Chapter Sixteen: Just Because You're of Imperial Blood Doesn't Mean You Can't Be Killed—It's the Imperial Bloodline That Will Be Slain
“Bold indeed! The Wu family, the Tuoba family, and the other Tianxuan imperial clans will never let you go!”
With his physical body destroyed, Wu Kun was reduced to a mere wisp of soul, roaring in fury and issuing threats.
By now, he fully understood—Xiao Xuan had no intention of sparing them!
“Is that so? I’d like to see what progress you so-called imperial clans have made after all these years.”
Xiao Xuan’s voice dripped with disdain.
“Who exactly are you?!”
Seeing Xiao Xuan’s indifferent demeanor, Wu Kun’s heart sank, a wave of unease washing over him.
If this person was truly from the Tianxuan Continent, there was no reason he hadn’t heard of the Tianxuan imperial clans.
Yet, despite knowing them, he showed no fear. What could that mean?
Either he was some reckless madman who cared for nothing, or he possessed terrifying power that made him fearless of the Tianxuan imperial clans!
He was a great emperor-level cultivator—certainly not mad.
Therefore, only one possibility remained: even knowing the name of the Tianxuan imperial clans, he simply did not fear them!
“My family name is Xiao. Have you guessed my identity yet?”
Xiao Xuan’s eyelids drooped slightly as he glanced at the panicked Wu Kun and said calmly.
“An emperor named Xiao, from one hundred thousand years ago...”
Hearing Xiao Xuan’s words, Wu Kun froze for a moment before a chilling realization dawned on him. His wisp of soul trembled uncontrollably.
The only emperor of the Xiao family from a hundred thousand years ago recorded in the ancient texts he once read was that one legendary figure.
No wonder, no wonder!
If it was truly that person, then perhaps he really had the confidence to disregard the Tianxuan imperial clans.
But it had been a hundred thousand years—how could he still be alive?!
That was simply impossible!
“You’ve guessed it, have you? Then die!”
Xiao Xuan sneered coldly and immediately unleashed a sword qi aimed at Wu Kun.
“No! You cannot kill me! I belong to the Wu family—the Wu family is part of the Tianxuan imperial clans!”
Wu Kun was truly terrified now.
If his remaining soul was severed again, that would be the end for him.
“Hmph, I am here to kill members of your Tianxuan imperial clans!”
Xiao Xuan sneered.
In the blink of an eye, Wu Kun’s wisp of soul was utterly annihilated.
Yet, as his soul perished, a beam of light suddenly shot toward the horizon, streaking toward the Tianxuan Continent. Xiao Xuan remained unmoved.
He knew this was Wu Kun’s last attempt to send a warning, but he had no plans to stop it.
He had returned to the Tianxuan Continent with no secrets to hide, and the grievances between him and the Tianxuan imperial clans were due for reckoning.
Even if they learned in advance of his return, what would it matter?
Those who must be dealt with will not escape!
“The Imperial Pass Outpost? Now that I have returned, this checkpoint serves no purpose.”
Xiao Xuan sneered, lifting his palm casually and erasing the ancient city that had stood for tens of thousands of years.
Having returned from the Imperial Pass, the invasion from foreign lands was now inevitable.
With that in mind, the Imperial Pass Outpost had no reason to continue existing.
Tianxuan Continent, prepare yourself for the decisive battle with the foreign realms!
After effortlessly wiping away the massive city, Xiao Xuan pressed deeper into the continent.
He was now close to the border of the Tianxuan Continent and would soon step onto his homeland.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Wilderness Domain of the Tianxuan Continent, a mysterious and magnificent region lay shrouded in clouds and mist, with peaks rising endlessly and an aura of immortality—truly a paradise on earth. This was the sacred ground of the imperial Wu family.
Yet, within the ancestral hall of the Wu family, chaos reigned.
“The Destiny Lamp of the Ninth Ancestor Wu Kun has extinguished! What is going on?!”
“The extinguishing of the Destiny Lamp means the Ninth Ancestor has fallen! Could something have happened beyond the domain?”
The elders and high-ranking members of the Wu family gathered in the ancestral hall, shocked that the Destiny Lamp containing a fragment of Wu Kun’s soul had gone dark. If Wu Kun had died, the lamp would shatter.
The unexpected demise of a quasi-emperor was a grave matter for the Wu family. All senior members convened to determine how Wu Kun had perished.
“The Ninth Ancestor is a quasi-emperor. Who could have slain him?”
“Indeed. I heard that the Tuoba family’s quasi-emperor was guarding the outer domain alongside the Ninth Ancestor. Has anyone contacted the Tuoba family?”
“The Tuoba family has responded—their quasi-emperor has also fallen!”
“What?! Both quasi-emperors have perished?! What on earth happened beyond the domain?!”
Panic and confusion filled the ancestral hall. Although the fall of quasi-emperors would not spell the end of the imperial clans, it was certainly a severe blow.
More importantly, no one knew how Wu Kun and Tuoba Tao had died. This unknown terror was the most unsettling.
“Ahem, such chaos and disorder! How unbecoming!”
Just as everyone’s anxiety reached a peak, a dignified, aged voice silenced the hall instantly. All eyes turned to the source. An emaciated old man, his face lined with wrinkles, slowly stepped forward from the crowd.
This elder was Wu Xuan, the Eighth Ancestor of the Wu family—a living relic who had witnessed the family’s rise and fall over a hundred thousand years and served as a steadfast pillar. Normally, he remained in deep slumber within the Divine Source, sustaining his life through secret arts. The news of Wu Kun’s death had even roused him.
The moment Wu Xuan appeared, the Wu family’s anxiety dissipated like mist. The clan members looked at him with unwavering trust.
“A mere quasi-emperor’s demise has you all so flustered?”
Wu Xuan’s gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s, sweeping over the elders present. His piercing look forced everyone to lower their heads, unwilling to meet his eyes.
“Wu Kun himself was only of saintly aptitude. The Wu family invested tremendous resources to elevate him to quasi-emperor—but he was not indispensable. Even if he is dead, it is not a crippling loss for us.”
Wu Xuan spoke slowly.
“But he was still our quasi-emperor! Whoever killed him is provoking the Wu family’s dignity and declaring enmity against us!”
His voice sharpened with intensity.
“Even the current emperors must respect the Wu family. Those who oppose the Tianxuan imperial clans face only death, no matter who they are!”
Wu Xuan’s words were a rallying cry, igniting the blood of all Wu family members.
“Old Ancestor Xiao is right! Whoever stands against the Wu family will meet a grim fate!”
“Avenging the Ninth Ancestor! Kill the enemy!”
“The imperial clans’ prestige must not be violated!”
Seeing the elders regain their resolve, Wu Xuan nodded in satisfaction and continued,
“Wu Kun was a quasi-emperor. Did he leave any messages before his death?”
“Reporting, Eighth Ancestor! Shortly after the Ninth Ancestor’s Destiny Lamp went out, we received a message he sent just before dying. We have not yet examined it.”
The Wu family head responded swiftly, handing Wu Xuan a communication jade slip.
“Hm, let me see who dares to act so recklessly!”
Wu Xuan took the jade slip and crushed it in his hand. He was eager to see who had dared to challenge them so brazenly.
As the jade slip shattered, an apparition of Wu Kun appeared within the ancestral hall. His eyes were wide open, his voice hoarse as he shouted,
“The culprit is the Xiao from one hundred thousand years ago—”
Before he could finish, a domineering voice rang out, shattering Wu Kun’s soul.
The voice abruptly stopped, and the apparition vanished.
Within the ancestral hall, all the Wu family elders exchanged uneasy glances.