The illusory figure was a middle-aged man, perhaps around forty.
His appearance wasn't particularly striking, but he possessed an indescribable, unique aura. From the moment he appeared, the demonic fire dimension seemed to become a foil, drawing attention to him.
Perhaps believing Gu Xun'er was in danger, the middle-aged man appeared with a solemn expression, exuding the authority of a superior.
However, after a quick glance around the demonic fire dimension, he discovered that besides Gu Xun'er, only two others were present.
He had never seen Medusa, but he had secretly observed Chen Guan in the ancient world and held him in high regard.
The middle-aged man was stunned. He hadn't sensed any murderous intent from Chen Guan or Medusa, so how had his own intention been triggered?
Confused, Gu Yuan glanced sideways at his daughter.
In an instant, without needing to ask or say anything, he understood everything.
The demonic fire dimension seemed to suddenly darken. Waves surged from the lava sea, and the energies of heaven and earth roared around.
The oppressive feeling intensified...
Swish!
Chen Guan appeared before Medusa, shielding her behind him, his expression stern.
This was his first encounter with the middle-aged man, but his identity was already clear.
Gu Xun'er's father, Gu Yuan, patriarch of the Gu Clan.
He was also a true Nine-Star Dou Sheng!
"Chen Guan! Explain!"
Gu Yuan's eyes burned, the words clenched between his teeth, his anger surging, a dangerous aura emanating from him.
The terrifying pressure left Chen Guan feeling trapped, and he could only mobilize all his Dou Qi to resist the pressure.
Seeing Gu Xun'er staring at him with red eyes, and considering her personality and identity...
this was an unsolvable situation!
At least, for now, any statement would be empty.
There seemed only one remaining option:
Delay!
The longer it took, the less resistance there would be to resolving this mess.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Guan met Gu Yuan's gaze.
"Senior, I have no intention of quibbling. I cannot shirk my responsibility. After I leave the Demon Fire Dimension, I will find a time to personally visit the Ancient Clan and address this matter face to face. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan's murderous intent subsided slightly, but only slightly.
The matter was irreversible, and a solution was the most pressing matter.
"Hmph, since you won't shirk responsibility, why wait until later? Come back to the Ancient Clan with me now. If you don't give me an explanation, I will make you wish you were dead!"
As he finished speaking, Gu Yuan extended his hand.
Under his terrifying power, space rippled like water, forming a vast spatial hand that reached out to capture Chen Guan.
A Five-Star Dou Sheng was already incredibly powerful, but before such a peak powerhouse, he felt as if he had returned to the beginnings of his cultivation, feeling weak and feeble.
Medusa stepped forward, willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with Chen Guan, even though she knew she was no match for him, unwilling to sit idly by.
Chen Guan grasped her hand and shook his head slightly.
Then, striding forward, he stared directly at Gu Yuan.
"I'm sorry, Senior. I'll definitely go to the Ancient Clan and make an explanation, but not now."
As he spoke, Chen Guan's spirit and energy soared, like mountains and rivers turning upside down. A mountain over a thousand feet tall rose from the ground behind him. Upon closer inspection, he saw it was clearly a massive finger print.
"Spiritual Finger?"
Seeing the familiar fighting technique, Gu Yuan was startled, and his gaze on Chen Guan grew suspicious.
Just as the Great Nirvana Finger and the Ancient Emperor Seal held great significance to the Ancient Clan, the Spiritual Finger was also a symbol of the Spirit Clan, practically impossible for outsiders to master.
In an instant, Gu Yuan was certain that Chen Guan must have had some connection with the Spirit Clan, and perhaps he could reveal more about him.
As he thought this, Gu Yuan's resolve to bring Chen Guan back to the Ancient Clan grew even stronger.
"Crack!"
"Crack!"
The Spiritual Finger fiercely met the giant hand of space, but no earth-shattering collision occurred.
Beneath the dimensional hand, the massive fingerprints shattered like a paper tiger.
The gap was enormous!
Chen Guan sighed softly, his joy at his surge in strength gone, replaced only by a stronger desire.
Watching the unwavering dimensional hand approach, Chen Guan stopped trying to resist. Just like Gu Xun'er had done before, he allowed the hand to envelop him. The
dimensional hand began to close in, but once it reached a distance of three feet around Chen Guan and Medusa, it could no longer close even a fraction, as if resisted by an unparalleled mysterious force.
"Hmm?"
Gu Yuan glanced over. Within the dimensional hand, beams of intense purple light emanated from Chen Guan's body, coalescing into an impenetrable barrier that protected them both.
The emanating purple light seemed endless, darkening the barrier until even Gu Yuan could no longer discern the figure within.
"Tsk tsk, you're quite capable of causing trouble!"
a sudden voice echoed from within the barrier.
As the voice faded, a burst of purple light surged forth, like a torrent of shattered space, engulfing the vast spatial hand and completely eroding it.
The next moment, the spherical barrier shattered, and amidst the lingering purple light, a middle-aged man with purple-gold hair emerged, leading Chen Guan and Medusa. The middle-
aged man's golden eyes brimmed with intense pressure, and even Gu Yuan felt a surge of pressure just from meeting his gaze.
This man was incredibly powerful!
Gu Yuan's expression changed slightly. He could tell that the purple-haired man, like him, was a manifestation of his own will.
Yet, his figure was more solid than his own, and his casual gesture just now betrayed his extraordinary strength.
This was a peak-level Nine-Star Dou Sheng!
And he had reached this level much earlier than he had!
Taking a quiet step forward, Gu Yuan shielded Gu Xun'er behind him, his expression solemn.
He had thought he'd already given Chen Guan a high enough opinion of him, considering him a genius with the backing of the Danta and the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan.
It was for this reason that he didn't kill him immediately after his manifestation, but instead gave Chen Guan a chance to explain.
It was a very realistic situation, but that was the truth.
Ultimately, this was a world where strength reigned supreme.
But now, Gu Yuan realized he was wrong.
He had greatly underestimated Chen Guan's power!
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With such a peak-level expert standing behind him, taking him away today was impossible. He
would even have to carefully consider his future stance. If he acted too forcefully and pushed Chen Guan into opposition, he would be completely helpless.
Furthermore, that would be absolutely devastating news for the Ancient Clan.
This was the terrifying influence wielded by a peak-level expert!
Gu Yuan's thoughts raced, his expression growing grim the more he considered it.
He realized his only real bargaining chip was reason.
And whether that reason held any weight depended on the other party's character...
"I've heard Chen Guan has a close relationship with the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan. Are you a friend of the Ancient Dragon Clan?"
Suppressing all distracting thoughts, Gu Yuan decided to investigate.
The only person he could think of regarding Zhu Kun's identity was the mysterious Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan.
Zhu Kun nodded, not hiding anything.
His golden eyes swept over Gu Xun'er behind Gu Yuan, and he immediately guessed the general idea. He turned and glanced sideways at Chen Guan.
"This boy is my son-in-law. Although I often dislike him, I must protect him." "
If anything happens to him, I'll have a hard time, "
the old Dragon Emperor added inwardly.
Gu Yuan fell silent. Zhu Kun's attitude was clear, which meant his concerns were correct.
After a moment's silence, Gu Yuan spoke in a humming voice.
"So, Your Excellency, how do you think this matter should be resolved?"
They were both men of status, so Gu Yuan didn't need to emphasize the reputation of the Gu Clan. What he could think of, the other party could naturally think of as well.
Rather than wasting words, it would be better to be direct.
Looking at Gu Yuan posing the difficult question to him, Zhu Kun smiled faintly. "There's no rush. I've been silent for thousands of years. It's rare to encounter a worthy opponent. I'm suddenly itching to show my skills. How about a few moves between us?"
Strength is everything, and Zhu Kun sees it most clearly.
Since everyone feels embarrassed, let's see who's the winner. The weaker ones will concede, and the stronger ones will control the power!
Gu Yuan hesitated, but before he could ponder, Zhu Kun transformed into a streak of purple light and charged forward.
Forced by the situation, Gu Yuan had to fight back. With a flicker of his body, he soared a thousand feet, raising his fist to strike back.
Ten thousand feet above, two figures intersected, moving at speeds imperceptible to the naked eye. Each collision unleashed a storm of energy, causing the surrounding space to tremble, as if on the verge of complete collapse.
The aftermath of each attack from these two peak-level masters was enough to slay even ordinary Dou Shengs.
But for these two, this was merely a brief warm-up.
Each of them was a single thought, their power limited. Against the weak, their punches and palms were powerful.
But against a powerhouse of equal caliber, this thought was barely enough to sustain a full-strength attack before dissipating.
Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun both understood that their purpose in engaging in combat wasn't a life-or-death struggle; it was simply to gauge the other's strength and determine the appropriateness of the subsequent negotiations.
"Bang!" "Bang!"
Within minutes, the two had exchanged tens of thousands of rounds of hand-to-hand combat.
Gu Yuan grew increasingly alarmed as the fight wore on, finding himself constantly on the defensive.
Fortunately, this body's willpower was weakened; if a real-life battle had taken place, he would likely be a disheveled mess by now.
This man, truly terrifying!
Zhu Kun's fighting became increasingly casual, even a hint of disappointment.
While this battle was primarily about getting to know each other, he truly desired to engage in a full-throttle fight.
Unfortunately, the Gu clan leader didn't seem to be able to fully commit him to the fight.
"One move to decide the outcome!"
With a powerful punch, he knocked Zhu Kun away, then Gu Yuan mobilized the energy of heaven and earth.
Zhu Kun had long anticipated this and wouldn't refuse.
As the two men moved, the demonic fire dimension erupted in a turmoil, the energy of heaven and earth roaring and sweeping upward like a mighty wave.
"Ancient Emperor Nirvana-Breaking Finger!"
With a resounding cry, Gu Yuan descended from the sky. Dou Qi surged through his body. He formed seals with his hands, condensing a massive finger tens of thousands of feet across, covered in strange patterns. He pointed it down fiercely.
The moment the giant finger formed, the demonic fire dimension trembled violently, nearing collapse.
This fighting technique was incredibly powerful!
Perhaps to secure a say, perhaps to avoid being underestimated by Zhu Kun, or perhaps to showcase the ancient clan's formidable heritage, Gu Yuan unleashed a nearly ultimate skill!
Zhu Kun nodded slightly, his expression growing more serious.
Then, he stamped his foot on the air, his figure suddenly rising high. A blanket of purple light burst forth from his body, extinguishing all other colors throughout the demonic fire dimension.
"Dragon Emperor's Heaven-annihilation Technique!"
With a gentle shout, a cloud of light suddenly erupted, like a surging purple river tearing through the air, rushing towards the massive finger.
"Swish!" "Swish!" "Swish!"
The endless sound was breathtaking, and the sharpness of the purple light was terrifying. Under the seemingly endless onslaught of light, the massive finger was shattered, and the demonic fire space was riddled with holes, revealing another world beyond.
Gu Yuan gritted his teeth, once again mobilizing energy to deploy layers of defense. After nearly half a minute, this world finally calmed down and returned to silence.
With a sigh...
a complex expression on the Gu clan leader's face.
"Your skills are astounding. Gu Yuan is ashamed of himself."
Zhu Kun took a break from his busy schedule to stabilize the shattered space. Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but laugh.
"I, Zhu Kun, am the previous Dragon Emperor. It's no exaggeration to say that you and I are not of the same era. It would be strange if I were not as good as you."
Hearing this, Gu Yuan felt a little comforted.
"Leave the youngsters' affairs to the young. There's no need for us old folks to get involved. This emperor hasn't appeared in the world for a long time due to some reasons. How about we chat?"
Gu Yuan glanced at the three people below, hesitated for a moment, and nodded in agreement.
With the sudden appearance of such a terrifying and powerful person, he needed to get to know him better, both for public and private reasons.