Near the core of the Yuwen Imperial Clan's protective grand array.
The man controlling the array looked at an elder not far away and said hesitantly, "First Elder, not long ago, I sensed a strange fluctuation in the grand array. It eventually traveled toward the clan leader's bedchamber. These are troubled times. Should we send someone to take a look?"
Hearing this, the elder stopped and paused briefly before saying, "You're overthinking it. With the protective grand array active, who could enter our Yuwen Imperial Clan without you noticing..."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a possibility suddenly flashed through the elder's mind.
Someone from the Liu Imperial Clan!
The Liu Imperial Clan excelled in the power of space, which was also the main reason they could hold the position of foremost imperial clan so securely.
But the next second, the elder shook his head, thinking he was overthinking it.
Even if someone from the Liu Imperial Clan came, they would come openly. Why sneak in? There was no reason at all.
"I imagine the madam must be doing something. Aside from the clan leader and his wife, no one else could possibly set foot there. The clan leader just went to the Liu Imperial Clan. During this time, we must be doubly vigilant and avoid repeating the Zhao Imperial Clan's mistakes!"
The elder glanced toward the depths of the Yuwen Imperial Clan, then turned to the man and gave him those instructions.
At the mention of the Zhao Imperial Clan, a trace of apprehension flashed in the elder's eyes.
Although the Zhao Imperial Clan's foundation could not compare with that of the Yuwen Imperial Clan, it was still an imperial clan. Yet when it faced the Devil Race, it had been almost entirely slaughtered.
At present, the only people likely still alive in the entire Zhao Imperial Clan were its clan leader, Zhao Fengtian, and its ancestor, Zhao Qianjun.
"Yes, First Elder!"
With that, the elder went to patrol the other parts of the grand array.
The Black-Yellow Realm, One Origin Continent!
It was the heart of the entire Black-Yellow Realm and the home of the Liu Imperial Clan, foremost of the twelve great imperial clans.
In a hall of the Liu Imperial Clan, more than ten figures sat upright, each radiating a formidable presence.
A closer look revealed that they were all leaders of the various imperial clans, including Zhao Fengtian and Zhao Qianjun of the Zhao Imperial Clan.
Compared with the others, however, the two looked rather battered and were still injured.
Above them, in the seat of honor, sat a woman whose presence was so oppressive that even these imperial clan leaders felt it keenly.
A thin golden veil covered her face, and she wore a long golden dress, with the faint shadows of phoenixes dancing across its hem.
Her golden hair fell in gentle waves.
Even with the golden veil covering her face, her breathtaking beauty was still apparent. Every gesture she made was enchanting and alluring.
The Phoenix-Shadow Golden-Silk Flowing Phoenix Dress she wore could not conceal her devilish figure. She was the sort of woman who could make countless beings linger, unable to tear themselves away after a single glance.
She was none other than Liu Ruyan of the Liu Imperial Clan, the foremost female emperor in the entire Great Qian Imperial Dynasty!
Liu Ruyan's phoenix eyes swept over the many experts gathered below. Her expression was calm as she said, "Everyone! Did you understand what I just said?"
It was as if, in her eyes, these top experts who were imperial clan leaders like her existed on an entirely different plane from her.
"The Su Imperial Clan really turned traitor? Damn them! No imperial clan of our human race has ever betrayed us before. Well, now one has!"
A man in blue spoke, his handsome, jade-like face twisting slightly.
It was plain to see how furious he was!
"What else could it be? The evidence is right here. Without the Su Imperial Clan's collusion, how could the Devil Race have escaped the Nine Heavens Devil-Suppressing Mystic Firmament Grand Array?"
Another man, broad and powerfully built, with a grim, murderous air about him, replied, "Their wolfish ambitions could not be hidden forever. Perhaps the Su Imperial Clan has long harbored designs on unifying the Black-Yellow Realm!"
"Once this calamity is over, I will make those Su Clan scoundrels pay!"
As he spoke, the man's expression grew agitated, and he slammed the table before him, instantly shattering it and the tea on it into powder.
Only then did he look toward a corner at the very back, where two figures sat in silence. "It's the brothers of the Zhao Imperial Clan I pity. Now, of that great imperial clan, only Brother Fengtian and Senior Zhao remain!"
Hearing this, the two men dug their fingernails into their palms, their eyes bloodshot.
The Zhao Imperial Clan had suffered far too terribly.
Even when they had joined forces to attack the Devil Race a hundred thousand years ago, they had not suffered losses this devastating.
If anything happened to the two of them, not even the last trace of the Zhao Imperial Clan's bloodline would remain in this world.
No one hated the Su Imperial Clan more than the two of them now.
After all, while their Zhao Imperial Clan was being slaughtered by the Devil Race, Su Ya and the others from the Su Imperial Clan had watched with cold indifference. Worse still, they had fanned the flames from the sidelines.
Was that something fellow humans could do?
"Even so, we might be able to deal with the other members of the Devil Race, but wouldn't we still be helpless against the Devil Emperor of All Living Beings?"
A black-robed man spoke from the seat closest to Liu Ruyan.
His gaze was sharp, and he carried an imposing dignity even without anger. Black flames seemed to burn in his eyes!
He was none other than Yuwen Shendu, leader of the third-ranked imperial clan!
Liu Ruyan had summoned them to resolve the matter of the Devil Race.
The gist was that the Liu Imperial Clan would send people to each of the great imperial clans to establish a type of temporary teleportation array.
With these arrays, the Emperor Realm experts of the various imperial clans could reinforce one another.
The Great Emperors of other imperial clans, even those far away in other continents, could descend upon an imperial clan in an instant, creating an overwhelmingly favorable situation and gradually reducing the Devil Race's numbers.
However, while they could gang up on and exterminate the other Devil Emperors, the Devil Emperor of All Living Beings, who had already entered the Half-Immortal realm, was the sole exception.
Faced with that difference in cultivation, no matter how many Great Emperors they had, it would be useless!
"None of you need to worry about that, either!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the corners of Liu Ruyan's mouth curled up slightly beneath her golden veil. Then a presence that made everyone tremble swept out from her body.
In an instant, everyone felt a suffocating pressure rush over them.
This was definitely not the presence of the Emperor Realm!
Everyone present widened their eyes. Some were so shocked that they sprang to their feet.
Among them, the leaders of the top seven imperial clans were all at the Great Perfection Peak Emperor Realm!
Liu Ruyan, the foremost female emperor, had originally been at that realm as well, though her true combat strength had been somewhat greater than that of the others at the Great Perfection Peak Emperor Realm.
Given the situation before them, Liu Ruyan had definitely surpassed the Emperor Realm!
"You... have already surpassed the Emperor Realm and touched upon the domain of the immortal path?"
The most shocked of them all was probably Yuwen Shendu, the leader of the Yuwen Imperial Clan.
He was the strongest person present aside from Liu Ruyan, yet while even he had no clue about the so-called domain of the immortal path, she had already touched upon it.
And it seemed she had even succeeded?
No!
It did not merely seem so. She really had succeeded!