Chapter 404: Visiting Sound Valley

The news of the destruction of the Hall of Souls' branch halls, although not officially announced, was too shocking to be kept hidden.

Within a few days after the incident, the news spread like wildfire throughout the entire Central Plains, causing widespread astonishment.

The strength of the Hall of Souls was well known among the forces in Central Plains. This colossal existence had always stood tall above the rest.

Although many factions had been persecuted by the Hall of Souls in the past, they dared not retaliate and could only suppress the hatred in their hearts. Now, upon hearing this news, they couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

As the soul bodies released by Xiao Ming and the others departed, the name of the Pill Tower once again entered people's vision.

However, the most eye-catching aspect of the incident was not the Pill Tower itself.

According to the soul bodies, it was the youngest of the Eight Great Elders, Xiao Ming, who led the attack on one of the Hall of Souls' branch halls, while the other two were destroyed by unidentified powerful individuals.

Therefore, while many forces marveled at the Pill Tower's status as a superpower in Central Plains, they also became curious about those mysterious figures who dared to provoke the Hall of Souls.

Yet, no matter how curious they were, all they could gather were vague and elusive pieces of information about those individuals, leaving them disappointed.

...

On a mountain peak shrouded in mist in the northwest of Central Plains, Xiao Ming stood on a large stone, calmly gazing into the distance.

Suddenly, subtle ripples appeared in the space behind Xiao Ming, but he didn't react to them. After a moment, three figures quietly landed behind him.

Only then did Xiao Ming turn around, wearing a gentle smile on his face as he spoke, "You finally arrived. I hope you didn't sustain any injuries on this trip."

The newcomers were none other than Xiao Yi Xian, Qing Lin, and Venerable Tian Huo, who had recently piqued the curiosity of the entire Central Plains.

"No, I only encountered four lower-level Dou Venerates in the branch I attacked, so it went smoothly," said Xiao Yi Xian, brushing her hair and revealing a gentle smile. She then walked forward and linked her arm with Xiao Ming's.

Behind her, Qing Lin glanced at Xiao Yi Xian before moving closer and following suit, linking her arm with Xiao Ming's remaining arm. She then shook her hand, revealing two light spheres about one meter in size.

Soft and pure radiance continuously spread from the spheres, illuminating the surrounding grass leaves and making them appear lush green.

"Young Master, these are the things we found in those branch halls. They should be the Soul Essences, right?" Qing Lin asked.

"Yes, you're right. You did well," Xiao Ming replied, focusing his gaze on the Soul Essences and waving his finger to collect them.

With three Soul Essences, his soul would reach the late-stage Heaven Realm. By then, even ordinary one or two-star Dou Saints wouldn't stand a chance against him.

Overjoyed, Xiao Ming kissed the two women on the forehead, causing them to close their eyes comfortably.

Venerable Tian Huo watched this scene with a smile, stroked his beard, and then spoke up.

"Xiao Ming, should we return to the Pill Tower next?"

Xiao Ming thought for a moment and then replied, "No, I've already instructed Elder Shangguan and the others to leave ahead of us. We're going to Sound Valley next."

"Sound Valley?" Xiao Yi Xian, who was holding onto Xiao Ming, looked puzzled.

Venerable Tian Huo recalled the Valley Master of Sound Valley whom he and Xiao Ming had encountered in the Thunder Falling Mountain Range. He remembered that she seemed to require Xiao Ming to refine a six-colored eighth-tier pill.

"Yes, it's Sound Valley. I owe them a favor, and I accepted their down payment, which is the Soundwave High Di Dou Technique I gave Qing Lin before, the Flute Sound Mind Control."

Upon hearing the Flute Sound Mind Control, Qing Lin nodded in understanding. Xiao Ming had indeed given her the Dou Technique, which suited her well. She didn't expect it to be a unique technique of Sound Valley.

Having learned about the connection between Xiao Ming and Sound Valley, Xiao Yi Xian refrained from asking further questions.

Xiao Ming took out a purple token, and accompanied by Qing Lin and the others, followed its guidance towards Sound Valley.

…

Ten days later, the group arrived at a place surrounded by majestic mountains and clear waters. It was a secluded and rarely visited area, devoid of human presence.

In the sky above, a black shadow flashed by, stirring up strong winds that swept in all directions.

As the perspective drew closer, it revealed a massive flying beast, and on the back of the Flying Eagle Beast were Xiao Ming, Xiao Yi Xian, Qing Lin, and Venerable Tian Huo.

Observing the brilliant purple light on the token, a faint smile appeared on Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful face. Her green and lively eyes glanced at Xiao Ming as she softly chuckled, saying, "The token is radiating even brighter light than it did two days ago. This place is surrounded by verdant mountains and clear waters, a pristine and secluded haven. Sound Valley should be hidden within."

With his hands behind his back, Xiao Ming stood on the back of the eagle, gazing into the distance. The abundant greenery unfolded before his eyes, far away from the bustling world, as if it were an otherworldly paradise.

Impressed, Xiao Ming smiled and said, "Indeed, this place is tranquil and serene, a perfect spot for seclusion. Let's prepare ourselves; we mustn't neglect the proper etiquette when visiting for the first time."

As they spoke, the flying beast passed through several mountain peaks and arrived at a location completely surrounded by mountains. In the center was a clear and transparent lake resembling a mirror's surface.

However, at this point, a certain kind of pressure seemed to emanate, causing the flying beast to hesitate and not dare to advance any further.

Xiao Ming didn't make it difficult for the beast and allowed it to depart. He and the others descended directly to the ground and stood by the lakeshore.

"What should we do next, Young Master?" Qing Lin looked at the lake before her, blinked her eyes, and sensed the spatial barrier that existed above it. If they were to forcefully break through, a direct attack would suffice. However, since they were invited guests, they couldn't do that.

Xiao Ming smiled, walked to the edge of the lake, and retrieved the purple token. He infused it with his Dou Qi, causing invisible ripples to spread from the token's center. In the sky above the lake, the previously indistinguishable space suddenly tore open.

The meeting point between water and sky revealed a massive spatial crack, emitting terrifying spatial fluctuations. It floated above the lake, causing waves to surge in all directions.

"Let's go."

Xiao Ming took the lead and walked toward the fissure in space, stepping on the arch-shaped bridge formed by the water waves, and heading towards the crack. Without hesitation, Xiao Yi Xian and the others followed Xiao Ming towards the rift in space.

In the instant Xiao Ming stepped into the spatial crack, his vision blurred for a moment, then immediately brightened up, revealing a lush green scenery before his eyes.

They found themselves in an extremely vast bamboo forest, permeated with the fragrance of bamboo. Looking up, they saw a dense canopy of branches and leaves forming undulating waves of green.

Semi-concealed structures stood amidst the bamboo forest, tall and upright. Faintly, one could hear the melodious and pleasant sound of music coming from them.

The melodic tunes were graceful and enchanting, but more importantly, it seemed that as the music played, the surrounding heaven and earth energy responded and transformed into different states.

It could turn into a shockwave for offense, or into a defensive shield... This made Qing Lin and the others sigh in admiration. Sound Valley truly lived up to its reputation as a place where soundwaves were the primary means of combat.