Chapter 1696 : The Hunt

"The words of the Crimson Crow Saint Son ring true."

At that very moment, several more figures emerged from the depths of the void, treading upon empty air.

The Crimson Crow Saint looked up and saw a group of figures treading through the void. Leading them was a man clad in Daoist robes.

"Ancient Clan of the Celestial Ruins?"

The Crimson Sun Saint Son spoke slowly, a faint ripple shimmering in his gaze.

The leader of the Cangxu Ancient Clan nodded, his expression serene as he stated, "Upon learning that the Abyssal Return Daoist sought to forge a flawless Taiyi foundation, the Solar Emperor's scion requested our Cangxu lineage to intervene in his path."

The Crimson Sun Saint Son nodded in response, a faint glimmer flickering in the depths of his gaze.

Beside the Crimson Crow Saint Son, the Vermilion Raven Saint Son transmitted a voice message discreetly, "The Solarflame Imperial Scion is the direct descendant of the Ancient Solar Deity, bearing the bloodline of the Solar God-King from the Primordial Divine Court. His strength and foundation rank among the foremost even amidst the 10 protagonists of the Great Tribulation."

"Now that he has gained the support of the Cangxu Ancient Clan, he will likely become a formidable rival to His Highness Eldrin."

The Crimson Crow Sacred Son’s gaze also turned frosty. The 100 Spirits Immortal Clan of the Qingcang Immortal Domain was no weakling, and this Ancient Cangxu Clan ranked third among the 100 clans of Qingcang—surpassed only by the Spirit Clan and the Ancient Taihao Clan.

At this thought, the Eldrin Holy Son murmured with a profound gleam in his eyes, "Throughout the tribulations of the Dao, it has always been a contest among humans, demons, and celestials. The Cangxu Ancient Clan is but 1 of the 100 spirit immortal races—how dare they meddle in such affairs? They are truly courting death."

"Once the great war is resolved, if an opportunity arises later, we shall eliminate them as well."

"Bzzz—"

Even as the hearts of the assembly wavered, several more streams of light tore through the sky.

The Crimson Sun Saint Son swept his gaze across the assembly, recognizing the Twin Imperial Sons of Taicang whom he had defeated in the past, the Golden Radiance Divine Clan, the White Tiger Clan, and 3 other peerless demon gods of a caliber comparable to the direct descendants of ancient sects.

Moreover, there were several supreme powerhouses from the 10-1000 Demon Ancestral Domain, led by none other than the foremost expert on the Creation Ranking—the Primordial Thunder Dragon from the True Dragon Cave Heaven, who had dominated the Vast Azure Immortal Domain for tens of millions of years.

Seeing this, everyone felt a slight sense of relief in their hearts.

In this battle, the Golden Crow clan boasted the greatest number of powerhouses, with a full 9 experts possessing the Triple Taiyi Foundation.

Moreover, the 2 Imperial Sons of Taicang, who were central figures in the Dao Tribulation, had arrived with 5 experts possessing Triple Taiyi foundations. Including the Imperial Sons themselves, this made a total of 7.

The Cangxu Clan possessed extraordinary talent, with 3 prodigies who had established 3 Taiyi Foundations, making their strength a force to be reckoned with.

The Ancient Thunder Dragon lineage also had 3 individuals, all peerless prodigies among the demon race. The leader of the Ancient Thunder Dragons was particularly unfathomable.

As the number 1 on the Primordial Ascension Ranking of the Qingcang Immortal Domain, his strength and foundation were unparalleled throughout the ages, having already stepped into the forbidden realm.

After the Primordial Thunder Dragon arrived, it swept its gaze around and declared confidently, "The 20-2 of us, all with Triple Taiyi Foundations, have joined forces—among us are even 4 Emperor-grade Prodigies of Taboo."

"Now that the Eldrin is at a critical juncture of secluded cultivation, with all 9 chief formation masters unable to disengage, how could those left behind possibly withstand our combined assault?"

Lord Crimson Emperor of the Vast Azure let out a cold sneer, his gaze profound as he declared, "Today's battle shall herald the demise of that whelp of the Returning Abyss."

Tai Cang Black Emperor’s son, however, wore a grave expression as he spoke with a trace of astonishment, “Everyone, remember this—the Void-Reversion Daoist possesses a surprise-attack treasure, the Liū Wind God-Slaying Flying Blade. Should any of you face him, exercise utmost caution.”

The Crimson Sun Saint Son spoke up without further ado, "Since everyone is assembled, let us prepare to make our move."

"Then let us strike together."

As the words of the Crimson Crow Saint Son faded, the other powerhouses immediately took action. 1 divine ability after another, even innate killing weapons, bombarded the formation, stirring up towering, frenzied waves.

Within the grand formation, the crowd's expressions grew exceedingly grave at the sight before them.

Pure Yang Saint's expression shifted slightly, his gaze turning profoundly solemn as he declared, "We shall unleash our full power to safeguard Daoist Guixu's path of ascension."

In the blink of an eye, aside from the 9 individuals maintaining the formation, the 14 Half-Step Celestial Immortals guarding the perimeter sprang into action. 1 mystical art after another tore across the firmament, rending the vast heavens asunder as they sought to intercept the onslaught of assailants.

Yet from the very onset of the great battle, they found themselves subtly but decisively at a disadvantage.

Among the many formidable foes encircling Eldrin (Person Name) this time, not only were there more powerhouses at the Third Taiyi Realm, but also 4 imperial scions of forbidden prodigy caliber.

Although Pure Yang Saint Son and the others possessed considerable strength, the sheer disparity in absolute power rendered them utterly incapable of halting the advancing crowd. They could only rely on their formation's energy to barely hold their defense.

Meanwhile, far beyond the Endless Sea, several Celestial Immortals of the Heavenly Might level stood towering above the firmament.

These individuals stood divided into 2 groups. On 1 side stood the Profound Abandonment Daoist of the Celestial Net Ancient Sect, accompanied by the Guardian Elders of the Pure Yang Grotto-Heaven, the Eternal Zenith Sword Sect, and the Stormwind Dao Palace.

On the other side stood the Golden Crow Clan, the Cangxu Ancient Clan, the True Dragon Cave Heaven, the Golden Radiance Cave Heaven, the White Tiger Cave Heaven, and the Guardian Heavenly Immortals of the Tai Cang Divine Clan.

At this moment, the Celestial Immortals on both sides gazed upon the battlefield, their eyes brimming with profound gravity.

The number of Celestial Immortals on the human side was clearly fewer than those of the demon and monster clans. Yet at this moment, none of them made a move against each other, merely revealing a hint of guarded vigilance.

"This battle holds no more suspense."

At that very moment, a Celestial Immortal powerhouse from the Golden Crow tribe spoke up, a glimmer of amusement sparkling in his eyes.

This battle saw the joint efforts of multiple transcendent forces—the Golden Crow Tribe, the Cangxu Ancient Tribe, along with the Taicang Divine Tribe and the True Dragon Grotto-Heaven. In ordinary times, such an alliance would have been sufficient to sweep across the entire Qingcang Immortal Domain.

He believed that even though the Abyssal Immortal Alliance was formidable, it would be impossible for them to withstand this battle.

Across from him, Daoist Xuan Qi’s gaze turned frosty, his expression icy as he declared, “In terms of numbers alone, our human race may not be inferior to the demonic and monstrous races.”

"As long as the Eldrin abandons his breakthrough in time, the outcome remains uncertain."

"Giving up on the breakthrough? How could it be that easy?"

The guardian from the Taicang Divine Clan spoke with an indifferent expression, "Forging the foundation of the 3 Primordial Unity is an all-or-nothing endeavor. Should he abandon it midway, the backlash would inflict severe injuries—what strength would he have left by then?"

A deity from the Golden Radiance Grotto-Heaven also nodded, his divine countenance aloof as he stated, "Since ancient times, those who prematurely reverse their Innate Body before consolidating the foundation of the 3 Primordial Origins inevitably face a difficulty that surges tenfold, even a hundredfold or more."

"That little whelp of the Returning Abyss, in his pursuit of momentary combat prowess, forcibly achieved the Innate Body ahead of time. Now it appears he is merely courting death."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the human cultivators shifted slightly, their countenances involuntarily growing somber.

Seeing this, a Celestial from the White Tiger Grotto-Heaven sneered coldly, "I advise you not to interfere, lest you bring about your own doom."

Upon hearing this, Daoist Xuanqi and the other Human Immortals couldn't help but slightly change their expressions.

These Celestial Immortals had entered the tribulation with the fundamental purpose of safeguarding their own prodigies destined for celestial ascension, intervening only to preserve their lives at the most critical junctures.

Against an ordinary Half-Step Celestial Immortal or a supporting character in the Heavenly Tribulation, there might still be a chance to suppress the karmic consequences.

But to intervene in such a clash between protagonists of the Heavenly Dao Tribulation would inevitably incur divine retribution. Even as mighty Celestial Immortals, were they to personally enter the fray, they would merely be courting their own demise.

At this thought, a Guardian Elder of the Pure Sun Grotto-Heaven sighed and said, "Enough. In such tribulations, it ultimately depends on the means of those embroiled within."

(End of Chapter)