Chapter 688: The Disappearance of the Old Dragon Emperor (12,000 Characters)

With a whoosh, Xiao Yan's Ancient Phoenix Wings flared violently, shattering the space lock around him and stabilizing his body.

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, a grave expression crossing his face—he had been right not to recklessly challenge Hun Tian Di; every supreme expert who had reached the peak of the Dou Qi Continent was a prodigy, a monster, having cultivated to the absolute limit of their potential.

You know, if this were in ancient times, Soul Heavenly Emperor and the middle-aged man before them would have been Battle Emperors; it's just that now there's no source qi limiting them, so calling them half-step Battle Emperors wouldn't be an exaggeration at all.

The middle-aged man before him hadn't even used Dou Qi yet, and had nearly captured him.

Xiao Yan looked down at his right hand, three deep wounds gashed into the back of his palm, bones visible.

Xiao Yan possessed Three Thousand Yan Flame, Yin-Yang Twin Flames, and the Flame of Life, yet a peculiar spatial force within the wounds blocked the Heavenly Flames from healing them.

"Nine-Star Dou Sheng Peak, Imperial Realm Body," Xiao Yan's expression grew grim—he had seen many with Imperial Soul Force, three right here, but an Imperial Realm Body? He had never heard of such a thing.

Even in ancient times, only specialized body cultivators, like the Stone Clan at their peak, achieved an Imperial Realm Body, focusing intensely on physical cultivation.

Naturally, there were also the Magical Beast Families, but in recent tens of thousands of years, they had fallen far behind the Dou Emperor Families, and no one had ever been recorded achieving an Imperial Realm Body.

The middle-aged man exhaled sharply, extinguishing the golden lightning arcs on his palm, then looked up at Xiao Yan, his eyes brimming with intense killing intent.

Originally, Xiao Yan's Imperial Soul Force had been beyond his detection, but just now, when Xiao Yan activated the Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor, he sensed the scent of his child within the armor.

That bloodline power was inherited from his lineage—his bloodline now held only himself and his child; there could be no other!

And Xiao Yan was unmistakably human—there was only one possible explanation: he had swallowed and refined his child's bloodline power!

Perhaps his child had even fallen victim to this man's hands! The thought sent the mysterious middle-aged man's murderous rage surging to its peak.

Sensing the overwhelming killing intent from the mysterious middle-aged man, Xiao Yan unleashed his Dou Qi and Soul Power without restraint, activating the Demon Slasher Soul Technique—he had no desire to compete for the Imperial Embryonic Pill, but sometimes, one had no choice.

Yet Xiao Yan did not notice that the Imperial Embryonic Pill itself was slightly surprised by the middle-aged man's attack—clearly, the two were not allies.

With a hum, space twisted, and a white-robed figure appeared before Xiao Yan—it was Hun Tian Di!

Hun Tian Di stood with his back to Xiao Yan, shielding him from the mysterious middle-aged man.

The world has gone mad!! Hun Tian Di is protecting Xiao Yan!

Without Hun Tian Di blocking the Imperial Embryonic Pill, Void Swallowing Flame and the four Elders and Four Demon Saints of the Soul Clan could not hold their ground—they retreated with the Gate of Death to the Heavenly Flame Square, watching silently.

Surprisingly, the Imperial Embryonic Pill did not press its advantage, nor did it approach the mysterious middle-aged man—instead, the three formed a triangular standoff, each holding a corner, none daring to ally or strike.

"Has Xiao Yan done something to offend you?" Seeing this, Hun Tian Di's expression darkened as he spoke.

Logically, Xiao Yan was not the strongest here, had not attacked anyone—why would he draw such an attack? And the hatred in the man's eyes was directed solely at Xiao Yan!

"Hmph! My target is only him. If you interfere, I'll deal with you!" The middle-aged man snorted, his voice laced with fury.

Hearing this, Hun Tian Di's gaze sharpened, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. Though the man's strength rivaled his own, for Hun Tian Di to fear him? That would be laughable.

His Soul Sovereign had spent millennia preparing, possessed four Gates of Death, and harbored a hidden trump card even more devastating than the Death Realm Array—there was no need to fear this middle-aged man.

"Hmph! Form the Array!" Hun Tian Di snorted, no longer wasting words. Xiao Yan was an essential component of the Imperial Pill Plan; now that the Imperial Embryonic Pill lay before him, how could he allow Xiao Yan to be captured—or killed?

Void Swallowing Flame nodded, then waved his hand—a black flame corridor opened in midair, and endless Soul Clan disciples surged forth from the black flames, instantly forming an array identical to the one they had used against the Gu Clan in the Ancient Realm.

Hun Tian Di's strength lay not only in himself, but in the vast Soul Clan willing to die for him—that was the true foundation of his domination over the Dou Qi Continent.

Hun Tian Di's strength lies not only in himself, but in the vast Soul Sovereign clan behind him, willing to sacrifice for him! This is the true foundation of his domination over the Dou Qi Continent.

The mysterious middle-aged man, seeing the countless Soul Clan disciples, showed no retreat—he let out a cold snort, raised his head, and a deafening roar shook heaven and earth, solidifying into sonic waves that surged outward violently.

The terrifying sonic attack was nearly as potent as Huangquan Heavenly Rage!

"No one can stop me, boy—give me your life!"

The mysterious middle-aged man had no intention of letting Xiao Yan go—he flickered through space, appearing above Xiao Yan's head, and lunged with a palm aimed straight for his skull.

Sensing the danger, Xiao Yan, with his Imperial Soul Force, flared his Ancient Phoenix Wings and shot backward at blinding speed.

Xiao Yan, possessing Soul Emperor Realm Soul Force, sensed danger—his Ancient Phoenix Wings flared violently as he shot backward at breakneck speed!

The middle-aged man's Void Manipulation surpassed even Hun Tian Di's—he sensed the man appearing behind him, Hun Tian Di snapped his hand, and a massive black seal rapidly coalesced, then slammed upward with crushing force.

Even Gu Yuan had only resisted this black seal by relying on the Gu Clan's ancestral array.

Sensing the terrifying power of Hun Tian Di's strike, the middle-aged man did not underestimate—he narrowed his eyes, a flash of purple light surged over his body, his golden irises transforming into dragonlike pupils, and his fist, condensed with Dou Qi, smashed into the black seal.

"Huh? How does he possess the bloodline power of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Imperial Clan?!" Xiao Yan's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared upward—this aura was nearly identical to Zi Yan's!

Before Xiao Yan could speak, the two attacks collided.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!! The black seal exploded instantly, a terrifying black storm sweeping across the entire Heavenly Flame Square. A purple figure was flung backward—the mysterious middle-aged man had an Imperial Realm Body, but Hun Tian Di's Soul Force was equally Imperial, and he was backed by the massive Soul Clan array—how could he possibly withstand Hun Tian Di's assault?

"Soul Sovereign? So that's why you could gather the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade," the middle-aged man said grimly, wiping blood from his lips.

Though he had been trapped in the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave Mansion for millennia and knew nothing of the Soul Sovereign's annihilation of the Xiao Clan, he still knew the Soul Sovereign was a Dou Emperor Family—one of the strongest on the Dou Qi Continent.

Behind him, Xiao Yan frowned, a dawning realization forming in his mind.

"Could it be… those blood samples Zi Yan gave me caused this misunderstanding? Zi Yan was abandoned in the forest outside Jia Nan Academy… Could this man be Zi Yan's father—the Old Dragon Emperor, Zhu Kun?!"

Xiao Yan sucked in a sharp breath, his face filled with disbelief. No wonder the Old Dragon Emperor of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan had vanished mysteriously, and Zi Yan had been abandoned in the forest—Zhu Kun had discovered the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave Mansion, sneaked in to steal something, and gotten trapped, unable to escape!!

Xiao Yan sucked in a sharp breath, his face filled with disbelief. No wonder the Old Dragon Emperor of the Grand Void Ancient Dragon clan vanished without reason, and Zi Yan was inexplicably abandoned in the forest—it was because the Old Dragon Emperor had discovered the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave Mansion, planned to sneak in and steal, but got trapped and couldn't get out!!

Xiao Yan was very well aware of some of the Grand Void Ancient Dragon clan's "quirks"!

At that moment, the Imperial Embryonic Pill sneered, seizing the opportunity to unleash a Dou Technique—both palms pressed downward, and instantly, the heavens and earth plunged into darkness, save for a glowing orb in its palms, radiating destruction. The orb writhed, then hurtled downward, arriving above Hun Tian Di's head in less than half a breath.

Hun Tian Di's heart sank—the Imperial Embryonic Pill's strength far surpassed that of the mysterious middle-aged man!

Facing such a terrifying attack, even Hun Tian Di, backed by the vast Soul Clan, sensed overwhelming danger—his hands moved like lightning, forming seals as boundless Soul Power surged, rapidly constructing his strongest defense.

Facing such terrifying attacks, even Hun Tian Di, backed by the vast Soul Sovereign clan, felt a heavy sense of danger—his hand seals flashed like lightning, boundless Soul Power surged forth, rapidly forming his strongest defense!

With a hum, the endless Soul Clan disciples behind him spat blood, pouring their Blood Sacrifice power into the array. Hun Tian Di summoned forth a colossal Soul Blood Sea—this time, even larger than the one he had used against Xiao Xuan.

The Soul Blood Sea instantly transformed into a celestial waterfall, like a guillotine, severing the entire space in half.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!! The Imperial Embryonic Pill's attack, like a displaced dimension, could not reach Hun Tian Di's side.

"Heh. You think this power can refine me?" The Imperial Embryonic Pill sneered coldly, lacking the supreme arrogance of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor.

"Imperial Pill Heaven!" The Imperial Embryonic Pill roared, and a wisp of elixir light burst from his body—like opening a world, an infinite ring of light expanded behind his head.

Everyone saw a colossal mountain behind the Imperial Embryonic Pill—but upon closer look, it was revealed to be the shadow of an absurdly gigantic pill.

At this moment, everyone saw that the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill was supported by a massive mountain, but upon closer inspection, they realized it was actually the shadow of an absurdly enormous Elixir!

The massive elixir was black as iron, immensely heavy, this thing like a colossal mountain seemed to suppress endless gods and demons, extraordinarily heavy, capable of splitting the sky and shattering the earth; each wisp of elixir qi had become immensely powerful.

A colossal mountain instantly roared in from another world, this terrifying black shadow stretching tens of thousands of zhang, blotting out the sun and sky.

Boom—the heavens and earth seemed to collapse at this very moment; indescribable waves of destruction raged wildly, and even the combined defense of the Soul Sovereign's disciples and Hun Tian Di could not hold; before the mountain even made contact, cracks had already appeared, countless black fissures opening up.

From the space tears suffused with Black Flame came countless piercing screams; clearly, many Soul Sovereign disciples could not withstand the backlash and exploded into pieces, suffering considerable losses.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan's expression changed drastically—this Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill's full assault was terrifying indeed.

Xiao Yan unleashed his utmost speed and shot backward, distancing himself from the center to avoid being caught in the blast.

"I, Hun Tian Di, have planned for a thousand years—waiting for this day! Blood Sacrifice! Unleash the Death Realm!!" Hun Tian Di roared, a soul force capable of suppressing all heavens surging from his body.

"Four Directions Annihilation, Death Realm!" Four Soul Sovereign Star Eight Dou Sheng slammed their fists into their own hearts—puff! Each spat out a mouthful of essence blood.

Not just these four—Hun Feng, Hun Mie Sheng, Hun Xu Zi, the Four Demon Saints, and over a hundred other Soul Sovereign Dou Sheng all performed Blood Sacrifice; streams of fresh blood were all absorbed by the Gate of Death.

Hum! —after receiving the Blood Sacrifice, the Gate of Death immediately activated; four black gates stood at the four corners of the Sky, deathly energy gushing forth, engulfing this entire realm; under the corruption of this deathly energy, even the colossal shadow of the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill was affected—even the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill itself sensed its own vitality slowly draining away!

The four Gates of Death formed a massive array, completely trapping the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill inside; every direction was sealed shut, the Gates of Death like a colossal box, ready to seal and directly refine the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill!

The Death Realm formed by the four Gates of Death was a famed annihilating array even in ancient times; the Death Realm of the Gates of Death was a destruction array created by a Dou Emperor, its power immensely formidable!

Hun Tian Di did not merely intend to use it against the alliance of the Gu Clan and other Dou Emperor Families—he also planned to capture the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill.

How could Hun Tian Di not know the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill would have combat power? Even if the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill had no combat power, the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave Mansion would surely have guardians!

"Four Gates of Death have formed a deathly space, and this deathly energy can block spiritual detection; once trapped, even I would find it hard to break out!" Xiao Yan perceived, saying.

Yet, facing this famed ancient array, the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill smirked and said: "You think this array alone can refine me? Your abilities still fall short."

Hum—the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill's body suddenly emitted a glow of elixir light, then opened its mouth and sucked in violently, drawing all the deathly energy pouring from the Gates of Death into its own body!

"It's insane! Doesn't it want to avoid being refined and choose suicide?!" Hun Xu Zi cried out in shock; even Hun Tian Di dared not absorb this deathly energy into his body—this was no different from suicide!

(End of Chapter)