A full month had passed since Liu Xi had entered the Star Region.
Over that month, Holy Pill City had completely recovered from the devastation. The damaged buildings were rebuilt, the streets once again bustling with life and trade — the city had returned to its former splendor.
During this period, under the leadership of Xuan Kongzi, the Pill Tower had issued a formal and forceful condemnation against the Hall of Souls — denouncing them for their treacherous assault on Holy Pill City.
Not only that, they also exposed the Hall of Souls' scheme of breaking the Three Thousand Burning Flame's seal to seize it for themselves, demanding that the Hall hand over those responsible.
Otherwise, the Pill Tower declared, they would take up arms — and wage war to avenge their fallen comrades.
To show their determination, the Pill Tower recalled their experts from across the Central Plains, accelerated large-scale acquisitions of medicinal ingredients and weapons, and strengthened alliances with major factions. Their message was clear: if we fight, the world will fight with us.
The Hall of Souls, of course, refused to admit guilt. Though the crime was theirs, they flatly denied everything, adopting an arrogant stance — "If you want war, then fight."
They even struck back verbally, accusing the Pill Tower of killing Mu Gu, the Hall's chief alchemist, inside the Star Region.
As for the three fallen Dou Zuns, the Hall of Souls could only swallow that loss in silence.
They demanded that the Pill Tower punish the "murderer," or else they would seek justice themselves.
In the end, both sides hurled words but not blades. Neither dared take the first true strike — the stakes were too high.
For the Pill Tower, things had actually turned out quite favorably; they suffered little loss but gained prestige.
The Hall of Souls, however, was reeling. Four Dou Zuns and an 8th Tier Alchemist dead — the blow was severe. They couldn't show weakness, yet didn't dare ignite an all-out war that would shake the entire Central Plains.
And so, the standoff continued — a war of words instead of fire.
---
Within the Pill Tower.
A woman in white stood before the sealed Star Region Gate, her gaze filled with longing and unease. It was Xiao Yixian.
"Don't worry, Sister Xian'er," a soft, mischievous voice came from behind. Zi Yan walked up, comforting her. "I placed the Dragon Seal on Big Brother myself. If anything happens to him, I'll feel it through the mark. If something goes wrong, I'll be the first one in there — that broken Star Region can't stop me."
Xiao Yixian nodded gently. "I know. Everyone's saying the Young Master stayed behind to save the others, buying them a chance to escape. I don't believe he'd sacrifice himself without preparation. He's never that reckless."
Her voice was soft but firm, her eyes still filled with quiet yearning.
---
Inside the Star Region.
After sitting in meditation for over a month, Liu Xi slowly opened his eyes. A faint flame danced within his pupils as an invisible wave pulsed outward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sea of violet-black flames around him erupted violently. Waves of burning fire rose like towering tides, yet none could touch him — within a radius of three meters, the flames obediently withdrew, bowing as if before a sovereign.
He could feel the surge of his Spiritual Power — far greater than before, overflowing and intense. Yet just beyond reach lay a thin barrier, a bottleneck. He had struck it, pressed against it, but could not yet pierce through.
He knew — once he shattered that limit, he would ascend into an entirely new realm. A realm where spirit connected with heaven itself, where one's soul could draw upon the power of the world. In that state, his strength might rival even a Dou Saint.
Of course, this was only his conjecture. He had never faced a true Dou Saint and did not yet know how terrifying such beings truly were.
His eyes flickered with calm light. 'So this is the peak of the Spirit Realm Soul… half a step into the Heaven Realm Soul. A pity I couldn't break through completely. The spiritual essence of the Three Thousand Burning Flame still had its limits.'
Lifting his hand, Liu Xi summoned a flicker of deep azure flame. It burned quietly in his palm, pure and steady, the familiar Green Lotus Core Flame — yet now far stronger than ever before.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "I wonder… could this flame now stand against those ranked in the top three of the Heavenly Flame Ranking? Hmph, if Mu Gu were still alive, I could probably burn him to ashes with a single thought."
His gaze turned amused. "And this body… after enduring the baptism of the Three Thousand Burning Flame, my vitality, endurance, recovery — all multiplied tenfold. I might as well be a Magical Beast now."
The moment the azure flame appeared, the surrounding violet-black fires instantly calmed. The violent energy grew still, obedient, subdued — as if soldiers awaiting their emperor's command.
With a small wave of his hand, Liu Xi extinguished the flame and shook his head helplessly. He couldn't take all this fire out with him; unless he lured his enemies into the Star Region, its true power couldn't be used.
Still, as long as he stood beneath the starry sky, he would never fear exhaustion. The endless starlight replenished his Dou Qi, allowing him to fight tirelessly until his foes collapsed.
Stretching his arms lazily, he rose to his feet. At a mere thought, his aura surged upward — Dou Qi roaring through his meridians like thunder.
1-Star Dou Zun… 2-Star Dou Zun… 3-Star Dou Zun…
His power climbed higher and higher until finally, it stabilized at 6-Star Dou Zun.
"Hahaha! Excellent — a full six stars!" he laughed heartily. "Now I'll focus on tempering my Dou Qi, let it merge completely with my body before attempting another breakthrough. Time to head out."
The instant he spoke, the sea of flames split apart before him. The violet-black waves rolled aside, forming a blazing corridor that stretched into the distance.
Stepping onto the void, Liu Xi advanced, each stride crossing more than ten meters. Within moments, he reached the familiar Star Gate.
Scratching his head, he frowned slightly. "...Right. I don't exactly have a way to contact the outside world. How am I supposed to let them know I'm coming out?"
He sighed. "Forget it. This isn't a complete small world — opening a way out shouldn't be too hard."
With a thought, the sea of fire around him churned violently. Power gathered from every direction, converging upon him like a burning tide.
"Open!"
Channeling that vast force, Liu Xi thrust his hands forward and tore at the void.
Rip!
A spatial fissure split open before him. Brilliant sunlight streamed through, forcing him to squint as he stepped across.
---
Above Holy Pill City.
Without warning, a rift appeared in the sky. A wave of searing heat spread across the heavens, and a tongue of violet-black flame licked outward.
Then, from within the rift, Liu Xi stepped out — calm and unscathed, his robes fluttering gently. With a casual flick of his wrist, he said, "Return."
Instantly, the violet-black flames retreated like a tamed beast, vanishing obediently back into the Star Region.
Only then did the experts across Holy Pill City react — realizing that just moments ago, their entire city had brushed against the brink of annihilation.
No one dared breathe.
Because Liu Xi had moved too fast for anyone to even comprehend what had happened.
(End of Chapter)
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