"Spirit Emperor... he has succeeded..." At the alliance headquarters, Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun's faces suddenly changed, their expressions filled with astonishment as they lifted their heads, gazing outward at the thick clouds of blood forming beyond the defensive shield. There, for the first time, they sensed an aura so profound that it made their very souls tremble—an aura only possessed by true Battle Emperors. And within that blood cloud, the only one who could possibly become a Battle Emperor was, without a doubt, the Spirit Emperor himself. While many were startled by this development, within the Stellar Realm, urgent alarm signals blared, and a vast army of elite forces surged forth from all directions, eventually coalescing into a dense, dark horde of warriors hovering in the sky. Over the past several months, the allied forces have clearly undergone extensive training, and their coordinated movements now exhibit a noticeable cohesion and unity, with a more unified and refined energy flowing through them. Observing this imposing, dark mass suspended above the heavens, the scattered anxieties among the onlookers gradually settled, as if the allied forces' actions had instilled a sense of calm—though they well knew this calm was quite fragile. At the same time, Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun, along with others, arrived at the forefront of the army, their expressions grave as they lifted their heads to gaze upon the thick, blood-streaked clouds beyond the defensive shield. Now, the scent of blood in the air seemed even more intense than before. "That aura—indeed, it is the Heavenly Spirit Emperor's..." Gu Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing his growing restlessness and unease, then raised his hand and declared firmly, "The army is ready!" At once, the vast ranks of the allied forces roared in unison, their combined strength proving quite formidable. "This time, if we cannot hold them off, the Spirit Continent will surely fall under the Heavenly Spirit Emperor's control, and the result will be widespread devastation," said Yan Jin, his expression grave. Should nothing go wrong, this would be their final battle. Gu Yuan and the others nodded silently. With the Heavenly Spirit Emperor arriving with the might of the Supreme Spirit Emperor, he alone could withstand the combined forces of the alliance. A single misstep, and this long-drawn conflict would conclude today. "Has there been any news from Xiao Yan?" Lei Ying asked. "Not yet," Gu Yuan shook his head slowly. "The inheritance of the Ancient Emperor is no trivial matter—it will take considerable time." "But we don't have that much time left," Lei Ying sighed. Gǔ Yuán remained silent, saying, "It's not that I don't want to notify him. You should know that Xiao Yan is now our only hope. Only when he successfully ascends to the Battle Emperor will he be able to stand against the Spirit Emperor. Otherwise, even if we summon him early, it will all be in vain—our hope will simply be buried in useless effort." Xian Jin and the others breathed a soft sigh, nodding in agreement—they fully understood that what Gǔ Yuán had said was true. "The young members of our three clans have already been quietly relocating, preserving at least some of their bloodlines. So even if we fail today, as long as Xiao Yan succeeds, the bloodlines of our three clans will continue to thrive." Gǔ Yuán said solemnly. "Therefore... we must absolutely not summon him before Xiao Yan achieves his success." "You're absolutely right. Then I shall follow your lead entirely. The Lei Clan has never been one to shy away from danger—no matter how insignificant the Sky Emperor turns out to be, even if he truly ascends to the Battle Emperor rank, we shall dare to face him head-on." Lei Ying clenched his teeth, finally grasping the point, and bowed respectfully. Yet, this quiet did not bring a sense of ease, for everyone could feel the mounting storm—the oppressive stillness persisted for nearly an hour. The blood-cloud that had hovered over Zhongzhou for nearly half a year finally began to ripple, then, under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers, the vast expanse of blood-cloud slowly split open. With a gust of wind, forms poured forth like a tide from within the cloud, riding on waves of black mist, and finally hovering just beyond the great defensive shield, their expressions cold and stern, fixed upon the dense throng of figures below. "At last, the Hu Family has arrived," murmured many, their faces pale. Though they had long anticipated this moment, when it finally came, a profound sense of panic and despair settled in their hearts. The Hu Clan's army floated high in the sky, silent and motionless, gazing down at the countless figures within the defensive shield as if fierce wolves would pounce at any moment. Suddenly, a path opened automatically within the ranks of the army. A streak of blood emerged from afar, drawing nearer, and eventually transformed into a lotus of endless bloodiness, hovering before the Hu Clan forces. The blood lotus remained suspended, upon which a figure with flowing crimson hair sat in meditation. As he appeared, the pervasive scent of blood intensified dramatically, reaching an unprecedented intensity. The air itself trembled, and the blood vapor coalesced into a deluge of blood droplets, falling like a torrential rain from the heavens. The blood rain pattered upon the shield, creating a scene so magnificent it sent an unending chill through the hearts of all present. "Lord Hu!" Gu Yuan and the others stared intently at the figure meditating upon the blood lotus, their hands instinctively clenching tightly. That presence—how overwhelming it was. "Gu Yuan, you've lost..." The Soul Emperor sat upon the blood lotus, his long blood-red hair flowing gently with the breeze. With his vivid crimson eyes smiling steadily at the defenders within the defensive barrier, he spoke slowly. Gu Yuan's gaze grew serious, and he exclaimed, "Soul Emperor, the ancient race has long upheld an unwritten agreement—during great battles, ordinary people should remain unharmed. Your actions now will surely bring divine retribution!" The voice of the Spirit Emperor, thick with endless blood, resonated throughout the heavens, causing more and more people to pale. With the Spirit Clan's capabilities, if they seized control of the Battle Qi Continent, their days ahead would likely be spent in constant fear and anxiety. "I am the final victor of this war," the Spirit Emperor declared, his eyes blazing with bloodlight. Then, he extended his hand, reaching out toward the protective dome below—where countless lives were sheltered—and suddenly clenched it firmly. "Ancient Yuan, as a former adversary, today I shall show you what true Power of a Battle Emperor truly is!" As his words fell, the blood rain sweeping across the heavens instantly coalesced into an impossibly fine thread of blood, which then surged across the sky like a lightning bolt. Where the blood flowed, a black line stretching some tens of thousands of li appeared in the sky, its space directly severed. At the same time, the defensive shield constructed by the combined strength of numerous champions from the Heavenly Realm Alliance remained utterly undisturbed—steadily bursting open amidst the stunned gazes of onlookers. Hearing Gu Yuan's sharp cry, the dense ranks of allied forces roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and earth. A tidal wave of martial energy surged forth from their bodies, powerful enough to partially disperse the blood clouds enveloping the sky. The ancient Yuan's expression grew serious as his hands moved in intricate gestures. Finally, the energy mirror trembled violently, and a colossal beam of light—spanning tens of thousands of feet—erupted suddenly from its surface. Where the beam passed, even the air was shattered into nothingness. The beam nearly pierced the entire heavens and skies, visible clearly across the entire Central Province. Everyone's hearts leapt with anticipation—such a powerful assault; surely even the Spirit Emperor would find it difficult to withstand. Standing upon the crimson lotus, the Spirit Emperor remained calm, his blood-red eyes fixed upon the terrifying beam shooting upward. With a gentle motion, he extended his finger and lightly touched it. "Shatter." The single word fell softly, yet the beam that had surged like a furious dragon halted abruptly just a few feet from the Emperor. The Emperor's fingertip hovered lightly upon the beam. "Boom!" "As the finger descended, there was not a single ripple of energy, yet beneath the stunned gazes of all present, the seemingly terrifying column of light crumbled inch by inch, finally exploding into a shower of radiant particles that cascaded down from the sky. 'Gu Yuan, in this war, I am the last winner,' the Soul Emperor said, gazing down at Gu Yuan, whose expression had now grown grim, and smiled gently, speaking slowly."