“Zhuu!” A streak of red light, like a meteor, shot across the sky with lightning speed, drawing gazes from the entire battlefield. Xiao Yan reacted the fastest; as the red streak tore through the defensive energy barrier and fled, his phoenix wings abruptly flared. In several rapid blinks, he reappeared near the streak. With a flex of his palm, a powerful suction surged forth, immediately impeding the red streak and drastically reducing its speed.
“Hmph!” Just as Xiao Yan moved to intercept the streak, an icy snort rang from the heavens. Simultaneously, an intensely ominous sensation rushed forth from Xiao Yan’s heart.
“Boom!” The moment a sense of danger surfaced within him, the sky suddenly darkened overhead. Then, space tore open unexpectedly high above him, from which a hand pure as jade reached out and seized mercilessly toward Xiao Yan. The annihilating power carried by the palm’s force was such that even Xiao Yan’s Flame Lotus could not possibly match it.
“Hun Tianti!” Instantly recognizing this terrifying might, the name shot through Xiao Yan’s mind. In this land, only Hun Tianti and Gu Yuan had ever possessed such fearful strengths, effortlessly wielding unstoppable force.
“Retreat!” With no hesitation against the jade-white hand, he instantly reversed rapidly backward through the sky; Xiao Yan fully understood that with his current power, resistance against Hun Tianti was utterly impossible—even the slightest hindrance seemed highly improbable. There was nothing false about the title, the might of the strongest warrior in the斗气 Continent.
Though swift, his escape paled compared to that enormous hand. Ripping through space directly, the palm lunged forth and began closing rapidly. Yet just as it prepared to land the grip, space around Xiao Yan violently quaked once again, and an additional immense palm broke open a passage through vacuum, forcefully impacting squarely into the jade-white hand.
The fierce collision caused an explosion that reverberated, unleashing annihilation-storms violently in all directions. At the might of the resulting devastation, even with his formidable skill, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but change expressions drastically and back away swiftly, fearing for his life as collateral.
“Hun Tianti, now that you’re intent on waging war, the Gu Clan shall go through with it till the end!” As the great hands collided, the furious declaration by Gu Yuan, faintly brimming with fury, sounded above the skies.
“Hehehe,” Hun Tianti’s calm laughter returned from his perch in the heavens. “You ought to have said that long ago, ever since your Xiao Clan was crushed beneath us Hun back in the day. Now, you say this… it is somewhat too late!”
Upon the echo finishing, space above promptly tore open extensively with rapidity. Dark and suffocating mists howled ominously, pouring through with many terrifying, cold, and potent presences trailing beyond into the battlefield.
“Hun clan’s full forces deployed?!” Feeling the vast surge of presences spewing into the battlefield from the rift, Xiao Yan’s face paled.
“Wuuh!” As the cracks in emptiness widened, torrents of black mist burst out like floodwater. The swirling fog swiftly coalesced within the skyline and morphed into a gargantuan dark mark. Suspended amidst the heavens, its colossal shade blanketed every stretch over the mountains.
“Unleash Array!” Watching as this vast black brand suspended in the sky rumbled and pulsed ominously, each of the Gu Clan’s sages grimly acknowledged their premonition. Still, their battle-ready forces stood at ready in vigil. Immediately, commanding shouts resonated throughout the terrain.
“Dong, dong!” As calls rang true, the luminous barrier blanketing the entire battlefield surged with renewed radiance from everywhere. Tremendous torrents of overwhelming might, potent enough to quake even souls, spiraled violently into the air as pillars. They soared through space before rapidly merging into another magnificent ancient mirror floating in the air—a swirling reflective surface, gleefully dancing waves of terrifying energy upon its surface.
“The Devouring Seal!” The suspended dark brand in the skies quaked alarmingly, suddenly echoing a horrid low chant which sounded like countless voices speaking together. Subsequently, the colossal seal plummeted downward directly like a catastrophe, aimed like death to crush over the mountains. If it connected fully, the entire territory, stretching for tens and hundreds of miles, could instantly disintegrate into the most absolute oblivion…
“The Gu Emperor Mirror!” All the ancient sages who sustained the grand array flushed crimson under their effort; a thunderclashing chorus of fierce yells exploded over heaven and earth. Then their mighty, immense ancient mirror scorchingly blasted toward them at full speed, colliding with that black seal head-on within innumerable pairs of intensely anxious eyes.
“Boom, boom, booming!” Heaven itself trembled as an indescribable annihilatory turbulence went rampant far and wide. In an instant, even space within the anciently fortified domain cracked in numerous directions, releasing torrents of endless fissures. The collision between these titanic entities high above the skies exploded their energies fiercely, consuming each other until both eventually dispersed within the stormfronts ripping through them.
“Whoosh—!” Alongside the ancient mirror’s destruction, many martial artists of the Gui Clan below simultaneously spewed forth blood, while echoing through the mist-infested rupture above were countless cries of despair, clearly manifesting a devastating loss upon both factions due to this all-or-nothing warfare.
Rampant destruction howls swept across the battlefield, halting mid-engagement between warring armies. Gu Clan’s Three Fairies and Hun Clan’s Four Dark Saints bore alarm as they hurriedly backed off hastily, for anyone ensnared within the storm’s grasp—whatever prowess they bore—the odds of leaving undamaged grew slim by countless folds. Indeed, across the entire war-torn skies, only individuals such as Hun Tianti and Gu Yuan, alongside emptiness-devouring entities like Xu Wu Tongyan, possessed the might and capability to stand untroubled amidst devastation’s might.
Inside the battle’s arrayed protection Xiao Yan took shelter and peered anxiously beyond into the chaotic expanse where destruction roared with maelstrom fury. That had really just been the collective might from the total clan deployment… A moment ago, that blow alone could rival a ninth-tier Dou Sheng. Thus was the natural way: numbers, amass enough, would transcend bounds through raw strength alone!
“And the Gu Stone?”
Momentary anxiety crossed Xiao Yan’s eyes before his attention turned skyward, locking his sight onto that one remaining vortex of destruction. A pale shimmer of red light, weak amidst roaring devastation, was barely flicking like a candle’s last breath.
As he spotted it, Xu Wu Tongyan, who had continued grappling Guo Yuan and Yan Jin high above in furious duels, abruptly broke off his conflict. Then with explosive force surged back, making for the direction of the glimmers.
“Someone halt their advance—He aims for the Gu Stone!” Witnessing this abrupt movement, alarm struck Xiao Yan’s expression; hurried cries left his mouth to raise warnings.
As the exclamation struck air, Guo Yuan and Yan Jin both changed expressions instantly. Simultaneously propelling into motion.
“Heavenly Thunder Palm!”
“Metaphyte Severing Ray!”
With their movement came their fierce counter-offensives—an intensely luminous thunder palm and an obscenely blazing fire-digit raced in an undetectable blur toward Xu Wu Tongyan.
“Zip!” In response to the two attacks rushing him, Xu Wu Tongyan’s eyebrows slightly furled but did not bother dodging in return; his body shook, giving birth immediately to numerous whirlwetting voids swirling all about.
“Pound! Wham!” The first offensive waves collided violently with the voided vortex lattice—an endless eruption of explosions ensued. Even if they delayed the advance somewhat momentarily, this would only serve temporarily, for once this lattice gave out entirely, the next instant brought the thunder palm imprint and blazing digit roaring forward again to strike directly upon Xu Wu Tongyan’s vulnerable backs—an brutal concussing power blew his rear defenses wide open, dark flames scattering in all directions.
Hitting headfirst beneath these twin devastations unleashed by Guo Yuan and Yan Jin, even the immensely powerful Xu Wu Tongyan stumbled backward with great instability, his figure dissipating and fading into increasing insubstantiality. But even then, this very moment granted him leverage from the backlash momentum, in a flash transporting next toward that lone streak of glowing scarlet.
Instantly he reached it; his jaw unhinged to engulf the Gu Crystal swiftly.
Upon seizing the artifact within grasp, Xu Wu Tongyan let out an ominous gale of mad cackling laughter. The Hun sect’s Four Demon Emperors immediately closed in, encircling and protecting him as they guarded with alert gazes toward the furious Guo and Yan still speeding rapidly to pursue.
“Heard enough pleasure? Rest assured, today’s punch… My payback shall arrive manyfold on your doorstep!” Xu Wu’s gaze fixed toward Guo and Yan’s approaching shadows with dark pleasure while letting chilling laughter reverberate through space.
Their complexions contorted, Guo and Yan could hardly believe—despite combined assaulting their utmost against him—they failed outright in halting Xu Wu; worst still, had enabled him actually acquiring the artifact.
“Fall back!”
With Gu’s essence locked safely within his grasp, Xu Wu Tongyan wasted no breath as he shifted posture instantly, aiming for the fissures within dimensions and accelerating forward through space furiously.
“Seize him!” Before Xu Wu could travel far, the surrounding air shuddered as Gu Yuan emerged forth, his visage dark and stormy; his counter-technique already rising.
However, before he could deliver the first strike, a figure draped in grey descended, Hun Tianti himself appearing and redirecting interception with ease.
After absorbing Gu Yuan’s technique and pushing outward gently in counter-thrusts, both figures gradually drifted backward—behind Hun Tientshi’s trail, another massive dark-mark emerged from within the suffocating vortex-infesting dimension.
As the new mark took form once more in full presence, the advancing of Gu Yuan hesitated momentarily; beneath in the ranks Gu’s followers rallied and re-focused, reforming anew the ancient Gu mirror lest they’d face Hun’s annihilating techniques yet again.
“My words remained: When The Xiao perished, Gu lost its finest hour to contend with Hun.” Gazing at Gu Yuan’s dark, furrowed mien, Hun spoke casually but pointedly above skyfronts.
“Inherit the Legacy Vault of Master Tusharugdi shall belong with our race, Yuan. This new height awaits me; I promise you…”
“And your mere possession of Five Gu fragments won’t secure anything decisive. The battle remains wide-open!” Shouted Yan.
“Do those words hold truth?”
Hun allowed no pause as an uncanny mirth slowly spread across face, “Oh, did your clan’s leaders leave their strongholds? Did you presume—opportunity would not be treasured if handed?”
“What in heavens are you saying??!!” Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan and Yan Jin jerked their bodies abruptly; their gazes darkened with immediate fury—if the Hun had truly extended their war to these other two clans’ domains amidst clashing with Gu—then betrayal upon deception ran thicker beneath this battlefront than any could have possibly imagined!
Amid the shock and uncertainty from their figures watching overhead, Hun gave but soft laughter to reply, while with Xu Vu, their entire formation started retreating gradually into the dimensional rupture itself, vanishing within the massive shadow that the colossal Devouring Brand imposed over the world.
Even Gu Yuan, mighty as He was at present, wouldn’t dare to rashly intervene in that situation while such a terrible threat hung over him. Meanwhile, in the skies above, that monstrous Seal—its dreadful presence finally subsiding and its terrifying energy dispersing gently as well into calm.
“Oh…by the by…”
As Hun stepped further into the space-rifting maw, his gazed abruptly redirected, shifting across to gaze at Xiao Yan still protected within the barrier below.
“You must be Xiao Yan? And it’s your grasp which protects The Xiao Clan Gu… Hmmm. Very well. Let this invitation guide you within Two Weeks. Make your Way To Grave Sky Mountain Peaks. If indeed you hope to Rescue your father—you will have My summons if you wish to trade The Gu.”
As the last note of the Hun Tienti’s tone drifted slowly away with its last echo of intent, Hun vanished entirely beyond dimension’s maw… alongside fading of the final traces from the giant Black Mark that had hovered in the sky above moments ago.
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