Chapter 21 Taking the Initiative
In fact, with Xiao Xuan's strength, although he wouldn't easily discover the Soul Emperor's whereabouts, he could always sense some clues. Not to mention after breaking through to the Half-Emperor realm, discovering the Soul Emperor's whereabouts would be a piece of cake.
However, things didn't go as planned. He had been focused on breaking through to the Dou Di realm and hadn't noticed Hun Tiandi's presence. But after repeated failures and despair, he finally broke through his cultivation barrier. As a result, he was depressed and completely unprepared, which is why he didn't discover Hun Tiandi's whereabouts and his attack succeeded.
In short, it was all too coincidental, and the timing chosen by the Soul Emperor was perfect.
"Soul Emperor, are you going to start a war with my Xiao Clan? Since you have been lurking here for so long, you must know my situation very well. I have not broken through to the Dou Di realm, but what gives you the confidence to provoke a half-Emperor realm expert!" As he said this, Xiao Xuan's eyes narrowed, his gaze sharp as arrows, exuding an imposing aura of a half-Emperor realm expert as he pressed down on Soul Emperor. Clearly, he was enraged.
Indeed, he had been in a state of regret and disappointment, and in this situation, someone still wanted to disturb and attack him. Doesn't that make people angry?
Hearing Xiao Xuan's angry words, the Soul Emperor acted as if he hadn't heard them. He then unleashed his own aura, and the two clashed. The Soul Emperor was immediately at a disadvantage and retreated several steps.
Clearly, in this invisible struggle, the Soul Emperor lost.
He was not surprised at all. After laughing loudly, he said, "Yes, Xiao Xuan, today I am declaring war on the Xiao Clan on behalf of the Soul Clan! As for you, if you had broken through to the Dou Di realm, I would have been somewhat wary of you, but a mere half-Emperor realm is not enough to make me wary!"
"Is that so? I have another question. How can you be so sure that I haven't broken through to the Dou Di realm? You should know that if I had broken through to the Dou Di realm, you would have walked right into a trap and would have no chance of survival!" Xiao Xuan asked his question. Actually, he didn't really want to ask this question. Instead, he wanted to know whether this matter had anything to do with Xiao Feng.
It wasn't that he was overly suspicious, but rather that these events were all too coincidental, and the series of coincidences all seemed to point to a single figure, which inevitably aroused his suspicion. If this was indeed Xiao Feng's doing, then all the trust and effort he and the Xiao clan had put in would be in vain, and the Xiao clan would be utterly destroyed as a result!
In this way, Xiao Feng is simply too terrifying. He single-handedly outmaneuvered himself and the elders of the Xiao clan, achieving the greatest victory at the lowest cost. This kind of person is simply a devil!
However, he didn't ask the question even though it was on the tip of his tongue. If this matter was related to Xiao Feng, then so be it. But if it wasn't, asking the question would expose Xiao Feng's existence and even expose all the preparations he and Xiao Feng had made. If that happened, everything would be over!
"Hahaha, Xiao Xuan, you've been so clever all your life, yet you can't even understand this little thing?" the Soul Emperor mocked, but little did he know what Xiao Xuan was thinking.
"Back in the Soul Realm, I sensed something was off about that imperial aura. After much contemplation, I finally understood. True imperial aura is far more terrifying and majestic than this, something a mere nine-star Dou Sheng like myself cannot withstand! And the imperial aura you, Xiao Xuan, exuded during your breakthrough not only lacked power but also seemed to have a weak aftereffect. Therefore, I concluded that you have not broken through to the Dou Di realm."
"Moreover, no one has been able to break through to the Dou Di realm for ten thousand years. What makes you, Xiao Xuan, think you can break through?" He said this with a tone full of sarcasm.
"I see." Ignoring the Soul Emperor's sarcasm, Xiao Xuan breathed a sigh of relief after getting the answer he wanted. As expected, Xiao Feng had not betrayed his trust. However, although Xiao Feng was fine, the Xiao Clan was now in deep trouble. Others might not know, but how could he not know his own situation?
Previously, he had repeatedly tried to break through to the Dou Di realm in the secret chamber. The backlash from each failure had a severe impact on him. If he hadn't forcibly suppressed it, it probably would have already erupted.
Although it hasn't erupted yet, the cumulative effects of the repeated backlashes have already had a significant impact on him. As the saying goes, it's better to guide than to block; if this continues for a long time, once it erupts, it will be extremely serious! Now, he has been ambushed by the Soul Emperor, which has drawn out his internal injuries, making his injuries even more severe due to the combination of internal and external factors.
His words were nothing but a bluff. On the surface, he was a half-Emperor, but he was currently severely injured, only able to unleash seventy or eighty percent of his strength. Defeating the Soul Emperor wouldn't be easy, and ending the battle quickly would be even more difficult. His conversation also served to buy him time, giving him more time to recover and better prepare for the upcoming fierce battle. It was a perfect solution, and currently the only way.
Soul Emperor was unaware of Xiao Xuan's thoughts. He was unaware that Xiao Xuan had already suffered a backlash, and he didn't believe that he could seriously injure Xiao Xuan with just one of his battle techniques. He simply wanted to wear down his opponent as much as possible. To be honest, he wasn't very confident about coming to the Xiao Clan this time, especially after learning that Xiao Xuan had broken through to the Half-Emperor realm.
The fact that he is a half-emperor, and that he is associated with the word "emperor," is enough to show his power. He is not someone that an ordinary nine-star Dou Sheng can defeat. However, the Soul Clan and the Xiao Clan have a deep-seated grudge. Rather than waiting for Xiao Xuan to come to their door in the Soul Realm, it is better to take the initiative and catch Xiao Xuan off guard.
He had considered waiting for a while.
Now that all the Dou Di bloodlines of the Xiao clan members had been extracted, the Xiao clan, having lost its Dou Di bloodline, was no longer a threat. In less than a hundred years, the Xiao clan would face a shortage of successors.
If he were more patient and waited for several hundred or even a thousand years, the Xiao clan might even perish on its own! At that time, when he made his move, he could achieve the greatest victory at the lowest cost.
However, this introduces a huge variable: Xiao Xuan! Having broken through to the Half-Emperor realm, his lifespan has increased significantly.
If it were a contest of lifespan, it's likely that Xiao Xuan would still be full of life when Xiao Xuan's own lifespan has ended.
Over such a long period, especially with a Half-Emperor powerhouse like Xiao Xuan present, it's difficult to guarantee that the Xiao Clan won't decline due to his intervention.
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