HEADING TO JIA MA EMPIRE

As Xie Tianxiao witnessed the rapid dissolution of the Vice Hall Master's body, the system's notification echoed in his mind.

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[Ding! Swallowing Completed!]

NAME : Xie Tianxiao 

CULTIVATION REALM: half-Saint (Intermediate) 

SOUL REALM: Initial stage - Spirit Realm

HEAVENLY FIRE: Yin - Yang twin Flames 

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Xie Tianxiao stared at the data on the screen, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"System? You're back!?" he exclaimed, still processing the information in front of him.

'[Ding! The system was dormant because the host's soul power had not reached the Spirit Realm, making it impossible to display host data.]' The system's mechanical voice responded.

"So that's why it was so weird before… My soul power wasn't enough," Xie Tianxiao muttered, both cursing and feeling a surge of excitement. Now that his soul had reached the Spirit Realm, the system had finally reawakened.

"So, what exactly can you do, System?" he asked eagerly.

[This system is called the Devouring System! The host can enhance soul power and physical strength by devouring special life forms, spiritual objects of heaven and earth, and more!]

"That's powerful!" Xie Tianxiao's eyes lit up, though he soon asked with a hint of confusion, "I understand about spiritual objects like strange fires and thunders, but what exactly are special life forms? What about the Soul Hall members, who are neither fully human nor ghost?"

[Special life forms refer to beings whose souls, physiques, or attributes have reached their limits, such as members of the Soul Hall with extremely strong dark attributes, though they are not entirely independent of their bodies.] The system explained.

"So, if I devour all the Soul Hall members, won't I become invincible?" Xie Tianxiao's excitement grew at the thought.

[However, if the target is too weak or does not meet system requirements, devouring is impossible unless they are in a dying state.]

"Ah, so that's why you didn't notify me when I killed those weaker souls earlier," Xie Tianxiao nodded, understanding that the system had stringent criteria for what could be devoured.

The system's abilities were clear: it could devour specific individuals and spiritual objects to enhance Xie Tianxiao's soul power and overall strength. The more powerful the target, the greater the benefits.

"Well, the system is quite good from this perspective. It's just a pity that the soul of the predecessor was devoured by me." Xie Tianxiao reflected on his situation. "But after devouring this Vice Hall Master, I was able to advance from the peak of the Mortal Realm to the Spirit Realm, and I also figured out the issue with the system. It's an unexpected bonus."

He wasn't disappointed about the weakness of his soul power. After all, merging with a powerful half-Saint body was already an incredible boon.

"Alright, the matter here is settled," he said. "It's time to head to the Jia Ma Empire."

Originally, Xie Tianxiao had only intended to gather some resources before checking on the plot progress in the Jia Ma Empire, particularly regarding Xiao Yan. But the unexpected appearance of the Soul Hall and the system's reactivation had delayed his plans.

"Let's see, the Jia Ma Empire should be in that direction," he murmured to himself before focusing his mind. His figure transformed into a streak of light, and in a blink, he vanished beyond the horizon.

---

**The Jia Ma Empire's Border**

The scene shifted to a battlefield near the border between the Jia Ma Empire and the Mulan Empire. The clash of swords, spears, and halberds rang out, accompanied by the agonized screams of the wounded and dying. Blood spattered across the ground, painting the earth in a crimson hue.

"Ah!" A knight from the Jia Ma Empire was sent flying, a spear protruding from his chest as blood gushed forth like a fountain.

"Deputy Captain!" Another knight, seeing his fallen comrade, cried out in alarm.

"Don't be afraid, brothers, we have reinforcements!" A young border general from the Jia Ma Empire shouted from a distance.

"Mountain-Splitting Palm!" With a powerful strike, he sent a soldier from the Mulan Empire flying, the enemy's chest exploding on impact.

"Charge! Support our brothers!" Behind him, hundreds of soldiers in yellow armor rushed forward, brandishing their weapons as they plunged into the fray.

Realizing that reinforcements from the Jia Ma Empire had arrived, the soldiers of the Mulan Empire began to retreat in panic. "Retreat! We'll only die in vain if we continue!" they shouted, morale crumbling as they fled.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

 Just then, two figures descended from the sky, their wings of Dou Qi glowing—one yellow, the other green.

The first figure was an elderly man, dressed in a plain linen robe, while the other was a woman in her twenties, clad in a green dress that accentuated her graceful yet powerful presence. She held a longsword that gleamed with green energy.

"The Ultimate Wind—Sunset Shining!" The woman swung her sword, releasing a barrage of sword lights infused with wind-attributed Dou Qi. The lights shot towards the fleeing Mulan Empire soldiers, cutting them down where they stood.

"Thank you, Lord Dou emperor!" The remaining Jia Ma Empire soldiers, awestruck by the display of power, bowed in gratitude.

"Master Yun, your Sunset Shining technique has grown even stronger," the elderly man in linen remarked, smiling at the woman.

"Thank you, Mr. Jia," she replied with a sweet smile, though her expression soon turned serious. "The Mulan Empire's attacks have become increasingly frequent. Even small cities are being invaded."

The old man nodded gravely. "It's not just our Jia Ma Empire. The Izumo Empire and several other nations without Dou ancestor experts have also faced attacks. It seems the Mulan Empire is searching for something."

"Something?" The woman's brow furrowed. "That's strange."

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END