Chapter 654: Heavenly Sovereign Summoning

Those strong individuals kneeling on the ground could hardly believe their eyes as they looked at the young figure.

In their eyes, someone they thought they could easily crush at will had suddenly transformed into a Heavenly Sovereign. The shock and terror they felt were beyond what outsiders could comprehend.

In the sky, Sage Zi Yun and the others, who were barely holding on, turned deathly pale at the thought of daring to attack a Heavenly Sovereign. Cold sweat cascaded down their faces like waterfalls.

Although they claimed to be only half a step away from reaching the Heavenly Sovereign stage themselves, they were acutely aware of how many years it had been since they had been unable to take that final half step.

Precisely because they were so close to becoming Heavenly Sovereigns, they understood all too well the terrifying might of one. For the other party, dealing with them might be as easy as crushing an ant.

Gulp.

"Patriarch..."

Sage Zi Yun swallowed hard and was about to beg for mercy and mention Sage Zi Qi as his backing, hoping the other party would spare his life out of respect for another Heavenly Sovereign.

However, just as he uttered two words, he was interrupted by a low roar. Sage Zi Yun, fearing that his delay in pleading might get him killed, turned angrily towards the source of the roar.

He saw Huo Mo, eyes wide with fury, holding a fiery red jade pendant reverently. Huo Mo bit his tongue and spat a mouthful of blood onto the pendant.

"Ancestor, save me!"

Buzz.

As the blood touched the pendant, it suddenly erupted with a sky-covering fiery light. Within that light, an extreme and terrifying aura spread, one that seemed to dominate everything.

'Another Heavenly Sovereign's aura! Has this young fool lost his mind?! Starting a Heavenly Sovereign battle could kill us just from the aftermath!'

Sage Zi Yun cursed inwardly, knowing without a doubt that Huo Mo was summoning Ancestor Huo Ling. Ancestor Huo Ling had been a Heavenly Sovereign for tens of thousands of years, far surpassing an ordinary Heavenly Sovereign, but it was impossible for him to descend personally in such a situation.

At most, it would be an Avatar, and what could an Avatar do against the true body of a Heavenly Sovereign?

If Heavenly Sovereigns fought, the entire Merchant Continent would be shattered. Could Ancestor Huo Ling protect him in such a scenario?

Not a chance.

Moreover, in the time it took for Ancestor Huo Ling to descend, that young Heavenly Sovereign could easily crush him, possibly killing all of them in the process.

With this in mind, Sage Zi Yun caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye. Sure enough, he saw the young Heavenly Sovereign's brow furrow slightly, and then felt an oppressive force several times stronger than before sweeping over them.

'This damned fool is going to get us all killed!' Sage Zi Yun let out an inner roar. Unable to stand it any longer, he and the others fell from the sky like birds with broken wings, crashing to the ground and leaving craters several dozen meters wide.

Thud!

Sage Zi Yun and the others, who were at the Quasi-Heavenly Sovereign Stage, saw stars from the fall but were otherwise unharmed.

Huo Mo, on the other hand, lacked their strength and was beyond Old Yan's protection at this moment. Under the immense pressure, his limbs twisted, blood spurted from his ears and nose, and he let out piercing screams of agony.

Xiao Ming remained indifferent to the plight of these people, his gaze fixed intently on the fiery red jade pendant.

Beside him, Qing Yanjing quietly stepped forward and said in a low voice, "As far as I know, Ancestor Huo Ling has been a Heavenly Sovereign for ten thousand years and is now at least at the Immortal Grade. That's why Sage Zi Yun and the others were so worried about Huo Mo's threats. The Heavenly Sovereigns backing them are only at the Spirit Grade."

Xiao Ming nodded calmly. "If Ancestor Huo Ling descends in person, it might be troublesome. But an Avatar is not much of a threat. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."

Qing Yanjing was stunned, then smiled sweetly. "I believe you."

Her radiant smile could light up anyone's eyes, evoking an irresistible urge to pull her into a tight embrace.

Xiao Ming also smiled, then lifted his head, squinting slightly as he looked at the fiery red jade pendant. Firelight spread from it, and eventually, a red figure gradually condensed.

In the sky, the fiery red figure stood with his hands behind his back. His red hair blazed like flames, and although he appeared old, his eyes held endless wisdom, and his skin was as smooth as a baby's.

Naturally, the immense, majestic aura that radiated from him matched his status perfectly.

Those strong individuals who had been thrown to the ground or were kneeling felt this immense pressure and trembled, wishing they could strangle Huo Mo.

A supreme being like a Heavenly Sovereign wouldn't bother with small fry like them. They might have been released after a few kowtows earlier. But now that another Heavenly Sovereign had been summoned, if a fight broke out, they would be utterly doomed.

Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets. Xiao Ming had already given them a chance that they failed to take. Now they would have to reap the bitter fruit of their choices.

Lack of strength meant not being able to truly control one's own destiny.

As soon as the figure appeared, his gaze turned to Huo Mo, and a thunderous voice echoed across the land.

"Who did this?!"

Huo Mo was almost unconscious from the pressure and was unable to respond. Seeing this, Old Yan had no choice but to shout, "Reporting to the Ancestor, it was that Heavenly Sovereign across from us!"

"Hmm?" Ancestor Huo Ling had actually noticed Xiao Ming and sensed that the matter was related to him. After all, the terrifying Heavenly Sovereign pressure of the other party could not be ignored, but he still needed to be sure.

Upon receiving the affirmative answer, Ancestor Huo Ling paused, suppressing his shock and anger as he looked towards Xiao Ming.

After scrutinizing him carefully, Ancestor Huo Ling formed a preliminary impression: young, powerful, vibrant, and someone he did not recognize.

"This old man is Ancestor Huo Ling. May I know your name?" Realizing the gravity of the situation, Ancestor Huo Ling frowned and spoke in a loud voice.

"Heavenly Emperor, Xiao Ming."

Xiao Ming wore a slightly lazy smile in contrast to Ancestor Huo Ling's seriousness.

Heavenly Emperor?

The imposing title made Ancestor Huo Ling think of the ancient Heavenly Emperor at first. However, he quickly dismissed the thought. This person was so young, he couldn't possibly be the ancient Heavenly Emperor. It must be a coincidence, as it wasn't uncommon for names to overlap in the vast Great Thousand World.

"So it is the Heavenly Emperor. May I ask how this clan member of mine offended the Heavenly Emperor to deserve such a heavy hand?"

'Heavy hand?'

Xiao Ming showed little interest in explaining. The fact that he hadn't slapped everyone to death was already a sign of his good temper. What he had done was merely a small punishment.

Ancestor Huo Ling saw that Xiao Ming did not give him a face and looked somewhat dissatisfied. Therefore, he could only look at Old Yan. Based on the latter's explanation, it did not take long for Ancestor Huo Ling to grasp the full story.

"Such an unfilial descendant, relying on a bit of talent and strong backing to act recklessly!"

After understanding the situation, Ancestor Huo Ling felt an intense urge to slap Huo Mo. What a blind idiot! Of all the people he could have robbed, he had to choose a Heavenly Sovereign!

If it weren't for the fact that the Fire Spirit Clan had been in decline for years, with all the other Heavenly Sovereigns perishing except him, and the need to nurture the younger generation and maintain the clan's reputation, he really wouldn't want to deal with such an embarrassing matter.