Chapter Three: Ignite the Ancient Summoning Talisman and Call Forth the Imperial Ancestor
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“My Xiao clan will die standing! We will never kneel and grovel merely to survive!”
Outside the grand hall of the Xiao clan, Xiao Cangming stood suspended in midair. With a motion of his hand, a gentle force enveloped the Xiao clan disciples oppressed by the Quasi-Emperor’s decree, lifting them softly from the ground.
“An old Saint—this is the entirety of the Xiao clan’s foundation? How utterly laughable.”
High above in the sky, the old man clad in purple robes stood beneath the Quasi-Emperor’s decree. Facing Xiao Cangming’s Saintly might, the contempt on his face grew even more pronounced. As members of an Imperial clan, the Xiao family had actually fallen so low that they could only rely on an aged Saint nearing the end of his life to face their enemies.
“The Xiao clan is one of the Imperial clans of the Eastern Wilderness. Even if the current Emperor himself descended, he would still treat us with due courtesy. Yet a mere Quasi-Emperor dares to slight my Xiao clan so openly. Such conduct is entirely improper!”
Xiao Cangming’s robes billowed in the wind. His Saintly might surged like raging waves, causing cracks to appear in the surrounding space as it clashed with the Quasi-Emperor’s pressure descending from the heavens. In the Eastern Wilderness of the Profound Heaven Continent, beings of the Saint Realm were unquestionably true powerhouses. Every movement they made possessed the force to move mountains and fill seas.
Even though Xiao Cangming had reached the twilight of his life, he remained a genuine Saint-Realm expert.
“Old fool…”
As the Saintly pressure spread, the purple-robed elder could not help but let out a muffled groan. His body swayed, and he nearly fell from the sky. Fortunately, the Quasi-Emperor’s decree above his head radiated the might of a Quasi-Emperor and shielded him, preventing Xiao Cangming’s pressure from injuring him.
But this only enraged the purple-robed elder further.
So what if he was a Saint? He had come under the orders of Martial Emperor Cangyan. The majesty of a Quasi-Emperor was beyond the reach of any Saint.
“So this is the Xiao clan’s final reserve of strength? Very well. I’ll first beat you into a dying dog, humiliate your Xiao clan before the world, and show you the consequences of offending Martial Emperor Cangyan!”
The purple-robed elder gave a cold snort and continued urging the Quasi-Emperor’s decree above his head to unfold.
In an instant, an even denser and more terrifying pressure erupted from the decree. It seemed almost alive as it pounced toward Xiao Cangming.
Under the might of the Quasi-Emperor, Xiao Cangming’s expression turned solemn. He did not dare relax for even a moment. Opening his mouth, he spat out an ancient purple Saint Tower nine levels high. It hovered above his head, streams of purple energy cascading down to protect him within.
Boom!
The Quasi-Emperor’s might struck the purple Saint Tower like thunder, making it shake violently. The purple streams of energy flickered like a candle guttering in the wind, as though they might be extinguished at any moment.
“A mere Saint weapon dares obstruct an Imperial decree?”
The purple-robed elder sneered coldly. As the Quasi-Emperor’s decree above him continued unfolding, its power grew increasingly formidable, while Xiao Cangming’s resistance became more and more difficult.
At last, cracks appeared across the surface of the purple Saint Tower. Even Xiao Cangming’s Saintly body seemed unable to bear the strain. His body gradually bent, his knees appearing to bear the weight of ten thousand mountains as they slowly buckled beneath him.
“Rise!”
Xiao Cangming roared. His eyes were bloodshot as he resisted the terrifying pressure that seemed to crush down the heavens themselves. Cracking sounds came from his Saintly bones, and blood trickled from the corners of his mouth.
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Even so, he still refused to submit!
“Good, good. Your bones are certainly hard. I’d like to see how long you can hold out. Hahaha!”
Seeing Xiao Cangming stubbornly resist, the purple-robed elder wore a mocking expression, as though he were enjoying a theatrical performance.
Although there was only a single realm between a Quasi-Emperor and a Saint, the difference between them was actually as vast as heaven and earth. Even a Great Saint would need an Imperial weapon of equal rank to withstand the pressure of a Quasi-Emperor, let alone Xiao Cangming, whose blood and vitality had withered with age and who was merely clinging to life. Moreover, he possessed only a single Saint weapon.
When faced with the pressure of a Quasi-Emperor, the wisest choice for an Ancient Saint was to submit obediently.
Yet this old Saint of the Xiao clan still dared to resist?
He truly had no regard for his own life!
“Grand Supreme Elder!”
One anguished cry after another rang out.
The Xiao clan disciples watched the figure struggling desperately against the pressure of the Quasi-Emperor’s decree, yet still refusing to yield. Tears filled their eyes, and their fists were clenched tightly.
They knew that Xiao Cangming was fighting for the dignity of the Xiao clan. He would rather die than submit.
Just as Xiao Cangming had said earlier, the people of the Xiao clan could die standing, but they must never live on their knees!
“Hrk…”
Xiao Cangming’s body trembled, and blood began to flow from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The Saint Tower above his head, which he had nourished with his very life, had completely shattered into fragments. Nearly all the Saintly bones within his body had broken as well.
But even then, relying on the last breath in his heart and the unyielding conviction within him, he still refused to submit!
I cannot yield… If I do… the backbone of the Xiao clan… will be broken…
Xiao Cangming’s thoughts turned with difficulty. He had already prepared himself for sacrifice.
Unfortunately, even if he died, he would have no way to make his enemies pay the price.
Ancestor Xiao Xuan… This descendant is useless. I am sorry. I failed to protect our Xiao clan…
Xiao Cangming’s consciousness began to blur. The Saintly flame within him, ignited by his life force, gradually began to fade.
“To hell with Martial Emperor Cangyan! I’m going to fight them to the death!”
“族长, charge out! The Grand Supreme Elder can’t hold on much longer!”
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“Grand Supreme Elder!”
All the Xiao clan disciples had reddened eyes. They wished they could tear the purple-robed elder apart with their bare hands.
But at that moment, Xiao Qingtian seemed to have reached some sort of decision. He suddenly rose to his feet and swept out his hand, speaking through his grief and fury:
“All Xiao clan disciples, follow me!”
When they saw Xiao Qingtian stand, the Xiao clan disciples assumed that he intended to lead them out to fight the purple-robed elder to the death. Their spirits lifted, and they followed him without hesitation.
Unexpectedly, however, after leaving the grand hall, Xiao Qingtian hurriedly led everyone into the Xiao clan’s ancestral shrine.
What had the clan leader brought them here for?
Everyone was filled with confusion. Even Xiao Jinyu wore a puzzled expression on her lovely face.
“Every one of you—kneel!”
Xiao Qingtian’s expression was solemn. He ordered everyone to kneel, then looked toward the many ancestral tablets of the Xiao clan enshrined above the shrine.
Yet his gaze passed over generation after generation of Xiao ancestors and landed at the very top of the ancestral shrine.
On the highest tier, above all the ancestral tablets, there was no tablet at all. Only a small bronze incense burner with three legs and two handles had been placed there.
Within the incense burner lay half of an ancient talisman that had yet to be lit.
Xiao Qingtian stepped forward and carefully ignited the half talisman inside the incense burner. Then he knelt before everyone and spoke solemnly.
“This is the most dangerous moment our Xiao clan has ever faced. There is no longer anything I need to conceal from you.”
“This ancient summoning talisman was left behind by our ancestor, Xiao Xuan, when he departed from the Profound Heaven Continent.”
“Our ancestor once said that this ancient summoning talisman could be used only once. If the Xiao clan should one day face the danger of annihilation, we may ignite this talisman and pray to him. If our ancestor is still alive, he will intervene and save the Xiao clan from its crisis.”
“Only the successive clan leaders of the Xiao family have ever known this secret.”
“Now, pray with me in utmost sincerity. Let us hope that Ancestor Xiao Xuan still watches over us, that he can save a collapsing house and rescue the Xiao clan from this inferno!”
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