Transcending the Nine Heavens

Inside the mine, silence reigned.

Suddenly, five seventh rank supremes and one eighth grade supreme turned to look at Xiao Chenlei, their expressions complex. Then, they all knelt down stiffly.

Xiao Chenlei trembled, "What are you doing? Get up!"

"Ancestral Patriarch!" The six remained kneeling. The eighth grade supreme lifted his head and spoke with difficulty, "Today’s battle in Poplar Valley has reached an impasse! The Dragon and Phoenix Bone... it seems we, the Xiao Clan, can only abandon it!"

Xiao Chenlei looked up to the sky and let out a long sigh.

Did he not know this? Today had indeed ended in utter defeat! The opponent's insidious strategies, which he only now fully understood, had all but ensnared them.

From the start, the opponent had clearly aimed to force them into the mine, intending to wipe them out in one fell swoop!

The opponent revealed their nine calamity identity first, luring them into a fierce battle; this served both as intimidation to draw their attention and as a means to numb their senses.

Then, they launched continuous attacks from outside in, relentlessly striving to eliminate them.

Using that despicable method to incite their anger, forcing them to fight desperately for revenge while rendering them powerless, the only option left was to lie in wait at the Dragon and Phoenix Bone.

However, this had successfully led them into the opponent's most insidious trap!

In such a nearly enclosed space, they were poisoned!

From the very beginning, they had been led by the nose! Not for a moment had they been able to escape.

Now, if he wanted to protect the Dragon and Phoenix Corpse, the only option left was for them all to die here. Xiao Chenlei firmly believed: although the opponent's strength was far inferior to his own, as long as he did not leave, he would eventually fall into their hands!

This was indisputable!

"Ancestral Patriarch, we have all lived for several thousand years," the eighth grade supreme smiled faintly, displaying an unexpected nonchalance in this life-or-death moment, "In these thousands of years, we have enjoyed everything we could. We have also indulged in what we should not have; every one of us is stained with blood, with millions of lives in our hands."

"We have acted heroically, we have also dominated ruthlessly; we have once slaughtered cities in anger, wiped out clans, and even abducted beautiful women, leaving others without heirs..."

"We have done good deeds, but even more bad deeds. Today is our time to repay, and that is enough!"

"We once plundered wealth with skill, each of us rich enough to rival a nation, and we have each enjoyed the company of thousands of beauties... With our lives reaching this point, we have no regrets."

"Thus, we were already prepared for today's outcome! The martial arts world is like this; once you step out, you will have to repay one day!"

"In today’s battle, we are already poisoned; our only hope lies with the Ancestral Patriarch!" The eighth grade supreme knelt on the ground, saying in a deep voice, "But Jiang Ye is not dead yet. Perhaps there is still hope for our Xiao Clan with him... If we can extract his secrets, the legendary treasure he possesses is no less than the Dragon and Phoenix Bone!"

Xiao Chenlei took a deep breath and could not utter a word.

"We are all doomed anyway; this time we go out to fiercely block them. Ancestral Patriarch, do your best to bring Jiang Ye out and do not linger, do not harbor thoughts of avenging us. Return to the family immediately! That way, even if we die, we can smile in the Nine Springs, after all, we would have some value."

The eighth grade supreme smiled, "It's not a waste to die."

Then, to dispel Xiao Chenlei's final worries, he added, "The Ancestral Patriarch has ninth rank gale energy protecting him and has not been poisoned; we can tell this. It’s just a pity that our descendants are useless... they cannot cultivate ninth rank gale energy..."

Xiao Chenlei's body shook, his eyes turning red.

The eighth grade supreme's eyes also reddened, while the other several seventh rank supremes knelt on the ground, trembling, yet their faces were resolutely determined.