Chapter 222: The Great Battle Within the Mansion!
The space within the Ancient Emperor's Mansion was extremely vast and expansive. It was a massive mysterious realm that existed attached to the Dou Qi Continent. Within this incomparably vast continent, an enormous plaza stood in the central area.
Ten-odd minutes later, Nihility Devouring Flame and the others at the very front were the first to arrive.
On the ancient, boundless plain, an ancient stone hall had stood since time immemorial. This stone hall stood silently upon the endless, vast plain. An ancient aura echoed between heaven and earth.
Gazing at that ancient stone hall, the eyes of Hun Tiandi and the others all flickered with fervent heat.
The stone hall stood silently upon the endlessly vast plain. An ancient aura rippled outwards, reverberating between heaven and earth.
Before this stone hall lay an enormously gigantic plaza. On either side of the plaza stood pillar after pillar, each of them several thousand zhang tall, like pillars holding up the heavens. A towering, majestic aura swept over them.
This plaza was extremely vast in area. The giant stone pillars were like heaven-supporting pillars, twenty-two in total. Twenty of them each bore an extremely faint, weakened cluster of flame, while the two most central pillars were completely empty.
Nihility Devouring Flame and Hun Tiandi led their people to the center of the plaza. Gazing from afar at one of those two empty stone pillars at the very center, Nihility Devouring Flame's expression was rather complex. His look was complicated—seemingly lost, seemingly anguished, seemingly fearful.
Hun Tiandi quickly withdrew his marveling gaze from the Heavenly Flame Plaza. He had no interest in these Heavenly Flames. Turning his head towards Nihility Devouring Flame, he spoke in a deep voice, "Nihility, where is the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill?"
Nihility Devouring Flame roused from his memories because of Hun Tiandi's voice. He tilted his head to look at the end of the plaza. The stone hall there was currently shrouded in dense mist, making it impossible to see the scenery within clearly.
"Whoosh whoosh~~"
Nihility Devouring Flame opened his mouth. A surge of suction force violently burst forth, directly swallowing all the pervasive mist into his body. As the mist dispersed, an enormous shadow loomed over the plaza.
Looking up, a stone statue a full ten thousand zhang tall appeared within their line of sight. This stone statue was in the likeness of an old man, and its features were precisely those of the owner of the Ancient Emperor's Mansion—that legendary Tuo She Ancient Emperor.
An astute person would notice that this place only had stone pillars marking the last twenty-two positions of the Heavenly Flame List. Instead, the pillar marking the number one—the Emperor Flame—was nowhere to be seen.
At the very end was Tuo She Ancient Emperor's stone statue. Upon reflection, one would realize that Tuo She Ancient Emperor had actually indicated his own origin: he was precisely the Emperor Flame, formed from the fusion of twenty-two Heavenly Flames...
This stone statue stood between heaven and earth, yet emanated a paramount, supreme aura as if reigning over all creation. Under that aura, even Hun Tiandi felt as if Mount Tai were pressing down upon him. The majority of the Hun Clan members directly fell to their knees; even the hard stone slabs beneath them were shaken to powder.
Only by arduously activating their clan markings and circulating their Dou Qi did the crowd slowly adapt and manage to stand.
When they looked up at the stone statue, a primal, innate terror arose from the depths of their hearts. It was merely a stone statue, yet it possessed such power?!
In the next instant, their pupils abruptly contracted...
Around the stone statue, numerous clusters of light danced and fluttered. Seen from afar, they were incomparably dazzling and resplendent.
Within these clusters of light were unmistakably ancient scrolls. Upon the scrolls existed an extremely powerful spiritual nature. They were, at the very least, Heaven Class cultivation methods and Dou Techniques.
"These are... cultivation methods and Dou Techniques? All of them are Heaven Class level?!!"
Hundreds of Heaven Class cultivation methods and Dou Techniques. Such an accumulation of treasures was considered a supreme treasure even within the Gu Clan and the Hun Clan. Yet here, they were as common as cabbages.
However, although Heaven Class cultivation methods and Dou Techniques were alluring, for Hun Tiandi, they couldn't make him feel much covetous desire. The thing that could make him covet was only one!
"This space... it has not been this lively for a very, very long time!"
A sudden, aged voice directly startled everyone. Their gazes hurriedly shifted and finally froze on the shoulder of the stone statue. There, an aged figure stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes gazing placidly down at the crowd below. That expression was as if he were looking at ants.
"Tuo She Ancient Emperor...?"
When that person spoke, it alarmed the crowd. Everyone looked over simultaneously, their expressions all changing. That face, that garish, colorful long hair—who else could it be but Tuo She Ancient Emperor?!
"Tuo She Ancient Emperor isn't dead?!"
The Hun Clan experts stared dazedly at the old man whose entire body radiated a supreme aura that transcended heaven and earth. A shockingly terrifying thought surged into the minds of some.
"What's going on?" Hun Tiandi's expression also became somewhat unsightly. He looked at Nihility Devouring Flame and asked in a deep voice.
On that old man, he indeed felt a heart-palpitating aura. This aura was not unfamiliar to him; it was exactly the same as the one on Tuo She Ancient Emperor's Jade. This meant that this fellow was not merely outwardly impressive but possessed true substance. Such a result—how could he not panic?
If Tuo She Ancient Emperor wasn't dead, then them entering here to seize the treasure would be nothing but pure suicide!
Nihility Devouring Flame raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on that old man. He suddenly spoke, "He is not Tuo She Ancient Emperor... He is the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill!"
"It's only because it possesses a trace of Tuo She Ancient Emperor's aura that it has taken on his appearance."
Hun Tiandi was somewhat stunned upon hearing these words. Immediately, a strange, peculiar luster shot forth from his eyes as he slowly locked his gaze onto that old man.
Realization also dawned in his heart. Even ninth-tier pills could take human form, let alone this legendary Emperor Pill.
The old man upon the stone statue was looking at Nihility Devouring Flame with a smile. Hearing his words, he too was momentarily taken aback, then roared furiously, "Nihility Devouring Flame! What are you doing?!"
He never imagined that when Nihility Devouring Flame, whom he had spared no effort to let escape back then, finally returned, he seemed not to be here to rescue him at all, but rather with malicious intent. Facing such an ungrateful wretch would infuriate anyone.
Much less him—the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill, who possessed the "strongest" strength on the Dou Qi Continent.
Hearing his furious roar, Nihility Devouring Flame frowned slightly and said, "What do you mean, 'what am I doing'? What are you implying?"
The Emperor-grade Prototype Pill said sternly, "You scoundrel! Back then, if I hadn't helped you and the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame tear apart your restraints, how could you have escaped?! You promised me back then that you would rescue me from this place as well! What are you here for now?!"
The Emperor-grade Prototype Pill's stern shout made all the Hun Clan members' hearts jolt. Everyone, including Hun Tiandi, turned their heads and looked at Nihility Devouring Flame with shocked gazes.
No one expected Nihility Devouring Flame and the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame to have such an origin. No wonder he was so familiar with the topography of the Ancient Emperor's Mansion.
Nihility Devouring Flame's expression changed slightly. Then his brows furrowed tightly. He thought for a good long while, yet still couldn't retrieve this segment from his memories. He could only reply flatly at the moment, "Apologies, I have absolutely no memory of what you speak of. However..."
He paused, then smiled eerily and added, "However, this time, I have indeed come to rescue you and take you away. Come with me!"
The Emperor-grade Prototype Pill's expression was somewhat dark and malevolent. He stared at Nihility Devouring Flame for a long while, his face turning uncertain and flickering. After a moment, as if suddenly realizing something, he looked at the stone statue beside him and ground his teeth, murmuring, "So this is your method..."
If Nihility Devouring Flame wasn't lying, then he had lost a portion of his memories. And the only one who could have done this was the Tuo She Ancient Emperor who had trapped them here in this Ancient Emperor's Mansion.
Nihility Devouring Flame withdrew his thoughts from those fragmented, broken memory shards. He then looked at the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill and said with a smile, "Since you say I promised to take you out back then, then come with us now!"
"Hmph! I'm afraid what you want... is me myself," the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill sneered as he looked at Nihility Devouring Flame. The gaze of Hun Tiandi beside him was filled with unconcealed, greedy fervor. He wasn't a fool; how could he not understand the other's intentions?!
Nihility Devouring Flame smiled faintly, then his expression swiftly turned cold and sinister. His figure moved, swiftly launching an attack. He barked sternly, "Attack!"
"Bang!"
Just as his words fell, Hun Tiandi was the first to act. He shot forth explosively. Sky-high Dou Qi spread outwards, finally transforming into an energy tide that viciously blasted towards the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill.
"Insignificant tricks!"
Facing Hun Tiandi, a peak nine-star Dou Sheng, the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill merely sneered coldly. His finger lightly tapped outwards, and the overwhelming energy tide surging towards him was actually cleaved apart by that single finger!
Hun Tiandi's eyes focused, his expression becoming extremely grave. It seemed he had also discovered that the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill's battle prowess far exceeded his imagination.
"Attack together!"
Seeing this, Nihility Devouring Flame frowned slightly. After all, he had lost some memories concerning the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill, so naturally, he couldn't have known beforehand that its strength had reached such a level of power!
He could only call upon the numerous Hun Clan experts who had entered to attack. These people all shot forth. As the battle unfolded, the energy of this stretch of heaven and earth turned berserk. Wave after wave of attacks, enough to shatter heaven and earth, incessantly assaulted the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill.
Facing the layers of encirclement and assault, the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill was not the least bit flustered. With every gesture, a heart-palpitating fluctuation spread outwards. He blocked the most threatening attacks from Hun Tiandi and Nihility Devouring Flame. With simple flicks of his fingers and pushes of his palms, he easily dealt with the Hun Clan experts who came to besiege him one after another.
"You are no match for me. Once I deal with you, I can also leave on my own."
The Emperor-grade Prototype Pill swiftly cleared the field. Aside from Hun Tiandi, the other Hun Clan experts weren't even worthy of a single exchange with him. Even Hun Tiandi wasn't his match and could only barely hold him off by relying on numerical superiority. But if this continued, the entire Hun Clan would be wiped out without even injuring him.
And once all his underlings were gone, Nihility Devouring Flame and Hun Tiandi alone would be even less of a match for him. At that point, being able to flee with their lives would be considered fortunate.
"Rumble—"
In the sky, several figures clashed madly. Fortunately, the space here was extremely stable; even collisions between high-level Dou Shengs couldn't tear it apart.
Terrifying destructive fluctuations spread overwhelmingly from the sky. Such grandeur seemed as if it intended to utterly destroy this entire world.
"Such powerful energy fluctuations..."
"What's happening inside?! Why are battle fluctuations transmitting outwards?!"
Outside the Heavenly Flame Plaza, Xiao Yan and the others arrived close behind the Hun Clan. Sensing the spatial fluctuations coming from the depths of the plaza, everyone immediately cried out in shock.
"Could an internal conflict have broken out among the Hun Clan?" Yao Dan looked towards the depths of the Heavenly Flame Plaza and thought with some schadenfreude.
"It's not an internal conflict..." Just as everyone was puzzled, Xiao Yan gazed with deep, profound eyes towards the interior of the Heavenly Flame Plaza. Under the crowd's gazes, he slowly spoke, "It's the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill."
"Hiss—"
As Xiao Yan's words fell, the crowd instantly drew a sharp breath of cold air, one after another frozen in place.
"The Emperor-grade Prototype Pill is fighting the Hun Clan!"
Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Yao Chen came to his senses and spoke with a grave expression, "Even ninth-tier pills possess the ability to take human form. There was even the Ancestor—a bizarre pill that became a six-star Dou Sheng. The Emperor-grade Prototype Pill, whose tier is already at the peak of this world... its strength after taking form will only be even more terrifying. The Hun Clan likely won't be able to subdue it so easily."
"Then let's hurry inside! We absolutely cannot let Hun Tiandi and the others succeed." Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan's eyes brightened. His voice carried a hint of urgency as he spoke.
Seeing this, the crowd nodded. They swiftly moved, sweeping past the rows of Heavenly Flame stone pillars in the plaza and rushing towards the center at top speed. No matter what, they couldn't allow Hun Tiandi to successfully obtain the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill.
The crowd arrived at the center of the Heavenly Flame Plaza. They saw an old man with colorful hair, his face icy cold. As his palms churned, they faintly stirred dense, rich pill fragrance. Under that fragrance, the Dou Qi within the Hun Clan experts' bodies rapidly ignited, making their attrition even more severe.
"Emperor Pill Palm!"
In the sky above, the eyes of the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill suddenly widened. He let out an explosive roar. His figure abruptly soared into the air, then slammed a palm down towards the crowd below...
An extremely resplendent cluster of light, roughly the size of a human head, surged forth. With the emergence of this dazzling cluster of light, the energy between heaven and earth, like boiling oil encountering a raging flame, instantly ignited.
The boundless, endless sky was filled with raging, blazing flames. Heaven and earth became a furnace at this moment. The power of this single palm caused even experts as strong as Hun Tiandi, Nihility Devouring Flame, and the just-arrived Gu Yuan to change color drastically.
As the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill's expression was icy cold and his palms pressed down, the flames between heaven and earth howled downwards at an extremely shocking speed.
The infinite flames pervading heaven and earth all drilled into the dazzling cluster of light in the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill's palm. As his palms pressed down, heaven and earth darkened at this very moment. Only the cluster of light in the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill's palm blossomed with annihilating radiance.
"Annihilate!"
His palms pressed down. Heaven and earth darkened at this very moment. Only the cluster of light in the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill's palm blossomed with annihilating radiance. The cluster of light writhed, and finally, with a howl, descended. In less than half a breath's time, it had already reached the heads of everyone in the great hall...
Including Xiao Yan and the others who had just entered...
To the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill, among those who came here, there were no good or bad people. They were all enemies coveting him. Since they were enemies, then they would all be swept away together!
Even if everyone present came at him together, it would only take a bit more effort!
This confidence came from the strength within him—a terrifying strength infinitely close to that of a Dou Di.
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Thanks for reading the chapter!
I started a new translation and I would be very happy if you decided to check out my new translation for a rather rare fandom. It's a crossover based on Mondaiji (Problem Children Are Coming from Another World, Aren't They?)
This story has a somewhat similar style to my other translation for this fandom (same author, after all), but it's completely different from any other fanfic I've come across for this fandom! It's set thousands of years before the original novel/anime, and the MC literally plays a part in shaping the backstory of this world. I really enjoyed it—hope you will too!
Mondaiji: I Really Didn't Want to Become God https://www.webnovel.com/book/36945944200410205