Battle Through the Heavens: Xiao Yan, who was kidnapped to another world

The ancient clans took the fact that someone like Hunya, who was not particularly outstanding among the Soul Clan, could shield himself from the perception of a Great Perfection Heavenly Realm soul force very seriously. Almost immediately, the elders of the council summoned the previous commanders of the Black Annihilation Army to prepare to detain and monitor Hunya and the others.

However, these measures were halted by Gu Yuan before they could be implemented.

When Gu Tongxuan led Xiao Yan and the others into the Ancient Realm, Hunya and the others approached the four members of the Yan Clan and told them that Xiao Yan possessed the soul power of the Great Perfection of the Heaven Realm. They also made a pact to jointly fight against Xiao Yan in the Heavenly Tomb.

"As far as the other races are concerned, the Ancient Race and the Soul Race have never been trustworthy," Gu Yuan said calmly. "Now that Soul Cliff has gained the trust of the four members of the Flame Race, we must not take action against them without any evidence."

"I know."

Xiao Yan nodded. He was never a reckless man, and he understood the balance of power between these forces. But there was one thing he still wanted to know: "Is it possible that among the Soul Cliff... or the other Soul Clan members, there is a soul clone of the Soul Clan leader?"

When Xiao Yan told Gu Yuan about Soul Cliff's situation, Gu Yuan rejected the conjecture that Soul Cliff possessed a strange object that could shield the perception of Heavenly Realm soul power. In other words, Soul Cliff or the Soul Clan guests around him had Emperor Realm soul power.

"...I will have Gu Tongxuan test Hun Lin and the others." After a long silence, Gu Yuan slowly spoke.

Xiao Yan had met Gu Tongxuan many times and knew that he was an honest man who had recently broken through to the Dou Sheng level. If a one-star Dou Sheng were to establish a force in Zhongzhou, he would definitely become a dominant force that was no weaker than the Soul Palace, the Pill Tower, and the Flame Alliance. Among the seven ancient clans, he would be considered a rising star among the hundreds of Dou Sheng.

So, does such strength qualify one to test the soul avatar of the Soul Clan Chief, who might possess Emperor-level soul power?

No.

However, since they were on the territory of the ancient clan, Gu Tongxuan could not find anything, but his life was not in danger.

Therefore, what Gu Yuan was actually saying was, 'Among them, there is definitely a soul clone of the Soul Emperor. We don't know exactly who it is, but we'll arrange for someone to conduct a token investigation. Just enough to maintain appearances—you just need to know that there's a soul clone of the Soul Emperor among them.'

"Then I'm relieved..." Xiao Yan said softly after his face twitched slightly.

“There’s no need to worry about whether the Soul Emperor will take action,” Gu Yuan said, as if he could see through Xiao Yan’s inner slander that he, the patriarch of the ancient clan, was not putting in any effort. “His soul clone cannot unleash the full power of his original body.”

?

Xiao Yan's pupils dilated slightly as he looked at his future father-in-law with some surprise. A soul power at the Great Perfection of the Heaven Realm is enough to create a soul clone with the same strength as the original body. Yet Soul Emperor, whose soul clone possesses Emperor-level soul power, couldn't unleash its full potential.

“I went to the Soul Realm of the Soul Clan,” Gu Yuan continued, “The Soul Emperor’s soul power has not diminished in the slightest, so it is impossible for him to have created a soul clone with the same strength as his original body…”

"If his soul clone in the ancient realm is identical to his original body, and his soul power has not diminished at all, given his ambition, he would have already attacked all the races."

At this point, Gu Yuan suddenly thought of the Spirit Clan, who had not yet attended the banquet. Given their current situation, it was impossible for them not to participate in the opening of the Heavenly Tomb...

But Gu Yuan quickly forgot about this trivial matter. Although the Spirit Race was much weaker than it was a thousand years ago, if he wanted to take action against the Spirit Race, the Soul Emperor would definitely be there. And his soul clone was still outside the Soul Realm. In any case, the Soul Emperor could not leave the Soul Realm without being discovered by him.

Of course, the most crucial point is that there was no movement in the area where the Spirit Realm of the Spirit Race is located. If the Soul Race had attacked the Spirit Realm without the Soul Emperor's intervention, that space would not have remained completely undisturbed.

Xiao Yan was naturally unaware of what Gu Yuan was thinking, but after hearing Gu Yuan so firmly state that the Soul Emperor's soul clone could not unleash the full power of the original body, Xiao Yan still breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Although the array flags of the Refining Heaven Ancient Array that he had worked overtime to refine over the past two days had no chance to be used, Xiao Yan did not think that with his own strength plus the Refining Heaven Ancient Array, he could trap a nine-star Dou Sheng.

"Now, let's talk about what's going on between you and Xun'er."

After Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief, Gu Yuan suddenly spoke up.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan felt a chill run down his spine and asked, "You don't want me to be with Xun'er either?"

"As long as Xun'er is willing, I, as her father, will naturally have no objections. Moreover, with Xun'er's divine bloodline, no one in the clan can force her to do anything," Gu Yuan said with a smile, recalling the seven-colored light during the bloodline test earlier that day. "But... the rumors about the Flame Alliance Leader aren't unfounded, are they? A harem of three thousand beauties..."

Gu Yuan looked at Xiao Yan with a hint of amusement.

Xiao Yan's expression froze at Gu Yuan's words. He had thought that Gu Yuan would say something like the ancient clans he had met in the Ancient Realm, that his bloodline and strength were not good enough for Xun'er. But Gu Yuan actually said just that...

"As I said, I will have no objection as long as Xun'er is willing."

Xiao Yan's guilty expression made Gu Yuan chuckle, but he still said seriously, "I don't care how many lovers you have, but there's one thing you must do... You must remain a virgin until Xun'er breaks through to Dou Sheng!"

Xiao Yan, who had just become serious because of Gu Yuan's expression, froze again. He really didn't expect Gu Yuan to bring up such a thing.

"Xun'er's divine bloodline can only be fully stabilized after she breaks through to the Dou Sheng realm. This matter concerns Xun'er's future achievements, and neither I nor the old folks in the clan can allow any mistakes." Gu Yuan stared into Xiao Yan's eyes and said calmly.

Xiao Yan nodded with a wry smile. It was astonishing that Gu Yuan would say such an absurd thing in such a serious tone... One could only say that his father-in-law was indeed a father-in-law.

"And then there's the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade on your person..." Gu Yuan paused, keeping a straight face and not showing any embarrassment, "You should know its origin and its relationship with the Dou Di, right?"

After a brief hesitation, Xiao Yan nodded.

“There are eight pieces of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade in total. Apart from the one you have, the rest are kept by various clans. Judging from the fact that the Soul Clan attacked your father, they want to collect all the ancient jade pieces and then open the cave of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor,” Gu Yuan looked at Xiao Yan with a solemn expression. “I know what Hun Miesheng told you, and I know I can’t stop you… but I hope you can inform me before you make a deal with the Soul Clan.”

"...Are you planning to snatch it back after the Soul Clan takes it?" Xiao Yan asked softly.

“No, if an exchange had really taken place, the Soul Emperor would definitely be lurking in the shadows,” Gu Yuan shook his head. “I asked you to inform me just to ensure your safety. The Ancient Clan has always been weaker than the Soul Clan. Only when you and Xun’er both grow up can the Ancient Clan ensure the safety of the Ancient Emperor Jade within its ranks. In this way, the Soul Clan will be unable to gather the Ancient Emperor Jade and break the balance between the seven clans.”

Xiao Yan suddenly realized something. At the same time, an image of underground magma flashed through his mind. It was the underground magma world of Canaan Academy. At the end of that magma, something had caused the Ancient Emperor Jade in his hand to react.

If nothing unexpected happens, something related to the Tuoshegudi exists at the end of that magma world.

Unfortunately, he was too weak to go deep into it at the time, and now he is being watched by the Soul Palace. If he goes there, it will bring disaster to Canaan Academy, regardless of whether the things there are related to Emperor Tuoshe.

“The opening of the Heavenly Tomb will be in two days. If possible…” Gu Yuan paused for a while, “If Xiao Xuan tells you more about the Heavenly Tomb, I hope you can pass that on to the Ancient Clan.”

Although he didn't interact much with Gu Yuan, Xiao Yan learned some of Gu Yuan's speaking habits: if it was his own will, he would directly use the word "I," but if it was the elders of the Gu Clan who requested it, he would use the term "Gu Clan."

It was an obvious habit, but Xiao Yan really couldn't understand why a nine-star Dou Sheng would be controlled by the elders of his clan at every turn—even though all the members of the ancient clan combined were no match for him, the clan leader!

"...If our ancestor mentioned anything related to the Heavenly Tomb."

But Gu Yuan was, after all, Xiao Yan's future father-in-law, so after carefully considering his words, Xiao Yan said...

Chapter 447 The Heavenly Tomb Opens

A few days later, when Xiao Yan and Xun'er arrived at a treacherous mountain range on the four-winged unicorn raised by the ancient clan, the sky was already filled with people.

Above the void, three figures clad in black robes stood out conspicuously. They stood still as if in an abyss, the space around them slightly distorted, as if even the light was being sucked into that pitch blackness.

'Soul Emperor…' Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping over the three like a blade. Now that he was certain that one of the three was a soul clone of the Soul Emperor, he did not want to encounter any of them in the Heavenly Tomb.

“Brother Xiao Yan…” Xun’er’s fingers tightened slightly, her fingertips turning white.

"Don't worry, I'm not a reckless fool," Xiao Yan chuckled, taking her cool fingertips in his hand. His voice was soft but carried a reassuring strength. "I'll be careful."

As soon as the words were spoken, the atmosphere in the arena changed drastically. The Yan Clan, Yao Clan, and Lei Clan members, who had been hovering near Soul Cliff due to the alliance invitation, retreated dozens of meters in unison like a swarm of bees that had been startled, with the sound of their clothes tearing through the air being heard incessantly.

These days, Gu Tongxuan's undisguised probing of Hunya and the others had already aroused some suspicion among the clans. The attitude of the elders of the ancient clan towards Xiao Yan was enough to show that the information about Xiao Yan revealed by Hunya was not false. Therefore, they were relatively at ease with Hunya and the others before the Heavenly Tomb opened.

However, with the Heavenly Tomb about to open, Xiao Yan's seemingly casual, unsubstantiated words finally brought them to their senses.

In any case, within this Heavenly Tomb, only Xiao Yan and Hun Ya are ferocious wolves capable of choosing their prey; the rest are nothing more than lambs to the slaughter.

"Tsk tsk tsk, thankfully I don't have to enter this Heavenly Tomb," Mang Tianchi, the dean of Canaan Academy and also an elder of the Thunder Clan, stroked his beard and shook his head, his voice filled with undisguised schadenfreude, "Two young people with the strength of Dou Sheng suddenly appeared in a training ground for a junior..."

Upon hearing these sarcastic remarks, the faces of the Yan Clan and the Medicine Clan turned pale, and the Lei Clan juniors following behind Mang Tianchi couldn't help but sigh and rub their foreheads—if they had known this would be so dangerous, who would have fought tooth and nail to come to this hellish battlefield?

The Soul Emperor seemed oblivious to the alienation of his "allies." He slowly turned his head, revealing a pale chin beneath his black robe, and gave Xiao Yan a calm smile. The smile was gentle and warm, completely unlike the expression one would expect from a sinister member of the Soul Clan.

Upon seeing the Soul Emperor's smile, Xiao Yan frowned slightly and was about to speak when the heavens and earth suddenly trembled!

Rumbling--

A thunderous sound, seemingly from ancient times, rolled in from the depths of the void. A wild and desolate aura emanated from the nothingness, enveloping everyone's hearts. Under this ancient pressure, everyone's souls couldn't help but tremble, and a primal sense of awe surged forth.

"The Heavenly Tomb is about to open..."

The Soul Emperor murmured to himself, feeling the tremor surging deep within his soul. A strange, almost fanatical expression appeared on his face. Although he had been looking forward to this trip to the Heavenly Tomb for a long time, this power still far exceeded his expectations!

"Above the Emperor Realm..." The voice of Void Devouring Flame echoed like a secluded valley, carrying an unusual solemnity, "Or, above the Dou Di Realm!"

The two, possessing Emperor-level soul power, had vaguely glimpsed a corner of the profound mysteries of the Dou Di realm—

They knew that as long as a trace of soul power remained, even if the physical body was destroyed and the consciousness was annihilated, there was still a possibility of reuniting the soul and returning to the world. At this moment, the aura emanating from the opening of the Heavenly Tomb allowed the two to clearly perceive that deep within this ancient tomb, there existed an existence surpassing the Dou Di!

This is why a sense of absurdity surged into their hearts like a tide. In order to break through the Dou Di realm, which had not been seen for thousands of years, they had planned for a thousand years and spent countless efforts. It was only before the opening of this Heavenly Tomb that they truly took the first step.

But now, before this journey, which was supposed to let them learn about the secrets of the ancient times, has even officially begun, they have unexpectedly learned that the realms of Dou Di and above have not disappeared, but the two of them have never been allowed to know.

Watching the forces of the Flame Clan, Medicine Clan, Thunder Clan, and Stone Clan rush into the Heavenly Tomb almost recklessly, a mysterious smile slowly appeared on the Soul Emperor's face. Deep within that smile lay mockery, yet also a dark, playful glint. He suddenly spoke, his voice calm yet penetrating the void:

"Gu Yuan... is he much weaker than me?"

Hearing Soul Emperor's somewhat perplexing question, Void Devouring Flame frowned slightly and remained silent for a moment before replying, "If we only consider cultivation... you are not much ahead of him."

“Yes,” the Soul Emperor’s expression calmed down, “Even though I have stepped into the Emperor Realm of Soul, if I were to fight him to the death, it would still be difficult to say that I would be able to win. Therefore, I have never doubted that he was able to forcibly open the Heavenly Tomb before the twenty-year cycle was over…”

He paused slightly, a mocking smile playing on his lips, "He knew of the existence of the Heavenly Tomb's Soul a thousand years ago, and he knew the secrets of the fifth level of the Heavenly Tomb. For the past thousand years, he has sensed its aura every twenty years..."

The Soul Emperor's voice grew deeper, sounding like a soliloquy mixed with a question: "Knowing where the road ahead lies, yet a thousand years have passed without a single step forward, never willing to take that one step..."

Even though the Soul Emperor already knew that Gu Yuan was a conservative and unyielding person, he still found it hard to believe that such a person could actually cultivate to the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Sheng realm, and even be on par with him.

"Since he is unwilling to take the final step, then let him remain forever before that threshold!" The last trace of emotion in the Soul Emperor's eyes vanished, his voice as cold as iron.

He lightly stroked the storage ring with his fingertips, and several ancient-looking brushes with gleaming tips quietly appeared in his hand.

"The bloodline inscription brushes of the Xiao family have been dormant in my possession for a thousand years..." With a slight flick of his wrist, the Soul Emperor's brushes suddenly transformed into streams of light, piercing the air like swords, heading straight for Xiao Yan. "Today, they will be returned to their rightful owner!"

Xiao Yan raised his palm to catch it. The pen was still warm. When he looked up again, there was only a ripple in space where the Soul Emperor had been. Like a gentle ripple on the surface of water, it slowly spread out. He and the Void Devouring Flame had already stepped into the Heavenly Tomb.

"Let's go," Xiao Yan said expressionlessly as he put the bloodline rune brushes into his storage ring, his voice calm and without the slightest fluctuation. "It's time to go in."

His calm gaze swept over the majestic and ancient spatial gate. Soul Cliff's final actions undoubtedly proved that he was Soul Emperor. At the same time, it made Xiao Yan realize that he was not the only one who knew that the third level of the Heavenly Tomb contained secrets related to the world's consciousness. In fact, another person who knew about this was one of the strongest people on the continent.

Xiao Yan knew better than anyone that he had no chance of defeating such an existence. Even his most prized soul power seemed insignificant in front of the other party. He couldn't find a trace of confidence in his ability to beat that person.

but--

He didn't come in person, only a wisp of his soul... Perhaps I can win.

As if reassuring themselves, Xiao Yan and Xun'er exchanged a glance, transformed into two streaks of light, and swiftly sped towards the ancient gate before disappearing into the intense light within it.

"Aren't you... going in?"

In the void, an elderly figure with white hair looked at the middle-aged man in linen clothes beside him and finally couldn't help but ask.

“He won’t act recklessly, I know him,” Gu Yuan stared blankly at the spot where the Soul Emperor had been standing, “just as he knows me.”

After Gu Yuan officially took over as the patriarch of the Gu Clan, and with his strength as a nine-star Dou Sheng, he sensed the aura of the opening of the Heavenly Tomb, he knew that there were secrets of Dou Di and above within the Heavenly Tomb. However, at that time, he was still a long way from the peak of the nine-star Dou Sheng, so he did not enter the Heavenly Tomb.

By the time Gu Yuan had gained sufficient strength, Xiao Xuan's damaged soul had already entered the Heavenly Tomb.

'Xiao Xuan will stop me!'

Since then, Gu Yuan has used this excuse to convince himself that no matter how many times the Heavenly Tomb opens, he only observes from afar and never gets close. This has continued until now, until the Soul Emperor's soul avatar entered the Heavenly Tomb and then the Heavenly Tomb closed again.

Just as the Soul Emperor thought, if Gu Yuan wanted to, he could have forcibly opened the Heavenly Tomb before the twenty-year cycle was complete, but he had never done so. Even when he discovered that the Heavenly Tomb would open ahead of schedule this time, Gu Yuan hesitated about whether to give the other clan leaders a reasonable reason for opening the Heavenly Tomb ahead of schedule.

It was not for any other reason than to leave the other six clans with the idea that "the ancient clans are trustworthy," even though the other six clans had never believed in the ancient clans long before all signs of the Xiao clan's existence disappeared.

'Xiao Xuan will stop him, and he will ultimately gain nothing,' Gu Yuan stared blankly at the spot where the Soul Emperor had stood. 'And Xiao Yan will relay everything Xiao Xuan knows to... the Ancient Clan.'

As always, after the Heavenly Tomb closed, Gu Yuan stood there for more than ten minutes before turning around and leaving.