#710 - War

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Gu Nanhai's pupils suddenly contracted, the muscles on his face twitched slightly, revealing a bitter smile:

"It seems that what the patriarch was most worried about has still happened... The Xiao clan, after all, has joined forces with the Soul clan? They have chosen you, and you agree with their decision?"

Xiao Yan remained silent, his eyes lowered, as if staring at the broken bluestone slabs beneath his feet.

His silence was like a blunt knife, slowly cutting through the last bit of luck in Gu Nanhai's heart.

Gu Nanhai sighed deeply, his tone carrying a final word of advice:

"Is there really no room for maneuver? Soul Emperor... is not to be trusted."

Xiao Yan raised his head, his eyes like torches, his voice low but firm:

"Please apologize to Uncle Gu Yuan on my behalf. But my father said that we don't want to repeat the mistakes of our ancestor Xiao Xuan."

Gu Nanhai smiled bitterly, the wrinkles on his face seeming to deepen. He knew that Xiao Yan not killing him was already showing him respect, so he said no more and left with a worried expression.

Xiao Yan watched Gu Nanhai leave, then found Yao Chen again. His voice was calm and decisive:

"Teacher, Gu Nanhai has been dealt with. Starfall Pavilion is no longer safe, and withdrawing from the alliance will inevitably provoke a counterattack from the three clans.

"We need to immediately transfer our personnel, moving all core members and outer members willing to follow us to the Soul Hall.

"I still can't allow others to stay in the Heavenly Tomb for too long, otherwise that would be the best place to take refuge.

"I don't know how long this war will last, so using the Heavenly Tomb as a means of escape can only be used at critical moments."

"Alright." Yao Chen was also a decisive person, nodding in agreement without hesitation.

However, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart, that he would one day consider the Soul Hall as a place of refuge, something he had never imagined before.

While Yao Chen was gathering the Starfall Pavilion's personnel, Xiao Yan immediately constructed a spatial channel leading to the Soul Hall.

Gu Nanhai hurried back to the Gu clan, heading straight for Gu Yuan's location. His footsteps echoed in the empty hall, sounding particularly hurried.

Gu Yuan was standing in front of the window, his back to him, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of space, staring at the distant horizon.

"Patriarch, Xiao Yan... has sided with the Soul clan." Gu Nanhai's voice was low and heavy.

A strong sense of regret welled up in his heart. If the cooperation with the Xiao clan had been more dedicated back then, if he had been more decisive when the Soul clan was injured, perhaps today's situation would not be so passive.

Xiao Yan's strength was no weaker than Lei Ying and Yan Jin, and his defection undoubtedly greatly weakened the alliance's strength, while the departure of Starfall Pavilion added to the already fluctuating morale.

But Gu Yuan quickly collected his emotions. Now that things had come to this, regret was useless, and what was needed was to minimize the impact as much as possible.

His eyes became sharp again, as if piercing through layers of space, directly reaching the Heavenly Star Mountains where Starfall Pavilion was located.

Gu Yuan took a step, and his figure instantly disappeared from the Gu realm. His speed was so fast that, with the flow of light and shadow, he had already arrived near the Heavenly Star Mountains in the Southern Domain of Central State.

Terrifying soul power surged out like a tide, scanning every inch of the mountains. He easily saw through the spatial layers and found the location of Starfall Pavilion.

However, the entire Starfall Pavilion was now empty, leaving only empty buildings.

In front of the mountain gate, a young man dressed in black, with silver flame-like hair draped over his shoulders, and bright eyes, stood upright.

He slightly raised his eyes, his gaze piercing through space, and met Gu Yuan's gaze in mid-air.

Gu Yuan's figure appeared above Starfall Pavilion, looking at Xiao Yan with a complex expression:

"You didn't leave. After doing such a thing, do you think I would let you go? This time, I won't spare you for Xun'er's sake."

Xiao Yan raised his head, his voice calm and firm:

"Since I have made a choice, I am willing to bear any consequences. I am staying here just to say goodbye to Uncle Gu Yuan.

"Also, if our Xiao clan wins this battle, I will definitely preserve a trace of the Gu clan's bloodline."

Gu Yuan's expression was as cold as ice: "You think you are guaranteed to win?"

His voice was very calm, so calm that there was not a trace of fluctuation, but it seemed to be brewing a storm, giving people a suffocating sense of oppression.

Xiao Yan did not flinch, looking directly at Gu Yuan: "No one can be sure that they will win, I can't, my father can't, and the Soul Emperor can't either, but we have put everything on the table, and we can only do our best.

"A thousand years ago, ancestor Xiao Xuan gambled once, and now, our Xiao clan has gambled again, but the two choices are different.

"Speaking of which, we still have an agreed battle... but it may not be possible to formally fulfill it." Xiao Yan had a slightly stiff smile on his face.

Dou Qi surged from Gu Yuan's body, and the space continued to shatter, forming prism-like fragments, which then healed continuously.

In the shattering, healing, shattering, and healing of space, elemental tides began to surge, rolling in from the horizon like a sea tide. This was the prelude to Gu Yuan's attack.

In the next instant, he moved, waving his right hand, the energy in the tide gathered, forming a huge finger that seemed to be able to pierce the sky.

"Annihilation Emperor Finger!"

Regarding Xiao Yan as a traitor, he did not hold back at all at this moment. Even the Soul Emperor would have to deal with this finger cautiously.

Faced with the attack of what could be called the number one person in the Dou Qi Continent today, Xiao Yan did not dare to be careless. He had already made preparations.

All the different flames appeared in front of him...

Nether Lotus Demonic Flame, Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame, Life Spirit Flame, Three Thousand Burning Flame, Bone Chilling Flame, Fallen Heart Flame, Sea Heart Flame, Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, and Space Flame...

The fire lotus formed by the nine different flames slowly took shape in Xiao Yan's hands. This fire lotus, which he had poured a lot of Dou Qi and soul power into, left his hands and flew forward, spinning, the moment it took shape.

Gu Yuan's pupils shrank. From this move, he saw the shadow of that Ancient Void Dragon.

The moment the fire lotus collided with the finger print, a world-destroying force erupted. The terrifying energy impact swept around, the turbid waves emptied, and the world was silent for a moment.

Xiao Yan spat out a mouthful of blood under this impact, and his figure flew backwards. He tore through space with a wave of his hand, opened the door to the Heavenly Tomb, and disappeared in place with a flash.

He never thought he could win against Gu Yuan, he just wanted to see the gap between himself and the other party.

Gu Yuan didn't expect that Xiao Yan could take a blow from his serious attack, and was slightly surprised. Just as he was about to chase after him to the Heavenly Tomb, he heard a chuckle in his ear.

"It's not good for someone of your status to attack a young man. Let me play with you."

A young man in white clothes with exceptionally bright eyes stood behind him at some point.

Besides him, there was also a middle-aged man in blue clothes, with thicker eyebrows, and a rather heroic face.

Gu Yuan raised his eyebrows and murmured:

"Soul Emperor, Xiao Zhan?"

Sensing Xiao Zhan's aura, Gu Yuan recognized that he was the mysterious man who had fought against Lei Ying before, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes:

"I was really wrong, I didn't expect you to hide so deeply."

"Your strategic vision has never been good." Xiao Zhan nodded solemnly.

The aura on his body was revealed without reservation, Mid-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng, stronger than when he fought against Lei Ying last time.

The Soul Emperor squinted slightly. If the family hadn't still hidden four elders, the Soul Clan and the Xiao Clan would really just be about the same... The Soul Clan might have some advantages, but not too much.

Gu Yuan felt the threat. With the Soul Emperor and Xiao Zhan joining forces, he was really not an opponent. He might be able to resist for a short time, but after a long time, he would only be defeated.

His face became solemn, and he opened his mouth in a low voice:

"So the Starfall Pavilion incident was a trap you used to lure me in?"

Xiao Zhan shook his head: "It can't be called a trap. Yan'er was not aware of it. We were just watching your every move, and we just happened to see an opportunity."

Gu Yuan frowned slightly and snorted coldly:

"Who else is there? Come out, the Soul Clan exhausted its elite forces to besiege Xiao Xuan back then, but still suffered heavy losses.

"If it's just the two of you, it's not difficult to defeat me, but you can't keep me here."

"Hehe, it's just the two of us." The Soul Emperor smiled lightly:

"Clan Leader Xiao, let's do it. We've been busy for so long to collect the keys to open the Ancient Emperor's Cave. We have to clear these irrelevant people out of the way first, so that others don't get cheap in the end."

The Soul Emperor and Xiao Zhan both knew that if the Ancient Emperor's Cave was opened, then the alliance between the two clans would be difficult to maintain. At that time, the Gu clan and the Lei clan would have another chance.

Rather than losing to the other party, they were more intolerant of being taken advantage of.

"It's agreed that Gu Yuan will be handed over to you to solve, I'm just assisting from the side." Xiao Zhan's eyes flickered slightly.

The Soul Emperor nodded: "Then I'll make the first move."

He took a step forward, raised his hand and slapped, a black sphere condensed in his palm, and expanded in an instant. That touch of black light seemed to be able to swallow the world, and everything included in it was silent.

Gu Yuan's expression was solemn, and the energy tide behind him rolled in, turning into monstrous waves, and slapped towards the black sphere.

Xiao Zhan also made a move. While the giant wave and the black energy were in stalemate, he quickly formed a seal in his hand, and a strange symbol condensed.

"Formless Tribulation!"

The ancient font crossed the space and came to Gu Yuan in an instant.

The latter was not afraid at all, and punched out, dispersing this move with just his flesh.

An earth-shattering battle broke out in the Heavenly Star Mountains, causing countless people to marvel. But not many people rushed over to watch, because they saw with their own eyes that a Dou Zun powerhouse was shaken by the aftermath, vomited blood, and fell from the air, his life and death unknown.

...

At the same time, above the Gu world, the dark Soul Clan army covered the sky like dark clouds.

This time, they were not making small troubles like the last time they attacked to seize the ancient jade, but they were coming out in full force, with the goal of destroying the Gu clan.

The Black Nirvana King stood in the sky, looking at the Soul Clan army led by Void Swallowing Flame, his expression was particularly solemn.

"Don't think that Gu Yuan can come back, he can't even protect himself now. Destroying your Gu clan is today." Void Swallowing Flame opened his mouth with a hoarse voice.

"Want to eat my Gu clan, don't you see if you have such a big appetite, aren't you afraid of being full?" Black Nirvana King said with a gloomy face.

"My appetite has always been very good, swallowing the Gu clan without Gu Yuan is not a problem!"

Void Swallowing Flame smiled, waved his palm, and black flames surged around like a blanket.