Leaving the matters of Xiaoyao City aside for the time being, with a single thought, the Nine Dragons War Chariot once again surged forward.
Meanwhile, back in Xiaoyao City, within a secluded manor—
Though the estate was neither grand nor modest, it was clear from the people gathered inside that this was no ordinary place. Each person present radiated a unique aura, clearly setting them apart from commoners. If they were to stand amidst ordinary folk, they would stand out like cranes among chickens.
In fact, their bearing was quite similar to that of the disciples from sects who had once appeared in the Great Yi Dynasty—a refined and lofty air, looking down from above, as though born to rule. Wherever they walked, they held their heads high.
"Great Elder, what should we do now? There are hundreds of thousands of residents in this Xiaoyao City, yet when we attempted to recruit disciples openly, the city lord obstructed us at every turn. If this keeps up, our mission to find new disciples will be impossible."
Inside the villa, a group of cultivators sat together—undoubtedly disciples of a sect.
"Indeed. With the Heavenly Dao's seal weakened, our sect was able to emerge into the world once more. Though the most powerful sects remain sealed, for now, we stand near the top. The Sect Leader is in the Dharma Phase Realm, and you, Great Elder, are at the peak of the Life Map Realm, just a step away from Dharma Phase."
A female cultivator spoke with admiration, eyes full of reverence as she looked toward the elder.
The elder had white hair and a youthful face, his skin as delicate as a teenager's—clear evidence of profound cultivation.
"The Xiaoyao City Lord's refusal is likely born from fear. He worries these civilians will become stronger under our tutelage, threaten his authority, and destabilize his rule. But if he thinks that rejecting us is enough to stop us—he's sorely mistaken. The day will come when they beg for our help. The wilderness isn't just awakening our sect. Countless monsters and demons are rising as well. I can already sense demonic energies in this city. Chaos is imminent. Let's see how they handle that without us."
A young male disciple sneered coldly, clearly bitter.
They had come in peace and were met with rejection by a mere mundane lord. Since the secular world spurned them, there was no need to offer protection when disaster struck. Let the monsters teach these mortals who their true saviors were.
"No need to rush," the Great Elder said calmly. "Our sect, Everlasting Spring Valley, has emerged to locate secular human forces and turn them into outer sect affiliates—supplying us with resources and manpower. Xiaoyao City is one of the largest human strongholds in the area. If we can ally with them, it would greatly strengthen our sect."
They had one goal: strengthen their sect. And to do so, they needed the mortal realm. To find extraordinary talents, they had to cast wide nets—and working with an established secular power was the most efficient way.
"It's a pity the Great Yi Dynasty is far too powerful. We can't influence it at all. Especially their army—it's not something we can compete with. I heard even the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect has begun cooperating with Great Yi, and quite successfully at that."
A female disciple spoke with mixed emotions: awe, fear, envy, disbelief.
At the mention of Great Yi, the entire room fell silent.
They had secretly witnessed Great Yi's conquests. Every legion was elite—its weakest soldiers at the peak of the Divine Sea Realm, with many in the Life Aperture Realm. Their battle formations could even slaughter Dharma Phase Realm experts. The sheer terror of it still haunted their memories. Their fear of Great Yi ran deep.
Leaving Xiaoyao City behind, Yi Tianxing continued straight toward Serpent Valley.
Soon, he arrived near the valley.
"It really is the Beastman Horde—Silver Behemoths and various beastman tribes have gathered to form a massive army."
As he drew closer, he saw the army encamped outside Serpent Valley, clearly encircling it with hostile intent.
With a thought, he dismissed his war chariot and, with a flash of light, merged into the shadows, stealthily entering the valley.
Though he didn't possess the Ten Thousand Evils Body, his clone, Yi Tianxie, did. Drawing on the clone's power, he could borrow some of its shadow-based techniques. The power was weaker, but the utility remained.
As long as he suppressed his killing intent, even the strongest beastman warriors wouldn't notice his presence. He passed through their lines without raising an alarm.
Upon entering Serpent Valley, a strange force resisted his entry—an invisible barrier that tried to turn him away.
"A forbidden formation."
The thought flashed through Yi Tianxing's mind.
But the barrier wasn't strong enough to stop him. With a flicker of purple light, he passed through silently, without triggering the formation.
Inside, the air was thick with mist and miasma, carrying a decadent, intoxicating sound.
Following the sound, he saw serpentfolk tangled together—lower halves of snakes entwined in copulation.
A cloying, corrupting aura spread outward with every movement, along with moans and gasps.
"Serpent Valley really hasn't changed. The rumors about serpentfolk being hypersexual are true. But compared to last time, there are a lot more young serpentfolk children here. Their reproductive rate is insane."
Yi Tianxing shook his head, noting countless serpent children playing in the distance. The nature of the serpentfolk and the miasma's aphrodisiac effect made this kind of behavior almost instinctual.
He paid it little mind, preparing to move on—when suddenly, he overheard a conversation.
Two serpentfolk, mid-embrace, were speaking.
"Xiaohong, a big battle may be coming. That army outside belongs to the Beast King Court. If things go bad, hide behind me. And if you can, convince the Serpent Queen to flee. We can die, but she must live. She's the hope of our people."
"The Queen won't run. If she wanted to, she already would have. She'd never abandon us. That damn Behemoth King—he's despicable. He's trying to force the Queen into marriage. Coercion, threats, bribes—he's used them all. He won't stop until he gets what he wants."
"I heard the dowry he brought is enormous—filled with treasures. He really wants the Queen. Too bad she doesn't like him at all."
Yi Tianxing frowned deeply. So that was it.
"He wants to marry the Serpent Queen and make her the Beast King Court's queen…"
His voice dropped to a cold murmur.
The Serpent Queen—no matter what happened between them—had once been his woman. That fact could not be erased. Even if she tried to deny it, he could not pretend it had never happened.
In his heart, the Serpent Queen belonged to him.
And now, she was being forced into marrying someone else—the Behemoth King no less?
At that moment, a burning fury exploded in Yi Tianxing's chest—flames of pure rage.
"Heh…"
A cold sneer slipped from his nose.
Any man would be furious. This wasn't just a challenge—it was an outright insult. It was like someone had walked into his house with a shovel and started digging up his wife. If word of this got out, his reputation would be completely destroyed.
"Behemoth King, you're really pushing your luck. You think establishing a Beast King Court makes you my equal? You want to challenge me? And the first thing you do is go after my woman?"
He took a deep breath, cold light flashing in his eyes as he looked toward the beastman army outside the valley.
His gaze turned murderous.
"Why… why do I feel a strange sense of bloodline kinship here? As if something—or someone—very close to me is nearby. A presence… almost like An Ning?"
A thought flickered through his mind.
He couldn't explain it, but the moment he entered Serpent Valley, a peculiar sense of closeness welled up from his very bloodline.