As Hun Huzi continued his manic laughter, the pitch-black flames surged like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing the entire sky. The once bright blue heavens were completely covered, as if even the sun, moon, and stars had been devoured.
These terrifying black flames not only obscured the light but also brought an overwhelming sense of suffocation and oppression.
The members of the Ling Clan looked up in terror, seeing countless tiny flickering black dots amidst the boundless flames, resembling swarms of ravenous locusts, all fixated on them.
"What... what are these things?" one Ling clan elder asked, his voice trembling. As soon as he spoke, the tiny black dots seemed to lock onto their targets, diving toward the ground. They bypassed the clan's defenses and directly penetrated their bodies.
"Ahh!"
Screams echoed one after another. The clan members were horrified to discover that their Dou Qi was draining from their bodies at an alarming rate. It felt as if an invisible hand was violently siphoning their energy.
"Hurry, find a way to stop them!" Ling Lu cried out, her beautiful eyes filled with fear and desperation.
Ling Qingshan gritted his teeth and quickly formed hand seals, enveloping himself and her wife in a green protective shield. However, the black dots easily pierced through the shield and continued to drain their Dou Qi.
"It's useless... these things can't be stopped!" His face turned pale, cold sweat pouring from his forehead.
In the sky, seeing her clan suffer, Ling Yuan could no longer contain the fury within her. Her usually gentle eyes now burned with sharp killing intent, like a lioness enraged.
"How dare you harm my people. Today, I will tear you to pieces!" She shouted, releasing an overwhelming aura. Her slender figure transformed into a streak of white light, shooting straight towards Hun Huzi.
With her delicate hand shaped like a claw, her fingers glimmered coldly. Though the movement seemed gentle, it carried the force of utter destruction, ripping through the air with a piercing whistle.
His face changed, and he hastily raised his hand to block.
"Boom!"
At the moment of their clash, a deafening explosion echoed, sending shockwaves that scattered the clouds. She didn't relent. She spun and continued her assault, her strikes swift and lethal, aiming for his vital spots.
Each attack was filled with rage and the intent to kill. She had unleashed her full strength, determined to kill him on the spot. He was forced into retreat, his black robes torn, revealing a body covered in wounds. The arrogance on his face had vanished, replaced with deep wariness.
"Damn it! I didn't expect this old woman to be so strong!" He cursed under his breath.
Meanwhile, things on the ground worsened. The tiny black dots clung to the clan members like parasites, and no matter how hard they struggled, they couldn't shake them off.
Even the powerful elders could only watch helplessly as their Dou Qi was gradually drained from their bodies.
"Damn it! They're determined to destroy us!" Ling Lu gritted her teeth. "With our strength, we can't possibly resist them!" Ling Qingshan looked around, seeing his clansmen collapsing to the ground, writhing in pain. The usual gentle look on his face was replaced with despair.
"Hurry! Send for help from the Gu Clan, the Lei Clan, and the Yan Clan! The Hun Clan's sudden attack won't go unanswered by the other clans!" an elder shouted.
Indeed, the relationships among the eight ancient clans were complex. Although their clan hadn't maintained close ties with the others, they wouldn't sit by idly in the face of the Hun Clan's aggression. In an instant, several of the stronger clansmen took flight in different directions, trying to break through the black flames' barrier.
However, as soon as they flew a short distance, they were consumed by the flames. Screams rang out one after another, and only a few returned, barely escaping with their lives.
"The space is sealed. We can't escape!" said one of the severely wounded clansmen.
This news was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the last shred of hope in everyone's hearts. They all realized that the Hun Clan had come prepared. They had planned everything in advance.
In the sky, Ling Yuan was also trying to tear open space to seek external help. But no matter how hard she tried, the seemingly fragile space barrier was impossibly strong.
"Hmph, did you really think we would come unprepared?" Hun Huzi sneered, wiping the blood from his mouth.
At that moment, the vast expanse of black flames in the sky began to shift. Countless streams of black flames twisted and coiled, eventually gathering to form a towering figure in midair.
This figure was shrouded entirely in black flames, with strange black runes covering its body. Its eyes resembled two deep black holes, radiating a terrifying devouring aura.
With its appearance, an ancient and eerie atmosphere filled the heavens and earth. The black flames that had been ravaging the sky began to make strange noises, as if welcoming the arrival of their master.
"Nihility Devouring Flame?" Her pupils shrank, her face filled with shock. As the Ling clan leader, she was well aware of this entity's terrifying reputation. The legendary ranked two heavenly flame, capable of devouring everything in existence!
"Form the defensive array! Prepare for battle!" She commanded.
Hearing their leader's order, all the remaining clan members immediately mobilized. They gathered what little Dou Qi they had left, combining it into a massive barrier that enveloped the Ling Realm.
However, facing this full-powered defensive array, the figure in the sky merely lifted a single finger.
"How foolish."
A low, authoritative voice echoed.
With a gentle tap of that finger, the Ling clan's powerful formation instantly shattered. Countless beams of light scattered, like shattered glass flying in all directions.
At that moment, the last glimmer of hope in the clan members' hearts was extinguished. They looked up in despair at the towering figure of black flames that loomed over them like a god of destruction.
Even Ling Yuan, a Seven-Star Dou Saint, seemed insignificant in the face of this terrifying being. Her usually wise eyes were now filled with nothing but deep despair and fear.
"Could it be… my clan will perish in my generation?" She murmured to herself, her voice filled with endless sorrow.
(TL/n: I can't help but think if Xiao clan was smart, they could've tried diplomatic reasons to gain the other ancient jades. Like once Xiao Xuan becomes a Dou God, he will fix the severed path of Origin Qi- opening the way for others to become God as well.)