Chapter 391: The Power of the Emperor Seal, Finishing Up
The black ring continued to expand even as it was held back by the Emperor Seal, stopping only when it reached its limit. Xiao Ze narrowed his eyes; the suction power within the black ring was terrifying, but the Emperor Seal's power was equally formidable.
Despite the Great Heavenly Creation Palm being a Heaven-rank Dou Technique, the Dou Saint skeleton was significantly weakened. Even when using a Heaven-rank technique, its power couldn't match that of a full-strength Dou Saint. On the other hand, while the Emperor Seal had only four seals, Xiao Ze's strength far surpassed that of the Dou Saint skeleton. Moreover, Xiao Ze wasn't constrained by concerns about exhausting his Dou Qi, allowing him to unleash the Emperor Seal with full force.
The stalemate between the two was understandable. However, even with Xiao Ze's keen perception, he couldn't determine which side would ultimately prevail.
Crack!
After a tense standoff that lasted for several seconds, a crisp cracking sound suddenly echoed through the space. It was like the first domino falling, triggering a chain reaction of explosions. Xiao Ze saw the space in front of him begin to shatter and immediately retreated, lightning flashing around him.
This wasn't an ordinary space shattering but a collapse fueled by immense energy and space storms. The power of this collapse surpassed even the space storm unleashed when Xiao Ze broke the seal of the Dou Saint's relic. While Xiao Ze could have suppressed it, there was no need to expend the effort since nothing worth protecting remained there.
Amidst the black space cracks, Xiao Ze saw the black ring swell, swallowing the Emperor Seal. However, after consuming the Emperor Seal, the black ring became unstable and ultimately exploded in a burst of deep blue energy.
Xiao Ze retreated from the hall and rejoined Xiao Yixian and the others. He felt satisfied with the power of the Emperor Seal; it could indeed stand toe-to-toe with the Great Heavenly Creation Palm, a Heaven-rank technique.
"This is the energy storm resulting from the clash of Heaven-rank techniques? Any ordinary Dou Zun entering it would be torn to pieces!" Xiao Yixian said, her eyes wide with shock.
"This power is so intense that it could shred even the soul," Qing Lin added, still feeling the aftershocks. "If I had to face this Heaven-rank technique, I'd have no choice but to use my snake beasts to buy time."
"One might escape if they could react fast enough and leave the range of the black ring's suction," Medusa mused thoughtfully.
"That's easier said than done. Unless one anticipates it, escaping the suction's range would be nearly impossible for any ordinary Dou Zun," Zi Yan remarked, frowning at the immense power of the Great Heavenly Creation Palm.
Even with the strength of the Heaven-rank technique, Xiao Ze's Emperor Seal had held its ground. Xiao Yixian and the others knew that this technique was a gift from Xun Er, making them somewhat resigned. Xun Er's strength and background were unparalleled among them, and the depth of her resources was unmatched. Just this one technique was enough to contend with a Heaven-rank technique.
Xiao Ze, unaware of their thoughts, focused on the calming space storm. The Dou Saint skeleton's form emerged from the chaos, showing the toll it had taken. The previously glowing jade bones now appeared dim.
Because the Emperor Seal had disrupted the black ring's expansion, the range of the Great Heavenly Creation Palm's destruction was limited to the hall, sparing the plaza outside. Unlike in the original story, where the technique left a massive crater and killed countless cultivators, the destruction here was more contained.
However, the main hall was reduced to ruins, and the energy burst had still created a nearly hundred-meter-deep pit. The Dou Saint skeleton floated in mid-air, the golden light in its eyes fading completely.
Seeing this, the women sighed in relief.
"This Dou Saint skeleton shouldn't cause any more trouble now, right?"
"So, should we leave or keep exploring?"
"Don't rush," Xiao Ze said, waving his hand. "This Dou Saint skeleton is a rare treasure within the relic. It would be a shame to abandon it."
The women cast curious glances at the skeleton.
"Are you planning to make this Dou Saint skeleton into a puppet?" Qing Lin asked.
"No," Xiao Ze replied, flicking his finger to release a golden flame that engulfed the skeleton. In the golden fire, they noticed something unusual: three ribs on the skeleton's torso revealed strange runes under the flames' heat.
"What's this?" Zi Yan asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"Is it the Heaven-rank technique it used?" Medusa speculated.
"Correct, the Great Heavenly Creation Palm is one of the most valuable treasures in this relic," Xiao Ze confirmed, stepping forward to easily snap off the three ribs. With his strength, breaking the skeleton entirely would be simple.
"Xiao Ze, it looks like some bones still contain Dou Saint marrow," Qing Lin noted, her eyes flashing green.
The other women focused on the skeleton as well. Some Heaven-rank techniques had strict learning conditions, possibly limiting them to Xiao Ze. However, the Dou Saint marrow had no such restrictions and could benefit them all. Having experienced the wonders of the ancient Tianhuang marrow, they eagerly anticipated this new find.
"Don't look at me like that," Xiao Ze laughed. "I'll refine the Dou Saint marrow and make sure everyone gets a share."
He stored the three ribs and began the process of refining the rest of the skeleton to extract as much marrow as possible.
"We'll continue exploring the Dou Saint relics. This is the central area; beyond here should be the living quarters of the Dou Saint," Xiao Ze instructed. "No rush to leave; it's safer here than out in the Beast Region."
"I'll stay here and refine the Dou Saint marrow. You all can continue exploring with the thunder puppets."
The women nodded in agreement, confident in Xiao Ze's plans. Even Zi Yan, holding the precious Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit, didn't feel the need to rush back to the Ancient Dragon Island. There was no immediate threat from the Tianyao Phoenix Clan.
Xiao Ze divided his focus between refining the Dou Saint marrow and studying the three ribs containing the Great Heavenly Creation Palm.
(End of Chapter)
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