Chapter 207: Chapter 206: Attacking the Grotto Heaven of Qingxuan Ancient Country (Part 2)
"Exactly. That Little Ghost surnamed Li dares to oppose the Qingxuan Ancient Country. He’s courting death. Just you watch, he’s not leaving Celestial Ancient City alive today!" A talented disciple from the younger generation, resentful and bitter, sneered.
Within Celestial Ancient City, after hearing the news, numerous experts from the Great Ancient Sects emerged, all eager to see how this drama would conclude.
Although many expected Li Qiye to perish—after all, no one who opposed the Qingxuan Ancient Country ever came to a good end—some hoped for a miracle. This was especially true for the Great Teaching Territories that had been bullied by the Qingxuan Ancient Country in the past; they naturally longed for the day they would see the ancient country suffer a setback! Of course, the chances of that happening were small enough to be negligible.
The Qingxuan Ancient Country possessed a Grotto Heaven estate in Celestial Ancient City that covered an immense area. In the eastern part of the city, a colossal copper door blocked the view of countless onlookers. Beyond the door was a landscape of undulating buildings, with Ancient Halls suspended in the air and towers that reached for the heavens. As expected of a heritage that had stood for ages, an Emperor’s Lineage that had produced Twin Emperors—even in Celestial Ancient City, where every inch of land was gold, they owned such a massive estate!
When Li Qiye led Niu Fen and the others in a grand procession to the Qingxuan Ancient Country’s estate! Unlike Li Qiye’s relaxed demeanor, Supreme Elder Chi Yun and the others from the Nine Saints Demon Gate wore grave expressions. The other Elder Guardians, and even the Hall Masters of the Nine Saints Demon Gate, were all cautious and solemn. Going to war with the Qingxuan Ancient Country would be a bloody battle, and survival was far from certain!
Upon arriving outside the Qingxuan Ancient Country’s Grotto Heaven estate, everyone who had followed along held their breath. For a moment, the entire Celestial Ancient City seemed to fall silent as every pair of eyes stared intently at the estate.
Li Qiye stood atop the Four-Battle Copper Vehicle, perfectly composed and at ease. He looked so relaxed and comfortable, it was as if he were taking a leisurely stroll through a garden!
At this moment, the colossal copper door of the Qingxuan Ancient Country was shut tight. It towered there like an insurmountable divine gate, majestic and solemn, tolerating no provocation or insolence. The bronze plaque hanging above the door, bearing the three words "Qingxuan Ancient Country," emanated a soaring, martial aura, as if it could suppress all life and command reverence.
A lineage of Twin Emperors, a colossal ancient country with an unimaginably profound heritage. Even this single Grotto Heaven estate would tolerate no insolence, and very few would ever dare to act presumptuously here.
"Go knock," Li Qiye said, standing on his Four-Battle Copper Vehicle. He gave the bronze plaque on the door a nonchalant glance, looking completely unfazed.
"Right on!" Niu Fen grinned, his excitement palpable. He had absolute faith in Li Qiye. He knew that across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, throughout the Six Paths and Eight Desolations, nothing could withstand Li Qiye’s Divine Power!
The very thought of attacking the Qingxuan Ancient Country thrilled him. Of course, Li Qiye’s idea of "knocking" was no gentle tap—it meant smashing this copper door to smithereens!
SQUEAL— However, just as Niu Fen was about to smash the copper door down, the incredibly heavy door swung open, and a troop of people filed out.
The Cultivators emerging from the Grotto Heaven estate were all experts from the Qingxuan Ancient Country. Azure energy billowed from them, and a kingly might pulsed in the air. The old man leading them was particularly formidable. His stalwart frame was like a pillar of gold and jade. He wore a Four-Clawed Dragon Robe and a jeweled crown, his entire being exuding a lustrous glow. With every step, a saintly might like a vast sea swept away everything before it.
"Qingxuan Yushan—" Seeing this old man come out, someone muttered, "Qingxuan Yuanhe’s cousin! He was once a Close Guard for the Qingxuan Human Emperor!"
This elder, Qingxuan Yushan, led a group of Princes out and looked down on the crowd with condescension.
"Well now, Chi Yun, your Nine Saints Demon Gate must have eaten the heart of a tiger and the gall of a leopard! First you murder my cousin, and now you dare to speak of attacking our Qingxuan Ancient Country estate! Your Nine Saints Demon Gate can just wait for annihilation!" Qingxuan Yushan spat, seeing Chi Yun.
"Who’s right and who’s wrong? Your Qingxuan Ancient Country knows best!" Even when facing the Qingxuan Ancient Country, Supreme Elder Chi Yun refused to back down, retorting coldly.
Qingxuan Yushan’s eyes flashed with a chilling light. "Right and wrong?" he said with cold arrogance. "Killing a disciple of my Qingxuan Ancient Country is a capital offense, punishable by the extermination of your entire clan! Chi Yun, surrender now. It’s the only way you might save the Nine Saints Demon Gate from annihilation. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise, I’ll annihilate your Qingxuan Ancient Country instead," Li Qiye lazily interrupted. He lifted an eyelid to glance at Qingxuan Yushan’s group before continuing in a listless tone, "If you don’t have the power, don’t put on the airs. The mere Qingxuan Ancient Country? What is it worth? Let me borrow your words: kneel and end yourselves today. If you do, perhaps I’ll spare the rest of the Qingxuan Ancient Country. Otherwise, I’m razing this place to the ground!"
As soon as Li Qiye’s words fell, the watching Sect Leaders in the distance exchanged dumbfounded glances. It wasn’t the first time they had seen Li Qiye’s arrogance, but to stand before the Qingxuan Ancient Country’s Grotto Heaven and declare his intent to annihilate them... this was arrogance on a whole new level!
Hearing Li Qiye’s declaration, Qingxuan Yushan’s face turned ashen with rage, and his body trembled. The Princes and Heroic Heroes beside him glared with fury.
"You little animal! Prepare to die! Taste the wrath of our ancient country!" Qingxuan Yushan roared. With a flick of his hands, an Imperial Decree appeared.
BOOM! As the Imperial Decree unfurled, a single word—"Seize"—became visible. As wisps of Emperor’s Power erupted from it, countless experts trembled in fear!
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM! A series of rumbles echoed as wisps of Emperor Essence surged forth. They shot toward the sky, coalescing into a colossal hand that blotted out the sun as it reached for Li Qiye and his companions.
The giant hand descended like that of an Immortal Emperor. The sheer Emperor’s Power was too much for many of the experts from the Nine Saints Demon Gate; they shuddered, their legs turning to jelly.
"OPEN!" With a furious roar, Niu Fen rushed forward without any command from Li Qiye, who remained standing leisurely on his War Chariot without so much as batting an eyelash. A snail larger than a Divine Mountain materialized at the vanguard, streams of True Understanding cascading down like a Celestial River to intercept the giant hand.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! However, as the giant hand began to close its grip, the massive snail started to shrink, struggling to bear the Emperor’s Power!
"Divine Unsealing Heaven!" Niu Fen roared, no longer holding back. He unleashed the full power of his Divine Understanding. Instantly, countless streams of True Understanding intertwined like Divine Chains, coalescing into an Origin. From within this Origin, a supremely majestic shadow stepped forth.
The shadow took a single step and stood as tall as the heavens, an equal to any Divine Emperor. Even in the presence of an Immortal Emperor, it could gaze upon the world with disdain! This figure was shrouded in streams of True Understanding. The most profound of these understandings could connect heaven, earth, and the Origin itself. The power within each stream was in no way inferior to a wisp of Emperor Essence!
Then, this incredibly majestic shadow extended a hand. As if propping up the very heavens, it met the descending giant hand.
BOOM! The two hands clashed. The world seemed to shatter, and stars fell from the sky. The resulting shockwave slammed countless experts to the ground. As the invincible aura swept past, even a King and Marquis True Master was no more than an ant.
When the two great hands collided, both the Emperor Essence and the majestic shadow vanished. The giant snail was sent flying like a massive millstone, while Qingxuan Yushan, still holding the Imperial Decree, stumbled back several steps. THUD. THUD. THUD.
Seeing this, the watching Emperors and Sect Leaders—even the Ancient Saints of the older generation—were all aghast. They were completely shaken. ’What in the world is that thing? It can actually resist Emperor Essence!’
The Heroic Heroes and Princes who had followed Qingxuan Yushan were even more stunned. In their minds, when an Imperial Decree from their Immortal Emperor appeared, gods and demons from every direction should bow in submission. Yet today, it had been blocked.
"Exhilarating! So this is the power of True Understanding!" Niu Fen, however, quickly rushed back into the fray. His True Body’s snail shell was one of the hardest things in the world; shattering it was no easy feat.
Niu Fen was indescribably thrilled. ’This is the power of a True God!’ he thought. ’The power of a True God can block Emperor Essence! How could I not be excited? My race possesses supreme Divine Power!’
After steadying himself, Qingxuan Yushan’s expression grew cold. He stared at Niu Fen and finally said slowly, "Celestial Beetle Ancestor! To think the Xiyan Ancient Sect still possessed such a thing!"
Celestial Bull Ancestral Calamity. In truth, most people had never even heard this name. Even those of the older generation had no idea what a Celestial Bull Ancestral Calamity was!
"Celestial Beetle Ancestor..." The Old Turtle King from Feijiao Lake, who was watching from afar, was horrified when he heard the name. "A creature of legend! The legends say the Guardian God of the Xiyan Ancient Sect was the Celestial Beetle Ancestor, known to the world as the Snail God! It is said that in the age of the Mingren Immortal Emperor, no one but the emperor himself could suppress it!"
Hearing the Old Turtle King’s words, many paled in fright. Snail God. For a being in this world to dare use the title of "God," how terrifying must it be! Although no one had ever heard of a true god existing, any being who dared to claim such a title was undoubtedly terrifying beyond measure.
"Could it be... could this be the Guardian God of the Xiyan Ancient Sect?!" Hearing this, a few Sect Leaders and Emperors couldn’t help but stumble backward several steps.
Many figures of the older generation had heard of the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s Guardian God. It was once an invincible existence—truly Wudi! Even Chi Yun paled in horror. The Nine Saints Demon Gate had once been a vassal of the Xiyan Ancient Sect, so how could he not have heard of its Guardian God? Even if the Primordial Ancestor of his own sect, the Nine Saints Great Sage, were still alive, he would likely be considered a junior before the Snail God!
"Impossible. When the Xiyan Ancient Sect was defeated back then, its Guardian God never appeared. The legends say the Guardian God of the Xiyan Ancient Sect died of old age fifty thousand years ago!" an Old Emperor who knew the inside story of the war thirty thousand years ago couldn’t help but mutter.
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