บท 501: Chapter 500: Retreat

"What if I don't give it back?"

"Don't return it?"

Hun Yuantian did not seem to have expected Xiao Ming to respond like that.

Deathly Silence Gate; the Hun Clan possessed a total of four of them. When combined, they created a formation known as the Death World Formation, a great formation that was renowned throughout the continent for its ferocity. It could create a deathly world, enveloping any powerful beings, even those who were seven or eight-star Dou Saints, in an endless deathly aura, gradually causing their death.

In ancient times, there were rumors that sects and forces had been annihilated by this murderous formation.

It could be said that it was of great importance to the Hun Clan. If it weren't for the fact that their target this time was Xiao Ming, a remnant of the Xiao Clan, Hun Yuantian would not have lent out the Deathly Silence Gate.

But he never expected Hun Mie Sheng to be such a waste, allowing Xiao Ming to directly take control of the Deathly Silence Gate. If he hadn't sensed that something was wrong, the Deathly Silence Gate might actually have been taken away.

Now that he'd come out, Xiao Ming even dared to say to his face that he wouldn't give it back to him. At the thought of this, Hun Yuantian's white eyebrows trembled, and his mouth cracked open, revealing yellowish-gray teeth. He said slowly.

"Since you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, I will fulfill your wish!"

Hun Yuantian's fingers moved subtly as he spoke. Invisible waves suddenly appeared behind Xiao Ming. They gradually intertwined to form an invisible net that quickly enveloped him. At the same time, Hun Yuantian shot out and appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye, a rotten palm strike aimed directly at Xiao Ming's chest.

Hun Yuantian's movements were extremely fast. Apart from figures like Zi Yan and other Dou Saints from the Heavenly Court, only a few old monsters could clearly see his actions.

No one expected that Hun Yuantian, who appeared to be kind, would be so decisive when taking action!

With such a disparity in their realms, just when everyone thought Xiao Ming was in dire straits...

Bang!

When Hun Yuantian's palm strike was only half an inch away from Xiao Ming's chest, it suddenly solidified. An invisible layer of defense appeared in front of his palm. As the two forces collided, it caused the surrounding space to crack.

"Your body is already halfway to the grave. Don't bully the younger generation. If you want a fight, you can spar a few rounds with this old man."

A spatial rift opened beside Xiao Ming as the words fell, and an elderly man in dragon-patterned robes stepped out.

The old man's face was covered in deep wrinkles, and his two small eyes were slightly squinted, giving the impression that he was on the verge of death. However, his stature was even taller than the towering Xiao Ming, and the formidable aura emanating from him indicated that he was at the same stage as Hun Yuantian.

Feeling the newcomer's aura, which surpassed his own by a bit, Hun Yuantian's expression became slightly more serious. He searched his memory carefully but couldn't find the name of this old man. This revelation startled him. Since when did Central Plains have such a terrifying powerhouse?

In the midst of countless thoughts, he retreated a hundred meters.

"Who are you, and why are you interfering in the affairs of my Hun Clan?"

"This old man is Zhu Zhen. I'm only carrying out Her Majesty the Dragon Emperor's orders."

Zhu Zhen? Of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe? Dragon Emperor?

Hun Yuantian was left in a daze by this information. He looked up again and saw Zhu Zhen bowing to a six-star Dou Saint.

"Your Majesty, the Dragon Emperor!"

"Hm, you've done well this time." Standing next to Xiao Ming, Zi Yan's face was full of smiles.

She had sent Zhu Zhen to guard the Heavenly Court while Xiao Ming was cultivating in the Void Lightning Pool.

The First Elder of the Small Pill Tower and the Nine-Tailed Fox Saint also wore smiles. They hadn't expected this Ancient Void Dragon expert to be an eight-star Dou Saint. It seemed like the outcome of this confrontation had already been decided.

'She is actually the Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe!'

Hun Yuantian looked puzzled. The Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe turned out to be a young girl!

Well, he could accept that. But why would Xiao Ming, a remnant of the Xiao Clan, have a connection with the Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe? Their identities were simply worlds apart. It was hard to imagine any connection between them.

Was it just because of his appearance?

Hun Yuantian admitted that Xiao Ming did indeed possess the most outstanding face he had seen in over a thousand years. But was the Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe really that shallow?

"Now that the situation is clear, it's hard to believe that you still want to make a move. Why don't you get lost already?!"

Zi Yan glanced at Hun Yuantian. Although she was furious at his attack on Xiao Ming, she didn't let Zhu Zhen continue his offensive. If a battle between the eight-star Dou Saints broke out, the outcome would be unpredictable.

Hun Yuantian also knew he couldn't continue his actions. Today, the Hall of Souls had already broken the rule that prohibited five-star Dou Saints or higher from taking action in Central Plains. If he were to start a battle in the eight-star Dou Saint level, the Hun Clan would certainly come under suspicion.

The Hun Clan was about to make a big move. He couldn't afford to be too conspicuous.

Moreover, he wasn't necessarily confident of winning the fight.

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, Hun Yuantian's hands quickly formed strange seals, and a thick black fog surged from his palms. The eerie black gate emitting a strange aura beside Xiao Ming suddenly flew towards him.

Xiao Ming's eyes narrowed as he prepared to intercept it, but then he saw the Deathly Silence Gate caught by Zhu Zhen's hand and compressed to the size of a palm.

No matter how Hun Yuantian tried to call it back, he couldn't retrieve the Deathly Silence Gate. After failing in his attempts, he glared at Zhu Zhen furiously, pronouncing every word.

"Is the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe going to be in complete opposition to my Hun Clan?"

"The Ancient Void Dragon Tribe fears no threat from anyone or any power," Zhu Zhen replied calmly.

Hun Yuantian's withered face twitched upon hearing this. He knew that with Zhu Zhen's intervention, it was impossible for him to retrieve the Deathly Silence Gate today. He looked at Xiao Ming with a dark expression, his voice filled with murderous intent.

"Xiao Ming... the people of my Hun Clan are not easily killed, and our things are not easily taken. Your future fate will be a hundred times more miserable than Xiao Xuan's!"

"Is that so? I look forward to it," Xiao Ming smiled, enraging Hun Yuantian even more.

"Hmph, I hope you'll have such strong protectors by your side next time!"

Hun Yuantian snorted coldly, then turned and flew towards the outskirts of the Fallen Mountain Range. Behind him, the members of the Hall of Souls could only follow suit in a crestfallen manner.

After watching the members of the Hall of Souls depart, Xiao Ming turned to Zhu Zhen and immediately bowed, expressing his gratitude. "Thank you, Elder Zhu Zhen, for intervening just now."

Today, if Elder Zhu Zhen hadn't followed, even if he hadn't died, he would probably have been seriously injured. The three-star gap was indeed too great, especially in the higher stages. However, if he had chosen to self-destruct the Heavenly Flame, Hun Yuantian wouldn't have fared any better.

"With your relationship with Her Majesty the Dragon Emperor, there's no need to be so polite," Zhu Zhen shook his head and casually tossed the Deathly Silence Gate he was holding to him.

"Refine it properly; it's a good item."

"Thank you, Elder."