Ancient Emperor Cave Abode, Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun

"There isn't? Then please leave. Only Emperor Jade can open the Ancient Emperor Cave Abode, and only those holding Emperor Jade may enter." Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun's tone stalled for a moment before his voice boomed.

If he had not sensed that Xiao Xian might be a powerhouse on the same level as himself, perhaps even equal to him in strength, Zhu Kun would not have been so polite. He would have simply killed Xiao Xian. Why would he possibly let him leave?

When Tou She Ancient God departed, he had plotted against the world. Taking advantage of the Dou Qi Continent's yearning for Dou Emperors, he successfully deceived Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun and suppressed him within this void for thousands upon thousands of years, all so that he would guard the Ancient Emperor Cave Abode and await a later generation holding Emperor Jade to find this land of opportunity.

This was also the sliver of hope Tou She Ancient God had left for the later generations of the Dou Qi Continent, because within the Ancient Emperor Cave Abode lay a great opportunity that could help one break through to Dou Emperor—a wisp of Source Qi and an Emperor Grade Young Pill.

In truth, Tou She Ancient God had not deliberately plotted against Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun. Whoever first found this space would automatically become something akin to a world spirit; Zhu Kun had merely happened to arrive at the right time.

It had to be said that this fellow was also quite tragic. His luck had been atrocious. Not long after becoming Dragon Emperor, before he could even enjoy the rights of his position, he had fallen deep into the mire and been imprisoned for several thousand years. Only now had he encountered the first person, but unfortunately, Xiao Xian had no Emperor Jade and thus could not help him escape.

Tou She Ancient God had placed restrictions within the Ancient Emperor Cave Abode. Only when someone held all eight Emperor Jades and opened the Ancient Emperor Cave Abode could he break free of the restrictions and regain his freedom. Otherwise, even if he died of old age, he would be unable to escape.

It was exceedingly vicious, but so long as one could restrain the greed in one's heart, such a thing would naturally never happen to them. There was no need to blame heaven or resent others.

However, if there were an opportunity to advance to Dou Emperor, then even if death lay ahead, countless later generations would surely rush forward one after another.

"You are Zhu Kun, the previous Dragon Emperor of the Void Ancient Dragon Clan, correct? This Emperor happens to lack a pet to serve as transportation. How about choosing you?" Xiao Xian said suddenly, stroking his chin.

The Void Ancient Dragon Clan resembled the divine dragons of mythical worlds. They possessed all the characteristics of dragons and were enormous in size. Their cultivation had also reached the Dou Sheng Peak realm. Although they could not compare to Dou Emperors, they were still peak powerhouses on the Dou Qi Continent.

With such a dragon as a pet, Xiao Xian felt that riding it out would definitely be an incredibly impressive sight, instantly raising his prestige by countless levels.

Thus, Master Xiao was tempted. He happened to be lacking a pet. There was nothing more to say—since he had come across one, there was absolutely no reason to let it go.

"Roar! Human, you seek death!" Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun immediately flew into a rage, his furious voice resounding throughout the void.

Who was he? A most noble imperial member of the Void Ancient Dragon Clan, as well as the previous Dragon Emperor. His cultivation had reached the Peak Ninth Order Dou Sheng realm, and his combat strength was comparable to a Half-Step Dou Di. He was one of the absolute peak existences on the entire Dou Qi Continent.

With such an illustrious status, he was actually humiliated so severely by the human before him, who even wanted to take him as a pet? Who did he think he was? A Dou Emperor?

Even if he truly were a Dou Emperor, Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun would not submit. Dou Emperors might be powerful, but Zhu Kun believed that given enough time, his future achievements would not be inferior to a Dou Emperor's. There was simply no need for him to grovel before one.

Feeling himself gravely insulted, Zhu Kun became enraged. He no longer cared whether the person before him was truly an existence on the same level as himself. He only wanted to kill this fellow to vent his anger.

"Die!"

Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun let out a roar, and the entire void began to riot. An unimaginably massive dragon claw descended from the sky, clawing toward Xiao Xian's head.

"Oh? You actually dare attack This Emperor. This Emperor has no choice but to admire your courage." Xiao Xian swept back his hair and said in an ostentatious manner.

Then he attacked as well. A palm, white as jade, slowly extended outward. Though it could not compare to that dragon claw hundreds of zhang in size, and was so small it could nearly be ignored, in Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun's eyes, that palm seemed to encompass everything between heaven and earth, contain every corner of the universe, and pierce through past and future. Nothing in heaven and earth could be greater than that palm.

"A Dou Emperor! How is that possible? How can there still be a Dou Emperor in this world?" Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun's face drained of color as he let out an incredulous shriek.

A Dou Emperor! Since Tou She Ancient God, not a single Dou Emperor had appeared in this world. It was as though heaven and earth no longer permitted the existence of Dou Emperors. No matter how astonishing one's talent or how heaven-defying one's cultivation, all would stop at the Peak Ninth Order Dou Sheng realm, unable to advance even one more step. The path ahead had already been severed.

But what was happening now? How could a Dou Emperor still be alive in this world? Had he been absent from the outside world for so long that it had changed beyond his recognition?

Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun could not help but begin doubting himself.

His cultivation had reached the peak of Dou Saint long ago, yet he had been trapped at this realm for thousands of years. No matter how many methods he tried, he could not break through his current boundary.

For experts at their level, they had already vaguely sensed that heaven and earth lacked the substance needed to break through to Dou Emperor. Without that thing, no matter how one struggled, it would all ultimately be like drawing water with a bamboo basket—nothing but emptiness.

Xiao Xuan of the Xiao Clan was a fine example. In order to break through to the Dou Emperor realm, he had not hesitated to extract all the Dou Emperor bloodline from his clansmen. Yet he still failed. Not only had he died until only his soul remained, forced to linger miserably within the Heavenly Tomb, but the Xiao Clan had also declined as a result, completely falling out of the ranks of the eight ancient great clans.

But what was happening now? A Dou Emperor, who should never have been able to appear, had actually appeared alive before him. Could it be that heaven and earth had begun producing the substance needed to break through to Dou Emperor once more, allowing later generations to advance to Dou Emperor?

Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun could not help but let his thoughts run wild, but Xiao Xian's attack did not pause because of it. With a single slap, this void space created by a Dou Emperor let out a pained groan, and the entire space faintly showed signs of shattering.

"Roar!"

Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun let out a miserable scream. His dragon claw, hundreds of zhang in size, instantly turned into a rain of blood beneath that slap before finally being reduced to dust by the overwhelming energy.

Nor was that all. The power of that slap also pierced through his body, over a thousand zhang tall. A terrifying gaping hole appeared in his abdomen, nearly splitting his entire body in two.

With a single strike, Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun was severely injured without the slightest ability to resist. Although such an injury was not fatal to a powerful Dou Saint, it had already damaged his foundation. Unless he spent several hundred years recovering, he would not be able to heal completely.