"The Hegemon appears, truly, the Hegemon has appeared—" At the very edge of this minor plane, Ming Xuan murmured to himself. "Is this the Blood Tribulation?

Fifteen Saint Realm experts, all buried within the Qin Emperor's tomb. Those who entered the Imperial Palace, I fear none will survive.

The living Sovereign, from this point forward, will survey the Cloud Realm with the bearing of a Hegemon!" Ming Xuan’s expression was bewildered, yet sternly grave. He wasn't certain if his distant observation, spanning tens of li, had alerted Zong Shou.

However, he knew that while he shared a slight bond of goodwill with Zong Shou, the latter would likely not easily move against him unless absolutely necessary. Yet, if he overstepped the line, there would likely be no room for leniency.

Thus, he proceeded with extreme caution, careful not to touch the bottom line. The Xuan-Enhancing Dharma Wings, coupled with this child’s Boundless Beginning and Ending Divine Ability, would grant him the power to disregard ranks and threaten the Transcendent Realm— "Strange!

Zong Shou has already ascended to prominence; below the Transcendent Realm, he is already peerless. The nation’s power is booming, yet why does the celestial configuration still show a dual-star contention?" Gazing at the starry sky, Ming Xuan felt a flicker of incomprehension.

Within the Three Enclosures, three Imperial Stars shone brightly. Suddenly, a thought struck him.

About ten thousand years ago, whenever he calculated matters great or small, there were always errors and omissions. Even then, he had sensed that beneath the grand current of world affairs, another undertow existed.

This spurred him to tirelessly pursue the cause. But since Xi Zi was besieged and killed, and Xun Zi met an inexplicable demise, all divination charts and celestial readings in the Cloud Realm gradually returned to normal.

Over time, with no leads, Ming Xuan ceased to pay much attention. Could it be that the Cloud Realm truly harbored another quasi-True Realm existence comparable to Xi Zi?

After several millennia, was such a figure about to reappear in the mortal world? Ming Xuan subconsciously drew out a Star Chart, preparing to divine, when he suddenly let out a bitter laugh.

"This shortens one's lifespan—" More than half of his natural life had been spent and eroded by the Dao of Astrology. He had undergone several life extensions, defying Heaven’s decree.

And now, his remaining lifespan was finally drawing to a close. A glimmer of hope had appeared today, yet he could not afford to squander it now.

Furthermore, this matter involved the Dao of the Common People and that potential quasi-True Realm entity. To rashly involve himself would only lead to being crushed to dust.

The reason he gave up thousands of years ago was precisely because he deeply understood the inherent peril. "The Hegemon's appearance manifests in Zong Shou, but what becomes of this Dragon-Swallowing Scenario?" Ming Xuan's mind suddenly shifted, and his observational focus moved to the surface, to the Shanhe Hall.

Yin Yu was still roaring with laughter, while the Twelve Town-Guarding Bronze Men almost simultaneously shifted their positions. A surge of immense spiritual power washed outward, followed by massive fists pounding down, shattering the main hall of Shanhe, along with the physical body of the Qin Emperor within!

With the destruction of the Shanhe Hall, the entire Two Poles Dragon Gathering Array disintegrated inch by inch. Even the Altar of Heaven was impacted, collapsing for the most part.

However, although the array was destroyed, the converged Dragon Qi did not scatter. Instead, thread by thread, it sank into the underground palace, rushing into the spiral corridors below.

Ordinary cultivators could not perceive it, but to his eyes, it was a vast, surging river. Ming Xuan observed with his Spiritual Eyes and drew a sharp, cold breath.

"Primordial Qin Dragon Qi, the Eastern Kunlun Dragon Vein—" Although the Eastern Kunlun Vein had been severed, that Dragon Vein had long been intercepted by the Qin Emperor's Tomb. Moreover, during his life, the Qin Emperor had summoned ritualists to seal the majority of his royal essence within the Two Poles Dragon Gathering Array, ensuring the Primordial Qin Dynasty ended after only two generations.

The Qin Emperor's Nascent Soul had cultivated within the Two Poles Dragon Gathering Array for ten thousand years, and the refined essence contained within was certainly no small matter! With the destruction of the Two Poles Dragon Gathering Array, this Dragon Qi essence became ownerless property.

Yin Yu, being ignorant, had missed out on something truly valuable. However, this man's martial aptitude was utterly mediocre, and he could not absorb it.

If it were Shi Yue, there might still be a chance— "The Dragon-Swallowing Scenario; I wonder who has the capacity to swallow this Dragon?" While the Dragon Qi essence was precious, it was not so easily consumed. The former required a contemporary King, while the latter required at least Saint-rank strength.

When the two mixed, the situation became even more complex; at least Ming Xuan himself could only watch from afar, unable to intervene. "What a pity.

The Dragon Qi is one thing, but this essence, fused with the vital essence of five top-tier Immortal Treasures, could extend one's life by a thousand years, or save two thousand years of arduous cultivation—" Ming Xuan suddenly stirred, tapping his brow with a finger, peering once more into the depths of the underground palace. His gaze no longer focused on Zong Shou, who was currently engaged in frenzied slaughter, but on Su Xiaoxiao, lying beside him within the Tortoise-backed Mystic Ice.

However, what concerned him now was not the girl whose life hung in the balance, but the Nine Apertures Life-Origin Stone and the Eight Resurrection Array Artifacts. It was uncertain if it was coincidence, but the spiritual array formed was precisely a spiral, mirroring the structure of the entire Imperial Palace.

Ming Xuan paused in stunned silence, then let out a long sigh. "Ascending to prominence in one leap—how immensely generous Heaven has been to you?" He had, after all, underestimated that celestial anomaly.

True Hegemon appearance comes after swallowing the Dragon— A subtle realization dawned, and Ming Xuan looked up again. "Could this be the so-called backlash from Heaven and Earth?" Without pausing to contemplate further, Ming Xuan swept his great sleeve, and his entire form vanished from the spot.

With the destruction of the Two Poles Dragon Gathering Array, this minor plane of the Qin Emperor's Tomb could no longer be preserved. If the Two Poles Dragon Gathering represented the 'meridians' for the Qin Emperor's post-mortem cultivation, then this world was the Qin Emperor’s 'Inner Heaven and Earth.' Once the meridians were destroyed, this world was naturally on the verge of collapse and annihilation.

※ ※ ※ ※ Inside the underground palace, gore and shattered flesh coated everything. Stones flew, and the meticulously carved underground corridors retained only a rough outline.

Streams of blood flowed sluggishly between the rubble. Zong Shou stood expressionless before Madam Molian.

Madam Molian’s body was twisted into a horrifying knot, clinging to life by a thread. Enduring tortures unknown, her eyes were filled with pain and terror, her face contorted.

From above the underground palace came the sounds of continuous collapse, but Zong Shou seemed utterly oblivious, asking in a slightly mechanical voice, "How is this Demon-Devouring Purgatory Seal undone?" "I told you I don't know! This is a forbidden technique personally inscribed by Li Biexue; no one can break it but him!" Madam Molian was nearly driven mad.

Zong Shou had repeated this question countless times. The Demon-Devouring Purgatory Seal was widely circulated in the Demonic Sects, yet it possessed countless variations, differing from one practitioner to the next.

If she, Molian, truly knew how to break the restriction, she would have said so long ago just to secure a swift death, rather than endure such torment from Zong Shou! Zong Shou, still expressionless, thrust a sword into her shoulder joint.

Immediately, a pain that carved into the heart spread throughout her body. Silver flames surged through every vein and channel, not even sparing her Nascent Soul.

White flames now streamed out from her seven orifices—mouth, nose, and eyes. Yet, a practice method containing Source Qi Spiritual Life was maintaining her vitality.

Madam Molian’s face twisted again as she confirmed: Zong Shou wasn't seeking the method to break the spell; he was simply torturing her, savoring it!