Word Count: 2,841 Words
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Yao Ming pondered Xiao Yan's words, his gaze drifting toward the battlefield above Eastern Dragon Island.
Though Zi Yan was Dragon Emperor, she had ascended to that position only recently. Against her stood three Dragon Kings, one a 4-star Dou Saint and two at late-stage 3-star, all possessing Dragon King-level bloodlines. Working in concert, they held their ground rather effectively.
Moreover, the three Dragon Islands boasted more Dou Saint experts than Eastern Dragon Island. Add the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe to the equation, and the situation could only be described as overwhelmingly unfavorable.
Without Yao Xiaotian and Yao Ce, the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe's strength had plummeted dramatically. Yao Ming was their sole remaining Dou Saint. Joining Eastern Dragon Island's cause would be like tossing a cup of water onto a burning cart; it wouldn't accomplish much.
But Eastern Dragon Island had Xiao Yan!
At first glance, the three Dragon Kings appeared to hold the upper hand. Yet who said Eastern Dragon Island had only one Dragon Emperor?
In Yao Ming's eyes, Eastern Dragon Island had two Dragon Emperors! One male, one female!
"Grandmaster Xiao Yan, what is your current cultivation?" Though Yao Ming had in truth already made his decision, curiosity compelled him to ask.
Xiao Yan smiled faintly, not bothering to hide a thing. "Late-stage 2-star Dou Saint."
Σ⊙▽⊙!!!
Yao Ming sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes going wide. Hadn't he been at the initial stage of 1-star Dou Saint just a year and a half ago?! A mere year and a half had passed, and he'd already leapt to 2-star Dou Saint, late-stage at that?!!
This gamble was worth taking!
"All Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe members, hear my command: assist Eastern Dragon Island!"
"Understood!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Streaks of black light shot onto the battlefield. The Eastern Dragon Island warriors, who had been steadily losing ground, were saved from a complete rout. With this unexpected reinforcement, they began to stabilize their positions.
Southern Dragon Island's First Elder Lie Shan staggered back from Yao Ming's sudden palm strike, fury blazing in his eyes. "Yao Ming, have you lost your mind?!"
Have these Nine Serene Deep Ground Pythons gotten water in their brains?? Just because they're long and serpentine, they think they're dragons?!
"Yao Ming! What are you doing?! Don't forget our agreement!" bellowed Western Dragon Island's First Elder Zhu Mu from the other side, still locked in combat with Eastern Dragon Island's Second Elder.
The three Dragon Islands weren't the only ones baffled by the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe's sudden defection; even Eastern Dragon Island's Elders wore expressions of bewilderment. What's going on? You've been playing double agent this whole time, and now you suddenly want to be the hero?
The corner of Yao Ming's mouth curled into a cold smirk. "I haven't forgotten a thing. Lord Dragon Emperor has just promised that if I help Eastern Dragon Island unify the Dragon Islands, the Ancient Heaven Serpent essence blood will likewise be bestowed upon me. So I've decided to forsake darkness and embrace the light."
His words left the First Elders of the three Dragon Islands stupefied. You're an outsider! What's all this about 'forsaking darkness'? Since when did we become the darkness?
"It's you!" Zhu Mu and the others snapped their gazes toward the mountain peak where Xiao Yan stood. They recalled his spiritual transmission with Yao Ming just moments ago, after which the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe had instantly switched sides!
"Yao Ming, you've truly lost your mind. He's merely some human plaything, yet you treat him like the Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe?!" Lie Shan snarled through gritted teeth. They didn't recognize Xiao Yan. How could they possibly guess that such a young human was a late-stage 2-star Dou Saint?
Yet to their surprise, neither Yao Ming nor Eastern Dragon Island's Elders made any move to correct or deny the claim. Their silence spoke for itself.
After all, if the Dragon Emperor were to choose a consort, it would undoubtedly be Xiao Yan. Round that up, and he was indeed a Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe.
For a moment, even the Three Phoenix Saints of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe found their gazes drawn to the black-robed figure standing quietly atop the mountain peak, hands clasped behind his back. For reasons they couldn't quite explain, though none of them had ever met Xiao Yan, the instant they glimpsed his face, Feng Qing Er's words echoed unbidden in their minds!
"Are you Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance?" Feng Huang, leader of the Three Phoenix Saints, furrowed her brow and asked in a deep voice.
"Precisely." Xiao Yan rose slowly into the air. Since Zi Yan didn't want him facing the three Dragon Kings, he would help guard her tribe members and clear away the external threats instead.
At the mention of 'Yan Alliance,' the Dou Saint Elders of the three Dragon Islands furrowed their brows. Even they, who lived adrift in the void, had heard of the Yan Alliance.
The Yan Alliance now stood on equal footing with the Pill Tower and the Hall of Souls. It was difficult not to know that name.
And 'Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance' had long thundered in their ears.
Even the three Dragon Kings couldn't help but glance toward Xiao Yan, their brows creasing. They had anticipated countless possibilities, yet never imagined that Eastern Dragon Island might be connected to the Yan Alliance!
Xiao Yan flew unhurriedly before the Three Phoenix Saints. "If your Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe is also willing to assist Eastern Dragon Island, then whatever terms the three Dragon Kings offered you, I believe that as a 9th-tier alchemist, I'm fully qualified to match their price."
"A 9th-tier alchemist?!"
The declaration startled even the distant three Dragon Kings still besieging Zi Yan. After all, tier 9 medicinal pills held value even for the likes of them!
The hearts of the Three Phoenix Saints jolted. Kun Huang spoke in a solemn voice, "No wonder Feng Qing Er fears you so deeply. So you're actually a 9th-tier alchemist. It seems the Bodhisattva Heart from the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree has brought you tremendous benefits."
"Unfortunately, what we need is something you cannot provide."
The Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe would never agree. What they wanted wasn't as simple as a single tier 9 pill. They sought the position of overlord among magical beasts. There was absolutely no way they would allow Zi Yan to unify the Dragon Islands.
Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, a ruthless gleam flashing through them. If fighting could be avoided, he naturally preferred that path. Zi Yan held no clear advantage against the three Dragon Kings; the time since she had accepted the inheritance was still too short.
"Is that so... what a pity." Xiao Yan shook his head. What exactly he found pitiable remained unclear.
BOOM!!
The instant his words fell, Xiao Yan released the Spiritual Strength veil masking his aura. Scorching Dou Qi erupted from his body, and a column of blazing flame shot straight into the sky. A thunderous crash rang out as the void sealed by the three Dragon Islands shattered beneath that fiery surge.
"Late-stage 2-star Dou Saint?!"
"Impossible! H-How can you be a 2-star Dou Saint?!"
The aura of a late-stage 2-star Dou Saint exploded outward, tearing the void asunder. Even Feng Huang, foremost of the Three Phoenix Saints and a cultivator of the same realm, was driven stumbling backward by that ferocious pressure.
Never mind the Three Phoenix Saints. Even the three Dragon Kings paused mid-strike and turned to stare at the fully unleashed Xiao Yan, astonishment plain on their faces.
A 9th-tier alchemist at the late stage of 2-star Dou Saint????
More startling still, the aura Xiao Yan unleashed was actually a notch stronger than both Yao Ming and Feng Huang at the same cultivation realm, pressing directly toward the threshold of 3-star Dou Saint!
On this entire battlefield, only the three Dragon Kings possessed 3-star Dou Saint cultivation. A single combatant at that level was enough to shatter the existing balance and grant Eastern Dragon Island, which had been steadily losing ground, a genuine chance at victory!
A whoosh sounded as the Ancient Phoenix Wings unfurled behind Xiao Yan. The Three Thousand Burning Flame coiled around him like an Ancient Void Dragon, simmering with violent intensity. For a breathless moment, it truly appeared as though two Dragon Emperors bearing the Dragon Phoenix bloodline stood upon Eastern Dragon Island!
"I've heard the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe's Three Phoenix Saints, when joining forces, can contend with a 3-star Dou Saint." Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength locked onto the trio in an instant, his tone carrying a hard, steely edge. "I'd like to see if that's true."
Whatever justification the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe claimed, the moment they raised their hands against Eastern Dragon Island, they had crossed his bottom line.
The Three Phoenix Saints saw Xiao Yan looking very much as if he intended to take all three of them on by himself, and battle intent stirred in their hearts. Kun Huang lifted his chin.
"If you want war, this old man will accommodate you! Let's see what makes a human like you so extraordinary!"
His domineering aura surged skyward. As one of the Three Phoenix Saints of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, he was certainly no coward.
The three exchanged a glance and spread out in an instant, each claiming a corner of the sky. Kun Huang let out a deafening shout, and a vast shadowy figure, half Demon Phoenix and half Kun Peng, materialized behind him.
"Kun Huang Leaping Sky Formation!"
The blood-qi of the other two Phoenix Saints converged and poured into the gigantic Divine Peng silhouette. At Kun Huang's piercing cry, the enormous figure leaped skyward, its sheer bulk seeming to crush the firmament.
The Kun Huang soared through the void. Unlike the Ancient Heaven Phoenix with its magnificent plume, its tail resembled a whale's massive fluke. That mountainous tail swung with ferocious force, and a thunderous crack split the air as it lashed down toward Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened as he watched their bloodline strengths link into a formation. His hands came together in a seal, and glazed golden light exploded from his body.
"Vajra Glass Body!"
"Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor!"
A roar echoed through Xiao Yan's mind as his body swelled to ninety-nine feet in an instant, transforming into a towering giant of living glass. A suit of purple-gold Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor materialized around his massive frame, and his thunderous war cry shook the surrounding land.
The Vajra Glass Giant charged headlong toward the incoming tail. Each step shattered the sky beneath him. The sheer power and terrifying physical presence radiating from that colossal form made every face on the battlefield change color.
Was this man truly human?!
His bodily strength was peerless. Xiao Yan's physical body had already crossed into Saint entry level, comparable to a Rank 9 magical beast!
It was universally acknowledged that magical beasts possessed powerful bodies but weaker Spiritual Strength, while humans wielded formidable Dou Qi at the cost of physically inferior bodies. Yet Xiao Yan seemed to have no weaknesses whatsoever. Even his physical form had reached Saint entry level!
BOOM! BOOM!!
The Kun Huang's massive tail came crashing down. Xiao Yan clenched his right fist and drove it straight upward. With a bestial roar, the Three Thousand Burning Flame coiled tightly around his fist. As his punch blasted out, Dragon Fist power erupted, and the Three Thousand Burning Flame spewed from his knuckles like an erupting volcano.
The Dou Qi produced by the High Tian Class Flame Mantra was simply beyond comprehension. If Zi Yan's Dragon Phoenix bloodline represented the absolute ceiling of the magical beast world, then the Dou Qi generated by the High Tian Class Flame Mantra stood as the most powerful among Dou Saints.
Flames roared. Fist force detonated. That single punch proved utterly unstoppable. The gargantuan fist collided with the giant tail, and a shrill, agonized scream tore through the air. The Kun Huang's tail shattered instantly. The massive phantom, seemingly solid just moments before, crumbled like paper beneath Xiao Yan's fist.
Crack!
The Kun Huang silhouette fragmented with ease. Kun Huang, at the formation's head, couldn't withstand the blow at all. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was hurled backward, the violent impact rippling outward to jar the other two Phoenix Saints as well.
Everyone drew a sharp breath. Even Eastern Dragon Island's own warriors stood gaping.
"Grandmaster Xiao Yan... it's only been a few years since we last saw him! And he shattered the Three Phoenix Saints' bloodline formation with a single punch?!" Hei Qing was thoroughly stunned. Xiao Yan was barely thirty-one years old. Even counting from the womb, that was only some thirty years of cultivation. How could his strength have risen so rapidly?!
"Heavens... is he truly human?!"
"How can such a terrifying person exist on Eastern Dragon Island?!"
The Elders from the three Dragon Islands watched with drastically shifting expressions. This display had completely shattered their original projections!
"Three Phoenix Saints? You still aren't enough." The glazed giant that Xiao Yan had become looked down at them. His voice rolled like thunder.
A formation of two 1-star Dou Saints and one late-stage 2-star Dou Saint could at best barely contend with weaker 3-star Dou Saints. Compared to him, they fell far short. He hadn't even activated his Grade 9 Clan Mark, let alone employed any High Tian Class Dou Techniques. Everything so far had been mere Low Tian Class techniques.
In the end, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe amounted to only this much. They were no match for the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe; the gap in true strength was immense.
"Let me handle this! Summon the Ancestral Soul!" Feng Huang, the strongest among them, strode to the fore. Her hands flashed through a sequence of seals, calling forth the Ancestral Soul.
A Demon Phoenix Holy Statue materialized in the air, its form closely resembling the Ancient Heaven Phoenix. Unlike the Heaven Demon Phoenixes, however, five long tail flames burned at its rear. Those five-colored Phoenix Clan tail flames lent it an air of even greater solemnity and nobility.
The Demon Phoenix Holy Statue enveloped the Three Phoenix Saints within its luminous form. All three activated a secret technique simultaneously. Threads of bloodline strength surged from their bodies and streamed into the statue, making it appear increasingly like a living, breathing magical beast.
The gigantic Demon Phoenix's power had reached the true 3-star Dou Saint level, yet Xiao Yan remained utterly unimpressed. A faint smile curled his lips.
"In the end, you still can't quite make it onto the grand stage."
"Yellow Spring Finger!"
Xiao Yan gathered Dou Qi in his left hand and thrust a single finger toward the enormous Demon Phoenix. Though merely a Low Tian Class Dou Technique, he had by now completely refined the Bodhisattva Heart, the crystallization of the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree's thousand years of accumulated wisdom. This refinement had multiplied his comprehension of Dou Techniques many times over.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
A massive yellow Dou Qi finger crashed toward the Demon Phoenix.
Yellow Spring Finger, severing life and death!
The Three Phoenix Saints felt the terrifying power within that Yellow Spring Finger and dared not lower their guard for even an instant. Their hands shifted in perfect unison, forming identical seals.
"Demon Phoenix Bell!"
A sharp bird cry pierced the air. With a resonant hum, the enormous wings of the Demon Phoenix Holy Statue erupted in billowing flames. Those vast demon wings folded inward like two colossal doors slamming shut, as if severing time and space itself, and transformed into a gigantic bell that wrapped protectively around the trio.
CLANG!!!!!
Xiao Yan's Yellow Spring Finger struck the Demon Phoenix Bell like a massive battering ram, setting off a tremendous vibration that unleashed violent shockwaves of sound.
The sonic blast ravaged every corner of Eastern Dragon Island. Even in the void beyond the island, that deep, rolling toll could be heard.
The Demon Phoenix Bell had blocked Xiao Yan's Tian Class Dou Technique, but before the Three Phoenix Saints could even begin to feel relieved, his hand seals were already shifting.
The Yellow Spring Three Forms were never meant to be used separately. They formed a chained sequence, each form building upon and surpassing the last. It was only because Yao Xiaotian and the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe had been unable to master Yellow Spring Divine Anger, and struggled even with Yellow Spring Palm, that they had resorted to using the forms independently.
"Now take another move of mine!"
"Yellow Spring Palm, One Palm Suppresses the Nine Serenities!"
Xiao Yan thrust his palm forward. The Dou Qi within his body plummeted sharply. An Intermediate Tian Class Dou Technique was not something even the three Dragon Kings could afford to take lightly!