Battle Through the Heavens: Purple Heaven Thunder Emperor

Chapter 503 He came too fast!

Northwest Continent, Black Corner Region, formerly Canaan Academy.

Since Xiao Bai announced the location of the Dou Di Cave, the news spread throughout the continent, this once remote land has been completely transformed.

The former inner courtyard of Canaan Academy has long since been transformed into a massive, deep pit, a remnant of the removal of the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower.

Today, the area within a hundred miles of this deep pit is densely covered with all kinds of tents and temporary buildings, and some forces have even established simple strongholds here.

The allure of the Dou Di Cave is enough to drive any power on the continent mad.

However, this area, which used to be bustling with people, is now eerily quiet.

Three towering black stone gates appeared out of nowhere in the void above the Yuantian Burning Qi Refining Tower.

The terrifying pressure and aura of death that spread out made everyone who remained nearby tremble with fear, and they scrambled away to escape into the distance.

At this moment, three towering black stone gates, each a thousand feet tall, stood in a triangular formation in the void. Twisted and eerie runes were carved on the gates, emanating a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

Between the three stone gates, black chains crisscross, forming a massive triangular cage that completely seals off the central area.

In the center of the cage, a monstrous aura of death surged and rolled like a black tide, so dense that it was almost tangible.

Amidst the almost all-consuming aura of death, a wisp of purplish-gold light stubbornly flickered, like a candle flame swaying in a storm; though faint, it never went out.

The source of the purplish-gold light was a figure sitting cross-legged with eyes closed.

Her tall figure was encased in a set of purple-gold body armor. The armor was not bulky; instead, it made her exquisite body appear even more alluring.

Her long purple hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and her fair face was framed by slightly furrowed brows that gave her a cool and aloof air, adding to her regal presence.

She hovered in the center of the death aura, her body radiating a faint purple-gold halo, resisting the erosion of the surrounding death aura.

At a certain moment, a pair of purple-gold eyes suddenly opened, mysterious and bewitching, with phantom images of dragons and phoenixes dancing around it, repelling the ever-encroaching aura of death.

"Damn the Soul Clan..."

Looking at the overwhelming aura of death surrounding them, Zi Yan curled her lip slightly: "You invited me here, and not even one person came to entertain me? How rude!"

As she spoke, the purple-gold radiance emanating from her body surged once more, repelling the deathly aura to within three feet.

"I wonder if Zhu Li and the others have informed Zixiao Palace that I've been kidnapped? If they have, I wonder what Xiao Bai will do? With his recent breakthrough to Dou Sheng, I hope he doesn't go looking for trouble with the Soul Clan all by himself!"

Zi Yan rested her chin on her hand, staring blankly ahead. She had noticed this when she landed here: the door in the hands of those three guys could actually create a death realm. Inside, even she couldn't break the spatial constraints.

"Your Majesty, what is your decision?"

A gentle and refined voice echoed in the void.

The Soul Emperor stood with his hands behind his back at the edge of the deep pit where the original Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower was located. His white robe was spotless, and his face was calm, as if he were just a scholar who had come here to admire the scenery.

He lowered his head slightly, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate layers of spatial barriers, directly seeing the Dou Di Cave hidden in another dimension below the deep pit, and the ten-thousand-foot-long purple-gold dragon in front of the cave.

"If you hand over the seven ancient jade pieces of Tuoshe to me, I will not only spare your daughter from harm, but I will also help you escape and regain your freedom."

The Soul Emperor's voice was unhurried, carrying a strange allure: "I suppose you also deeply loathe this place. Give me the ancient jade, and I will immediately open the cave. Without any restrictions, you can smash it to pieces with a single palm strike."

Beneath the deep pit lies the underground space.

Zhu Kun's enormous dragon body coiled before the ancient stone gate, the tiny fire lines on its body flickering with a dim light.

At this moment, Zhu Kun's body was covered with wounds of all sizes, and purple-gold dragon blood seeped from the wounds, condensing into droplets of blood like precious pearls in the void.

These wounds were inflicted not long ago.

When he sensed that Zi Yan was trapped in the death realm composed of the three stone gates, he instantly flew into a rage and recklessly attacked the seal on his body, trying to break free of the restraints to save his daughter.

Unfortunately, it was just a little short.

He was just a little bit of power away from completely tearing apart the chains that had bound him for thousands of years.

But this very point caused him to fail at the last hurdle. Not only did he fail to break free, but he also suffered serious injuries from forcibly breaking through the seal.

"Tathāsa—you bastard!"

Zhu Kun roared in a low voice, his dragon eyes burning with raging fury.

He hated that Tuoshegudi had imprisoned him here for thousands of years, and he hated even more that Huntiandi dared to threaten him with his daughter.

He raised his enormous dragon head, his gaze piercing through layers of space, looking up at the tall, military-clad figure in the deathly cage above.

At that moment, for the first time, such complex emotions appeared in the eyes of this ancient dragon emperor—gratification, heartache, and anger...

To his relief, his daughter had finally grown up, her bloodline had fully awakened, and her strength had reached the level of a six-star Dou Sheng. Her growth was even faster than his own back then.

What pains him is seeing her trapped in a cage, surrounded by death energy. He knew about that death energy from their last encounter; even a small amount would cause trouble for a typical seven- or eight-star Dou Sheng, let alone Zi Yan, who is only six-star at the moment.

What's infuriating is that the Heavenly Emperor of Souls, a descendant of a powerful Dou Di, actually did such a despicable thing; it's utterly contemptible.

"I, the Emperor, can give you the ancient jade."

After a long while, Zhu Kun's deep voice echoed in the void, like muffled thunder.

With a thought, seven beams of light of different colors flew out from the dragon's body, slowly rotating in front of its huge head, gradually condensing into seven simple and ancient-looking jade pieces.

These seven pieces of Tuoshe ancient jade floated in the air, creating a subtle resonance between them. Flame-like patterns could be faintly seen flowing within the jade pieces, as if they were alive.

Upon witnessing this scene, a hint of barely concealed excitement and fervor finally flickered deep within the Soul Emperor's usually calm eyes.

The eight pieces of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade, scattered across the continent, have undergone countless changes over the years, and today they will finally be reunited in his hands!

If he obtains these seven pieces, plus the one he already possesses—

The Dou Di Cave will be open to him!

The opportunity to become emperor is just around the corner!

"but----"

Zhu Kun's voice rang out again, pulling the Soul Emperor back to reality from his brief moment of excitement.

The Soul Emperor's eyes narrowed slightly, but his gentle smile remained: "What other conditions does Your Majesty the Dragon Emperor have? Please speak freely."

"I do not believe you."

Zhu Kun's enormous dragon eyes stared intently at the Soul Emperor above, his voice as cold and hard as iron: "You must first deliver my daughter to my side. Only after I have checked that she is safe and sound and has not left any hidden weapons can I give you the ancient jade."

The Soul Emperor shook his head almost without hesitation, refusing: "Impossible."

His voice remained gentle, yet carried an undeniable resolve: "Your Majesty, we are both sensible men. If you don't trust me, how can I trust you? If I send your daughter to you, and you later change your mind, wouldn't I have wasted my time?"

Zhu Kun remained silent upon hearing this.

However, he is still trapped, and if the Soul Emperor plays any tricks during the transaction, there is nothing he can do.

Therefore, he will never easily agree without a suitable solution.

"One hand gives you the person, the other gives you the jade."

The Soul Emperor spoke slowly, his tone calm yet carrying a sense of confidence in controlling the situation: "I can promise that as long as you hand over the seven ancient jade pieces, I will immediately remove the Death Cage and set your daughter free."

He paused, then continued, "Dragon Emperor, rest assured, all I ask for is to open the Dou Di Cave."

A dangerous glint flashed in Zhu Kun's enormous dragon eyes: "You should know that if the Dou Di's cave opens, I will surely break free—"

"Ha ha----"

The Soul Emperor laughed loudly, his laughter echoing in the void: "The opportunity to become a Dou Di depends on one's own methods. If I am defeated by the Dragon Emperor, it is simply because I am less skilled, and I have no one to blame but myself."

The light in Zhu Kunlong's eyes flickered uncertainly; he had an extreme distrust of the Soul Emperor.

This man is treacherous and ruthless; Zhu Kun doesn't believe a single word he says.

What if the Soul Emperor left some kind of secret method on Zi Yan, and used it to blackmail him after he escaped?

What if, after obtaining the ancient jade, the Soul Emperor not only refuses to release her but also strengthens the Death Cage, using Zi Yan's life to force him to do other things?

Various possibilities flashed through Zhu Kun's mind, making it difficult for this dragon emperor, who had lived for ten thousand years, to make a decision immediately.

Time passed second by second.

The atmosphere in the void gradually became heavy.

The Soul Emperor stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his face, as if he was not worried at all that Zhu Kun would refuse.

But his fingers were gently twitching inside his sleeve.

This movement was so subtle that almost no one noticed it.

However, as he flicked his finger, the three black stone doors seemed to receive some kind of signal, and the runes on the doors suddenly lit up with an eerie black light!

"Buzz"

At the center of the stone gate, the already surging death energy instantly became even more violent!

If the previous death aura was a black tide, then the death aura now is like boiling black magma, churning and roaring, exuding an even colder aura!

"Um?!"

In the center of the death cage, the relaxed look on Zi Yan's delicate face vanished instantly, replaced by a solemn expression.

She could clearly feel that the corrosive power of this death aura had increased several times over compared to before, and this power was still increasing at an astonishing rate!

The purple-gold protective light flickered violently under the impact of this violent death energy, like a candle flame caught in a storm!

In just a few breaths, Zi Yan was shocked to discover that a wisp of black smoke was faintly emerging from the purple-gold light on her body!

That's a sign that the protective aura is being eroded by death energy!

"This is----"

Zi Yan's pupils contracted slightly. She quickly formed hand seals, and the power of her dragon-phoenix bloodline surged wildly within her body, attempting to reinforce the protective light shield.

However, the corrosive power of that deathly aura was too terrifying. Even if she did her best, she could only barely slow down the rate of erosion and could not completely stop it!

"stop!"

Zhu Kun's voice was filled with suppressed rage, almost roaring from the depths of his throat.

His dragon eyes were fixed on the sky, staring at the wisp of black energy within the protective light of Zi Yan, and the anger in his heart was almost overwhelming his reason!

The Soul Emperor remained calm and said, "Dragon Emperor, rest assured, once the deal is struck, I will immediately present you with the Soul Clan's secret Life-Creating Pill," which will be more than enough to compensate your daughter.

"Okay, okay, okay—"

Zhu Kunlong's eyes flashed with cold light as he uttered three "good"s, each one seemingly carrying the fury of thunder.

How could he not hear the threat in the Soul Emperor's words?

If the deal isn't made quickly, Zi Yan will face far more than just this "minor" erosion!

At that time, this violent death energy will completely shatter her protective aura and directly corrode her body, bloodline, and even soul!

For a fleeting moment, Zhu Kun really wanted to rush out regardless of everything, even at the cost of serious injury or death, to tear this bastard who dared to harm his daughter to shreds!

But he can't.

The seal on his body has not been completely broken; forcibly attacking it will only cause him serious injury.

The previous impact had already seriously injured him; if another, even more violent one were to occur, the consequences would likely go far beyond mere injury.

Not only will it fail to save Ziyan, it may even make the situation worse!

At this moment, Zhu Kun cursed Gu Yuan in his heart like a dog's head:

This is the person you've been keeping an eye on?!

Then, he thought of Xiao Bai:

And that kid! I told you to look after my daughter, and this is how you look after her?!

It hasn't been that long, and they've already kidnapped them?!

Damn it, since you guys are unreliable, then I'll do it myself!

"I, the Emperor—can give you the ancient jade!"

Zhu Kun's voice was hoarse, filled with suppressed anger.

But the next moment—

A fierce dragon's might erupted from Zhu Kun's body like a volcanic eruption!

The pressure was so strong that the entire underground space trembled violently, magma surged, rocks collapsed, and even the seal of the Dou Di Cave above rippled!

"You'd better not try anything funny!"

Zhu Kun's enormous dragon eyes stared intently at the Soul Emperor, his voice as chilling as the winds of the deepest hell: "If my son suffers even a single hair, I swear—"

"Once I am freed, I will kill every member of the Soul Clan I see, until your bloodline is completely wiped from this world!"

The murderous intent in those words almost solidified into a tangible form!

"Can."

The Soul Emperor responded indifferently, completely unconcerned about Zhu Kun's threat.

As long as he is alive, the Soul Clan bloodline will never perish.

As long as he can reach the Emperor Realm, the Soul Clan will continue to exist!

The Soul Emperor waved his hand.

Instantly, the three black stone doors trembled slightly, and the runes on them dimmed a little.

He then looked at Zhu Kun, a gentle smile returning to his face: "In that case, Your Majesty the Dragon Emperor, please present the ancient jade."

Zhu Kun took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and wrapped the seven ancient jade pieces in purple-gold light, slowly sending them out of the seal.

At the same time, the three stone gates were slowly shrinking and disappearing into the magma, both of them seeming to be proceeding with some caution.

As the Soul Emperor looked at the seven ancient jade pieces that were about to break free from the seal of the Dou Di Cave, his eyes shone with an unprecedented light!

Just as the seven streaks of light were about to break through the Dou Di's sealing barrier, the originally gloomy and dark sky was tinged with a faint purple hue.

The smile on the Soul Emperor's face vanished instantly, replaced by a gloomy expression.

He slowly raised his head and looked at the purple sky that was spreading at an astonishing speed.

A chilling glint flashed in those usually calm eyes.

Xiao Bai!

He arrived too quickly!

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