Just One Strand Short, Second on the Family Ranking

Flame Realm of the Yan Clan!

After seeing the Ancient Clan's reward.

Yan Jin suddenly felt that the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame in his hand was no longer so appealing!

Before, he had only felt envious when Gu Yuan obtained the Source Qi of the Emperor. After all, he had only been a Late Eight-Star Dou Saint at the time.

But things were different now. Under the Gold Ranking Blessing, he was also a Late Nine-star Dou Saint. He was only ten strands of the Source Qi of the Emperor away from the long-coveted Dou Emperor Realm.

"Gu Yuan is about to break through to Half-Emperor."

"Then Hun Tiandi..."

Thinking of this, Yan Jin pondered for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "It seems that the Six Great Ancient Clans still need to cooperate. Otherwise, the Soul Clan will become the only dominant force."

The Far North.

Above the Seven Star Palace on the Meteor God Ice Plain.

Yao Clan Leader Yao Dan stood behind the several Hall Masters.

At this moment, as he watched the scene on the Heavenly Dao Gold Ranking, he muttered subconsciously, "Six strands of the Source Qi of the Emperor... Half-Emperor. The Ancient Clan has grown even stronger."

Hearing Yao Clan Leader Yao Dan's murmur.

Hall Master Tianshu, 'Xiao Xuan,' said disdainfully, "Compared with Hun Tiandi, that old thing Gu Yuan falls far short in both strategy and courage."

"Once the Supreme Help is exposed."

"I still have a debt to settle with the Ancient Clan and Gu Yuan!"

Hearing this.

Shi Clan Patriarch 'Shi Feng' said subconsciously, "Xiao Xuan, I remember that you and Gu Yuan had a pretty good relationship. Why do you still want to settle accounts with him?"

Hearing this, Xiao Xuan turned toward Shi Clan Patriarch Shi Feng and said faintly, "Back then, before I gathered my entire clan's bloodline to attempt a breakthrough to the Dou Emperor Realm, I found Gu Yuan and asked him to look after the Xiao Clan if I failed. And what did he do? He looked after us so well that he produced a Da Dou Shi Clan Leader!"

"A Da Dou Shi. You people probably haven't heard those three words in many years, have you?"

"After the Xiao Clan declined, you all know how much the Ancient Clan gained. If they had casually taken out even a little, they could have nurtured a Dou Zong or Dou Zun for the Xiao Clan..."

"If he had merely ignored my Xiao Clan, so be it. After all, without a Dou Saint guarding us, it would have been a good thing for the Xiao Clan to stay away from conflict. But the Ancient Clan even sent Gu Yuan's daughter to the Xiao Clan, intending to scheme for the Tou She Ancient God Jade?"

"He really was a good brother..."

Ling Clan Patriarch 'Ling Yun' twitched at the corner of his mouth upon hearing this.

Looking at it this way, what the Ancient Clan had done over the years was indeed rather unethical. If not for Xiao Yan's rise, the Xiao Clan probably would have completely vanished into the dust of history within a hundred years.

Suddenly.

Yao Dan seemed to realize something.

He abruptly raised his head, his face full of confusion. "Something's not right, Xiao Xuan. Since you're still alive, why haven't you helped the Xiao Clan all these years?"

"I have a Guardian mission and cannot abandon my post." Xiao Xuan said solemnly, "Besides, my lord does not allow me to interfere too much in the Xiao Clan's affairs."

"As for what exactly my Seven Star Palace is guarding, once the Family Ranking ends and you meet my lord at the Flame Demon Battlefield, you'll all know."

"..."

While the many Ancient Clans and Loose Cultivator martial artists were shocked.

The image on the Heavenly Dao Gold Ranking high in the firmament soon changed again, revealing countless figures dressed in black.

[Second on the Family Ranking: Central Continent—Soul Clan]

[Reason for ranking: The Soul Clan is one of the 'Eight Ancient Clans' of the Dou Qi Continent. Its clansmen possess Dou God Bloodline within their bodies and reside in the 'Soul Realm.'

Its Clan Leader, 'Hun Tiandi,' is a Late Nine-star Dou Saint and one of the continent's Supreme Experts.

It also possesses the second-ranked Nihility Devouring Flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. With cultivation reaching the 'Early Nine-star Dou Saint' level, it serves as the clan's inherited flame.

In addition, the clan has four Living Dead elders whose cultivation has reached the 'Eight-Star Dou Saint' level, six 'Seven-star Dou Saint' elders, and numerous experts below the Six-star Dou Saint level. Under its command is also the continent's third-ranked force, the 'Hall of Souls.'

The clan's foundation and strength rank first among the Eight Ancient Clans. In the overall ranking, it takes second place on the Family Ranking.]

[Ranking reward: One High-Grade Emperor Grade Cultivation Method and one High-Grade Emperor Grade Secret Method]

[All Soul Clan members will increase by one star. (Those without Origin Qi in their bodies cannot advance beyond the Late Nine-star Dou Saint level and will receive a compensation reward of three strands of the Source Qi of the Emperor. Those at the Early Nine-star Dou Saint level will advance to the Late Nine-star Dou Saint level and receive one strand of the Source Qi of the Emperor as compensation.)]

[Ten clusters of Divine Grade Dou God Bloodline for the Soul Clan. (Upon merging with the origin, one will possess the potential to reach the peak of the Dou Saint level, with no bottleneck before becoming a Dou Saint.)]

[Five strands of the Source Qi of the Emperor]

[Choose one of two special rewards. Only the Clan Leader may inspect them.]

!!!

After seeing the Gold Ranking's introduction of the Soul Clan, whether they were Loose Cultivator forces and clans on the Dou Qi Continent or members of the Eight Ancient Clans, everyone erupted.

"Wo Cao! Wo Cao! Wo Cao!"

"One Late Nine-star Dou Saint, one Early Nine-star Dou Saint, four Eight-Star Dou Saints, and six Seven-star Dou Saints... Is this the clan behind the Hall of Souls? Its strength is terrifying!"

"Hun Tiandi. That name is truly domineering!"

"What do you mean, all four Eight-Star Dou Saints are Living Dead?"

"The second-ranked Nihility Devouring Flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking actually cultivated to the Early Nine-star Dou Saint level? That's too powerful!"

"Three strands, one strand, five strands..."

"The Gold Ranking has rewarded the Soul Clan with a total of nine strands of the Source Qi of the Emperor. The Soul Clan Patriarch is just one step away from breaking through to the Dou Emperor Realm. If there's another strand among the special rewards, the Soul Clan will take off completely!"

"Seven Dou Emperor Legacy Families have been ranked so far. Could the first place on the Family Ranking be the final Dou Emperor family?"

"..."

While the outside world was in an uproar.

Within the Soul Clan Soul Realm, Hun Tiandi had already lost his composure.

The reason was that the special rewards offered no choice of the Source Qi of the Emperor he had been dreaming of.

In an instant, Hun Tiandi's roar, mixed with unwillingness and fury, suddenly echoed throughout the enormous Soul Realm.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

"Why is there one strand of the Source Qi of the Emperor missing? What kind of trash are these special rewards? This Clan Leader wants the Source Qi of the Emperor! Even one strand would do!"

Looking at the frenzied Hun Tiandi.

One of the Soul Clan's Eight-Star Dou Saints, 'Hun Shengtian,' could not help but advise him, "Clan Leader, since the overall result has been decided, why not make your choice first? Once the Gold Ranking distributes the rewards, you can refine the five strands of the Source Qi of the Emperor and break through to Half-Emperor. Then it won't be too late to raise an army against the Ancient Clan."

Faced with Hun Shengtian's reminder.

Hun Tiandi, aware that his current outburst was merely impotent rage, gradually calmed down.

With a gloomy expression, he said, "You're right. The Ancient Clan also obtained six strands of the Source Qi of the Emperor. This Clan Leader only needs to take one strand back."

Thinking of this.

Hun Tiandi raised his eyes toward the two special rewards on the Gold Ranking.

[Revive the four Living Dead elders, allowing them to live another life and recover their ability to cultivate and improve.]

[Increase the strength of a clan member of any level by one star. This can stack with the Gold Ranking Blessing, increasing their level by two stars at once.]

Faced with these two options.

Hun Tiandi chose the latter without hesitation.

To him, it was enough for the four Living Dead elders in the clan to break through to the Nine-star Dou Saint level. There was no need to revive them.

What he needed now was to give the Soul Clan more Nine-star Dou Saint-level combat power, so that he could lead the Soul Clan in attacking the Ancient Clan, seize the Source Qi of the Emperor, and help him prove the Dao and become a Dou Emperor!

Thinking of this.

'Hun Yan' and 'Hun Sha' of the Soul Clan Four Demon Sages became the lucky ones he had chosen.

After Hun Tiandi made his choice.

Countless golden streams of light descended from the Heavenly Dao Gold Ranking high in the firmament and entered the bodies of Soul Clan experts scattered across various locations, causing the auras around them to surge violently.