Chapter 208: Xiao Xuan

"Hun Tian Di, all seven clans can see through your and the Soul Sovereign's wolfish ambitions. Today, your smooth talk is merely an attempt to steal the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade. And did you come here not to stop my advancement? Why waste words on empty flattery?" Xiao Xuan showed no concealment of his hatred toward Hun Tian Di and the Soul Sovereign.

Seeing his intentions exposed, Hun Tian Di did not anger; he merely smiled and said, "Of the nine-star Dou Sheng, only five of us stand at the peak. We are all but one step from becoming Dou Di. And among us five, Xiao Xuan, you possess the highest talent and the greatest chance to ascend to Dou Di. Today, my Soul Sovereign shall utterly exterminate your Xiao Clan."

"The Dou Di can only be me!"

As he spoke, a thunderous crash echoed from beyond the Heavenly Tomb, shaking the ground violently—clearly, battle had erupted at the outer perimeter.

"The Gu Clan has been held back! Now, follow my order: annihilate the Xiao Clan!"

Behind Hun Tian Di, hundreds of figures scattered outward, encircling Xiao Xuan alongside him, preparing to strike him down together and seize the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade.

Xiao Yan watched this brutal scene with a grim expression.

This battle could no longer be called merely brutal—it was tragic, cruel.

This sight made Xiao Yan fully understand what "the strong rule" truly meant on the Dou Qi Continent.

In this scene, some fought to become Dou Di, others to protect their clans—how many mighty warriors died here? It was like a colossal meat grinder, where Heavenly Rank Dou Techniques shattered heaven and earth, and countless warriors were crushed beneath waves of Dou Qi.

Especially Xiao Xuan and Hun Tian Di, whose power clashed so fiercely that heaven cracked and earth split, blood staining the heavens.

Xiao Yan was merely an observer, standing on the ground, watching these only as past images—he could not truly feel this scene, yet he still saw the battle rage until heaven shattered and the sun and moon lost their light.

Their strengths were evenly matched, locked in a stalemate.

"Heavenly Flame Three Mystical Changes!!" Xiao Xuan roared, his body erupting in three flames at once.

Xiao Yan frowned, staring at the three flames—he could confirm one was the Yin-Yang Life and Death Flame, its black and white mingled; the other two must also be Infernal Flames.

"Preserved these memory images using Infernal Flames… and stored them away…"

Xiao Yan turned his gaze to the other two flames—one purple, the other crimson.

"The crimson Infernal Flame… not Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Flame—Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Flame's color is rooted in the spirits of myriad beasts, not necessarily red. It must be Hu Shan Shi Yan or Red Lotus Karma Flame."

"The purple is strange—Three Thousand Yan Flame is purple-black, not pure purple. Could it be an Infernal Flame without fixed color?"

At this moment, in the image, Xiao Xuan unleashed the Heavenly Flame Three Mystical Changes—Hun Tian Di's expression turned grave.

Instantly, Hun Tian Di activated a Secret Technique—blood seas surged skyward, filling the heavens; his eyes' crimson deepened drastically, and he stomped forward with force.

BOOM—a deafening crash shook the entire world as he stepped; the boundless blood sea churned wildly, transforming into a wave tens of thousands of zhang tall, crashing toward Xiao Xuan.

Beneath the towering tens-of-thousands-zhang blood wave, Xiao Xuan's figure shrank to the size of an ant.

Xiao Xuan raised his hand and punched out a fire phoenix, which let out a long cry before charging into the ten-thousand-zhang blood wave.

The blood wave and fire phoenix collided—the heavens seemed to fall silent for an instant, then trembled violently; the blood wave shattered into crimson rain, recoiling back.

Xiao Yan turned his head to the other battlefield—the Soul Sovereign versus Xiao Clan—was utterly one-sided. From Xiao Xuan's words, Xiao Yan knew the Xiao Clan had reached its end; their Dou Di Bloodline had long dried up, leaving them no choice but to fight to the death.

Naturally, they could not defeat the Soul Sovereign.

With both numbers and strength inferior, the Xiao Clan fell back step by step, suffering heavy casualties.

As the Xiao Clan retreated, more Soul Sovereign warriors disregarded their lives to ambush Xiao Xuan; though he had held the upper hand, wounds now appeared constantly across his body.

Facing the Soul Sovereign warriors' relentless, suicidal assaults, Xiao Xuan's forehead revealed a strange pattern.

Instantly, boundless flames erupted, as if ready to burn the entire world—finally coalescing into a rolling Sea of Fire, sweeping toward the Soul Sovereign army.

Using the power of the Three Infernal Flames, Xiao Xuan temporarily halted the Soul Sovereign army.

"Clan Leader, quickly activate the advancement ritual—no more delays! If we wait longer, we'll be wiped out!" The Senior Elder's face was grim.

Xiao Xuan hesitated, gazing at the Xiao Clan warriors locked in fierce combat within the Soul Sovereign ranks, then shook his head. "I'll lead you away. We'll discuss advancement later."

"Clan Leader, the advancement array is already prepared—how can we reconsider? The Soul Sovereign's massive assault has already crippled our clan. If we don't fight for this chance now, how can we honor those who died?"

Xiao Kong wiped blood from his face, urgently pleading.

Xiao Xuan scanned the surrounding battlefield—his family disciples drenched in blood—and a single tear of blood slid down his cheek.

"Clan Leader, don't care for us—for the future of the Xiao Clan, ascend to Dou Di!"

"Ascend to Dou Di!"

Xiao Xuan slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his gaze held no hesitation.

"Secret Technique—activate!" An arcane incantation was cast.

As the Secret Technique activated, a golden light ignited simultaneously within every Xiao Clan member's body.

The golden light formed the Xiao Clan Totem—golden clan marks drifted from their bodies, floating in the gray, hazy air. Though some marks glowed brightly, others dimmed—

yet when all clan marks converged, they illuminated the entire sky!

After Bloodline Power Extraction, the Xiao Clan members' cultivation levels plummeted wildly; some could not endure the extraction and exploded outright.

All power converged into Xiao Xuan's body—a terrifying force surged forth.

"Dou Di!"

Hun Tian Di's eyes blazed crimson: "Impossible! Impossible?!"

Xiao Yan watched these images with calm expression, silently observing how his clan's former glory met its sunset.

And the outcome was exactly as Xiao Yan had foreseen—Xiao Xuan ultimately failed to break through that final barrier.

Xiao Xuan gently clenched his hand, opening a Space Channel, swept his sleeve, and sent the surviving Xiao Clan members into the channel.

"Take the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade—and go!"

Xiao Xuan stood alone before the channel, facing the overwhelming Soul Sovereign warriors and Hun Tian Di—his final battle was the end of a hero.

Xiao Xuan never once turned his back to his enemies.

"Infernal Flames—detonate!"

When his strength was utterly spent, Xiao Xuan self-detonated his Infernal Flames, killing countless Soul Sovereign warriors; finally, when the Yin-Yang Life and Death Flames exploded, the image abruptly ended.

The room once again returned to a blinding white.

After a moment of deep thought, Xiao Yan murmured, "So this… was the final strategy left behind by Xiao Xuan, the last Clan Leader of the Dou Emperor Family, the Xiao Clan?"

Xiao Yan turned around; behind him floated a ball of black-and-white flame, its outline faintly resembling a human form.

(End of Chapter)