Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1878 Chapter 502: The Decline of the Eastern Domain (Part 3)
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
...
In the Western Realm's domain of Battle Heaven, the Heavenly Battle Clan resided, harboring a hidden Cave Heaven Blessed Land.
"Has Wudao climbed to sixth place? Remarkable achievement. This young one has cultivated in secrecy to such heights."
Within the clan's halls, Zhan Qinghuang, clad in her striking crimson skirt, couldn't suppress her delight as the latest clan reports reached her ears.
At present, the Heavenly Battle Clan's chosen inheritor was none other than Zhan Wudao, her own younger brother.
Being a Quasi-Emperor herself, participation in the Abyss trials was beyond her reach; instead, she faced off in duels against the Ancient Demon Clan's Quasi-Emperors. Furthermore, the Heavenly Battle Clan lingered at the tenth spot among the Ten Clans, scraping the very bottom.
However, her sibling Zhan Wudao had surged ahead to sixth, outpacing the inheritors from at least the four clans ahead of them.
"Wudao truly shows great potential."
A clan elder twirled his beard, a grin spreading across his face.
"Qinghuang, has your master ventured to the Eastern Domain to challenge them? Did his true body make the journey? That Ancient Demon Clan managed to tie down the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor for so long; they're no ordinary foes."
Another elder inquired with keen interest.
A flash of concern crossed Zhan Qinghuang's eyes, but she masked it swiftly and replied with a touch of annoyance, "Stop prying into my master's affairs. Even though I'm part of the Heavenly Battle Clan, I'm his disciple too. I won't reveal anything without his say-so, but he did mention heading there in person. Do you really believe the master could battle three Ancient Demon Emperors using merely an avatar?"
"You're right about that."
The elder gave a subtle nod. The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor was a legendary powerhouse among Immortal Emperors, yet battling three Ancient Demon Emperors for centuries with just a projection would be utterly implausible.
"I've heard rumors that the youngest direct disciple under your master possesses an Emperor's bearing. Is there truth to those tales?"
The earlier elder probed with curiosity.
Zhan Qinghuang paused briefly before chuckling, then nodded and affirmed, "My junior brother exceeds even the whispers. If I hadn't witnessed it firsthand, I wouldn't have believed it possible."
"Word is he's also undergoing trials in the Abyss. For this True King selection, perhaps Wudao could select him as his deputy—do you think he'd handle the responsibility?"
An elder's gaze sharpened as the idea formed in his mind.
Zhan Qinghuang grasped the elder's motive right away, yet she held no grudge, recognizing it served the clan's interests. Building ties with Li Hao now could prove invaluable once he ascended to Emperor status later on.
"If we've considered it, my second senior brother has likely done the same. I expect the Emperor Clan will extend an invitation too."
Zhan Qinghuang remarked.
"Even the Emperor Clan?"
The elder showed clear surprise, evidently unaware the young talent drew such widespread attention.
...
As the True Realm's myriad clans watched intently, the Ancestor Dragon Court in the Eastern Domain fell completely into the Ancient Demons' grasp.
The famed Ancestor Dragon Emperor Array shattered at last, and the statues of innumerable Ancestor Dragons—each infused with the divine souls of the clan's forebears—crumbled to dust with the array's collapse, draping the Ancestor Dragon Court in grief and signaling the Eastern Domain's king's downfall.
War's inferno engulfed the whole Eastern Domain.
Beyond the Eastern Domain's void, seven or eight Quasi-Emperor silhouettes darted through the emptiness at high speed.
"Hurry, you all go ahead; I'll cover the back."
Trailing them, over a dozen Ancient Demon Clan Quasi-Emperors gave chase without mercy.
A Quasi-Emperor from the Ancestor Dragon Clan bellowed, his form erupting in divine soul energy like a blazing golden star. He parted his jaws to release the sealed Eastern Domain fire seeds from his realm, commanding, "Grab them and depart!"
With those words, he readied himself to wheel around and meet his end while guarding the retreat.
Upon the Eastern Domain's loss, they enacted their contingency; should defeat come, the fire seeds would be safeguarded and evacuated. With these fire seeds preserved, the Eastern Domain held the promise of revival and restored splendor.
The encased fire seeds resembled delicate orbs, shielded by a fragile membrane, their inner gazes brimming with sorrowful tears.
"Old Geng..."
An aged Ancestor Dragon's eyes filled with anguish, but he unhesitatingly drew the sealed fire seeds into his own realm, declaring gravely, "Slaughter every one of those fiends!"
"Don't worry—even in death, I'll take at least one with me!"
The Quasi-Emperor Ancestor Dragon thundered, pressing, "Get moving, now."
Despite their sorrow, the group refrained from argument; without halting the hunters, more would volunteer to stand and fight.
As they prepared to speed away, a sudden vortex twisted in the void, pulsing with immense Emperor pressure and a steady voice:
"The Eastern Domain has crumbled, calamity descends—seek refuge in the Original for now."
That composed, commanding tone stunned the eight, then sparked joy in their hearts.
"It's the Chaos Immortal Emperor!"
"Immortal Emperor, we beg you—rescue our Eastern Domain!"
Emotion surged through them as they implored the swirling portal.
"This disaster runs deep, ensnaring all; no single force can quell it. Enter."
The Chaos Immortal Emperor's words echoed forth.
Complex emotions played across the eight's features, but comprehension dawned. The Eastern Domain's woe was merely the opening act; the True Realm's Ten Thousand Races already mobilized endless aids. Expecting every Immortal Emperor to intervene was folly, and such an event would only pull in more Ancient Demon Clans.
Crucially, even with the Ten Thousand Clans and Great Emperors rushing to support, the Eastern Domain would shatter under the onslaught, reduced to wasteland.
Thus, the Eastern Domain's waning was inevitable, as the Dragon Ancestor had anticipated; yet hope lingered in the fire seeds they clutched—elite prodigies from clans or cherished bloodline heirs. One day, after purging the Ancient Demons, the Eastern Domain could rise anew.
"You won't get away!"
From afar, more than ten Quasi-Emperor presences closed in rapidly.
The eight's expressions shifted in alarm, propelling themselves toward the vortex.
"Hmph!"
A disdainful huff rippled through the void, swelling from faint to fierce, making spacetime quiver like turbulent seas and radiate powerfully.
The onrushing dozen Quasi-Emperor auras halted in shock, resisting fiercely yet recoiling together.
While Quasi-Emperors could dominate Immortal Kings with ease, they paled far below true Emperors in might.