497: Because I was scared!

Between heaven and earth, there was a deathly silence, with only blood mist and dust drifting down.

Yuan Tiangang's eyes were blood-red as he stared fixedly toward the Bronze Ancient City, his voice hoarse from immense shock and incomprehension.

"Why?! The gamble is not yet over. You colluded with the Forbidden Zones to slaughter all living beings. Where is the integrity of the Ancient Demon Court?!"

Crimson Blaze stood atop the ancient city. The astonishment and gloom on his face had long since faded, replaced by a bottomless coldness and madness.

He did not look at Yuan Tiangang. Instead, his gaze swept across the devastated land as he spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears:

"Pride? Integrity? Yuan Tiangang, you have led the Current Era Demon Clan for thousands of years, yet you are still so naive."

He paused, his gaze finally turning to Yuan Tiangang and sweeping over all the Human Race Cultivators. There was no trace of guilt in his eyes, only a nearly cruel calmness:

"You thought this was just a gamble to decide the ownership of the Southern Region? You were wrong."

"This is the final judgment of my Ancient Demon Court, and even all the dormant existences, upon this world and your Human Race Luck."

"Judgment?" Yuan Tiangang roared.

"That's right." Crimson Blaze's voice turned cold.

"In this era, the Spiritual Qi of the Xuanhuang Great World is recovering, and the Dao Laws are manifesting. It can be called extremely magnificent."

"And your Human Race is especially favored by Luck, with Prodigies appearing in succession like brilliant stars."

He pointed at Xiao Ruobai, Fang Hanyu, Wang Zhan, and the others, his tone carrying an unconcealable wariness.

"If this trend continues, the Great Emperor of this era will most likely come from your Human Race."

"When that time comes, my ancient myriad races will be suppressed for another era, even ten thousand eras!"

"Therefore, we had to gamble. Gamble on whether our race's Prodigies could suppress your Human Race's generation before achieving the Dao!"

Golden light flared in Crimson Blaze's eyes. "If they could, it would prove our race's Luck has not ended and the future is promising."

"We could wait for our race's Prodigies to become Emperors and take back everything fairly and squarely!"

"But, you have seen it."

His voice suddenly became incredibly chilling, carrying a determination to perish together.

"We lost the gamble! A complete defeat! The three Ancient Imperial Princes all fell at the hands of your Human Race's contemporary Prodigies!"

"What does this mean? It means that if things continue step by step, our race will never have a day to rise again!"

As his voice fell, a tragic madness permeated the surviving Yao Race.

The same fire ignited in the eyes of many ancient demons. It was the most extreme impulse for destruction after seeing no future.

The Human Race side was shocked by this naked declaration of racial survival. Beside their anger, they also felt a heavy chill.

However, just then!

"Why?"

A voice so calm it was almost indifferent broke this suffocating atmosphere of grief and indignation.

The one who spoke was Xiao Hei.

His golden eyes calmly looked toward the figures of the Supremes with obscure auras above the Bronze Ancient City.

"The Ancient Demon Court might have unwillingness and resentment."

Xiao Hei's voice was not loud, but it clearly suppressed all the noise, carrying a sort of overhead insight.

"But, can this unwillingness alone make several Forbidden Zone Supremess, who have severed their own cultivation, not hesitate to deplete their Origin to join forces and clear obstacles for you, performing this world-destroying act?"

He paused, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the mist and look directly at the essence.

"This Emperor is curious, can you afford this price? Or rather..."

His tone suddenly turned cold, carrying a clarity that pierced through the conspiracy.

"Are you yourselves a part of this price?"

This single sentence was like a thunderclap, splitting the mist shrouded by Crimson Blaze's emotions!

Countless people were suddenly jolted awake!

Yes! No matter how unwilling or crazy the Ancient Demon Court was, how could they possibly 'drive' several Forbidden Zone Supremess to launch such a lightning strike affecting the entire region?

What kind of existences were Supremes?

Why would they easily pull chestnuts out of the fire for others?

When the people of the Ancient Demon Court heard Xiao Hei's last sentence, they suddenly stiffened, their faces turning pale!

As if triggered by these words, among the six retreating Supremes, the figure with the lightest injuries and the most ancient aura slowly took a step forward.

The decay and Death Qi around him dissipated slightly, revealing part of his true appearance. His human body was covered in dim yet still glorious golden patterns.

His eyes were like two ancient lamps about to go out, but between their opening and closing, there was still a majesty that could burn through the Void Realm.

"Ancient Emperor Lei Peng! And that aura..."

A Yao Race Great Sage's eyes widened suddenly, his voice trembling.

"It's Ancient Emperor Lei Peng recorded in the ancient historical records! You actually..."

"Correct."

The figure spoke, his voice raspy as if he hadn't spoken for a long time, carrying the sound of metal and stone rubbing together, yet containing a majesty that made even a Saint King's Soul tremble.

"This Emperor is Lei Peng. Now, I am but a mere Ferryman lingering in the Forbidden Zone."

Ancient Emperor Lei Peng!

An emperor who had once shone upon the heavens in ancient times and then mysteriously disappeared had actually severed himself and hidden in the Forbidden Zone, becoming one of the Supremes who launched the attack today!

This realization was like a meteorite crashing into the crowd, causing the minds of all the Human Race, Yao Race, and even all the Cultivators of the current era to shake violently!

This was more impactful than any external powerful enemy!

"Look... look at the others!"

Someone pointed with a trembling voice at the other blurry figures of the Supremes.

Although their auras were even more decayed and dark, if one sensed carefully or looked at the fragments of Law occasionally flowing from them...

One could still glimpse a clue—Holy Light, lightning-fast speed, Nether Death Qi... "Could it be that Ancient Emperor Holy Light and Ancient Emperor Tian Ming are all...?!"

Exclamations rose one after another. Every name represented a sealed ancient legend, an invincible imperial clan that once ruled a region!

Now, they all appeared together in this decayed state to toll the death knell for the Human Race!

Ancient Emperor Lei Peng's lamp-like eyes fully opened for the first time, looking seriously at Xiao Hei.

An indescribable complex expression flashed within them—it seemed like appreciation, yet also like lamentation.

"To see through the key to this situation at a glance, you truly are a Great Emperor of this era, seeing things clearly."

He did not answer directly but first gave his opponent the highest recognition. Then, his raspy laughter was filled with endless mockery and desolation as his tone shifted.

"Since that's the case, what harm is there in telling you?"

"Why?"

He repeated Xiao Hei's question, his voice suddenly becoming incredibly cold.

"Because... we are afraid."

Two words, earth-shattering!

An ancient emperor who was once invincible in the world personally admitted to being afraid.

"Afraid that your Human Race is too brilliant in this era."

He spoke slowly, every word seemingly carrying ten thousand tons of weight.

Yes, they were truly afraid.

Back then, that Glazed Lamp had resolutely burned its Imperial Dao Origin, using a mysterious power to drag a fellow Daoist into the Supreme power of silence.

Later, Xiao Hei had driven three Supreme Emperor Weapons to severely wound another ancient existence.

They were afraid that this unprecedentedly brilliant era would truly nurture a glorious epoch where several emperors coexisted for the Human Race.

At that time, the Forbidden Zones would no longer be hunting grounds but would be suppressed, liquidated, and become the graves for those of them who were barely lingering!

Ancient Emperor Lei Peng's eyes suddenly became as sharp as knives, locking onto Xiao Ruobai and the others. The cold light within them was bone-piercing, and his killing intent condensed into substance:

"Such threats must never be allowed to remain! Your Bloodlines shall all be severed here!"

"Therefore, we can wait no longer."

Beside him, another Holy Light Supreme with residual Holy Light around him coldly spoke.

"We must snuff it out before the threat fully grows. Using your blood will both eliminate future troubles and prolong our lives."

"The return of the Ancient Demon Court and the gamble with you were just a ruse, a test with the smallest cost."

Ancient Emperor Lei Peng's voice returned to that eternal, ice-like coldness.

"If your younger generation was vulnerable, it would mean the Luck of this era is nothing more than this, and we could leisurely plan and harvest slowly."

"If you are as you are now..."

He paused, looking at the defeated Crimson Blaze and the others.

"Then it proves the threat far exceeds our estimates. This Southern Region shall be the burial ground for your generation's Prodigies!"

The truth, like the coldest tide, flooded everyone's hearts.

This was not a competition; it was a hunt.

And the Ancient Demon Court, which had overbearingly swept through the Southern Region, was only a bait, a pawn to scout the path.

And all of them, from beginning to end, were the "future threats" that must be eliminated and the "blood food" to prolong life in the eyes of the Forbidden Zone Supremess!

The despair was deeper and more bone-chilling than when death was imminent before.