radicalducati Chapter 497 You're celebrating too soon...
Chapter 497 You're celebrating too soon...
Chapter 497 You're celebrating too soon...
ancient world.
As the stronghold of the Ancient Clan, one of the eight ancient clans, the Ancient Realm has always been peaceful and harmonious, with abundant energy, like a paradise on earth.
However, today, an unprecedented atmosphere of solemnity and oppression enveloped the entire ancient realm.
Countless members of the ancient clans, whether disciples who were cultivating or elders who were in seclusion, stopped what they were doing at this moment.
Their gazes, filled with surprise and uncertainty, drifted towards the sky above the Ancient Sacred Mountains.
There, a figure dressed in simple white clothes, with a refined and scholarly demeanor, stood with his hands behind his back, floating calmly.
Directly opposite the figure in white, Gu Yuan also stood suspended in mid-air, coldly watching this uninvited guest.
"Soul Emperor,"
Gu Yuan's voice, like the soft tolling of an ancient bell, rang out slowly, carrying a hint of coldness, "You think you can stop me with just a soul avatar?"
He had already realized that the Soul Emperor before him was not his true form, but a projection of a clone formed from the condensation of soul power.
Although his aura was vast enough to intimidate ordinary Battle Saints, he could easily erase a clone of himself with a wave of his hand.
Upon hearing this, the Soul Emperor's soul avatar gently shook its head, its face still bearing that enigmatic and refined smile: "This soul avatar alone is naturally no match for you."
He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping leisurely around, as if admiring this ancient realm that had been passed down for countless years. His eyes held a strange scrutiny and—a hint of indescribable madness.
"but----"
The Soul Emperor's voice suddenly turned cold, his tone carrying a resolute determination as if everything were going to perish, "If you leave, I wonder—whether this ancient realm can withstand—the full force of my Soul Realm's attack?"
These words were like a thunderclap, causing the pupils of countless ancient people to contract violently, their faces filled with disbelief and horror!
"What?!"
"The Soul Realm collides with the Ancient Realm?!"
"Is he insane?!"
Even many elders who are usually as calm and composed as mountains almost couldn't help but curse out loud at this moment.
The territory of each ancient race is an independent space that its ancestors, who were the Battle Emperors, opened up and stabilized in ancient times with immense power. It is the foundation for the inheritance and reproduction of the race.
Later, through the continuous reinforcement and deployment of formations by countless generations of powerful warriors, its sturdiness became unbelievable. Unless it was broken from the inside, it would be extremely difficult to break through from the outside.
However, there is an extreme and insane way that could deal a devastating blow to it: by crashing it with the realm of another ancient race!
Both were created by Dou Di, and their defensive and counter-shock forces are extremely terrifying. If they collide, the destructive power generated at the center would be unbearable even for an eight-star Dou Sheng.
In this pure clash of space and energy, even if one wins, their own domain will inevitably suffer unimaginable damage!
Not only will it require a massive amount of resources and a long time to repair, but the ordinary people living in the realm will probably be few and far between. This is a loss that a group whose bloodline is already gradually thinning cannot afford.
Even more terrifying is that even if the realm is not ultimately destroyed, the concentration of heaven and earth energy within it, which far exceeds that of the outside world, may permanently drop, and may even become thinner than the outside world!
This is an utterly depraved act that severs our own foundation, buries the future of our community, and shows extreme disrespect for the hard work of our ancestors!
Throughout the long history of ancient races, no chieftain would have dared to entertain such a thought unless the entire tribe went mad!
"You—you're insane!"
Even with Gu Yuan's composure, his expression instantly turned extremely ugly upon hearing Soul Emperor's blatant threat, his voice filled with suppressed anger.
He never expected that the Soul Emperor would go to such lengths to hold him back and prevent him from leaving the Ancient Realm that he would disregard even the future of the Soul Realm!
"Hahaha----"
The Soul Emperor's soul clone seemed to have heard something amusing and burst into laughter.
A chilling madness lurked beneath the laughter!
His eyes gleamed with a gambler's fanaticism, his voice hoarse and impassioned: "Madness? Perhaps! If I can reach that realm, everything I've lost will be recovered a hundredfold, a thousandfold! What is a mere Soul Realm?"
"But if I fail—"
His voice suddenly turned cold, like the chill of the deepest hell, "The Soul Clan will also cease to exist. Since that's the case, what use is there in leaving an empty, doomed Soul Realm?! It's better to use it to clear obstacles on my final path to becoming Emperor!"
This undisguised and insane declaration sent chills down the spines of all the ancient tribesmen who heard it.
They finally understood that Soul Emperor had completely gambled everything to become a Dou Di.
He abandoned all principles and scruples, becoming a complete and ruthless madman!
Gu Yuan looked at the Soul Emperor's clone, who was acting like a madman, and his heart sank. An unprecedented sense of solemnity enveloped him.
He knew that the Soul Emperor was not joking; this madman was really capable of doing such a thing!
He no longer hesitated, and his vast, ocean-like soul power surged forth like a tidal wave.
Ignoring the soul clone before him, he directly pierced through the spatial barrier of the ancient realm and explored the space where the Soul Realm originally was located.
A moment later, Gu Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze dark and even showing a hint of shock!
really!
The place where the Soul Realm is located is now a chaotic void!
There was still a faint, yet incredibly familiar, aura of devouring within it—the aura of the Void Devouring Flame!
Since the Soul Emperor's true form is in the Purple Cloud Palace, the one who controls the Soul Realm and is preparing to move it to collide with the Ancient Realm must be the Void Devouring Flame!
Gu Yuan's soul power swept rapidly across the endless void surrounding the Ancient Realm, attempting to capture the aura of the Void Devouring Flame.
However, the result made him frown.
No!
There wasn't a trace of them!
The Void Devouring Flame and the Soul Realm seemed to have vanished without a trace!
Clearly, the Soul Clan had planned this all along and made extremely thorough preparations!
Void Devouring Flame was already adept at manipulating space and concealment, and now its soul has even advanced to the Emperor Realm.
If it is determined to hide in the Soul Realm, even Gu Yuan would find it extremely difficult to pinpoint its location accurately in a short period of time, given that the other party is deliberately concealing itself and the distance is unknown!
The Soul Emperor's clone watched Gu Yuan investigate with a leisurely air, without stopping him, since this clone couldn't stop him anyway.
He spoke softly, his voice like a devil's whisper, echoing in Gu Yuan's ears: "Don't waste your energy, Gu Yuan. As long as you don't leave the Ancient Realm, the Soul Realm—will not appear. But if you dare to take a single step out of the Ancient Realm, believe me, you will soon witness the spectacular sight of the Soul Realm making intimate contact with your Ancient Realm. At that time, guess how many of your Ancient Realm's descendants will be left?"
"Chieftain!"
At this moment, several whooshing sounds came, and the core high-level powerhouses of the Ancient Clan, including Black Annihilation King Gu Lie and the Three Immortals of the Ancient Clan, rushed to Gu Yuan's side. Each of them had a solemn expression and a deep aura.
Gu Yuan remained silent for a moment, his mind racing as he weighed the options.
Should we send them out to provide support?
Leaving aside whether they can arrive in time, on the Soul Clan's side, besides Void Devouring Flame, there are three eight-star Dou Sheng old ghosts who have not yet shown up. They are very likely hiding in the shadows, waiting for the ancient clan's experts to leave their nest!
Finally, Gu Yuan slowly shook his head, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness and determination: "Pass down the order: activate all defensive formations in the Ancient Realm to their highest level! All clansmen, enter a state of high alert! The Black Annihilation Army, patrol all directions, closely monitoring any abnormal spatial fluctuations!"
"yes!"
Although Gu Lie and the others were unwilling, they understood the seriousness of the matter and responded in unison, quickly going down to make arrangements.
Ancient and powerful array lights began to shine throughout the ancient realm, enveloping this inheritance space layer by layer.
The Soul Emperor's clone sensed the fierce gazes of the ancient clansmen, who wished they could devour him alive, but his face remained calm, and his heart was completely undisturbed.
His main mission as an avatar was simply to demonstrate the threat and prevent Gu Yuan from leaving the realm.
Even if Gu Yuan shattered it with a single palm strike, it would have a negligible impact on his physical body.
Gu Yuan clearly understood this as well, which is why he didn't eliminate him immediately.
And so, a strange and tense scene unfolded in the skies above the ancient realm:
The Soul Emperor's soul avatar stood with his hands behind his back, leisurely and at ease, as if he were taking a stroll in his own backyard.
Gu Yuan, on the other hand, had a gloomy expression and devoted most of his attention to sensing the traces of the Void Devouring Flame.
Beast Realm, above the Nether Serpent Vein.
Unlike the tense standoff in the ancient realm, the battle here has entered a fierce and brutal phase!
"roar--!!!"
A deafening dragon roar echoed through the sky, and the little golden dragon's thousand-foot-long body tumbled and danced in the air.
The golden dragon scales were stained with traces of black flames during the battle, but they were mostly covered with bursts of golden lightning!
It fought alone against three of the four Demon Saints of the Soul Clan: Soul Mirror, Soul Fiend, and Soul Slaughter!
All three were top-tier experts at the late stage of Seven Star Dou Sheng, and their teamwork was excellent, with unpredictable methods.
The Soul Mirror excels at creating illusions of the soul; countless illusory reflections attempt to confuse the Golden Dragon's mind.
The evil spirits surged to the sky, condensing into various ferocious demonic statues that harassed and attacked from the side.
Soul Slayer is the most ruthless. He wields a jet-black bone knife, and where the blade passes, even the space itself is corroded with black marks. He specializes in finding the weak points in the Golden Dragon's defenses to assassinate its enemies.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The deafening roar of colliding energies was incessant. Although the little golden dragon had reached the early stage of the Eight-Star Dou Sheng realm and possessed the immense power of the Nine Profound Golden Lightning, it still felt immense pressure facing the combined attack of three experienced and unpredictable late-stage Seven-Star Dou Sheng warriors.
Several wounds of varying depths have appeared on its massive body. Although they are not fatal, they have made its movements slightly sluggish.
Golden lightning clashed wildly with black flames, malevolent energy, and blade light, turning vast swathes of the sky into a death zone ravaged by rampant energy.
"That beast's lightning is so troublesome! It can actually purify my evil energy!"
Soul Fiend's face was gloomy, and his attacks were often easily thwarted by the golden lightning.
"Its soul defense is also extremely strong, and my illusion mirror has little effect!" The Soul Mirror also felt troubled.
"Don't panic! The three of us can hold out! Soul Flame will succeed soon!" Soul Slaughter shouted fiercely, his attacks becoming increasingly frenzied.
Little Golden Dragon was extremely anxious.
It could still manage to deal with these three guys.
However, the situation on the other side of the battlefield made it extremely anxious.
Not far away, Cai Lin was locked in a fierce battle!
With the powerful bloodline and innate abilities of the Nine-Colored Devouring Python, Cai Lin was not worried about dealing with Huang Tian, but with the addition of the Soul Flame of the Seven-Star Battle Saint, the battle situation immediately became dangerous!
"Nine-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python! Today is your death day!"
Huang Tian's eyes were bloodshot, and his wings flapped wildly behind him, indicating that he was fighting with his life on the line.
He knew that he couldn't hold back now, otherwise if the Soul Clan's plan failed, his Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan would also suffer.
"puff!"
A streak of black fire deftly bypassed Cai Lin's defenses, grazing her arm and leaving a charred wound. Cai Lin groaned, her face paling even more.
She had just destroyed a cluster of fiery feathers when another Soul Flame attack was already upon her!
Cai Lin knew that the reason she was able to hold out for so long was entirely because Hun Yan was determined to capture her alive.
"Give up the resistance! Come with us obediently, and you might suffer less!"
Hun Yan chuckled, and another chain of black flames wrapped around Cai Lin's ankle.
Cai Lin gritted her teeth, her beautiful eyes flashing with cold light. Her nine-colored energy swept out like a storm, breaking the chains and taking Huang Tian's claw head-on. Her delicate body was once again shaken back dozens of feet, and her aura was already somewhat unstable.
A trickle of blood oozed from the corner of her mouth, her cold and beautiful face bearing an air of stubbornness and defiance.
The resolute look in his eyes grew stronger and stronger.
She knew that if things continued like this, she probably wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.
If captured, he would become Xiao Bai's greatest weakness.
Rather than that, it would be better to————
Zixiao Palace, atop Leishan Mountain.
Through the dark flames, Little Fairy Doctor, Yun Yun, and Xiao Qing, whom they held tightly in their arms, could all clearly see the fierce battle in the Beast Realm.
When they saw Cai Lin being forced back once again by the combined attack of Hun Yan's black flames and Huang Tian, and a resolute look seemed to flash in her beautiful eyes, Xiao Yi Xian and Yun Yun's hearts clenched and their expressions changed drastically.
"Colorful Scales—" Little Fairy Doctor murmured, her eyes filled with worry.
"What—what does she want to do?"
Yunyun was extremely anxious; they both knew Cailin's personality.
That look in his eyes clearly showed that he had prepared for the worst!
"Mother—!"
Xiao Qing was already crying her eyes out, her big eyes brimming with tears that were streaming down her face.
As she watched her mother struggle and cough up blood on the screen, her small body trembled uncontrollably.
Her little hands twitched incessantly, she bit her lip, raised her tear-streaked face, and called out in a voice filled with sobs and helplessness, a mixture of expectation and sorrow: "Daddy—Daddy—save Mommy—Daddy—"
That tender, trembling cry was like the sharpest needle, piercing deeply into the hearts of Little Fairy Doctor and Yun Yun.
Their eyes instantly welled up with tears, their lips pressed tightly together, and they looked at the silent figure in front of them, their eyes filled with a complex mix of heartache and anxiety.
The Soul Emperor took in all of this, especially Xiao Qing's helpless cries of "Father," which made the smile on his face even more pronounced.
He looked at Xiao Bai, his tone leisurely, as if offering a final act of mercy: "Xiao Bai, do you see? Your daughter is crying, your woman could die at any moment—"
He leaned forward slightly, his voice laced with seduction and threat: "If you continue to resist—hehe, what if something happens to your peerless beauty, the nine-colored stunner?"—I—can hardly guarantee that!
He deliberately dragged out his words, waiting for Xiao Bai to break down and compromise under the dual pressure.
However, the instant he finished speaking, "Buzz!!!"
The image suspended in mid-air suddenly began to flicker and distort violently without warning!
It was as if it had been struck by some invisible, extremely powerful force!
"Um?!"
The smile on the Soul Emperor's face suddenly froze, his brows furrowed sharply, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
This black flame barrier is connected to his soul power; ordinary interference could not possibly cause such a violent fluctuation!
His eyes instantly sharpened, and his soul power surged forth like a tide, trying to stabilize the light barrier and investigate the source of the interference.
The next moment, his pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints, and for the first time, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face. He even exclaimed in a low voice, "This is—the impact of an Emperor-level soul?! How is this possible?!"
He suddenly turned his head, his gaze sharp as lightning, staring intently at Xiao Bai, who had remained silent the whole time!
At this moment, Xiao Bai's calm and suppressed anger had vanished, replaced by an extreme tranquility.
But beneath that calm, it seemed as if a volcano was about to erupt.
His eyes were shimmering with a purple light, faintly revealing the primordial chaos of creation and destruction, and a slowly rising aura gradually spread outwards.
Xiao Bai met the shocked gaze of the Soul Emperor, and a cold smile slowly curved his lips.
"Soul Emperor, I told you, you're celebrating too soon..."
'
"It seems you don't have enough pieces in your hand right now!"
'
Upon hearing this, the Soul Emperor's expression gradually darkened.
An extremely ominous premonition quietly crept into his heart.