Yun Che’s tone was mild, but his words caused every Yun expert to frown deeply.
“Heh…” Yun Xiang chuckled. In that moment, he thought that they had been foolish to try to explain themselves and even offer concessions to Yun Che. Disdain and disgust replaced the anger on his face he said, “You think you can kill us? A Divine King?”
“You may have saved Shang’er, but that doesn’t give you the right to behave so atrociously.” The second clan elder, Yun Fu knitted his eyebrows together and said, “You should be thankful that the Clan Chief is a broadminded person who doesn’t forget his debts, or you would’ve already been punished for everything you said earlier.”
“This is your last warning… get out of this place now!”
Bang!
A ripple of profound energy spread out inside the shrine like water ripples. It definitely looked like they weren’t going to hold back any longer if Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er showed even the slightest hesitation.
“Qianying,” Yun Che said softly, “kill…”
Boomcrack!!!
A loud, terrible boom suddenly came from outside, followed by a shudder of s.p.a.ce that felt like the sky itself was collapsing, and many confused screams.
All twenty two Divine Sovereigns rose to their feet immediately. Yun Xiang declared harshly, “Someone is forcing their way through the lightning formation!”
“No… they’re already inside,” Yun Ting said, “and this aura is…”
“Someone is interfering with the lightning formation,” said the first grand elder in an ancient voicel “It’s the Desolate Heaven Dragon Clan.”
“Wh… what!” Yun Xiang and all the elders were stunned to hear this.
“No, it’s not just the Desolate Heaven Dragon Clan,” Yun Ting turned around and clenched his fists slowly, “the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace has shown up as well.”
At the same time, a voice that shook the soul—one with the might of a Divine Sovereign, no, a peak Divine Sovereign—came from afar, “Clan Chief Yun Ting, the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace has come to pay a visit. Please come out.”
“It’s… it’s the Nine Lights Palace Master!”
This voice, this terrible spiritual pressure. It was the Chief Palace Master of the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace, the Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign!
“Is he here for the Sacred Yun Ancient Pellet again?” Yun Xiang asked through gritted teeth.
“Looking at the size of their group, I doubt they’re here for the Sacred Yun Ancient Pellet only,” Yun Ting said with a deep, sorrowful sigh. “We’re only seven days away from the deadline. We should’ve known that greed would take its natural course… come, let’s head out and meet them. Grand elders, please accompany me as well.”
In the past, he almost never employed the three grand elders’ strength. But he had clearly changed his mind today.
“Clan Chief, are you going to…” all the elders blurted in shock. At Yun Ting’s current state, unleas.h.i.+ng his full power would deplete both his profound energy and his life force.
Yun Ting waved his hands and said, “The Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign is far stronger than you can imagine, not to mention that he hasn’t come alone. If I stay my hand today, we may not even survive until the day of the deadline… Come on, let’s not dilly dally any longer.”
Yun Shang had returned to them as a s.h.i.+ning light of hope. However, they had extinguished it by their own hands.
The gloominess, regret, and guilt that came with her destruction were so heavy that he couldn’t help but feel discouraged.
No one had a mind to bother with Yun Che, Qianye Ying’er, or even Yun Shang at this point. They left the ancestral shrine together and took to the sky.
Yun Che didn’t move a muscle, and no one was next to him. Yun Shang’s body and profound veins were healing at an impossible rate as light profound energy circulated inside of her. Although color was returning to Yun Shang’s face bit by bit, she was still stuck in a deep coma.
Qianye Ying’er stood in a corner and watched him silently… she was certain that Yun Che hadn’t been as focused as he was now when he was healing her profound veins using the Divine Miracle of Life.
Hundreds of people were currently floating above the Heavenly Handle Yun Clan’s settlement. It wasn’t a big number, but they were all incredibly powerful, and there were thirty Divine Sovereigns in the group. It was a greater number than all the Divine Sovereigns in the Heavenly Handle Yun Clan combined.
Moreover, the two leaders who were freezing s.p.a.ce itself with their auras were peak Divine Sovereigns!
Humans weren’t the only living beings in the group. Huge draconic figures—even the shortest among them was at least three thousand meters long, whereas the longest reached a span of thirty thousand—could be seen swimming above the lightning formation while crackling with thunder. Somehow, they were able to force open a pa.s.sage through the lightning formation that would allow even a completely ordinary mortal to pa.s.s through.
The Heavenly Handle Yun Clan weren’t the best lightning profound pract.i.tioners in the Thousand Desolation Realm. That was the Desolate Heaven Dragon Clan. In fact, without counting the king realms, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call their Desolate Heaven Devil Thunder the most powerful thunder in the Northern Divine Region.
Therefore, interfering with the Heavenly Handle Yun Clan’s lightning formation was child’s play to them.
“Long time no see, Clan Chief Yun. How have you been?” The Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign was a cultured-looking man with a kind face, long hair, and a long beard. Clad in black robes, he looked just like a story book immortal.
Yun Ting ignored his greeting, however. Instead, he stared at the man in purple robes next to Ning Lights Heavenly Sovereign angrily and said, “Kuang Ji! Our clans have been friends for hundreds of millennia! Anyone in the Thousand Desolation Realm has the right to step on us, but not you! Why have you come uninvited and in such great numbers today? Are you here to visit a dying friend, or what!?”
Kuang Ji was the chief of the Desolate Heaven Dragon Clan.
“Hehe,” The Desolate Heaven Dragon Chief laughed without any semblance of regret or anger before saying, “Clan Chief Yun, this chief is only here as company. He will leave once the Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign has gotten what he wants.”
Indifference was the most overt expression of heartlessness. Yun Ting’s expression grew even grimmer as he said, “Good… very good.”
He then looked at the Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign and said icily, “I didn’t think you would miss a single Sacred Yun Ancient Pellet so much. Is the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace really so poor in terms of shame and resources?”
“Hahahaha!” The Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign laughed loudly just like his companion did earlier. The pitiful Heavenly Handle Yun Clan’s deadline was near, and they simply didn’t have the qualifications to earn his anger. It was a sorrowful but doubtless fact. “Surely you’re joking, Clan Chief Yun. why would I come to this sinful place myself for just an ancient pellet?”
“This heavenly sovereign would like to borrow one more thing from you besides the Sacred Yun Ancient Pellet,” the Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign said with a smile, “the Cloud Heaven Cauldron.”
“b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” Yun Xiang couldn’t hold in his anger any longer. The Heavenly Dragon Thunder G.o.d Spear appeared in his hand with a howl, and he pointed the crackling weapon at the sky and shouted, “The Heavenly Handle Yun Clan may have fallen into the dust, but we’ll never be someone the likes of you can trample!”
“Oh?” The Desolate Heaven Dragon Chief shot him a sideways glance and said, “isn’t that the dragon spear my clan bestowed upon you back then? You dare point it at me? Hilarious!”
What had been a present to a friend had now turned into a bestowment. A black flash appeared in his eyes, and the Heavenly Dragon Thunder G.o.d Spear suddenly shuddered in fear and declined in power drastically.
“!!” Yun Xiang clenched his teeth as the weapon s.h.i.+vered violently in his hand.
“Get out…” Yun Xiang said slowly. It was as ruthless as it was powerless.
“Clan Chief Yun, I’d advise you to think over your decision.” The Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign chuckled. “Do you really think that we’d be happy to leave empty-handed after coming to this place personally?”
“The only power who has the right to judge us is the Thousand Desolation Divine Sect.” Yun Ting’s expression grew darker and darker. “Aren’t you afraid that your deeds will offend the Thousand Desolation Divine Sect!”
“Well said!” Not only did the threat slide off the Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign and the Desolate Heaven Dragon Chief’s backs like it was nothing, they smiled enigmatically at Yun Ting and said, “Has your mind failed you already? Do you still not understand why we’re here today?”
The flash of surprise turned into realization, and Yun Ting’s complexion turned as white as death in an instant, “It can’t be… you…”
“There’s no point talking any longer,” the first grand elder said with a sigh, “let us fight.”
Just like that, a terrible battle broke out above the Heavenly Handle Yun Clan.
They were ready for this day to come since a long time ago, but they didn’t expect the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace and the Desolate Heavenly Dragon Clan to be their tormentors, not the Thousand Desolation Divine Sect.
The moment the clash began, it was clear that the Heavenly Handle Yun Clan was at a complete disadvantage.
Tens of thousands of years ago, the Heavenly Handle Yun Clan was a realm king clan and the indisputable tyrant of the region. But after being branded as a criminal and “imprisoned” in this so-called sinful region for such a long time, they had long since fallen into complete decline.
Today, they couldn’t fight even one of their oppressors… much less both of them together.
“Clan Chief Yun, it’s been years since I’ve had a chance to test your divine might,” said the Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign with a chuckle before manifesting a sword between his fingers.
When Yun Ting was an honored Divine Master, the Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign was just a junior who could do nothing more than kneel before his superior. But now, he was bold enough to stand above Yun Ting.
Yun Ting didn’t say a word. He simply manifested a lightning spear in his hand and covered the sky in purple lightning.
Rrrmb!!
Tens of thousands of lightning bolts flashed at once the moment Yun Ting and the Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign clashed against one another. The sky became covered in black clouds, and the world within hundreds of kilometers of the battlefield reacted violently toward the battle.
“Ungrateful thing… die!” Yun Xiang shouted and charged straight for the Desolate Heaven Dragon Chief.
“Hehe, you overestimate yourself,” the dragon chief said while looking down on Yun Xiang. Instead of dodging out of the way, he lifted his palm and made a pus.h.i.+ng motion.
A thousand-meter long dragon claw crawling with black, devilish lightning appeared out of nowhere and dropped right on top of Yun Xiang.
The dragon claw left black ripples behind the s.p.a.ce it traveled. The black lightning crawling across its surface was even boiling like a tidal wave.
Yun Xiang paused for an instant, but he didn’t display any intentions of backing off at all. He let out a roar, unleashed his profound handle and charged toward the attack with even greater power than before...
Boom—
There was a dull noise of impact, and Yun Xiang’s forcefield popped utterly like a crushed bubble. He dropped from the sky like a meteor before cras.h.i.+ng heavily against the ground.
Yun Xiang was a level eight Divine Sovereign with a blue colored heavenly handle. His overall strength was only second to the clan chief.
However… the Desolate Heaven Dragon Chief had defeated him in a single blow!
Everyone in the Heavenly Handle Yun Clan was shocked by his defeat, but Yun Xiang reappeared in a burst of thunder before they could exclaim their shock. Feeling both angry and murderous, he charged toward the Desolate Heaven Dragon Chief once more.
However… the dragon claw that hadn’t lost all of its power hit him again before he managed to fly thirty meters above the ground.
Boom!!!!
The Heavenly Dragon Thunder G.o.d Spear flew out of his hand, and the terrible black thunder destroyed his clothes and bloodied him from head to toe. He was was thrown back like a spilling blood bag before he crashed heavily on the ground five kilometers away, twitching. The fact that he wasn’t able to get back to his feet immediately proved just how bad his injuries were.
“Xiang’er!!”
“Lord Yun Xiang!!”
The scene destroyed more than half of the Yun clansmen’s faith in their warriors. When Yun Ting shouted, he lost his concentration for a split second and was struck directly in the chest by the Nine Lights Sword Formation. He too left behind a trail of blood before collapsing on the ground.
“Clan Chief!!” The roars became even more despairing and sorrowful.
The Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign didn’t press his advantage. Instead, he looked at the shrine and said to the Desolate Heaven Dragon Chief, “That over there is the Heavenly Handle Yun Clan’s ancestral shrine. The Sacred Yun Ancient Pellet and the Cloud Heaven Cauldron must be there as well.”
“You… dare!!” The Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign’s voice caused Yun Ting’s pupils to shrink violently. It was because the former’s guess was spot on.
He flew into the sky, but his face turned pale the second he summoned his profound energy. He then spat out a dozen mouthfuls of blood in succession.
“Hehe, it seems that you’re right, heavenly sovereign,” the Desolate Heaven Dragon Chief said with a laugh before lifting his arm, and the giant dragon claw dropped directly on the ancestral shrine.
“St… stop!!” Yun Ting roared angrily while spitting blood… but he was powerless to stop what was going on in front of him.
Boom!!
There was a terrific explosion, and the ancient stones that made up the ancestral shrine scattered instantly beneath the attack.
However, the Desolate Heaven Dragon Chief’s smile suddenly froze at this moment.
Three people were exposed after the ancient shrine was destroyed. There was a young man with his back facing toward the crowd, an unconscious girl in his lap, and a masked woman leaning lazily but elegantly against a pillar.
The dragon claw that had destroyed Yun Xiang easily was frozen in the sky. To others, it looked as if he had paused his attack on purpose, but only the Desolate Heaven Dragon Chief knew that an invisible barrier was blocking the claw’s path. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn’t able to move it even an inch closer to his target. Even the pressure and destructive power inside the dragon claw was completely blocked for some reason.