I am the Thunder Emperor in the fight

Shadow Palace, Night Falcon's Den.

The restrictions were lifted, isolating both the inside and outside.

Deep within the cave, the Night Falcon sat cross-legged, shrouded in near-absolute darkness, with only his pure black eyes gleaming with a profound light in the darkness.

Two days have passed since Elder Heiming summoned the Tai Ling Ancient Clan delegation to inform them of the upcoming exchange.

In the past two days, Night Falcon handed over all the law enforcement team affairs and several tasks assigned by Elder Black Nether to his subordinates, and spent most of his time in meditation and preparation.

In terms of cultivation, he has clearly stabilized at the late stage of the lower-level Earthly Sovereign, only a step away from the peak.

But Night Falcon knew that with such strength, it would probably be insufficient to face the true geniuses of the Tai Ling Ancient Clan, as well as the potential prodigies within the Black Sky Ancient Clan.

He needs stronger public presence to gain sufficient attention and influence in the upcoming exchanges, and perhaps even... to secure some deeper opportunities.

"A half-step Upper Earthly Sovereign... it's time," Night Falcon murmured to himself.

This is not a true breakthrough, but rather a further unsealing of the dark ancestral symbol within the body and the sealed primordial power.

After nearly two years of hiding, adjustment, and deep integration with the Black Sky Ancient Clan's environment, the foundation of his clone has been honed to near perfection, enough to bear higher levels of power without revealing any flaws.

He focused his mind on his dantian, communicating with the dormant dark ancestral symbol.

The Dark Ancestral Symbol trembled slightly, releasing a wisp of primordial dark power that was far purer and more vast than before.

At the same time, the hidden talisman within his body, set up by the original Mo Yu and sealing most of the power of this clone, quietly loosened, releasing some of the imprisoned, powerful spiritual energy.

Two forces, one originating from the high-quality dark essence of the Dark Ancestral Symbol, and the other from the abundant spiritual power accumulated by this clone through its own cultivation, began to slowly merge and circulate under the Night Falcon's exquisite control, impacting that invisible barrier.

The darkness inside the cave suddenly became as thick as ink, flowing and swirling as if it had come to life, forming a dark vortex centered on the night falcon.

The vortex silently swallowed all light and sound, with only the scent of the night falcon rising at a steady and astonishing speed!
Late-stage peak of Lower Earthly Sovereign... Touching the barrier of Upper Earthly Sovereign... Half-step Upper Earthly Sovereign!

The whole process seems to be going smoothly, but it is actually extremely dangerous. The slightest carelessness could cause the power to go berserk or the aura to leak out, attracting unnecessary attention.

But Night Falcon's control over power was already incredibly precise. He carefully guided the flow of every bit of power, simulating the most perfect and solid breakthrough.

A day later, the dark vortex inside the cave slowly subsided.

Night Falcon opened his eyes, and deep within his pure black pupils, it seemed as if a dark galaxy was slowly rotating. An aura far stronger and more refined than before, carrying a faint sense of pressure, spread out, only to be quickly suppressed by him.

Half-step into the supreme realm!
He felt the vast spiritual power surging within his body, and the increasingly active primal resonance of the Dark Ancestral Symbol, and his heart was at peace.

At this moment, based solely on his apparent cultivation level, he is already enough to look down on the vast majority of lower-level Earthly Sovereigns, and even when facing a true upper-level Earthly Sovereign, he has the power to fight.

Combined with his exquisite shadow magic and the sacred artifact Touch of Eternal Night, his combat power will be even more formidable.

"That's about it." Night Falcon stood up, stretched his limbs, and his bones crackled slightly as a powerful confidence arose within him.

He changed into a brand-new set of core disciple attire from the Shadow Palace, with a token and seal hanging from his waist. His aura was calm and composed, and his divine light was restrained. He slowly walked out of the cave.

……

The core area of ​​the Black Sky Ancient Clan, the welcoming plaza.

The square today is several times more solemn and dignified than it used to be.

The vast plaza is paved with rare "Dark Star Stones" and surrounded by black totem poles symbolizing the majesty of the Black Sky Ancient Clan, with the tops of the poles burning with eerie blue eternal soul flames.

Above the square, the dark purple sky was made even more profound by the temporary array, with twinkling starlight-like runes adding to the mystery and solemnity.

The square had already been divided into different areas.

To the due north is a majestic black viewing platform, the seating area for the high-ranking members and distinguished guests of the Black Sky Ancient Clan.

On both sides and in front of the viewing platform were the areas where young disciples from various branches of the Black Heaven Ancient Clan came to participate in the exchange.

At this moment, the square was filled with people, their presence a complex and powerful mix of energy.

Aside from the black-armored guards and ceremonial personnel maintaining order, the most eye-catching were the young prodigies from different lineages of the Black Sky Ancient Clan.

Night Falcon, representing the Black Nether Elder lineage, stood with several outstanding disciples of the same lineage in an area on the left side of the viewing platform.

He could clearly sense that the prodigies present today were of a far higher quality than those usually found in the Shadow Palace.

On the right side of the viewing platform, the largest and most imposing group consisted of members from the main lineage.

The group of leaders were all extraordinary in bearing. The shadow power flowing around them was not only extremely pure, but also carried an innate aura of ancient nobility.

One of the young men, dressed in a dark gold robe and with a cold, chiseled face, possessed an aura that clearly reached the peak of the Upper Earthly Sovereign realm, extremely close to the Great Perfection of the Earthly Sovereign realm.

He simply stood there quietly, the surrounding space seemed slightly distorted, the light dimmed, he was one of the recognized leaders of this generation of the direct line.

"Dark Emperor" Mo Wufeng!

Beside him were several men and women who had also reached the Upper Earthly Supreme or Half-Step Upper Earthly Supreme level. They were all outstanding individuals with disdainful eyes, and they mostly showed a natural aloofness and indifference towards the disciples of other lineages around them.

Closest to the core group is a team composed of the direct descendants or key protégés of several powerful elders.

For example, under Elder Yin Gu, a strange man appeared this time. He was covered in gray-white bone armor, with only two eyes that leaped with soul flames showing. His aura was cold and deathly, far surpassing that of a lower-level Earthly Sovereign. He was obviously a rising star. He was coldly glancing at Elder Hei Ming's faction, and his gaze lingered on Night Falcon for a moment, with undisguised hostility.

There were also several other geniuses under the elders, whose auras were either as intense as dark fire or as elusive as ghosts; all of them possessed extraordinary strength.

Further out are the teams under elders like Elder Heiming, who are not the most core direct line but wield real power, as well as representatives of some powerful and ancient collateral families with strong bloodlines.

The area where the night falcon lives falls into this category.

He could sense that the other prodigies from other elders' subordinates or powerful collateral branches were also sizing each other up and comparing, and an invisible competitive pressure permeated the air. Night Falcon concealed his strength. With his cultivation level of half-step Upper Earthly Sovereign, he was no longer top-tier among these prodigies, but he was definitely in the upper-middle tier.

However, as he stood calmly among the ranks of the Black Nether Elders, he could still clearly feel the scrutinizing, curious, and even undisguised contemptuous gazes coming from different directions.

"That's Night Falcon? The new deputy commander of the enforcement team that Elder Black Nether promoted? I heard he's quite capable, and he took care of those useless guys from the Bone-Eating Sect."

"Hmph, it's just a matter of luck. Not a direct descendant of our clan, with impure blood, it's ultimately a heretical path, unlikely to amount to anything."

"That's true. How can a mere branch or offshoot compare to us, who have been nurtured by the ancestral land's essence since childhood and cultivate the supreme canon?"

"When the Tai Ling Ancient Clan arrives, I just hope they won't embarrass my Hei Tian Ancient Clan."

……

Although the whispers were faint, they did not escape the keen senses of the night falcon.

For those direct descendants and some arrogant offspring, beings like Night Falcon, whose bloodline had been scattered and who rose rapidly through fortuitous encounters and merits, were naturally labeled as having unstable foundations, mixed bloodlines, and being unworthy of respect.

Furthermore, his ruthless and harsh enforcement of the law after taking charge of the enforcement team angered many powerful figures from other factions, resulting in him having extremely poor interpersonal relationships.

If he hadn't demonstrated remarkable strength and skill, along with Elder Heiming's strong support, his very right to stand here would likely have been questioned.

Throughout the ordeal, the Night Falcon remained calm, a sinister smile playing on its lips, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding chatter and stares.

He infiltrated the Black Sky Ancient Clan solely to seize the Night God's Ancient Body; as for cultivating relationships and building goodwill, he naturally didn't care.

Upon hearing these rumors, he simply closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

The leader of the Black Nether Elder lineage was a senior Spirit-Rank Heavenly Supreme Elder, who was currently exchanging pleasantries with the leaders of other lineages.

He occasionally glanced back at his own troops, his gaze lingering briefly on the night falcon, nodding slightly, seemingly quite satisfied with the night falcon's composed performance.

Just then, ripples suddenly appeared on the surface of the space at the edge of the square.

A spiritual energy fluctuation, distinct from the shadowy aura of the Black Heaven Ancient Clan, was balanced, peaceful, yet vast and boundless, slowly spreading from afar.

"They're here!" Everyone perked up, their eyes turning in unison to the ripples in the space.

At the center of the ripples, a huge gate of light slowly took shape, within which shimmering light and auspicious energy emanated.

Immediately afterwards, a group of about twenty people stepped out calmly.

The leader was an elderly man with white hair, a youthful face, and a kind expression, dressed in a wide, moon-white robe.

He held a white, jade-like whisk in his hand. He did not have an imposing aura, but his deep eyes seemed to hold the rising and falling of the sun, moon, and stars, and the flow of the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. He was clearly a Celestial Supreme expert with unfathomable cultivation!
It was Elder Lingjun, who led the Tailing Ancient Clan this time.

Behind Elder Lingjun followed more than ten young disciples of the Tai Ling Ancient Clan.

Both men and women were present, each possessing an extraordinary air. The men were handsome and elegant, while the women were pure and ethereal. As their spiritual energy flowed, it carried the unique, vast, pure, and ever-renewing Daoist charm of the Tai Ling Ancient Clan.

Their cultivation levels were also quite impressive, at least all of them were lower-level Earthly Sovereigns, and several of them had even reached the level of upper-level Earthly Sovereigns or half-step upper-level Earthly Sovereigns. Their eyes were clear and confident as they curiously surveyed the environment and people of the Black Heaven Ancient Clan.

Upon seeing the arrival of the Tailing Ancient Clan delegation, Night Falcon opened its eyes and began to scrutinize them.

However, when Night Falcon's gaze fell upon the woman who was closely following Elder Lingjun and surrounded by a crowd of admirers, his usually calm heart was suddenly stirred up by a raging storm!

The woman wore an elegant, snow-white palace dress, the hem of which was adorned with a faint shimmering light, as if it had gathered moonlight and starlight.

Her hair was as black as a waterfall, tied up with a simple jade hairpin. Her face was not breathtakingly beautiful, but she had an indescribable purity, clarity, and a holy quality as if she were untouched by the world.

Especially his eyes, clear as a spring from the heavens, seemed to contain endless wisdom and compassion.

Her aura was not sharp, but rather gentle and warm, yet unfathomable. She had reached the peak of the Upper Earthly Sovereign level, and her foundation and spiritual power were far superior to those of ordinary people of the same level!
Ling Suxin, the contemporary saintess of the Tai Ling Ancient Clan!
Night Falcon had some prior knowledge of her, having heard that she was a rare innate spiritual body, a rarity in the Tai Ling Ancient Clan.

She was discovered by an elder of the Tailing Ancient Clan during his travels. He then brought her back to the clan and personally nurtured her. A year ago, she officially became the Holy Maiden of the Tailing Ancient Clan, one of the five great ancient clans, and has attracted much attention.

But at this moment, what truly shook Night Falcon to its core was not her identity or strength, but rather... that incredibly familiar yet incredibly secret resonance that originated from the deepest part of its soul!
The spiritual energy flowing around Ling Suxin's body, at its very core, clearly concealed a supreme aura that was of the same origin as, yet different from, that of the Night Falcon!

That is not a simple spiritual power characteristic, but a unique "mark" originating from the creator himself!
Besides the already fused Ancient Avatar, Thunderclap Avatar, and Dark Lurking Avatar Night Falcon, Mo Yu actually... also crafted a fourth avatar?

Moreover, this clone actually infiltrated the Tai Ling Ancient Clan and even became a revered saintess?!
This discovery struck Night Falcon like a thunderbolt, momentarily silencing his usually calm mind.

He never expected that the true master's plan was so far-reaching and his methods so extraordinary!

Not only did he infiltrate the Black Sky Ancient Clan, but he even managed to get the Tai Ling Ancient Clan involved...

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, maintaining a calm and indifferent demeanor on the surface. His dark eyes were slightly lowered, concealing the fleeting shock and realization within. But inside, his mind was in turmoil.

At the same time, within the Tai Ling Ancient Clan delegation, Ling Suxin's gaze seemed to inadvertently sweep over the younger generation of the Hei Tian Ancient Clan.

Her gaze paused for a fleeting moment as it swept over the area where the night falcon was.

Their gazes met briefly in the air, without a word or even a fluctuation of spiritual energy. Yet, the Night Falcon clearly sensed a faint, almost imperceptible confirmation and understanding that only beings of the same origin could comprehend.

Immediately, Ling Suxin's gaze naturally shifted away, as if she were merely casually observing. With a gentle yet aloof smile befitting her status as a saintess, she walked together with Elder Ling Jun toward the viewing platform for the Black Heaven Ancient Clan's high-ranking members.

The night falcon stood still, its fingers twitching slightly within its sleeve before slowly relaxing.

Tai Ling Saintess... Ling Suxin... The fourth incarnation of the original...

He looked up again at the figure in pure white, surrounded by admirers, walking toward the viewing platform. A sharp glint flashed in the depths of his dark eyes.

This scene is getting more and more interesting… (End of Chapter)