Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

For instance, Shen Wannian, the foremost genius from the Yufeng Empire's Yiqi Sect, and the talents from the four great empires of Thundering Wind and Astonishing Mountain, Hidden Dragon, and Magnolia, each lost their chance to compete for the champion of the Countries Hidden Dragon Conference—all because of Yun Xiao.

Now that Yun Xiao is powerfully emerging, those geniuses from empires with grudges against him naturally feel endangered. Even if Yun Xiao has no plans to trouble them, it's always wise to guard against others.

Only by nipping potential threats in the bud can they rest easy forever. And nowadays, with the Jade Pot Sect led by Yun Xiao and the national strength of the Xuanyue Empire, not a single empire dares to say they could extinguish them alone.

As for the last one, the Black Star Empire, they have been the Xuanyue Empire's sworn enemy for many years. From the very names of the two empires, one Xuanyue and the other Black Star, it is evident that they've been incompatible as fire and water since their very founding.

How could Nie Wencang of an empire that holds such deep-seated hatred against the Xuanyue Empire possibly forget easily? Therefore, an unprecedented alliance was formed with the mutual agreement of the Eight Great Empires.

However, at this moment, neither the Jade Pot Sect nor the Xuanyue Empire's Royal Family is aware of the looming disaster. They are only conscious of the Xuanyue Empire's current prosperity and might think no other empire dares to provoke them lightly.

In fact, they guessed right; indeed, no single empire dares to provoke the Xuanyue Empire alone. But this time, it's the Eight Great Empires joining forces—a single misstep, and perhaps in the near future, the name of the Xuanyue nation will no longer exist atop the Hidden Dragon Continent.

......

Li Yuan Realm!

This is a plane even higher than the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, and even some Holy Rank Third Realm powerhouses from the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud have mostly never heard of such a place. They all believed that the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud was already the Supreme Plane of the Nine Dragons Continent.

The Li Yuan Realm's most top-tier forces are three: the Fierce Sun Palace, Moon God Palace, and Star-picking Tower. Today, in front of the entrance to the Star-picking Tower, a graceful figure in black appeared, prompting the two guards stationed at the door to hurriedly bow with respect.

For this black-clad young woman was none other than Shen Xingmou, known within the Star-picking Tower as a peerless genius that appears once in a millennium. Her status within the Tower was second only to the Tower Master and a few high-ranking Great Elders. Even some internal Stewards had to show her a considerable amount of respect.

Shen Xingmou seemed to be thinking about something and paid no attention to the respectful guards as she walked directly into the Tower. It's worth mentioning that the building named "Tower" was naturally a towering structure piercing the sky.

However, the Star-picking Tower differs from those tall buildings in the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud. Its floors, extending high into the clouds, make one wonder about the extraordinary characters that might be residing at the very top.

Returning to the Star-picking Tower, Shen Xingmou did not retire to her room to rest. Instead, after sensing her surroundings, she unexpectedly headed down the Tower floors. Her sparkling eyes twinkled, leaving one to wonder what she might be contemplating.

"Ah, it's Miss Xingmou!"

When Shen Xingmou descended two floors underground, a man who looked like a minor leader spotted her with sharp eyes. He immediately jumped to his feet, the respectful expression on his face seemingly innate.

"Miss Xingmou, why trouble yourself to visit this den of filth? Just send someone to pass the word, and I will handle it all cleanly and neatly for you!"

However, the man showed no excessive fear as he spoke at length. Of course, his words were still flattering. In reality, he couldn't fathom why someone like Miss Xingmou would have any interest in coming to such a place personally.

"I ask you, in recent years, has there been any prisoner brought back from the Lower Realm? Hmm, a woman!"

Shen Xingmou couldn't help but think of a slender figure in rough clothing, asking the question as if by some ghostly compulsion. Then, she saw a look of disbelief on the man's face before her.

In truth, the second underground floor of the Star-picking Tower was a prison holding criminals. As the man stated, it was a place that concealed filth and corruption. Those locked up here either offended the Star-picking Tower or for other reasons, but once inside, they were never expected to leave in this lifetime.

The man hadn't expected Miss Xingmou to ask about this particular matter upon her arrival. Thinking back to the woman brought over by a certain someone years ago, his heart stirred, and he began to speculate.

"What are you dazed about, is there such a person or not?"

Seeing the man as if lost in thought, Shen Xingmou's eyes flashed with a sharp light, her tone becoming much colder. Her questioning shout startled the man.

"Yes, yes, yes, there is. She was personally brought here by Steward Ning over three years ago. Miss Xingmou, do you wish to interrogate this person?"

hearing this, the man no longer dared to neglect his duties. But as the manager of the Star-picking Tower's dungeon, he had to ask further, only to see Miss Xingmou's expression darken.

"Nonsense, do you think I personally came here just to see you?" Shen Xingmou suppressed the impulse in her heart, scolded with a cold voice, and then followed up, "Aren't you leading the way?"

"Yes, yes, yes, please follow me, Miss Xingmou!"

Thinking of her identity, status, and domineering temperament, the manager had long since forgotten about the so-called "Steward Ning" and led Shen Xingmou into the depths.

"I ask you, you haven't mistreated her, have you?"

Following for a few steps, Shen Xingmou suddenly asked this question, causing the steward's expression to become extremely awkward, seemingly not understanding why this person would ask such a thing.

The prisoners held here were mostly those who had offended the Star-picking Tower, and others had come for special reasons. How could it be possible for them not to suffer abuses once inside? It was even possible that they would be subjected to brutal interrogations and torture that would be too horrible to describe.

Many had been unable to endure the cruel torture of the Star-picking Tower and were tortured to death. In the eyes of those affiliated with the Star-picking Tower, this place was merely a detention facility, but seen by outsiders, it was no different from a living hell, a place no one wished to be captured and brought to.

But the former Shen Xingmou, with a heart set only on cultivation, how could she possibly pay attention to such sordid places? If not due to Yun Xiao's circumstance, she might have never set foot in the second subterranean level of the Star-picking Tower's prison in her life.

"Speak!"

Seeing the steward fall silent once again, Shen Xingmou's heart sank, her voice turning much colder, even a sense of dread arising, fearing she would be met with a lifeless corpse.

"Well… Miss Xingmou, I have never mistreated her myself, but Steward Ning has been here several times over these years, he probably... probably..."

Under Shen Xingmou's glare, the steward's heart skipped a beat, silently relieved that he hadn't cared about a prisoner from the Lower Realm. Otherwise, seeing the temper of this miss, he feared he would end up in trouble he couldn't escape.

That's why the steward was cautious, thinking if Shen Xingmou saw the injuries on the woman's body, she wouldn't blame him. She should look for Steward Ning instead.

"Move faster!"

Hearing what the steward said, Shen Xingmou's face under the black veil darkened further, while an inexplicable sense of resentment arose in her heart towards Steward Ning—she couldn't fathom where these feelings were coming from.

One should realize that the earlier Shen Xingmou was never concerned with these trivial matters, yet ever since her trip to the Hidden Dragon Continent, and that inexplicable intimate encounter with the young man, her thoughts were in turmoil ever since—as if she could not forget that figure clad in coarse clothes for a single moment.

So as soon as she returned to the Star-picking Tower, Shen Xingmou had not even had time to report the details of her trip to the Lower Realm to her teacher, but as if compelled by some unseen force, she found herself at the dungeon of the Star-picking Tower.

Perhaps in the heart of Shen Xingmou, if Yun Xiao's mother truly died within the Star-picking Tower, then any connection between them was probably doomed to turn into enmity.

Even though Shen Xingmou had tried several times to bring about Yun Xiao's demise, that one encounter afterwards subtly shifted her intentions; come what may, she had to preserve the life of Yun Xiao's mother.

Creak!

The sound of the iron door opening was unusually clear within this dungeon, and the first thing Shen Xingmou, who had just entered, saw was a figure with disheveled hair and a somewhat weak aura.

Yet, this figure was turned away from Shen Xingmou, rendering her unable to see the face clearly, but even so, she sensed a veiled familiarity from the weak aura of this figure, as if she had seen it somewhere before.

"I've said it before, even if you kill me, I won't speak; I advise you to abandon this vain hope!"

Seemingly hearing footsteps behind her, the figure spoke without turning around, her voice somewhat hoarse as if even her throat had been injured. Hearing this voice, Shen Xingmou's frame trembled slightly.

"Get out!"

A wave of frustration desperately seeking release, Shen Xingmou, catching a glimpse of the steward's hesitant countenance from the corner of her eye, immediately shouted, causing the steward to leave the cell hurriedly, daring not even to breathe out loud.

"This must be reported to Steward Ning immediately!"

The steward, having left the cell, ultimately had this thought, not daring to offend the imposing young lady in front of him, but neither was Steward Ning a nobody. If something unforeseen occurred, he would be the one who couldn't escape the consequences.

Inside the cell, Shen Xingmou paid no attention to the steward who had disappeared at the doorway. Taking a couple of trembling steps forward, she finally asked, "Are... are you called Shang Li?"

"Who are you?"

Suddenly hearing this seemingly distant name, the figure turned around abruptly, revealing an extremely pale face with several bloodstains, but it was not Yun Xiao's mother. If Shang Li wasn't a member of the Shang Family, who was she?

It had been over three years since the tragic destruction of the Shang Family. Shang Li, whom a tall and thin elder had brought back to the Star-picking Tower, had suffered endless torment over these three years.

Shang Li was but a lowly cultivator from the Hidden Dragon Continent; the cruel tortures of the Star-picking Tower had made her existence worse than death. Nevertheless, each time she thought of her beloved children, she persevered, dreaming of the day she would reunite with her sibling children, Yun Wei and Yun Xiao.