Chapter 436: The Land of Falling

"Consciousness completely sealed, physical bodies unharmed, the power of this Soul Gaze is quite impressive," Xiao Ming observed the bodies of Old Demon Tian Ming and the other two, nodding in satisfaction.

He had always felt that alchemists on the Dou Qi Continent relied too much on raw soul power when facing enemies, or in other words, there were too few Soul Skills that could make efficient use of soul power.

"Soul Gaze" was a soul technique he had created based on Silent World. When he made eye contact with an opponent, his eyes would instantly burst with soul power, catching them off guard. Those affected's consciousness would be trapped within their own bodies, leaving them at his mercy. It can be described as a terrifying and dominant Soul Skill.

This was Xiao Ming's first time using it, and he was very pleased with the results.

Of course, this Soul Gaze could only trap them temporarily, not permanently. In other words, Old Demon Tian Ming and the others were still alive.

He would not leave any future problems behind. Although he had no grudges against Old Demon Tian Ming, he had become involved with members of the Hall of Souls, so Xiao Ming couldn't take any chances.

Xiao Ming extracted the three dumbfounded soul bodies with his right hand, sealing them inside a jade bottle.

He then placed the jade bottle containing the soul bodies and the three lifeless corpses into his storage ring.

'I can use them later to refine Half-Saint puppets.'

The idea flashed in his mind, and then he turned around to look at the densely packed disciples and elders of the Flower Sect and the experts of the Profound River Alliance in the Flower Realm. At this moment, they were all stunned and rendered silent by his terrifying display of power earlier.

Slightly tilting his head, he shifted his gaze to the beautiful woman beside him, whose face had turned a strange shade of red. A flicker of doubt passed through Xiao Ming's eyes.

'Why is her face so red? Could it be some internal injury?'

Coughing lightly, Xiao Ming softly said, "Lady Hua, this Saint is Xiao Ming, the Leader of the Heavenly Court. I came here uninvited, so please don't take offense."

"How can that be? Alliance Leader Xiao's timely support is deeply appreciated by this Palace. How could we blame you?" Recollecting herself, Fairy Hua suppressed the odd feelings in her heart and replied with a hint of tenderness in her voice.

'Oh.'

Alright, Xiao Ming had seen this kind of reaction from Fairy Hua before. Wasn't it just that of a lovestruck girl?

He didn't think that the other party was obsessed with his looks. Thinking about how he just saved her from danger, three words popped up in his mind - Suspension Bridge Effect.

Could it be that the Suspension Bridge Effect also worked in higher realms?

He couldn't be bothered to ponder about it. Fairy Hua was, after all, someone who had lived for long. She had just experienced a traumatic event, making it difficult for her emotions to settle. He believed that she would calm down later.

Xiao Ming's mind was filled with thoughts, but he didn't remain idle. Pointing downward, he asked, "Lady Hua, would you like to deal with those experts of the Profound River Alliance below, or should this Saint take care of them for you?"

He kept addressing himself as "this Saint," not because he was trying to be pretentious, but as the leader of the Heavenly Court, he needed to consider the dignity of his position.

Fairy Hua didn't find Xiao Ming's self-reference strange at all. Her gaze followed Xiao Ming's hand pointing downwards, and the terrified faces of the Profound River Alliance's powerful members came into her view. The stark contrast between their current expressions of fear and their earlier arrogance was evident.

As Xiao Ming and Fairy Hua turned their gazes towards them, the members of the Profound River Alliance, who were already scared out of their wits by Xiao Ming's swift annihilation of three Half-Saints, lost any trace of resistance. They kneeled on the ground, crying, and begging for mercy, kowtowing repeatedly with a loud thud.

"Respected Lord Saint, please spare us! We will never dare to do it again!"

"Senior Hua, I was coerced into coming here. It's all because of that damned Old Demon Tian Ming. If I hadn't come, he would have killed my entire family. I had no choice!"

"Have mercy on us! Yes, we are willing to serve the Pill Tower and the Flower Sect as humble servants!"

Fairy Hua's eyes glowed coldly as she looked down at the Profound River Alliance experts who were weeping and pleading for mercy. These same people had earlier tried to enslave members of her Flower Sect. Now, they were on their knees, pleading to spare them. Could such a thing be possible?

"..."

However, Fairy Hua didn't rush to take action. Instead, she turned to Xiao Ming and said, "Alliance Leader Xiao, please help treat my elder sister. As for these despicable people, I'll take care of them."

Xiao Ming, besides being the leader of the Heavenly Court, was also a highly skilled Master Alchemist.

"Certainly, it's no problem," he agreed.

With a wave of Fairy Hua's hand, she took control of the grand formation previously activated by Fairy Qing and attacked the ranks of the Profound River Alliance.

These people had no chance against a Half-Saint like Fairy Hua. One of the Profound River Alliance's powerful experts exploded into a blood mist with a simple movement of her hand.

Xiao Ming only spared a brief glance before withdrawing his gaze. In the next moment, he reappeared at the massive square on the main peak.

He landed in the deep crater and stood beside Fairy Qing, who was covered in blood. As he looked at her pitiful state, Xiao Ming shook his head gently.

Fairy Qing's pale yellow dress had been torn apart in the impact, leaving her exposed and revealing her fair skin. However, these smooth contours were marred with bloodstains, and the thick blood had soaked her clothes, making them sticky and unsightly.

"Cough, cough... Thank you," Fairy Qing said, looking at Xiao Ming who appeared beside her. Her eyes showed gratitude as she coughed up some blood, speaking in broken words.

Xiao Ming took out a large white robe from his storage ring and covered her body, concealing her exposed state.

He then retrieved a bottle of pills from the storage ring and poured out a high-grade pill, feeding it to her.

The pill Xiao Ming brought out was naturally no ordinary product.

Soon, Fairy Qing felt her body improve significantly, and before long, disciples came to attend to her.

Assisted by the disciples, Fairy Qing stood up and spoke to Xiao Ming, "Alliance Leader Xiao, this place is not suitable for conversation. Let's return to the main hall..."

"Sure," Xiao Ming nodded. The group quickly flew towards the direction of the main hall within the Flower Realm.

...

In a grand hall within the Flower Sect's main compound, Fairy Qing, Xiao Ming, and others were seated at different positions. Xiao Ming listened attentively as Fairy Qing recounted the day's events in great detail.

"So, you're saying that Old Demon Tian Ming attacked you with the intention of using you as a stepping stone to break through to the Dou Saint realm?" Xiao Ming's face showed surprise upon hearing Fairy Qing's words.

"Yes, Old Demon Tian Ming has been seeking to capture a high-level Half-Saint, but he himself is only a high-level Half-Saint, so his attempts have failed thus far. This time, he must have heard about my recent breakthrough and wanted to take advantage of my unstable realm to defeat me," Fairy Qing explained.

"He sought assistance from the Hall of Souls, and if it wasn't for your sudden arrival, our Flower Sect would have been in grave danger."

"But now, Old Demon Tian Ming has perished at your hands, along with most of the strong members of the Profound River Alliance. We no longer need to worry about them. However, we can't let this grudge go unaddressed; it would make us appear weak. Once we've settled the situation in the Flower Realm, I will personally lead our people to eradicate them. As for the other sects that joined the Profound River Alliance, not one of them will be spared!" Fairy Qing's eyes flickered with a cold light. If it weren't for Xiao Ming's timely arrival, the Flower Sect would have truly fallen into the hands of the Profound River Alliance.

"Alright, let's not dwell on these unpleasant matters," Fairy Qing shifted the topic to something else.

"I assume Alliance Leader Xiao has arrived in relation to the Flower Sect's joining the Heavenly Court, correct? We've made the decision to agree to it."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ming nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes, my visit is indeed related to that matter. However, there's something else I need you to do."

"Oh? What is it? Just give us your orders, and our Flower Sect will do everything in our power to fulfill them!" Fairy Qing replied eagerly.

"I need you to search for the Fallen Ground of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python Tribe."