As Xiao Yan spoke these words, Lei Ying, Yan Jin, and others’ eyes were suddenly surged with killing intent, and the energy of the sky and earth stirred violently at that moment. “Form array!” A few sharp shouts rang through the heavens almost at once, and then, whether of the Gu race, the炎雷 (Yan Lei) race, or even the Hun warriors in the sky, all of them spread into battle formation in a flash. Terrifying streams of Dou Qi, vast and towering, broke into the clouds above. Such a stunning, formidable sight sent tremors through the hearts of the onlookers outside the mountain range who kept thanking themselves they hadn’t gotten caught up in it—all else would surely result in a grim fate in such a fierce battle.
“It seems you still aren’t ready to back off…” High over the battlefield, Hun Tiandi’s smile faded slightly on his face. Returning to his usual composed and calm demeanor, with his smile now gone, he glanced down toward Xiao Yan and others, not in the least surprised at their sudden ambush. Hun understood clearly: there was no way for men like Gu Yuan and Xiao Yan to allow his Hun race to gather the eight Jade tablets and smoothly open the gates of the Gu Emperor ruins.
“Hun Tiandi! Turn over the Emperor Jade tablets. Otherwise our forces shall stand together and exterminate the Hun race!” With blazing eyes and fury, Lei Yun roared at him. In contrast, Hun Tiandi couldn’t help but smile again, slightly ironic at their words. With a flick hand motion, he stowed away the ancient stones into a space ring before he smirked and said lightly: “Oh? Indeed I wonder — if you do possess such skill, then why would such a moment come for you now?”
“Rest assured— the Gu Emperor ruins shall not be so easily opened by the Huns,” Gu Yuan retorted sternly. The aura exuding from his form began to rise as his figure slowly drifted into the skies. The moment arrived, terrifying fluctuations poured outward; stormclouds gathered overhead while crackling thunder shook the air violently in reply.
Following after him, Xiao Yan, Lei Ying, Yan Jin and every expert from the three races and the Tianfu Alliance possessing strength above Dou Sheng 5 star began to take to the air in an organized manner, the fluctuations surging among the forces changing the very elements and heavens. Numerically, those on high-level expert power between the three clans united with the Tianfu Alliance did not seem much inferior to the Huns in strength — this conflict between equals had rendered the war one of unknown outcome; the fate of the combat’s victor would lie in an uncertain future.
“Gu Yuan,” Hun Tiandi smiled lightly and said evenly again with calm composure, “I already said: once the Xiao Clan crumbles, no man can stop the Huns any longer— no other forces included, even yours.”
Gu Yuan knitted his brows, intending to reply but Lei Ying—who was of fiercer temperament and spirit— interrupted him first; growling loudly from within:
“What use are so many futile words? Listen to me— all the forces of the雷族 (Thunder Clan)…Form the Nine Dragons Heaven Thunder Array!”
With a powerful response echoing to the sky, many elite Thunder members, wearing solemn expressions, began emitting brilliant silver beams rising upward from their positions. The bright lights swiftly fused together, condensing into a sea of furious storm clouds above. Inside them, rays and flashes of intense lightning flickered ominously— nine mighty Dragon-Lightning creatures, each towering at thousands in length in size were born. Roaring deeply with sound as violent as collapsing mountains, this immense display rattled even earth and sky.
“Go!” Upon their manifestation, commanded with great force by Thunder clan’s masters—the nine electric dragons, each brimming fully with ruin and annihilating strength, charged headlong down to crash directly into the mass of Hun’s flying war-force above them. With each passing inch, the spaces around them shattered into a torrent, creating a chain reaction of collapsing energy.
“Yan Clan, use the Scorching Sky Art!” At the very same time that Lei’s clan moved, came the chilling declaration from Yan Jin. Like an endless deluge of destruction, the Yan clans summoned massive flaming waves. This fiery tempest threatened to consume every breath of heaven and earth entirely as massive torrents of fire surged outward to target relentlessly upon the Hun forces arrayed in the heavens above it.
In response at once and as if mirroring their allies, the Gu Clan’s experts concentrated a gigantic, ancient mirror-image across the sky. With its shimmering surface radiating waves of mysterious energy, in the twinkles therefrom shot forth one immense blazing ray—an incomprehensibly large column of light energy unleashed in retaliation from Gu clan efforts.
“WHOOSH!!!” All simultaneous attacks burst out into action at near lightning pace. The cascading force rippled outward, erasing with total domination even mountains standing thousands of feet tall nearby— reducing even stone and foundation into naughtness in those terrible moments.
Far above, Hun TianDi observed the onslaught rising to meet his position with indifferent eyes, his face as placid still as before. With a single motion of his cloak, countless links of pitch-black restraining chains burst with the jangling sounds from the mass of black fog behind him, rapidly forming across vast reaches an encircling mesh, a massive network shaped of chains. Within the swirling fogs along their surface—sudden appearances of grotesquely contorted visages screamed with agonized, unearthly howls that chilled the skies themselves.
“BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!”
The instant the dark netting took shape, the wave of attacking energies struck. Immediately following, the heavens and earth began violently trembling from the titanic forces clashing overhead! Even the very earth beneath their battle split wide in massive chasms reaching unfathomable depths, like a gaping underworld had awakened.
Once the storm of fury gradually abated, much of the surrounding darkness cloud dispersed. However, in doing so, all attacks previously fired from below were wholly repelled! The awesome might of the Hun again revealed.
“Hun Tian Di—now, we two settle this between ourselves!” Gu Yuan suddenly leapt forth into the clouds, his form propelled upwards violently as his voice rang through ten thousand kilometers’ reach of air space.
Hun Tiandi smiled again slightly more genuinely, his movement almost instantaneous as he appeared directly ahead of Gu Yuan, blocking further path. He realized—these were both leaders of their sides now matched in sheer combat capability—their confrontation would determine how their forces’ stability held; losing control even momentarily could collapse the entire order behind.
“Strike together!” When Gu Yuan took action against his most challenging adversary, Lei Ying and Yan Ji shouted together. At their command, their respective allies’ elite warriors from the three races and Tianfu coalition launched forth simultaneously and in full formation towards Hun sky forces already pouring out with similar urgency.
With all this happening at breakneck speed and chaotic fury, Lei and Yan’s sights fixed solidly and solely ahead. Their intended opponent? Xuwu Tunyan alone, the next formidable force in power after Hun Tiandi within the Huns. For their side’s own survival, and success of containment— these two leaders had only themselves united to face his menace.
“A moment of luck on our side last time—you still actually fancied yourselves real adversaries now?” Spitting out dark laughter, at the approach of his two foes; Xuwu’s flowing robes swirled and massive black flames surged up violently into the sky as with an outflow of force so terrifying, he charged headlong toward the attacking adversaries, already spreading the devouring, engulfing power wide across their field.
With each moment of this conflict, and with more seasoned combat champions across both sides now joining in battle, this land of mountains violently quaked. Utter chaos and furious engagement unfolded—a terrifying and unforgettable vision to all distant observers watching.
*BAAM*
Without the trace of an expression, Xiao Yan extended his palm—crushing with sheer pressure alone the physical form and the very soul of a Hun elite warrior who hovered just at the edge of Dou Zun summit levels into a mere, lifeless dust—before flickering through an instantaneous shift in location to again face a new challenger ahead. As the hands of Xiao Yan landed in their blows each in turn—Hunan champions dropped left and right with no hope for survival. Even the rare handful who stood at Dou Sheng tiers could manage only a few desperate movements before falling wounded from engagement altogether.
He no longer directed effort solely against those whose deaths seemed instantly possible—he now desired a single thing: To slay the maximum amount hunnish elites in the shortest possible time frame! With precision unmatched, within mere minutes of this relentless carnage already dozens of Hun warriors had been silenced entirely—such deadly benefits were the fruits of possessing a Sovereign Soul realm level force at his back!
The thick oppressive murder-surge coiling and billowing into an eerie veil that shrouded Xiao’s shape like a cloak, visible now through the carnage to all.
*THUD!*
An opponent at Three Star Dou Sheng exploded under his attack—a spray of blood-matter followed instantly as all physical structure of body and even lingering soul residue vaporized upon his palm striking. With one casual sweeping motion he drew through this mist and clenched once again tighter; sealing away all remaining threads of consciousness in that being from further continuation in any realm of life!
“SHSSSRRKKK!!!”
Yet just at that precise killing stroke’s completion, the air immediately beyond his back convulsed with a sudden spatial ripple followed quickly by a rising gale of surging deep dark flames emerging like fanged tongues from the void of air; they formed one deadly black javelin that darted straight and unflinching toward the exposed nape of Xiao Yan’s unsuspecting neck from behind…
Yet just mere centimeters remained when the dark missile suddenly halted and rebounded backward with a deafening crackling discharge as it struck against a transparent but unshakable protective barrier of invisible force that seemingly had existed silently around Xiao Yan the whole of the encounter.
“Hun Miesheng… So you indeed escaped the final death…”
Not turning fully Xiao glanced slightly aside before finally addressing the shadowed figure entirely shrouded in the thick swirling dark flares behind him. Although the figure’s exact face remained obscured, from this instant contact of a Soul Sovereign level essence awareness—it became instantly clear to Xiao Yan the identity was one of familiarity: This being before him was without any question, the High Priest of the Hall Hun Temple who—only once barely managed to slip away barely clinging a fraction of soul from obliteration before. His escaped remnants should now be facing their inevitable and deserved doom once again now.
“Xiao Yan…” From the flame cloaked voice that dripped with malice it hissed forward its answer; Hun Miesheng hissed back from within his wreathings:
“My temple doesn’t so easily surrender. Our Venerable High One gave his own fundamental flame so as to restore this body anew; this new form is in no way comparable to one so weak long ago!” Crimson glaring, hate burning red within a gaze filled beyond hatred in pure vengeance, a bitter, cruel whisper escaped through grit teeth.
To those words Xiao only smirked. The icy edge that had been his expression moments before gave but one soft arc into what might nearly resemble mockery as a slight, almost unseen smirk tugged gently upward from one corner.
“DIE, NOW!” Raising arms to gather strength Hun lashed his energy outward violently; in an instant thick darkened black flame spiraled into one huge chain—easily hundreds across—its snake-like movements darting forward with unerring precision, lashing cruel deadly force upon Xiao Yan in unrelenting pursuit of his annihilation within one strike!
“Break it away!”
In stark contrast—Xiao Yan did not visibly attempt any motion to dodge. Only uttering one singular world with casual clarity in direct and immediate answer; the simplest, and most efficient strike he could execute.
*KAZOOM!!!!*
With that whispered one single word uttered from Xiao’s tongue; the space between foes cracked open like parchment under the immense wave of energy released by his very Soul Emperor-level power. As the dark fire chain came under pressure of this invisible, unfurling soul might, it crumbled instantly as though no resistance remained possible. Every ember and every single trace of flame composing the dark chains dimmed as though dying, fading into impotency against a superior might.
The Soul Emperor realm strength was such that even an 8 Star Dou Sheng dared not face it lightly. Although Hun Miensheng’s reborn form was indeed a significant enhancement through the aid of the mighty Xuwu’s essence flame, still at full he merely stood at approximately that of a 7 Star Dou Sheng level of strength, a considerable gap in their standings. As expected he faltered almost immediately upon this exchange; no prolonged battle required. He could no longer hold even the most minimal hope in matching this present Xiao Yan.
“RETREAT!” Though consumed endlessly in a burning tide of revenge, at last he came to a terrible, reluctant awareness: that against the overwhelming disparity, he had no chance at victory any longer. His only option became apparent: biting through fury to flee—his only path.
“This time—no more escapes.” Xiao Yan stared coldly as Hun Miesheng darted backwards. His steps moved through the air without a moment’s wait — his body flickering with another ripple in the space, materializing as though ghostlike, right in front of the escaping shadow. Point straight with just one digit outstretched finger, his finger reached through a curtain of swirling darkness with absolute accuracy to where Hun concealed his physical being behind the swirling shadows that attempted in vain to obscure all from view.
And then—he struck.
With the unrelenting might of sheer imperial-level Soul Dominion pouring from just that one precise jab…
*A lowly thudded impact resounding…*
Hun’s form immediately froze like frozen stone caught by some unknown cosmic force, the protective cloak of dark flame wreathing him fading like morning mist under direct sunlight; the figure now wholly uncovered stood motionless in that space. A frail dried body beneath layers of blackened ash, its head bore no mark of wound, the eyes stood still and hollow—his inner spirit completely shattered to nothingness, the absolute wrath behind a single soul-force strike had sealed even his very essence into nonexistence…
*Thus the might borne of Emperor ranked souls… was truly no idle boast,* Xiao Yan muttered softly, regarding his fingers as though in awe.
As he finished Hun Miesheng off he realized—he’d used no ordinary combat art, not even the feared Demon World Lotus Flame at any stage in the engagement; just that absolute annihilation via the unrelenting strength borne solely from a Soul Emperor Realm existence had ended another formidable elite opponent within nothingness in but the blink of an eye. It was terrifying.
This was the awe of bearing ‘The Divine Title’— indeed worthy of its name.
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