Soul Hall Dou Zong

At the Rippling Mountain Empire's side.

As the dust settled, a hunched old man with a face full of wrinkles appeared before everyone.

The old man narrowed his eyes, and two sharp gleams shot from them like two keen blades, piercing straight into everyone's hearts.

Behind him, a pair of enormous earth-attributed wings condensed into existence. As they moved, they stirred waves of yellowish-brown air currents that spread through the surroundings.

"That is?"

The four Dou Kings of the Loose Cultivator Alliance were also drawn by the tremendous commotion. When they saw the hunched old man, their eyes widened.

A Dou Emperor!

"I never expected this group from the Rippling Mountain Empire to have a Dou Emperor-level expert!"

The four Dou Kings wore expressions of utter shock.

Yan Mao immediately slammed a fist into the ground and said indignantly, "Damn it!"

"They had a Dou Emperor, yet they fought us for so long. Were they toying with us?"

Yan Mao was deeply resentful.

The people of the Rippling Mountain Empire were also stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.

How had they never heard that the Rippling Mountain Empire possessed such a Dou Emperor expert?

The old man's appearance drew the attention of everyone from the royal family, their faces full of reverence.

"Greetings, Supreme Elder!"

All the royal disciples shouted in unison.

Supreme Elder?

"Hey, does any of you know that Dou Emperor expert?" a junior of the Chu Family asked blankly.

"No."

"Young Master, do you know?"

The man addressed as Young Master shook his head. "He's a Dou Emperor expert! How could I possibly know?"

The Chu Family members were bewildered and astonished at the sight of the old man before them. Only the Chu Family's First Elder frowned as though pondering something.

Looking at the suddenly appearing hunched old man, the Wang Family Head standing nearby transmitted his voice to Lan Cangshan. "Your Majesty, hadn't this man already exhausted his lifespan and passed away a hundred years ago?"

As far as the Wang Family Head, Wang Hui, knew, he had heard of this matter long before he became the family head. That old man had been in seclusion unto death for many years and should have long since fallen. How could he suddenly appear now?

"Old Wang, you also know that the Supreme Elder's lifespan was nearly exhausted back then. He only barely extended his life after breaking through a minor realm before his death."

Lan Cangshan's expression was complicated.

"So that's how it was. I was wondering how the Rippling Mountain Empire could have a Dou Emperor."

Upon hearing this, Wang Hui finally understood.

The empire, sects, and clans had always stood together. If a Dou Emperor expert had truly emerged, how could the people in power of these clans possibly not know?

As he spoke, Lan Cangshan also gave the hunched old man in the field a slight bow. "Supreme Elder."

"Mm."

The Supreme Elder nodded faintly. His aged eyes fixed on the black-robed old man. After a moment of silence, he said, "Since Your Excellency is a Dou Emperor expert, why bother squabbling with these juniors?"

The black-robed old man burst into laughter.

"Hahaha—"

"I merely taught a lesson to a few people who did not know their place, and killed a few ants along the way."

"That's right!"

A rough voice carrying the aura of a Dou Emperor descended from the heavens!

The newcomer was none other than the Barbarian Emperor, who had rushed over after being alerted by the Dou Emperor aura on the black-robed old man's side.

Facing the two Dou Emperors before him, the Supreme Elder frowned deeply.

They were very strong!

They could not be opposed!

Though he had known earlier that these two were no ordinary Dou Emperors, he had not expected their pressure to become so much stronger at such close range.

They're at least five-star Dou Emperors, the Supreme Elder thought to himself.

Although he possessed the cultivation of a three-star Dou Emperor, with his lifespan nearing its end, he could only display strength around that of a two-star Dou Emperor.

The Barbarian Emperor looked at the black-robed old man and nodded. With a disdainful expression, he said, "A bunch of ants want to covet the inheritance of a Dou Zong expert's cave abode? You overestimate yourselves!"

After saying that, he stomped down!

Boom!

The ground split apart!

Rumble!

The royal family members felt the world spin around them, their minds buzzing.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

A series of bodies hitting the ground followed. More than a hundred royal disciples were all knocked unconscious by the Barbarian Emperor's single stomp, each bruised, battered, and in a miserable state!

"You!"

Seeing the scene before him, the Supreme Elder's face turned livid, anger and apprehension flashing in his eyes.

"What, you want to make a move?"

The Barbarian Emperor looked at the Supreme Elder with contempt. "Old man, you'd better weigh your options. You're only a three-star Dou Emperor, yet you dare make a move?"

Having his cultivation seen through at a glance, the Supreme Elder suppressed the anger in his heart. After glancing at the black-robed old man beside the Barbarian Emperor, he smiled bitterly. "This old man is no match for you two."

"Your strength is likely exceptional even among Dou Emperors. On behalf of the Rippling Mountain Empire, I withdraw from the competition for the Dou Zong expert's inherited cave abode."

There was no other choice. With such strength, these two were surely from some great force beyond this region. The Rippling Mountain Empire could not afford to offend them.

"Hmph!"

"At least you know your place!"

The Barbarian Emperor snorted coldly with arrogance.

"Lan Cangshan, take the empire's people and leave with this old man," the Supreme Elder said to Lan Cangshan at the side.

"Yes."

The black-robed old man narrowed his eyes. It was not that he had not considered using their combined strength to keep everyone present here, but that would easily make them the target of everyone's hostility.

One Dou Emperor and several Dou Kings combined were not enough to frighten the two of them, but they would still be troublesome.

And the longer they delayed, the more disadvantageous it would be if another Dou Emperor or several more Dou Kings appeared.

Meanwhile.

Watching Lan Cangshan and the others prepare to leave, Yan Mao calmly said to the other three Dou Kings, "It's time to go. With Dou Emperors involved, Dou Kings have no right to participate at all."

After saying that, without waiting for the three Dou Kings to speak, a pair of fire-attributed wings condensed behind his back.

With a leap, he flew into the sky and headed into the distance...

"Yan Mao left."

"What else could he do? Those two Dou Emperors are too terrifying and came with such force that they do not even regard the Rippling Mountain Empire's Dou Emperor as worthy of notice."

"If we stay here, forget getting even a sip of soup. Whether we can keep our lives will be a question." Mo Kun said with lingering fear.

"Indeed. I never expected that in such a barren place, where even a Dou King is rarely produced, three Dou Emperors would emerge!"

As Yan Ming sighed, he also condensed a pair of wings behind his back.

He had come here without informing his sect because he had seen how barren this place was and thought that, with his strength as a Dou King, he could gain considerable benefits. Yet he had never expected two Dou Emperors this powerful to suddenly appear.

Boom!

A tremendous crash rang out!

A figure was smashed dozens of meters into the ground, blood spraying wildly from his mouth before he passed out.

"That's Yan Mao, who just left!"

"How did he end up like this?!"

"Could it be another Dou Emperor!"

The three Dou Kings looked at one another, as though they had seen a ghost.

"What happened?!"

The tremendous noise also drew the attention of Lan Cangshan and the others in the distance.

"This is?"

The Barbarian Emperor and the black-robed old man also stared solemnly into the sky.

"Hehehehe!"

At that moment, black mist emerged in the sky, accompanied by an eerie, sinister laugh that echoed across the heavens like the cry of crows.

"None of you will leave today. Obediently become this Protector's nourishment!"