Chapter 353: Aftermath

'The Seven-Colored Origin Stone can be considered a rare treasure,' Xiao Ming thought as he examined the stone. He then carefully stored it in his spatial ring, intending to give it to Medusa at a suitable time.

With the stone secured, Xiao Ming's thoughts turned to the content of the simulation.

The most crucial information he gleaned pertained to the events of the next two years.

Regarding Xiao Yi Xian's Poison Mark Technique, although there might be some obstacles, Xiao Ming believed they could be overcome without major issues.

In a year's time, she would become a seven-star Dou Venerate, an astonishing cultivation speed.

However, when he contemplated his own breakthrough into the Dou Venerate realm in the simulation, Xiao Ming couldn't help but furrow his brow, feeling somewhat helpless.

Unlike Xiao Yi Xian, Qing Lin, or Medusa, who had physiques that faced no bottlenecks before breaking through to the Dou Saint Realm. Crossing such a major realm was no easy task for him.

His talent might be considered strong, but he had an ordinary physique and would naturally encounter bottlenecks.

While the bottleneck wouldn't hinder him for decades, it might still take him around a year to overcome it.

'Perhaps I can utilize the opportunities in Saint Zhao Hua's Remains to make a breakthrough,' Xiao Ming pondered.

Saint Zhao Hua was the owner of the ancient remains containing the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit.

A Dou Saint, an expert at this level possessed great might that could destroy the world. Just by stomping his foot, a mountain would be annihilated. This kind of expert had already achieved a deep understanding of creation. Every part of his body was something that an ordinary person dreamed of obtaining. It was not an exaggeration to say that one could transform into a dragon and soar to the sky by obtaining even a small portion of it.

One example was the Dou Sheng Bone Marrow. If given to a baby or a child under five years old, their previously ordinary bones would be tempered after consuming it, turning them into genius. Though it might be difficult to believe, this effect was undeniably true.

In the original timeline, a small amount of Dou Sheng Bone Marrow allowed Xiao Yan to advance by one star in the Dou Venerate realm. Such a single piece of Dou Sheng Bone Marrow possessed miraculous effects beyond ordinary seventh or eighth-tier medicinal pills. It was rare to find a pill that could enhance the strength of a Dou Venerate-level expert by one star.

With the aid of Dou Sheng Bone Marrow, breaking through from the Dou Ancestor to the Dou Venerate realm would be effortless for Xiao Ming.

Furthermore, he planned to explore and enjoy all the treasures within the ancient remains.

However, all of this was contingent upon Zi Yan, the Ancient Void Dragon. Without Zi Yan, Xiao Ming couldn't monopolize everything.

'Hmm, perhaps I should refine some Dou Venerate-level puppets before that.'

He was aware that Saint Zhao Hua's tomb held dangers, with the Skeleton of Saint Zhao Hua still retaining some consciousness.

Originally, Xiao Ming had considered recruiting strong individuals from the Central Plains to share the pressure of exploring the remains. However, if he wanted to monopolize the benefits, it would be better to refine his own puppets. And with Xiao Yi Xian's progress in a year, the treasures in Saint Zhao Hua's remains and his skeleton would all be in his hands.

Nevertheless, finding suitable physical bodies and souls for refining Sky Demon Puppets would pose a challenge. While he had a few bodies that were suitable for refining, they were not enough.

The four Honorable Elders of the Hall of Souls had their souls severely damaged during the battle when their Life Soul Lock was broken. So even though Xiao Ming possessed their corpses, he still needed suitable souls for the refining process. Currently, he only had the soul of Old Ghost Zhai Xing.

For now, the Hall of Souls' Protectors defeated by Xiao Yi Xian would be the few suitable corpses.

However, Xiao Ming had his methods to acquire what he needed.

The Central Plains territory was vast, and it was said that within a large forest, all kinds of birds could be found, including wicked individuals who committed heinous acts.

Xiao Ming recalled hearing about the Three Ghost Scorpion Demons who had founded the Cloud Rain Sect, where they used "meat cauldrons" to enhance their strength.

These so-called meat cauldrons were talented girls who were given a Qi Method to train. They bitterly trained for over a decade before the Dou Qi within their bodies was absorbed through the Cloud Rain Sect's unique intercourse method. Of course, this kind of Qi Method was too overbearing. The ladies whose Dou Qi had been absorbed usually died from old age within ten days.

The Cloud Rain Sect had over a thousand disciples, all of whom were females serving as meat cauldrons for the three old demons to absorb.

While Xiao Ming hesitated to harm ordinary people, he had no qualms about dealing with the Three Ghost Scorpion Demons. He despised such despicable beings the most.

Normally, he wouldn't go out of his way to find such people, but now that he had a need, Xiao Ming didn't mind using their bodies and souls.

Of course, the Three Ghost Scorpion Demons had been enjoying their freedom for many years and possessed formidable strength that Xiao Ming couldn't handle at the moment. His target would be those with relatively weaker power.

As for the Three Ghost Scorpion Demons, Xiao Ming wasn't blind to his own capabilities. He would only deal with them when he had the strength to do so. When he lacked the strength, he would try to avoid them as much as possible.

Aside from seeking out these wicked individuals, Xiao Ming considered engaging in trade with others.

Money was something he had in abundance right now, and his status as one of the Pill Tower's Eight Great Elders made it relatively easy to find suitable bodies for his purposes.

After pondering the matter for a while, Xiao Ming set it aside and focused on his cultivation.

...

In a secluded mountain range in the Central Plains.

A massive palace-like structure exuded a chilling and terrifying aura, nestled within a hidden giant valley surrounded by towering mountains. It resembled a crouching primordial beast, emitting an ominous presence in the darkness.

Several stone pillars stood within the confines of the black palace, and faint silhouettes of people sitting cross-legged could be seen. With each breath they took, these figures exuded an eerie atmosphere as they were shrouded in a shroud of black fog.

If Xiao Ming were present, he would immediately recognize these figures as the Protectors of the Hall of Souls. Clearly, this place was a branch hall belonging to the Hall of Souls.

Within a dimly lit room of the palace, a conversation unfolded abruptly.

"Zhai Xing's Soul Token shattered just now!"

"What?!"

"Since you stood guard this branch alongside him, do you know where he went?"

"... He traveled to Ye City in the Pill Region to capture Xiao Ming. I didn't accompany him because someone had to stay behind to guard the branch."

"Xiao Ming? Ah, it appears that this descendant of the Xiao Clan is not as ordinary as we initially assumed. He has defeated four Honorable Elders and now even a Tianzun. Quite impressive!"

"..."

"You no longer need to be concerned about Xiao Ming. I'll assign this task to the Eight Tianzuns. Furthermore, Zhai Xing's mission failure will undoubtedly enrage the Pill Tower. Keep an eye on those soul essences and exercise caution. An Honorable Elder will arrive tomorrow to help you guard this place."

"Understood!"

...

Upon returning to his residence in Holy Pill City at night, Xiao Ming bid farewell to Xiao Yi Xian and Medusa before retiring to his room.

Settling down on his bed, he took out a few pill recipes with the intention of studying them. However, before he could even glance at the first recipe, the door to his room slowly creaked open.

Creak!