chsdbacks Chapter 292 Soul Emperor! What a Soul Emperor!
Chapter 292 Soul Emperor! What a Soul Emperor!
Chapter 292 Soul Emperor! What a Soul Emperor!
The following day, outside the ancient realm, the ancient holy city was in ruins.
The once majestic city walls have collapsed in many places, with broken bricks and charred wood scattered in the streets. A few important buildings are still emitting wisps of smoke, and the entire ancient city is shrouded in the desolation of war.
Although the Soul Clan's main objective a few days ago was to break into the Ancient Realm, this ancient city that guards the gateway to the Ancient Realm still suffered considerable damage in the aftermath of the fierce battle.
Many ancient tribesmen are busy among the ruins, silently clearing the battlefield and neatly arranging the still intact materials beside the ruins for reconstruction.
Several members of the ancient Black Annihilation Army patrolled the area, occasionally using their battle qi to move away larger pieces of debris.
An elderly man with white hair stood in front of the half-ruined city gate, gently stroking the mottled city wall, and sighed softly, "This city wall has protected my people for thousands of years, but I never thought it would be destroyed in an instant today."
The young man who was clearing away the rubble looked up, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said firmly, "Elder, rest assured, we will definitely restore the Holy City to its former glory."
"Alas, the Soul Clan—"
Just as the old man's sigh had faded, thunder suddenly rumbled from the sky.
Several dazzling silver streaks of lightning ripped through the sky and landed on the open ground in front of the city gate in the blink of an eye.
Leading the group was a massive man, as tall as an iron tower, with dark skin and bulging muscles that seemed to have dragons moving beneath his skin. His astonishing power caused the surrounding Black Annihilation Army members to involuntarily take a half-step back.
"Brother Gu Yuan, Lei Ying has come to visit!"
His voice was as loud as a bell, causing the space around him to tremble slightly. It was none other than Lei Ying, the patriarch of the Lei Clan, who had arrived in person.
Beside him stood a handsome young man in a silver robe, his hands behind his back, his brows flashing with lightning. He was none other than Lei Dong, the young patriarch of the Lei clan, who had met Lu Yu once before.
Behind them followed three elders of the Thunder Clan, each with a powerful aura and faint flashes of lightning around them.
Lei Ying surveyed the surrounding ruins, his thick brows furrowed. "It seems we're still a step too late. Those scum of the Soul Clan actually dared to attack the Ancient Clan!"
His gaze swept over the clansmen clearing the ruins, finally settling on the elder: "Elder Gushan, what are the casualties?"
The elder known as Gu Shan gave a wry smile and was about to reply when he saw Gu Yuan's figure slowly emerge from the ancient realm, his voice calm yet tinged with solemnity: "Brother Lei Ying, how have you been?"
Gu Yuan's voice was calm and gentle, yet carried a hint of solemnity. His gaze swept over the ravaged ancient city, a sigh flashing in his eyes, before he looked at Lei Ying: "I didn't expect this to alarm you to come in person."
When Lei Ying saw Gu Yuan, his tense expression eased slightly, but his tone remained heavy: "The Soul Clan's ambitions are too great, and I'm not at ease with them, so I came to check on them in person."
He surveyed the surrounding ruins, his thick brows furrowed: "The Soul Clan's actions this time are far too extravagant."
Gu Yuan nodded slightly and gestured, "This is not the place to talk. Please come into the Ancient Realm for a chat."
Lei Ying did not refuse and led Lei Dong and several elders to follow Gu Yuan into the ancient realm. After passing through the spatial barrier, the scene before them suddenly opened up. In stark contrast to the ruins outside, the ancient realm was still full of energy, although some residual energy fluctuations remained in the air.
"It seems this battle was indeed fierce."
Lei Ying sensed the lingering traces of battle qi in the air, his expression growing increasingly solemn. "Even the interior of the ancient realm has been affected."
Gu Yuan sighed softly, "The Soul Clan mobilized four Demon Saints this time, and even the Void Devouring Flame personally took action. If it weren't for Lu Yu's heroic efforts, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
"Lu Yu?"
Lei Ying raised a thick eyebrow. "Is that the little guy you mentioned in your message who became your son-in-law?"
As they spoke, the group arrived at the main hall. Inside, the hall was brightly lit, and Lu Yu and Xun'er sat side by side, with Gu Dao, Gu Lie, and other elders of the ancient clan sitting on either side, clearly having been waiting there for some time.
Lei Ying's gaze slowly swept over everyone present, finally settling on Lu Yu with a hint of scrutiny.
At this moment, Lei Dong quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands to Lu Yu, and said with a smile, "Brother Lu, how have you been? The medicinal formula we traded last time has greatly benefited our clan."
Lu Yu smiled and returned the greeting: "Brother Lei Dong, you're too kind. It's just a fair trade."
Seeing this, Gu Yuan smiled knowingly: "It seems these young people are already acquainted, which saves the trouble of introductions."
Upon hearing this, Lei Ying's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He carefully examined Lu Yu and nodded slightly, saying, "Not bad, young man. It's just that your battle qi seems a bit weak. It seems you've been taking pills to improve it recently?"
Lu Yu nodded frankly. He had indeed consumed two Rank 9 Profound Pills to break through from a three-star Dou Sheng to a five-star Dou Sheng, so it was inevitable that his Dou Qi would be somewhat weak.
However, as long as the seed of the Void Devouring Flame is refined, one can re-temper their battle qi and stabilize their realm.
Moreover, he also had a bottle of Nine Yang Heavenly Fire Liquid that he had obtained from the simulation last month. It had the effect of tempering the body and purifying spiritual power. In terms of efficacy, it was no less than refining a strange fire. He just hadn't had time to use it yet.
Gu Lie spoke up at the opportune moment: "Please take your seats and let's discuss this further. The Soul Clan has come with great force this time, and I'm sure Chief Lei Ying's personal visit is not just for reminiscing."
Everyone took their seats, and the atmosphere in the hall immediately became heavy. Lei Ying's smile faded, and he said solemnly, "Indeed, I have come here today to discuss with the ancient clans a strategy to deal with the Soul Clan."
He glanced at everyone present, his voice deepening: "Having heard that the Soul Clan has planted spies in the Ancient Clan in an attempt to seize the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade, I, Lei, have been extra cautious and made a special trip to the ancestral hall to check it out before setting off."
Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent. Gu Yuan's expression hardened slightly: "What does Brother Lei Ying mean?"
Lei Ying took out an ancient, broken piece of jade from his pocket and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, the ancient jade is fine. I took the initiative and prevented the Soul Clan from succeeding."
He put the ancient jade away and continued, "Although we haven't been able to find out who the mole is, if the Soul Clan really intends to manipulate the inheritance of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, I suspect that there have already been spies planted within our Thunder Clan as well."
Gu Lie carefully examined the ancient jade and breathed a sigh of relief: "Fortunately, Clan Chief Lei Ying discovered it in time, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."
"but----"
Lei Ying changed the subject, his expression turning serious again, and continued, "Since the Soul Clan has already attacked the Ancient Clan, they probably won't let go of the ancient jade in the hands of the other clans. In my opinion, the Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan are probably in grave danger."
He paused, his voice growing increasingly heavy: "Both of their races have declined drastically, they no longer even possess high-level Dou Sheng. I'm afraid..."
Upon hearing this, everyone frowned. Gu Yuan slowly put down his teacup, his tone solemn: "Brother Lei Ying's concerns are very valid. The Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan are currently weak, and if the Soul Clan truly attacks them, I'm afraid they will be unable to withstand it."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu immediately asked, "Senior, has there been any news from the Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan recently?"
Lei Ying's expression turned slightly grave: "It is indeed a bit strange. Although we communicated with the Spirit Clan three days ago, their response was unusually brief, only saying that everything was fine before abruptly ending the communication."
He turned to look at Gu Yuan: "I wonder if the ancient clan's communication with the stone clan is normal?"
Gu Yuan frowned slightly: "Our clan did exchange messages with the Stone Clan a few days ago, but they only replied that the clan leader is in seclusion and the clan is busy with affairs, so it is inconvenient to communicate in the near future."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall sensed something amiss. Gu Lie said in a deep voice, "These two clans have always been obsequious to our clan, yet now they are simultaneously showing signs of distancing themselves. There must be something fishy going on."
As Lu Yu listened to the conversation, a thunderclap suddenly exploded in his mind!
The Soul Emperor had initially agreed with Gu Yuan to come and make the deal a month later.
Why do we have to wait a month?
Doesn't this give the ancient people ample time to prepare?
The Soul Clan had meticulously planned and schemed for the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade for a long time, so why would they leave such an obvious oversight?
He had initially thought it was a sudden turn of events, and that the Soul Clan needed time to prepare, but now it seemed that wasn't the case at all—Lu Yu abruptly stood up, his voice urgent: "No! We were all wrong!"
He surveyed the crowd, his speech quickening: "The Soul Emperor is cunning and shrewd, his plan so meticulous. Why did he insist on a one-month agreement with the ancient clans in the first place? That one-month agreement was nothing but a pretext!"
Gu Yuan's expression hardened: "What do you mean?"
"A feint to the east while attacking in the west!"
Lu Yu slammed his hand on the table and said decisively, "The Soul Clan claims to be trading with the Ancient Clan, but their real target isn't us at all! This month is enough time for them to attack both the Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan simultaneously!"
Lei Ying's expression changed drastically upon hearing this: "No wonder these two clans have been so unusual lately! Could it be—"
A hush fell over the hall; everyone was chilled to the bone by this conjecture. If what Lu Yu said was true, then the Spirit Race and the Stone Race were probably already—
"What about the Medicine Clan?"
Lu Yu suddenly raised his voice, his tone urgent: "Since we can't contact the Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan, what's the situation with the Medicine Clan?"
Gu Yuan and Lei Ying exchanged a glance, their faces both showing solemnity. Lei Ying said in a deep voice, "The Medicine Clan contacted our clan yesterday, saying they want to refine a batch of pills and need several rare medicinal herbs."
Gu Yuan then added, "But it's strange, the Medicine Clan has indeed been acting strangely lately. Usually, when they ask to buy medicinal herbs, they would explain in detail their intended use, but this time they've been vague."
Lu Yu's heart sank. He knew the Soul Clan's modus operandi all too well. If they had targeted the Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan, how could they possibly let go of the Medicine Clan, another of the eight ancient clans?
The patriarch of the Medicine Clan is nothing more than a Seven-Star Dou Sheng!
"Contact the Medicine Clan immediately!"
Lu Yu's tone was urgent, "Contact them now!"
Gu Yuan immediately looked at Gu Lie beside him. Gu Lie nodded in understanding and stood up: "I'll go contact the Medicine Clan right away."
He paused, then added, "Also, send people to the Spirit Realm and the Stone Realm to investigate the situation."
Gu Yuan solemnly instructed, "Be extremely careful. If you discover anything unusual, retreat immediately. Do not venture further in rashly."
Gu Lie solemnly agreed and strode out of the main hall. Inside, everyone looked at each other, a sense of unease filling the air.
Lei Ying clenched his fists, his voice low and deep: "Hopefully, it's not too late—"