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Among the massive crowd gathered, there were members from the Spirit Hall, Pill Tower, Heavenly Underworld Sect, Flower Sect, Sound Valley, Burning Flame Valley, Ice River Valley, as well as the three remaining great pavilions aside from Starfall Pavilion. Dozens of Dou Zun-level powerhouses, hundreds upon hundreds of Dou Zong experts, and even semi-saint-level entities were present!
The countless Dou Huang spectators who had been drawn by the Demon-Slaying Alliance's assault on Starfall Pavilion all believed the latter was beyond salvation. The difference in combat power between the two sides was simply on different dimensions—akin to an elephant trampling an ant.
Void Swallowing Flame, hidden in an alternate space, calmly watched as the Demon-Slaying Alliance surrounded Starfall Pavilion. He was contemplating whether Qian Renhan would make a long-range move. And if so—should he intervene to block the strike and protect the Spirit Hall members?
Within the Nine Nether Earth Python tribe, Qian Renhan's soul had already returned to his physical body. Staring at the masses of powerful individuals outside Starfall Pavilion through a distorted space, he smirked and said, "What a fine batch of supplements. Bring me more... more clueless onlookers."
Meanwhile, in Central Plains, the coming-of-age ceremony of the Ancient Clan in the Ancient Realm had progressed to the Heavenly Tomb stage.
Deep within the Heavenly Tomb, the surroundings were pitch-black, as dark as ink. The light was dim and barely perceptible. Standing in this space felt like being immersed in the void itself, inducing a sense of confusion and unease in one's heart.
Within this space stood an ancient tombstone. Xiao Xuan smiled faintly and then pointed toward the lone ancient stone monument standing in the midst of this darkness—silent, desolate, and seemingly eternal.
The tombstone trembled faintly, pulsing as if it possessed a heartbeat. A figure clad in faint blue robes slowly emerged atop it. Though his appearance didn't trigger any celestial phenomena, the illusion arose that this world could not bear a single punch or kick from him.
The figure's face was not overly handsome, but it had a unique charm. His black hair draped over his shoulders, and his eyes were pitch-black like ink—deep and filled with an unusual wisdom, exuding a mesmerizing allure.
This man was none other than Xiao Xuan—the patriarch of the ancient Xiao Clan!
Xiao Xuan looked beyond the Heavenly Tomb at the new generation of the Ancient Clan undergoing their trials. He said, "Another four Ancient Clan disciples? It has been a millennium, and still no one from my Xiao Clan has reached this place? Or... Gu Yuan, have you broken your promise to me?"
His voice was heavy, steeped in the weight of time and the loneliness of endless waiting.
In the next second, ripples stirred gently in the space around Xiao Xuan, and he vanished without a trace.
Elsewhere in the Heavenly Tomb, Gu Xun'er, Gu Qingyang, Gu Yao, and Gu Hua were battling spirit bodies with great success.
Just as they prepared to continue their journey, a subtle whooshing sound approached. Two shadowy figures landed slowly atop a massive boulder ahead, looking down on the group with mocking amusement in their eyes, as if toying with prey.
"Ancient Clan... your speed is far too slow."
Hearing the cold, mocking voice, Gu Xun'er and the others' expressions changed sharply. They looked up, their faces darkening as they recognized the figures: "Hun Ya, Hun Li!"
"Well, well... Look who it is. You two runaway dogs sure made it far. What's the matter? Suddenly found the courage to show yourselves again?" Gu Yao and Gu Hua mocked them bluntly upon seeing them.
"Relax. This time, you'll be the runaway dogs."
Hun Ya grinned strangely at Gu Hua's mockery. Then he and Hun Li slowly stepped back, revealing two elderly figures clad in gray robes and shrouded in shadows. They appeared soundlessly before them, like ghosts.
"Dou Saints?!"
The instant the two gray-robed elders appeared, an indescribable sense of danger surged in the hearts of Gu Xun'er and her companions.
Gu Qingyang immediately made a decision: "Scatter and flee when the time comes. Even if they're just energy projections, we stand no chance against two Dou Saints. We have zero odds in a direct confrontation."
"Flee?"
The two Dou Saints sneered in unison. Though they were only energy projections and not as strong as in their prime, the idea that four mere Dou Zuns could escape from them was laughable.
"Seal!"
One of the gray-robed elders let out a chilling chuckle, then clenched his fist. Instantly, within a hundred-foot radius, all sound froze—along with time itself.
The other elder opened his mouth, unleashing a surge of black clouds. With a thunderous roar, the clouds condensed into a colossal black python, hundreds of meters long. As it lashed its tail, the space crackled and shattered. The python hissed, then lunged downward at the Ancient Clan members.
The four clan members immediately unleashed their full strength. Gu Xun'er summoned the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, while the other three used their Annihilation Fingers.
Even so, their combined assault couldn't stop the Dou Saint's might. The massive black python broke through all their attacks and hurtled toward them.
At the critical moment, the enormous serpent suddenly froze midair and exploded into a cloud of black mist. A voice, ancient and deep, echoed through the space. The Spirit Hall's space-binding technique shattered instantly.
"Seems the Soul Clan still has remnants lurking in the Heavenly Tomb..."
The two Dou Saints looked at the sudden appearance of the blue-robed figure who shielded the Ancient Clan members. Their faces twisted in shock and terror as they trembled, exclaiming, "Xiao Xuan!"
With a casual wave, Xiao Xuan instantly killed the two Dou Saints. As for the two Soul Clan juniors, he didn't bother with them. Someone of his status and pride wouldn't stoop to bullying the weak.
Watching the two Dou Saints fall in an instant, the Soul Clan youths didn't even dare flee. They trembled in place as Xiao Xuan stood with the excited Ancient Clan members.
"Thank you, Senior Xiao Xuan, for saving us." Gu Xun'er and Gu Qingyang stepped forward and bowed deeply in gratitude on behalf of the four.
Xiao Xuan glanced at Gu Qingyang, then turned to Gu Xun'er and said, "Your bloodline aura is quite similar to Gu Yuan's."
"Gu Yuan is my father," Xun'er replied respectfully.
Xiao Xuan smiled like a kindly elder. "Gu Yuan has a fine daughter. Your potential is no less than his. I want to ask—what's become of the Xiao Clan? After all this time, why has no one come here?"
Hearing this, the Ancient Clan disciples trembled inwardly. They didn't know how to tell Xiao Xuan the current state of the Xiao Clan. If he found out they had exchanged the Xiao Clan's Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade for a worthless low-grade Xuan-rank technique, would they survive?
At that moment, the Soul Clan juniors sensed a sliver of hope and quickly spoke up. "Senior Xiao Xuan, we know the current situation of the Xiao Clan!"
"Speak. If the information is accurate, I'll let you leave safely," Xiao Xuan said, already suspecting something after seeing the Ancient Clan's expressions.
Hurriedly, Hun Ya said, "Senior Xiao Xuan, the ancient Xiao Clan has long since been destroyed. Only a branch known as the Xiao Family remains, located in a remote region of the Northwestern Continent called the Jia Ma Empire. The current clan head is merely at the level of a Great Dou Master."
"To think that my proud Xiao Clan has fallen so low... At least some descendants remain alive," Xiao Xuan murmured with a glimmer of comfort—until the Soul Clan duo's next words nearly made him lose composure.
"The Ancient Clan not only failed to honor their agreement to care for the Xiao Clan and monopolized all Heavenly Tomb trial spots, they even exchanged the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade for a worthless low-tier Xuan-level technique. Now, the Xiao Clan has become the laughingstock of both the ancient families and the entire Dou Qi continent."
Hun Ya and Hun Li were fully aware of how shameless the Ancient Clan had been—after all, they had a Soul Clan mole within the Ancient Clan. The transfer of the Emperor Jade was no small event and had been reported. Of course, the last sentence was added by the Soul Clan youths themselves. Even the Ancient Clan wouldn't publicly admit to something so disgraceful.
After those words, silence fell. No one dared to make a sound. Xiao Xuan closed his eyes, seemingly calm, but the violently distorted space around him betrayed his towering fury.
"Good... very good. Gu Yuan, Ancient Clan—you dare to humiliate the Xiao Clan so thoroughly!"
Xiao Xuan opened his eyes again. This time, there was no trace of gentleness. His gaze turned cold as he looked at the Ancient Clan disciples.
"Tell Gu Yuan to bring every remaining descendant of the Xiao Clan to the Heavenly Tomb at once. Otherwise, every spirit body in the tomb—and all of you—will perish here. This tomb has no reason to exist!"
As his voice fell, from the mausoleum where Xiao Xuan stood, an unimaginably terrifying energy surged. It swept across a thousand miles, piercing the very fabric of the Heavenly Tomb. Gu Qingyang was thrown out of the space completely by the blast.
(End of Chapter)