Chapter 526: Recent Developments in Central Plains

Regarding Xiao Ming's decision to sit back and reap the benefits, the elders of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe did not object.

The Ancient Void Dragon Tribe didn't have any pieces of the Tou She Ancient God's Jade. They didn't need to be overly concerned.

Although Xiao Ming had a piece of the ancient jade, he was powerful enough and had the support of the Heavenly Court. This made him far more formidable than the other Ancient Clans who remained isolated in their own realms.

At the moment, the other Eight Ancient Clans were the ones who had to bear the worst of it.

If the worst came to the worst, Xiao Ming could simply throw the Tou She Ancient God's Jade away.

In any case, the Hun Clan didn't know the situation of the former Dragon Emperor. Once the former Dragon Emperor was rescued and joined forces with Xiao Ming, the Hun Clan would lose their advantage.

However, the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe wasn't sure if the complete Tou She Ancient God's Jade would record the situation of the former Dragon Emperor. Therefore, they had to treat this plan as a backup.

The best-case scenario would be to rescue the former Dragon Emperor themselves.

Seeing that there were no objections from the elders, Xiao Ming took out three remaining Ninth-Tier Xuan Pills.

The Great Hall was filled with the scent of medicinal herbs the moment these three pills appeared.

The gazes of the elders immediately became heated.

None of them had ever taken pills of this grade before, and some of them had never even seen them!

Zi Yan subtly lifted her delicate nose and asked curiously.

"Xiao Ming, what are these?"

"These are Ninth-Tier Xuan Pills that I've refined. We need to increase our strength to face the Hun Clan. So, arrange for these pills to be distributed. Try to maximize their effectiveness."

There were more experts in the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe than in the Heavenly Court, so Xiao Ming entrusted the Xuan Pills to Zi Yan.

Zi Yan nodded without hesitation.

"Don't worry, I will arrange it properly."

As she spoke, her dragon robe waved and the three pills disappeared instantly.

Those who smelled the medicinal fragrance couldn't help but feel a bit reluctant upon seeing this.

Especially those with lower strength. They were well aware that these pills would be given to the stronger ones to maximize their effectiveness.

Nevertheless, no one complained. To enjoy the benefits also meant to bear the responsibility. Besides, with Xiao Ming as an alchemist, was there any need to worry about running out of Xuan Pills in the future?

With these thoughts, the gazes of many of the elders became somewhat eager.

Seemingly unaware of their glances, Xiao Ming stood up after seeing Zi Yan accept the pills.

"I've been away from the Central Plains for quite some time now. Now that we've settled everything, it's time for me to leave."

"You're leaving now? It's so sudden," Zi Yan and the elders were taken aback. Xiao Ming had just come out of seclusion.

"The Pill Gathering will be held in a few days. I've been absent for several months; it's time to go back and take a look."

"Then I'll go with you!" Zi Yan said immediately.

"You should first take care of the affairs of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. The Ancient Dragon Island also needs to establish a stable spatial channel to Holy Pill City."

"… Fine." Zi Yan nodded somewhat reluctantly.

Xiao Ming chuckled and ruffled Zi Yan's long, silky purple hair.

"It's only a few days apart, there's no need to be so upset. After we rescue your father, I'll marry you and we'll have plenty of time together."

Zi Yan suddenly lifted her head when she heard this. This was the first time Xiao Ming had mentioned when he would marry her!

Her mood immediately changed from reluctance to excitement.

"Really?"

"Of course, why would that be a lie? Aren't you willing?" Xiao Ming's voice was gentle and reassuring as he stroked Zi Yan's disheveled hair back into place.

The Ancient Void Dragon Tribe had always accepted their relationship. By bringing this up in front of so many elders, it was his way of giving Zi Yan and the tribe a formal commitment.

"I'm more than willing! It is only Xiao Ming that I want, no one else! Hehe..."

Zi Yan jumped into Xiao Ming's arms and kissed him all over his face. Her heart was full of joy.

Her sisters, Medusa, Xiao Yi Xian, and Qing Lin had already married her Xiao Ming. Now it was finally her turn!

The elders quickly turned their heads, pretending not to see the scene, but in their hearts, they were quite pleased with Xiao Ming's gesture. It was only right to make a formal commitment.

After exchanging a few more words with the radiant Zi Yan, Xiao Ming waved his sleeve, and a spatial rift opened beside him. After bidding farewell to everyone, he stepped into it.

As he stepped inside, the spatial rift gradually dissipated, leaving Zi Yan to stare at the fading rift with a face full of elation...

...

Returning to the Heavenly Court, Xiao Ming couldn't help but notice the changes that had taken place during his absence.

In the months he had been away, the influence and power of the Heavenly Court had continued to grow.

After defeating the Hall of Souls, the Heavenly Court's momentum remained strong, earning nods of approval from various sects and factions.

The strength of a faction was determined not only by its resilience in the face of adversity but also by its ability to withstand corruption after its success. Many factions had collapsed after their success. This demonstrated the difficulty of not only gaining power, but also maintaining it.

There was no doubt that the Heavenly Court had excelled in both aspects.

Xiao Ming's return came as a pleasant surprise to the Heavenly Court. After all, the Central Plains had experienced a great deal of turmoil in his absence, especially with the annihilation of the Shi Clan.

In response to these events, the Heavenly Court had even convened a high-level meeting. During this meeting, Xiao Ming was briefed on the latest developments in the Central Plains.

Aside from the news of the Shi Clan's annihilation, the most significant development was the sudden alliance formed by the remaining three of the Eight Ancient Clans: the Yao Clan, the Lei Clan, and the Yan Clan. This alliance, known as the "Three Clan Alliance," was announced just one day ago, a month after the Shi Clan's disappearance.

The formation of the Three Clan Alliance had a huge impact on the other factions. This was the first time three of the ancient clans had formed an alliance since ancient times.

After all, the Ancient Clans were very competitive and had fought each other many times. It was not an easy task for the three clans to put aside their differences and form an alliance.

But this time, the three clans were really scared by the annihilation of the Shi Clan. They did not want to become the next Ling Clan or Shi Clan.

They were not that stupid. If that mysterious dark hand could silently wipe out the Shi Clan and the Ling Clan, then it should not be too difficult for them to wipe them out as well. In order to protect their clan's bloodline, they had no choice but to join forces.

The formation of the Three Clan Alliance certainly had an impact on the Heavenly Court. After all, the Heavenly Court was the dominant force in the Central Plains. However, what eased the concerns of most members of the Heavenly Court was that the Three Clan Alliance did not make any immediate moves in the Central Plains after announcing their alliance. Instead, they went to great lengths to connect their realms.

Once they had connected their realms, they began to send experts to the realm of the Shi Clan, hoping to find evidence or clues that would expose the mastermind behind the scenes.

The Heavenly Court also joined the search.

Likely driven by their deep-seated rivalry with their old adversaries, the Hall of Souls, the Heavenly Court focused their investigation on the Hun Clan as the mastermind.

Since the defeat of the Hall of Souls in the agreed-upon battle, no relevant information about the Hall of Souls had surfaced. It was as if the power that had once held the dominant position in the Central Plains was gradually trying to fade from people's minds.

Their actions seemed to be in accordance with the terms of the agreement, but there was something abnormal about their behavior. What puzzled everyone was that although the Heavenly Court had sent numerous spies to investigate the Hall of Souls and the Hun Clan's activities, they had yet to gain any valuable information.

In the end, they were forced to withdraw most of their personnel.

In addition to these two major developments, there was another major event on the horizon. It was, of course, the Pill Gathering!