After extensive discussions among the clan elders, they ultimately decided to first investigate Heavenly Dragon Abyss to gauge the Chu family's attitude toward subordinate forces like themselves. If the attitude proved too domineering or aggressive, they could simply delay their breakthrough to Martial Emperor a while longer!
...
The battle in the starry void raged on.
BOOM!
Sage Sun Martial Emperor's body exploded violently, completely annihilated by Chu Yan's devastating punch that extinguished even his soul!
Wu Fu and the others watched with eyes wide in horror and fury—how had their opponent managed to counter-kill Sage Sun Martial Emperor despite being surrounded by multiple Martial Emperors?
Even more terrifying, after such prolonged combat, Chu Yan remained completely unscathed!
In contrast, with Sage Sun Martial Emperor fallen, their own bodies bore severe burns across every inch.
The combined might of nine heavenly flames proved extraordinary indeed!
"Hahaha! You Hell's Gate Martial Emperors are truly pathetic!" Chu Yan's thunderous laughter shook the nine heavens."I'll kill you!" Wu Fu roared, his scorched hair whipping wildly as an imperial artifact manifested—a lifelike dark golden dragon coiled above his head, baring its fangs and claws with a deafening roar before diving toward Chu Yan!
"A divine dragon? No...it lacks life essence!" Chu Yan's eyes narrowed in surprise—this dragon bore perfect resemblance to the Beast God, making him momentarily mistake it for a true dragon!
As the dragon descended, Chu Yan met it with a flaming imperial fist.
Seeing this, Wu Fu's lips curled into a vicious grin. "Ignorance breeds fearlessness!"
The collision between fist and golden dragon produced a thunderous BANG—Chu Yan's entire arm exploded violently under the dragon's impact.
"A divine artifact?!" His voice rang with shock as he stared incredulously at the golden dragon.
"Correct. This is indeed a divine artifact!" Wu Fu sneered. "Forged by our Hell's Gate ancestors from the corpse of a true dragon. As eternal rulers of the Mortal Realm, did you truly believe we lacked heritage?"
This was Hell's Gate's ultimate treasure, passed down exclusively to each First Gate Lord throughout generations and rarely employed.
"Two choices: join Hell's Gate, or die!" Wu Fu declared solemnly.
Chu Yan responded with a cold laugh. "To wield such an artifact, your status must be considerable."
"Know this—I am Hell's Gate's First Gate Lord, the supreme authority over the Mortal Realm! My personal invitation is an honor countless dream of! With your strength, you might even ascend to become Gate Lord yourself!"
Instead of gratitude, Chu Yan's eyes blazed with excitement. "What a prize! The death of the First Gate Lord should shake the mortal world to its core!"
A white flame erupted between his brows—Cangtian Virtual Flame from Lingxu Grotto-Heaven—its terrifying heat instantly boiling the surrounding starry void at full unleashed power!
"What?!" Wu Fu's expression twisted in sudden alarm. Why did this aura resemble those Martial Gods from the Sacred Realm? "Impossible! How could such power exist in the Mortal Realm?"
Refusing to believe multiple Martial Gods could emerge here, he commanded the golden dragon forward.
The Cangtian Virtual Flame erupted like a volcano, forming a massive spherical barrier that instantly trapped Wu Fu and the other Martial Emperors.
"My luck holds today—to encounter Hell's Gate's First Gate Lord himself!" Chu Yan advanced as the fiery barrier contracted steadily.
One Martial Emperor swung his Emperor-tier weapon at the barrier—only to vanish instantly with his weapon, not even granted a final scream.
This horror petrified the remaining Martial Emperors. A peak Martial Emperor erased in an instant? They instinctively clustered near Wu Fu—only the artifact-wielding First Gate Lord might save them now!
As the golden dragon charged with overwhelming might, Chu Yan's gaze sharpened. The Cangtian Virtual Flame transformed into a fiery dragon to intercept.
"A mere divine artifact—my divine flame can destroy it too."
Yet at the last moment, the fire dragon shifted into three white rings that ensnared the golden dragon. A realization struck Chu Yan—he lacked a lifebound artifact, and this dragon seemed perfect!
The divine flame's intensity proved overwhelming—even a true dragon corpse-forged artifact began melting upon contact, drawing shocked gasps from Wu Fu's group.
Not even their divine artifact could prevail?!
"Saint Envoy, save us!" Recognizing certain defeat, Wu Fu desperately called for reinforcements from Hell's Gate's stationed power.
Indeed, intervention came instantly—a Longevity Realm expert tore through space, his massive hand reaching for the Cangtian Virtual Flame, though his true target was clearly the divine fire itself.
"Thinking to steal from me? Dream on!" Chu Yan snorted as white flames surged like tidal waves, drowning Wu Fu's group in terrified screams.
"YOU DARE?!" The Longevity Realm expert bellowed in rage—despite his intervention, the First Gate Lord had perished! How could his dignity withstand this?
Yet Chu Yan faced the sky-obscuring palm fearlessly, directing his fire dragon upward.
BOOM!
The collision between white fire dragon and giant hand unleashed devastating shockwaves.
"AHH!" A scream echoed as the hand burned to nothingness.
Chu Yan's confidence stemmed from recognizing this attacker's aura as vastly weaker than the Dominator Realm ancient ancestors he'd fought in Lingxu Grotto-Heaven. If divine fire could injure Dominator Realm beings, this weaker opponent stood no chance!
"Hmph! I'll settle with you after emerging from Undying Fire Sea!" Chu Yan declared before thundering downward to the Mortal Realm: "Hell's Gate's First Gate Lord is dead! Hell's Gate shall fall!"
His voice rippled across the world like thunder, reaching countless powerful ears and triggering widespread shock.
"The First Gate Lord...dead?!"
Chu Yan's cosmic battle had already drawn attention, but this proclamation ignited the Mortal Realm's upheaval.
"This era will transform! We must break through to Martial Emperor!"
"Or face oblivion!"
Numerous ancient experts entered seclusion to attempt the Emperor breakthrough. Many peak Martial Saints had accumulated power for decades—fully capable of ascending, but previously suppressed. Now, seeing opportunity, they refused to wait longer!
Oppression breeds fiercest rebellion—and the Chu family had torn open the path for these long-suppressed martial artists to rise!