The Battle Begins

"Hun Tiandi, weren't you going to send me on my way? Then come on! Let me see how much you've improved over these past hundred-odd years!"

The Heavenly Star Mountain Range.

An incomparably domineering aura radiated from Xiao Xuan, making him look as majestic as a god of war above the nine heavens.

If he had held a weapon-a battle halberd, for instance-he would have been the very image of an invincible god of war.

It had to be said that the Ancient Eight Clans had excellent genes. Their men were handsome and their women beautiful; even the slightly less attractive ones were still good-looking by ordinary standards.

Xiao Xuan was especially striking. Although his features were not as handsome as Xiao Tian Ce's, his unrivaled, domineering presence made him exceptionally charismatic.

Above him, Hun Tiandi had intended to keep stalling. As long as Xiao Xuan did not flee, his injuries would affect him more and more as time passed. Then, fresh against a weary opponent and uninjured against an injured one, with the Nihility Devouring Flame and four Eight-Star experts from the Hun Clan assisting him, he would surely be able to kill Xiao Xuan with ease.

Now that Xiao Xuan had seen through his plan, however, he might simply leave if Hun Tiandi dragged things out any longer.

At that thought, Hun Tiandi smiled and nodded. Then he stamped down hard, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared a hundred meters in front of Xiao Xuan.

A hundred meters might sound far, but to the pinnacle experts of the Dou Qi Continent, that distance was as good as nothing.

"Then let's give it a try. I just wonder how much strength you have left with those grievous injuries. Don't disappoint me!"

Hun Tiandi gave a cold smile, and the Dou Qi within him surged instantly.

Seeing this, Hun Yuantian and the others began moving as well. The four exchanged glances, then their figures flickered abruptly. A moment later, they appeared at the four cardinal points around Xiao Xuan and Hun Tiandi.

"Gate of Dead Silence!"

The four shouted in low voices at once, and four Grand Arrays abruptly appeared, trapping both Xiao Xuan and Hun Tiandi within them.

The Hun Clan possessed four Gates of Dead Silence, something Xiao Xuan had long heard about. It was said that combining all four could form the Death Realm Formation. Once that happened, no one short of a Half-Emperor could escape its suppression.

When all four Gates of Dead Silence appeared together, Xiao Xuan briefly sensed their power, then looked at Hun Tiandi with a cold smile. "You really have racked your brains to deal with me. The Death Realm Formation formed by four Gates of Dead Silence is indeed formidable."

"Of course. You're Xiao Xuan, after all. How could I make the mistake of underestimating you?" Hun Tiandi paid no heed to Xiao Xuan's contempt. In his view, Xiao Xuan would never have reached his current heights without such arrogance.

Since ancient times, the victor had been crowned king and the loser branded a bandit. As long as he killed Xiao Xuan here today, everything would be settled.

As for the Xiao Clan, he was not worried at all. Having lost their Dou Di bloodline, the Xiao Clan Members were no match for the men he had dispatched. Their destruction was only a matter of time.

"Come on, stop dawdling. Kill me, and everything else will be easy."

Xiao Xuan roared, circulating the Dou Qi within him without pause as increasingly powerful energy gathered in his hand.

"Heaven Tier Dou Technique-Firmament Palm!"

As Xiao Xuan thrust out his palm, a gigantic energy palm print shattered everything in its path like rotten wood and dry grass, hurtling straight toward Hun Tiandi.

Across from him, Hun Tiandi showed no concern. He swiftly thrust out a palm of his own.

Boom!

The two palms collided with a violent explosion. The Death Realm Formation creaked under the impact, looking as though it might shatter at any moment.

"Hold firm!"

Feeling the tremendous impact transmitted through his Gate of Dead Silence, Hun Yuantian could not help shouting. He then increased the flow of Dou Qi from his body.

The Death Realm Formation truly deserved its place as the Hun Clan's guardian treasure. Even the immense power of two Heaven Tier Dou Techniques had failed to shatter it.

Had Xiao Tian Ce been here, he would surely have marveled at how right he had been not to rashly raid the Hun Clan's home.

Otherwise, once trapped within the Death Realm Formation, he would have had no way to escape. With Hun Tiandi added to the mix, he would likely have died before his campaign had even begun.

"Again!"

Within the Death Realm Formation.

Seeing Hun Tiandi easily block his Firmament Palm, Xiao Xuan was immediately wild with delight.

At that moment, Xiao Xuan wanted nothing else. All he wanted was to give himself fully to a thoroughly exhilarating battle.

"Then come on!"

"Heaven and Earth Shattering Demon Palm!"

"Fallen Soul Handprint!"

Boom!

Wave after wave of explosions rippled outward. Only their physiques as Peak Nine-Star Dou Saints allowed them to withstand it. A low- or mid-level Dou Sheng would likely have been torn apart by such shock waves.

"Hahaha! Hun Tiandi, you really have improved quite a bit!"

After driving Hun Tiandi back with a palm strike, Xiao Xuan burst into laughter.

In the past, that palm strike would likely have been enough to injure Hun Tiandi.

Yet after their palms had clashed just now, he found that aside from a slight instability in Hun Tiandi's Dou Qi, the man had suffered no other effects.

Skrrt!

Hun Tiandi stamped down hard, barely arresting his momentum. His expression was grave as he looked at Xiao Xuan, who was still laughing wildly across from him, his eyes filled with wariness.

Truthfully, if Xiao Xuan had not been certain to fail in his attempt to reach the Dou Di realm, and if he were not now grievously injured, Hun Tiandi would never have sought him out.

This man was terrifying. To unleash such strength while severely wounded was simply unimaginable.

Moreover, based on what he knew of Xiao Xuan, the man had yet to get serious.

He probably had not even used half his strength!

A hundred years ago, Hun Tiandi had witnessed Xiao Xuan's secret combat art. Once he activated the art called the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations, his condition would instantly rise far beyond his peak.

That was also why, when Xiao Xuan had come to the Hun Clan demanding justice a hundred years ago, he had still left unhurriedly despite nearly the entire clan mobilizing against him.

"Nihility, lend me a hand."

Hun Tiandi called for assistance. Even with Xiao Xuan in his current condition, he was no match for him.

Fortunately, he had not come today to truly measure himself against Xiao Xuan. He merely needed to trap him, wait for his injuries to flare up, and let him die here.

"Coming!"

The Nihility Devouring Flame answered loudly, then swiftly appeared beside Hun Tiandi.

"Be careful. Xiao Xuan is far too powerful in battle. We don't need to clash with him head-on. Just keep him occupied until he can no longer suppress his injuries, and we may achieve our goal," Hun Tiandi reminded him quietly.

"Don't worry. I'm not stupid."

The Nihility Devouring Flame nodded solemnly. Of course he would not recklessly clash with Xiao Xuan head-on. What a joke-he had witnessed the man's combat prowess a hundred years ago. If a full-strength palm strike landed on him, the hundred years he had spent nursing his injuries would all have been for nothing.

Across from them, a flicker of appreciation and disdain passed through Xiao Xuan's eyes as he watched Hun Tiandi call for reinforcements. He appreciated Hun Tiandi's self-awareness and willingness to bend or stand tall as circumstances demanded.

His disdain came from the fact that, despite being one of the strongest people on the Dou Qi Continent, the man lacked even the courage to face him one-on-one. Xiao Xuan truly had no idea what to say!

"Nihility Heavenly Realm, Devour Heaven and Earth!"

"Fallen Souls Cross the Realm, Ten Thousand Ghosts' Slaughter!"

At that moment, the Nihility Devouring Flame and Hun Tiandi unleashed their Dou Techniques simultaneously. Terrifying auras surged through their surroundings, filling the air with a cold, damp presence like the hells of the underworld.

Seeing this, Xiao Xuan sneered. What difference did it make whether there was one opponent or two?

In his eyes, he could break through them with a casual sweep of his hand.

"Blazing Fire Shatters the Firmament, Million Mighty Soldiers!"