Chapter 573: Crisis Finally Resolved, the Empire

Soul Energy, like a gentle stream, softly yet firmly flows into the bodies of every Divine-level Strongman present.

Each person's body seems cloaked in a faint radiance, a sign that their souls are being nourished and strengthened.

Li Xueru, Hong Jishi, and Lin Zhenzi, who are near the pinnacle of Level 95, already have resilient and mighty souls; now, under the nourishment of Soul Energy, they are like tigers gaining wings, taking solid steps toward the threshold of Level 96.

Even practitioners a bit weaker, such as Si Tu Liang, felt a metamorphosis and elevation deep within their souls, as if they glimpsed a new dawn on their path forward. A satisfied smile spread across Si Tu Liang's face, and in that moment he felt all his prior efforts were truly worthwhile.

However, the greatest beneficiary of this Soul Energy feast was undoubtedly Jiang Ruo. Though only twenty‑two, she had already crossed the Divine-level threshold, and her soul was like an uncarved jade, brimming with limitless possibilities.

Nourished by Soul Energy, Jiang Ruo's soul was like a spring rain's irrigation—vibrant and boundlessly potent. Its rapid growth was awe‑inspiring. Fan Emperor held great expectations for her future, believing she would become a Half-step Super God, and that day would not be far off.

Antares also acknowledged Jiang Ruo's potential; its silence was the strongest proof.

As Soul Energy continued to pour in, finally someone's aura reached its zenith, and the Soul Energy began spilling out of the body. This signaled that their soul had become saturated, unable to absorb any more energy.

Jiang Chen saw this and decisively severed the connection with the Soul-grinding Disk, halting the energy transmission.

Each person's soul ceiling differs, as does their potential, so the amount of Soul Energy they can absorb varies. Nonetheless, they all reaped great benefits from this Soul Energy feast.

Jiang Chen's command over the Soul-grinding Disk grew increasingly adept; through the flow of Soul Energy, he could clearly perceive the soul state of every strongman present.

He discovered that the souls of Li Xueru, Ao Hongchen, and Hong Jishi were the strongest, absorbing far more Soul Energy than anyone else. Though Si Tu Liang and others lagged slightly, they also displayed impressive potential.

Yet, in Jiang Chen's perception, the most striking remained Jiang Ruo. Her soul was like a bottomless vortex, constantly devouring Soul Energy; her potential was almost incalculable.

When everyone had fully absorbed Soul Energy, the Soul-grinding Disk still held a considerable reserve. Jiang Chen gazed at the remaining energy, already forming new plans in his mind.

"About one‑fifth remains," Jiang Chen calculated silently in his mind, then flicked his finger, causing the formation to shift again.

The remaining Soul Energy in the Soul-grinding Disk surged out like a torrent, this time targeting every corner within the Shenlong Empire.

Those once parasitized by Soul‑eating Beasts now felt nourishment from the outside world. They seemed immersed in a warm sea, each cell cheering exuberantly.

Jiang Chen did not distribute the energy haphazardly; he meticulously controlled each strand's flow. Those with outstanding talent naturally received more nourishment, while the less gifted obtained a suitable supplement.

He focused all his attention on manipulating the formation, ensuring every strand of energy achieved maximum effect.

Jiang Ruo quietly watched her younger brother beside her, her eyes filled with pride and relief.

"Xiao Chen, you've truly grown up—your strength is great, and you now know how to wield it to help others," Jiang Ruo whispered in her heart, admiration for Jiang Chen welling up.

"Little brother, sister will always be by your side; no matter what difficulty you face, I will do everything to help you," Jiang Ruo vowed silently, her eyes flashing with steadfast light.

Meanwhile, in the distant Dragon Clan World, Long Huang was now engulfed in deep anger and despair.

Its body was drenched in blood; though only superficial wounds, it looked terribly disheveled. The carefully arranged Space-time Portal had been blown up, all efforts turning to bubbles.

Long Huang roared, his voice shaking the heavens. In a fit of rage he intended to personally charge into the Human World, shredding Jiang Chen into countless fragments.

"Jiang Chen, you detestable human, the Emperor and you are irreconcilable!" Long Huang snarled, teeth grinding.

It ordered the Dragon Army to ready themselves for a full‑scale assault on the Human World. Yet at that moment, a massive fissure suddenly split the Dragon Clan's sky.

The rift spanned the horizon, as if tearing the Dragon Clan World's heavens, revealing a deep, pitch‑black void. Upon its appearance, it was accompanied by raging lightning and thunder, emitting an irresistible suction.

Countless Dragon Clan members were mercilessly drawn into the rift by the suction; their anguished cries echoed through the void, ultimately vanishing into endless darkness, fate unknown.

Immediately after, a massive, translucent giant claw emerged from the void, like a messenger from another world, striking mercilessly at the enraged Long Huang.

Long Huang let out a roar, gathering his entire strength into a single fist that slammed into the giant claw. Yet the massive recoil hurled him back like a meteor, gouging a hundred‑meter‑deep crater. His body trembled violently, bones seeming to disintegrate, and he remained unable to rise for a long while.

Long Huang's face turned pale with horror; he looked up at the void and, voice trembling, asked, "Lord Antares, why did you strike me?"

From the sky came Antares' stern, indifferent voice: "Summoning the Wild Beast to attack the Human World, disrupting the balance and rules among the Three Races—this is merely a small warning to you. Should you dare repeat it, True Self will slaughter your entire clan, leaving none alive."

Antares' voice was icy and ruthless, like a bone‑chilling wind, sending shivers through Long Huang's entire body.

Moments later, the Dragon Clan World's sky gradually calmed, and the massive fissure slowly vanished without a trace, as if nothing had ever occurred.

……

On the opposite side of the Abyss World, the flames of the Demon Emperor's palace still blazed fiercely. The Demon Emperor sat upon a splendid throne, his gaze deep and complex.

"Antares even meddled in this," the Demon Emperor muttered, his brows knit.

"My senses do not err; that truly is Antares' aura," the Demon Emperor continued, pondering, "According to the rules among the Three Races, Antares should not interfere in our affairs. Why did he act this time?"

The Demon Emperor sneered, "That Long Huang fellow is utterly foolish. He tried to bring the King of Wild Beasts into the Human World—does he not realize that humans also have strong ones capable of countering the King of Wild Beasts? If his actions anger Antares, the entire Dragon Clan may face annihilation."

The Demon Emperor rose and walked toward the palace's depths. The empty wine cup in its hand made it realize there was no fresh dragon blood left to taste. It shook its head slightly, "This time we'll capture a mid‑rank Dragon King; its blood might taste a bit better."

With that, the Demon Emperor's figure vanished within the palace. For it, the incident was somewhat unexpected but caused little impact. As for the Soul-grinding Disk, it was of no concern; at its level, external Soul Energy was already useless. Like Jiang Yi and Fan Emperor, they no longer needed such Soul Energy to advance.

As the Soul-grinding Disk disappeared, the Soul-melting Array fell silent, no longer emitting its heart‑pounding vibrations. Si Tu Liang now stood on the high platform, his gaze resolute as he scanned the crowd below, his voice ringing as he issued orders.

"Seal the nation!" he announced briefly yet powerfully, each word bearing irresistible authority.

Yes, seal the nation. The threat of the Soul‑eating Beasts has been eliminated, but the Shenlong Empire will not lower its guard. To prevent foreign Soul‑eating Beasts from re‑entering, they have already made thorough preparations.

Following Si Tu Liang's command, the Shenlong Empire's borders mobilized swiftly. Teams of troops, officials, scholars, and personnel from various factions gathered quickly, setting up tight defenses and activating pre‑prepared formations.

These formations were immensely powerful; whether from the sky, sea, land, or even underground, any creature attempting to breach the Shenlong Empire would be detected and intercepted instantly. At that moment, the Shenlong Empire seemed an invincible fortress.

Simultaneously, the Shenlong Empire proclaimed its might to the world. No longer satisfied with previous border demarcations, they unhesitatingly incorporated disputed territories into their domain. Any force daring to provoke them would face the Shenlong Empire's relentless strike.

Hong Jishi turned to Chu Yao Shen, his expression solemn as he said, "Now, Elder Chu, it's up to you."

Chu Yao Shen stroked his beard, a smug smile appearing: "The potion formula is already perfected, and we have ample Red Stone. Those guys must pay out of pocket to buy the potion."

Hong Jishi nodded, adding, "Elder Chu, discuss the price with the sovereign. Especially the Red Stone—they can't obtain it, so we must leverage this advantage."

Red Stone is the key ingredient for crafting the Soul‑eating Beast cure potion, and it is only produced in the Secret Realm of White Cloud University. This means that even if other factions obtain the formula, they must purchase Red Stone from the Shenlong Empire to make the potion, granting the empire enormous bargaining power.

Li Xueru also spoke, "We must provide the greatest compensation to the heroes who sacrificed themselves in this plan. Their families must receive proper care. At the same time, we should pay attention to the participants; among them are likely individuals of outstanding talent, whom we can recruit into the higher academies for cultivation."

At this moment, the Shenlong Empire seemed to truly enter the implementation phase of the plan. Earlier efforts were merely groundwork; now they were about to launch an even grander operation.

These Divine-level Strongmen gathered together, their faces radiating confident smiles, as if they already saw the dawn of victory.