Battle Through the Heavens: Starting with Cao Ying as an apprentice

"Brothers of different surnames..."

When the Sixth Elder Lei Shan uttered those four words, the elders in the council hall who were not yet senior enough to know about that dark history subconsciously fell into an absurd reverie.

Two late-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng! What kind of concept is that?

If these two were to join forces, their combined swordsmanship would shake not only the Soul Clan, but the entire continent.

Even if the Soul Emperor himself were to arrive, and the Void Devouring Flame were to lend a hand, they would likely only be able to suffer a crushing defeat in front of these two powerful figures who stand at the pinnacle of the Dou Qi Continent.

For a moment, a glimmer of unrealistic hope ignited in the eyes of many young elders, as if they could see Gu Yuan and Xiao Xuan standing side by side, sweeping aside the Soul Clan in a spectacular display.

However, this newly formed bubble of fantasy lasted less than a breath before being shattered by the cold and cruel narration that followed from the Sixth Elder, Lei Shan.

"Back then, Xiao Xuan was a once-in-a-century genius of the Xiao clan. He devoted the entire clan's strength and burned his bloodline essence, all for the sake of breaking through to the supreme Dou Di realm!"

Lei Shan's voice was hoarse, as if carrying the vicissitudes of time and endless mockery.

"But at the critical moment, the Soul Emperor led countless elites of the Soul Clan and launched a fierce attack!"

"In that battle, the heavens and earth lost their color, and the sun and moon lost their light. Although Xiao Xuan was strong, he fought against the Soul Clan army by himself, causing heavy casualties to the Soul Clan. Only one-tenth of the main force survived. Even the Soul Emperor himself was seriously injured and on the verge of death, and fled in a sorry state."

At this point, Lei Shan's tone suddenly changed, becoming chilling: "Logically speaking, the best time for Gu Yuan to make his move was during the great battle between the two sides!"

"Whether it's helping my brother stop the Soul Emperor, protecting my brother's safety as he strives to become a Dou Di, or launching a sneak attack while the Soul Clan's stronghold is vulnerable, we could uproot this scourge of the Soul Clan!"

"But guess what Gu Yuan, who swore brotherhood with Xiao Xuan and was like a brother to him, did?"

He glanced around at the young elders who were listening intently and holding their breath, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"He did nothing."

"He's watching the show."

"Right on the edge of the battlefield, separated by the spatial barrier, I coldly watched Xiao Xuan and the Soul Emperor fight to the death."

"Watching the young men of the Xiao clan fall one by one, watching Xiao Xuan fail to break through to the Dou Di realm, his blood and qi reversed, suffering a fatal blow, and finally dying with resentment, his remnant soul forced to escape into the Heavenly Tomb and seal itself... while he, from beginning to end, never took a single step out!"

"hiss--"

Gasps of astonishment filled the council chamber.

Those elders who were just fantasizing about the perfect combination of the two heroes now felt a chill rise from their spines, and their hands and feet became icy cold.

Lei Shuo looked incredulous and subconsciously asked, "Then... what happened after that?"

"The Soul Clan and Xiao Xuan fought to a standstill. Shouldn't he take this opportunity to gather the strength of his entire clan, reap the benefits, and avenge his good brother?"

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Faced with this naive question, the Sixth Elder Lei Shan's face was almost overflowing with sarcasm, and he let out an undisguised sneer: "Heh, reaping the benefits of others' misfortunes? He did reap the benefits, but the target of his reaping benefits was not the Soul Clan."

"This guy, seeing his good brother just die and the Soul Clan severely weakened, his first thought wasn't revenge, but to inherit the legacy!"

"After Xiao Xuan's death, the endless natural treasures, cultivation manuals, and high-level combat techniques left to the Xiao clan were all 'kept in safekeeping' by Gu Yuan under various pretexts, but in reality, he appropriated them for himself!"

"If it weren't for this, the Xiao clan, though severely damaged, wouldn't have been completely wiped out in just a hundred years. If Xiao Xuan knew this in the afterlife, he would probably be so angry that he would jump out of the Heavenly Tomb!"

Lei Shuo was still unwilling to give up and struggled to ask, "What about our Lei Clan? At that time, the Soul Clan's main force was less than one-tenth of its strength, so their strength must not be strong. If we attacked the Soul Clan, wouldn't we be able to stop them?"

This time, it was the clan chief Lei Ying, who sat in the main seat, who provided the answer.

His voice was low and tired, conveying a deep sense of powerlessness.

“We’ve thought about it, but the biggest variable is Gu Yuan.”

Lei Ying's gaze swept across the entire scene, as if he wanted to etch every face into his heart: "If our Lei Clan launches a full-scale attack on the Soul Clan, and the Soul Clan, in a desperate move, were to self-destruct, even if we were to win, it would be a Pyrrhic victory, or even a mutual destruction."

“At that time, Gu Yuan only needs to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. When we are both exhausted, he can easily reap the ‘legacy’ of the Thunder Clan and the Soul Clan.”

"As for the other ancient imperial clans, they are all shrewd and intelligent, and they must have thought of this point."

"So we tacitly chose to remain inactive, watching the Soul Clan retreat and the Xiao Clan be destroyed... This allowed the Soul Clan to recuperate, rise again, and eventually become so powerful and uncontrollable today!"

The truth came to light, and the council chamber fell into a deathly silence.

All the young elders fell silent. They finally understood why the Thunder Clan and other ancient imperial clans were so secretive about forming alliances.

Not wanting, but not dare.

Because behind that shadow called "Gu Yuan" lies a betrayal and scheming more chilling than the Soul Clan.

Guyuan is such a rip-off! It's so bad it's despairing!

After a long silence, it was Second Elder Lei Zhen's calm, almost cold voice that broke the deadlock.

"Chieftain, the situation is perilous, but not without a solution."

All eyes immediately turned to him.

Lei Zhen's expression was solemn as he held up two fingers: "First, immediately dispatch elites from the clan to infiltrate various parts of Zhongzhou to find and destroy those already set up Soul Devouring Arrays, and prevent the completion of the Soul Devouring Life-Severing Array."

"Secondly, and most importantly!"

A resolute glint flashed in Lei Zhen's eyes.

"We must do everything we can to befriend a man named 'Su Baichen,' and ideally, completely bring him into our Thunder Clan's camp!"

"Su Baichen?" Lei Ying was slightly taken aback, then realized what he meant.

"Second brother, are you talking about that rogue cultivator who's been making waves in Zhongzhou lately, the one who's been the rising star of the Dou Sheng realm?"

“Yes, that’s him!” Lei Zhen nodded emphatically.

Third Elder Lei Li frowned and questioned, "But according to intelligence, although Su Baichen is mysterious, he is only a low-level Dou Sheng, at most a two- or three-star Dou Sheng. How could he possibly stop Hun Tiandi?"

“Of course he can’t stop him.” Lei Zhen calmly admitted, but amidst the disappointed gazes of the crowd, he slowly uttered another shocking name.

"But the person standing behind him is capable."

"Who?" the crowd asked in confusion.

"The previous generation of the Ancient Dragon Emperor of the Void, Zhukun!"

These words shocked everyone in the room!

Even Lei Ying, whose expression had been solemn, couldn't help but have his pupils contract sharply.

"Zhu Kun? That old Dragon Emperor who disappeared a thousand years ago?"

Elder Lei Yun exclaimed in disbelief.

"According to the information relayed by my spies, Zhu Kun's strength has reached the late stage of the Nine-Star Dou Sheng realm!"

Lei Zhen's voice was resolute as he said, "More importantly, his true combat strength may even surpass that of the Soul Emperor!"

"Hiss—" Another gasp of cold air.

If Zhu Kun truly possesses such strength, then he is undoubtedly the greatest trump card in his struggle against the Soul Emperor!

However, doubts also arose.

An elder couldn't help but ask, "Second Elder, even if Zhu Kun is powerful, how can you be sure that he would fight against the Soul Clan for Su Baichen's sake, and thus for the sake of our Thunder Clan?"

"What if he only wants to protect the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan and sits on the sidelines?"

"Uncertain," Second Elder Lei Zhen readily admitted, but his eyes held an unprecedented firmness.

"So I'm betting!"

"I bet that Zhu Kun will choose to stand on Su Baichen's side because of Su Baichen's kindness to them, and I bet they will become our key allies in the fight against the Soul Clan."

Chapter 337 I'd rather gamble than trust Gu Yuan!

"A bet?" Lei Ying frowned and said in a deep voice.

"Second brother, this is no child's play! You're gambling with the survival of the entire Thunder Clan!"

"Yes, Second Elder, it's too risky!" Several elders objected.

Faced with the doubts of the crowd, Second Elder Lei Zhen did not back down in the slightest.

He abruptly stood up, his gaze sharp as lightning, fixed on Lei Ying in the main seat, his tone resolute and ruthless, carrying a do-or-die determination:

"But I'd rather gamble that Zhu Kun sides with Su Baichen than seek that hypocritical alliance with that guy surnamed Gu again, one that could be a trap at any moment!"

These words struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

Silence fell over the council chamber once again, but this time, the emotions conveyed in that silence were entirely different.

Was it fear? Was it humiliation? Or... a glimmer of light seen in a desperate situation?

“Actually…” The First Elder stroked his beard and was the first to agree, his tone tinged with a bitter helplessness.

"I think... we can take a gamble. It's better than going after that old fox Gu Yuan."

“I also think it’s worth a try,” the Third Elder sighed.

"At least Su Baichen and Zhu Kun have not shown any hostility towards our Thunder Clan so far."

"Hmm, let's take a gamble!"

"There has to be a direction..."

"It's better than sitting and waiting to die!"

The elders, who initially opposed the movement, have now begun to waver and agree with it.

It wasn't because they became bolder, but because they faced two dead ends: "being betrayed by Gu Yuan" and "surrendering to the Soul Clan."

This gamble, fraught with unknown dangers, turned out to be the only straw that seemed to be grasping at.

Lei Ying looked at the faces before him, each with a complex expression yet hinting at a resolute determination. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

He knew that the Thunder Clan's great ship had sailed into a completely unknown stormy sea.

Gambling can lead to winning, but it can also result in utter defeat.

But if you don't gamble, the outcome is already predetermined.

"Alright." Lei Ying's voice rang out in the empty council hall, carrying an unquestionable determination.

"Then let's take this gamble! Second Elder, immediately draft a detailed plan regarding the operation to destroy the Spirit Devouring Array and make contact with Su Baichen. I need to see the most comprehensive plan!"

"Understood!" Lei Zhen nodded.

…………