The Eternal God Emperor and the Demon Ancestor

Chapter 77 Hidden Hand 2

The Great Luo Divine Palace, serving as the sleeping quarters of the emperors of the Tianluo Divine Kingdom throughout history, is the core center of the Rakshasa clan. Above the main hall's dome, countless Rakshasa divine patterns intertwine to form a vast Tianluo star map. As the divine patterns flow, the faint roars of millions of gods and demons echo, their oppressive power as solid as an ancient mountain.

Today, this sacred place is shrouded in an overwhelming aura of malevolence.

The Snow Sea Emperor was dressed in white divine armor, his robes engraved with countless divine patterns. His aura was icy and restrained, yet it caused the spiritual energy in the hall to condense into fine ice crystals. Standing beside him were more than twenty Boundless Realm experts from the Rakshasa Clan, all leaders of various forces within the Rakshasa Clan. Among them was the newly appointed leader of the Earthly Entropy Divine Kingdom, the God-Emperor Moore, who wore bone armor and wielded a blood-red axe, the blade still stained with undried divine blood. He had returned from the battle in the Boundless Divine Sea and had come here with the Snow Sea Emperor and the others to lend their support.

The Rakshasa clan's top warriors were overwhelming, their divine senses sweeping across the main hall, causing even the immeasurable divine runes engraved on the pillars to tremble slightly, as if they could not bear the weight.

In the very center of the main hall, on the Great Luo Divine Throne, which was entirely cast from divine material and primordial gold, Emperor Luo Yan sat regally.

The once mighty Rakshasa clan chief, an unparalleled overlord, now appeared somewhat haggard. He wore a plain divine robe, the lines of his neck exposed at the collar were thin and bony, his once tall and imposing divine body seemed to have shrunk several sizes, his face was pale to the point of being transparent, only his eyes remained like ancient cold stars, unfathomable.

Despite his seemingly unhealed and severely injured appearance, when his divine sense swept over everyone, the several powerful figures behind Emperor Xuehai trembled in unison, subconsciously restraining their murderous aura and even softening their breathing.

This is a deep-seated reverence, a reverence for Emperor Luo Yan who has ruled the Rakshasa tribe for hundreds of thousands of years, and their absolute submission to their patriarch.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Yue Gu Jun was the first to bow, his voice booming like a bell, causing the divine patterns on the ceiling of the hall to scatter tiny specks of light. The other countless powerful figures followed suit, their various armors and divine robes weaving together into a torrent of bows. Only Xue Hai Di Jun stood still, his brows slightly furrowed, refusing to perform the grand ceremony.

He looked up at Luo Yan, his gaze filled with a complex mix of fear, ambition, and a hint of barely perceptible regret.

Luo Yan smiled kindly, raised his hand in a gesture of support, and said in a gentle yet authoritative voice, "We're all old friends, please have a seat."

Many chairs carved from millennia-old warm jade had already been placed on the side of the hall, but no one sat down at this moment, all eyes were focused on the Snow Sea Emperor.

The Snow Sea Emperor's heart skipped a beat; he knew it was time to lay his cards on the table. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, his divine robes fluttering, breaking the silence in the hall: "Great Emperor, I believe you know the purpose of our visit. Though I am unworthy, I am willing to share the burdens of the Rakshasa Clan and shoulder the responsibilities of clan leader. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to temporarily assume the position of clan leader!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the main hall fell into a deathly silence.

The next moment, a furious shout exploded like thunder.

"presumptuous!"

A boundless war god, clad in blazing divine armor, stepped forward, his body writhing in flames that distorted the surrounding air. "Snow Sea Emperor, you are a wolf in sheep's clothing, daring to covet the position of clan leader and attempt to change the ancient rules that have been passed down through the ages for my Rakshasa clan! The Great Emperor is wise and mighty; how could he tolerate such a traitorous act?!"

"The Emperor is benevolent, yet you took advantage of his healing to plot rebellion! You are a sinner of the Rakshasa clan for all eternity!" Another powerful expert in the Boundless Realm, wielding a battle spear, roared. Countless divine runes lit up the spear. "Fellow countrymen, we should immediately capture this man and suppress him beneath Demon Mountain, so that he may never be reincarnated!"

Several Boundless Realm War Gods of the Rakshasa Clan rose simultaneously, their War God aura coalescing into a crimson rainbow that pressed directly towards Emperor Xuehai and his entourage. They were all among the eight War Gods of the Rakshasa Clan, loyal to their patriarch's lineage. They had followed Luo Yan in his conquest of the universe and were his closest confidants; anyone who disrespected Luo Yan was their mortal enemy.

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly became tense. The countless powerful figures behind Emperor Xuehai summoned their own weapons to fight against the war gods. As their divine senses clashed, countless fine lines cracked in the void, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

Emperor Xuehai's eyes darkened, and he was about to speak when Luo Yan slowly raised his hand to stop the generals behind him.

"You may all step back," Luo Yan's voice remained calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. "Let me speak with Emperor Xuehai alone."

The assembled officials, their faces filled with worry, hesitated to speak, but ultimately bowed respectfully: "We humbly obey the Emperor's decree!"

Having said that, the group of powerful figures reluctantly withdrew from the hall, and the hall doors slowly closed, isolating the atmosphere inside and outside. Only the howling of the divine wind outside the hall and the faint whispers of the generals could be heard, revealing a deep sense of unease.

The main hall instantly became empty.

Only Luo Yan and Xuehai Dijun, two of the most powerful members of the Rakshasa clan, remained.

Luo Yan remained seated on his divine throne, while the Snow Sea Emperor stood below, a distance of several dozen steps between them, yet it felt as if a vast starry sea separated them. Neither of them released their divine power, yet their invisible auras clashed fiercely in the air. Luo Yan's pressure was like an ancient abyss, deep and heavy; the Snow Sea Emperor's aura was like a towering snow wave, fierce and unrestrained.

The two forces clashed, causing the void to tremble slightly. The divine runes on the palace ceiling flowed more rapidly, and even the Great Luo Divine Throne emitted a slight hum, as if it could not withstand the pressure.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment, with only the two people's gazes clashing silently in the void.

Finally, Luo Yan broke the deadlock, laughing heartily with a hint of relief and amusement: "I haven't congratulated you yet, Xue Hai. Your cultivation has improved another level. Judging from this aura, you're probably not far from the Undying Boundless Realm."

He scanned the area with his divine sense and clearly sensed the hidden power within the Snow Sea Emperor's body. It was a terrifying power capable of tearing apart a galaxy, even stronger than the aura he was currently displaying.

The Snow Sea Emperor's heart trembled, but his face remained impassive. He stepped forward, his tone sincere, even tinged with sorrow: "Great Emperor, in the battle where you and Yan Renhuan and the others besieged the Ten Tribulations Heavenly Monarch, although you won, your divine body was injured. Afterwards, you fought a series of battles against the Heavenly Court, leaving your divine body riddled with wounds. Even with divine medicine, it will take a long time to heal. I cannot bear to see you grow weaker day by day, nor can I bear to see the Rakshasa Clan, this behemoth, halted because of your body."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the divine runes and throne within the hall, his voice growing increasingly earnest: "Now that Luo Ding has fallen, the Tianluo royal family's lineage has suffered a severe blow, and the Tianluo royal family no longer has a pillar to support it. Only by temporarily assuming the position of patriarch can I unite the power of the Rakshasa clan and cope with the changes in the heavens. This is not treason, but for the survival of the Rakshasa clan!"

Everything the Snow Sea Emperor said was true.

The fall of Luo Ding was a great loss to the Rakshasa clan, and a fatal blow to the clan leader's lineage. Today, the Rakshasa clan is rife with internal strife and faces immense pressure from both Heaven and Hell; it is no longer the impregnable behemoth it once was.

Upon hearing this, Luo Yan's smile faded, replaced by a bitter, wry smile.

How could he not know the Snow Sea Emperor's thoughts? How could he not understand the current predicament of the Rakshasa tribe?

But the position of clan leader must not be relinquished.

Behind this lies the ancient heritage of the Rakshasa clan, the chess game he secretly orchestrated, and the invisible, intangible dark force lurking within the Rakshasa clan.

"Xuehai," Luo Yan spoke slowly, his voice deep and powerful, "Do you think that my current state is truly due to incurable injuries?"

Before he finished speaking, Luo Yan suddenly unleashed a vast and unparalleled pressure.

The oppressive aura swept through the entire hall like an eternal torrent. Upon sensing this aura, Emperor Xuehai felt as if struck by lightning.

His expression changed drastically, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief: "This...how is this possible?!"

He clearly sensed that Luo Yan's divine body was extremely weak, which is why he colluded with the various high-ranking members of the Rakshasa clan to force him to relinquish his position as clan leader. However, the pressure he felt at this moment clearly indicated that Luo Yan was at his peak.

Luo Yan slowly rose to his feet, his plain robe fluttering without wind, his pale complexion fading, his face becoming rosy, and his aura becoming imposing.

He strolled toward the Snow Sea Emperor, his steps slow, yet each step resonated deeply within the Snow Sea Emperor's heart.

He stood there blankly, his mind a complete blank.

He had painstakingly prepared for months, contacting the four great divine kingdoms, rallying countless powerful figures, and setting up this earth-shattering scheme, believing he could seize the position of clan leader while Luo Yan was seriously injured. But now, the result was so absurd—was the other party not injured at all, and was just putting on an act?

Everything that I meticulously planned was nothing more than a farcical spectacle by a clown in the eyes of the other party.

"Your Majesty...you...your injuries have already healed?" Emperor Xuehai's voice was dry, tinged with self-mockery, "You kept it from me for so long."

At this moment, he finally understood why his contact with the four great divine kingdoms had gone so smoothly, and why those old monsters had no objections. It turned out that from the very beginning, this was a trap, a trap to lure the snake out of its hole.

Luo Yan's smile vanished, replaced by a solemn expression: "Emperor Xuehai, my feigned serious injury was all to lure out the culprit who invaded my Great Luo Divine Palace back then. When the Great Luo Divine Palace was breached and its divine runes were damaged, there must have been an internal traitor within my Heavenly Luo Divine Kingdom. Initially, I suspected Luo Ding. But now Luo Ding has perished, leaving no way to verify the truth. However, I sense that the mastermind is still lurking. As long as this great scourge remains unresolved, the Rakshasa Clan will never have peace."

With a thought, the divine radiance around him subsided, and his tone deepened: "I pretended to be seriously injured and not yet recovered, intending to lure that mastermind out, but I didn't expect that the first one to jump out would be you, Emperor Xuehai."

The color drained from Xuehai Dijun's face, his embarrassment and shame making him feel utterly ashamed.

He considered himself a ruthless and ambitious man, but he never expected that he would become the first pawn used by the other side to lure the enemy out of their predicament.

"However," Luo Yan changed his tone, softening it slightly, "you are not a wicked person, nor are you connected to that mastermind; you were simply blinded by ambition. Moreover, you considered the overall situation of our clan and did not directly use force to seize power, which I have also seen."

Luo Yan raised his hand, and a dazzling golden divine wheel appeared in his palm. The wheel was engraved with the stars of the heavens, and it was the Heavenly One Star Wheel, a divine artifact of the Rakshasa Clan.

"When the gods left, I activated the Heavenly One Star Wheel to seal the main hall and sever the connection between the inside and outside." Luo Yan held the Heavenly One Star Wheel and slowly poured divine power into it. The divine wheel shone brightly and instantly evolved into a vast light screen that floated in the center of the main hall.

Above the light screen was a star field shrouded in boundless malevolent energy. Within this energy, twelve enormous divine banners stood tall and imposing, their pillars adorned with profound runes. These were none other than the Dutian Divine Banners crafted by Ling Che. The various malevolent energies emanating from them caused both Luo Yan and Emperor Xuehai to tremble with fear upon seeing them.

The grand formation covered billions of miles of star field. Amidst the surging of endless malevolent energy, blood-red lightning bolts would strike down at times, and chaotic energy would erupt at others. Each fluctuation seemed to tear the entire universe apart.

Suddenly, Emperor Xuehai's pupils contracted sharply. In the light screen, he clearly saw a familiar figure.

It was a young man dressed in a long black robe, wielding a Ruyi scepter, engaged in fierce combat with a figure shrouded in black mist. The young man was surrounded by overwhelming demonic energy, yet he remained standing, his moves fierce and powerful, locked in a fierce battle with Kui Lianghuang.

The Snow Sea Emperor recognized this person as his son-in-law, the Demon Refining Master.

The figure confronting Mo Lian was surrounded by chaotic mist, and the mask with the character "Kui" on it was vaguely visible. It exuded a chilling aura and was none other than Kui Lianghuang of the Liang Organization.

Upon seeing this, Emperor Xuehai's heart pounded wildly, an unprecedented panic sweeping through his body. "Kuiliang Emperor! How could it be Kuiliang Emperor?!"

He knew Ling Che's talent and strength, but Kui Lianghuang was a giant of the Liang Organization. It was rumored that several Lianghuangs of the Liang Organization were giants in the universe. Now, judging from Xuehai Dijun's strength, he was probably far above ordinary Tianyuan Wuque. Mo Lian was probably no match for him.

Luo Yan's expression was extremely solemn, his gaze fixed on the light screen. "Judging from the energy fluctuations in this star field, Kui Lianghuang's spiritual power has exceeded the ninetyth level, no less than Qingzu of the Southern Life and Death Ruins. Although Mo Lian is strong, he has not yet broken through the Heavenly Perfection. I'm afraid he alone will find it difficult to contend with him."

Emperor Xuehai's face turned grim. He turned abruptly, about to rush out of the main hall to support Ling Che.

"Halt!" Luo Yan shouted sharply, using a divine array to immobilize the Snow Sea Emperor, trapping him firmly in place. "What good will your hasty departure do? You'll only cause trouble!"

Emperor Xuehai turned around abruptly and said anxiously, "Great Emperor, why are you trapping me? The Demon Refining Sect needs our help now."

Seeing his anxious expression, Luo Yan's heart stirred slightly, and his tone softened: "Xue Hai, don't panic. I have already used my divine sense to send a message to the Blood Clan Chief, asking him to summon the Undying War God. I believe they will arrive soon."

He raised his hand and pointed to the light screen again: "You see, although Mo Lian is in danger, he is not without the power to fight back. When the two of us go to support him, remember to focus on keeping him occupied and do not let Kui Lianghuang have a chance to escape."

Following his gaze, Emperor Xuehai looked at the light screen and saw that Mo Lian was fiercely fighting with Emperor Kui Liang. The star field spanning billions of miles was destroyed into ruins due to the clash of their spiritual powers. He was extremely anxious and immediately used the power of the divine array through the Heavenly One Star Wheel to teleport to that star field with the help of the divine array.