Battle Through the Heavens: Purple Heaven Thunder Emperor

Chapter 499 Clash on Dragon Island

Zixiao Palace, atop Leishan Mountain.

The light barrier formed by the black flames was completely torn apart and dissipated by the sudden force.

The refined smile on the Soul Emperor's face finally vanished completely, replaced by a visible gloom and coldness.

In those deep eyes, it seemed as if a storm was brewing.

"Xiao Bai—I truly underestimated you. First, there was Zhu Kun, and now another unfamiliar Emperor-level soul has appeared!"

The Soul Emperor's voice was deep and unreadable, carrying a sense of impending doom.

He hadn't finished speaking.

A vast aura, far more powerful and terrifying than when they had previously snatched the pills, emanated from it.

Like an ancient beast awakening from its slumber, it erupted from his body without reservation!

"boom-!!!"

In an instant, an incomparably violent pressure swept out!

Centered on Leishan, it instantly swept across the entire Fenglei Mountain Range.

Within the mountains, countless trees were bent and broken by an invisible force, rocks crumbled, and rivers flowed backward!

All the clouds in the sky were torn to shreds, and the light was distorted and dimmed!

This oppressive force was not limited to the area of ​​Zixiao Palace; rather, it spread wildly across the vast northern land like an invisible tsunami!

Throughout the entire Northern Region, whether in bustling towns or remote mountain villages, countless beings felt a sudden weight on their hearts, as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on their souls.

A sense of fear and suffocation, stemming from a primal instinct for survival, arose spontaneously!

Countless powerful individuals who were flying or traveling were caught off guard and fell from the sky, looking in horror toward the location of Zixiao Palace.

Zixiao City.

As the closest city to Zixiao Palace, and also one of the most prosperous cities in the Northern Region today.

The city was filled with countless cultivators and merchants from all over the continent.

At this moment, the hustle and bustle of the city had long since vanished, replaced by a deathly silence and horror.

Countless people turned pale, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, as they struggled to lift their heads and look at the sky, which seemed to have been cleaved open by an invisible force.

The sky has really "cracked open"!

On one side, there was a churning, roaring ocean of purple lightning.

Endless purple electric snakes weaved and exploded within it, emitting deafening roars.

A tall, purple figure, like the ruler of thunder, stood proudly in the center of the sea of ​​thunder. His body was full of purple energy, and there were faint phantoms of chaos and death flowing around him, as if he were a thunder god who had walked out of ancient mythology!

On the other side, however, the scene was completely the opposite.

Blood-red lightning bolts leaped and lashed across the dark sky like venomous snakes, accompanied by a howling, piercing wind, as if millions of wronged souls were wailing and struggling within them.

The white-clad figure stood amidst them, his robes fluttering in the wind, his face refined and elegant, yet his eyes were as cold as ancient ice, like the lord of the underworld who held the power of death!

Two completely opposite, yet equally terrifying, forces of pressure and power clashed fiercely in the center of the sky!

The mere aftershocks of its momentum caused the space to ripple violently like water, emitting a creaking sound as if it could not bear the weight!

"Click—click—"

Just as everyone in Zixiao City was so shocked by the scene of gods confronting each other that they lost their composure, the powerful array above their heads that protected the city suddenly emitted a dense and crisp cracking sound.

Dark spatial rifts, like menacing spider webs, spread across the light shield at an alarming speed!

"Oh no! The city's protective formation is about to break!!"

An elder responsible for maintaining the formation roared in terror, his eyes wide with fury.

Before he could finish speaking...

"puff!"

"Ugh!"

"Help!"

In an instant, everyone in the city, regardless of their cultivation level, turned deathly pale. Some even coughed up blood as if struck by a heavy blow, collapsing unconscious like harvested wheat.

Even powerful figures like Dou Zong and Dou Zun felt as if countless mountains were pressing down on them, their bones creaking and their souls were about to be crushed by the penetrating pressure!

"So...so terrifying...the oppressive force..."

A Dou Zun, barely managing to stay upright, had blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with endless fear and despair.

He had no doubt that if the city's protective formation were completely destroyed, there would be no need for any attack at all; the millions of lives in Zixiao City would probably be wiped out in an instant!

Just when the whole city was in despair.

"Buzz—!"

In the center of Zixiao City, a crack suddenly appeared in the ground of the huge plaza.

A seemingly delicate branch, yet lush and vibrant with life, bursts forth from the earth like a piece of jade!

This branch grows rapidly in the wind, growing and spreading at an astonishing speed!

In just a few breaths, a small twig transformed into a towering tree with lush foliage!

The giant tree radiated a warm, verdant glow, and as its branches and leaves swayed, it exuded an extremely rich life energy!

"An ancient Bodhi tree?! It's an ancient Bodhi tree!!"

Someone recognized the origin of the giant tree and exclaimed with excitement at surviving the ordeal.

The Bodhi tree's branches and leaves stretched out, and countless clear, emerald-green rays of light cascaded down from its canopy like a waterfall, instantly forming a huge, hemispherical light shield that firmly enveloped the entire Zixiao City.

Outside the light barrier, the terrifying pressure of the Soul Emperor still raged.

Within the light shield, the destructive pressure that had shattered one's soul slowly dissipated!

The people in the city gasped for breath, collapsing to the ground, their eyes filled with gratitude and relief as they gazed at the emerald green barrier overhead that emitted a soft, clear light.

If it weren't for the timely rescue by this ancient Bodhi tree, they would surely be doomed today!

On Mount Lei.

The same scene is playing out again.

Just as the Soul Emperor's aura erupted, the Bodhi Ancient Tree, rooted atop Thunder Mountain, swayed its branches.

The clear sunlight scattered across the sky, transforming into an inverted bowl-shaped light shield that steadily protected Leishan and the surrounding peaks, along with all the disciples of Zixiao Palace within.

Outside the light shield, purple lightning and blood-red wind clashed fiercely, causing space to crumble inch by inch.

Yao Wanhuo, Shennong the Elder, and Yao Chen, Xuan Yi and others who had just arrived nearby were all standing inside the light barrier, staring intently at the two figures in the sky that seemed to be confronting each other like gods and demons. Their faces were extremely solemn, and their backs were soaked with cold sweat.

They had no doubt that without the protection of the Bodhi Tree, they would have been seriously injured on the spot the moment the Soul Emperor's unrestrained pressure erupted, and those with slightly lower cultivation levels would not have been unable to perish!

This is the terror of the continent's top experts!

With sheer force of will, one can decide the life and death of countless people!

"You're really good."

The Soul Emperor's voice came through the violent clash of energy, calm yet tinged with a cold admiration, "After fusing with that strange purple lightning, your cultivation aura has almost risen to the level of a mid-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng. Such an improvement is simply heaven-defying!"

He changed the subject, his tone revealing a hint of insight: "However—I can sense that in your current state, while your aura is strong, it appears somewhat weak, and moreover—"

It doesn't seem like it can last long, does it?

As if to prove his words, the blood lightning around the Soul Emperor suddenly intensified, and the fierce yin wind became even more violent, emitting a shrill shriek like the howls of billions of ghosts.

That half of the dark sky, like a black behemoth that has come to life, opened its ferocious maw and pressed even more fiercely towards Xiao Bai's purple sea of ​​lightning.

Xiao Bai immediately felt a vast power that seemed to crush the heavens and earth, surging wildly from all directions and constantly compressing his Purple Lightning Domain!

"Hiss hiss hiss—!"

The purple and black energies violently annihilated at the boundary, emitting a piercing sound.

Visibly, the sky, which had been barely maintaining a 50/50 balance, suddenly swelled up in the dark area representing the power of the Soul Emperor, spreading rapidly like ink dripping into clear water.

Under this violent pressure, Xiao Bai's purple sea of ​​lightning began to retreat step by step, shrinking its range and its light dimming slightly!

"Xiao Bai!"

Standing under the protection of the ancient Bodhi tree, Little Fairy Doctor and Yun Yun's pretty faces changed drastically upon seeing this scene, their beautiful eyes filled with worry and anxiety.

Watching the purple lightning gradually shrink, they clearly knew how immense the pressure Xiao Bai was under at this moment!

However, just as the Purple Lightning Domain was compressed to a certain critical point, "BOOM!!!"

A thunderous roar, even more deafening than before, suddenly erupted from Xiao Bai's body!

The purple lightning surrounding him did not continue to dim; instead, it seemed to be completely ignited, bursting out with an extremely dazzling brilliance.

Within that light, a deeper purple aura swirled, carrying a strange Daoist charm that intertwined destruction and rebirth!

The purple lightning domain, which had been shrinking, was abruptly halted by this burst of power, and the two forces once again reached a stalemate!

"Huh?!"

Sensing the force of resistance, the Soul Emperor frowned slightly, scrutinized the situation for a moment, and said in a deep voice, "They actually want to use me to comprehend the meaning within the lightning!"

He clearly sensed that under his pressure, Xiao Bai's control over the purple lightning seemed to have improved significantly.

Xiao Bai stood in the center of the sea of ​​thunder, his face slightly paler than before, but his eyes were as sharp as ever. His clear voice pierced through the layers of thunder and cold wind, resounding clearly above Thunder Mountain: "In my current state, I really cannot maintain it for long."

Then, he changed the subject, his tone laced with amusement and coldness: "But I think, given the speed of a Soul Realm expert at the Emperor Realm, it shouldn't take long for them to travel from the Beast Domain back to this Purple Cloud Palace, right?"

He paused slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the void as he stared directly at the Soul Emperor: "I wonder how long the Soul Clan Chief, facing a nine-star Dou Sheng with an Emperor-level soul, plus myself, plus Bodhi—three nine-star level opponents—can hold out?"

Upon hearing this, the howling yin wind in the dark world that the Soul Emperor occupied for half of seemed to pause almost imperceptibly for a moment!

Since the black flame light barrier was shattered by the impact, he had tried to investigate the situation in the Beast Domain again, but his soul power was always strongly interfered with by Xiao Bai, making it impossible for him to know the exact battle situation.

At this moment, Xiao Bai so confidently mentioned "a nine-star Dou Sheng with an Emperor-level soul," and recalling the unfamiliar Emperor-level soul attack just now—

Could it be that an unknown nine-star Dou Sheng powerhouse with the Emperor Realm soul has truly appeared in the Beast Domain?

If that's the case, even if it's just a nine-star Dou Sheng in the early stage, a nine-star Dou Sheng in the early stage with an Emperor Realm soul is far more troublesome than an ordinary nine-star Dou Sheng in the early stage of the Great Perfection of the Heaven Realm!

Add to that Xiao Bai's brief burst of power, which was no weaker than that of a mid-stage nine-star cultivator, and this ancient Bodhi tree—

Two Emperor-level souls, a Nine-Star Dou Sheng;

A being brimming with vitality and possessing formidable healing power;

Even someone as strong as him would find it quite troublesome if the three of them joined forces.

"snort!"

The Soul Emperor snorted coldly, his expression solemn, and he was about to speak to further probe or exert pressure.

Suddenly, his brow twitched slightly, as if he had sensed something.

He flipped his hand, and a jade slip, completely black and engraved with strange blood-red runes, appeared in his palm.

On the jade slip, a clear crack was spreading out from the middle.

When the Soul Emperor saw the crack, instead of anger, a glint of unfathomable brilliance flashed in his eyes.

He clenched his fist slightly.

With a "crack," the jade slip instantly turned into a pinch of black powder, drifting through his fingers and disappearing into the raging energy turbulence.

He raised his head and looked again at Xiao Bai in the purple lightning opposite him.

At this moment, Xiao Bai's face was even paler than before, and his breathing was slightly unstable.

However, the intense purple lightning surrounding him and his calm, indifferent eyes suggested that it would be impossible to subdue him in a short time.

The Soul Emperor's gaze lingered on Xiao Bai for a moment, then slowly swept over the ancient Bodhi tree below that firmly protected the Purple Cloud Palace. His eyes flashed, clearly indicating that he was rapidly weighing and calculating something.

A moment later, the last trace of hesitation in his eyes vanished.

The blood-red lightning and eerie winds that seemed poised to destroy heaven and earth actually began to slowly subside and calm down.

The suffocating, terrifying pressure receded like the tide.

"Xiao Bai,"

The Soul Emperor's voice returned to its initial calm, even tinged with regret, "This opportunity—only comes once. I hope you won't regret it later."

He gave Xiao Bai a deep look, and his figure, along with the half of the still-dark sky, began to vanish like a bubble.

"Um?!"

Xiao Bai frowned, looking at the spot where the Soul Emperor had disappeared. Instead of feeling relieved, his ominous premonition grew stronger.

The Soul Emperor's plan was so meticulous that he even went so far as to threaten Gu Yuan with the Soul Realm and personally descend in his true form to restrain him.

Is it just for catching rainbow scales?

And seeing that the plan might be thwarted, why did they retreat so decisively?

This is completely inconsistent with the Soul Emperor's style of using any means necessary, even to the point of madness, to achieve his goals!

There must be a demon in the abnormal situation!

Before Xiao Bai could figure out the key point, the disciples of Zixiao Palace who had witnessed the Soul Emperor's "retreat" on the various mountain peaks below suddenly erupted into thunderous cheers and shouts after a brief silence!

"The Palace Master is mighty!!"

"We won! We won! Hahaha!!"

One after another, excited shouts filled with the joy of surviving a disaster resounded throughout the sky above Zixiao Palace!

For the vast majority of his disciples, they were unaware of the Soul Emperor's identity, but they personally experienced his terror.

Such a powerful figure ultimately chose to retreat in the face of their palace master.

This was enough to make them feel incredibly proud and excited!

"call----"

Little Fairy Doctor and Yun Yun also breathed a long sigh of relief, their tense nerves finally relaxing.

The oppressive confrontation they had just witnessed, which felt like the end of the world, had truly terrified them.

However, there was no joy on Xiao Bai's face.

His doubts and vigilance reached their peak.

He had even prepared for the worst.

If they are outmatched, they will use any means necessary to escape into the Heavenly Tomb for temporary refuge.

But the Soul Emperor retreated first—

As he frowned in thought, a thought struck him, and the vast purple sea of ​​lightning that occupied half the sky began to slowly shrink and quickly entered his body.

As the last wisp of purple lightning disappeared, Xiao Bai's body trembled slightly, he groaned, and a trickle of crimson blood quietly spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Forcibly fusing with the Life and Death Purple Lightning to enhance combat power indeed placed a tremendous burden on his physical body. Even though his cultivation has greatly improved, he still suffered considerable internal injuries.

Just then, Xiao Bai's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he abruptly turned his head, his gaze as sharp as lightning, as if piercing through layers of space and locking onto a certain direction.

He raised one hand, his five fingers slightly bent, and reached out to grab at the void!

The space rippled like water, and two slightly disheveled, travel-worn figures appeared without warning in the air not far in front of him.

"Xiao Bai!"

"master!"

The two blinked blankly, seemingly not yet fully recovered from the spatial traversal.

But when she saw the familiar face in front of her, Cai Lin's cold and beautiful face instantly burst with undisguised excitement, and the little golden dragon's eyes lit up.

"You—you're injured?!"

Cai Lin's gaze instantly caught the glaring bloodstain at the corner of Xiao Bai's mouth, her expression changed drastically, and her eyebrows furrowed.

She flashed and instantly appeared in front of Xiao Bai. She raised her jade-like hand and gently wiped away the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth with the pad of her thumb, her movements gentle yet trembling.

In those long, narrow, beautiful eyes, worry and icy killing intent flickered and intertwined.

"It's nothing, just a minor injury, a side effect of forcibly increasing your strength."

Seeing the undisguised heartache in her eyes, Xiao Bai felt a warmth in his heart and smiled as he shook his head slightly.

One hand grasped the slightly cool, soft hand on her face, while the other rose to gently stroke Cai Lin's smooth, jade-like cheek, her tone tinged with reproach: "As for you, in the future—don't be so impulsive again, understand?"

Feeling the warmth of his fingertips and hearing the lingering fear hidden in his words, Cai Lin felt both sweet gratitude and a touch of grievance.

She gently bit her red lips with her pearly teeth, remained silent for a moment, then nodded almost imperceptibly and responded with a soft, "Mmm!"

Just as the two locked eyes and their feelings were flowing, a series of whooshing sounds rang out.

Little Fairy Doctor and Yun Yun also flew over quickly, surrounding Xiao Bai with anxious expressions.

They still vividly remember Xiao Zi's miserable appearance after merging with the purple lightning, covered in blood and cracks.

The two women didn't even bother to greet Cai Lin. Their jade-like hands kept touching and sensing his body, their beautiful eyes filled with tension.

When they discovered that he didn't have any horrific injuries that threatened to break him, but only that his internal organs had been shaken and his meridians were somewhat damaged, they finally breathed a long sigh of relief and their hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, were finally put to rest.

Upon seeing this, Cai Lin blushed slightly and awkwardly withdrew her hand from Xiao Bai's, taking a half-step back.

"Mother—!"

Just then, a clear child's voice, filled with a sob and grievance, rang out.

A five-colored bolt of lightning shot out from the light shield of the ancient Bodhi tree below like a small cannonball and crashed straight into Cai Lin's arms.

"Mother! Qing'er is so scared—so scared that she will never see you again—"

Xiao Qing hugged Cai Lin tightly, burying her face in her arms, her shoulders heaving as she softly sobbed.

What the little girl just saw through the light screen really terrified her.

Cai Lin felt her daughter's small body trembling slightly, and the softest part of her heart was deeply touched.

She held her daughter tightly in her arms, gently patting her back with her delicate hands, her coldness in her beautiful eyes turning into endless tenderness and remorse.

"Mother is alright, Mother is here—"

"Master, where is that old bastard, Soul Emperor?"

Only then did the little golden dragon shake its head, move closer to Xiao Bai, and look around.

Although it was captured by Xiao Bai from a distance, it still sensed the lingering, unsettling aura from before.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Bai's brows, which had just relaxed slightly, furrowed tightly again.

The doubts I had just had resurfaced in my mind, and became clearer and clearer:

The reason the Soul Emperor went to such lengths was undoubtedly for the sake of the Emperor-grade embryonic pill, and to obtain the Emperor-grade embryonic pill, he had to open the cave...

Thinking of this, Xiao Bai flipped his palm over, and a scale shimmering with a faint purple-gold luster lay quietly in his hand.

"These are... Zi Yan's dragon scales?"

The little golden dragon approached the huge dragon head, sensed it carefully, and immediately recognized it.

Hearing the little golden dragon's exclamation and seeing Xiao Bai frowning as he stared at the scales, Little Fairy Doctor had a sudden inspiration and blurted out, "Little Bai, you—you're worried about Zi Yan?"

Yun Yun, who was standing nearby, also came over. Looking at the scales and recalling the scene when they parted, she said, "But if something really happened, these scales should have reacted, but now there's no sign of anything unusual..."

'

This scale was left behind by Zi Yan when she left, as a token for communication.

Xiao Bai nodded, but then slowly shook his head.

Little Fairy Doctor, Yun Yun, Cai Lin, and even the little golden dragon were all somewhat confused and looked at him with puzzlement.

Xiao Bai took a deep breath, raised his head, and swept his gaze over everyone. In a low voice, he explained, "We've fallen into a misconception. When Zi Yan left this 'reverse scale,' we—we weren't even Dou Sheng yet."

He paused, his worry deepening: "If Ziyan truly encounters a massive crisis on Dragon Island that she herself cannot resolve, will she—choose to notify us? Given that girl's personality, she'll likely not only not contact us, but might even deliberately block our senses?"

Upon hearing this, the air fell into a deathly silence!

The expressions of Little Fairy Doctor, Yun Yun, and Cai Lin changed simultaneously!

They had indeed subconsciously overlooked the fact that at the time Zi Yan left, they were simply not capable of intervening in a conflict at the level of Dragon Island!

Given Zi Yan's seemingly mischievous but actually loyal nature, if she were to encounter an insurmountable enemy, she would very likely make the choice that Xiao Bai suggested!

"Then—what do we do now?"

Cai Lin's voice carried a hint of anxiety.

Zi Yan was very close to the other girls, like a younger sister.

Xiao Bai slowly shook his head, his brows furrowing even more deeply: "Even the strongest Emperor-level soul perception cannot extend to the vast, boundless void beyond the continent. Dragon Island drifts endlessly in the depths of the void; without clear guidance or someone familiar to lead the way, blindly venturing into the void to search—it would likely waste a considerable amount of time!"

He had just taken out the scale in an attempt to use this sole token to sense Zi Yan's condition or the approximate location of Dragon Island.

However, the result made his heart sink.

The scales did not provide any useful feedback.

This either means that Zi Yan is safe and sound and there is no need to contact her;

Or—most likely the worst-case scenario—the connection has been deliberately severed!