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As they reached the end of the square, where a dense fog lingered, Void Swallowing Flame opened his mouth wide. A surge of suction burst forth, instantly devouring all the surrounding mist into his body. As the fog dispersed, a massive shadow suddenly cast itself over the square. Everyone instinctively looked up—only to be stunned at the sight of a towering stone statue, over one hundred thousand feet tall, that had abruptly appeared before their eyes!
The statue depicted an old man—someone they had already seen before. It was the very same person known to be the master of the Ancient Emperor's Mansion, the legendary Tuoshe Ancient Emperor!
The statue stood proudly between heaven and earth, radiating an aura of supreme might, as though it had descended upon the world itself. Under such an aura, even powerful individuals like Zi Yan felt as though a mountain were pressing down on them. The weaker ones among them immediately collapsed to their knees, the force crushing the stone slabs beneath them into powder.
Surrounding the statue were countless floating orbs of light, forming a dazzling spectacle from afar.
"Are those… cultivation techniques and battle skills?"
Staring at the light orbs, Gu Yuan narrowed his eyes. His heart trembled slightly as he realized that within each orb were ancient scrolls—brimming with spiritual energy no less potent than the so-called high-tier Heaven-rank techniques found in the outside world.
Hundreds of Heaven-rank cultivation methods and battle techniques! Not even the combined reserves of the Eight Ancient Clans and the Three Great Magical Beast Families could match such a treasure trove. The wealth hidden within this Ancient Emperor's Mansion was enough to suppress the entire Dou Qi Continent.
"This space hasn't been this lively in a very long time…"
Suddenly, a faint, aged voice drifted down from the sky, echoing clearly in everyone's ears.
A black-robed old man appeared, dressed plainly, with flowing, vibrant hair. Most striking of all—his appearance was identical to that of the statue.
"Tuoshe Ancient Emperor!"
Zhu Kun glared at the black-robed elder, filled with both fury and fear. This was the very man who had imprisoned him in the Ancient Emperor's space for thousands of years.
"He is the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill," said Qian Renhan suddenly, causing Zhu Kun, Hun Tiandi, Gu Yuan—and even the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill himself—to react with visible surprise.
"Young man, who are you? How do you know my identity?"
The black-robed elder swept his gaze over Qian Renhan, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes.
Qian Renhan smiled calmly. "Because you're not much stronger than I am. That's how I recognized you. Is that reason enough?"
At those words, the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill's gaze turned sinister. When his eyes fell upon a familiar black flame, he shouted furiously, "Void Swallowing Flame, what are you doing?"
"What do you mean, what am I doing?" Void Swallowing Flame frowned at the outburst.
"Bastard! If I hadn't expended immense effort back then to blast open the Ancient Emperor's Mansion and help you and the Purifying Lotus Demonic Flame break free from your restraints, how could you have escaped? You promised to free me too!" roared the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill.
Hearing this, Qian Renhan began to piece together the mystery—why the dozen or so flames were depleted, leaving only traces of their essence. Most likely, the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill had used up a great deal of energy tearing open the Ancient Emperor's Mansion and had absorbed those exotic flames to replenish his Dou Qi.
As his voice echoed out, everyone—except for Zhu Kun and Qian Renhan—revealed looks of sudden realization. No wonder Void Swallowing Flame knew the way through; he had been trapped here before.
Void Swallowing Flame's expression changed slightly. He furrowed his brows and thought for a long moment, but couldn't retrieve any memories related to this. At last, he replied indifferently, "Sorry, I don't recall anything you've mentioned. However…"
His voice paused, and then a strange smile crept across his face. "However, this time, I really did come to take you out. Come with me…"
The Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill's expression darkened. He stared intently at Void Swallowing Flame for a long while, then glanced at the nearby statue and muttered through clenched teeth, "So this is your method…"
"Come with us," Void Swallowing Flame said with a smile.
"Hmph, I suppose what you really want… is me, isn't it?" the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill sneered at him.
As soon as he spoke, Zhu Kun, Void Swallowing Flame, Hun Tiandi, and Gu Yuan immediately sprang into action. Boundless Dou Qi surged forth, transforming into a tidal wave of energy that smashed toward the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill.
"Tricks of a child."
The Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill sneered coldly and tapped forward with a single finger. Incredibly, the colossal tidal wave of energy was sliced apart by that one simple motion!
Qian Renhan grabbed Zi Yan's shoulder and carried her a thousand li away. In a low voice, he said, "Zi Yan, join the other Ancient Dragon Clan members and deal with Hun Tiandi's forces."
"I understand." Zi Yan nodded. She knew her strength would only hold them back in such a battle. She would do what she could.
Facing the combined assault of Hun Tiandi, Void Swallowing Flame, Zhu Kun, and Gu Yuan, the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill remained completely composed. With each casual movement, powerful energy ripples swept forth, effortlessly blocking their attacks. Because Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan were not at their peak strength, the four were actually being overpowered by him.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Under everyone's watchful eyes, five figures in the sky clashed furiously, each blow carrying world-destroying power. Even from afar, the crowd felt an overwhelming dread in their hearts. Fortunately, the space here was unusually stable; despite the ferocity of the battle, the dimension remained intact.
As the five figures collided, the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill was about to strike again when several Ninth-Grade Treasure Pills suddenly appeared at his side.
"Detonate!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A terrifying shockwave exploded outward, engulfing the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill. Zhu Kun, Void Swallowing Flame, Gu Yuan, and Hun Tiandi were all forced to retreat tens of thousands of meters.
Qian Renhan, with twelve wings spread wide, unleashing the Asura Domain, charged into the energy storm, shouting, "Senior Zhu Kun, Void Swallowing Flame, deal with Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan—I'll handle the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill! Stone Emperor's Heaven-Shattering Palm!"
Zhu Kun warned, "Be careful! The Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill is no ordinary foe!"
"Young fool, die!"
From within the storm, the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill burst forth. His palm glowed with golden light as fearsome Dou Qi gathered within.
To the surprise of Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan, even after suffering the self-detonation of Ninth-Grade Treasure Pills, the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill's body remained largely unharmed—only his robe was a little torn.
Their palms collided, unleashing an unimaginably violent explosion. Qian Renhan was blown back a kilometer, while the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill staggered back several hundred meters, a look of shock flashing across his face.
"There's nothing left that makes my blood boil more than fighting a powerful enemy. Slaughter Sword Domain!"
A blood-red domain spread out for tens of thousands of meters. A terrifying killing intent enveloped the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill as crimson sword qi rained down upon him. This single strike was no weaker than the Stone Emperor's Heaven-Shattering Palm.
(End of Chapter)