[Xiao Yan: "Lin Dong, I'm about to make my breakthrough. What's your situation?"]

[Lin Dong: "I'm ready too. The breakthrough is today..."]

[Xiao Yan: "Excellent. Then let's break through and ascend together."]

Xiao Yan and Lin Dong had both almost reached the absolute peak of the worlds they resided in. Their legends were sung, their power unmatched.

To advance further, to reach greater heights...

They would have to ascend to the Major Thousand Worlds.

[Inorin's Note: The "Major Thousand Worlds" (Dàqiān Shìjiè) is the higher realm connected to both Xiao Yan's and Lin Dong's original worlds, featured prominently in the novel 'The Great Ruler' which acts as a sequel/crossover.]

The two had previously agreed to ascend together, companions on a new journey.

After confirming their timing in the group chat...

They immediately prepared to make their final, world-shattering breakthrough.

...

"Hoo..."

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged atop a volcanic peak, letting out a long, slow breath. With that breath, an incomparably profound Dou Qi permeated the air around him, warping space itself.

[Inorin's Note: "Dou Qi" (Dòu Qì) is the primary energy source cultivated in the Battle Through the Heavens universe.]

His current realm had long since reached the peak of 9-Star Dou Saint.

To be precise, he could now be called a Half-Emperor.

He was only one final step away from completely breaking through to the Emperor Realm, the legendary Dou Di stage unseen for millennia.

[Inorin's Note: "Dou Di" (Dòu Dì) or Emperor Realm is the highest cultivation level in BTTH, a realm thought mythical by most.]

Moreover, his current strength was already terrifyingly powerful.

Even though he hadn't completely broken through to the Emperor Realm, ordinary Dou Di experts from ancient times would likely be no match for him, thanks to his Heavenly Flames and numerous techniques.

Violent Dou Qi, infused with multiple Heavenly Flames, spread out. Countless seas of multi-colored fire churned below him, and these flames converged, twisting and solidifying to form a gigantic, exquisite fire lotus, which then rose up slowly from within the sea of fire.

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged within the core of this colossal flame lotus, his long black hair now dyed a fiery crimson by the surrounding light, cascading down like a waterfall.

"Intoxicating power..." he murmured, feeling the boundless energy flowing through him.

"But... it's still not enough!"

Xiao Yan opened his eyes, and the surrounding Void Realm distorted violently under his gaze.

His strength in this Dou Qi Continent was already unparalleled, supreme.

However, in the chat group, among the monsters from the myriad worlds...

He still couldn't be considered one of the truly strong people. Shi Jian, Yang Qi, Fang Han... they were still far ahead.

He still had to work harder.

The Emperor Realm, for him, was just a new beginning, not an end.

A Qi that transcended heaven and earth, shattering the limitations of the Dou Qi Continent, surged out from his body.

Terrifying, world-burning flames churned around the lotus.

Very smoothly...

Without any hindrance...

Without any dramatic tribulation...

Xiao Yan successfully stepped into the Emperor Realm. The final bottleneck shattered like glass. A new, boundless power filled him.

"Xiao Yan!"

Around the place of his breakthrough, many familiar figures gathered, their faces filled with awe and concern.

These people had come to witness his breakthrough to the legendary Emperor Realm after learning about it.

Gu Yuan, his father-in-law, his expression complex.

Gu Xun'er, his wife, her eyes filled with pride and love.

Xiao Zhan, his father, tears streaming down his face.

Yao Lao, his master, nodding with profound satisfaction.

Medusa (Cai Lin), Xiao Yi Xian, Ya Fei... all stood watching, their hearts filled with a mixture of emotions.

As soon as Xiao Yan completed his breakthrough, consolidating his newfound power, he met the concerned and joyous gazes of these people.

A warm smile appeared on his face. His voice, now carrying the weight of an Emperor, instantly resounded mightily throughout the entire Central Plains.

"Remember this day! For it is the day I, Emperor Yan, Xiao Yan, am crowned Emperor!"

The mighty voice spread, echoing across the entire Central Plains, reaching every corner of the continent.

Countless people, from ordinary citizens to powerful cultivators, were shaken by it, instinctively kneeling in awe.

…

In the dark, hidden territory of the Soul Clan...

The Soul Palace trembled. Hun Tiandi and the many ancient Elders' expressions changed drastically. They raised their heads in horror, looking at the layers of fire painting the distant sky.

[Inorin's Note: The "Soul Clan" (Hún Zú) and their "Soul Palace" (Hún Diàn) are the primary antagonists of BTTH, ancient enemies of the Xiao Clan.]

They felt that Qi... that terrifying Qi that made their very souls tremble in primal fear.

"Emperor Yan... Xiao Yan? He... he really succeeded in his breakthrough?!"

Countless people paled in shock, disbelief warring with terror.

Only a true Emperor Realm expert could possess such a Qi, such a presence that pressed down on the entire world.

And such a terrifying sea of fire...

The one who could become an Emperor Realm expert... it went without saying... it could probably only be Xiao Yan, the man known as the one who controlled all flames in the world.

"Emperor Yan!"

Many in the Soul Clan changed color. They instantly stirred, their expressions somewhat fearful, the previous arrogance gone.

During the preceding period...

Xiao Yan had been a major, growing concern for them. A shadow looming over their grand plans.

This person was truly too terrifying. His growth rate defied all logic.

When information about Dou Zong Xiao Yan reached the Soul Palace, the people of the Soul Palace did not take it seriously. A mere ant.

After information about Dou Zun Xiao Yan reached the Soul Palace, the people of the Soul Palace finally began to take it seriously. A potential threat.

But by the time they dispatched Half-Saint experts to deal with Xiao Yan...

Xiao Yan's information had already been updated to Dou Saint. A major threat.

When the people of the Soul Palace felt a deep sense of foreboding and quickly informed Hun Tiandi, and Hun Tiandi prepared to personally take action...

News of Xiao Yan suppressing the entire Gu Clan alone came again. An unimaginable threat.

Hun Tiandi had his own grand plan, nurtured for millennia. After realizing how troublesome Xiao Yan was, he did not intend to fight Xiao Yan to a mutual defeat, risking his own plans.

Instead, he planned to fully focus on breaking through to the Emperor Realm himself.

Once he had broken through to the Emperor Realm...

He would then come back to deal with those annoying fellows like Xiao Yan and the Gu Clan.

As a result...

As soon as his grand plan was implemented, just as he began his own breakthrough process...

Information about Emperor Realm Xiao Yan came through, carried on the very pressure descending upon the Soul Realm.

Not to mention the ordinary people of the Soul Clan collapsing under the pressure...

Hun Tiandi himself felt his meticulously crafted plans, his millennia of plotting, about to collapse.

'What kind of Hell difficulty instance is this?!' he screamed internally.

'I've only been in seclusion for a few years preparing my final ritual, and the continent has directly updated to the Emperor Realm version?!'

Looking at the terrifying Qi emanating from the distance, feeling the oppressive power of a true Dou Di, Hun Tiandi's expression was extremely solemn, bordering on despair.

"I originally didn't want to do this... but there's no other way! He won't give me time!"

Hun Tiandi looked at the many Soul Clan Elders and Soul Clan disciples gathered around him, ready to assist his ascension.

As well as the Nihility Devouring Flame, imprisoned and waiting to be refined.

[Inorin's Note: The "Nihility Devouring Flame" (Xū Wú Tūn Yán) is one of the strongest Heavenly Flames, ranked second, capable of devouring anything. It was allied with/controlled by the Soul Clan.]

A sinister, mad smile appeared on his face.

"As long as I am here, the Soul Clan will never perish..."

A fierce, bloody Qi rose from his body, like a demon walking out of a primordial blood rain.

Blood-colored clouds instantly enveloped the entire territory of the Soul Clan.

"Lend me your power! Lend me your lives! My Clan members!"

"I will lead you all to become Emperors!"

Thick blood clouds covered the entire Soul Clan territory. The vitality, the souls, the very essence of countless Soul Clan members were devoured, sucked dry by Hun Tiandi's forbidden technique. A nauseating smell of blood permeated the entire air.

The ground turned a crimson red.

Viscous blood rendered the entire Soul Clan territory like a land of Asuras, a true hell on earth.

Countless white bones floated in the churning sea of blood, and countless shrill, terrified screams faintly echoed between heaven and earth.

This was an absolute massacre.

A frenzied, desperate massacre.

Because this massacre... massacred all the people of the Soul Clan. His own clan.

Xiao Yan had simply put too much pressure on Hun Tiandi.

He didn't have time to scheme against the living beings on the Central Plains, to gather souls slowly.

He could only...

Make his own Clan members suffer! Sacrifice them for his ambition!

But it didn't matter! As long as he was there, the Soul Clan would always exist!

He wasn't massacring them!

Rather, it was 'one person attains the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascend'!

He was leading his Clan members to — become Emperors! With him!

From the weakest Clan members, children whimpering in fear...

To the proud geniuses of the Soul Clan, their faces contorted in disbelief...

The ancient Elders, their eyes wide with betrayal...

Even the strongest among them, the Nihility Devouring Flame...

One by one, their energy, their souls, their very existence was refined by Hun Tiandi.

The Nihility Devouring Flame caused him a bit of trouble, resisting fiercely, but it didn't matter. He had prepared countermeasures for millennia.

Within just a few hours...

The blood clouds over the Soul Clan territory grew thicker and thicker, pulsing like a demonic heart.

On the ground were only ghastly white bones and countless bloodstains that dyed the ground red and black.

The power within Hun Tiandi's body became terrifyingly immense, chaotic, unstable. He stood amidst a pile of ruins, waist-deep in a sea of blood.

He looked like a madman, licking his crimson lips, his eyes bloodshot.

"I've succeeded! I've succeeded!"

"Clan members, I've succeeded! I've become that Dou Emperor!"

Hun Tiandi was somewhat excited, his voice hoarse.

It seemed that after his breakthrough, he instinctively wanted to share his joy with someone.

But when he looked around... it was a desolate sight. Ruins and blood. There was no one left in sight.

Hun Tiandi's Heart-Nature was undoubtedly ruthless.

In his original plan, to deal with the Nihility Devouring Flame and become a Dou Emperor, many people from the Soul Clan were also part of his sacrifice plan.

It's just that...

It was far less tragic than it was now.

In his original plan, although the Soul Clan would be greatly weakened, his achievement of Dou Emperor and the feedback of the Dou Emperor Bloodline to the surviving Soul Clan would also make the Soul Clan the undisputed strongest in the world.

But now...

Everyone was dead.

The Soul Clan was left with only him.

There was no one to whom the Dou Emperor Bloodline could be fed back.

"It doesn't matter..." Hun Tiandi muttered, shaking his head, his eyes regaining a sliver of cold clarity. "As long as I am here, the Soul Clan will always exist. Now... it's time to clean up those annoying fellows!"

"Especially that Xiao Yan! Why?! Why?! I spent so much thought... millennia of effort to become an Emperor! Yet you... you say you became an Emperor just like that?! Impossible!"

Hun Tiandi looked in the direction where Xiao Yan had just become an Emperor, his face contorted with jealousy and rage.

A voice filled with an endless bloody scent, carrying the weight of a billion souls, resounded throughout the Central Plains.

"Remember this day! For it is the day I, Hun Tiandi, am crowned Emperor!"

The mighty, yet corrupted, voice spread.

...

At Xiao Yan's location...

Everyone was originally celebrating Xiao Yan's breakthrough to the Emperor Realm, congratulating him and feeling the oppressive Dou Di aura.

Suddenly hearing Hun Tiandi's voice, equally vast and powerful...

Everyone was a bit surprised.

"This Qi... it is indeed Hun Tiandi. I didn't expect him to also break through to the Emperor Realm..." Gu Yuan took a deep breath, speaking with a hint of melancholy and complexity.

Hun Tiandi breaking through to Emperor Realm...

He wasn't panicked. Not anymore.

After all, Xiao Yan was there.

He was very clear about Xiao Yan's heaven-defying combat power.

At the Dou Saint Realm, he could already suppress Gu Yuan, a peak 9-Star Saint.

Now that he had directly broken through to the Emperor Realm...

His combat power was unimaginable.

What made Gu Yuan melancholic was that he and Hun Tiandi were old rivals, peers for centuries.

Yet now...

Hun Tiandi had gotten ahead of him, reaching the Emperor Realm first (even if Xiao Yan was faster).

Xiao Yan, however, had a calm expression. He had also sensed the situation on the Soul Palace's side, the massacre, the forced breakthrough.

But he didn't pay much attention to it.

He originally planned to sweep away all obstacles on the continent after breaking through to the Emperor Realm. The Soul Clan was top of the list.

And then ascend with Lin Dong.

Now that Hun Tiandi had taken action against the Soul Clan himself...

This saved him the trouble.

He looked in the direction of the Soul Palace, a slight, almost imperceptible smile on his lips.

'Oh?'

'This service is truly thoughtful.'

'Cleaning up by himself and then delivering himself right to my doorstep?'

'Haji Hun... you fellow...' (Haji is an honorific, used sarcastically here).

Overwhelming blood clouds came rolling towards Xiao Yan's location at incredible speed.

In the Void Realm above them, a passage suddenly opened automatically. Countless strands of resentful Qi gathered from far to near, finally forming a grotesque blood lotus, filled with endless bloody Qi, floating in the air.

Within the blood lotus...

A figure with blood-red hair sat cross-legged. With his appearance, a terrifyingly strong bloody smell instantly permeated between heaven and earth.

Even the bloody Qi condensed into overwhelming blood drops, falling like a torrential rain upon the land below.

The blood rain fell, pattering down, sizzling as it hit the ground.

Such a sight sent an infinite chill through people's hearts!

"Gu Yuan... you lost."

Hun Tiandi's cold, detached voice came out from the blood lotus.

Feeling his terrifying, corrupted Qi, even though everyone knew they also had a Dou Emperor Xiao Yan on their side, they still felt an inexplicable panic.

Hun Tiandi only glanced dismissively at Gu Yuan, then looked intently at Xiao Yan, his expression becoming ferocious: "You are Xiao Yan? How could you also become a Dou Emperor...? Impossible! Today, I want to see what secrets you possess!"

In Hun Tiandi's eyes, blood Qi surged. He stood within the sea of blood, his Qi powerful to the extreme.

Gu Yuan's expression changed drastically upon seeing this: "Everyone else, quickly retreat! When Dou Emperors clash, their power is immense, capable of destroying heaven and earth! If we are caught in the aftermath, even peak Dou Saint experts will surely perish! The true key to victory in this battle lies with Xiao Yan and Hun Tiandi! Let's quickly retreat!"

After saying that, he immediately swept up the others with his Dou Qi and began to flee.

"Hahaha! Trying to run? You all must die!"

Hun Tiandi roared, then instantly made his move.

The boundless sea of blood permeated the sky.

He took a step, and the entire sky trembled at this moment. Countless monstrous blood seas surged wildly, transforming into gigantic blood waves tens of thousands of feet high, violently rolling towards Xiao Yan and the fleeing group.

If there were still people from the Soul Clan alive...

Hun Tiandi would definitely have had a proper, cautious duel with Xiao Yan. He would avoid the aftermath of their battle harming the weaker members of both sides.

But now... Hun Tiandi had absolutely no such concerns.

His Clan members had already merged with him.

Xiao Yan's Clan members... friends... family...

Must also die!

Beneath those blood waves tens of thousands of feet high, everyone's figures were as tiny as ants.

Facing Hun Tiandi's world-ending attack...

Xiao Yan's expression didn't change at all. He didn't even turn around. He gently raised his hand behind him, and like swatting an annoying fly, he gave a simple, unadorned swat.

He didn't use any Dou Skills.

He didn't even use Dou Qi.

He relied only on the pure physical body strength of his current Emperor Realm body.

Slap!

The sound was deceptively soft.

But instantly, Hun Tiandi's endless sea of blood was extinguished, vanishing like smoke.

The power of Xiao Yan's palm did not diminish in the slightest. It passed through the space where the blood sea was and directly struck Hun Tiandi's body within the blood lotus.

"How is this possible...? No!"

Feeling that terrifyingly immense, purely physical power crushing his soul and body...

Hun Tiandi only managed to let out a final, bewildered scream.

And then he died. His body, his soul, his accumulated blood essence... all turned to nothingness.

He came with great fanfare, announcing his ascension.

He died simply and unadorned, erased by a casual backhand.

Heaven and earth returned to tranquility. The blood rain stopped. The clouds dispersed.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Gu Yuan, who was halfway through his escape, was even more dumbfounded than dumbfounded. His jaw hung open.

Hun Tiandi... a Dou Emperor expert... died... just like that?

He had guessed that Xiao Yan should be stronger than Hun Tiandi.

But he never expected him to be this strong.

With such a simple slap... a Dou Emperor died?

Directly one-shot?

Where was the epic battle? Where was the aftermath of a clash?

Gu Yuan lowered his head and saw the questioning, utterly bewildered gazes of the many people he had swept away and was running with...

He became even more dumbfounded.

Gu Xun'er quickly returned to Xiao Yan's side, ignoring the lingering shock. She looked up at him, her eyes shining, and asked curiously: "Brother Xiao Yan, was that Hun Tiandi just now? Did he also break through to the Emperor Realm?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan finally spoke his first words since Hun Tiandi's arrival, his tone calm.

"Perhaps?"

He shrugged.

"Anyway, now it has nothing to do with us."

"It's irrelevant!"

...

Xiao Yan couldn't help but sigh internally. This Hun Tiandi was truly a good person.

Knowing that he, Xiao Yan, had made a breakthrough, he actively annihilated his own Clan and even came personally to offer his head.

What a considerate fellow.

The key was... he hadn't truly broken through to the Emperor Realm.

Without the Embryonic Emperor Pill...

Without true Origin Qi...

[Inorin's Note: The "Embryonic Emperor Pill" (Dì Pǐn Chú Dān) and "Origin Qi" (Yuán Qì) were the necessary components for reaching the true Dou Di realm, which Hun Tiandi lacked.]

Although he had sacrificed the entire Soul Clan, at most he was just a pseudo-Dou Emperor, relying on external power.

After killing Hun Tiandi, Xiao Yan felt a slight melancholy.

In the original script...

Hun Tiandi of the Soul Clan was a huge mountain pressing down on him.

Pressing him until he couldn't breathe, forcing him to grow stronger.

But now...

He only needed to make a slight move...

And the Soul Palace, the Soul Clan, Hun Tiandi himself... exploded.

Indeed, cheating for a while is cool, but cheating all the time is always cool!

...

After breaking through to the Emperor Realm, Xiao Yan's Dou Emperor Bloodline fed back to the Xiao Clan members.

The Xiao Clan, long declined, suddenly saw the emergence of many Dou Saints, shocking the entire continent.

The name of Emperor Yan, Xiao Yan, instantly resounded in every corner of the Dou Qi Continent. He was the new legend, the new god.

...

Considering that after leaving the Dou Qi Continent, whether it was going to Shi Jian's world or ascending to the Major Thousand Worlds of this universe...

It would be a very long time before he could return to the Dou Qi Continent.

Therefore...

After Xiao Yan dealt with the remnants of the Soul Clan (which was basically nothing), he activated the chat group's offline function, temporarily disconnecting.

He and Gu Xun'er held an exceptionally grand wedding.

This wedding was witnessed by countless people across the continent, a celebration for the new Emperor.

He spent a good, peaceful period of time in tender affection on the Dou Qi Continent.

Besides Gu Xun'er...

Some of the other women who held a special place in his heart...

He also brought them to his side, officially acknowledging their status.

Although there wasn't another grand wedding...

But, those who know, know.

Was the original work truly a double female lead (Xun'er and Medusa)?

Then why bring Xiao Yi Xian (Little Fairy Doctor) back to Wutan City to live together? Was it just so she could treat his illnesses with her poisonous body?

Then why bring Ya Fei back to Wutan City to live together? Was it just so she could manage his business affairs?

If the original work didn't explicitly write something happening between them, can't one guess?

Besides a wife, can't there be cherished confidantes?

Xiao Yan decided there could be. He gathered Gu Xun'er, Cai Lin (Medusa), Xiao Yi Xian, and Ya Fei, ensuring their places were secure before he left.

...

Xiao Yan didn't stay too long on the Dou Qi Continent. His blood was hot, his spirit adventurous. A quiet life wasn't suited for his bones!

After taking care of everything on the Dou Qi Continent, ensuring his family and lovers were safe and provided for...

He began to prepare for Ascension.

His strength was too great for this world.

As soon as he broke through to the Emperor Realm...

He had already felt the powerful call of Ascension from the Major Thousand Worlds.

But he had always suppressed that feeling, wanting to settle things here first.

Now...

He was going to ascend.

[Xiao Yan: "Lin Dong, I'm ready..."]

...

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