Blood Sacrifice of Buried Souls: Dual Emperor Resonance and My Brother's Counterattack Moment

Dark clouds obscured the sun above the Soul Burial Abyss. Hun Dan stood upon the sacrificial altar, the seven fragments of the Ancient Emperor Jade in his hand piecing together the complete "Tou She Ancient God Pattern." Beneath his feet lay the unconscious Gu Yuan, whose blood flowed along the grooves of the altar and into the abyss. When Xiao Feng and the others arrived, they saw Hun Dan embedding the fragments into a fissure in the abyss; from the black mist, a hundred-foot-tall skeleton slowly rose—it was the legendary King Nine-Nether!

"Little brats of the Xiao family, you've arrived just in time!" Hun Dan sneered, waving his hand. "Let me show you the power of 'System Destiny'!"

Xiao Feng channeled "Soul Movement Three Thousand," only to discover that the black mist of the abyss could devour soul power. "Careful! This is King Nine-Nether's 'Soul-Devouring Domain'!" He turned to look at Xiao Yan, only to see his younger brother staring at the unconscious Gu Yuan on the altar, complex emotions flickering in his eyes.

"Third Brother, take Xun Er and the others and fall back." Xiao Yan gripped the Heavy Xuan Ruler tightly. "I'll cover the rear!"

"Little Yan, your Douqi..." Xiao Feng realized with a start that Xiao Yan's aura was unstable, showing signs of an imminent breakthrough.

Xiao Yan grinned. "Don't worry. Today, no one is going to bully my brother—not even the System!"

Hun Dan waved his hand, and countless Soul-Devouring Insects surged from the abyss, forming a "System Legion" that swarmed toward them. Just as Xiao Feng prepared to strike, he saw Xun Er, Gu Ling, Yun Yun, and Xiao Yi Xian charge out simultaneously. The Ancient Spirit Cold Flame and the Flame Emperor Fire intertwined, temporarily forcing the swarm back.

"Brother Xiao, we'll help you!" Xun Er threw out a fragment of the Progenitor Ancient Jade, its green light forming a barrier.

Yun Yun swung her sword, unleashing the "White Cloud Sword Mantra." "Young Master Xiao, watch out for Hun Dan's jade slip!"

Xiao Feng nodded, his Emperor Flame erupting and transforming into a fire lotus that slammed toward the altar. Hun Dan unleashed the System Terminal, summoning a "Plot Kill" beam that collided with the fire lotus, triggering a violent explosion. Xiao Feng was sent flying by the shockwave, the Emperor Scale on his chest shattering as blood stained his robes.

"Third Brother!" Xiao Yan cried out, rushing over to support him. "Are you alright?"

Xiao Feng managed a strained smile. "I'm fine... go, stop Hun Dan!"

At that moment, King Nine-Nether in the abyss let out a roar, and the black mist coalesced into a giant hand that grabbed toward Xiao Yan. Xiao Feng instinctively rose to block it, but he was struck by the giant hand and pinned against a stone pillar of the altar, his Emperor Flame flickering as if about to extinguish.

"No!" Xiao Yan felt a sharp pain in his heart. Flashes of his mother's final moments, the scene of Xiao Zhan being imprisoned, and the sight of Xiao Feng covered in wounds to protect him raced before his eyes. He gripped the Heavy Xuan Ruler, and the Flame Emperor Fire suddenly surged, breaking through the Dou Zong bottleneck to reach the late stage of Dou Zong!

Ding! Xiao Yan has triggered the "Bloodline Counterattack" plot. Flame Emperor bloodline compatibility increased to 100%. "Flame Emperor Battle Soul" awakened!

Golden-red flames ignited in Xiao Yan's eyes, and a twelve-foot fire lotus phantom appeared behind him, each petal inscribed with the ancient character for "Burn." He raised his hand and swung; the Heavy Xuan Ruler descended with the force of a world-destroying strike, severing the giant hand of King Nine-Nether!

"Hun Dan, pay with your life!" Xiao Yan roared. "You stole my plot, snatched my loved ones, and dared to hurt my Third Brother!"

Hun Dan retreated in terror. "Impossible! You're nothing but a supporting character; how could you break through?!"

"Because I am Xiao Yan!" The youth stepped through the air. The fire lotus and the Emperor Flame resonated, and the Emperor Scale on Xiao Feng's chest began to glow once more. "The disciples of the Xiao family never accept their fate!"

The two men's Heavenly Flames merged in the air to form the character "Xiao," burning a hole through the black mist of King Nine-Nether. Seeing the situation turn dire, Hun Dan crushed a teleportation talisman to flee, but he was ensnared by a chain of Flame Emperor Fire thrown by Xiao Yan.

"Trying to run?" Xiao Yan sneered. "Give me back my Protagonist Halo first!"

He waved his hand, recalling the "Protagonist Power" that had been transferred away by the System bug. Hun Dan's System Terminal instantly went black, and his cultivation plummeted to the early stage of Dou King. Xiao Feng seized the opportunity to break free from the stone pillar; the Emperor Flame and the Flame Emperor Fire merged, unleashing the complete version of "Dual Emperor Sky-Breaking!"

A beam of light pierced through the phantom of King Nine-Nether, and a roar of unwillingness echoed from the abyss as the black mist gradually dissipated. Hun Dan collapsed to the ground, the jade slip scattering to the side and revealing the "System Core Code" within.

Xiao Yan picked up the jade slip, and suddenly, as if enlightened, he channeled the "Burning Mantra" to incinerate the code into ashes. A system notification exploded in both their minds:

Ding! System bug repaired. The plot line has returned to the correct track!

Xiao Feng has returned all "misplaced fate." Xiao Yan has recovered his "Protagonist Halo."

Rewards: "Brothers United" potion (all attributes +20% permanently), "System Conqueror" title.

As the black mist cleared, Gu Yuan slowly awoke. He looked at the Xiao brothers with a gratified expression. "As expected of the descendants of Xiao Xuan..."

Xun Er and the others gathered around, their gazes refocusing on Xiao Yan. Xun Er handed over a healing potion, and Gu Ling chuckled. "So it was all a misunderstanding. Brother Xiao Yan is truly the one destined by heaven."

Yun Yun nodded. "Young Master Xiao and Xiao Yan are brothers united; it is truly the fortune of the Douqi Continent."

Xiao Yi Xian stepped forward, holding a medicinal pill. "Brother Xiao Yan, try my new medicine!"

Xiao Feng watched his brother become the center of attention once more. He wore a gratified smile, though he sighed deliberately. "Sigh, now that I've lost my Protagonist Halo, it seems I can only be a quiet, handsome man."

Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow. "Third Brother, do you want me to share half of my Protagonist Halo with you? After all..." He glanced at the distant phantom of Queen Medusa, "someone is still waiting to dissolve their contract with you."

Xiao Feng gave a wry smile. "Forget it. Right now, I just hope to cultivate properly and not get screwed by the System again—especially not by stealing your women."

A system notification suddenly rang out:

Ding! Queen Medusa has teleported to the Soul Burial Abyss. "Contract Dissolution" plot triggered!

Xiao Yan has obtained the "Main Wife Certification" achievement. Xiao Feng has obtained the "Best Supporting Actor" title.

Everyone turned to see Medusa approaching on her snake tail. Her gaze drifted between Xiao Yan and Xiao Feng before finally locking onto Xiao Yan. "Successor of the Flame Emperor, I have come to fulfill my promise."

Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief, only to see Xiao Feng quietly backing away. "You two talk; I'm going to check on Senior Gu Yuan."

Xun Er chuckled. "Brother Xiao, why don't I accompany you?"

Gu Ling followed as well. "I'll go too, and take the opportunity to ask for advice on cultivating the Emperor Flame."

Yun Yun shook her head with a laugh, giving Xiao Yan a sympathetic look. "Young Master Xiao Yan, it seems your brother's romantic tribulations are far from over."

Watching his brother's flustered state as he was surrounded by three beauties, Xiao Yan finally couldn't help but burst into laughter. Yao Lao's voice drifted from the storage ring: "Kid, do you finally know how hard your brother has it?"

"Yeah." Xiao Yan nodded, his gaze fixed on Xiao Feng, who was frantically trying to explain the contract misunderstanding. "Actually, this isn't bad—at least we are both fighting for the Xiao family, and fighting for our freedom."

The system notification rang out once more:

Ding! Main quest "Seal the Soul Burial Abyss" completed. Obtained "Dou Emperor Inheritance" fragment.

Deep within the Soul Burial Abyss, amidst the incinerated System code, a black shard quietly flew out and landed in Hun Dan's hand. He watched the Xiao family members in the distance, a sinister smile curling his lips—this was not the end, but a new beginning.