Chapter 272: The Great Lie
What should Yao Yan do now that Hun Emperor has opened his heart to him?
He could only accept it!
Sometimes, life feels like a forceful engagement—you can't choose the path you want to take, and must follow the arrangements made by others. Faced with a road you don't wish to walk, all you can do is pretend to enjoy it, for you can't change anything, let alone express dissatisfaction.
"Let's go, I'll introduce you to your future father-in-law~" Hun Emperor chuckled lightly. Without waiting for Yao Yan's response, he immediately took him and disappeared from the place.
With the strength of a peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng, Hun Emperor was nothing short of extraordinary. He could shift any space at will, and even the realms of other clans were easily within his reach. The Gu Clan 's so-called defenses were no more than paper to him, and he entered with no effort whatsoever.
Yao Yan felt a brief moment of dizziness in front of him, and when the scenery cleared, he realized the scene had changed. They had entered the domain of the Gu Clan with Hun Emperor's arrival.
With the coordinates of the Gu Clan 's domain, Hun Emperor didn't even need to engage in spatial travel; he could teleport directly to the location.
Almost as soon as Hun Emperor and Yao Yan arrived, a figure appeared before them. The person didn't use any spatial power and seemed to have been there all along. He exuded no aura of a powerful person but carried a sense of ethereal and otherworldly energy. His appearance was ordinary, and he looked about the same age as Hun Emperor.
Upon seeing this person, Yao Yan's heart raced. He hadn't expected to meet the Gu Clan 's leader so soon!
Gu Yuan!
He was the only person in the world besides Zhu Kun who could stand face to face with Hun Emperor.
Peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng strength, and the power of an Emperor-level soul!
The two top men in the Dou Qi continent met casually, almost like neighbors visiting each other, without any tension or the typical aura clashes of powerful figures. It was as if they were old friends chatting.
"Hun Emperor... I remember the last time you visited was a thousand years ago." Gu Yuan looked at Hun Emperor, who had not changed a bit, and spoke softly.
"After my battle with Xiao Xuan, I suffered heavy injuries and only recently managed to recover." Hun Emperor explained, then paused before adding with a slight smile, "If you had intervened back then, I might have already died."
That battle with Xiao Xuan had been the toughest battle of Hun Emperor's life. While Xiao Xuan failed to break through to Dou Emperor, he had undergone some transformation, nearly stepping into the Dou Emperor realm. To eliminate him, the Hun Clan's four elders had perished in that battle, a tragic victory!
It was only because Gu Yuan did not intervene that Hun Emperor had survived. Otherwise, his death would have been certain!
It even put the entire Hun Clan at risk of extinction.
"…It's been so many years, does it still matter to talk about it?" Gu Yuan was silent for a moment before speaking calmly.
He was not Hun Emperor; he could never resort to underhanded tactics. Moreover, he and Hun Emperor were peers, and together with Xiao Xuan, they were the last three standing from their generation. In a sense, they could be considered friends.
But friends in the grand scheme of the Dao were insignificant.
Whether it was Xiao Xuan or Hun Emperor, both were obsessed with the path to Dou Emperor. Gu Yuan, on the other hand, was lacking that drive. He lacked the mentality of a conqueror and did not have the courage to risk everything. When he was young, he had chosen marriage and children, completely different from Xiao Xuan and Hun Emperor.
"You're still the same, no change at all." Hun Emperor sighed lightly. With just a simple exchange, he could already feel his 'old friend's' unyielding compassion, still unwilling to sacrifice the Gu Clan 's people for the greater good.
War always came with death, especially the wars between clans, where bloodshed was inevitable.
The Hun Clan had annihilated the Xiao Clan but paid a terrible price. It had taken nearly a thousand years to recover, relying on the power of the Void Devouring Flame. Without it, the Hun Clan might have never recovered.
"Yet, you were never different." Gu Yuan said indifferently.
He had heard of the Hun Clan's actions on the Dou Qi continent. From that, it was clear that Hun Emperor had not changed at all—if anything, he had become more ruthless. Was the allure of Dou Emperor really so strong?
Was it so captivating that these men would abandon everything for it?
Hun Emperor shook his head slightly, unwilling to dwell on the already answered question. It was just a matter of personal choice. He had chosen the path of Dou Emperor and was willing to sacrifice everything for it, just like Xiao Xuan. Meanwhile, Gu Yuan had chosen family and sacrificed himself for it.
He smiled and said, "Aren't you going to ask me why I'm here?"
"Go ahead." Gu Yuan replied calmly.
"I'm here to propose, using the Hun Clan's Tuo She Gu Emperor jade as a betrothal gift, to request the hand of your daughter, Gu Xun'er!" Hun Emperor's dark eyes flashed, and every word he spoke was clear and deliberate.
"Buzz~"
Almost as soon as Hun Emperor finished speaking, an indescribable terrifying pressure was instantly released from Gu Yuan's body. The world seemed to change color, and the surrounding space began to collapse, heading toward destruction. His gaze was as cold as ice as he fixed it on Hun Emperor, and he said in a chilling voice, "Hun Emperor, you've gone too far!"
From what he understood of Hun Emperor, the purpose of this proposal was definitely not pure, and targeting Gu Xun'er had touched a nerve with him.
"Swish, swish!"
As Gu Yuan released his terrifying aura, three elderly figures appeared from the surrounding space.
"Hun Emperor?!"
"How dare you come to my clan alone!"
"Are you declaring war on my clan?!"
The three elders erupted with powerful auras, pressing toward Hun Emperor as they questioned his intentions.
Hun Emperor only raised his hand lightly, and all the terrifying pressure was blocked from affecting him, ensuring the little one by his side wouldn't be crushed. He looked at the three elders and chuckled, "The Three Immortals of the Gu Clan ? It's good to see you all again."
The elder at the front looked at Hun Emperor coldly, clearly wary, and asked, "Are your injuries fully healed?"
It was obvious he had kept track of the events from the past and knew how severe Hun Emperor's injuries were—he had nearly fallen to the edge of death.
"It's been a thousand years already~" Hun Emperor laughed lightly, then, in front of the three elders, repeated his earlier words with an entirely casual tone, "That battle was too brutal. The Hun Clan annihilated the Xiao Clan, but we suffered heavy losses... Yet the path to Dou Emperor is still cut off. The only hope we have left is to open the Tuo She Gu Emperor's cave, but the Gu jade fragments are controlled by the various clans. To gather them, the Hun Clan and the Gu Clan must join forces!"
"Since you doubt my intentions, I'll temporarily hand the Hun Clan's Gu jade fragment over to the Gu Clan for safekeeping!"
After a pause, Hun Emperor glanced at Yao Yan behind him, and lightly introduced, "This is Hun Yan, the Young Clan Leader of our Hun Clan. He is a genius with outstanding talent, possessing the bloodlines of five clans, including the Medicine Clan, Flame Clan, Spirit Clan, Stone Clan, and Hun Clan. He is a prodigy that our clan has cultivated for nearly a thousand years, and he has the potential to become a Dou Emperor!"
"What?!"
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone's expressions, including Gu Yuan's, changed drastically. They stared at Yao Yan in disbelief, clearly not expecting such a person to exist—a half-blood with the bloodlines of five Dou Emperor clans, and it seemed his bloodline concentration was not low either!
His extraordinarily handsome appearance alone represented the Spirit Clan's Dou Emperor bloodline, known for their enchanting traits. And this vitality far surpassed his current strength... the Stone Clan's Dou Emperor bloodline!
The fact that he possessed the power of multiple heavenly flames... was that due to his Flame Clan bloodline?!
His Hun power in the later stages of the Heavenly Realm...
Gu Yuan and the Three Immortals of the Gu Clan could almost immediately see through Yao Yan. With their strength, no concealment would work. Yao Yan had no secrets from them. The only thing hidden was the bloodline power of the Heavenly Devouring Clan.
After all, the powers of the evil clans from outside the realm were inherently hidden and incredibly mysterious!
Yao Yan stood under their gaze, feeling his body tense. A sense of indescribable danger filled him, as if an ordinary person were being closely watched by a fierce tiger. His instincts screamed danger, but he suppressed his unease and respectfully bowed to the four elders, "Hun Yan of the Hun Clan, greetings to the Gu Clan Leader... and the esteemed elders!"
Gu Yuan stared at Yao Yan for a while before looking at Hun Emperor, his voice low and serious, "Do you know what will happen if this news reaches the ears of the other clans? They won't tolerate the imperial bloodline of their clans flowing out!"
"It's just a battle... But will they dare? This matter doesn't involve the Gu Clan . As long as the Gu Clan doesn't intervene, the Hun Clan isn't afraid of them!" Hun Emperor said calmly, gazing at Gu Yuan.
Gu Yuan fell silent. As Hun Emperor said, with the Hun Clan's recent rise in strength over the past thousand years, they truly didn't fear the other clans joining forces. And for the sake of a half-blood, would the other clans risk starting a war? They would have to carefully consider if it was worth it.
Hun Emperor had indeed grasped the hearts of the people well, not angering all the clans at once. If Yao Yan also carried the bloodlines of the Gu Clan and Thunder Clan, the situation would be very different.
"How did you manage it?" Gu Dao, the leader of the Gu Clan Three Immortals, asked in a deep voice.
Dou Emperor bloodlines were domineering and incompatible with one another. There had been unions between the clans, but never one like this, where five Dou Emperor bloodlines could be triggered together, let alone the five bloodlines present in one person! It was beyond Gu Dao's comprehension.
Hun Emperor naturally wouldn't reveal the Heavenly Devouring Clan's secret. He had observed the bloodline hidden within Yao Yan, which was incredibly elusive. Without using it, it was impossible to detect, and this was the real reason he was here.
"Luck... You should know, the Hun Clan has researched the bloodlines of the various clans. To do so, they even arranged marriages with other clans. One of them unexpectedly married a person from the Medicine Clan, and they gave birth to him... He was a bloodline anomaly, and Hun Venerable found him and brought him back to the Hun Clan. Later, it was discovered that this child possessed the bloodlines of five Dou Emperor clans, and all of them had awakened." Hun Emperor said, half-truthfully, as he clearly knew a lot about Yao Yan. This was something easily investigated.
"I must carefully examine his body!" Gu Dao said, his eyes fixated on Yao Yan, clearly not believing Hun Emperor's words. He only believed what he saw.
"Sure, Hun Yan, please cooperate with the elders of the Gu Clan ." Hun Emperor nodded in agreement.
Damn it... Yao Yan cursed Hun Emperor silently but remained obediently standing, allowing the three old men to use their Hun power to probe him closely. Standing in front of them as if naked made him extremely uncomfortable!
"He's almost at the semi-jade bone stage... Kid, did you ever refine Dou Sheng's essence blood?" Gu Dao furrowed his brow and asked.
"When my teacher found me, he helped me refine a drop of Dou Sheng's essence blood." Yao Yan answered truthfully.
The elder beside Gu Dao seemed to be in deep thought for a moment, then said with certainty, "The five Dou Emperor bloodlines have all manifested, and their bloodline quality seems to be very high. This semi-jade bone... Hun Venerable must have helped him refine the Dou Sheng's essence blood to ensure his body could withstand this power. Five Dou Emperor bloodlines are extraordinary. At his age, he couldn't possibly have endured it!"
"To be able to perfectly fuse five types of heavenly flames, incredible!"
"At twenty-six, peak Nine-Turn Dou Zun, semi-jade bone, Heavenly Realm late-stage Hun power, a body comparable to a Semi-Saint, five heavenly flames... Truly formidable, Hun Emperor was right, you really have the potential to become a Dou Emperor!"
Gu Dao paused for a long time before slowly concluding, his expression complicated. He never imagined that the Hun Clan would have such a monstrous talent. If this child fully grows, his future achievements would at least match Hun Emperor's!
No!
He had already grown, and he was far ahead of the younger generation of the Gu Clan . They were not on the same level at all.
The younger generation of the Gu Clan was still at the Dou Zun stage, while Yao Yan had already touched the Dou Sheng realm, with a clear path ahead of him. It would only take time for him to fully transform. With the Hun Clan's resources, in three years at the least, five years at the most, he would undoubtedly step into the Dou Sheng realm!
As Gu Dao finished speaking, Hun Emperor added, "Indeed, he has the potential to become a Dou Emperor. But the path to Dou Emperor has already been severed. The only way to open the path is to unlock the Tuo She Gu Emperor's cave, but gathering the eight jade fragments is difficult. The Hun Clan can't do it alone… Of course, we could join forces with the four clans. Hun Yan has the bloodlines of five Dou Emperor clans. Once he becomes a Dou Emperor, the bloodlines of those clans will also be revived!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of Gu Yuan and the Three Immortals changed drastically. According to Hun Emperor's words, the Medicine Clan, Spirit Clan, Stone Clan, and Flame Clan might truly be swayed.
The only clans left out seemed to be the Thunder Clan and the Gu Clan !
"But if it comes to that, it will undoubtedly lead to war with the Gu Clan , forcing them to hand over the jade fragments..." Hun Emperor continued.
"This is your true purpose for bringing him here today!" Gu Yuan looked at Hun Emperor, slowly speaking. He never expected that after a thousand years, meeting again would bring such a 'surprise.'
"It's not a threat, it's a proposal! With the Tuo She Gu Emperor jade as the betrothal gift!" Hun Emperor said in a serious tone, "The path to Dou Emperor has been closed for ten thousand years. Don't you want to open the Tuo She Gu Emperor cave and see if there is still a way? Even if not for yourself, at least for the future... Even if we don't open it this generation, there will be another opportunity. In the end, it will still be a battle between the clans. But now, we have the chance to resolve it peacefully. It's up to the Gu Clan whether they're willing!"
With those words, all eyes turned to Yao Yan. Clearly, Hun Emperor's words were just part of the lie he had spun. The five Dou Emperor bloodlines within Yao Yan weren't from the Heavenly Devouring Clan, but from his own bloodline.
The key was that no one could detect the bloodline power of the Heavenly Devouring Clan.
The lie seemed perfect!
But damn, the upper echelons of the Hun Clan probably knew the truth about Yao Yan's body. It was as if they held his life in their hands. If this massive lie were ever exposed, Yao Yan couldn't even imagine the consequences!
Yao Yan was completely stunned, manipulated by Hun Emperor once again!
(END CHAPTER)
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