564 Chapter 563: Unifying the Continent and the Grand Wedding

A faint fog enveloped this mysterious space, causing the entire area to appear misty.

This space was completely quiet. That manner was as though it had been quiet for eons.

A piece of land floated in this seemingly vast and boundaryless space. The land was suspended in the air without any support. It appeared just like a pavilion in the air.

Chi!

The loneliness that had lasted for a long time had finally been broken today. The misty space had suddenly become distorted. Immediately, a huge spatial tunnel appeared. Soon after, three figures suddenly rushed out from within. Finally, they landed on that plot of land.

"Is this the Ancient God Mansion?"

Zhu Kun's eyes glanced around as soon as his figure landed on the ground. However, to his astonishment, he found that even with his strength, he still couldn't probe beyond a thousand meters.

Zi Yan had also swiftly appeared beside Xiao Ming. Her eyes revealed a curious expression as she watched this mysterious space.

"Follow me."

Xiao Ming, however, was unfazed. He led the other two to charge forward with full force on this seemingly vast and endless land. They were just like falling stars that swiftly cut through the sky.

In a few breaths, the trio landed on a huge square in front of an ancient stone hall.

Many thousand-meter large towering pillars were standing on both sides of the square. A towering like majestic aura pounced over from that place.

At the top of these stone pillars were actually placed various kinds of Heavenly Flame!

Only the two innermost and largest pillars stood without any kind of Heavenly Flame at their tops.

"So many different kinds of Heavenly Flames! What a grand collection!"

This was the Heavenly Flame Square. It was once the gathering place for the various kinds of Heavenly Flame the Tou She Ancient God had collected throughout the continent. However, over time, the original essence of those Heavenly Flames in the square had almost completely dissipated its energy. Currently, they were merely ordinary flames with their original forms. They lacked the world-destroying power characteristic of true Heavenly Flames.

'Where is the Di Tier Embryonic Pill?'

Zhu Kun shifted his gaze from the stone pillars, wondering to himself.

After briefly scanning the Heavenly Flame Square, Xiao Ming shifted his focus to the stone hall in the square. The hall was shrouded in a dense fog, making it impossible to see the scenery within. However, as his gaze fell on it, the fog spontaneously combusted and quickly dissipated.

With the disappearance of the fog, a huge shadow suddenly enveloped the entire square. A thirty-thousand-tall stone statue abruptly appeared!

The stone statue appeared to be like an old man. It stood in the sky and an extremely powerful aura that seemed to dominate the world scattered from it.

This aura proved that the figure represented in the statue was indeed the owner of the Ancient God Mansion, the legendary Tou She Ancient God!

Many light clusters danced around the stone statue. It appeared extremely brilliant when seen from afar. Within these light clusters were ancient scrolls.

These scrolls possessed an extremely strong spirituality. This kind of spirituality was not inferior to the High Tian Class Qi Method or Dou Skills rarely encountered even once in a thousand years on the continent!

These High Tian Qi Methods and Dou Techniques floated around the statue as if they were mere cabbages, yet Xiao Ming's gaze swept over these scrolls, which could cause turmoil on the continent, without any pause or longing.

Although impressive, they were only that to the current Xiao Ming. He could easily create such techniques himself.

Suddenly, Xiao Ming's gaze settled on a particular spot, and at that moment, a hoarse voice slowly emanated from there.

"It has been a long time since this place had been so lively…"

On the shoulder of the statue, an elderly figure stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at Xiao Ming and the others with a calm gaze. His demeanor was serene, as if he were a true Dou God himself.

"Tou She Ancient God! You're not dead!"

Zhu Kun exclaimed in shock as his gaze swept over the figure in simple robes. The appearance of the latter was exactly the same as that stone statue!

Moreover, the unique bright long hair was something that no one could replicate!

"He is not the Tou She Ancient God. He is the Di Tier Embryonic Pill!"

Both Zhu Kun and Zi Yan were startled upon hearing Xiao Ming's words. Then, their eyes gleamed with a strange light as their gaze slowly focused on the old man.

The old man on the stone statue was also startled and stared intently at Xiao Ming. Soon, he noticed something amiss and a look of horror crossed his face.

"Impossible, you're actually a Dou God!"

The face of the Di Tier Embryonic Pill was extremely ugly. He suddenly shot out without waiting for Xiao Ming's reaction. His overwhelming Dou Qi spread out. Finally, it turned into a tide as it ruthlessly smashed towards Xiao Ming.

Then, without hesitation, he flew into the sky in an attempt to escape.

"Be careful! He's running away!" Zhu Kun became agitated.

"Trivial tricks."

However, Xiao Ming just chuckled lightly. With a flick of his finger, the approaching tidal wave of energy was instantly split apart!

Then, with another flick of his hand, the Di Tier Embryonic Pill, which had already flown some distance away, suddenly felt his entire body completely immobilized. Unable to use even the slightest bit of his Dou Qi, he turned into a white light that flew backwards, eventually hovering in front of Xiao Ming and the others.

"Ha ha, you caught him! A Dou God is indeed formidable!"

Zhu Kun exclaimed with surprise and joy as he looked at the Di Tier Embryonic Pill in front of them. From the Di Tier Embryonic Pill's earlier attack, he could sense his formidable strength. It was likely at the Half-Dou God stage.

Yet, such power couldn't withstand a single move in front of Xiao Ming, a true Dou God!

Thinking about this, Zhu Kun's eyes were filled with fervor when looking at the Di Tier Embryonic Pill.

Due to the proximity of the Di Tier Embryonic Pill, a rich medicinal fragrance filled the air, tickling the nostrils of the trio. Zi Yan's old habit was instantly triggered.

"Xiao Ming, this old guy smells so good, like something delicious to eat!"

The Di Tier Embryonic Pill heard these words clearly and was petrified with fear. He pleaded out desperately.

"I acted rashly earlier and offended Your Excellency. I beg the Emperor to forgive my sins and spare my life".

"Oh? The dignity of an Emperor must not be insulted. Why should I spare you?" Xiao Ming asked with interest.

"I am of little use to Your Excellency now that you have broken through to the Dou God realm. I am willing to become your pill slave to atone for my past offense..."

Xiao Ming appeared to be contemplating, while Zhu Kun tentatively suggested from the side.

"My son-in-law, this pill is of no use to you. How about handing it over to me? I'm only an Origin Qi away from breaking through to the Dou God realm..."

"Don't do that! I know of another way to break through to the Dou God realm. The Tou She Ancient God left an inheritance within that statue, and you can obtain the Origin Qi from it!"

The Di Tier Embryonic Pill hastily interjected before Xiao Ming could respond.

Observing the Embryonic Pill's strong desire to live, Xiao Ming couldn't help but smirk. Why had the Di Tier Embryonic Pill attacked if he knew things would come to this?

In fact, the Embryonic Pill was also quite helpless. He knew there was a gap between his strength and a true Dou God, which was why he had fled without hesitation. His attack was merely an attempt to buy some time.

Yet, he still couldn't escape.

Suddenly, the Di Tier Embryonic Pill felt the restraining power around him disappear, and he was able to move again.

However, he did not act rashly and just cautiously watched Xiao Ming.

"Your Excellency, what does this mean?"

"Well, your apology is sincere and you have even offered self-punishment, this emperor is not a villain to hold a grudge against you for your actions. However, you don't have to become a pill slave. Join the Heavenly Court under this emperor and serve as an elder."

A Half Dou God level Di Tier Embryonic Pill would be too wasteful to devour. It was better to keep him as an ally, as he could soon become another Dou God expert

"Thank you, Your Excellency! I am willing to serve you!" The Di Tier Embryonic Pill was overjoyed by such a turn of events and immediately pledged his allegiance. If he had known that this would be the outcome, why would he have tried to run away in the first place?

"What a pity! Can't be eaten now..." Zi Yan muttered, causing the Di Tier Embryonic Pill to let out a dry laugh.

"Cough, cough... May I know the title and the great name of the Emperor?"

"Heavenly Emperor Xiao Ming."

"Lord Heavenly Emperor, the Origin Qi is hidden within the statue. However, I am unable to break the statue to obtain it. Only Your Excellency the Heavenly Emperor can personally act to retrieve it."

"No problem." Xiao Ming waved his hand dismissively. 

Just as he was about to instruct the others to step back, a cracking sound was heard from the statue. The chest area of the statue slowly split open, revealing a stone cavity. A gentle light spread out from the stone cavity, enveloping his body on the square like a thin veil.

Xiao Ming felt a pulling force and, without resistance, disappeared from the spot.

"Xiao Ming!" Zi Yan's heart was shocked at the sight.

"Don't worry, Lord Heavenly Emperor is a true Dou God. The statue cannot harm him. We just need to wait here," the Di Tier Embryonic Pill reassured.

...

This place was an ocean of Heavenly Flames. Compared to the space where the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame was sealed, the difference was like comparing a small pond to a vast ocean. The disparity in energy levels was staggering.

Brilliant flames filled every corner of this space. Undoubtedly, this was a sea of fire. Moreover, the sea of fire was extremely colorful. It was so bright that it caused one to be astonished.

This was the number one Heavenly Flame in the Dou Qi Continent's Heavenly Flame Ranking!

According to legend, this flame was born in the underground world. It took a thousand years to form, ten thousand years to gather spirit, and a seemingly endless cultivation time. Mysteriously, it underwent some mutations and gained intelligence. After gaining intelligence, it traveled towards the magma and roamed the underground for a thousand years, surviving by devouring other flames.

This flame knew how to quickly strengthen itself while avoiding the danger of devouring flames. It would target the weaker ones first. After spending an extremely long time and having devoured twenty different Heavenly Flames, even the Nihility Devouring Flame and the Purifying Lotus Demonic Flame, the natural dominators among the Heavenly Flames, could only bow down and submit to it.

The number one Heavenly Flame was not a specific kind of flame, but an amalgamation of twenty-two kinds of Heavenly Flames to create the most formidable one!

After achieving its goal, this flame named itself the Emperor Flame. It continued to cultivate for thousands of years before it emerged into the world, and was given another title on the Dou Qi Continent.

At that time, people called him the Tou She Ancient God!

And now, the Tou She Ancient God had actually appeared in front of Xiao Ming.

Xiao Ming looked at the old man in dark robes sitting within a flame bud and cupped his hands respectfully.

"Greetings to the Tou She Ancient God."

"Hehe, there's no need for formalities, Heavenly Emperor," Tou She Ancient God smiled faintly. He waved his hand, and the sea of fire in front of him rose to form a fire flower bud. "Please have a seat."

Xiao Ming did not hesitate. In a flash, he sat down on the flame bud.

"It is quite unexpected that a new Dou God has appeared on the Dou Qi Continent," the Tou She Ancient God said, looking at Xiao Ming with a smile.

"It seems that the Tou She Ancient God is aware of the decline of Origin Qi in the Dou Qi Continent?"

"Yes. It took me countless years of wandering underground to collect just three portions of Origin Qi. After I became a Dou God, I couldn't find more. I used one portion for my breakthrough. As for the other two, you probably know where they are. I wonder where you found your Origin Qi," the Tou She Ancient God chuckled.

"You must know that the Dou Qi Continent's pathway to the outside world was sealed before the Origin Qi declined, right? Why didn't you leave more Origin Qi for the Dou Qi Continent?" Instead of answering the Tou She Ancient God's question, Xiao Ming continued with his own.

"Um, you sensed it too? I am indeed aware of it, but frankly speaking, I didn't have much interest in interfering. You should perhaps be aware of my identity..."

Xiao Ming was somewhat speechless upon hearing this. So, the Tou She Ancient God, who considered himself a Heavenly Flame, felt that the life and death of others on the Dou Qi Continent had nothing to do with him, so he decided not to intervene.

It was a rather self-centered attitude!

After all, it wouldn't have been difficult for the Tou She Ancient God to break the seal before leaving the Dou Qi Continent.

Shaking his head, Xiao Ming decided not to dwell on this and went straight to the point.

"You should understand why I'm here, right?"

"Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let you in here willingly. You can have the Origin Qi, but my inheritance requires a successor. I hope you can help me find someone to pass it on in the future."

"Agreed!"

...

When Xiao Ming reappeared in the Heavenly Flame Square, he held a jade bottle containing strands of colorful energy in his hand.

Zi Yan was the first to notice his return and hurried over to him.

"Xiao Ming, are you okay?" she asked with a touch of concern in her voice.

"I'm fine," Xiao Ming reassured her with a gentle pat on her head. He then tossed the bottle of Origin Qi to Zhu Kun.

"Father-in-law, this Origin Qi is my betrothal gift. I hope you will consent to my marriage with Zi Yan," he said with a warm smile.

Zhu Kun, somewhat flustered, hastily caught the Origin Qi. After a moment of surprise at his words, he turned to look at Zi Yan, who had begun to blush, and couldn't help but burst out in a hearty laugh.

"Ha ha ha, excellent! I consent! Let's pick a good day and have a grand celebration! But let me tell you, don't you dare mistreat my daughter, or you'll have me to answer to once I break through to the Dou God Realm!"

"You have my promise. I will never mistreat Zi Yan," Xiao Ming vowed as Zi Yan nestled against his chest, her big eyes shining with happiness.

...

Three months later, a momentous event that sent shockwaves throughout the continent took place in the magnificent halls of the Celestial Court.

This was far from an ordinary occasion; it marked the grand wedding of the Heavenly Emperor Xiao Ming, the first Dou God to emerge in thousands of years!

The atmosphere was charged with grandeur and enchantment. 

Dressed in his most magnificent robes, Xiao Ming exuded a sense of refined elegance. His deep, pitch-black eyes were tenderly fixed on his two stunning brides, who stood beside him in equally resplendent fashion.

The brides were well-known figures among the assembled guests. 

Zi Yan, the formidable current Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, stood with a dignified air. Yet, a faint smile that had not faded in the slightest graced her lovely face. Standing beside her, Cao Ying, the recently appointed Head Master of Pill Tower, exuded a calm yet captivating aura. Together with the Heavenly Emperor and the Pill Tower Ancestor, she was now one of the mere three Ninth-Tier Alchemists across the entire continent.

Both brides were dressed in exquisite red Qipaos. They were carefully chosen to display their unique and enchanting beauty. Simply standing there, they seemed to exude an otherworldly charm that left everyone spellbound.

Elder Huo, standing beside Xiao Ming as a parental figure, was brimming with immense pride. He could never have imagined that the first and only disciple he took many years ago would grow up to be the greatest expert on the continent...

Leaders of prominent factions from across the continent had gathered at the Heavenly Court to offer their heartfelt congratulations. The wedding ceremony itself proceeded with a grandeur that was destined to be recorded in the annals of history.

During the banquet, the Heavenly Emperor made an important announcement. He declared a firm stance against the evil factions for the betterment of the Dou Qi Continent. Then proclaimed that the entire continent would now fall under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court. Furthermore, he announced his intention to open the sealed pathway to the outside world. This would make it possible for future generations to break through to the Dou God realm.

The announcement was met with widespread support and enthusiasm from the assembled guests.

In the subsequent period, under the orderly governance of the Heavenly Court, the Dou Qi Continent began to gradually regain the prosperity it had once known in ancient times…