[Within the Stone Realm, across the outer reaches that stretched beyond sight, countless Stone Clan descendants and a handful of core Gu Clan members all widened their eyes at the same instant, regardless of status or strength. It was as though someone had clamped a hand around their throats, their faces gradually swelling red and purple.
With a bang!, every Stone Clan member in the Stone Realm burst apart, all the blood essence in their bodies converging on the Stone Emperor.
You keenly sensed that the Stone Emperor intended to use this to increase his strength, and naturally would not allow it. Heavenly Phoenix Extreme Speed carried you across ten thousand meters in an instant, bringing you before him. You raised your hand, the ever-triumphant power of space gathering on your claws, stirring up turbulent currents in the void as you slashed down.
At that very moment, however, the Stone Emperor tore open his robes, revealing the earthen-yellow armor beneath.
Your claw struck, and for the first time, the ever-triumphant power of space failed to inflict any meaningful damage. The armor completely neutralized the spatial power, and only the formidable force of your physical body barely drove the Stone Emperor back two steps.
The Stone Emperor was startled, but once he sensed that his body had suffered no harm, he said smugly, "Beast, this armor was passed down by our clan's first Stone Emperor. It can withstand any attack. Without your power of space to injure me, you could never be my match."
You said nothing, merely continuing to lash out with your claws while he absorbed the bloodline power.
You had never believed that anything could withstand every attack. If once was not enough, then ten times; if ten times were not enough, then a hundred!
Your claws, wrapped in spatial power, struck the Stone Emperor at tremendous speed. The slashes that scattered outward cut the entire Stone Realm into scattered fragments.
You drove the Stone Emperor back relentlessly, one meter with each blow. But under thousands of attacks in a few seconds, he was soon smashed into a mountain below.
He flew out with a savage expression, several conspicuous cracks now marking his armor.
He clenched his fists in pained dismay, then glared at you.
The next instant, the bloodline power he had finally finished gathering formed a blood pill, which he put into his mouth.
Then the natural energy of the entire world converged on him, forming an enormous vortex of energy.
The energy vortex soon dispersed. Dense blood energy erupted around him, and his aura grew more than several times stronger.
You swung your claws into his armor again. The spatial power was still absorbed, but the tremendous force failed to drive him back a few steps as it had before.
Your heart sank somewhat, but you did not flee. It was not that you refused out of pride, but that this place had already been sealed off the moment you entered the Stone Realm. Unless you killed the Stone Emperor, leaving was certainly not something you could accomplish in a short time.
The battle truly began. Having absorbed the bloodline power of every Stone Clan member, the Stone Emperor had multiplied his strength several times over.
Your strength could no longer drive him back an inch, your speed could no longer outstrip his reactions, your spatial power was completely absorbed by his armor, and your Beast Flame was scattered with a slap of his palm.
The battle swung to the opposite extreme. The Stone Emperor unleashed astonishing strength and speed, executing high-level Heavenly Tier Dou Techniques without the slightest windup. Each punch marshaled the power of heaven and earth and hammered into you. Unable to bear the burden, your Dragon Emperor Armor developed a web of fine cracks. Your internal organs shattered, and only your formidable self-healing ability kept you going.
Yet even so, you continued to strike back at the cost of grievous injuries. No matter how the Stone Emperor mocked you, your claws, wrapped in spatial power, always landed squarely on his armor.
On one occasion, after you were sent flying several thousand meters again and the Stone Emperor closed in, you gathered all your strength into your right claw and slashed viciously at his armor.
The next instant, the armor that had spared the Stone Emperor several fatal injuries shattered with a crash.
He stared at the sight in disbelief, his reaction a beat too slow. Your other claw plunged savagely into his unprotected waist and abdomen, piercing him from one side to the other.
The tide of battle turned once more, and the supremacy of spatial power was laid bare.
His strength and speed both surpassed yours, but spatial power was simply that unreasonable. Without that special armor's protection, every swipe of your claws could break through all his defenses and pierce straight through him.
After that, the tremendous vitality of a Dragon Phoenix kept you clinging to your last breath, while wounds accumulated on the Stone Emperor's body and the blood energy surrounding him slowly began to dissipate.
Realizing that he was about to suffer defeat once again, the Stone Emperor began to laugh somewhat madly.
He looked at you, abandoning all thought of survival, and shouted, "Join me in the grave!"
Then he actually detonated the entire Stone Realm and his own Dou Di body in a frenzy.
You immediately deployed all your energy to protect yourself. Then a deathly silent force of annihilation swept over you. Your Dragon Emperor Bone Armor shattered completely, your flesh dissolved bit by bit, and your bones and meridians failed to hold it back for even half a second.
Within the void, only an enormous heart remained drifting, carrying the final wisp of your soul.]
[Year 158: You showed no sign of recovery. The power unleashed when the Stone Emperor detonated himself and the entire Stone Realm had been far too terrifying. That force of annihilation clung firmly to your heart, leaving only faint stirrings of your soul in existence.]
[Year 178: A calm voice carrying a trace of sorrow rang out.
It was Shi Huang. He said softly, "A Nine-Star Dou Sheng defying the odds to slay a Dou Di... Big brother, your name will go down in the history of the Dou Qi Continent.
"But the price... was too great."
He took your heart away, but rather than returning to the Dou Qi Continent, he came to an artificially created small world.
There were few people in this small world. Only his wife and daughters were there, all of them high-star Dou Shengs.
As it turned out, over these years, he had already raised his cultivation to the Dou Di realm, created a small world named Huang, and established a Dou God Clan.
At the heart of this small world stood statues of you and him, imposing and majestic.]
[Year 180: He sought out many resources for you, but that force of annihilation continued to wear away your vitality.
You conveyed a thought, telling Shi Huang not to waste any more effort.
Shi Huang stopped paying attention to you and began handling the Huang Clan's affairs.
The next time you saw him was one night, half a year later.
He actually intended to give you half his Di essence to save your life.
You mustered the last of your strength to smack him on the head, telling him not to do something so fucking stupid.
Shi Huang held your heart and cried for a long time, like a boy who had lost everything. You were not only his sworn elder brother, but also the father he subconsciously regarded you as.]
[Year 185: Your life entered its final countdown.
Your consciousness faded every day. By this year, it was already nearing its limit, but you had no regrets left.
You had defied the odds to slay a Dou Di, and you had also raised a Dou Di.
You had personally annihilated the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Clan and the Stone Clan, and had also witnessed the Huang Realm gradually grow lively from its initial desolation.
In the final moment before your consciousness dissipated, Shi Huang placed your heart inside your statue and, disregarding his status, kowtowed deeply to you three times, his head striking the ground with resounding thuds.]
[The deployed avatar has died. Calculating the results of this deployment.]
Before you continue