Chapter 401: The Imperial Clan Showdown! Li Yuan Takes Action

Chapter 401: The Imperial Clan Showdown! Li Yuan Takes Action

Deep within the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern, a place shrouded by heavy mountain ranges and veiled in strands of blood-red mist, was a forbidden zone. The mist was so dense that even those with Demi-God strength could not see through it, let alone ordinary Trialists.

According to the intelligence of elite geniuses and Imperial Clan members, this entire area was known as the 'Forbidden Zone', a place where even those with Demi-God strength could not venture.

The reason for this designation was not only the danger but also the abundance of rare treasures that grew in this region.

At the edge of this forbidden zone, a large group of Beasts was besieging a team.

"Young Master, run! These Beasts are too powerful!" A Golden-Armored Warrior, nearly ten meters tall and holding a battle axe, shouted furiously, "Quick, block the other Beasts and create a bloody path for the Young Master!"

He had been ordered to lead nearly a hundred Flying Heaven Warriors to protect their master, who was participating in the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern Trial, with the goal of breaking into the top ten.

Unexpectedly, they had encountered such a calamity.

"Ninth Senior!" The Black-Armored Youth, standing at a distance, was enraged. These guards had accompanied him for decades and were specially selected by his father, known for their unwavering loyalty.

According to the intelligence, the 'Forbidden Zone Edge Collection' mission was not supposed to be dangerous, yet it had turned into such a disaster.

The Flying Heaven Rank guards were nearly all dead, with less than twenty remaining.

It was only because of the recently-broken-through-to-Demi-God Ninth Senior that the team had managed to hold on until now.

However, among the besieging Beasts, there were also Demi-God rank ones. Although Beasts were typically unintelligent and did not cultivate Stellar Techniques, relying solely on their bloodline for growth, they were often the weakest in their realm. But their bodies were inherently formidable... and the Ninth Senior had just broken through to Demi-God as well.

"Why are there so many Beasts?"

"I don't understand." The Flying Heaven Rank guards also felt wronged. They were all at the Flying Heaven Peak, doing their best to create an escape opportunity for the Black-Armored Youth.

"Now!"

Whoosh! The Black-Armored Youth swiftly slashed with his battle axe, the blade glowing with a fiery red light, and directly cut through the body of a Beast over thirty meters long.

Instantly, the massive Beast's body fell from mid-air, splitting into two halves, with blood and organs flowing out.

The Black-Armored Youth seized this opportunity to flash hundreds of meters behind the Beast, almost breaking out of the encirclement.

Suddenly—

"What's this?" The Black-Armored Youth was about to collide with the giant palm, his heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of despair.

This was a state that occurred when the difference in life levels reached a certain degree.

"Blood Demon! It's the legendary Blood Demon! The Blood Demon has awakened? It's over!" The Black-Armored Youth's heart was filled with terror, and he instantly recalled the information from the intelligence.

The Blood Demon was the strongest Beast in the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern, typically awakening only once in dozens of trials.

But once it awakened, it became a nightmare for countless Trialists.

Encountering it almost certainly meant death!

This giant palm, though seemingly large and slow, moved incredibly fast. As soon as it appeared, it directly swept past the Black-Armored Youth, like a giant stone crushing an egg. The Black-Armored Youth's body instantly shattered... dead beyond death.

This scene shocked and enraged the remaining Golden-Armored Warriors.

Boom!

The terrifying giant palm, like a blood-red pillar, stood hundreds of meters tall, continuing to slam down.

The earth shook, and the mountains trembled.

...

Soon, the battle ended, and the Beasts calmed down. The giant palm had returned underground.

Under the influence of the invisible forces of heaven and earth, the mountains and valleys that had been heavily damaged in the battle gradually returned to their original state.

"A bunch of idiots."

"The master had clearly warned the Abyss Kingdom's higher-ups that this was a forbidden zone, and they shouldn't enter... yet they dared to come." An invisible thought extended from the depths of the forbidden zone, shrouded in blood mist, to this area: "How many Flying Heaven Rankers did they kill?"

"They only killed less than thirty thousand. This was an important trial for the Abyss Kingdom, and many powerful individuals and their guards came. Among them, many became Demi-Gods as soon as they entered." Another powerful thought emerged from the earth:

"Therefore, the killing speed was relatively slow, and my child suffered significant losses. It will take a lot of time to nurture them again."

The two thoughts communicated.

"Trial?"

"Hmph! This is the 'Blood Feast Land' established by the master, and it's just an agreement with the Abyss Kingdom's ruler." The thought from the depths of the forbidden zone continued: "Regardless of their trial, our task is to guard the formation array and slowly collect 'Life Essence' to prepare materials for the master's pill refining. The time for the next submission is approaching, so we should initiate a Blood Feast."

"That's good."

"It's been over a decade since the last Blood Feast. Initiating one should be acceptable to the Abyss Kingdom's higher-ups." The thought from the earth responded.

These two thoughts belonged to the hidden powers within the 'Abyss Demon Blood Cavern'.

...

Inside a dim canyon in the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern, a Silver-Armored Lady stood on the ground.

The canyon floor showed signs of a fierce battle, and the high-speed Flying Heaven Rank battle vessel, having escaped the pursuit of numerous Beasts, was slowing down.

Li Yuan remained on the battle vessel.

"What's your name? How did you come to the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern?" The Silver-Armored Lady asked, her voice pleasant.

Although she was kind, it didn't mean she was foolish. She knew that those who ventured into the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern wouldn't be ordinary.

Even in the Star Perception Continent, most people only reached a few levels by adulthood... Those who could reach the Flying Heaven Realm were already considered 'elite' and could achieve significant accomplishments in smaller regions.

"Your Highness, my name is Xu Yuan.

Li Yuan casually made up a name, somewhat helplessly saying, "I was captured by accident."

"Captured? That's really bad luck."

"No wonder you're only Level 34, and you ended up in the Inner Domain. You must be unfamiliar with all the information." The Silver-Armored Lady's bright eyes showed a hint of pity.

Li Yuan was speechless. Inner Domain? To him, there was no difference between the Inner and Outer Domains; the only difference was that the Inner Domain had far fewer people, which avoided many troubles.

Naturally, Li Yuan didn't explain further, knowing that the more he said, the more likely he was to make a mistake.

The Silver-Armored Lady shook her head, "The Trial Tasks were originally voluntary, but for some reason, hundreds of years ago, they started requiring twenty thousand Flying Heaven Rank participants each year... Those who don't meet the quota will be captured from various states..."

Li Yuan listened quietly.

According to the information he had gathered, the survival rate in the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern was very low. Out of the twenty thousand Flying Heaven Rank participants gathered each time, less than thirty percent made it out alive. Over time, a large number of Flying Heaven Rank individuals from the Abyss Kingdom naturally became unwilling to participate.

This led to the captures, which, of course, were nominally referred to as 'conscripts.'

If a Flying Heaven Rank individual had a certain background, they could avoid conscription by simply revealing their identity.

"If it was just a simple trial to screen for cultivation geniuses, there are many ways to do it. But they insist on gathering a large number of Flying Heaven Rank individuals each year, with a shockingly high death rate." Li Yuan thought to himself. "This Abyss Demon Blood Cavern must be hiding secrets."

A vast, invisible formation array enveloped the area. Those strange beasts... all these indicated the special nature of the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern.

From what Li Yuan knew, in the Divine Domain, some super-strong individuals would often launch frenzied slaughters for the growth of special treasures, cultivation of potions, and enhancement of treasures, etc. It was common for them to massacre hundreds or thousands of planets at a time.

The 'Void Deity Soul Serum' that Li Yuan once used was made from the souls of Void Deity individuals.

"Anyway, as long as I can leave the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern safely, it's fine." Li Yuan thought to himself.

... In Princess Jiang Xuan's eyes, Li Yuan was just an ordinary Flying Heaven Warrior with no background, who had fallen on hard times.

"Princess."

The towering man, known as 'Uncle Guo,' no longer needed to fully control the battle vessel. He stepped forward and said in a low voice, "We've escaped the beast's pursuit. For your safety, it's best to let them go."

Princess Jiang Xuan had saved not only Li Yuan but also two others during the earlier encounter.

The two Flying Heaven Peak warriors glanced at each other and nodded, "Thank you, Your Highness, for saving us. We still want to try for a spot in the Abyss Black Guard, so we won't be following you."

If they followed the imperial princess, they might not get many more beast skulls, which would be hard to come by.

Whoosh! Whoosh! The two Flying Heaven Peak warriors transformed into two streaks of light, swiftly departing in another direction.

"You? Not leaving?" The towering man looked at Li Yuan, frowning slightly.

"Uncle Guo, let Xu Yuan follow us," the Silver-Armored Lady said, "His strength is too weak. We haven't left the Inner Domain yet. If we let him go now, he might encounter a group of beasts and surely die."

"Princess, we still have to complete the task. Bringing him along will only complicate things," the towering man said in a low voice, "He's Level 34. With a bit of luck, he could leave the Inner Domain. Didn't he come to the Inner Domain alone before?"

With Li Yuan's strength, it was difficult to completely conceal his 'Flying Heaven' life aura from other strong individuals. But reducing his aura from Level 38.9 to Level 34, even ordinary Demigod could not detect it.

"Uncle Guo!"

"I don't want to take risks this time." The Silver-Armored Lady shook her head, "We should return to the Outer Domain and wait for the trial to end."

"Not taking risks?" Uncle Guo was slightly surprised, "Priness, this trial is important."

"Uncle Fang and Dong Li are likely dead. I don't want anything to happen to you. If you all die, even if I succeed in the trial, it won't be worth it." The Silver-Armored Lady's eyes were slightly red.

In her heart, Uncle Guo and Uncle Dong were like family to her, having watched her grow up from a young age.

"I don't want to take risks. Even without the trial's reward, I feel I can enter the 'Abyssal Imperial Hall' on my own. At most, it will just take a few more years." The Silver-Armored Lady's gaze swept over the group.

"Princess," the towering man was anxious.

He would rather die than let the princess fail the trial task.

The nearby Flying Heaven Peak warriors couldn't help but say, "Princess, we are willing to take the risk."

"My mind is made up," the Silver-Armored Lady said firmly.

The towering man sighed inwardly. He knew the Silver-Armored Lady's character. She appeared kind and good, but was actually very stubborn.

"Alright."

"Set out, head for the Outer Domain, and wait for the trial to end," the towering man said in a low voice, then glanced at Li Yuan.

Lucky kid.

The towering man didn't pay much attention to Li Yuan.

A Level 34 Flying Heaven Warrior was only in the middle of the Flying Heaven Realm. He did not pose a threat to a Level 36 Jiang X, was.

In terms of strength,, Jiang Xuan was among the strongest in the Flying Heaven Peak warriors.

Let least, the towering man didn't be threat to the new Demigod.

In the towering man's view,, the princess was kind to be kind and him,, there was no need to make her follow the princess's wishes and the trial. the risk to end.

...

Whoosh! The battle Vessel continued along the dim canyon, moving away from the forbidden zone, the atmosphere became much lighter.

The towering man and the soldiers clearly knew the area. the terrain.

well.

Along the way, some human warriors they encountered. Just the sight of the battle vessel, they all fled far away.... Such a high-level vessel clearly belonged to a great clan's heir coming for the trial.

As for the beasts? Any that dared to approach the battle vessel, if in large numbers, were easily slain by the towering man using his Demigod source power.

(End OF CHAPTER)

The Demi-God's long-range attacks, though not as powerful as their close combat, could easily annihilate ordinary Flying Heaven Beasts.

If there were fewer of them, it would be a good opportunity for Jiang Xuan to practice her sword techniques, which were formidable, but her combat experience was clearly lacking.

After traversing through countless canyons for over ten thousand kilometers...

"Xu Yuan, according to the map, we're not far from the Outer Domain now," Jiang Xuan said. "When we reach it, if you wish, you can follow me until the trial ends. You were only captured, so there's no need to participate in this bloody battle."

"Mhm," Li Yuan nodded. He was content to stay wherever.

After such a long time, Li Yuan had made some judgments in his heart. Jiang Xuan was likely a genius from the Abyssal Royal Clan, and her cultivation time probably wasn't long. She held a certain status within the clan, but wasn't likely to be among the core members.

"Li Yuan, there's a large group of people ahead, and there's a Demi-God among them," Gu You's voice echoed in Li Yuan's mind.

"Hmm?" Li Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

Soon, at the other end of the canyon, a faint tremor was felt, and a Void Warship appeared in everyone's line of sight. The warship was enormous, and its deck was crowded with figures.

"Quite a crowd," Li Yuan narrowed his eyes. "At least they're all Flying Heaven Peak warriors, and three of them are Demi-Gods, right?"

This was the most powerful group Li Yuan had encountered in the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern.

Li Yuan wasn't the least bit worried.

But the burly man and the other soldiers' faces changed: "Not good! It's Jiang Lei's team, let's get out of here!"

Jiang Xuan's expression turned solemn.

Hua! The burly man, Xu Guo, manipulated the warship, attempting to fly in the opposite direction, but...

Suddenly, the distant warship began to accelerate at an astonishing speed, like a massive beam of light, rapidly charging towards Jiang Xuan's warship.

"So fast," the burly man's face changed, as this speed exceeded even his full-power manipulation of the warship.

Clearly, there was likely a Demi-God on the other warship who had comprehended the true intent of the Wind Law.

Li Yuan was also surprised by this scene.

The speed of a Demi-God's warship was incredibly fast, and even on the Awakening Star Continent, under the astonishing pressure of the laws, they could reach approximately four kilometers per second.

It was common knowledge that on Blue Star, Flying Heaven Peak experts could fly at speeds close to 3 kilometers per second, while Demi-Gods could generally exceed 7 kilometers per second.

However, on the Awakening Star Continent, even Flying Heaven Peak experts struggled to fly at speeds of 1 kilometer per second, which gave a sense of the day's oppressive constraints.

In less than ten seconds, the massive warship had blocked Jiang Xuan's warship's path.

Boom! Jiang Xuan's warship was forced to slow down.

"Haha, isn't this the noble Jiang Xuan? Why, upon seeing me, do you want to run like a mouse seeing a cat?" A mocking laughter echoed through the canyon via Source Energy.

Huala~ The figures on the deck of the massive warship dispersed, and a youth in silver armor, with a face as beautiful as it was eerie, stepped forward. His purple-gold hair and high status were evident.

By his side were three figures exuding powerful auras, each with cold expressions, gazing down at Jiang Xuan and her group.

"Jiang Lei, what are you trying to do?" Jiang Xuan's face changed, her expression turning frosty.

She hadn't expected to encounter this opponent.

"How dare I do anything to you? I respect you, Jiang Xuan. Your father is a Void Deity Peak expert, and his sealed territory is an entire state... Oh, I almost forgot, your father has been dead for ten years now." The silver-armored youth's face twisted with a sneer, his words filled with mockery.

"Haha, the Mist Mountain King has dozens of children, and it seems you didn't get much in terms of inheritance or treasures. To come to the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern with only a Demi-God level guard by your side." The silver-armored youth's eyes turned cold, his words filled with disdain.

"Jiang Lei!" The burly man, Xu Guo, finally lost his temper. "How dare you speak of the Mist Mountain King!"

Mist Mountain King's daughter? Li Yuan's eyes widened, and he glanced at Jiang Xuan.

According to his research, the Abyssal Royal Clan's Void Deity Realm members were usually bestowed the title of Marquis.

Those who were granted the title of King were extremely rare, mostly being the strongest among the Void Deities or those with great achievements.

For non-royal Void Deities, even being granted the title of Marquis was difficult.

"Scram!"

"Jiang Xuan, is this how you teach your subordinates?" The silver-armored youth's expression turned cold, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes. "I'm merely stating facts, not insulting anyone. My father is the Shadow Peak Marquis. How dare your Demi-God servant accuse me?"

"This servant deserves to die!" The silver-armored youth's killing intent surged.

"Jiang Lei, it's my subordinate's fault. I'll apologize on his behalf," Jiang Xuan said decisively.

She knew Jiang Lei's cruel nature.

If her three Demi-God guards were here, she wouldn't be intimidated, but now, with only Xu Guo, the situation was not in her favor, so she chose to bow her head.

"Your Highness, I'd rather die than..." Xu Guo's eyes turned red.

"Shut up, Xu Guo! You won't even listen to my orders?" Jiang Xuan's face turned stern, and she scolded him, "When we return to the royal capital, I'll make sure to punish you severely!"

Xu Guo was taken aback.

"Tsk!"

"Jiang Xuan, don't put on an act in front of me," Jiang Lei sneered, his eyes as cold as poison. "Back then, you had me hung in the Hundred Treasures Tower for three days and nights, making me a laughingstock. I'll never forget that humiliation."

"Today is my chance to wash away that shame," Jiang Lei glared at Jiang Xuan. "Your father is dead, and in this Abyss Demon Blood Cavern, your older brother can't save you either."

"You dare to kill me?" Jiang Xuan's expression turned cold again, realizing that she couldn't hide her intentions any longer.

"I dare not."

"I'm not stupid. You're a registered member of the Imperial Clan. If I kill you and it's discovered, I'll be dead too." Jing Lei sneered, "But today, all these servants of yours will die!"

"Without these servants, if you die in the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern, I won't blame you."

"I also heard that you treat these servants like friends, or even family. I'm sure you'll be heartbroken when they die, hahaha!" Jing Lei laughed sinisterly.

Jiang Xuan heard this and became furious, her face turning red.

Xu Guo and the armored warriors beside her also tightened their grip on their weapons.

Even with the vast difference in strength, they never thought of giving up the fight.

"Protect the Young Master."

The burly Xu Guo transmitted, "Young Master, once the battle erupts, you must immediately pilot the warship and escape. I'll do my best to hold them off."

"Uncle Guo," Jiang Xuan panicked.

"Young Master, your life is at stake. Listen to me, don't gamble on the fact that Jing Lei dares not kill you. Your life is in your own hands," Xu Guo shouted through his voice transmission, not caring about Li Yuan at all.

In this situation, who would bother with a Flying Heaven mid-stage warrior?

"You still want to resist?" The silver-armored youth, Jing Lei, coldly smiled and suddenly roared, "All of you, attack! Kill them! Remember, don't hurt Jiang Xuan, capture her alive."

"Yes, Young Master!"

"Kill!" The three Demi-Gods and over sixty Flying Heaven Peak experts beside him responded simultaneously, instantly transforming into streams of light and charging towards them.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The three Demi-Gods flew out of the warship, their momentum overwhelming. Each of them held a Divine Artifact, bestowed by the Marquis of Shadow Peak, capable of unleashing immense power and protecting Jing Lei.

The dozens of Flying Heaven Peak experts exuded such might that Jiang Xuan, Xu Guo, and the others all paled.

They were too strong.

Especially the leading black-robed elder, his aura was scorching like a star. He directly waved the Divine Artifact staff in his hand, and a vast sea of fire serpents appeared, roaring as they rushed to attack.

"Law!"

"This is a newly advanced Demi-God who has crossed the threshold of the Fire Law."

"Such a powerful expert should have become a Demi-God long ago. He's definitely a formidable figure, and the Marquis of Shadow Peak sent him to protect Jing Lei during his trial?" Xu Guo's face completely changed.

They were both newly advanced Demi-Gods, only at level 40, but the difference between understanding the law and not was like heaven and earth.

The black-robed elder alone was enough to sweep them away.

"It's over!"

"No!" The armored warriors beside Xu Guo showed expressions of unwillingness and a hint of fear.

Li Yuan, standing at the back, shook his head slightly, "I thought that following an Imperial Clan Young Master would save us from many battles and keep us inconspicuous. I didn't expect we'd still have to take action."

Boom!

Li Yuan, who had been standing behind Jiang Xuan with the weakest life aura, suddenly erupted with a terrifying aura. His body instantly grew to a height of ten meters, and strands of earthy yellow aura appeared in the four corners of the void.

As the earthy yellow aura descended, the flames and fire serpents in the void dissipated.

The entire canyon, within a radius of several kilometers, was engulfed in a surging earthy yellow aura.

Nine yellow dragons appeared, swimming through the vast domain.

For a moment, the entire world seemed to quiet down.

On Jiang Xuan's warship, Jiang Xuan and the armored warriors were unable to move. Xu Guo was shocked beyond words, feeling as if he was carrying a mountain on his back.

Jing Lei's dozens of Flying Heaven Peak experts, who had just charged out of the warship, were completely suppressed. They hovered in the void, unable to move even their bodies.

The three Demi-Gods were thoroughly suppressed, finding it incredibly difficult to invoke the mysteries of True Intention or Law.

"How is this possible!"

"We are Demi-Gods, and our second brother has already understood the Law." The three Demi-Gods were terrified.

In their eyes, with their three-person combination and the possession of Divine Artifacts, they should be invincible in the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern unless they encountered a Blood Plague disaster or a large number of Demi-God rank beasts.

Just now, their attention had been focused on the Demi-God Xu Guo, and they hadn't noticed the black-armored youth who was only level 34.

But now!

This inconspicuous youth suddenly erupted with such terrifying power, causing them to feel suffocated, and their flight speed decreased by more than ninety percent.

"What kind of domain is this?"

"Is he a Demi-God?"

"How could such a powerful expert come to protect Jiang Xuan?" The three Demi-Gods panicked, knowing they had hit a dead end.

"Spare our lives!"

"Please spare us!" The three Demi-Gods frantically transmitted their pleas, desperate to survive.

But Li Yuan remained calm.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!" The nine yellow dragons finally unleashed their power, roaring as they slashed through the sky. Each dragon burst forth with strength nearing the mid-rank of the Demi-God realm, slaughtering the dozens of Flying Heaven Peak experts.

The three Demi-God experts didn't fare much better.

Even the most powerful black-robed elder could only resist for a brief moment before being torn apart by the nine yellow dragons.

Fall!

In less than three seconds, Jing Lei's guards were all killed.

Even the more than ten Flying Heaven rank guards on the warship's deck were all slain.

"Only you are left." Li Yuan turned to Jing Lei, his seemingly calm gaze causing Jing Lei's heart to freeze in fear.

Jing Lei's heart was filled with endless terror, fearing he would be killed in the next second.

Jiang Xuan. Li Yuan looked at the silver-armored girl beside him, who was shocked beyond words, and said calmly, "Whether to kill him or not, you decide."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end