Chapter 224: The Emperor-grade Prototype Pill Returns to the Fold!
"Gu Yuan, it seems now that all our struggles have merely been paving the way for the Ancient Dragon Clan..." Hun Tiandi watched the great battle in the sky with an amused expression, speaking to Gu Yuan beside him with a tone of regret.
Hearing this, Gu Yuan's heart stirred. On the surface, he retorted tit-for-tat, "As long as it isn't your Hun Clan that obtains the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill, even if it's the Ancient Dragon Clan, it's not unacceptable!"
"This Dragon Emperor seems to be a rather domineering figure as well," Hun Tiandi chuckled noncommittally upon hearing this. He then raised his head to look at Zhu Kun and continued, "His strength is no weaker than yours or mine—perhaps even a fraction stronger. Yet during our great battle, there was absolutely no sign of movement from the Beast Domain. Only at the final, critical moment, when both sides were spent and wounded, did he step in. This is enough to show that he is a man of deep schemes and cunning. If he becomes a Dou Di, it won't necessarily be any better than if I do."
"Besides, Gu Yuan... do you truly not wish to see the vista beyond the Dou Di realm?"
Hun Tiandi's bewitching, devilish voice echoed in his ears. Gu Yuan's eyes flickered, and his heart was thoroughly swayed. Dou Di... ah...
Back then, the five of them had all been peak nine-star Dou Shengs. For this, Xiao Xuan had even seen his clan exterminated and himself perish. He and Hun Tiandi had also clashed in the shadows for a thousand years because of it. Of the eight great imperial clans, only half remained now—all for the sake of these two words: Dou Di.
Now, the hope of becoming a Dou Di was right before his eyes. He naturally couldn't stand by and watch Zhu Kun take it away.
"Heh heh... Nihility..."
Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan had known each other for a thousand years. The moment the other furrowed his brow, Hun Tiandi knew what Gu Yuan was thinking. Now certain that Gu Yuan had been persuaded, he no longer hesitated. Calling out to Nihility Devouring Flame, the two shot towards the battlefield in the sky. If they delayed any longer, the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill would be beaten back into its original form.
As expected, the moment Hun Tiandi and Nihility Devouring Flame moved, Gu Yuan instantly followed close behind, streaking into the sky.
"Attack—"
Someone shouted, no one knew who. The Ancient Emperor's Mirror, the Seal of Annihilation, and a pitch-black flaming demonic dragon all erupted simultaneously, hurtling towards Zhu Kun and the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill.
"Courting death—"
Sensing the commotion erupting behind him, Zhu Kun's 'expression changed' as he roared furiously.
"Taixu Fist!"
An excited light flashed in Zhu Kun's eyes. A cruel, violent grin curled at the corner of his mouth. Clenching his fist, light flickered as he fiercely punched out.
Boom!
A purple-gold fist imprint twisted the light, shattered endless void, and swept forth with a roaring dragon's cry.
"Since you dare to interfere, then all of you can stay!"
At this moment, as an even fiercer battle unfolded in the sky, Zhu Ming swept his icy gaze over the four clans and spoke coldly.
As his words fell, his bent, curved spine slowly straightened. What accompanied it was a terrifying, heaven-surging aura.
"Nine-star Dou Sheng—"
"The Ancient Dragon Clan actually has two nine-star Dou Shengs—"
"Not just that! There's also an eight-star Dou Sheng, and several seven-star Dou Shengs! The Ancient Dragon Clan's strength is actually no weaker than the Hun Clan's!!!"
As the strength of Zhu Ming and the others was revealed, cries of alarm rang out continuously from the crowd. Zhu Kun had been far too overwhelming, so much so that they hadn't even noticed the Ancient Dragon Clan still had so many other experts.
Xiao Yan also watched this scene with a grave expression. For some unknown reason, he was currently unable to gather much of the Supreme Power within him at all. His strength simply couldn't contend with a nine-star Dou Sheng. He could only rely on his Emperor Realm soul to clash with eight-star Dou Shengs.
"Ten Thousand Dragons Grand Array!"
Zhu Ming waved his great hand. From behind him, countless dragon roars immediately resounded. Enormous dragon silhouettes soared into the sky, sweeping towards the crowd with terrifying pressure.
"Form the array!"
Sensing the terrifying threat of the dragon souls, the clan elders, led by Lei Ying, Gu Lie, and others, almost simultaneously roared in unison.
"Nine Dragons Heavenly Thunder Array!"
"Ancient Emperor's Mirror!"
"Seal of Annihilation!"
"..."
All attacks erupted in a single instant. Terrifying energy ripples raged wildly in every direction.
With everyone now committed to the fray, an unprecedented great battle erupted within the Ancient Emperor's Mansion.
However, the imagined scene of the four clans joining forces against the Magical Beast Clan did not occur. No matter the circumstances, the Hun Clan could never ally with the three clans against a common foe.
At this moment, the Ancient Emperor's Mansion more closely resembled a chaotic free-for-all. It had already devolved into a complete mess. The Gu Clan fought the Hun Clan; the Hun Clan fought the Magical Beast Clan; the Magical Beast Clan fought the Gu Clan...
No one knew exactly how to distinguish friend from foe. As long as they were enemies, the approach was basically to hurl two Dou Techniques at anyone on sight.
"Roar—"
At that moment, from the most terrifying battlefield within the mansion, a furious roar rang out. Zhu Kun revealed his ten-thousand-zhang dragon body, clashing against Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan.
By now, the power he had borrowed from the Azure Nether Tower was almost completely exhausted. He was only a single thread stronger than the two of them. For a time, he no longer possessed his earlier unmatched valor and began to fall into a disadvantage.
Over on this side, while the three were locked in chaotic battle, the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill looked at the isolated and unaided Nihility Devouring Flame and sneered coldly, "Nihility Devouring Flame, you treacherous, faithless bastard! Let's see who can save you now! After I kill and devour you, I'll go deal with that scoundrel Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame..."
Nihility Devouring Flame panted heavily. Hearing the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill's words, he sneered.
"You're celebrating far too early!"
As his words fell, Nihility Devouring Flame took out Tuo She Ancient Emperor's Jade from his storage ring. He gave the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill a sinister grin, then suddenly bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of black blood essence wreathed in black flames.
This mouthful of blood essence sprayed onto Tuo She Ancient Emperor's Jade. Nihility Devouring Flame's hands abruptly changed at that moment, forming a series of extremely bizarre and eerie hand seals. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that these hand seals were remarkably similar to the starting seal of the ten-thousand-zhang-tall ancient emperor stone statue beside them.
"Buzz, buzz..."
Nihility Devouring Flame's hand seals changed swiftly. Tuo She Ancient Emperor's Jade suddenly began to tremble with a buzzing sound. A ring of gentle radiance rippled outwards. As the ancient jade quivered, it unexpectedly transformed into a brilliantly colored ring of light. This ring of light displayed multiple colors, as if flames were dancing within it—exceedingly profound and wondrous.
"The Transformation Pill Ring! How can you possibly know Tuo She Ancient Emperor's Divine Art of Pill Transformation?!"
Seeing that ring of light take shape, the originally icy-faced Emperor-grade Prototype Pill's expression instantly changed drastically. His voice even became somewhat shrill and piercing.
Nihility Devouring Flame sneered but offered no explanation. With a flick of his palm, that dazzling ring of light shot forth. In a mere instant, it appeared above the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill's head. Ring after ring of brilliant fire circles emerged, completely enveloping the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill's form.
"Ah!"
As these fiery rings continuously and unendingly encircled his body, strands of white smoke suddenly seeped from the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill's body. He let out an exceptionally blood-curdling scream, as if in considerable agony.
Seeing this, a look of pleased surprise also flashed in Nihility Devouring Flame's eyes. Clearly, he hadn't expected this Transformation Pill Ring to be so effective against the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill.
He immediately spat a mouthful of black blood-laced black flames onto the Transformation Pill Ring. The flames upon it immediately blazed much more fiercely. The Emperor-grade Prototype Pill's form, however, began to slowly shrink, actually showing signs of reverting into a pill.
Sensing that the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill was on the verge of being subdued, Gu Yuan's and Zhu Kun's expressions flickered. Immediately, ruthlessness flashed in their eyes. Their figures flickered and shot directly towards Nihility Devouring Flame.
Gu Yuan hadn't expected that, besides Zhu Kun's method of forcibly subduing with sheer strength, Nihility Devouring Flame would also have a way to subdue the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill. That so-called Transformation Pill Ring he was using was most likely due to the effect of Tuo She Ancient Emperor's Jade!
"Hmph!"
"Hahaha— And where do you two think you're going?!"
Sensing the two making their move and seeing that Nihility Devouring Flame was about to succeed, Hun Tiandi, his mood now excellent, let out three great laughs. His figure moved, appearing before the two. He flexed his fingers repeatedly. Several pills, wafting with dense, rich pill fragrance, shot towards Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun, then exploded with a thunderous blast!
"Rumble—"
Qi waves churned and roiled. Both Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun were forcibly halted. Gu Yuan smelled the pill fragrance dispersing through the sky and immediately understood what had happened. He sneered coldly, "Self-destructing ninth-tier Treasure Pills—truly a grand gesture!"
As they spoke, the two appeared to Hun Tiandi's left and right. Fierce, sharp attacks unfurled and enveloped Hun Tiandi.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Facing the combined assault of Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun, Hun Tiandi immediately fell into a disadvantage. He appeared rather disheveled, struggling between advancing and retreating. However, he understood the current situation perfectly and therefore gritted his teeth, pushing his abilities to the absolute limit, desperately trying to obstruct Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun.
"Collect!"
While Hun Tiandi was holding the two back and getting thoroughly beaten, Nihility Devouring Flame seized the opportunity. His hand seals rapidly executed. With a stern shout, the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill was, astonishingly, drawn into the Transformation Pill Ring without any ability to resist. It transformed into a dazzling cluster of light, the size of a human head, hovering within the ring.
"The Emperor-grade Prototype Pill—"
Seeing this scene, the attacks of Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun grew even more berserk.
"Roar—"
A dragon's roar that made even heaven and earth tremble rang out. It transformed into tangible sound waves that swept forth madly.
Caught off guard, Gu Yuan and Hun Tiandi were both struck by these terrifying sound waves. The blood and qi within their bodies churned uncontrollably...
Seizing the opportunity, Zhu Kun's figure moved, vanishing from before the two in the blink of an eye. Seeing this, the pupils of both Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan constricted. They abruptly looked towards Nihility Devouring Flame's direction.
Over there, Nihility Devouring Flame was overjoyed at seeing the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill subdued. He beckoned with his hand, and the Transformation Pill Ring shot towards him with lightning speed. However, just as the ring was about to land in his grasp, a figure suddenly appeared before him. Eyes fierce and malevolent, it roared furiously at Nihility Devouring Flame.
"Get lost—"
With a low roar, a giant dragon, seemingly occupying nearly tens of thousands of zhang of the sky, abruptly materialized. Then the giant dragon transformed into a purple-gold beam of light, blasting towards Nihility Devouring Flame faster than lightning.
"Devouring Marvelous Armor!" Sensing the power of Zhu Kun's strike, Nihility Devouring Flame's expression instantly changed drastically. Pitch-black flames across his entire body formed a bizarre, unique suit of armor...
"Ptooey!"
The brilliant purple-gold beam of light directly pierced through the formidable Dou Qi defense on the surface of Nihility Devouring Flame's body, viciously blasting onto his physical form. A mouthful of fresh blood immediately sprayed from Nihility Devouring Flame's mouth. His figure was sent stumbling backwards for several thousand zhang before he managed to stabilize himself in a wretched state.
Having repelled Nihility Devouring Flame, Zhu Kun's face lit up with wild joy. He reached out with a large hand, grabbing towards the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill.
"Boom—"
Just as Zhu Kun was about to seize the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill, several pills radiating a mysterious, profound light suddenly exploded beside him.
The fluctuation caused this time was even greater than the explosion of Hun Tiandi's ninth-tier Treasure Pills earlier. Clearly, what had exploded this time were ninth-tier Mystic Pills. Pills of this tier—even with the Hun Clan's endless accumulations over countless years—were not numerous. This time, Hun Tiandi was already acting with the resolve of "success or death."
A storm of destruction raged across the horizon...
"Where is the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill?!"
Gu Yuan gazed at the destructive fluctuations roaring like a maddened dragon across the sky, his eyes anxiously searching everywhere.
"Swoosh—"
At that moment, Hun Tiandi transformed into a bolt of lightning. Without the slightest pause, he shot towards that storm of destruction.
"You're courting death—"
"Army-Breaking Dragon Claw—"
From within the storm came Zhu Kun's furious roar. At this moment, his clothes were somewhat tattered. The skin revealed beneath was covered with wounds...
Boundless golden radiance surged violently behind him. In the void, with lightning speed, it condensed into a giant golden dragon claw, a full ten thousand zhang in size. On the surface of every golden scale upon that dragon claw, countless golden dragons danced and writhed madly.
The dragon claw traced long, trailing streaks of golden light through the void, grabbing with lightning speed towards Hun Tiandi, who was rushing towards the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill.
"Nihility—"
Sensing the incoming dragon claw, Hun Tiandi was forced to turn around and counterattack. However, he simultaneously shouted towards Nihility Devouring Flame.
Hearing this, Nihility Devouring Flame shot towards the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill with lightning speed. Seeing this scene, Gu Yuan's expression changed. His figure moved, shooting forth explosively.
"Ancient Emperor Seal!"
As his figure shot forward, Gu Yuan simultaneously launched a fierce, sharp attack. A brilliant crystal hand seal streaked across the void at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, swiftly hurtling towards Nihility Devouring Flame!
"Hmph!"
Facing Gu Yuan's fierce offensive, Nihility Devouring Flame's face turned slightly cold. However, he didn't turn around to evade. His body shuddered, and countless black hole vortices surged forth in the space around him.
"Bang, bang, bang—"
The terrifying assault arrived in an instant. The densely packed black hole vortices exploded open in an endless chain...
Although the black holes didn't completely absorb Gu Yuan's attack, they still hindered the speed of the offensive for a moment. Merely a few breaths later, as the black holes completely collapsed, the Ancient Emperor Seal immediately slammed into Nihility Devouring Flame's back. The terrifying force directly blasted Nihility Devouring Flame's back open, scattering black flames in all directions.
Struck by Gu Yuan's full-force attack, even with Nihility Devouring Flame's formidable strength, he couldn't help but stagger. His body also became considerably more illusory.
However, borrowing this propelling force, his figure flickered and appeared directly before the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill. Opening his mouth, he swallowed the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill down.
With the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill in his possession, Nihility Devouring Flame immediately burst into loud laughter. At the same time, across the battlefield, the Hun Clan's Four Demon Saints, Hun Xuzi, and numerous other top Hun Clan experts swiftly disengaged from their opponents and shot to Nihility Devouring Flame's side, clustering protectively around him.
"Hand over the Emperor-grade Prototype Pill! In your current state, you can't keep it safe!" Gu Yuan stared at Nihility Devouring Flame with a dark, gloomy expression and spoke.
As Gu Yuan's words fell, a spatial rift opened beside Nihility Devouring Flame. Hun Tiandi's disheveled figure emerged. He suppressed the surging excitement in his heart, looked at Gu Yuan, and sneered, "Do you think that's possible?"