Battle Through the Heavens: Purple Heaven Thunder Emperor

Chapter 480 The Soul Clan's Scheme

Soul world.

The already gloomy sky now looked even more chaotic.

The air was still thick with the lingering, scorching scent of thunder, and the ground was littered with deep craters and cracks left by lightning strikes. Some of the Soul Clan's buildings had been reduced to ruins, emitting wisps of black smoke.

The Soul Emperor stood in mid-air, his white robes standing out starkly against the gloomy and dilapidated scene.

He looked down expressionlessly, his deep, abyss-like eyes filled with a chilling, tangible force of coldness and anger, and the oppressive aura emanating from him seemed to freeze the entire space.

how many years?

As descendants of the Dou Di and one of the ancient races, how could the Soul Clan have ever been bullied like this, with their territory turned upside down?

Even the Xiao Clan of the past never dared to be so presumptuous towards the Soul Clan!

What's even more frustrating is that he clearly knew who the culprit was. With his peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng cultivation and soul power reaching the Emperor Realm, he was still unable to detect the slightest trace of the other party's true form!

The lightning seemed to appear out of thin air and then disappear just as suddenly. This feeling of being unable to attack it fueled his murderous intent.

"Tell me, what happened?"

The Soul Emperor spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable majesty, as if a cold blade were scraping across everyone's soul.

He stood with his hands behind his back, without turning around.

Behind him, several powerful figures stood with their hands at their sides, not daring to utter a sound.

Two of the figures were particularly disheveled, their clothes tattered and their bodies charred black. Faint purple electric sparks flickered beneath their skin, bringing waves of excruciating pain that penetrated to their very bones and souls, causing their bodies to tremble uncontrollably.

These two were the Soul Clan elders who had suffered an undeserved calamity for mentioning Xiao Bai's name.

Sensing the almost tangible pressure emanating from the Soul Emperor, one of the less seriously injured elders, enduring the pain, stepped forward, his voice trembling with fear, and bowed, replying, "Reporting to the Clan Chief—before, Elder Hun Yao and I were discussing matters in the hall, talking about Xiao—Bai—"

He paused abruptly, glancing up at the now-normal sky of the Soul Realm with lingering fear. Seeing that the eerie purple aura and lightning had disappeared, he dared to continue: "As soon as we mentioned his name, we felt an indescribable pressure from heaven and earth suddenly descend, as if a pair of indifferent eyes were watching us from the shadows—then, the sky changed, purple aura filled the air, and then—that person's purple lightning struck—"

He swallowed hard, his face still showing fear: "It just so happened that neither you, Clan Chief, nor Lord Void were in the clan. We—we could hold out for a short time, but that purple lightning was incredibly strange and powerful, and its coverage was extremely wide. The clan members and some of the younger generation could not withstand it—we had no choice but to crush the spatial jade slip left by you, Clan Chief—"

As soon as he finished speaking, apart from the two elders who were scorched and cracked and nodded frantically in agreement, the other high-ranking members of the Soul Clan looked at each other in disbelief.

They initially thought Xiao Bai was incredibly audacious and had somehow managed to infiltrate the outer perimeter of the Soul Realm to launch an attack, but they never expected the cause to be so—a childish game.

Just because I mentioned the other person's name?

"name----"

The light in the eyes of the Soul Emperor flickered uncertainly, like will-o'-the-wisps shimmering in the abyss.

He had sensed something beforehand and was certain that Xiao Bai's true form had not personally come to the Soul Realm.

But if what the elder said is true, then reciting his name will trigger divine punishment—

Why did no unusual phenomenon occur when Hun Xuzi uttered the name "Xiao Bai" again?

Is it because I am sitting here right now that my presence is interfering with that mysterious connection?

Or was it that Xiao Bai used some kind of secret technique to achieve that state?

The Soul Emperor raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the layers of spatial barriers of the Soul Realm, looking towards the endless void.

He had vaguely sensed a fleeting surge of soul pressure surpassing even the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Realm; though indistinct, its level was unmistakable.

This gradually stirred up a few ripples in his heart.

"Emperor Realm Soul————"

The moment this thought came to mind, even the Soul Emperor himself found it somewhat unbelievable.

How long has it been since the battle in the desolate ancient domain?

Although Xiao Bai's soul power was strong at that time, it was only at the Great Perfection of the Heaven Realm. It seemed like he was only one step away from the Emperor Realm, but in reality, it was like an insurmountable chasm. How could he possibly cross that threshold in such a short time?

It's important to understand how difficult it is for the Void Devouring Flame to advance to the Emperor Realm. Although its existence is special and its advancement is even more difficult than that of humans, it's still not something that can be achieved in just a few months!

But if his soul had truly ascended to the Emperor Realm, and coupled with the Life-Death Purple Lightning that even he found somewhat troublesome—

At this moment, Xiao Bai's combat power is such that, apart from the Soul Emperor, Gu Yuan, and the old Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun who is trapped in the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's cave, he is probably the only one who can defeat him on this continent!

Then wouldn't his millennia-long plan to break through to the Dou Di realm suddenly become an even bigger variable?

It's even possible that everything will be lost!

"The Xiao Clan —"

The Soul Emperor's eyes suddenly turned sharp as knives, icy and chilling.

A thousand years ago, he went to great lengths to bring down the powerful Xiao Xuan and his clan, nearly wiping them out of power.

Unexpectedly, a thousand years later, this damned Xiao clan has risen again like weeds, producing another Xiao Bai! He has once again become a stumbling block for his Soul Clan!

Now, that ant he once regarded as someone he could crush at will has unknowingly become a force to be reckoned with!

If he had known this would happen, when Hun Xuzi returned and reported that he had just heard of Xiao Bai, he should have spared no expense and personally taken action to nip him in the bud!

A trace of regret gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

"How's the investigation into the matter of Gulong Island going?"

Suppressing the surging killing intent and the rare hint of regret in his heart, the Soul Emperor regained his calm tone and asked instead.

Upon hearing this, an elderly man in black robes immediately stepped forward, respectfully cupping his hands in a salute, and replied, "Clan leader, Elder Hunyou, who is in charge of Soul Hall affairs outside of Zhongzhou, recently sent a secret message. They have discovered the approximate trajectory area of ​​Ancient Dragon Island wandering in the void space, and we believe that it won't be long before they can pinpoint its exact coordinates!"

Upon hearing this, the Soul Emperor slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over every high-ranking member of the Soul Clan like a cold scanner. Finally, he nodded slowly, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger: "Very good. This matter concerns the grand plan of our clan and must not be neglected. You may all leave now, heal your wounds as soon as possible, and reorganize the clan's territory."

"Yes, Chieftain!"

The Soul Clan's high-ranking members felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They all bowed in respect before transforming into streaks of light and quickly disappearing from the spot.

After everyone had left, Void Devouring Flame, who had been standing silently to the side, finally spoke in a deep voice. Black flames flickered slightly on his body, revealing his inner turmoil: "What do you plan to do? That brat is becoming increasingly strange. Our thousand-year-long scheme has repeatedly encountered unexpected changes. Now that I think about it, his shadow is always behind it all!"

He couldn't understand how, in just a few years, the excellent situation he and the Soul Emperor had planned had unknowingly fallen into a disadvantageous position!

First, the spies from several clans were exposed one by one, but they still hadn't gotten their hands on the ancient jade. Then, the Dou Di Cave, which had been missing for a long time, was exposed, leaving them with only one piece of the ancient jade they had been plotting to obtain.

Later, in the Desolate Ancient Domain, the elites of several races could have been dealt with in one fell swoop, but just as Xiao Bai broke through to the Dou Sheng realm, a strange purple lightning appeared, causing him to lose a large amount of his origin!

The Soul Emperor frowned, his eyes flashing with thoughtful light, but he remained silent.

Seeing this, Void Devouring Flame recalled the scene he and Soul Emperor had witnessed in the Dou Di Cave, and sighed helplessly: "I never expected—Gu Yuan to have such courage, actually agreeing to entrust all seven ancient jade pieces to that old dragon for safekeeping!"

He and the Soul Emperor left the Soul Realm to go to the entrance of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Cave, located underground in Canaan Academy, in an attempt to probe the words of the old Dragon Emperor Zhukun, who was imprisoned there, and see if they could win him over to the Soul Clan's camp by offering benefits.

Unexpectedly, it was discovered that all the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade had been concentrated in Zhukun's hands!

This scene shocked them both at first, then filled them with joy!

If they can persuade Zhu Kun, then with the last piece of ancient jade in their possession, they can immediately open the cave and obtain the Emperor Pill!

However, the old Dragon Emperor Zhukun was completely unmoved and disregarded the conditions proposed by the Soul Emperor.

If Xiao Bai hadn't stripped away three-tenths of their original essence, and if the Void Devouring Flame had remained at its peak, the two of them might have been able to try to forcibly snatch the ancient jade from Zhu Kun's hands.

However, the Void Devouring Flame has suffered a significant loss of strength after losing three parts of its original source. If it weren't for the Soul Clan's all-out resource assistance, its cultivation level would have almost fallen to the Nine-Star Dou Sheng realm.

In his current state, even with the help of the Soul Emperor, it would be a pipe dream to forcibly seize the ancient jade from the unfathomably powerful Zhu Kun!

"Hehe—I never expected that all the ancient jade would end up in his hands."

The Soul Emperor chuckled, but his smile was icy cold and devoid of any warmth. "However, this is for the best—"

A glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes as he continued, "Concentrating the score in one place will make it much easier for us to seize it one by one from the various ancient clans. Once we find Ancient Dragon Island, we can use it to blackmail them. I'd like to see what choice Zhu Kun will make!"

After speaking, he turned to look at the still somewhat weak Void Devouring Flame and ordered in an unquestionable tone, "Once Soul Nether locates the coordinates of Ancient Dragon Island, you will personally lead the men there and bring back Zhu Kun's daughter for me as quickly as possible!"

Upon hearing this, Void Devouring Flame frowned.

"I can sense that Gu Yuan's aura has been subtly monitoring our Soul Realm. If we make too much noise, he might notice, and if the ancient clans intervene, things will get complicated."

"1

"It's alright."

The Soul Emperor waved his hand, his expression indifferent. "At that time, I will personally make a trip to the Purple Cloud Palace in the Northern Region. Once I appear at the Purple Cloud Palace, Gu Yuan's attention will definitely be drawn there. With me keeping them in check, it will be enough time for you to take action."

He paused, as if he had thought of something, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes, and added, "Furthermore, the Soul Palace's spies reported that Xiao Bai's woman, named Cai Lin, seems to be in seclusion deep within the Nine Netherworld. Originally, I intended to send someone to capture her directly, but now—to avoid alerting her, it is not advisable for our Soul Clan to take direct action for the time being."

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Send someone to the Heavenly Phoenix Clan and tell them they wish to unite with my Soul Clan. Fine! However, they need to show sincerity. Have their clan leader, Huang Tian, ​​personally go to the Nine Netherworld Python Clan and bring that woman back. I want to see how many clans Xiao Bai, with his endless tricks, can actually manage!"

"Huang Tianyao————"

Upon hearing this, Void Devouring Flame was first taken aback, then a sinister and cunning smile crept onto his lips. Black flames danced in his eyes. "This move is brilliant! That woman named Cai Lin is said to be highly valued by that brat. If we can capture her—I'd really like to see what a fascinating expression he'll have! It will surely be quite delightful! Hehehehe—"

The more Void Devouring Flame thought about it, the more smug it became, and it couldn't help but let out a hearty and ferocious laugh, as if it could already see Xiao Bai's exasperated and helpless appearance.

As for whether he could catch it, he didn't even consider it.

Xiao Bai is a genius, isn't he!

But he only recently broke through to the Dou Sheng realm. Could that woman be stronger than him?

At best, he's just a newly promoted Dou Sheng. With Huang Tian's cultivation at the late stage of a five-star Dou Sheng, if he can't even catch a newly promoted one-star Dou Sheng, then he's truly a waste!

As for the Nine Netherworld Python Clan, he didn't take them seriously at all!

However, at the very moment when his laughter was at its most triumphant and rampant, a subtle yet incredibly clear sense of peeling and burning, originating from the very source of his soul, came without warning!

It was as if—his own indivisible primordial power was being forcibly refined and devoured by some domineering force!

The laughter stopped abruptly!

The sinister smile on Void Devouring Flame's face froze instantly, then turned into utter astonishment, followed by boundless rage that could burn the heavens and boil the seas!

He suddenly clutched his chest. Although there was no physical body there, the pain and sense of loss that came from the loss of his very essence felt incredibly real!

The black flames that had been relatively stable around him suddenly surged out of control, scorching and distorting the surrounding space!

"Xiao Bai, you brat!!! How dare you refine my very essence!!!"

A roar filled with boundless rage, resentment, and disbelief, like the howl of a wounded beast, suddenly burst forth from the depths of Void Devouring Flame's throat, instantly shaking the entire Soul Realm space, even causing ripples to spread across the solid spatial barrier!

The Soul Emperor suddenly turned around, his gaze sharp as a sword, piercing the seemingly crazed Void Devouring Flame, his brows furrowing slightly.

In the chaotic space, Xiao Bai slowly opened his eyes, feeling the pure primordial energy that had been successfully refined and integrated into his own fighting spirit. A cold smile appeared on his lips.

"This is just the beginning. You dare to scheme against me—this is just the interest."

Although he couldn't sense what the Soul Clan was planning, just now, a very clear sense of malice was rising in his heart.

He slowly closed his eyes and murmured softly, "Just wait, when I emerge from seclusion, I'll go to the Soul Realm and wreck your lair!"

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