within them was incredibly powerful. By now, Zi Yan could already feel herself approaching the Dou Emperor realm.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the two finally reached the Black-Corner Region. Zi Yan was exhausted, nearly collapsing, and clung to Li Xiao's back, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, her face showing a pitiful expression as if she had been through some great ordeal.
Li Xiao, too, felt somewhat helpless. They had left in such a rush that he hadn't even prepared the most basic supplies, like a flying ship. If he had known the journey would be this tiring, he would have brought Amethyst Winged Lion King along—its thick skin and robust body would have made crossing thousands of miles a trivial task.
But there was no use regretting it now. The sooner they reached the auction house, the better.
The Black-Corner Region was rife with conflict, with the corpses of slain powerhouses scattered everywhere. Even a Dou King had little hope of survival here; in the Jia Ma Empire, a Dou King could be counted among the top ten experts, but in the Black-Corner Region, they lived a life worse than that of a dog. It was truly tragic.
Zi Yan pursed her lips and asked, "Brother Li Xiao, is this your first time here? You don't seem familiar with the place."
Li Xiao nodded. Indeed, it was his first time in the outer areas of the Black-Corner Region. When he had previously traveled with Bai Ling, they had bypassed this area entirely and gone straight to Canaan Academy, so he hadn't had the chance to explore the outskirts.
"Do you know how to get to Black Mark City?" Zi Yan asked, blinking her eyes and then pointing in another direction. "If we cross this Black Plain, we should reach the Black-Corner Region. But I've heard that the Black Plain is often hit by black storms—very scary stuff."
"But with Brother Li Xiao here, I'm sure there won't be any problems."
Li Xiao smiled and nodded, choosing not to reply further. Instead, he hired a carriage from a nearby market to take them toward Black Mark City.
With this group, they should avoid getting lost on the Black Plain.
About half an hour into the journey, the driver suddenly cried out in terror, "Black storm! A black storm is coming!"
Li Xiao peeked out from the carriage, his brows furrowing as he saw the massive sandstorm barreling towards them. The towering dust storm, reaching heights of a thousand meters, was like the harbinger of the apocalypse, whipping up fierce winds that left nothing but desolation in their wake. Anything caught by the black storm would be shredded into pieces by its wind blades.
"Get out of the carriage," Li Xiao commanded.
He tossed Zi Yan out the window to safety and then concentrated his Dou Qi to shield the coachman, ensuring his survival.
Within the storm, flashes of eerie purple-black light flickered, making the terrifying sandstorm seem even more sinister. Li Xiao knew that this had to be the work of one of the Hall of Souls' protectors.
In the midst of the swirling sands, a dark, shimmering hook effortlessly pierced through the barrier of the sandstorm, skewering a soul entity at the Dou Spirit level. The hook's wielder let out a sinister laugh.
"Heh heh, just a mere Dou Spirit. So foolish to face me," the cold-eyed figure said, his voice as icy as his gaze. But as he turned and noticed Li Xiao standing less than a hundred meters away, his expression shifted to one of surprise.
"A Dou King... and someone I can't quite discern," the Soul Hall protector muttered, approaching with his hook humming menacingly, as if craving the taste of the souls before it.
"Not a soul entity..." The Protector Tie narrowed his eyes, retracting his hook. His raspy voice filled the air, "You're lucky. My mission isn't to deal with the living. But I'm curious—why do you give me such a strange feeling, boy?"
Li Xiao, with one hand behind his back, responded calmly, "Your aura is extraordinary, shrouded in black mist, and you hunt souls for a living. If I'm not mistaken, you must be a protector of the Hall of Souls."
The Protector Tie, who had been ready to leave, halted in his tracks. He turned back, eyeing the masked Li Xiao with surprise. "You know of us? Heh heh, boy, I wasn't planning on killing you, but since you know my identity, I'll be taking your soul as well."
Li Xiao slowly extended his right hand, steadying his emotions. This was the perfect opportunity to test the power of his Heaven-class Dou Technique.
As he channeled his Dou Qi, he prepared to unleash his God-Slaying Palm, directing it forcefully toward the distant Protector Tie.
In an instant, the soft sand beneath Li Xiao's feet was thrown into turmoil, churning upward at a speed visible to the naked eye. The large boulder beneath him shattered inch by inch.
The enormous shadow of a hand surged forward like a bulldozer, crushing any obstacles in its path. Boulders were reduced to dust under its force.
But more astonishingly, the fierce and violent sandstorm was completely leveled by a single strike! The yellow sand vanished along with the massive hand's shadow, as if it had never existed.
The Protector Tie's pupils contracted sharply. "This is bad—his Dou Technique is unbelievably powerful!"
Seeing the gigantic shadow of the hand nearing his chest, the Protector Tie didn't dare to hesitate. He sacrificed all of his Dou Qi, simultaneously throwing the captured soul entities in front of him, hoping they would absorb some of the impact.
A thunderous explosion followed!
The earth trembled violently, and lightning snaked through the clouds like dragons, casting an oppressive aura over the Black-Corner Region.
When the yellow sand finally settled, a massive trench was left in front of Li Xiao. The once bustling surroundings were now devoid of life, the only remnant being the shattered pieces of the Protector Tie's prized hook.
Zi Yan covered her mouth, gasping in awe. "What terrifying power! What kind of Dou Technique is this? Could it be a high-level Earth-class technique?"