Though clad in crimson armor, his cape remained pristine white, untouched by the shattered spear shadows, the blood mist of fallen Celestial Emperors, or the endless surge of vital energy. In the astonished gazes of countless beings, Celestial Emperors seemed to lose their value, falling one after another beneath Zhao Yun's spear.
"Holy Son, kill him!"
A terrified Celestial Emperor of the Qiongqi lineage brandished his immortal treasure. Though unharmed, his robes were stained crimson by his companion's blood.
"Slay the Human!"
The other struggling Celestial Emperors roared fiercely.
This human was too powerful, overwhelmingly so. With his own might, he had withstood the combined assault of their dozens of Celestial Emperors. While they were ordinary Celestial Emperors, their joint attack should have been enough to suppress or repel even a prodigy, yet they found themselves struggling against him.
"The Qiongqi lineage's majesty shall not be defiled!"
The Qiongqi Holy Son rose, his palms covered by a thin layer of shimmering scales. He raised a hand and struck towards Zhao Yun. With the Holy Son's entry, the peak battle within the Immortal Ancient Ruins ignited.
"With the Holy Son's might, what fear do I have!"
"Even if you command a million soldiers, I can still cut my way through seven times and return!"
Zhao Yun roared, his long spear a blur. Under the combined assault of the Qiongqi lineage, he still calmly blocked the Qiongqi Holy Son's three powerful killing blows.
"Die!"
Zhao Yun evaded the Qiongqi Holy Son's attacks, relentlessly harvesting the lives of ordinary Celestial Emperors. Within three moves, several more Celestial Emperors perished.
"Even if a thousand armies stand before me, they cannot stop Zhao Yun alone!"
Zhao Yun struck again. Unable to evade, he directly blocked the Qiongqi Holy Son's onslaught, using the impact to surge into the midst of the Qiongqi Celestial Emperors. His Yinglong bloodline awakened, the phoenix's cry waned, and his spear was like a dragon, each thrust a deadly blow.
"Ah..."
Instantly, several Celestial Emperors cried out in agony, their faces etched with terror as they plummeted into the void.
"Blood stains his armor red, who dared challenge him that day! Through the ages, charging into formations to protect his lord, only Changshan's Zhao Zilong!!" Zhuge Liang fanned himself, recalling the Zhao Zilong of Changban Slope, whose courage was boundless as he wielded his silver spear on his white steed.
"Who can stop him!"
"Who can stop him!"
Some beings watched, their legs trembling. The Han Dynasty's Zhao Zilong, whom they had never paid much attention to, had, in a single battle, dominated the Qiongqi lineage that had entered the Immortal Ancient Ruins. The Qiongqi lineage was by no means weak; they were renowned in the Immortal Realm, a top power in its western reaches.
"Submit, become my mount, and live!"
In mere moments, only the Qiongqi Holy Son stood before Zhao Yun. The dense vital energy in the void was continuously absorbed by Zhao Yun.
"Never!"
The Holy Son was defiant. With a shout, a large bell appeared on his chest. This was the Qiongqi Holy Son's signature immortal treasure, bestowed only upon becoming a Holy Son by the Ancestral Hall. It contained three drops of his essence blood, which had been consecrated in the Qiongqi Ancestral Hall for eons.
"Serve as my mount, and it will not tarnish the Qiongqi lineage's reputation!"
Zhao Yun ignored the Qiongqi Bell. Despite the immense pressure bearing down on him, he moved like a swimming dragon across the sky, his spear sweeping, thrusting, smashing, and blocking. The Qiongqi Holy Son, who controlled the Qiongqi Bell, coughed up blood, his chest heaving.
"Qiongqi sacrifices blood, all races submit!"
Sensing grave danger, the Qiongqi Holy Son spat out a drop of essence blood, directly activating the three drops of essence blood within the Qiongqi Bell. He transformed into his true form, thousands of feet tall, his wings unfurling, causing the Emperor Seed in the distance to roar into the void. His body blazed, and with the Qiongqi Bell in his mouth, he hurled it towards Zhao Yun.
"Boom!"
"Among divine beasts, only in combat does the Yinglong stand supreme!"
Zhao Yun watched the skyward surge. A dragon shadow shot from between his brows. A torrential downpour erupted from the heavens, continuously dissipating the Qiongqi Holy Son's momentum. As his Yinglong bloodline activated, Zhao Yun unleashed a spear strike that landed on the Qiongqi Holy Son's teeth.
"Boom!"
A body several dozen feet tall blocked the colossal attack, shattering the Qiongqi Holy Son's teeth and causing blood to gush from his mouth. However, the bell remained undamaged, crashing three thousand feet deep into the earth.
"Do you wish to be my mount?"
Zhao Yun walked before the Qiongqi Holy Son and heavily placed his right foot on the Holy Son's gaping mouth. With a resounding thud, the Qiongqi Holy Son's body erupted with vital energy, and he slumped down, barely clinging to life.
Dozens of breaths later, outside the Immortal Ancient Ruins, countless beings watched as the land reformed. The Qiongqi Holy Son had ultimately submitted. He transformed into his true form and carried Zhao Yun, his hand plucking the Emperor Seed!
On the land that was previously an unrecognizable wasteland, corpses lay everywhere. The massive skeletons of countless Qiongqi lay scattered about, their blood soaking into the earth.
Gulp.
Gulp.
The earth made sounds like it was drinking. Under the gaze of countless beings, the blood was instantly diluted, and the enormous skeletons transformed into mountains. Soon, dozens of precious spiritual materials broke through the soil.
The vital energy was gone!
The purification ability was terrifying!
Zhao Yun held the Emperor Seed in his palm, slowly integrating it into his body. Threads of imperial might coiled around his brow, his cultivation level soaring to that of a top-tier Celestial Emperor.
Feeling the immense energy from the Emperor Seed, Zhao Yun could step into the Quasi-Emperor realm at any moment. However, he did not rush his breakthrough, forcibly suppressing it, gradually adapting to the changes brought by the Emperor Seed. Only after his foundation stabilized would he consider advancing to Quasi-Emperor.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
As this Emperor Seed entered Zhao Yun's body, one-eighth of the Immortal Ancient Ruins erupted in golden light. Countless beings watched in confusion as the surrounding land changed.
"A second-grade Emperor Seed has been controlled by the human Zhao Yun."
A Quasi-Emperor said regretfully. He felt a pang of sympathy for the powerful prodigies like Old Immortal Heavenly Corpse, as there was only one first-grade Emperor Seed, and too many contenders.
"Slap!"
Zhao Yun patted the Qiongqi Holy Son's head and pointed towards a direction of the land. The Qiongqi Holy Son roared and galloped forward on his four hooves, venturing deep into the territory. Along the way, countless beings held their breath, daring not to provoke the human warrior.
"Congratulations!"
Lei Yuan smiled and said to Zhuge Liang.
"Rest assured, Heavenly King, all that should come will come. Danxue Mountain will surely receive one of the six third-grade Emperor Seeds!" Zhuge Liang smiled faintly. This was an Emperor Seed, and securing Danxue Mountain in the eastern Immortal Realm would also benefit Mengzhou's stability. After all, Mengzhou was too far from the Great Han. Although there was the Mica Dao, it was ultimately a bit insufficient.