One Wave Had Yet to Settle, When Another Rose

Night falls.

After the hustle and bustle of the day, the Gu World fell into darkness and silence in the dead of night. As the coming-of-age Gu Clan Coming-of-Age Ceremony came to a close, everyone outside the Ancient Eight Clans left the Gu World. All that remained for the rest of the people was to quietly wait for the Heavenly Tomb Opening.

During the daytime Coming of Age Ceremony, Gu Xun'er won her match against Huo Zhi. After the Coming of Age Ceremony, she returned to cultivate for most of the day. After finishing her cultivation, Gu Xun'er felt slightly uneasy, as if something was watching her from the shadows. She felt as if she were the other party's prey.

"Call..."

Slowly exhaling a breath of stale air, Gu Xun'er got out of bed. Looking at the bright moonlight outside the window, the unease in her heart intensified.

Stepping out of her room, Gu Xun'er walked through the silent Gu World, arriving at the open wilderness. The cold night wind blew gently, and the chill intensified Gu Xun'er's unease.

Something's up!

Just as Gu Xun'er was about to unleash her Soul Power to perceive, a person suddenly appeared in the sky not far away! No! Strictly speaking, he wasn't human!

The man had dark skin and lifeless eyes; he didn't look like a living person at all. He stood silently in the sky.

Suddenly, the guy's lifeless eyes lit up, and he, who had been standing there quietly, flashed and directly swooped down to the ground.

A strong sense of crisis suddenly struck, and Gu Xun'er's expression changed drastically. This guy was clearly coming for her. With a flash, Gu Xun'er quickly dodged the opponent's attack.

"So it was a Puppet..."

Gu Xun'er, after seeing the person's appearance clearly, quickly realized that it was just a lifeless Puppet...

Seeing this, Gu Xun'er did not hesitate at all. She waved her arm and unleashed a Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame. Before the Puppet could react, the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame surged into its body.

"Bang!"

When the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame entered his body, the Puppet was no match for the fourth-ranked Strange Fire on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. With an explosion, the Puppet was reduced to a pile of iron slag.

"Completely vulnerable!"

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant! It's just a pity about my only Puppet, my poor Yan Zun!"

"Who!"

The sound of applause reached Gu Xun'er's ears. Gu Xun'er turned around warily and saw Huo Xuan walking out of the darkness, clapping as he walked towards her.

"Not bad, you really went all out during the day!" Huo Xuan said to Gu Xun'er in a calm tone.

Huo Xuan spoke calmly, a slight smile on his face, but the smile couldn't hide the murderous intent in his eyes.

"Heh, are you trying to avenge Huo Zhi? That guy isn't very strong, but he's quite resilient!" Gu Xun'er said with a sneer.

Upon hearing this, Huo Xuan did not get angry. Instead, he looked at Yan Zun, who had been reduced to ashes not far from Gu Xun'er, and instead laughed.

"The relationship between the Gu Clan and the Flame Clan wasn't always like this..."

Huo Xuan seemed to be reminiscing about the past when he suddenly said this.

"It seems that Xiao Yan was the one who changed everything. Gu Xun'er, is it worth it for Xiao Yan?"

"What? Huo Xuan, are you trying to sue my Gu Clan for peace on behalf of the Flame Clan?" Gu Xun'er said with a hint of sarcasm, "Huo Xuan, as long as you release Brother Xiao Yan and hand over a piece of Tou She Ancient God Jade, the Gu and Yan clans will be even from now on."

"Seek peace? Your imagination is running wild. Our Flame Clan is not afraid of your Gu Clan. I just hope you won't regret your choice today."

"Heh, regret? You'd better worry about yourself first." Gu Xun'er chuckled. "You only won a few battles against my Gu Clan in those three years. Do you Flame Clan really think that winning a few battles is enough to destroy my Gu Clan?"

"Whether it's possible or not, we'll see in the future. Your Gu Clan will definitely regret your choice today!" Huo Xuan said this very calmly. Although his words were very plain, they contained a firm determination and killing intent.

Faced with these words that sounded like both a prophecy and a threat, Gu Xun'er felt a chill run down her spine.

"Besides, did you know? I already returned Xiao Yan to you..."

"What!"

Gu Xun'er's gaze suddenly fell on the Puppet she had destroyed not far away. After a moment, she spoke with some difficulty.

"Yan Zun? Brother Xiao Yan?"

"Could it be...? No! Impossible! Impossible..."

Gu Xun'er's words were filled with extreme disbelief, but when she saw Huo Xuan's smiling face, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, and her whole heart turned ice-cold at that moment.

"Why not? I like to eliminate problems completely. You don't naively think I would leave Xiao Yan alive, do you?" Huo Xuan's words mercilessly shattered the last shred of hope in Gu Xun'er's heart.

"However, to be fair, Xiao Yan's soul was quite good, and the Puppet he created were perfect. It's just a pity that they're gone..."

"I kill you!"

Suppressing her anger, Gu Xun'er's hands flashed as she formed a series of strange hand seals. Afterimages flew everywhere, and the Dou Qi within her body surged like a raging flood, flowing through the meridians of her arms.

"The Mountain Splitting Seal!"

"Sea Overturning Seal!"

"Earth Covering Seal!"

"Sky Obliterating Seal!"

The four seals complemented each other, and a dazzling light shone faintly in his palm. The terrifying energy contained within caused the space to continuously crack open with dark fissures.

Four energy imprints, each roughly the size of a palm, began to merge under Gu Xun'er's control...

Emperor Seal: Four Seals Overlay!

The Emperor Seal is one of the advanced secret arts of the Gu Clan. Five Seals Overlay, it is said to have power comparable to Heavenly Tier Skill. However, with Gu Xun'er's current strength, she can only stack four seals.

A dazzling crystal handprint floated above Gu Xun'er's palm, emanating a powerful energy pressure. Looking at the exquisite crystal handprint in her palm, a fierce glint appeared in Gu Xun'er's eyes.

"Huo Xuan! Die!"

With a low, chanting sound like a sacred chant, the crystal hand seal immediately created a trail of light, tearing through the sky and hurtling towards Huo Xuan!

Seeing this, Huo Xuan smiled faintly and did not dodge. Facing the approaching energy handprint, he calmly took out an exquisite Fire Lotus that he had prepared in advance from his sleeve.

"Buddha's Angry Fire Lotus, go!"

With a cold shout, the exquisite Fire Lotus in Huo Xuan's hand left his palm, drawing a dazzling trajectory in the sky, and with terrifying power, it collided fiercely with the crystal handprint!

Meanwhile, in the nearest Gu Clan Great Hall.

The Gu Clan Great Hall was brightly lit, and on the spacious meeting table, rows of elderly figures sat, creating a rather somber and solemn atmosphere.

"Next, we will discuss the Heavenly Tomb Opening. As everyone knows, there are only sixteen slots available for entering the Heavenly Tomb, with each of the Ancient Eight Clans having two slots..."

"The Spirit Clan did not send anyone this time, which frees up two spots. According to the rules, my Gu Clan can use these two spots, which means that my Gu Clan can have four spots to enter the Heavenly Tomb." At one end of the conference table, Elder Tongxuan looked around the room and said calmly.

"The Xiao Clan has declined and is no longer among the Ancient Race. Their quota has always been kept by my Gu Clan. Now, there are only a few living members left in the Xiao Clan. They are basically extinct. The two quotas that were kept for the Xiao Clan will henceforth belong to my Gu Clan. With the two quotas from the Xiao Clan, my clan will have six quotas." The white-haired elder of the Gu Shan said in a calm voice.

"That's perfect. This time, six members of our Gu Clan can enter the Heavenly Tomb, and we can use the two slots from the Xiao Clan more legitimately in the future," Elder Gu Qian said softly.

"Hehe, Elder Gu Shan and Elder Gu Qian are right, I agree. Eh? Elder Tongxuan, aren't you happy?" An elder looked at Elder Tongxuan, who had a slight frown, and asked in confusion.

"My Gu Clan has occupied the Xiao Clan's quota for so many years without giving it back. Now that the Xiao Clan is gone, you have completely taken over the Xiao Clan's quota. This old man still cherishes the feelings he has for the Xiao Clan."

"Elder Tongxuan, you can't put it so harshly. Ever since the Xiao Clan declined, the quota has belonged to our Gu Clan. Moreover, even if the Xiao Clan hadn't perished, no one would have been able to enjoy the benefits of the Heavenly Tomb. Wouldn't it be a waste to give them the limited quota?"

"Alright, let's not dwell on these old stories. Now our Gu Clan has six spots to enter the Heavenly Tomb. Let's consider how to allocate these six spots."

"Six spots: Miss Xun Er, Four Commanders, and the last spot will go to Gu Zhen. As the Great Commander the Black Annihilation Army, he is calm and composed, and has made extraordinary contributions over the years. Giving him the spot should not be objected to by the others."

"Elder Gu Shan's suggestion is good. Gu Zhen has a high reputation in the Black Annihilation Army, almost on par with the Four Great Commanders. His strength is also quite good. Giving him the spot would not be a waste."

"Let's do it this way."

"Boom!"

After the six slots were allocated, just as the elders were about to adjourn the meeting, an explosion rang out not far away. The heavy booming sound reached the ears of everyone present, startling everyone.