The Emperor Dynasty's Middle Realm.
Everyone stared at the Emperor's throne, entwined by a five-clawed golden dragon, their faces pale and their voices silenced. Xu Chu's sudden, unprovoked outburst of power had everyone's hearts pounding in their throats.
Gazing at the figure on the Emperor's throne, seated serenely, with a faint golden five-clawed dragon circling a ten-foot radius around him, an aura of imperial might filled the hall, compelling involuntary prostration.
The onlookers exchanged glances and moved deeper into the hall. Bathed in the golden light emanating from the Emperor's throne, they finally discerned the figure seated there. Unfortunately, the figure's face was shrouded in an ethereal mist.
"Clang!"
Suddenly, a thunderous crash echoed through the hall, instantly turning everyone's complexions ashen. Wang Yue quickly turned his head, only to see Blood Elder and Moon Elder appearing to have excavated a passage in the southwest corner of the hall, identical to the one used to enter and exit the Middle Realm.
"Hmph!"
"You shall all be buried here!"
Blood Elder sneered maliciously. As his words fell, he vanished into the passage. Moon Elder, standing beside him, pushed out a palm, unleashing a torrent of potent primal energy.
"Roar!!"
With the palm strike, the gray gas throughout the hall surged, the air crackled and boomed, emitting sounds akin to the roars of ferocious beasts within the palace!
"Quick, stop him!"
Yan Hai's legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground. The assembled forces of the various dynasties turned ashen, sweat streaming down their faces. They had never imagined they would be betrayed, even after their dynasties had submitted to the Ten Elders.
This hall housed the Emperor's Corpse. Such a colossal tremor would undoubtedly awaken it. The corpse, eternally incorruptible, carried the primal energy of a top-tier Heaven-Piercing Realm expert from its lifetime. A single strike from it would obliterate them all, and even Wang Yue would vanish into thin air.
"Hehehehe!!"
After unleashing his palm strike, Moon Elder scanned the entire hall, his eyes filled with triumph. What was Wang Yue? What was Fan Zichen? With the Emperor's Corpse present, they were certain to eliminate both. The Great Han and Weiyang would no longer be obstacles to their unification of the Southwestern Domain.
"Let's go!"
Wang Yue, unconcerned with the Emperor's Corpse behind them, grabbed Xu Chu and Xi Thirteen, and followed Li Bai, stepping within ten feet of the passage.
Fan Zichen, reacting with extreme swiftness, closely trailed behind Wang Yue and the others.
Suddenly, the gray gas in the entire hall began to shimmer with golden light, and in an instant, the entire hall blazed with splendor.
"Not good, move!"
Ying Yu roared towards the heavens. The Emperor's Corpse had actually opened its eyes, which blazed with layers of golden flames. The ethereal mist shrouding its face gradually receded.
"Boom!"
Wang Yue and the others stepped into the passage. The moment they entered, the entire hall rumbled with a deafening roar. It was impossible to imagine the terrifying scene unfolding within the hall at that moment!
The mere dispelling imperial might would have completely suppressed them, let alone the body imbued with the primal energy of a top-tier Heaven-Melding Realm expert!
...
Wang Yue and the others successfully entered the passage. Beyond it, they were immediately greeted by a sea of crimson.
This was a natural cavern, inlaid with blood-red primal stones, a murky aura blanketing the entire natural cavern.
In the center of the cavern lay nine blood pools. Eight of these pools contained slowly swirling, blood-red water, with streaks of blue lightning flickering within. The ninth pool was dry, with only a few residual bloodstains!
The eight blood pools were not large, each capable of accommodating only one person. As the group advanced a few steps, they saw Blood Elder and Moon Elder standing in a corner, their gazes fixed on Wang Yue and his companions.
Blood Elder and Moon Elder wore grim expressions as they observed the newcomers. They hadn't expected Wang Yue and his allies to escape the Emperor's Corpse, a fact they found infuriating.
"Bang!"
"Ah!"
Suddenly, two figures, bloodied and battered, stumbled out of the passage. The group, illuminated by the light of the primal stones, saw that they were Yan Hai of the Great Yan Dynasty and Ying Yu of the Sacred Yuan Dynasty.
Both were severely wounded and covered in viscous blood, their backs appearing as though they had been flayed.
Extremely weak, they collapsed in a corner, daring not to speak to Blood Elder and Moon Elder despite their rage.
"Since you managed to escape the Emperor's Corpse, I shall hide nothing from you any longer. The most precious resources of the Emperor Dynasty's secret treasury lie before your very eyes!"
Blood Elder slowly walked to the edge of the eight blood pools, addressing the assembled group: "These eight blood pools are called Blood Refinement Pools. They are the most vital essence of the Emperor Dynasty, formed from the concentrated essence of the imperial bloodline and the vital energy of top-tier Heaven-Piercing Realm experts. They are a place for the new Emperor and the various imperial princes and nobles to undergo blood replacement!"
"Given that these blood pools are formed from the vital essence of top-tier Heaven-Piercing Realm experts, the primal energy and profound mysteries within require no further explanation. However, only Heaven-Melding Realm experts are permitted to enter these pools!"
"The primal energy within these pools is too violent for ordinary individuals to withstand!"
"Since you have escaped the Emperor's Corpse, you must have been chosen by the Emperor Dynasty. There are eight such pools here; perhaps we can each occupy one?"
Blood Elder grinned sinisterly. His initial plan had been to plunder these treasures, but unfortunately, Wang Yue of the Great Han and Fan Zichen of the Weiyang Dynasty were at their peak, and there was Li Bai, capable of crossing realms to slay Elder Yan. They were no match for them in a direct confrontation. It would be better to grant this favor for now and plot their moves later.
"Blood Refinement Pools?"
Ying Yu and Yan Hai, without pausing to recover, immediately stood up as if they were unharmed. They gazed at the eight blood pools, from which a thick, bloody stench emanated, and waves of crimson light rippled through the swirling blood.
"Where are Han Feng of the Northern Cold Dynasty, Yuan Rong of the Heavenly Yuan Dynasty, and Yue Kong of the Heavenly Moon Dynasty?"
Fan Zichen looked at the severely injured Ying Yu and Yan Hai. Regardless of his past animosity towards the various dynasties, with the seal about to break and the Southwestern Domain facing peril, the loss of any Heaven-Melding Realm expert was a significant blow to the region.
"Alas!"
Yan Hai shook his head slightly, his eyes wide with terror, indicating he had clearly been through something immensely disturbing.
If the two of them were in such a pitiful state, then the fate of the other three could only be imagined!
"Hmph!"
"There are only a few Blood Refinement Pools here. If you pity them so much, then give your spots to those three dynasties!"
Moon Elder chided, "The strong survive and the weak perish; this has been an immutable truth throughout the ages. There are only so many Blood Refinement Pools. Using the Emperor's Corpse to eliminate a few people saves us the trouble of further bloodshed here!"
"Hum~~"
Crimson light surged from the pools. The eight Blood Refinement Pools seemed to have springs at their base, with streams of blood-red water churning.
"It's about to begin!"
"Normally, no one can enter these Blood Refinement Pools. As soon as a living being enters this area, the pools will begin to boil within moments, and that will be the prime time to enter!"
Blood Elder's eyes gleamed scarlet, a cold smile gracing his lips.