"This is a secret weapon. I wouldn't resort to it unless absolutely necessary, but if I do use it, the Jiang Dynasty is guaranteed to be destroyed," the Ji Clan Ancestor said with a smile.
"Then why not use this secret weapon right away? Why go through all this trouble?" the Liu Clan Ancestor asked, confused.
"Heh, because it's simple — this secret weapon is powerful, but it harms both sides."
"It's about time. Let the three of us attack together and break this pathetic formation. It's time the Jiang Dynasty paid for what it did all those years ago." Suddenly, the Ji Clan Ancestor leapt into the air, transforming into a streak of light as he arrived before the Heaven-Reaching Barrier.
"Boom!" The Ji Clan Ancestor was a peak ninth level Heaven Martial realm expert, infinitely close to the Martial Lord realm. With a single devastating punch, heaven and earth shook violently. The Heaven-Reaching Barrier that covered the entirety of the Jiang Dynasty trembled fiercely.
"Ji Clan Ancestor, I'll help you!" Right behind him, the Liu Clan Ancestor, the Zhao Clan Ancestor, and the three emperors all attacked in unison.
Under the combined assault of three peak ninth level Heaven Martial experts and three eighth level Heaven Martial experts, the protective barrier shielding the Jiang Dynasty was on the verge of collapse.
"No good — at this rate, our dynasty's guardian formation will be breached any moment!"
"Emperor, what do we do? They've deployed far too many experts this time. Setting aside the three peak ninth level Heaven Martial Ancestors, even without them, our Jiang Dynasty is no match for their combined forces. If the guardian formation falls, tens of thousands of our clansmen will be massacred!" Under these dire circumstances, every pair of eyes turned toward the Emperor.
The Emperor's brow was deeply furrowed — he had no idea what to do. Suddenly, his figure shot upward as he turned and flew at full speed toward the Imperial Vein Possession Formation.
The moment he entered the Imperial Vein Possession Formation, he asked urgently, "How is it? How is young friend Chu Feng faring?"
"The power of the Imperial Vein Possession Formation is indeed resisting Chu Feng's integration. The fusion speed is extremely slow — he's only reached the seventh level of Heaven Martial so far. However, judging by the current rate, he should be able to break through to the eighth level soon," Zhang Tianyi, who was standing guard nearby, replied.
"Eighth level of Heaven Martial?! That's... not going to be in time!!" After hearing Zhang Tianyi's words and personally probing Chu Feng's aura, the Emperor of the Jiang Dynasty turned ashen, as though the last flicker of light in the dead of night had been snuffed out.
Setting aside the fact that at the eighth level of Heaven Martial, Chu Feng would stand no chance against those three old monsters — under his perception, he discovered that Chu Feng's aura was extremely unstable, practically hollow. Their ancestors' formation was truly resisting Chu Feng. Although some of its power had been absorbed by him, it was far from stable.
Under these circumstances, even if Chu Feng's aura could reach the eighth level of Heaven Martial, his actual combat strength would be equivalent to only the sixth level. Forget fighting those three old monsters — even the three clan emperors could easily wipe him out.
"What's wrong? Could it be that the Jiang Dynasty's guardian formation can't hold?" Zhang Tianyi asked, sensing the Emperor's distress.
"Sigh, no matter how strong the guardian formation is, it can't withstand the bombardment of three peak ninth level Heaven Martial experts. It probably won't hold much longer. This truly is heaven's will for the destruction of our Jiang Dynasty." The Emperor let out a long sigh, then said to Zhang Tianyi, "Stay here with Chu Feng — absolutely do not go outside. I will seal this place off. I hope it will help the two of you survive this ordeal."
"Emperor, what do you mean by this?" Zhang Tianyi's brow furrowed slightly upon hearing those words.
"Our Jiang Dynasty has deep enmity with the Ji, Liu, and Zhao clans. If they breach the formation and storm into our territory, they will not leave a single soul alive. Letting our clansmen die without suffering would already be an act of mercy."
"Today, our Jiang Dynasty is destined for destruction, and we will be subjected to every imaginable cruelty."
"You and Chu Feng are not of our royal clan, but you've already done more than enough for us. I don't want to drag you into this any further." The Emperor smiled faintly. So when he spoke of sealing this place, he meant to prevent the three clans from finding Chu Feng and Zhang Tianyi, hoping they might escape the catastrophe.
"Boom boom boom boom~~~~~~~~~"
But just then, a deafening roar suddenly echoed through the air. Even this underground palace, built deep beneath the earth, shook violently.
"Disaster!" In that instant, the Emperor's expression changed drastically. A unprecedented terror surged into his eyes. Without another word, he spun around and flew out.
After leaving the underground palace, he sealed its entrance, then set up a concealment barrier before flying out of the hall that disguised the palace's location.
But the moment he emerged from the hall, he saw that the guardian formation covering the Jiang Dynasty had already dimmed. A massive hole had torn open in the western sky.
It was breached. The sole barrier protecting his Jiang Dynasty had fallen. At this very moment, the armies of the three clans were flooding into the Jiang Dynasty's territory like a tidal wave.
"Hahaha, you vermin of the Jiang royal clan — today is your doomsday!" A thunderous shout suddenly rang out from the sky. Gold crests gleaming, the three great armies began unleashing a frenzy of martial techniques, raining destruction from above upon the crowds below.
"Aaargh~~~~~~~"
No matter how powerful the Jiang Dynasty was, Heaven Martial realm experts were limited in number. The majority of their people were still at the Xuan Martial, Yuan Martial, or even Spirit Martial realms.
For them, the attacks of Heaven Martial experts were impossible to defend against or evade. So when the sky full of devastating strikes rained down upon the earth like a meteor shower, what was destroyed was not merely the luxurious buildings — but countless lives of the Jiang Dynasty's clansmen.
"I'll fight you to the death!" Under these circumstances, every expert of the Jiang Dynasty was consumed by fury. Numerous Heaven Martial cultivators soared into the air, launching counterattacks against the three clans' armies in a desperate last stand.
But their strength was far too feeble. Facing three clan Ancestors and three clan emperors commanding their forces, even as Heaven Martial realm experts, all that awaited them was ruthless annihilation.
In an instant, the vast expanse of the Jiang Dynasty was filled with weeping and screaming. The terrified cries of children especially underscored the dynasty's utter helplessness.
Despair was the defining sentiment in every adult clansman's heart. They knew the Jiang Dynasty was finished — they were all finished. Their royal clan, which had flourished for countless generations, would perish this day.
Under these dire circumstances, the Emperor of the Jiang Dynasty and numerous other experts did not rashly join the fight. Instead, they gathered in the dynasty's Core Area to discuss their options.
"Haha, Emperor of the Jiang — your daughter is quite lovely. Why not let me take her back as my concubine?" A thunderous shout suddenly rang out from the sky. It was the Emperor of the Zhao royal clan, who had charged into the Core Area leading a contingent of Zhao experts. Not only had he discovered the Jiang royal clan's top fighters gathered there — he had also taken a fancy to the Emperor's daughter, Jiang Yini.