Chapter 249: Escape to Freedom

Creak!

At this crucial final moment, just as the formation's core energy reached its peak, a crack appeared on Xu Yang's Yin-Yang Dao Diagram above his head!

That crack was a product of Xu Yang's mental and life force pushed to their limits. If the Yin-Yang Dao Diagram were to shatter, not only would everyone lose all hope of survival, but it would also mean Xu Yang's soul would be utterly annihilated into nothingness.

In a sense, this Yin-Yang Dao Diagram had already become the embodiment of Xu Yang's soul.

"Ah Yang!!"

The Empress cried out in pain. Seeing the crack above his head, tears welled up in her eyes. It had been countless years since the Empress had shed a single tear.

But this time, facing everything this man was enduring, the Empress was in extreme agony.

"No!!"

Finally, the Empress made a move that utterly shocked everyone!

Suddenly, she tapped her glabella, and a brilliant azure soul light instantly erupted from her entire body!

"Master, no!!"

The five young women from the Cold Moon Empire seemed to understand what the Empress was about to do. Even Bai Lianxue, Ling Yao, and the others were utterly stunned by the Empress's actions at this moment.

This foolish girl actually intended to burn her own soul to protect Xu Yang through this final challenge.

"Ah Xue, no!!"

Xu Yang's pupils suddenly dilated, and he cried out desperately, but in the end, it was too late to stop her...

In an instant, as the azure soul power reached its peak, a shattering sound echoed. The Soul-Suppressing Ring Xu Yang had given the Empress, located in her mind, crumbled. Her guardian beast, the Blackflame Titan, let out a roar, suddenly flew out of the Yin-Yang Dao Diagram, and used its body to block the final wave of destructive power erupting from the formation's core.

Rumble...

"Ughhh!!!"

Xu Yang's hair flew wildly as he roared to the heavens, a hysterical bellow like a dragon's cry from the highest heavens. The entire ocean seemed to be completely enveloped by this sound wave!

In the depths of the East Sea, countless sea beasts trembled repeatedly, and all living creatures instinctively prostrated themselves towards the source of the sound.

The moment the sound wave erupted was also the exact moment the Blackflame Titan was annihilated. The Yin-Yang Dao Diagram finally awakened, and under Xu Yang's desperate urging, it broke free from the True Dragon Domain's restraints. From the ruins at the end of the deep sea, it surged upwards towards the deep blue at the surface.

The violently surging, boundless energy, like an elevator plummeting from ten thousand meters, irresistibly shot upwards from the deepest part of the seabed towards the ocean surface.

Xu Yang spearheaded the entire process. His Yin-Yang Dao Diagram, as the sole protective barrier for everyone, naturally bore the immense and relentless pressure of the seawater.

The only comfort was that without the seemingly endless power spewing from the terrifying formation core beneath them, the pressure Xu Yang endured remained at its peak, rather than endlessly increasing as it had before, threatening to shatter his soul.

Of course, it was unknown whether Xu Yang could have survived the final phase without the Empress's almost suicidal assistance just now.

At this moment, the Empress lay unconscious in Xu Yang's arms, enveloped in the golden light at the center of the Dao Diagram. No one knew her exact condition.

Xu Yang, under the impact of this immense pressure, continuously coughed up blood.

The sight of the two of them in this state, witnessed by the rescued individuals below who were covered by the Dao light, deeply shocked everyone's hearts!

"I never imagined… the Empress's devotion to Boss Xu Yang could be so profound and selfless. I believe her desperate, self-sacrificing act just now wasn't merely to protect her disciples. With the Blackflame Titan, she might have survived even if we all died, yet she chose to sacrifice herself without hesitation… I sincerely hope Boss understands the depth of this sentiment!”

Long Kun sighed with emotion, a sentiment that greatly moved Ling Qingshu, Ling Yao, and the others beside him.

Ling Qingshu admired Xu Yang, but like Long Kun, her feelings for her ancestor were more of awe and reverence. She had never truly envisioned a future where she would stay by his side and wander the world with him.

As for Ling Yao, that girl had only harbored an initial, vague affection for Xu Yang. Even with her fondness, she wasn't good at expressing herself and certainly couldn't act with the same reckless abandon the Empress had just displayed.

Among the women present, Bai Lianxue was likely the only one whose feelings for Xu Yang could rival the Empress's. At this moment, her emotions were quite complex.

Looking at the Empress, who lay in Xu Yang's arms with her eyes closed, she noticed a faint smile gracing the Empress's lips. Even if she truly never woke up again, she must have been happy.

At this moment, Bai Lianxue actually began to envy the Empress. She even wished it were herself lying in Xu Yang's arms.

Unfortunately, her strength was insufficient; otherwise, she would have undoubtedly made the same choice as the Empress in that critical moment.

Time flowed by, second by second. With each passing moment, everyone could feel the terrifying power emanating from the Yin-Yang Dao Diagram.

For over a minute, as the Yin-Yang Dao Diagram ascended through the ten-thousand-meter depths of the East Sea with an almost distorted speed, it gradually began to slow down.

They ascended beyond the pervasive seawater. The first clear rays of sunlight pierced the sky, illuminating their faces and once again lighting up the calm surface of the East Sea. Only then did everyone finally let out a sigh of relief.

A gush of blood!

They landed in the center of a nearby island in the East Sea. The moment everyone touched down, Xu Yang violently spat out a large mouthful of blood and finally collapsed into unconsciousness, still holding the Empress.

"Boss!!"

"Your Majesty!"

...

As everyone gathered in a circle, about to do something, they saw the Dao Heart Whisk. It seemed to possess a life of its own, floating lightly before Xu Yang and the Empress, hovering above their bodies and emitting a faint golden glow.

Roar...

In an instant, the sound of a true dragon's roar emerged!

Everyone felt a momentary daze as a hundred-meter-long, aquamarine dragon soul materialized before them!

More precisely, it condensed and emerged from within the Dao Heart Whisk itself, truly astonishing everyone!

"How many years has it been… I never thought this venerable one would live to witness such a miracle!”

The giant dragon's opening remark left the dozen or so people present bewildered. However, due to the awe-inspiring power of the Dragon race, no one dared to speak rashly.

“This human cultivator possesses a unique and unparalleled cultivation method, paving a path unseen before! You may know that in terms of cultivation realm, he is merely a Qi Condensation stage cultivator, yet within him lies a vast ocean of spiritual power far greater than even the most supreme experts of the Tribulation Transcension stage! Otherwise, the power of the formation core you just experienced in the Dragon Slaying Battlefield would have long since utterly torn him apart. That power could eradicate anyone below the Peak Tribulation Transcension stage.”

"What?!"

After the dragon soul finished speaking, everyone was nearly petrified on the spot.

Peak Tribulation Transcension stage—what kind of concept was that? It was undoubtedly among the very few individuals standing at the absolute pinnacle of the continent.

Everyone knew Xu Yang was strong, but who could have imagined he was this powerful?