Chapter 269: Chapter 259: The Five Elements Generate and Overcome Each Other, the Might of the Great Emperor is Immeasurable

The nine offspring of the True Dragon were Prison Ox, Baxia, Yazi, and six other ultimate ferocious beasts. They came through the air, their bodies covered with all sorts of terrifying Tao Marks. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth; storm, thunder, and lightning. These common yet extraordinary Tao Marks on their bodies exuded a violent aura, as if gods had reappeared in the world. Wherever they stepped, the void cracked under the extreme pressure, unable to withstand their might.

The already dark and oppressive sky grew even more somber.

A thousand Tao Marks, a thousand Tao Marks...

Hong Yuan silently estimated the Tao Marks carried by the True Dragon’s offspring, a strong sense of unease spreading within him.

A sixth-order Demon Saint faced an Earth Catastrophe every seventy years and a Heaven Tribulation every hundred years. After three hundred years and three Heaven Tribulations, they would ascend to the seventh order. An Earth Catastrophe, on average, bestowed three hundred Tao Marks upon a Martial Saint. A Heaven Tribulation bestowed nine hundred.

The True Dragon’s offspring before him were nearly equivalent to mid-tier powerhouses among sixth-order Desolate Beasts!

HUFF... Hong Yuan exhaled softly, a flash of resolute determination in his tiger eyes.

AHOO—! A tiger’s roar shook the forests and mountains.

The energy of the Golden Spear surged, enhancing the ferocity of Hong Yuan’s charge.

Faced with the nine ultimate ferocious beasts, Hong Yuan did not retreat but advanced. With a swipe of his tiger claw through the void, he charged immediately towards Suan Ni, singling it out.

A streak of white light, and Hong Yuan was before Suan Ni, engaging it in a ferocious fight. Blood sprayed, and flesh and bone shattered.

Prison Ox, Baxia, Yazi, and the five other ultimate ferocious beasts watched with indifferent eyes. They remained stationary as they gathered their Divine Powers, preparing to annihilate both Suan Ni and Hong Yuan.

BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE-RUMBLE!

Eight enormous beams of light burst forth from them, casting eight different hues across the gloomy heavens and earth. These beams rolled through the void, mighty and unstoppable, as they attacked Hong Yuan and Suan Ni.

A chill gripped Hong Yuan’s heart.

There was no time to dodge. He used all his strength, swinging his tiger claw to lift the lion-like Suan Ni before him as a shield.

But the eight mighty beams were extremely violent. Suan Ni resisted for only a moment before the beams tore through it and struck Hong Yuan.

Eight overwhelming forces struck him in succession. Hong Yuan stood firm for a moment before being violently hurled away. He crashed heavily to the ground, creating a deep pit that quickly filled with his White Tiger blood.

The attack caused Hong Yuan unbearable pain.

Just then, the remaining eight ultimate Exotic Beasts arrived one after another, intending to deliver the fatal blow to Hong Yuan.

"Vermilion Bird Transformation!"

Gritting his teeth, Hong Yuan decisively activated the crimson Divine Skill Talisman.

A flash of fiery red divine light flared, and a majestic bird hovered in the air. Its distinct, clear vermilion eyes were bordered by golden flames that cast a golden-red hue over its feathery crest. The transformed Vermilion Bird occasionally flicked its tongue, licking its sharp beak.

Stretching a full nine hundred and ninety-nine meters, the Vermilion Bird’s body was dense with fire-red Tao Marks. Six tendrils of orange flame, like wisps of smoke, danced with the movement of its wings, radiating intense heat.

Unlike the White Tiger Transformation Divine Power, the Vermilion Bird Transformation was the true culmination of countless resources Hong Yuan had gathered. It was the first Divine Power of his Power Tao incarnation, one into which he had poured immense effort, even collecting various Strange Fires from the Flame Sacred Fire Region.

The Vermilion Bird Transformation was its trump card!

"Come, kill me!" Hong Yuan shrieked, his Vermilion Bird eyes blazing with fury.

He initiated the attack, targeting Prison Ox, planning to repeat his previous tactic.

With a flap of its wings, a fierce wind arose, leaving behind what seemed like an eternal trail of South Ming Separation Fire in the void.

Hong Yuan entangled himself with Prison Ox. The other seven ultimate ferocious beasts rigidly halted, once again unleashing immense, violent beams of light.

But this time, Hong Yuan was not the White Tiger, master of slaughter, but the Vermilion Bird, seemingly immortal!

With a flash of orange-red fire, Hong Yuan was restored to full vitality, while Prison Ox had already dissipated.

Baxia, Yazi, and the other five ultimate ferocious beasts were also defeated by Hong Yuan in this manner.

Hong Yuan hovered in the air, his Vermilion Bird Fire Feathers now dull and lackluster. He gasped heavily, accelerating the fusion of the three vital energies: heaven, earth, and man.

If he hadn’t previously refined the Vermilion Bird Transformation in the Flame Sacred Fire Region, he likely would have been defeated at this stage.

Above, the terrifying figure within the Heaven Tribulation’s Thunder Pool grew gradually clearer; the Great Emperor Mark was slowly reviving.

Below, Hong Yuan desperately absorbed all the vital energies of heaven, earth, and man, paying no heed to the difficulties of the third step of his cultivation. Pure heavenly qi, Golden Earth Qi, and violent blood qi mixed, continuously entering Hong Yuan’s shattered apertures in a triangular pattern. The three energies struggled to maintain a balance, providing Hong Yuan with a ceaseless surge of inspiration.

"Questioning the Heaven and Earth!"

The mysteries of the universe are mine to explore.

Hong Yuan felt exhilarated. He hastily concentrated, voicing his question.

How can I elevate the Four Images Divine Power to an Earth-grade Divine Power?

The three energies roared, violently tearing apart Hong Yuan’s body only to mend it, aiding his transformation. Inspiration burst forth, and his question seemed to receive a flawless, standard answer.

Hong Yuan focused his mind, fully immersing himself in understanding it.

The White Tiger is Metal, Xuanwu is Water, the Green Dragon is Wood, the Vermilion Bird is Fire, and the Kylin is Earth. Metal generates Water, Water spawns Wood, Wood ignites Fire, Fire produces Earth, and Earth forges Metal—an endless, unceasing cycle...

Hong Yuan’s heart leaped with joy as he rapidly coalesced an earth-yellow Divine Skill Talisman of the Kylin within his body.

At the same time, the eyelids of the Heavenly Horned Ant in the Thunder Pool trembled slightly.

A massive aura surged through Green Heaven, bearing the imperial might that had once ruled the Nine Heavens and Five Continents.

Power Tao Marks spread all around the Young Emperor Heavenly Horned Ant, numbering about one hundred thousand.

For a Blessed Land Cave Heaven, calamities beyond the Earth Catastrophe and Heaven Tribulation were known as Greater Calamities and Myriad Tribulations, corresponding to the seventh and eighth orders. A Greater Calamity averaged nine thousand Tao Marks. A Myriad Tribulation, on the other hand, bestowed ninety thousand Tao Marks.

One hundred thousand Tao Marks—that was the realm of an eighth-order Demon Saint!

Yet this unfathomable Young Emperor Heavenly Horned Ant, at the sixth order, possessed such a quantity of Tao Marks—truly a shocking revelation!

Focus, focus, Hong Yuan thought, dismissing all distractions and hastily merging the five Divine Skill Talismans.

The White Tiger Talisman flew towards the Xuanwu Talisman; the Xuanwu Talisman towards the Green Dragon Talisman; the Green Dragon Talisman towards the Vermilion Bird Talisman...

The five Divine Talismans spun rapidly. Aided by the three vital energies of heaven, earth, and man, they quickly merged into a single five-colored Divine Talisman. On the five-colored Divine Talisman, the Green Dragon, White Tiger, and the other three Divine Beasts appeared together, vivid and lifelike.

Yet before Hong Yuan could count how many Tao Marks this Divine Skill Talisman contained, the Young Emperor Heavenly Horned Ant, sitting cross-legged in the Thunder Pool, slowly opened his eyes.

Hong Yuan’s heart seized. He struggled to turn his head and look at the Young Emperor Heavenly Horned Ant.

What kind of eyes were these?

They appeared devoid of emotion, yet within them, Hong Yuan saw worlds fall into ruin and be reborn, witnessed the withering and flourishing of all things.

Suddenly, Hong Yuan had an absurd thought.

Could it be that these Great Emperors left behind some means to revive themselves at a future time?

BOOM!

All creation fell deathly still. The greatest sound is seldom heard.

The Young Emperor Heavenly Horned Ant slowly stood up. Calmly and composedly, he threw a straight punch. It was an ordinary straight punch, like one thrown by a beginner. But with one hundred thousand Tao Marks empowering it, the punch burst forth like a dragon, its might dominating the realm.

Before Hong Yuan could even react, he was obliterated without a trace.

The Power Tao incarnation was completely annihilated.

The Heavenly Horned Ant of the Chosen Imperial Clan had thoroughly demonstrated its terror to Hong Yuan.

In the distance, the Sword Tao incarnation, watching this scene, gasped. At that moment, a sudden sense of relief washed over him. He was relieved because, in the Bloodline Dream Realm, he had exhausted Tianli’s Life Span rather than confronting it head-on.

After the Power Tao incarnation’s destruction, the Heaven Tribulation dissipated, and the Young Emperor Heavenly Horned Ant also scattered with the wind.

"The might of a Great Emperor is unfathomable. The road ahead is long; I still have a long way to go," sighed the Sword Tao incarnation. Suddenly, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, a hint of joy appearing on his face.

After all, the goal of refining an Earth-grade Divine Power had been achieved. As long as he retraced the path of refinement step by step, he could acquire one. He had also gathered a general understanding of the Saint Achievement Immortal Transcending Tribulation. If his Original Body were to undergo the tribulation, he wouldn’t be caught unprepared by any sudden emergencies.

Hehe, a small gain is still a win.

Never dismiss a small win as no win at all!