*Shiver*

The golden radiance of one of the formations surrounding the white throne-like construct grew dimer for an instant as a light shiver crossed it.

In response, seven pairs of eyes opened, intent gazes on it.

"Was that..?"

"Yes!"

"Grandmaster..?"

"Mmm, it was undoubtedly the [Soul Crossing Alarm Formation]! His soul seems to have awakened, or at least recuperated enough to make the formation react!"

"What now..? Will he awaken?!"

"We cannot be sur..." One of the present people started answering, only to suddenly break off into a commanding shout, "All of you, leave, now!"

While not one of the presences inside the enclosed room, if it could be called a room, having neither windows nor doors, asked anything, jumping into what looked like a rip in the air. And only the last one to leave, the only person not wrapped in a black cloak but wearing a simple blue robe, a man whose energetic but aged voice contrasted with his youthful face, noticed how all of the other seventeen formations in the room began waning.

*Shiver* *Shiver*

The shivering grew stronger and stronger, and as all the formations' radiance dimmed almost entirely, they all shattered as one.

*Shatter*

And right as the formations shattered, releasing all of the qi inside them.

*Woosh*

The released qi and the one present in the room formed a single stream. One that rushed towards the only remaining being in the room, sitting on the simple-looking white throne.

And as the qi nurtured his body, Bai Qi, or the new being that the shattered souls and memories formed, opened his eyes.

***

"Haaa." Bai Qi, still considering himself such, slowly exhaled. He knew not how much time had passed, but judging from his senses, he was inside a constructed space inside the void, as he could not perceive anything but the strangely shaped room.

A room that was empty and now devoid of any qi, as Bai Qi had absorbed all of it, using it to fuel his awakening soul.

Not worried because of the location, as it had to be related to the [Void Palace] anyway, Bai Qi decided to spend this time examining his body.

Using [Inner View], Bai Qi confirmed the state of both his body and cultivation. The former had been healed while he was unconscious, and Bai Qi only felt a few traces of wounds, neither of which would affect him in any way. As for the latter, his circulation system wasn't damaged either, but something felt off.

Several minutes of introspection had been required for Bai Qi to pinpoint the reason for the strange feeling, and as he did, even his willpower, one that had managed to overcome even a shattered soul, was not enough to stop him from screaming out in surprise.

"How is it even possible?!"

A cultivator's body had twelve main meridians, divided into the Yin and Yang. The three pairs of the arm and the three pairs of the leg. Responsible for the qi in one's body and the five organs of life, no cultivation was possible without having unlocked, attuned, and cultivated them.

The eight secondary meridians, although not less important for a cultivator, were not required for cultivation itself, only improving one's strength by allowing a bigger and purer quality qi to circulate one's body.

Thankfully, neither they nor his dantian was damaged, so Bai Qi's cultivation remained stable. So what was the reason for his shout of surprise?

The reason was as surprising as it was alarming. After all, Bai Qi had never seen something like that. And in truth, he doubted that anyone did.

***

Bai Qi's questioning was logical indeed, as hidden, only revealed after he circulated qi, twelve more meridians, as if shadows of the natural ones, were now part of his circulation system.

Existing and at the same time not, almost as a mirage, it took Bai Qi several minutes to calm down and begin an attempt to understand them.

His findings were that they existed as a precise duplicate of his circulation system along their respective pathways and connections. The copy was absolutely accurate, with every single increase, breakage, repair, attunement, reinforcement, and change that Bai Qi's circulation had suffered reflected.

But a simple mirage, even one that he could not explain and one inside his own body, would not have alarmed Bai Qi so much. What had merited his reaction was the several new pathways, growing from each of his own meridians and being mirrored by the strange copy, connected and intersected with each other. Thus, Bai Qi's body counted with not one but two circulation systems, one of which wasn't even physical, but something akin to a spiritual reflection, almost like a cultivator's dantian.

Making a few circles along with his circulation system, Bai Qi followed the qi and found out that while the two systems did connect, his qi did not flow into the mirage, and the one inside the mirage did not flow into his. Still, the mirage one also circulated qi, in the same way as Bai Qi did.

"It does not feel slower, but the qi is somehow thicker..?" Not being able to find an answer to this, Bai Qi concentrated on feeling his qi.

Deciding to wait with the internal issues, Bai Qi moved on to an external check.

***

The room, now without any active formations, was absolutely dark.

Thankfully, both Bai Qi's Void Ring remained on him, and so, he summoned a [Sun Orb], lighting the entire room.

It was a strange room indeed, with half of it narrow enough to touch opposite walls with one's extended arms, while the area around the throne was a few hundred feet from wall to wall.

Attracted by the white, chair-like throne, Bai Qi earnestly examined it, concluding that the memories that surfaced and helped him rebuild his soul had done so with external help.

But again, the newly raised questions would have to remain unanswered, so Bai Qi had nothing else to do but to store them in his mind for now and concentrate on what he could do. Which, in this case, meant examining his body.

His clothes had been torn to shreds along with his flesh over the battle. But, it appeared that somebody took the trouble of dressing him, as Bai Qi did not recognize the luxurious, crimson silk robe, coupled with similar pants and even martial shoes, all adorned with a golden dragon pattern he had on at the moment.

Not that he cared about the matter, simply noting the fact and proceeding to disrobe. His inner view had already informed him that his wounds had been healed, so Bai Qi only wanted to confirm that the secondary circulation system mirage had no outward companion. Even so, as his gaze landed on his chest, he once again let out an alarmed shout.

In the center of his chest, just a few inches from where his heart was located, Bai Qi saw a black scale.

Touching it made him feel the cold of metal, and as he tapped on it, the sound was metallic as well.

Tearing at it gave no result, only making Bai Qi wince in pain and that with his outrageous tolerance to pain!

Shouting also filled the enormous and elaborate gallery, from where all of the void corridors that interconnected the entire [Void Palace] could be accessed. Although, it was neither of surprise nor came from a single person.

If Bai Qi had been present, he would face no trouble recognizing every actor in this shouting match, even though some presences would surprise him. After all, he could not have expected Grandmaster Li from [Shuomen City] here in the [Ice Phoenix Ravine] not only to be present but also to argue with the members of the Palace. But the old formation Grandmaster with the formation-created youthful face was here and arguing.

He wasn't the only one either, as standing to the sides, behind, and even before him, all of Bai Qi's companions were present.

Ye Su and Fan Jia, the two bandit women from the desert that turned followers. The former with the goal of finding a better life, the latter with objectives yet unknown.

Ma Su, a vice-leader of the [Sha Zhu Company], a slaver, an evildoer, a Warrior King, a temporary servant, and the one that accomplished her task of notifying the nearby [Yan Yu City], and returned along with the so awaited reinforcements.

Heise Zhao and Zhua, beastmen from the [Death Hunter] lineage, companions and friends, both traveling with Bai Qi of their own will.

Bai Ze and Bai Rui, the [Mist Cat] turned [White Tiger] beast girls. Their current relationship was one of friendship, but it had gone far above that level. Before, currently, and even maybe in the future, Bai Qi would never be able to define just what the two meant to him.

Gi La, a brown-scaled lizard woman, a beast woman that neither was close nor had to follow Bai Qi. Still, because of her connection to the others, especially to Kass Shaa'r, she now, and before, stood on Bai Qi's side.

Kass Shaa'r... A beastman, the first about to learn of Bai Qi's true identity and who had followed Bai Qi since the previous, [Seven Islands], plane. Among all of Bai Qi's friends, companions, allies, and followers, the only one who would never doubt any of Bai Qi's decisions.

But his nine companions were not the only ones to stand around Grandmaster Li, engrossed in an angry exchange against the people of the [Void Palace], led by no one other than the Vice-head of the latter, Tao Xuegang.

Another three people stood along, although the identity of two of them would be unexpected for Bai Qi. And probably they would be shocking for anyone who would happen to observe the current stand-off. After all, two of them were members of the same power as the opposing party!

Chun Hua, a member of the Palace, but at the moment dressed in a simple pink dress and not the black colors of the [Void Palace]. One of the few true friends of Bai Qi, and not a human, even if she appeared as one, thoroughly.

He Delan, a renowned cultivator, a genius of the previous generation, a current elder of the [Void Palace]. There should be no reason for her to support anyone else than her power. But, at the moment, she stood opposing Tao Xuegang, her own master, and from the reddened face and angry gestures, it seemed that she was anything but showing her support for the [Void Palace].

And someone whose presence would be an absolute shock for Bai Qi, as the shaved, dark-skinned young man with closed eyes wasn't supposed to be anywhere close to the [Void Palace]. Indeed, just what could Yuan Taotu forget here, on the opposite side of the region?

But what could be the reason for such a stand-off? In the middle of the gallery that served as the hub for the entire ravine and Palace's grounds?

The answer could be gleaned from the shouts exchanged between the parties, but that wasn't required to understand. After all, there could be only one reason for all this, and it could only be related to Bai Qi...