Soon thereafter, numerous armies marched towards the imperial city, but Lu Fan's dissuasion proved ineffective.
Within the imperial city, the Nine Heavens Old Ancestor seemed to have everything prepared.
The Grand Dragon Dynasty's armies arrived at the imperial city only to find no one present, not even a single commoner.
"There's no one defending. Could the Great Emperor of Nine Heavens have fled?" Zhao Tianyun asked in surprise, looking around. The other experts also appeared perplexed.
"All soldiers, advance directly to the imperial palace!" The Dragon Emperor's command was delivered with considerable vigor. The Nine Heavens Dynasty's apparent fear was their greatest opportunity.
"No defenders means it's a trap!" Lu Fan spoke up. "Your Majesty, we should withdraw from the imperial city!"
"Imperial Son-in-Law, do not disrupt the morale of the troops!" The Dragon Emperor frowned. "This is a critical moment; not a single detail can be overlooked!"
Lu Fan felt a sense of helplessness. He sensed that things were far from simple, and any misstep could cost them their lives.
As the armies advanced, they discovered that the people of the Nine Heavens Dynasty had gathered within the imperial palace.
"It seems they didn't retreat without a fight, but are defending the palace!" The Dragon Emperor smiled faintly, feeling triumphant. This realization brought him some relief.
However, at that very moment, a wave of killing intent suddenly spread throughout the entire imperial city. Before anyone could react, they realized that a grand formation had been laid out within the city.
"A killing formation!" Lu Fan's expression shifted. Such a terrifying killing formation was no trifling matter; any slight mistake could lead to complete annihilation.
"Did you not expect this!" Grand Tutor Wen sneered, his words laced with mockery. "You are now trapped within the killing formation. You will not leave today!"
"Do you think this ordinary killing formation can trap me?" The Dragon Emperor chuckled coldly, his demeanor indifferent as if the formation was beneath his notice.
"What a joke!" Grand Tutor Wen snorted. "This is a killing formation personally arranged by my Old Ancestor. None of you will escape today!"
Lu Fan's face grew grim. He had always known things wouldn't be so simple, and his predictions had come true.
"Where are the generals of the Grand Dragon Dynasty!" The Dragon Emperor declared, "Now is the time for your final deeds. Whoever captures the Great Emperor of Nine Heavens will be enfeoffed and appointed a minister!"
The soldiers responded with cheers, their eyes gleaming with joy. With this opportunity, their lives could reach glorious heights.
"The Great Emperor of Nine Heavens is not valuable; I, this old fellow, am." At that moment, a white-haired elder appeared, looking immortal and possessing an aura that could destroy all life.
Upon seeing this person, the Dragon Emperor felt a surge of panic. He had an intuition that the elder before him was someone he could not contend with, and any misstep could lead to endless turmoil.
"May I ask who you are, Senior!" Lu Fan clasped his hands. "This matter has nothing to do with you, Senior. I hope you will not interfere."
"You speak incorrectly, young one!" The Old Ancestor chuckled coldly. "The Nine Heavens Dynasty was founded by me. Do you think I will allow you to seize it!"
The Dragon Emperor's face changed drastically, disbelief evident. "Could you be the Nine Heavens Old Ancestor?"
"Indeed, indeed. After so many years, some still remember my name." The Nine Heavens Old Ancestor laughed heartily. "However, your invasion of the Nine Heavens Dynasty today marks your day of death!"
The Dragon Emperor trembled, rendered speechless. He could not have imagined that this elder before him was the Nine Heavens Old Ancestor.
"Master, who is the Nine Heavens Old Ancestor?" Li Guang asked, frowning. He could sense that this old man was no ordinary individual, and any slight error could lead to boundless trouble.
"The Nine Heavens Old Ancestor is the founder of the Nine Heavens Dynasty!" The Dragon Emperor's face turned ashen. If the person before them was indeed the Nine Heavens Old Ancestor, it would undoubtedly be a catastrophe for the Grand Dragon Dynasty.
To establish a dynasty meant one was no ordinary person. If they acted rashly, they might not escape this predicament today.
"This person's strength is immense!" Lu Fan stated. "If a fight breaks out, no one present here will be a match for him!"
"How could I not know!" The Dragon Emperor's expression was grave. "If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have let everyone enter the city. Getting out now will be harder than ascending to heaven!"
"Your Majesty need not panic too much!" Lu Fan waved his hand. "Things are not as dire as they seem. If my guess is correct, this Nine Heavens Old Ancestor may not be able to leave the imperial city. As long as we work together to open a passage, we can allow everyone to escape!"
The Dragon Emperor nodded slightly. Now, he could only hope. If they could resolve this matter, they would be able to escape and would have nothing to fear.
"Leaving may not be so easy!" The Great Emperor of Nine Heavens said coldly. "With the Old Ancestor guarding, no one will leave today!"
"You shouldn't speak too confidently!" Lu Fan's figure soared into the air, instantly emitting a powerful aura.
However, at that moment, a terrifying killing intent permeated the entire city, sending chills down the spines of the Nine Heavens Dynasty's people.
"How can there be such terrifying killing intent!" The Grand Dragon Dynasty's people were instantly panicked, their eyes filled with horror. Even the Venerables felt the terrifying power.
"All soldiers, follow me and break through the imperial city!" The Dragon Emperor commanded, a formidable aura radiating from him. They knew very well that if they didn't leave now, their lives would be in peril.
The Nine Heavens Old Ancestor sneered, a terrifying aura emanating from him. In an instant, the imperial city was filled with murderous intent. Everywhere except within the imperial palace, supreme killing energies were prevalent.
Countless screams echoed outwards. Lu Fan's expression turned grim; he had not expected things to turn out this way.
The entire imperial city was filled with sword qi, which surged continuously, containing infinite power.
"The Old Ancestor is divine and mighty!" Grand Tutor Wen and the others shouted, their hearts filled with excitement. The experts of the Grand Dragon Dynasty were powerless within the formation and would likely perish soon. Thinking of this, they rejoiced. What was once a sign of national destruction had been reversed by the Old Ancestor's appearance.
"Everyone, do not panic! Let's break out together!" The Dragon Emperor shouted, his face grim. Being trapped within the imperial city, if they couldn't get out, this would likely be their burial ground.
The experts of the Grand Dragon Dynasty nodded in unison, with a hundred Venerables joining forces to break through the killing formation.
Unfortunately, the killing formation was exceptionally terrifying. Even with their combined might, they could not break it open.
Familiar figures fell one by one, plunging the Grand Dragon Dynasty's people into despair. They never imagined things would come to this.
"Lu Fan, I am content to die alongside you!" Linglong dodged several beams of sword qi, her body covered in wounds.