Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Gu Nanhai's pupils suddenly contracted, the muscles on his face twitched slightly, revealing a bitter smile:
"It seems the Clan Leader's greatest fear has still come to pass… The Xiao Clan, after all, has joined forces with the Soul Clan? They have chosen you, and you have agreed to their decision?"
Xiao Yan remained silent, his gaze lowered, as if staring at the shattered bluestone slabs beneath his feet.
His silence was like a blunt knife, slowly cutting through Gu Nanhai's last shred of hope.
Gu Nanhai sighed deeply, his tone carrying a final plea:
"Is there really no room for maneuver? Hun Tiandi… cannot be trusted."
Xiao Yan raised his head, his eyes like torches, his voice low but firm:
"Please apologize to Uncle Gu Yuan for me. But my father said that we do not want to repeat the mistakes of Ancestor Xiao Xuan."
Gu Nanhai smiled bitterly again and again, the wrinkles on his face seemingly deepening. He knew that Xiao Yan not killing him was already a show of respect, so he said no more and left, full of worry.
Xiao Yan watched Gu Nanhai leave, then immediately found Yao Chen. His voice was calm and decisive:
"Teacher, Gu Nanhai has been sent away by me. Starfall Pavilion is no longer safe, and withdrawing from the alliance will inevitably provoke a backlash from the three clans.
"We need to immediately transfer our personnel, moving all core members and peripheral members willing to follow us to the Soul Hall.
"I still cannot let others stay in the Heavenly Tomb for too long, otherwise that would be the best sanctuary.
"This Great War also doesn't know how long it will last, and the method of going to the Heavenly Tomb to hide can only be used at critical moments."
"Alright." Yao Chen was also a decisive person, nodding in agreement without the slightest hesitation.
It was just that he also sighed inwardly, that he would one day regard the Soul Hall as a place of refuge, something he had never thought of before.
While Yao Chen was gathering Starfall Pavilion personnel, Xiao Yan immediately constructed a spatial tunnel leading to the Soul Hall.
Gu Nanhai rushed back to the Ancient Realm, heading straight for Gu Yuan. His footsteps echoed in the empty hall, sounding particularly urgent.
Gu Yuan was standing by the window, his back to him, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of void, staring at the distant horizon.
"Clan Leader, Xiao Yan… has already sided with the Soul Clan." Gu Nanhai's voice was low and heavy.
After hearing his report, Gu Yuan's back stiffened slightly, then he slowly turned around. A trace of dimness flashed in his eyes, and he murmured in a low voice:
"Indeed… it has still come to this point."
A deep sense of regret welled up in his heart. If the cooperation with the Xiao Clan back then had been more diligent, 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's and Yan Jin's, and his defection undoubtedly greatly damaged the alliance's strength, while Starfall Pavilion's departure further aggravated the already unstable morale.
But Gu Yuan quickly reined in his emotions. Since things had come to this, regret was useless; what needed to be done was to minimize the impact.
His gaze once again became sharp, as if piercing through layers of void, directly reaching the Tianxing Mountain Range where Starfall Pavilion was located.
Gu Yuan took a step, his figure instantly disappearing in the Ancient Realm. His speed was extreme; in a flash of light and shadow, he had arrived near the Tianxing Mountain Range in the Southern Territory of the Central Plains.
Terrifying spirit power surged out like a tide, sweeping inch by inch across the entire mountain range. He easily saw through the spatial interlayer and found Starfall Pavilion's location.
However, at this moment, the entire Starfall Pavilion was already deserted, leaving only empty buildings.
In front of the mountain gate, a young man dressed in black, with silver flame-like hair scattered over his shoulders and bright, piercing eyes, stood straight.
He slightly raised his eyes, his gaze piercing through space, meeting Gu Yuan's gaze in mid-air.
Gu Yuan's figure appeared above Starfall Pavilion, looking at Xiao Yan with a complicated gaze:
"You actually didn't leave. After doing such a thing, do you think I will let you go? This time, I won't hold back because of Xun'er."
Xiao Yan raised his head, his voice calm and firm:
"Since I made a choice, I am willing to bear any consequences. I stayed here just to say goodbye to Uncle Gu Yuan.
"In addition, if our Xiao Clan wins this Great War, I will definitely preserve a trace of the Gu Clan's bloodline."
Gu Yuan's expression was as cold as ice: "Do you think you've already won?"
His voice was very flat, so flat that it had no fluctuations, but it seemed to be brewing a storm, giving people a suffocating sense of oppression.
Xiao Yan did not back down, looking directly at Gu Yuan: "No one can be sure they will win, I cannot, my father cannot, and Hun Tiandi cannot. It's just that we have put everything on the gambling table, and we can only fight with all our might.
"A thousand years ago, Ancestor Xiao Xuan gambled once, and now, our Xiao Clan has gambled again, it's just that the methods of the two choices are different.
"Speaking of which, we still had an agreed-upon Great War… but it might not be possible to formally fulfill it." Xiao Yan had a slightly stiff smile on his face.
Dou Qi surged around Gu Yuan, and space continuously shattered, forming prism-like fragments, only to heal constantly.
Amidst the shattering, healing, shattering, and healing of space, an elemental tide began to surge, rolling in from the horizon like a sea tide—this was the prelude to Gu Yuan's attack.
The next moment, he moved, waving his right hand, and the energy in the tide gathered, forming a gigantic finger that seemed capable of piercing the sky.
"Annihilation Emperor Finger!"
Treating Xiao Yan as a traitor, he held nothing back at this moment; this one finger, even if Hun Tiandi were here, would have to be dealt with cautiously.
Facing this attack from what could now be called the number one person on the Dou Qi Continent, Xiao Yan dared not be careless in the slightest, he had already prepared.
All the Heavenly Flames appeared before him… Nether Lotus Demon Flame, Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame, Living Spirit Flame, Three Thousand Yan Flame Fire, Bone Spirit Cold Flame, Fallen Heart Flame, Sea Heart Flame, Azure Lotus Core Flame, and Space Flame… The Fire Lotus formed by the condensation of nine Heavenly Flames slowly took shape in Xiao Yan's hand, this Fire Lotus, which poured a large amount of his Dou Qi and spirit power into it, detached from his hands the moment it formed, spinning and flying forward.
Gu Yuan's pupils contracted, from this move, he saw the shadow of that Higher Void Ancient Dragon from back then.
The moment the Fire Lotus and the finger print collided, a world-destroying power erupted. A terrifying energy shock swept all around, turbid waves emptied the sky, and the world fell silent.
Xiao Yan spat out a mouthful of fresh blood under this impact, his figure flying backward. He casually tore space, opened the Door of the Heavenly Tomb, and with a flash of his figure, disappeared from the spot.
He never thought he could defeat Gu Yuan, he just wanted to see the gap between himself and the opponent.
Gu Yuan didn't expect Xiao Yan to be able to withstand a serious attack from him, slightly surprised, just as he was about to chase after him to the Heavenly Tomb, he heard a light laugh by 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, with unusually bright eyes, stood behind him at some unknown point.
Besides him, there was also a burly man in blue, whose eyebrows were thick, and his face appeared quite heroic.
Gu Yuan raised an eyebrow, and murmured softly:
"Hun Tiandi, Xiao Zhan?"
Feeling Xiao Zhan's aura, Gu Yuan recognized him as the mysterious person who had once fought Lei Ying, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes:
"I misjudged you; I didn't expect you to be so deeply hidden."
"Your strategic vision has always been poor." Xiao Zhan nodded earnestly.
His aura was fully revealed, a Nine-Star Dou Saint at the mid-stage, even stronger than when he last clashed with Lei Ying.
Hun Tiandi slightly narrowed his eyes. If it weren't for the four elders still hidden within the family, the Soul Clan and the Xiao Clan would truly be on par… The Soul Clan might have some advantage, but not a significant one.
Gu Yuan felt threatened. With Hun Tiandi and Xiao Zhan teaming up, he truly wasn't their match. He might be able to resist for a short time, but over time, he would only be defeated.
His expression became solemn, and he spoke in a low voice:
"So, the Starfall Pavilion incident was a trap you used to lure me?"
Xiao Zhan shook his head: "It's not a trap, Yan'er was unaware, it's just that we were watching your every move and happened to see an opportunity."
Gu Yuan frowned slightly and snorted coldly:
"Who else is there? Come out. Back then, when Xiao Xuan was besieged and killed, the Soul Clan's elite were all dispatched, yet they still suffered heavy losses.
"If it's just the two of you, it's certainly not difficult to defeat me, but you still can't keep me."
"Hehe, it's just the two of us." Hun Tiandi chuckled softly:
"Clan Leader Xiao, let's make a move. We've been busy for so long, finally gathering enough keys to open the Ancient Emperor Cave. We must first clear out these irrelevant people from the field, lest others benefit in the end."
Hun Tiandi and Xiao Zhan both knew that if the Ancient Emperor Cave were opened, the alliance between their two clans would be difficult to maintain. At that time, the Gu Clan and the Lei Clan would have another opportunity.
Compared to losing to each other, they found it even harder to tolerate being taken advantage of.
"It's agreed, Gu Yuan is for you two to deal with, I'm just assisting from the side." Xiao Zhan's eyes flickered slightly.
Hun Tiandi nodded: "Then I'll make the first move."
He took a step forward, raised his hand and struck with his palm, a black sphere condensed in his palm, instantly expanding. That black light seemed to be able to swallow the heavens and earth, and everything encompassed by it fell silent.
Gu Yuan's expression was serious, and the energy tide behind him rolled in, transforming into towering giant waves that crashed towards the black sphere.
Xiao Zhan also made a move. While the giant waves and the black energy were in a stalemate, he quickly formed hand seals, and a unique symbol condensed in his hand.
"Formless Tribulation!"
Ancient characters spanned space, instantly appearing before Gu Yuan.
The latter showed no fear, throwing a punch, and with sheer physical strength, dispersed the attack.
An earth-shattering Great War erupted in the Tianxing Mountain Range, drawing countless exclamations. However, not many people rushed to watch, because they personally witnessed a Dou Zun expert, shaken by the aftershocks, vomit blood and fall from the sky, his life unknown… At the same time, above the Ancient Realm, a dense army of the Soul Clan, like dark clouds, enveloped the sky.
This time, they were not making a small fuss like the previous sneak attack to seize the ancient jade, but rather coming out in full force, with the goal of annihilating the Gu Clan.
Black Nirvana King stood in the sky, looking at the Soul Clan army led by Void Swallowing Flame, his expression extremely solemn.
"Don't think Gu Yuan can come back, he is in danger himself now. Destroying your Gu Clan is today." Void Swallowing Flame said in a hoarse voice.
"To devour my Gu Clan, don't you even check if you have such a big appetite, aren't you afraid of bursting?" 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 out, covering the sky and earth, spreading in all directions.