Chapter 675

At that moment, Lei Ying's eyes slightly narrowed as he said, "The Void Devouring Flame is under the Soul Sovereign's command in their Demon Fire Space, and your son-in-law Xiao Yan possesses a flame similar to the Void Devouring Flame. According to the final intelligence from Yao Chen, Hun Xu Zi once said the Void Devouring Flame can bestow a special offspring flame."

"So the flame Xiao Yan possesses is the offspring flame of the Void Devouring Flame—what is his relationship with the Soul Sovereign?"

Xiao Yan's affairs could never be concealed; once the Void Devouring Flame's involvement became public, anyone paying close attention would notice Xiao Yan's many irregularities.

So when Xiao Yan was in the Yao Realm, he never bothered fabricating excuses—he couldn't explain it clearly anyway, and with his current strength, he had no need to explain at all. Who would dare attack him!

Hearing this, Gu Yuan sighed and revealed everything he knew.

After listening, Lei Ying and Yan Jin's eyes widened in shock. Yan Jin said grimly, "Does this mean the Soul Sovereign has now gathered all five Ancient Jades—leaving only our three clans' remaining?!"

Originally, Lei Clan and Yan Clan had wondered why the Yan Alliance showed no intention to interfere in the affairs of the Dou Emperor Family, why such a massive faction as the Yan Alliance remained so passive, unconcerned that Hun Tian Di might erase the Xiao Clan after becoming Emperor.

Xiao Yan had already married the Gu Clan's daughter, yet he never allied with the Gu Clan.

The truth was, the Xiao Clan's Ancient Jade had long since fallen into the hands of the Soul Sovereign!

They are now outsiders!

"Moreover, according to what Xiao Xuan told me a thousand years ago, he saw a vision within the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade—Tuoshe Ancient Emperor once left an Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill in his cave, and that pill contained a single Source Qi." Gu Yuan now revealed everything without reservation.

The eight clans had once schemed against each other, but only a thousand years ago did Gu Yuan and Xiao Xuan form an alliance—only then did Xiao Xuan mention the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill. After the Xiao Clan was destroyed, the Gu Clan kept the secret of the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill hidden.

Gu Yuan assumed no one knew of the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill after Xiao Xuan's death—yet he never imagined! In fact, Hun Tian Di learned of it even earlier than Xiao Xuan—through the Void Devouring Flame.

"No wonder Hun Tian Di valued Xiao Yan's Pill Alchemy. I once heard the Soul Sovereign tried to recruit Yao Chen—likely to forge the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill and break through to Dou Emperor!" Lei Ying slammed his fist on the table. When the three clan leaders gathered after a thousand years and compared intelligence, they realized each had concealed far too much.

"Xiao Yan said he will not participate in the struggle for the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade—he will keep the Yan Alliance neutral. Whoever obtains the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill, if they offer a sufficient price, he will help them refine it into an Emperor Pill," Gu Yuan said.

Only now did Yan Jin and Lei Ying understand why this man had married off his daughter—he intended to preserve his bloodline. If the worst came to pass and Hun Tian Di became Emperor, the protection afforded by Xiao Yan's connection might allow the Gu Clan to survive unscathed.

Yan Jin's eyes flickered with a strange light—he knew that Huo Zhi had taken some young disciples from the clan, and he had not hidden it, claiming they were fleeing to the Yan Alliance for safety.

Now, hearing Gu Yuan's words, he realized Xiao Yan's title as the Dou Qi Continent's most talented First Alchemist truly was a sanctuary.

Even if Hun Tian Di ultimately became Emperor, he would be a Dou Emperor, not a Pill Emperor—if he needed elixirs, he would still have to turn to Xiao Yan. So as long as Xiao Yan remained the First Alchemist, he held an immortal's pardon.

"Damn, Yao Chen's disciple is truly formidable," Lei Ying stroked his chin. One of his clan's half-Sage Elders, Mang Tianchi, had old ties with Xiao Yan—he was the Dean and founder of Jia Nan Academy.

Perhaps some of our young ones could also flee there—should disaster strike, we could still preserve our bloodline.

"The Yan Alliance is no longer the Xiao Clan of a thousand years ago. Now, apart from the Soul Sovereign, only our three clans remain as Dou Emperor Families. The Soul Sovereign's next target will surely be us," Gu Yuan said, gazing at Lei Ying and Yan Jin. "We must unite tightly. With the Void Devouring Flame in their ranks, our old methods won't work—we must abandon two realms and concentrate all our disciples and combat strength together, or the Soul Sovereign will pick us off one by one."

Hearing Gu Yuan's words, Yan Jin and Lei Ying both furrowed their brows. They understood the logic of unity—the fate of the Yao Clan had already shown them that establishing Space Channels was a dead end.

The only solution was to gather all three clans into a single Little World, pooling all their resources for defense. Then, even if the Soul Sovereign possessed the Void Devouring Flame, it would be useless—since all three clans were together, devouring an entire realm would achieve nothing.

After that, we simply outlast Hun Tian Di—wait until the Soul Sovereign's Dou Di Bloodline withers and fails to produce successors. That will be our moment to strike back.

But now the problem is: which realm should we choose?

By strength alone, the most deeply rooted Gu Clan is the obvious choice—but that means Yan Clan and Lei Clan would abandon their ancestral homelands.

"I understand your meaning, Clan Leader Gu," Yan Jin sighed helplessly. "But even as Clan Leader, I cannot decide such a monumental matter—I must return and consult further."

Lei Ying nodded, indicating he too needed to return and deliberate.

Seeing their hesitation, Gu Yuan silently sighed, recalling how Xiao Yan had simply discarded the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade without a second thought.

Few could be so decisive.

Suddenly, Gu Yuan's gaze sharpened. He snapped his head upward toward the sky of the Ancient Realm, his voice turning sharp and low: "Hun Tian Di has come."

!!!!!!!!????????

His calm voice struck like thunder, making every person present—including the two clans' Elders—feel their scalps suddenly tingle.

Gu Yuan's voice, like a lightning bolt splitting the earth, froze every person in place. Instantly, Gu Yuan and the others appeared in the sky, gazing at a point of Void Space.

Woooooo!!! The entire Ancient Realm sounded its alarm at once.

Who could have imagined that less than a month after the Soul Sovereign annihilated the Yao Clan, they had come directly to the door of the strongest clan—the Gu Clan!

As the alarm blared, countless shocked gazes snapped upward toward the Void Space. The Black Smoke Army rose en masse, their Dou Qi surging out in an instant like a flood covering heaven and earth.

"Gu Clan, on alert!"

The Three Immortals of Gu Clan flashed into the sky simultaneously, their thunderous shouts rolling across heaven and earth. From the vast mountains, streams of light shot outward—every Gu Clan warrior appeared at once. The sky erupted with boundless energy, their formation so awe-inspiring it drew gasps from all who watched—this was the power of the Gu Clan?

Amidst the swirling Dou Qi, Gu Yuan hovered in midair, hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm as he stared at the Void Space—though it appeared empty, he did not shift his gaze for a moment.

"Clan Leader Gu, what's happening?"

Yan Jin and Lei Ying's faces grew grim. They moved instantly to stand beside Gu Yuan, their eyes fixed on the Void Space—but sensed nothing. Their wariness surged—this man of the Soul Sovereign, even for them, was deeply feared.

Aside from Gu Yuan, no one here had reached Imperial Soul. They couldn't even detect Hun Tian Di's presence.

"Is Hun Tian Di truly here? Do they… intend to attack the Gu Clan?" Yan Jin said grimly. Even as he spoke, he couldn't help frowning—this was the Gu Clan, not some other ancient clan. Even if the Soul Sovereign launched its full force, it would be nearly impossible to exterminate them as they had the Yao Clan.

Lei Ying and Yan Jin both thought Hun Tian Di must be mad. This was the Gu Clan's Ancient Realm—their home ground, protected by powerful arrays left by a Dou Emperor, with Gu Yuan's strength equal to Hun Tian Di's.

Are you here to commit suicide?!

Gu Yuan said nothing. His gaze remained locked on that space. As he fell silent, the once-noisy mountains plunged into absolute stillness. Faintly, one could hear the rapid pounding of countless hearts—if the Soul Sovereign truly appeared, everyone knew what scene would unfold today.

The last time the two strongest peak warriors on the Dou Qi Continent clashed was a thousand years ago in the Heavenly Tomb.

That confrontation would dwarf the battle against the Yao Clan by far.

The silent heavens lasted roughly several minutes, yet no one dared relax. Every gaze remained fixed on that space. As this silent stare stretched on for several more minutes, the Void Space suddenly rippled. At the same moment, a soft laugh drifted out.

"Heh, Gu Yuan, after so many years, your perception remains as sharp as ever."

The moment this voice appeared, every Gu Clan warrior instinctively bent slightly, their Dou Qi surging like a flood—any slightest movement would trigger a deluge of attacks!

The space rippled, forming a slow-spinning vortex. From within, a slender hand reached out, pressing against the vortex's top. A figure stepped forward, slowly emerging into full view.

The figure stepped from the vortex wearing gray-white robes, appearing around thirty years old, with a handsome face and unusually bright eyes that seemed to pierce straight into the soul. His first impression was one of refined elegance—had he held a scroll in hand, he would have looked no different from a scholar.

Yet this man, who appeared as gentle and frail as a scholar, caused Lei Ying and Yan Jin's faces to darken with extreme gravity. Even Gu Yuan's gaze locked onto him.

Hun Tian Di—the one most likely to become a Dou Emperor!

Seeing this, many young Gu Clan disciples were stunned, unable to reconcile this gentle, refined man with the most sinister and eerie faction on the Dou Qi Continent.

After his appearance, several more figures emerged from the vortex behind him. The foremost was wreathed in Black Flame—his true form, the Void Devouring Flame. Behind him, the Soul Sovereign's Four Demon Saints all followed. This formation, across the entire Dou Qi Continent, could not be matched by any second group.

As these figures appeared, every Gu Clan Elder tensed. Defensive light shields rose from the mountains, instantly weaving dazzling, interlacing patterns of light.

"Hehe, today's Gu Clan is indeed bustling. Gu Yuan, Lei Ying, Yan Jin—since Xiao Xuan's death, the four of us haven't gathered together, have we?" Above the sky, the white-robed man smiled faintly, his voice soft, as he regarded the countless defensive barriers rising below.

"Hun Tian Di, this is not a place for you." Gu Yuan fixed his gaze on the white-robed man and spoke slowly.

"In this world, there is no place I should not go." Hun Tian Di smiled; between the two, it was as if they were exchanging casual household words, utterly ordinary.

"Hun Tian Di, was it your Soul Sovereign who caused the disappearance of the Spirit, Stone, and Medic tribes?" Lei Ying demanded sharply, though he was already certain—he still wished to ask outright.

"Some answers need only be known in the heart; stating them plainly would be impolite." Hun Tian Di offered a gentle smile, speaking with casual indifference.

His eyes slowly swept across the ground below; all whom his gaze touched could not suppress a chill surging from the depths of their Spiritual Souls. Though his gaze appeared calm, beneath it surged a cold, emotionless void—as if, in his eyes, all things under heaven and earth were but weeds.

"So it was indeed you!"

Upon hearing Hun Tian Di's reply, Lei Ying and Yan Jin's expressions instantly darkened.

"Void Swallowing Flame." Gu Yuan's gaze suddenly turned to the figure shrouded in Black Flame behind Hun Tian Di, speaking softly: "Had I known this, I should have eliminated you back then."

"Hehe, Gu Yuan, you overrate yourself. You defeated me back then, true—but to utterly destroy me, you lacked the power!" At Gu Yuan's words, the figure's entire body erupted in surging Black Flame as he let out a Gu Guai Xiao: "And I owe you thanks—had I not spent these thousand years in seclusion, I might never have reached Nine Star Dou Sheng!"

As Void Swallowing Flame spoke, nearly everyone present—except Gu Yuan—paled. Nine Star Dou Sheng? That was the pinnacle of this world. If so, did the Soul Sovereign now possess two Nine Star Dou Sheng?

"He truly is Nine Star Dou Sheng."

Lei Ying and Yan Jin exchanged glances; both were Eight Star Dou Sheng Late Stage. Though the gap between Eight Star Dou Sheng Late Stage and Nine Star was but one step, they had failed to break through for centuries.

The reason was simple: the Dou Qi Continent was no longer what it once was. After reaching High-Level Dou Sheng, resources for breakthrough became nearly impossible to find across the entire continent.

Without even a Golden Pill, what could they use to enhance their strength? And the lineages had long been severed—no Dou Emperor Ruins, no legacies remained at all.