Spirit-Devouring Life-Extinguishing Formation

Central Plains. Wind Lightning Pavilion.

The blazing sun hung high, and the magnificent scenery of the Northern Region of the Central Plains had always drawn praise. Yet now, black clouds loomed over the Wind Lightning Pavilion. Rank upon rank of powerful figures blotted out the sky, with the occasional piercing phoenix cry tearing through the heavens.

The crowd surged like a sea. Millions of experts gathered in ring after ring, like torrents of soldiers arrayed for battle, their numbers swelling without end. Sects large and small across the Northern Region of the Central Plains evacuated, countless figures fleeing in panic. Everything within ten thousand miles had become a battlefield.

Ling Ya, leader of the Spirit Clan, stood beside Shi Pan, leader of the Stone Clan, at the front of their formation. Behind them stood countless experts from both clans, their murderous aura soaring into the clouds.

Opposite them, the four Hun Clan experts-Hun Xuzi, Hun Qianmo, Soul Demon Elder, and Hun Miesheng-stood in the air with grim expressions. Behind them, Hun Clan reinforcements and the Hall of Souls' army formed another dark mass, but at a glance, their numbers barely amounted to a tenth of the opposing force.

Between the two sides, another enormous force lingered, watching and wavering over its next move. A phantom Demon Phoenix six thousand zhang in size hovered above this army. Densely packed figures stood beneath it, while behind them stretched an endless expanse of flying magical beasts, their roars shaking the surrounding wilderness.

"So, by the time you arrived, Huang Xuan was already unconscious?"

Huang Tian, leader of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, looked down with a livid expression at the Half-Saint Huang Kun, who knelt below him. Behind him stood the Three Heavenly Demon Phoenixes-Phoenix, Eagle Phoenix, and Kun Huang-with impassive expressions. The invisible pressure radiating from the three supreme elders made even the surrounding air grow sluggish.

"Yes, Clan Leader. By the time I arrived, Huang Xuan was already at death's door."

"Damn you! Who gave you permission to attack the Spirit and Stone Clans? You even joined forces with the Hall of Souls to kill a Spirit Clan Half-Saint and a host of Dou Zun!" Eagle Phoenix thundered. The pressure of a Dou Sheng expert leaked out unwittingly, leaving the nearby Heaven Demon Phoenix clansmen struggling to breathe.

"Elder Eagle, once I realized they belonged to an ancient human Emperor Clan, I wanted to withdraw, but..." Huang Kun said, trembling as she prostrated herself.

"But what?" Phoenix, foremost among the Three Heavenly Demon Phoenixes, asked leisurely. She was a female phoenix held in immense esteem within the clan. Her cultivation had reached the mid-stage two-star Dou Sheng level, second only to Huang Tian.

"But the Spirit Clan refused to let us leave. They kept calling us 'mongrel birds' and hurling insults at us." Under the pressure of their bloodlines, Huang Kun dared not conceal anything and laid out the entire story.

"Hmph! The Spirit and Stone Clans are far too arrogant. Back when our clan's Ancient Heavenly Phoenixes still lived, even they had to keep their tails tucked between their legs." At the words "mongrel birds," Eagle Phoenix's expression abruptly darkened.

"Clan Leader, this standoff cannot continue. Whether we fight or make peace, we must decide quickly," Kun Huang advised with a frown.

At that moment, the three forces were locked in a delicate stalemate.

The allied armies of the Spirit and Stone Clans had the greatest numbers, but lacked high-level Dou Sheng; their strength lay in their abundance of soldiers and commanders. The Hun Clan and the Hall of Souls held the advantage in high-level Dou Sheng, but were severely short of backbone forces at the Half-Saint, Dou Zun, and Dou Zong levels. Although Huang Tian was the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan's only high-level Dou Sheng, they possessed vast numbers of seventh- and eighth-rank magical beasts. As the undisputed overlords of the Beast Region, they also had countless subordinate clans and could mobilize most of the region's forces. If the entire Beast Region poured out in full force, the numerical advantage of the Spirit and Stone Clans would vanish in an instant.

With the Ancient Void Dragons living in seclusion and the Nine Netherworld Pythons declining by the day, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan's word carried the weight of nine great cauldrons in the Beast Region.

Phoenix's beautiful eyes shifted toward Huang Tian, whose expression flickered uncertainly, and she said slowly, "Clan Leader, whatever happens, our Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan should not intervene in a struggle between human Emperor Clans."

Huang Tian nodded slightly, signaling for her to continue.

"According to what we have heard, the Hun Clan obtained the bloodline inheritance of the ancient Tunling Clan and has been devouring the bloodlines of other Emperor Clans everywhere. That is why the other clans have united against them. Think carefully, everyone-if the Hun Clan can devour human Emperor Clan bloodlines and make them their own, could they not also extract the bloodlines of our magical beast races?"

At these words, all the phoenixes were startled and drew sharp breaths. Magical beast races owed their standing entirely to their bloodlines, and even the Ancient Void Dragons were no exception.

"Therefore, the Hun Clan must not be allowed to survive. Our clan need not strike personally, but we absolutely must not lend them our strength." Phoenix spoke calmly, yet each word carried the weight of a thousand tons.

Eagle Phoenix and Kun Huang nodded thoughtfully.

"In the ancient battle between the Ancient Heavenly Phoenixes and the Ancient Void Dragons, the Ancient Heavenly Phoenixes were exterminated, but almost all the Ancient Void Dragons' strongest experts also perished, leaving them gravely weakened. Now the ancient human Ancient Clans are slaughtering one another. How closely this resembles that war in the Beast Region." As Phoenix finished speaking, a sharp gleam flashed through Huang Tian's eyes.

"Let them fight. Let them tear each other apart. Since they dared mock our Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan as mongrel birds, I would like to see what end awaits them." Eagle Phoenix clapped his hands and laughed, his face brimming with delight.

"Brother Ling, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan has withdrawn. Let us set that matter aside for now," Shi Pan, leader of the Stone Clan, advised.

"Rest assured, Brother Shi. Since those mongrel birds know their place, I am in no hurry. For now, let us deal with these bloodsucking fiends of the Hun Clan first." Ling Ya sneered and turned his gaze toward the opposing force.

On the other side, Hun Miesheng watched the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan depart, the light in his eyes dimming further. He was already gravely wounded. Some of the Hall of Souls' experts had long since deserted and scattered, while others had been slaughtered almost to the last. Those who remained were all diehard clansmen brought from the Hun Clan.

"Lord Hun Xuzi, if this continues, we will surely die," Hun Miesheng said quietly.

A savage look surfaced on Hun Xuzi's face. Although he was a seven-star Dou Sheng, he was not skilled at direct combat and had already suffered hidden losses in his earlier clashes with the two Emperor Clan leaders.

"Why not break through toward the Soul Realm?" Soul Demon Elder suggested with a frown.

"It is useless. The other Emperor Clans have sealed off every spatial passage leading to the Soul Realm. We cannot contact them at all." Hun Qianmo shook his head, rejecting the suggestion.

"The Clan Leader and Lord Void... could they have lost? Why has no word reached us after so long?" the Hall of Souls Deputy Hall Master could not help blurting out.

Hun Xuzi shot him an icy sidelong glance and barked, "Impossible! Our Hun Clan has accumulated its foundations over thousands of years. Even if all six clans joined forces, there is no way we could collapse in a mere year or two!"

The Hun clansmen fell silent. Perhaps the clan's main forces still survived, but their own force, entrenched in the Central Plains, was already hanging by a thread. Although the Spirit and Stone Clans had no supreme Dou Sheng overseeing them, they were genuine ancient Ancient Clans. They might not be able to deal with the Hun Clan, but crushing the Hall of Souls was well within their power.

In his daze, Hun Miesheng actually found himself missing the Pill Tower. For thousands of years, the Emperor Clans had stayed out of the Central Plains, and he had gone to tug at the Pill Tower's tiger whiskers every so often. How satisfying those days had been.

Bang!

An emerald bracelet on Hun Xuzi's wrist suddenly shattered, sending fragments flying.

Hun Xuzi's pupils contracted. "What... has the Clan Leader finally made up his mind?"

Startled, the others hurriedly gathered around him.

"This bracelet contained a sliver of the Clan Leader's emperor realm soul. Before we departed, he instructed me that once the bracelet shattered, we were to..." Hun Xuzi slowly raised his head, looking past those before him toward the dark sea of people opposite.

"To do what? Tell us!" the experts urged anxiously.

Hun Xuzi's expression turned cold as he uttered the command:

"Pass down the order. Activate the Spirit-Devouring Life-Extinguishing Formation."