Chapter 188

Go find the Primordial Void Ancient Dragon's location; it will undoubtedly require a large amount of manpower.

"Continuing to search for the Primordial Void Ancient Dragon's location will undoubtedly disperse a large amount of our manpower," Gu Yuan said in a low voice, his tone revealing helplessness.

In the past, for our own talent and to inherit Item: Strange Fire, we would definitely have gone to look for it.

But now the situation is different; after this great battle, the Three Clans' vital essence is heavily wounded.

The Soul Clan was still eyeing them tiger‑like, looking for an opportunity to attack.

If they spent a lot of manpower searching for the Grand Void Ancient Dragon's location, it would undoubtedly give the Soul Clan an opening.

Summoning the progenitors isn't as simple as just pouring energy in; it also requires the energy of remnant souls to support it.

Like the Flame Clan's progenitor, he was killed by Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing and Ziyan, his remnant soul has already dissipated, and there's no way to continue summoning him.

As for the progenitors of the Ancient Clan and the Thunder Clan, although they weren't killed, the soul origins of both have been nearly exhausted in that battle.

The clan does have a method to restore the soul origin, but the required materials are extremely hard to find, and what little we have in storage is merely a drop in the bucket…

In other words, if the Soul Clan attacks again, those two progenitors won't be able to hold out for long.

Since it concerns the survival of the clan, the three clan leaders must carefully consider this matter.

Gu Yuan hates Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing to the point of gnashing his teeth; he wishes to tear him apart into ten thousand pieces.

In the end, the three clan leaders still didn't choose to send out too many experts to search; they only dispatched two advanced half‑sage Dou Saints to the Beast Realm for reconnaissance, and required them to report immediately upon finding any clue.

The survival of the clan is paramount; they must prioritize the bigger picture.

With the Soul Clan eyeing them tiger‑like, maintaining the clan's stability and safety is the top priority.

However, not searching doesn't mean not caring. Gu Yuan let loose harsh words in the Beast Realm, showing his anger and resolve toward Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing. He clearly stated that if Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing could return the hostages, they would let bygones be bygones; otherwise, even if it meant the clan's annihilation, he would drag the Grand Void Ancient Dragon clan down with him.

Those words are undoubtedly a warning to Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing.

Upon hearing that the three clans had not searched for the Grand Void Ancient Dragon, although he had expected it, the Soul Heavenly Emperor still felt a bit disappointed.

He even went so far as to tell Gu Yuan to feel at ease searching for the Grand Void Ancient Dragon, saying that during this period the Soul Clan would absolutely not make a move against the Ancient Clan.

As for the Soul Heavenly Emperor's words, Gu Yuan simply wouldn't believe them; he became even more wary, thinking it was a ploy by the Soul Heavenly Emperor and Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing to lure him away—a "feint to strike elsewhere".

The Soul Heavenly Emperor probably figured he couldn't see them fight to mutual destruction, so he had to think of another plan.

The Soul Heavenly Emperor summoned the Soul Clan elders and urged them to speed up preparations for constructing the Gate of Still Death.

The Gate of Still Death is a major weapon of the Soul Clan; once completed, it can trap enemies inside, preventing them from escaping.

The Soul Clan elders said they still need several years to finish constructing the Gate of Still Death.

The Soul Heavenly Emperor doesn't mind; he's already waited a thousand years, so what's a bit more time?

He waved them off to prepare, while he himself was thinking about how to lure the Ancient, Flame, and Thunder clans out.

As long as we draw out the experts of the three clans and trap them with the Gate of Still Death, the Soul Clan will surely be able to wipe them out.

……

Two years passed quietly.

During this time, the entire Dou Qi continent seemed to be immersed in a rare tranquility, and the major Dou Emperor clans tacitly maintained surface peace, with no further conflicts.

The calm before the storm. Dragon Island, inside Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing's cultivation chamber.

Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing sat cross‑legged, focusing on refining the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame.

Over a year ago, he had successfully refined the Eight Wastes Annihilation Flame and the Crimson Lotus Hellfire, successfully breaking through to the late stage of the Eight‑Star Dou Saint.

The violent energy of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame was gradually being tamed by him; as its energy was progressively refined, his aura grew ever stronger and his Dou Qi began to surge.

With each breath, one could feel the surging Dou Qi within him, as if it could break free at any moment and reach a new realm.

Finally, after a violent energy fluctuation, his aura peaked at this moment, successfully breaking from late Eight‑Star Dou Saint to early Nine‑Star Dou Saint! The breakthrough's fluctuation was intense, causing the whole Dragon Island to tremble slightly.

The energy of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame hasn't been exhausted yet; Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing frantically devoured the Dou Qi around him, hoping to use this opportunity to break straight through to the middle stage of Nine‑Star Dou Saint.

A Nine‑Star Dou Saint devouring Dou Qi with all his might formed a massive Dou Qi vortex outside the cultivation chamber, like a tornado sweeping up the surrounding heavenly and earthly energy.

As the huge vortex appeared outside Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing's cultivation chamber, the entire Dragon Island trembled.

Ziyan, Cai Lin, Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yue and others rushed over, their eyes fixed on the constantly spinning Dou Qi vortex, their hearts filled with worry and anticipation.

"Mom, Dad will be okay, right?" Jiang Yue said, her face full of worry.

Cai Lin stroked her head and gently comforted: "Mm, this should be the critical moment of your father's breakthrough; he will surely succeed…"

Although she said that, her other hand was tightly clutching the hem of her clothes.

She was comforting both Jiang Yue and herself.

……

Inside the cultivation chamber.

Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing's visage, twisted from devouring Dou Qi with all his might, had his eyes fixed ahead, as if he wanted to swallow the entire space.

The Dou Qi within him surged like an untamed wild horse, recklessly galloping, continually striking the barrier to the middle stage of Nine‑Star Dou Saint, yet always falling short by a hair's breadth.

"Just a little more, suck it in!" Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing roared inwardly; he could feel that he was very close to breaking through, but that barrier was as immovable as a bronze wall and iron wall.

"Give me a breakthrough!" He again intensified his devouring of Dou Qi, trying to use the remaining energy of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame to smash through the barrier in one go.

At a certain moment, the breath he had been holding finally escaped.

Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing finally collapsed powerlessly onto the floor, gasping heavily, his face full of exhaustion and unwillingness.

The energy of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame has been completely refined by him, yet unfortunately he still failed to break through to the middle stage of Nine‑Star Dou Saint.

Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing's eyes flickered with complex light in the dim cultivation chamber as he muttered, "Just a little more…"

"If only I had another Strange Fire to refine…"

In his mind flashed the Fallen Heart Flame beneath the Canaan Academy, but he immediately shook his head; the energy of that nascent Strange Fire was clearly insufficient to support this breakthrough.

However, just as he was about to give up on that thought, a sudden idea struck him and his eyes lit up.

"No… I think I still have a Strange Fire I haven't refined!" Character: Character: Character: Jiang Xing's eyes suddenly blazed, and he slapped his forehead.

The Nine Dragons Thunder Gang Fire obtained from the Flame Valley!

(End of Chapter)