291: Xiao Qingxu, stop struggling.

That majestic figure slowly descended, standing beside Ling Tian, his gaze sweeping over the Taixu Sect, like an emperor inspecting his territory, carrying an undeniable pressure.

Emperor Qin, of course, did not die; he faked his death on purpose.

He had divined the Heavenly Dao, knowing that relying solely on his imperial body, he could not Breakthrough the shackles of Lifespan, nor could he contend with Heaven and Earth.

Thus, he spent a century secretly planning, using the Emperor's Dragon Qi as a guide, to suppress the nine tripods in nine vital Dragon Veins across the land, setting up the unprecedented nine tripods Soul Gathering Array!

The profound mystery of this array lay in 'achieving Dao through calamity'—

It didn't directly kill people, but it could devour the dying Souls of billions of living beings amidst the chaos of the world!

Every war, every massacre, every fallen soldier, every unjustly killed commoner—their resentment, fear, Battle Intent, unwillingness... all transformed into the purest 'Soul Power', gathered into the nine tripods through the earth's Dragon Qi, ultimately nourishing Zhao Zheng's Primordial Spirit!

The struggles for supremacy between Liu Bang and Chu Yu, every upheaval, was a 'ritual' meticulously planned by Zhao Zheng!

Millions, even tens of millions of deaths, all became resources for his cultivation!

And now—

Although Emperor Qin Zhao Zheng's cultivation had not officially entered the Nascent Soul Realm, his Divine Sense was already far superior to that of an ordinary Nascent Soul True Lord!

His Primordial Spirit was entrenched at the core of the nine tripods, like nine giant Dragons entwined; with a single thought of his Divine Thought, he could perceive the thoughts of Cultivators thousands of miles away, and even temporarily control the lingering Souls of the dead!

However, he was still one final step away—

To truly condense a Nascent Soul Dharma Body, he had to devour the Divine Soul of a Cultivator who had genuinely achieved Nascent Soul, using their Dao to compensate for his own deficiencies!

Yet, looking across the entire Tianwu Continent, Nascent Soul powerhouses had been extinct for over ten thousand years.

Only the Taixu Sect possessed the Divine Soul of a Nascent Soul Ancestor from over ten thousand years ago, Sealed within the 'taixu stele', guarded by the Sect for generations!

Zhao Zheng stood in the clouds, his gaze like knives, penetrating the mountain-protecting array, directly at the nine Nascent Soul remnants within the stele, a cruel smile playing on his lips:

"Thank you all for preserving these ten-thousand-year-old Nascent Soul Divine Souls for me. I want them!"

"So that's how it is..."

Xiao Qingxu's mouth continuously dripped blood, but he suddenly laughed up to the sky, his laughter filled with endless sorrow and determination!

"What you truly covet is the Divine Soul of the Nascent Soul Ancestor Sealed within our Sect!"

"Zhao Zheng! You faked your death to set up the nine tripods Array, slaughtering the world, all for today—to devour the Nascent Soul and achieve the status of a True Immortal!"

He suddenly turned, facing the five Grand Elders, and roared hoarsely:

"Guard the array! Even if all one hundred thousand of us in the Taixu Sect turn to ashes, we absolutely cannot let this tyrant succeed!!"

"Yes!!"

The five Grand Elders responded in unison, their eyes devoid of any hesitation!

They knew there was no turning back today.

If Zhao Zheng were to devour the Nascent Soul Divine Soul, not only would the Taixu Sect completely disappear, but the entire Tianwu Continent would become his 'Soul Nurturing Ground'!

In that instant—

Xiao Qingxu and the Grand Elders simultaneously bit their tongues, spitting out vital blood!

The five Peak Golden Core Realm powerhouses, using their own vital blood as a guide, frantically activated the 'Nine Heavens Profound Light Array'!

Boom—!!!

The twelve layers of light screens violently vibrated, stacking layer upon layer, actually condensing a hundred-zhang-tall Taixu Dharma Form in the air!

That Dharma Form wore a Daoist crown, held a jade tablet, its eyes like the sun and moon, its body inscribed with nine thousand ancient talismans—it was precisely the phantom of the Taixu Sect's founding Ancestral Master!

As soon as the Dharma Form appeared, Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi poured in, and one hundred thousand Disciples chanted scriptures in unison, their Spiritual Qi surging like rivers, pouring into the heart of the array!

"With our blood, we guard the Dao of our Sect—Array, rise!!"

Xiao Qingxu roared, his entire body's Meridians bursting, blood raining down into the array!

At this moment, the mountain-protecting array reached an unprecedented Peak!

Even a true Nascent Soul powerhouse personally arriving would not be able to Break the array!

But precisely at this moment of united hearts and sworn defense—

Zhao Zheng moved.

He did not use the nine tripods, did not summon his army, and did not even raise his hand.

He merely—

Took a gentle step forward.

"Break."

That single word "Break" uttered, like a Heavenly Dao judgment, devoid of any emotion, yet it made the entire Heaven and Earth fall silent!

In that instant—

The eyes of the Taixu Dharma Form suddenly extinguished!

The twelve layers of light screens cracked like glass!

The earth vein array core exploded with a roar, and the Spiritual Qi backfired!

"What?!"

Xiao Qingxu's pupils contracted sharply, unable to believe it!

"He... he shook the heart of the array with just a sound?!"

Before he could react—

Zhao Zheng slowly raised his right hand, his five fingers gently spread, and a miniature phantom of the nine dragons imperial seal appeared in his palm!

That was a symbol of imperial authority, the condensation of the world's Dragon Qi, and even more, it was his 'Dao soldier', nurtured for five hundred years with the Soul Power of billions of living beings!

"nine tripods, heed my command—Gather Souls and Break Laws!!"

Boom—!!!

Nine black lights shot up from the depths of the earth, precisely the phantoms of the nine tripods hidden in the nine Dragon Veins!

They circled Zhao Zheng, forming a massive Soul Power vortex, sucking countless wronged Souls, battle Spirits, and resentful Souls into the imperial Seal!

Immediately after—

Zhao Zheng pressed down with one palm!

"Crush!!"

The imperial Seal phantom swelled a thousand zhang, like a meteor from outside the heavens, carrying the nine tripods' Soul Power, smashing fiercely into the 'Nine Heavens Profound Light Array'!

Rumble—!!!!!

Heaven and Earth shattered!

Space collapsed!

The hundred-zhang Taixu Dharma Form was crushed into dust in an instant, leaving not even a phantom!

The twelve layers of light screens shattered layer by layer like paper, Spiritual Light scattering, turning into a sky full of light rain!

"No!!"

The five Grand Elders roared, desperately activating the ancestral master stele, attempting to provoke a counterattack from the Nascent Soul remnants!

But Zhao Zheng merely sneered, waving his left hand—

The nine dragons imperial seal split into five gigantic Soul Power palms, like five mountains, crashing down with a roar!

"Die!"

First palm—

Xuanweizi bore the brunt, his Physical Body instantly disintegrated, and as his Primordial Spirit was about to escape, it was crushed by the Soul palm, turning into black mist absorbed by the nine tripods!

Second palm—

Chiyangzi conjured his natal pill cauldron, attempting to block with 'Heaven Burning Pill Fire', but before the cauldron could rise, he was already shattered!

As his Soul Emergence, it was sucked into the imperial Seal, becoming nourishment!

Third palm—

Guiyuanzi resisted with his defensive Divine Ability 'Mystic Turtle Body Protection', seven layers of turtle shell shattered, and finally, his Primordial Spirit was crushed into a bloody mist along with it!

Fourth palm—

Qingyangzi tried to activate the 'Nine Palaces Spirit Locking Array' to trap the enemy, but before the array could form, his Soul was extinguished!

Fifth palm—

Hanyuezi condensed ice into a sword, launching ten thousand swords simultaneously, but before the swords could arrive, he was already dead!

The five Grand Elders, five Peak Golden Core Realm powerhouses, all perished within a single breath!

Their Divine Souls didn't even have a chance at Reincarnation; they were directly devoured by the nine tripods, becoming resources for Zhao Zheng's advancement!

"Senior Brother!!"

Xiao Qingxu's eyes were splitting, a mouthful of heart blood gushing out, half his body almost paralyzed!

He watched helplessly as his five Senior Brothers, who had cultivated with him and guarded the Sect for hundreds of years, thus... turned to ashes!

Zhao Zheng slowly landed, the imperial Seal retracted into his palm, black mist swirling, the nine tripods humming lowly.

He looked at Xiao Qingxu, a cruel smile playing on his lips:

"Xiao Qingxu, stop struggling. Your Taixu Sect's mountain-protecting array is nothing but a thin sheet of paper."

"Quickly activate the taixu stele and release your Nascent Soul Ancestor."

"Otherwise... I don't mind refining all of you—into Soul Pills."