Word Count: 3,010 Words
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Yellow Spring Finger—one finger severs life and death.
Yellow Spring Palm—one palm suppresses the Nine Serenities.
Yellow Spring Divine Anger—one roar shatters the Divine Soul!
These were the three legendary forms created by the Yellow Spring Demon Saint. Rumor had it that after their creation, no opponent of equal realm had ever withstood all three in succession. Once the third form fell, there would be no survivors.
Xiao Yan barely lifted his eyelids at the Three Phoenix Saints. He couldn't even be bothered to spare them a proper glance. The instant the Yellow Spring Finger struck, his palm was already descending in absolute suppression. A colossal yellow hand dropped from the sky.
A thunderous boom erupted as the Yellow Spring Palm materialized, instantly unleashing a boundless tidal surge of power. The giant hand came crashing down, smashing straight into the titanic Demon Phoenix Bell.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!
A rapid series of cracking sounds rang out. Like crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood, the enormous Demon Phoenix Bell fractured again and again under the might of Xiao Yan's Intermediate Tian Class Dou Technique. It simply couldn't withstand the impact of that giant palm.
Chirp! Chirp!
A deafening boom followed. The giant palm shattered the Demon Phoenix Bell completely before slamming down onto the body of the Demon Phoenix Holy Statue, crushing the Three Phoenix Saints beneath its massive weight. In an instant, all three were flattened under the descending hand.
BOOM!
The Yellow Spring Palm hammered into the void, the collision stamping a colossal palm print into the empty space!
Silence descended upon the area. Warriors of the four Dragon Islands, members of the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, and Rank 8 experts of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe alike stood frozen by what they had witnessed. Countless mouths hung open, yet no sound emerged for a long time.
The Three Phoenix Saints, working together within their formation, should have been able to contend with a 3-star Dou Saint! Yet Xiao Yan, merely at the late stage of 2-star Dou Saint, had casually pinned them into the void with a single palm?!
One strike to swat them away. Wasn't that far too domineering?!
"He beat the Three Phoenix Saints... in just three moves?!"
"You say three moves, but it felt like just that one palm."
"Holy crap, Grandmaster Xiao Yan's combat strength is terrifying! The Three Phoenix Saints together don't even come close to matching him!"
"Eastern Dragon Island is saved!"
An ordinary late-stage 2-star Dou Saint could never defeat a 3-star Dou Saint. Xiao Yan, however, had swatted the Three Phoenix Saints as casually as one would swat flies.
That single move gave many observers an illusion: compared to Xiao Yan, the Three Phoenix Saints no longer resembled the mighty descendants of the Ancient Heaven Phoenix, but three buzzing flies. The Yellow Spring Palm was a massive flyswatter, and as it slammed down, one could well imagine just how utterly those 'flies' had failed to withstand it.
Xiao Yan rose slowly into the air, drifting toward the void battlefield where Zi Yan and the three Dragon Kings clashed. The three Dragon Kings' eyes turned ice-cold the moment he arrived.
"Xiao Yan, you actually dare ruin our great undertaking!" the Northern Dragon King snarled through gritted teeth, his gaze dark and turbulent as a storm cloud.
This was the outcome he had least expected. He had plotted for so long and calculated so carefully, yet had completely overlooked Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance!
Who could have imagined that of the two helpers he had gone to such lengths to recruit, one would be persuaded to defect by Xiao Yan and the other crushed beneath his palm? This kind of power was something even the three Dragon Kings had no choice but to treat with utmost seriousness!
A resounding crash echoed through the void as Zi Yan's long spear swept out like a roaring fury dragon. The weapon carved a dazzling arc through the darkness before smashing apart the Dou Techniques of the Southern and Western Dragon Kings. She used the momentum to pull back and widen the distance, her beautiful eyes turning toward Xiao Yan with surprise glimmering in their depths.
She hadn't expected his combat strength to reach such an absurd level!
Under normal circumstances, the gap between a late-stage 2-star Dou Saint and a 3-star Dou Saint was as vast as a heavenly chasm, impossible to bridge. After all, a 2-star Dou Saint typically cultivated only Low Tian Class Qi Methods and Dou Techniques.
Yet the combat power Xiao Yan had erupted with already faintly rivaled that of the late-stage 3-star Dou Saint Southern Dragon King!
The Dragon King bloodline of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe was roughly equivalent to an Intermediate Tian Class Qi Method. Within the same realm, that alone made them incomparably strong. It just so happened that Xiao Yan cultivated the High Tian Class Flame Mantra, which stood a full tier above!
"You should have a killing move, right?" Xiao Yan asked through spiritual transmission.
Among magical beast tribes, bloodline reigned supreme. Beast Techniques required not only Dou Qi but also bloodline strength, and bloodline strength was everything. Xiao Yan refused to believe Zi Yan had no ultimate trump card.
Zi Yan's fine brows knit slightly. Her reply sounded directly in his mind. "The Dragon Emperor inheritance of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe does contain a move called Dragon Slaying Sword. It's equivalent to a High Tian Class Dou Technique, an absolute killing blow against Ancient Void Dragons with inferior bloodlines. They cannot defend against it. But executing the Dragon Slaying Sword requires the strength of a 6-star Dou Saint."
She paused, then continued, "Even though my Dragon Phoenix bloodline is stronger than a normal Dragon Emperor's, I still need ten minutes to accumulate enough power."
"Ten minutes is nothing. Focus on your buildup. I'll handle them," Xiao Yan replied simply.
Three sharp booms rang out as the Yellow Spring Palm suppressing the void shattered apart. The Three Phoenix Saints burst free and rose to take their positions beside the three Dragon Kings. Kun Huang and Ying Huang, both only 1-star Dou Saints, had blood trickling from the corners of their lips. They glared at Xiao Yan with fury burning in their eyes.
None of them could have imagined that a human would possess such terrifying strength, defeating all three of them in just three exchanges!
Feng Huang's brows were locked together tightly. The image of Feng Qing Er kept replaying in her mind, along with the warning she had once given:
No matter what, do not participate in an assault on Eastern Dragon Island. Otherwise, it will bring fatal disaster upon us, perhaps even ruin beyond recovery for the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe.
At the time, Feng Huang had dismissed it. In her eyes, Feng Qing Er simply didn't understand the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe's situation. A mere Yan Alliance could never threaten their race. The Ancient Void Dragon Tribe was the real problem.
Looking at Xiao Yan now, she finally understood.
Feng Qing Er had feared this man more than she feared the new Dragon Emperor, and with good reason! This person was a great terror!
With Xiao Yan here, the new Dragon Emperor's unification of the Dragon Islands was all but guaranteed. Even if Huang Tian emerged from seclusion, he might not be able to stop it!
It felt as if they had done something that could never be undone!
"One, two, three, four, five, six." Xiao Yan's gaze swept across the gathered enemies. "All six of you, come at once."
…!!?
The moment those words left his mouth, not only did the Three Phoenix Saints' expressions shift dramatically, but even the three Dragon Kings' faces darkened!
With that single line, Xiao Yan had offended all six of them at once!
He simply hadn't put either the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe or the three Dragon Islands in his eyes!
A cold light flared in the three Dragon Kings' gazes. The crown-wearing Southern Dragon King let out a frigid laugh. "A mere human boy who's mastered a single Intermediate Tian Class Dou Technique actually dares speak so brazenly?!"
The Western Dragon King's eyes gleamed with killing intent. "We carry the Dragon King bloodline of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, and you dare mention us in the same breath as that Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe? Do you take yourself for a Dou God?! A late-stage 2-star Dou Saint... this old man could pinch you to death as easily as crushing an ant!"
Although the Western Dragon King's words displeased the Heaven Demon Phoenix members, none of them refuted him. For magical beasts, bloodline was equivalent to the Qi Methods that humans cultivated. In that regard, the three Dragon Kings stood far above the Three Phoenix Saints.
The Northern Dragon King, clad in dragon robes and the strongest of the three, said nothing. He merely stared at Xiao Yan, his gaze unblinking and fixed.
"A Dou God? Of course I'm not." Xiao Yan's voice was indifferent. "But as for a Dou God Bloodline... that, I do have."
Buzz!
A seven-colored divine radiance suddenly flared. A seven-colored Clan Mark surfaced upon Xiao Yan's forehead. Hei Qing in the distance couldn't hold back a cry. "That...!! That's identical to Xiao Xuan's! That's the Xiao Clan's Clan Mark!"
"A Divine Grade Clan Mark!!!" Even the Northern Dragon King, who had stayed silent until now, finally lost his composure. He recognized the Xiao Clan's Clan Mark and understood the grading system behind such seals all too well. What Xiao Yan bore on his brow was unmistakably a Divine Grade Clan Mark!
But that made no sense. Hadn't the Xiao Clan long since been destroyed? Where had a Divine Grade Mark come from?!
Xiao Yan's cultivation began to climb. The Xiao Clan's Clan Mark inherently provided a massive boost to one's Dou Qi cultivation. Yet it wasn't only his Dou Qi that rose; his Spiritual Strength surged wildly as well.
"3-star Dou Saint... early 3-star... intermediate 3-star!!" Under the stunned gazes of the surrounding experts, Xiao Yan's cultivation had shot up by a full star in a single breath after activating the Clan Mark!
This alone proved just how powerful the Xiao Clan's Divine Grade Clan Mark truly was, capable of raising even a 2-star Dou Saint by an entire rank!
But he was not done. One must remember: Xiao Yan possessed two Clan Marks!
The Xiao Clan's mark elevated Dou Qi cultivation. The Hun Clan's mark elevated Spiritual Strength!!
His Spiritual Strength rocketed upward, slamming straight into its absolute limit. Perfected Heavenly State!!
"Yellow Spring Three Forms, final form—Yellow Spring Divine Anger!!"
Xiao Yan's hand seals flickered like lightning. The Spiritual Strength at his brow surged outward in a violent torrent. In an instant, a towering three-faced Asura Soul Silhouette materialized and wrapped his body completely within it.
The Asura silhouette was incomparably solid, as though it were a living entity. After thoroughly refining the Bodhisattva Heart, even the third face had fully taken shape. As his hand seals locked into place, all three Asura mouths opened at once, and a terrifying, alien vibration erupted from those gaping maws like a storm unleashed!
All of this took long to describe, but in reality it unfolded in a single heartbeat.
A low, resonant syllable rumbled from the Asura's three throats:
Mou—
When it came to dealing with magical beasts, the Tenth Tianzun had always had his methods!
Strike first. Seize the initiative!
His opening move was Perfected Heavenly State Spiritual Strength combined with the High Tian Class Dou Technique, Yellow Spring Divine Anger!
The moment that strange syllable boomed outward from the Asura Soul giant, the entire world seemed to freeze. A heartbeat later, the faces of the three Dragon Kings and the Three Phoenix Saints turned stark white!
"Perfected... Perfected Heavenly State Spiritual Strength?!!!"
"It's a soul attack Dou Technique! Careful!"
"Defend!!"
Even the Northern Dragon King's face was flooded with terror and disbelief. He could never have imagined that Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength could reach the Perfected Heavenly State, let alone that he would possess Yellow Spring Divine Anger!
The Ancient Void Dragons' bodies were unimaginably tough, but at the end of the day they were still magical beasts. And Spiritual Strength had always been the weak point of magical beast elites.
BOOM!
This was no mere sound. When Xiao Yan unleashed Yellow Spring Divine Anger, the shockwave blasted outward like a crazed tsunami. Terrifying soundwaves swept across Eastern Dragon Island, annihilating everything they touched. Towering mountain peaks shattered instantly, crumbling into fine powder with a single pass.
The void that the three Dragon Islands had sealed was shattered completely. Not just the seal. Space itself was fractured and blown apart.
That single roar of Yellow Spring Divine Anger didn't merely shake the sky. It ripped through the island like a physical storm, tore mountains from their roots, and turned the surrounding void into a web of shattered cracks.
Another thunderous boom erupted as space cracked open under the impact, blossoming outward like dazzling fireworks in the depths of night!
Roar! Roar! Roar!!
The three Dragon Kings reverted instantly to their true forms. Dragon King bloodlines boiled as they summoned Ancestral Dragon Strength, pushing their bodies into their most powerful states. Pride was no longer a luxury they could afford. Ancestral Dragon Strength erupted as they exiled themselves into the depths of the void, hoping to dodge Yellow Spring Divine Anger by hiding within space itself.
But the three Dragon Kings had clearly underestimated it. Yellow Spring Divine Anger was the Yellow Spring Demon Saint's most powerful Dou Technique. It disregarded all defenses. Naturally, not even the void could bar its passage!
Pu! Pu! Pu!!
Even with Ancestral Dragon Strength erupting at full force, the three Dragon Kings were still struck by Xiao Yan's Yellow Spring Divine Anger. Dragon scales tore apart. Dragon blood sprayed wildly. Deep within those enormous bodies, their souls were wounded.
If even the three Dragon Kings couldn't withstand the full might of Xiao Yan's Yellow Spring Divine Anger, there was no need to even mention the Three Phoenix Saints.
Yellow Spring Anger—shattering the Divine Soul!
Kun Huang and Ying Huang, mere 1-star Dou Saints, had no chance at all. A thunderous blast rang out, and they were blown apart into twin clouds of blood mist. Their very souls were annihilated so thoroughly that not even a Tier 9 Golden Pill could have saved them.
In an instant, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe's Three Phoenix Saints had been reduced to one.
Feng Huang, the strongest of the three, relied entirely on her late-stage 2-star Dou Saint cultivation and fierce Dou Qi to take the blow head-on. Even so, Yellow Spring Divine Anger sent her tumbling backward, coughing blood. Blood vessels ruptured across her body as she was beaten back into her original phoenix form.
The soul shock came fast and faded even faster. After the three Dragon Kings each spat a mouthful of dragon blood, the power of Yellow Spring Divine Anger at last dissipated.
The Western Dragon King and Southern Dragon King's faces had gone ghost-white. A constant, sawing pain tore through their minds as if blades were grinding against bone, filling them with the maddening urge to rip their own skulls open. Their bodies were raked with wounds, blood pouring freely, and they found themselves utterly unable to mobilize their Dou Qi.
Had they not possessed Dragon King bloodlines and long ago completed the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe's Dragon King inheritance, allowing them to use Ancestral Dragon Strength to protect their bodies, the Perfected Heavenly State Yellow Spring Divine Anger would not have let them off with mere blood-vomiting.
"Little bastard, I'll tear you apart alive!"
Even the Northern Dragon King, with the highest cultivation of the three, spewed fresh blood. His bloodline churned violently within him, and his entire frame trembled uncontrollably. He glared at Xiao Yan nearby with an expression twisted and ferocious, eyes flooded with savage killing intent.
But after fully activating both Clan Marks and unleashing Yellow Spring Divine Anger, Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength and Dou Qi reserves were both heavily depleted. His base cultivation was still what it was: only 2-star Dou Saint. The cost of that single strike had been enormous.
Even so, just one blow had inflicted no small measure of soul damage upon all three Dragon Kings.
Three enormous dragons coiled within the shattered void, each stretching thousands of feet long. An oppressively dense dragon might suffused the space. Venomous roars rolled like thunder through the fractured expanse, echoing far into the distance.
Standing before those three colossal dragons, Xiao Yan looked as small and insignificant as an ant. Yet even facing the Dragon Kings in their true forms, he showed not the slightest hint of fear.
"Let me see for myself just how strong the Ancestral Dragon Strength of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe's Dragon Kings really is!"
Xiao Yan once again transformed into the Vajra Glass Body and donned the Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor. Empowered by the force of two Dou God Bloodline Clan Marks, he charged headlong against a power that only those of Dragon King-level bloodlines and above could wield: Ancestral Dragon Strength!
"Human, you're courting death!"
"The one dying is you!" Xiao Yan roared. His two massive hands, each like mountain peaks, clamped around the Southern Dragon King's body. An earth-shaking crash rang out as he heaved the dragon up and hurled it away, smashing its titanic form straight into Eastern Dragon Island's protective barrier.
But a claw swipe from the Western Dragon King sent Xiao Yan reeling, forcing him back step after step. Had it not been for the Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor and the Vajra Glass Body, that single blow would have inflicted no light injuries.
"Octane Blast!"
"Vajra Glass Fist!"
The glazed giant that Xiao Yan had become drove his fist straight into the Western Dragon King's face, shattering dragon scales to pieces.