Emperor Clan Foundations, Four Emperors and Ten Kings!

Dan Xuan?

Was he named Dan Xuan because his true form was a Ninth-Rank Profound Pill?!

Watching Mu Tong, who looked like a youth, put on such an old-fashioned air, Qing Luo grumbled inwardly.

As Mu Tong's voice fell,

the four Peak Dou Zong experts of the Stone Clan in the distance grew much friendlier.

Clearly,

the Pill Tower Ancestor's name still carried considerable weight before the Stone Clan.

"Senior Dan Xuan, please wait a moment. I will report this to the clan chief at once!"

The leading Stone Clan warrior cupped his hands toward Mu Tong.

Then,

he turned and disappeared into the Stone Realm.

Deep within the Stone Realm,

the Ten-Thousand-Jun Stone Hall stood solemnly.

The entire hall was built from Primordial Profound Rock, its walls flowing with heavy stone patterns.

Shi Zhentian, the Stone Clan's chief, sat in the seat of honor.

His body was as massive as a mountain.

His skin was embedded with natural rock patterns.

Around him surged the dense Emperor Clan Origin of the ancient Stone Clan.

Heavy footsteps sounded outside the hall. The Stone Clan Dou Zun who had been guarding the outside entered with a bow, dropped to one knee, and reported in a deep voice:

"Clan Chief, two people have arrived outside the realm. One is a cowherd boy riding backward on a green ox, Dan Xuan, the Pill Tower Ancestor. The other claims to be the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, ranked third on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. The two wish to enter the Stone Realm and discuss cooperation with our clan."

At those words,

Shi Zhentian's eyes snapped open.

Boom—

The vast aura of a Six-Star Dou Saint swept out from within the hall.

Lightning-like radiance and stone essence churned in Shi Zhentian's eyes as he frowned deeply.

"The Pill Tower Ancestor... is actually traveling with the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame?!"

Over these years,

the Stone Clan had always remained secluded and kept a low profile because its Dou God bloodline was drying up, avoiding the karmic ties and conflicts of the outside world.

However,

the Pill Tower held an extraordinary status in the Central Plains.

It was a holy land in the hearts of countless alchemists.

And the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame ranked third on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. Since these two had come together, they were not people the Stone Clan could easily offend.

"Clan Chief, have you encountered some trouble?"

At that moment,

a white-haired elder entered the hall.

This man was named Shi Chui. He was the foremost of the Stone Clan's Four Emperors, and his strength as a Five-Star Dou Saint gave him a status within the Stone Clan second only to the clan chief.

He was also deeply trusted by Shi Zhentian.

As one of the Emperor Clans,

the Stone Clan had, aside from Clan Chief Shi Zhentian,

the Four Emperors, the Ten Kings, and many other experts.

The Four Emperors were all at the Dou Saint level. Aside from Shi Chui, who was a Five-Star Dou Saint, the other three were all Two-Star Dou Saints.

As for the Ten Kings,

aside from three Half-Saints, the remaining seven were all Peak Dou Zun experts.

Seeing Shi Chui enter,

Shi Zhentian told him about the Pill Tower Ancestor and the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame visiting the Stone Clan together, then asked,

"What do you think?"

At those words,

Shi Chui shook his head. "Clan Chief, our clan's Emperor Blood is drying up, and there is a gap in the strength of our younger and older generations. We have remained secluded and kept a low profile all these years precisely so we could develop in secret and keep outsiders from seeing our true situation!"

"If we let them in now, wouldn't the secret our clan has worked so hard to conceal all these years be exposed to the world?"

"Elder Shi Chui, our clan has held fast for thousands of years. Not only have the experts within the clan failed to increase, but our strength has instead grown ever more scarce. The drying up of our Emperor Blood is already an indisputable fact..."

Shi Zhentian said in a low voice,

"As far as I know, the Pill Tower Ancestor was transformed from a Ninth-Rank Profound Pill and possesses the battle strength of a Six-Star Dou Saint. The number of Saint-level experts in the Pill Tower may not be much lower than in our clan.

"Moreover, the vast majority of the Pill Tower are alchemists. They possess an enormous and complex network of connections throughout the Central Plains, and the foundations behind them must not be underestimated!"

"The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame is an even more terrifying fiend. Over the years, the Dou Saint experts of various clans who have fallen within the Demon Flame Space probably number more than ten."

"Now that these two have come to our door, I fear we cannot stop them even if we try!"

"Ah... then Clan Chief, what do you mean to do..."

Shi Chui let out a soft sigh.

"Bring them in!"

Shi Zhentian ordered the guards.

"Yes!"

After hearing Shi Zhentian's words, the guards below the hall bowed and withdrew.

As the guards departed,

Shi Zhentian looked toward Shi Chui beside him and continued,

"After observing matters for all these years, remaining secluded and keeping a low profile has brought our clan no benefit whatsoever..."

"As an alchemist holy land second only to the Yao Clan, the Pill Tower's visit this time is not necessarily a bad thing for our clan. If they want cooperation, we can use the Pill Tower's pills to strengthen our clan's battle power!"

"If they have come to probe our true strength... then as one of the Emperor Clans, although we are far from what we once were, we are still not people anyone can look down upon!"

"Shi Chui, notify the other three Emperors and the Ten Kings to gather in the main hall for discussion!"

"Yes! This old man will issue the summons at once!"

Shi Chui nodded.

He walked outside the hall and took out a command token. As he threw it into the clouds,

an indescribably ancient will instantly spread through every region of the Stone Realm.

"By order of the Clan Chief, an assembly is called! The Four Emperors and Ten Kings are to arrive at the council hall immediately!"

Buzz—

As that vast, ancient will swept through the Stone Realm,

"A council assembly? It has not been convened for a thousand years, has it?"

"What is the Clan Chief planning?!"

"Whatever it is, if I keep sleeping, these old bones of mine are going to fall apart!"

For a time,

deep within the Stone Realm, one powerful and majestic aura after another awakened from silence.

These people

were all aged, stoop-backed elders.

Yet as these elders awoke one after another from their slumber, the dense vitality and blood power originating from the Stone Clan still caused the very land to boil.

Deep within the Stone Realm,

Qing Luo and Mu Tong followed the Stone Clan guards to the outside of the council hall.

"Gentlemen, the Clan Chief is inside. Please enter!"

The guard gestured toward the two of them.

"Alright!"

Mu Tong gave a slight nod. His gaze swept over the towering, ancient stone hall before him, and he could not help letting out a quiet sound of surprise.

"Hm..."

"As expected of one of the Emperor Clans. Even the guards of their main hall are Peak Dou Zun experts!"

At those words,

Qing Luo glanced at the guards standing to either side of the hall.

He followed behind Mu Tong and calmly walked toward the interior of the hall.

In Qing Luo's understanding,

the Stone Clan's Emperor Blood should already have dried up, leaving the clan with a severe gap in strength between generations. Yet the current situation did not quite match his memories.

Could it be that he had arrived too early, before the Stone Clan's Emperor Blood had begun to dry up?!

Upon entering the hall,

the two once again felt the terrifying foundations of an Emperor Clan.

Along both sides of the hall,

there sat no fewer than four Dou Saints. Aside from the Six-Star Dou Saint seated at the head, there was even an elderly Five-Star Dou Saint.

This sight filled Mu Tong with deep apprehension.

As far as he knew,

what made the Emperor Clans truly powerful was not the battle strength displayed in the open, but their true foundations hidden in the shadows—things that could neither be seen nor sensed.

The Stone Clan's openly displayed Dou Saints were already this formidable.

How terrifying must those hidden foundations, those old monsters who had secluded themselves from the world, be?!

Thinking this,

after stepping into the hall, Mu Tong restrained the arrogance on his face. He slightly cupped his hands toward Shi Zhentian at the head of the hall and said,

"Clan Chief Shi, this old man is Dan Xuan. Please forgive my presumptuous visit!"

"No matter!"

Shi Zhentian lightly raised his eyes, glanced at the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, then fixed his gaze on Dan Xuan.

"Pill Tower Ancestor, our clan seems to have no prior ties with the Pill Tower. I wonder where this cooperation you speak of comes from?"

At those words,

Mu Tong glanced at Qing Luo and saw that Qing Luo had no intention of speaking.

He could only brace himself and follow their earlier plan.

"As the saying goes, cooperation benefits both sides! This old man has come to visit your clan with the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame... because we wish to invite your clan to join the Emperor Alliance!"