A Conspiracy!

"Where... am I?"

"What's wrong with me?"

"My body feels so weak..."

"I can't remember what poison it was... I only remember losing consciousness right after I stepped into the Thunder Tomb..." Outside the Thunder Pool, the contestants had also recovered to normal, though every single one of them bore varying degrees of injuries.

"It seems the crisis in the Thunder Tomb was resolved by Xiao Yan and the others," Yun Qi said softly.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get out of here quickly. I don't want to stay in this ghost place for even another second," Muge said with lingering fear.

"Since that's the case, let's go!" Everyone nodded slightly, and the Thunder Tokens in their hands flashed directly.

With the crisis resolved and the Thunder Tomb returned to normal, they could naturally leave this place through the Thunder Tokens.

"Thud." Thousands of Thunder Tokens were crushed directly, but what awaited everyone was a dead silence.

"What... is going on?" Noticing this scene, the group of powerhouses couldn't help but look at each other in dismay.

"It seems... there must still be some crisis within this Thunder Tomb..." Yun Qi knitted her delicate brows. With the departure of the Nether Spirit Thunder Flood Dragon, they possessed the highest strength here. If any other problems arose, I'm afraid...

"Let's wait... Hopefully nothing happens." Seeing this, Muge couldn't help clenching his fists and looking up at the sky.

Elsewhere, deep within the Thunder Pool.

"Valley Master, everything here should be over, right?" Xiao Yan asked tentatively. For some reason, after Duan Tianhong sealed Youhuan, a sense of unease began welling up inside Xiao Yan's body. This feeling of unease was even stronger than the one brought by Youhuan, and the source of the unease seemed to be drawing closer and closer to them.

"Pretty much." Duan Tianhong looked at the dark sky, abruptly retracting the Thunder Emperor Scepter in his hand. As for Youhuan, who had been sealed, he was completely suppressed within the Thunder Emperor Scepter. However, at this moment, his gaze was fixed on the distant sky, as though he were waiting for something. Clearly, he had also discovered what Xiao Yan sensed.

"Since that's the case, let's leave this place first..."

"Because of the Outer Realm Evil Clan's involvement, I'm afraid the third-stage competition was also forced to terminate..." Duan Qifei stretched lazily, revealing an alluring figure. At that moment, the samsara fluctuations were checked, and she instantly recovered her aura as the eldest miss of Forged Blade Thunder Valley.

"Right now... it's a bit too early." Just as everyone was preparing to leave, a gloomy voice, accompanied by bursts of formidable power, permeated this space once more.

"Who goes there?" Xiao Yan let out a cold snort as a huge crack thousands of feet long abruptly appeared in the sky, and a figure slowly emerged from within the rift.

"This is..." Duan Qifei also turned her beautiful eyes slightly. This figure gave her a sense of deja vu.

"Hehe, Tianyan, you came just in time."

"The Youhuan Clan attempted to corrode the Thunder Tomb and have already been completely suppressed by me." Duan Tianhong smiled slowly, his voice filled with a sense of pride.

"This fellow..." Upon seeing this guy, the Holy Flame Heart within Xiao Yan's body abruptly stirred. Piercing through human skin, a dangerously perilous aura emanated from the man.

"Hehe, Big Brother is indeed as mighty as he was back in the day." The newcomer was none other than Duan Tianyan, currently the vice valley master of Forged Blade Thunder Valley.

"I'm old. If not for that injury inside my body, I'm afraid I wouldn't have had to go to such great lengths." Hearing the red-haired man speak, Duan Tianhong smiled bitterly.

"Rustle." When Duan Tianhong mentioned the injury inside his body, a rare, sinister smile flashed beneath Duan Tianyan's lips, vanishing in an instant.

"How are things outside?" The next moment, Duan Tianhong asked again.

"Everything is peaceful outside. Seeing no turmoil outside, I was worried about Big Brother and Fei'er, so I broke into the Thunder Tomb..." Duan Tianyan explained.

"No turmoil..."

"Logically speaking, although the Youhuan Clan among the Outer Realm Evil Clan possesses three four-star Dou Xian experts, wanting to use this to wipe us out is still somewhat lacking..."

"And based on past experience, the battles of the Outer Realm Evil Clan are never fought alone. They are a tightly knit organization..."

"Could the intelligence have been wrong?" Duan Tianhong wore a puzzled expression.

"Big Brother, since the Youhuan Clan has already been bound by you, it's time for us to head out." Duan Tianyan smiled.

"Uncle Tianyan." The next moment, however, before Duan Tianyan could speak, Duan Qifei smiled slightly. Clearly, everyone witnessed how dearly Duan Tianyan, the vice valley master of Forged Blade Thunder Valley, cherished her.

"What is this..." Before long, Duan Tianyan's deep-colored pupils stared at the Thunder Emperor Scepter, which was covered in thunder-type power in Duan Tianhong's hand, and he asked in confusion.

"This is the Thunder Emperor Scepter, a relic of Emperor Lei Hong. Thanks to it, otherwise I wouldn't have had enough strength today to deal with the three Youhuans," Duan Tianhong smiled, though that smile concealed a trace of cunning that ordinary people could hardly detect.

"The Thunder Emperor Scepter... truly a good item..."

"Big Brother's body is currently ailing; why not hand this item over to me for safekeeping?" Duan Tianyan smiled.

"Naturally. Catch."

"Three experts of the Youhuan Clan are sealed within the Thunder Emperor Scepter. Three four-star Dou Xian experts are enough to unearth some intelligence regarding the Outer Realm Evil Clan's vast organization, and the remaining interrogation work will naturally be left to you." Seeing this, Duan Tianhong smiled faintly, and without any hesitation, he directly tossed the Thunder Emperor Scepter toward the figure.

"Big Brother still trusts me like this." Duan Tianyan naturally did not decline. He reached out and opened his palm slightly, instantly grasping the Thunder Emperor Scepter.

"Such brilliant energy... As expected of Emperor Lei Hong's renowned Immortal Artifact." The moment the Thunder Emperor Scepter surged into Duan Tianyan's grasp, a series of buzzing sounds immediately rang out, as if it were struggling with all its might to break free.

"Xiao Yan, protect Fei'er in a moment and take her away from here first." Just as Xiao Yan harbored doubts in his heart, Duan Tianhong's concealed soul transmission entered Xiao Yan's mind.

"It seems this fellow wants to risk his own skin..." Hearing this, Xiao Yan also nodded slightly. Clearly, the hidden ailment on Duan Tianhong's body-which sealed the origin of the Burning Soul Clan's king-had already been purged by Xiao Yan, though from beginning to end, only three people knew about this matter.

"Get ready, then let's leave this place."

"The Eastern Continent Tournament should be completely over as well." Seeing the few of them now, Duan Tianhong coughed softly, a wave of weakness welled up, and he spoke.

"Hehe, hold on a moment, Big Brother."

"There is still one matter that requires Big Brother's help." Just as the few of them were about to leave the Thunder Tomb, the fiery red Dou Qi on Duan Tianyan's body abruptly roared, and an overwhelming, destructive aura permeated the entire space.

Duan Tianyan's strength had actually reached the level of a half-step five-star Dou Xian!

"What other matter?" Duan Tianhong forcefully propped up his injured body and asked in confusion.

"Lending me your life... so that we may declare war on the Lord of Fierce Souls on behalf of the forces behind us." A bizarre voice slowly filled the entire Thunder Realm, and instantly, the flaming Dou Qi on Duan Tianyan's body abruptly transformed into wisps of black mist that shrouded this space!

"Not good!"

"It's a trap!"

"Xiao Yan, Fei'er, run!" At this critical juncture, Duan Tianhong let out a cold snort.