"Blazing flames shatter the heavens, a million mighty soldiers!"
Heavenly Star Mountain Range.
Inside the Realm of Death array, Xiao Xuan watched the ferocious attacks approach, his eyes full of disdain. To anyone else, attacks like these were an unstoppable natural disaster, but to him, they could be dealt with in a single, simple move.
Boom!
As Xiao Xuan thrust out his palm, the three attacks collided relentlessly. Had the Realm of Death array not contained them, this collision alone might have flattened the entire central region of the Heavenly Star Mountain Range.
"So powerful!"
"As expected of Xiao Xuan!"
Opposite him, Hun Tiandi and Nihility Devouring Flame both felt Xiao Xuan's might when their attacks were completely blocked, even though the outcome remained uncertain.
For a moment, the deadlock left both of them deeply uneasy, wondering whether they should continue trying to kill Xiao Xuan here.
Meanwhile, at the entrance to the Xiao Realm.
Xiao Tian Ce watched as the entire leading contingent of Hun Clan Powerhouses appeared at the entrance. Then two peak Seven-Star Dou Saints struck together, forcibly breaking open the gates to the Xiao Realm.
"Qing'er, get ready. It's almost time to go in. Also, this Spiritual Array isn't all-powerful, so be very careful," Xiao Tian Ce reminded her softly.
He was not worried about Xiao Qing's strength, but who could guarantee she would not capsize in a gutter? Besides, although the Hun Clan had deployed no top-tier experts this time, peak Seven-Star Dou Saints were hardly to be dismissed as scraps of dry rations, especially when they belonged to the Hun Clan, one of the ancient Eight Great Emperor Clans with such deep foundations.
Who knew what tricks they might have up their sleeves?
Hearing this, Xiao Qing bowed respectfully to Xiao Tian Ce, then said solemnly, "Rest assured, Third Uncle. I'll be careful.
"After I leave, you must watch out for your own safety too, Third Uncle. We don't know exactly what's happening with the clan leader. If more Hun Clan Powerhouses appear, you mustn't act rashly."
"You little rascal, now you're worrying about your third uncle?"
Seeing her heartfelt concern, Xiao Tian Ce could not help tapping her forehead. Then he smiled and continued, "Don't worry. If something really goes wrong with the clan leader, I'll receive word here.
"Hun Tiandi can't free himself to come here, and those Eight-Star Dou Shengs certainly won't come either. That means it makes no difference how many of these Hun Clan people come at me. One comes, one dies; two come, both die. It's all the same!"
"As long as you know what you're doing, Third Uncle. I'll be going ahead, then!"
At that moment, Xiao Qing saw that some members of the Hun Clan had already entered the Xiao Realm. She bowed again, then gripped the Spiritual Array's core and followed them inside, keeping herself concealed.
Sensing that the slaughter within the Xiao Realm had begun, Xiao Tian Ce felt some reluctance, but he also understood that only by enduring these growing pains could the Xiao Clan flourish anew.
"Hmph. Since the battle has begun, let it grow even fiercer.
"Without a baptism of blood, the Xiao Clan will remain steeped in Rong Guang, refusing to awaken."
"A new era has arrived. Those clinging to antiquated thinking do not deserve to board the great ship bound for the future."
After voicing his feelings, Xiao Tian Ce began forming Spiritual Seals, one after another, between his hands. His goal was to seal off the entire entrance to the Xiao Clan with Spiritual Arrays, killing anyone who emerged until every Hun Clan expert involved in the attack was dead.
"Heh, Hun Tiandi, I hope you like this generous gift I'm sending you!"
As he spoke, hundreds of thousands of densely packed Spiritual Seals began forming Spiritual Arrays. This time, Xiao Tian Ce was laying down not just one, but six eighth-tier Spiritual Arrays.
There was a weakening array, an offensive array, a confinement array, and an illusion array, along with two powerful killing arrays held in reserve. With him personally controlling their cores, these six eighth-tier Spiritual Arrays were enough to kill every Hun Clan expert who had entered the Xiao Realm.
As for the fisherman reaping the rewards while the snipe and clam fought, such possibilities were outside his considerations now.
"Eighth-tier Spiritual Array-Immortal-Slaying Sword Array, rise!"
"Eighth-tier Spiritual Array-Nine-Bend Yellow River, rise!"
"Eighth-tier Spiritual Array-Ten Thousand Layered Mountains, rise!"
"Eighth-tier Spiritual Array-Yellow Sand Filling the Sky, rise!"
The four eighth-tier Spiritual Arrays activated simultaneously, enveloping the entire entrance to the Xiao Realm. Once they were in place, Xiao Tian Ce changed his hand seals again. Two more eighth-tier Spiritual Arrays formed, held ready without being unleashed, adding another layer around the four arrays.
Having finished all this, Xiao Tian Ce's eyes brimmed with killing intent. Although Xiao Xuan had courted his own death, insisting on his plan despite knowing that breaking through to Dou Di was impossible, he was still Xiao Tian Ce's brother, no matter what.
Now, Xiao Tian Ce's strength was insufficient. He could not compare to Hun Tiandi and could not help Xiao Xuan, but he could still kill some Hun Clan Powerhouses to vent his anger.
"Since I've already done this, I might as well be even more ruthless. Go, Old Huang!"
As his words fell, the Storage Ring on Xiao Xuan's hand flashed, and the masked Heavenly Demon Puppet, Huang Jiuji, appeared.
After undergoing the baptism of eighteen bolts of heavenly lightning, this Heavenly Demon Puppet had reached the strength of a peak Eight-Star Dou Saint. His sole shortcoming was his inability to use Dou Techniques.
Still, six eighth-tier Spiritual Arrays, together with this Heavenly Demon Puppet who was invincible in close combat, were more than enough to deal with the Hun Clan Powerhouses who had entered the Xiao Realm.
Meanwhile, inside the Xiao Realm.
After entering the Xiao Realm, the Hun Clan Powerhouses swept through it like a force crushing rotten wood.
With their Dou Di Bloodline lost, the strongest person in the entire Xiao Realm, aside from Xiao Qing who had followed the invaders in, was only a Six-Star Dou Sheng. Many low-level Dou Shengs had even fallen below the Dou Sheng realm after losing their Dou Di Bloodline, reduced to peak Dou Zuns.
Thus, when faced with attacks from the Hun Clan's Dou Shengs, many Xiao Clan members were killed in a single move.
As for those below Dou Zun, they could not even fight back. The mere aftershocks of the two sides' Dou Techniques were enough to grind them to dust, leaving even their souls unable to escape.
Within the Xiao Realm.
Xiao Qing's eyes were streaked with red as she watched familiar clansmen fall one after another beneath the Hun Clan's butcher knives. She longed to strike immediately and slaughter those Hun Clan bastards.
But she knew that even if she fought with all her strength, without outside support, she would eventually be worn down and killed here, no matter how many Hun Clan Dou Shengs she managed to slay.
Gritting her teeth, she pulled clansmen who had shown considerable talent into the Spiritual Array one by one. Watching them teleport away, Xiao Qing knew she had to keep carrying out her mission.
"Hun Clan scum, one day I'll storm the Soul Realm myself and slaughter you bastards!"
After crying out in fury, Xiao Qing moved faster and faster. By the time she had sent away some three hundred clansmen, a Hun Clan Dou Sheng finally noticed something amiss.
"Elder, something feels wrong inside the Xiao Realm. People taking part in the battle keep disappearing for no reason. Could this be a contingency Xiao Xuan left behind before departing?"
After sending a peak Five-Star Dou Sheng of the Xiao Clan flying, a Six-Star Dou Sheng called out to Hun Yuanpo beside him.
Hearing this, Hun Yuanpo frowned. He too had just noticed something wrong, particularly when a nearby Xiao Clan member had suddenly vanished without a trace. Even after spreading his spiritual power to investigate, he could find no sign of that person anywhere in the Xiao Realm.
"Yes, you're right. Something is wrong. Tell everyone to stay alert. The Xiao Clan has considerable foundations, so don't stumble and fall here.
"Also, have the people gathering the Xiao Clan's resources returned?"
Hun Yuanpo nodded, then issued his instructions. Killing was only one part of his purpose in leading this expedition. More importantly, Hun Tiandi had ordered him to gather the Xiao Realm's resources and bring them back to fulfill his assignment.
No sooner had he spoken than several Hun Clan Dou Shengs flew rapidly over from the distance and shouted to Hun Yuanpo, "Elder, something terrible has happened!"
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