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

An unparalleled powerhouse in the history of the ancient clan who stepped into the Dou Di realm!

The moment Gu Lingyi slowly opened her eyes, it was as if the entire spacetime of the ancient world was completely frozen.

That oppressive feeling originating from the depths of the soul instantly enveloped the entire area, locking the Soul Emperor and his Soul Clan powerhouses firmly in this world.

"A remnant soul of a Dou Di, with the strength of a half-Emperor..."

The Soul Emperor gazed at the figure, his eyes showing no panic, but rather a playful smile.

"The ancient clan's profound heritage is indeed well-deserved."

Gu Ling's gaze swept across the battlefield, first looking at the Soul Clan's camp, then looking down at his own side.

This sight revealed a deep disappointment on his already placid face.

Even with the remnants of the Medicine Clan included, the number of Dou Sheng powerhouses on the Ancient Clan's side was still far inferior to that of the Soul Clan.

"How embarrassing..." Gu Lingyi sighed inwardly and shook her head helplessly.

That feeling of disappointment and frustration seemed to weigh heavily on the air around them.

Gu Yuan felt the patriarch's incredibly disappointed gaze and was so ashamed that he could hardly lift his head.

Seeing this scene, Yao Dan felt a sense of empathy – back then, the Yao Clan was also defeated by such a desperate gap.

"The Soul Clan... is developing quite well." Gu Ling withdrew his gaze, his voice hoarse yet carrying an invisible pressure.

"Senior Lingyi, you flatter me. It is merely the result of the clan's tireless efforts." Facing this living Dou Di ancestor, Hun Tiandi unusually restrained his arrogance and bowed slightly.

After all, although the person in front of them was a remnant soul, he possessed the terrifying strength of a half-step Dou Di by borrowing the power of the entire small world of the Ancient Realm, which was by no means child's play.

“It’s really good.” Gu Ling nodded, a complex look flashing in her eyes.

"However, after today, your Soul Clan will likely decline once again."

Before he finished speaking, Gu Lingyi's eyes suddenly turned sharp as knives, filled with murderous intent!

"Senior Gu Lingyi is too kind." The Soul Emperor's voice instantly turned from respectful to icy cold.

"Heh, you've got guts! What a spirit!"

Instead of being angry, Gu Lingyi let out a sigh of admiration. He thought to himself, "This Soul Emperor is cunning and ruthless; if he were in my Ancient Clan, he would certainly be a formidable figure. What a pity..."

With his thoughts turning back, Gu Ling showed no mercy in his attack. With a casual wave of his hand, a gigantic energy palm that blotted out the sky tore through the void and slammed down on the Soul Emperor!

"Then let this junior experience your superior skills!"

The Soul Emperor's expression was solemn, and he dared not be negligent in the slightest.

He knew that this battle was about the rise and fall of the Soul Clan, and even more so about his own life and death.

"Ten Thousand Layers of Soul Heaven! Blood River of Soul Heaven! Thousand Thunders of Soul Heaven!"

Three super-heaven-level combat skills erupted instantly, a blood-red river surged, thousands of thunderbolts roared, and layers of defense and attack intertwined into a net, attempting to block that devastating palm strike.

boom--!!

A deafening explosion swept across the land, and an energy storm leveled the mountains below.

As the smoke cleared, a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of the Soul Emperor's mouth, and his clothes were torn, clearly indicating that he had suffered a minor injury.

But the fact that he survived a single blow from Ghost One was enough to shock the world.

"Oh? Three super-heavenly-rank combat skills, plus a top-grade defensive magic weapon..." Gu Lingyi raised an eyebrow slightly, quite surprised by the Soul Emperor's methods.

The Soul Emperor clutched his chest, a slight blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

[As expected of a true powerhouse who has stepped into the Dou Di realm, even his remnant soul is far superior to that of a half-emperor like Xiao Xuan!]

Gu Yuan's expression grew increasingly grim as he watched this scene unfold.

He had to admit that if he were facing the Soul Emperor's attack, even if he could block it, he would have paid a heavy price and would never have been able to remain as composed as the Soul Emperor.

"Again!"

Upon seeing this, Gu Ling's fighting spirit intensified, and he unleashed his second palm strike, which was three times more powerful than the first!

However, just as the palm was about to strike, the Soul Emperor suddenly smiled strangely and crushed an ancient jade pendant in his hand.

hum!

The dazzling light instantly engulfed everything, and when the light faded, the Soul Emperor and his powerful subordinates had vanished without a trace.

"What's going on?!"

Gu Ling frowned and immediately used his vast soul power to scan the entire ancient realm.

It was observed that the Soul Emperor and his entourage had not fled the Ancient Realm, but were instead using the power of the jade pendant to travel at an incredible speed into the depths of the Ancient Clan's forbidden area.

“Ancestor, what are they doing…” Gu Yuan was about to speak.

"They fled towards the depths of the ancient clan, in that direction..." Gu Lingyi's gaze was deep, and his tone was solemn.

"It's the ancestral hall!"

"Ancestral shrine? At this point, the Soul Emperor is still thinking about the Tuoshe Ancient Jade?" Gu Yuan was stunned upon hearing this, and then his face was full of absurdity.

"Has this old man lost his mind? Does he really think he can break into the ancestral hall in his current condition?"

Gu Lingyi did not agree with Gu Yuan's assertion.

He hovered in the air, his body swirling with energy, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of space, landing on that ancient forbidden land.

"Not necessarily." Gu Lingyi slowly shook her head, her expression more serious than ever before.

"Although this is my first encounter with this Soul Emperor, I can see that he is ruthless and cunning."

"He would never have put himself in such a dangerous situation unless he was absolutely certain of success or had a bigger plan."

“What our ancestor meant was…” Gu Yuan’s pupils contracted slightly.

"A diversionary tactic? A clever escape plan? Or is there another hidden scheme?"

Gu Lingyi stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming.

Chapter 407 Gu Lingyi's Heart Filled with Sorrow!

Inside the ancestral hall of the ancient clan, the atmosphere was so somber that it was suffocating.

The air was filled with the stench of blood and chilling energy fluctuations.

Xun'er's pretty face was frosty, and her usually gentle eyes were now icy cold, fixed on the familiar yet unfamiliar figure in front of her—Elder Gu Yang.

The elder, who used to have a kind and benevolent face, now had only a ferocious and greedy expression on his face.

"Gu Yang! I never imagined that you, who are usually so well-behaved, were actually a spy sent by the Soul Clan!" Xun'er's voice trembled slightly with anger.

[A thousand years! A Soul Clan spy infiltrated an ancient clan for a thousand years without being discovered!]

[And the other party holds such an important position as the Jade Guardian Elder!]

An hour ago, something unexpected happened!

Without warning, Elder Gu Yang launched a fierce attack. His terrifying battle aura was like a flood bursting its banks. One of the guardian elders responsible for protecting the Tuoshe Ancient Jade didn't even have time to react before being instantly killed and turned into a bloody mist.

After succeeding, the ancient sheep moved like lightning, rushing straight towards the jade box containing the ancient jade from Tuoshe.

However, at the critical moment, Xun'er arrived in time with three ancient golden-armored guards. With the help of their magical artifacts, they managed to protect one of the most important pieces of the Tuoshe Ancient Jade before the ancient sheep could reach it.

“Little girl, be smart and hand over the Tuoshe Ancient Jade, and I might spare your lives and let you leave this ancestral hall.”

Gu Yang's eyes gleamed with determination. His orders were to collect both pieces of Tuoshe Ancient Jade, but he had only managed to get one, and the mission was not yet complete.

Xun'er pursed her lips tightly, her slender hands firmly protecting the ancient jade that radiated a warm luster in her arms, her mind rapidly calculating a way out.

"Don't even think about it! My father, Gu Yuan, will be returning to help soon. Do you think you can leave?"

"Heh, naive." Gu Yang sneered, his fighting spirit surging around him.

"With our clan leader here, Gu Yuanzheng is being held back and can't possibly get away to come here. None of you will be able to wait for reinforcements!"

Before he finished speaking, Gu Yang suddenly sprang up, unleashing the terrifying pressure of a late-stage Five-Star Dou Sheng without reservation. He struck Xun'er with a palm carrying destructive power.

Although Xun'er was exceptionally talented, she was only a late-stage three-star Dou Sheng, two minor realms behind Gu Yang. Not to mention that Gu Yang was a powerful figure who had infiltrated the Gu Clan for a thousand years without being discovered.

She gritted her teeth, her fighting spirit surging wildly within her body. Several precious protective magical artifacts were instantly activated, their dazzling light layered upon layer in front of her. The other three golden-armored guards also rushed forward desperately, attempting to block her way.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In just a moment, a series of crisp cracking sounds rang out as several protective magical artifacts shattered one after another under the ancient sheep's ferocious attack, turning into specks of spiritual light and dissipating.

Xun'er was struck as if by a heavy blow, staggering backward, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, her breath instantly weakening. The other three guards were also injured, their clothes stained with blood.

However, Gu Yang's condition was not good either. Shattering several high-level magic artifacts in succession had also greatly depleted his own battle qi, making his face slightly pale and his breathing somewhat disordered.

[Oh no, this brat has too many protective magical artifacts. I don't have much time, otherwise...]

"Soul Sheep, what's going on? Even a little girl who's only a three-star Dou Sheng can keep you occupied for so long!"

Just then, a cold and majestic voice, accompanied by a terrifying sense of oppression that distorted the space itself, suddenly came from the entrance of the ancestral hall.

The Soul Emperor, leading a group of powerful members of the Soul Clan, has already stepped into the ancestral temple gate!

"Chieftain!"

Upon seeing the Soul Emperor, Gu Yang dared not be negligent and immediately knelt on one knee, saying in a deep voice, "This subordinate is incompetent. This girl carries several extremely sturdy protective magic artifacts, which delayed things for a while."

The Soul Emperor's gaze swept over the disheveled Xun'er and her guards, and he smiled contemptuously before finally settling on Xun'er: "Miss Xun'er, it seems you are much better than your brain-dead father, at least you know how to guard the ancient jade to the death."

"However, there aren't many that are strong; that's about it."

He casually raised his palm without using his full strength, but the terrifying battle aura that was enough to easily annihilate an ordinary seven-star Dou Sheng had already locked onto the last defensive light barrier around Xun'er.

"puff--"

Like the sound of shattering glass, the last protective artifact exploded.

The aftershock of the Soul Emperor's attack struck Xun'er directly in the chest. She was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into a pillar. She coughed up a mouthful of blood and her consciousness quickly faded.

"A decent protective magic weapon. It seems to be the work of Su Baichen. His skill in weapon crafting is indeed extraordinary."

The Soul Emperor looked at the unconscious Xun'er, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, before his expression returned to its usual indifference.

Upon seeing this, Gu Yang immediately stepped forward and unceremoniously snatched the Tuoshe Ancient Jade from Xun'er's hand.

The Soul Emperor nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the Ancient Sheep: "Is the Ancient Clan's escape teleportation array ready?"