A scarlet radiance erupted from deep within the Empty Realm. The stench of blood surged outward, thick enough to choke even those ten thousand feet away.
At its source lay a massive floating island. Its surface was dyed entirely in crimson, as though soaked in an endless sea of blood, radiating a sinister and oppressive aura.
Above the island's skies, countless figures hovered, encircling it in a tight net. None dared step forward, yet none retreated. Their faces carried a mixture of fear, fury, and gloom as their eyes burned toward the dragon island below.
"Dragon Transforming Demon Formation!"
A white-haired elder's voice thundered, trembling with both shock and rage. "That bastard Northern Dragon King! The Dragon Transforming Demon Formation was a forbidden art of our ancient clan, destroyed thousands of years ago. How could he possibly wield it!?"
The other elders who had gathered fell silent the moment the white-haired elder's roar echoed. Among them stood another elder, his long white hair marked by two distinct black streaks.
If Xiao Hua had been present, he would have immediately recognized him—Elder Zhu Li. Moreover, every figure here wore the same purple-coloured robes, a sign that all of them belonged to the Eastern Dragon Island.
"The one who mastered this secret art of the Ancient Dragon Tribe was none other than the Northern Dragon King's great-grandfather," Zhu Li finally spoke, his voice low, heavy with unease. "The Dragon Transforming Demon Formation was also destroyed by his hand. Yet… who can say with certainty that he did not keep it hidden in secret?"
The elders' expressions darkened.
The Dragon Transforming Demon Formation was one of the most sinister forbidden techniques of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. It had been devised by an incomparably powerful ancestor in ancient times. Once deployed, everyone within the formation—aside from its core master—would be reduced to nothing more than pools of blood.
Their very essence would be devoured and absorbed by the one at the center, allowing that person's strength to skyrocket in a terrifying manner. It was a method drenched in cruelty, branded as taboo, and ordered destroyed.
No one could have imagined that the Northern Dragon King had preserved it—much less dared to activate it.
What truly made their scalps go numb, however, was the scale of his madness. This lunatic had not confined the formation to a battlefield… he had cast it over the entirety of Northern Dragon Island itself.
One had to know—the island was crowded with experts from all three great dragon islands due to their alliance. In an instant, countless of them were reduced to rivers of blood, their life force devoured by the Northern Dragon King as he stood at the formation's core, his aura surging with every breath.
After devouring countless members of his own tribe, the strength of the Northern Dragon King had already risen to a terrifying level.
"Who would have thought the Northern Dragon King would resort to such madness after being crushed by the Dragon Empress before…" Zhu Li muttered, his voice heavy, his heart filled with unease at such insanity.
With Xiao Hua's aid and the medicinal pills he provided, Zi Yan had not merely advanced to a 4-Star Dou Sheng, but directly broken through to the intermediate 5-Star realm. At that level, she had personally fought the three dragon kings when they dared to invade her Eastern Dragon Island months ago—effortlessly suppressing them with overwhelming might.
Naturally, she recovered swiftly afterward, and with the backing of her tribe, she took the initiative to invade the three dragon islands in turn. No one, however, could have foreseen that the Northern Dragon King would cast aside all reason, plunging into a blood-soaked madness and igniting the forbidden Dragon Transforming Demon Formation.
"Ha ha ha! Naïve girl!" The Northern Dragon King's wild laughter reverberated through the bloody sky, his voice filled with boundless arrogance.
"This king once intended to spare you, but since you dared to lead your army to strike at me… good! This king lacks sacrifices! If I devour you, my bloodline will surpass even the ancestors of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. Ha ha ha! At that time, this king will be the strongest dragon in history!"
The dense, scarlet radiance churned, thick with the stench of blood, shrouding the entire island in a sinister glow. Zhu Li and the others dared not step into that infernal domain, but from within the rolling blood fog came a piercing, maniacal laugh. A terrifying energy ripple tore through the air, scattering the fog as two figures locked in fierce combat emerged into view.
One of them was Zi Yan. Yet her current state was clearly unfavorable—her complexion pale, her aura slightly unstable. In her hand gleamed a liquid-like golden blade, its brilliance sharp enough to cut through the heavens.
The Dragon Slayer Sword.
It was not a weapon forged of high-grade materials, but an extremely powerful Dou Skill belonging solely to the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe—one that could only be summoned by a true heir of the purest royal bloodline.
The three dragon kings had never possessed such a qualification, but Zi Yan did. She had already unleashed it in her first battle against them, a manifestation of her royal blood that explained why she had so easily suppressed the three kings in the past.
Normally, the Dragon Slayer Sword would radiate a quiet yet terrifying destructive force, its aura spreading like an invisible tide. Yet after clashing again and again with the Northern Dragon King, its brilliance had dimmed, its edge no longer as sharp as before.
Hovering before Zi Yan was a half-human monstrosity. His body bulged with grotesque, writhing muscles that seemed alive, squirming beneath his skin. Rivers of blood seeped from his pores, his very flesh quivering as though eager to devour all life. He was nothing short of a blood-soaked abomination.
Atop his shoulders sat a massive, distorted head—bearing not one but three faces.
Just a single glance at those three faces was enough to churn one's stomach.
Clang! Clang!
The three mouths opened in unison, spewing streams of blood, while six scarlet eyes glared with bestial madness. In his hand, the monster wielded a colossal sword, its form condensed from golden liquid tainted with dense, writhing blood.
Each time it collided with Zi Yan's Dragon Slayer Sword, a deafening metallic screech erupted, sparks flying as violent shockwaves split the air. Worse still, the foul stench radiating from that weapon gnawed at her defenses, forcing Zi Yan onto the edge of danger again and again.
"Northern Dragon King, you madman!" Zi Yan's eyes burned with fury, her voice shaking the heavens. "The Western and Southern Dragon Kings were your allies, yet you still devoured their flesh and souls to become this abomination!"
Blood surged from the monster's body in answer, and the three faces split into grotesque smiles as though mocking her rage.
"Tsk tsk, these two pieces of trash were already crippled by you. Even if they recovered, breaking past their limits would be impossible. So why waste them? It is far better to turn these useless sacks of flesh into fuel for my strength. Though I devoured their bodies, this king still intends to avenge them!"
The face of the Northern Dragon King on the monster's grotesque head twisted into a chilling laugh. With a swing of the golden-blooded sword, he hacked at Zi Yan with lightning speed. The violent gusts that erupted from his strike forced Zi Yan to retreat again and again.
Having swallowed the Western and Southern Dragon Kings, and using the Transforming Dragon Demon Formation to drain countless experts on the island, the Northern Dragon King's strength had already soared far beyond Zi Yan's. If not for his lingering fear of the true Dragon Slaying Sword, Zi Yan would have already fallen under his claws.
Zi Yan gritted her silver teeth, facing his frenzied onslaught with unyielding will. She endured the storm of attacks, for she knew the formation's blood-soaked domain—any Eastern Dragon Island expert who stepped within would be instantly dissolved into gore, only to strengthen the monster further.
"Northern Dragon King, your mind will not last. Sooner or later, the bloodlust will consume you completely. You will become nothing more than a beast that only knows how to kill!"
"Tsk tsk… and what of it? Even if I become a beast, the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe will still be unified under me. The Dragon Emperor can only be me!" The twisted laughter abruptly cut off.
The monster's massive hand suddenly plunged toward the ground. With a single grab, he tore three Ancient Dragon Tribe members into his grasp—faces twisted in despair. Without hesitation, he hurled them like weapons at Zi Yan, their bodies crashing through the air with ruthless force.
"Dragon Emperor, aren't you planning to rescue them? Tsk tsk… this king shall let you save to your heart's content!"
Zi Yan clenched her silver teeth as the figures wrapped in blood light were hurled toward her. With a sharp gaze, she shot upward. Her palm struck out like lightning, colliding with the blood light.
Golden radiance erupted. The sinister blood glow shattered, and with a hidden surge of force, she pushed the three figures beyond the boundary of the Transforming Dragon Demon Formation.
"Tsk tsk… what a benevolent Dragon Emperor. Even this king almost feels reluctant..."
Just as Zi Yan delivered the trio to safety, blood light flickered. The Northern Dragon King's monstrous figure materialized before her like a phantom. His savage face twisted further, and with hands dripping in blood, he swung down at her shoulder with lightning speed.
Grug—!
A crushing force poured into her body. Rotten, blood-reeking vapor invaded her flesh, searing agony through every vein. Her delicate frame quivered, and with a spray of blood, she was hurled backward under countless anxious gazes.
"It's over! The Ancient Void Dragon Tribe belongs to me!"
The Northern Dragon King's eyes blazed with madness as he saw Zi Yan's aura falter. A feral laugh tore from his throat. In the next instant, he loomed before her fallen figure, his massive hand clawing down to seize her head.
Outside the formation, the experts of Eastern Dragon Island roared with fury and despair. Their eyes turned bloodshot as they watched Zi Yan's slender form caught in the monster's grip.
"Ha ha..."
The Northern Dragon King let out a twisted laugh, yet the speed of his hand did not falter.
But just as his palm was about to seize Zi Yan's head, a divine flame suddenly ignited from her crown. At the same time, primal lightning coiled protectively around her body like an eternal guardian, while a terrifying white mist surged forth, gently nourishing her flesh and soul.
The three forces raged in unison—flames that scorched the heavens, lightning that crackled with annihilating might, and frost so chilling it carried the breath of death itself. The very air twisted beneath their clash, the battlefield trembling at their presence.
Sensing this, the Northern Dragon King's hand froze in midair. His expression darkened, gloom settling upon his monstrous face as he slowly raised his head, eyes narrowing at the empty void ahead. His heavy, oppressive voice rolled forth.
"May I know who this friend is? This matter concerns only the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. For the sake of this king's face, I hope you will not intervene."
"Ha… your face?"
A chilling laugh reverberated, steeped in venomous disdain. "A king who feeds on the blood of his own subjects, who barters away his allies like chattel, who grinds his people into dust beneath his heel—what face remains for such filth as you? Yours is no crown of majesty, but the carrion mask of a cur… a visage fouler than a dog gnawing on scraps, more wretched than a heap of dung crawling with maggots."
Each word struck like a blade dipped in poison, dripping contempt, as the Northern Dragon King's voice slithered across the void.
"What grand words! What use is your tongue if you dare not show yourself? Reveal your form and repeat those words to this king's face!" The Northern Dragon King's monstrous visage twisted with fury as a thunderous roar shook the air.
The space beside Zi Yan rippled violently. Following that fluctuation, three figures slowly emerged from the void—Xiao Hua, Xun Er, and the Little Fairy Doctor. The trio had rushed here the instant the news reached them.
Meanwhile, Ming Cheng had flown toward the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe to intercept their participation, while Mei Ling shot toward the Ling Clan. News from Xin Yu revealed that Hun Tiandi himself had struck at the Ling Clan, and as the closest, Mei Ling moved without hesitation to reinforce them.
"He is… Young Master Xiao Hua?"
"It's him! That crimson left eye and cyan right eye—other than Brother Xiao Hua, there is no second pair in this world!"
Upon catching sight of his figure, Zhu Li and Hei Qing immediately cried out, their voices trembling with shock and joy.
"Xiao Hua? Zhu Li, Hei Qing surely… the two of you don't mean the Mansion Master of Moonlit Chaos Mansion?"
The jubilant exclamations of Zhu Li and Hei Qing instantly drew the attention of the Eastern Dragon Island experts standing outside the formation. Their gazes quivered as they asked in disbelief, as if needing confirmation of the impossible.
"The very same one!" Zhu Li laughed heartily, his voice brimming with excitement and relief. In his heart, he was certain—now that Xiao Hua had arrived, this catastrophe would be brought to an end.
"Xiao Hua? Why are you here?"
The voice that broke the silence was heavy with disbelief. It wasn't only the onlookers who were stunned—even the Northern Dragon King's monstrous face froze, his expression twisted between shock and unease.
From his investigations, he knew well of the deep bond between the founders of Moonlit Chaos Mansion and Zi Yan. It was precisely for this reason that he had requested the aid of the Hun Clan, forging an alliance where the Ancient Void Dragon tribe would stake everything to oppose Moonlit Chaos Mansion to the death.
To ensure absolute success, he had even requested reinforcements from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, intending to scatter the enemy's strength and leave no chance of interference.
But reality turned against his calculations. The Hun Clan, instead of launching their full might, merely stirred up trouble against the Ling Clan, diverting attention but refusing to commit fully.
As for the Heaven Demon Phoenix tribe—though formidable on their own, even with Huang Tian leading them, they were far from invincible. Ming Cheng, together with several experts of the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python, was more than enough to cut off their advance.
Thus, before the Northern Dragon King's eyes, the carefully laid web of schemes unraveled, and the one person he least wished to face—Xiao Hua—had stepped into his battlefield.
Xiao Hua's expression remained calm, yet his eyes flickered with cold fury. His gaze swept over the Northern Dragon King before pausing on the three grotesque faces upon that twisted head.
With a single glance, his spiritual perception revealed the truth. The sudden rise in strength was no mystery to him. His frown deepened. He had long known of this possibility, but to see the Northern Dragon King descend to such ruthlessness and savagery still filled him with disgust.
Cough!
At that moment, Zi Yan coughed out a mouthful of blood. Xiao Hua's brows knit tighter as his eyes shifted toward her. Her face had turned as pale as snow, blood spreading rapidly from her wounded shoulder, seeping through her body like poison.
Though her Dragon Phoenix constitution strained to resist, the waves of searing agony still contorted her expression into a grimace. Fortunately, the celestial white mist swirled around her, continuously nourishing both body and soul, lending her strength to recover. Thus, her condition was not as dire as it appeared.
Even so, the previous strike from the Northern Dragon King, backed by the Transforming Dragon Demon Formation, had left her grievously wounded.
The Northern Dragon King should have felt triumph at this sight, yet his heart was overshadowed with gloom. The appearance of Xiao Hua had shattered his sense of victory, filling him with unease.
"Why are you here, Xiao Hua? Even Sister Xun Er and Sister Little Fairy Doctor…"
Zi Yan wiped the blood from the corner of her lips. Her pallid face was enough to stir one's heart. Her dim eyes glanced toward Xiao Hua, Xun Er, and the Little Fairy Doctor. Yet when she caught Xiao Hua's glare, she instantly understood—he was angry that she had kept this from him.
A dry, bitter chuckle escaped her throat. "I didn't tell you about this because I knew of your condition. Moreover, after the countless times you've helped me, it was only right that I resolve this with my own strength. Still… I must admit, even I did not expect the Northern Dragon King to be this vicious, this utterly mad…"
Xiao Hua could only sigh softly. He placed his hand upon Zi Yan's shoulder, where a bloody aura still lingered. Instantly, divine flame, primal lightning, and the ethereal white mist surged forth, cleansing the corrupted blood qi of the Transforming Dragon Demon Formation. In the next breath, that filth was purified into pure energy, flowing back into Zi Yan's body to nourish her.
"What… what are those?"
The Northern Dragon King's expression turned ashen as dread coiled within his chest. Only now did he realize—Xiao Hua's flame was far beyond any ordinary Heavenly Flame, even when combined. The lightning and the chilling white mist were equally foreign, yet each radiated a might that unsettled his very soul.
Worse still, he discovered something even more terrifying: the surrounding space had been sealed. His movements were bound, his innate spatial mastery—the proud talent of the Ancient Void Dragon tribe—rendered useless. The realization filled him with disbelief and cold horror.
Xiao Hua paid him no heed. His entire focus remained on Zi Yan. He knew that even if he withdrew his attention, the Northern Dragon King would neither dare attack nor be able to flee. Thus, he simply ignored him.
Within a single breath, all of the Transforming Dragon Blood Qi within Zi Yan's body was devoured and dispersed into nothingness. Only then did Xiao Hua slowly withdraw his palm.
A faint flush returned to Zi Yan's face, yet her body still trembled with weakness. Before the stunned gazes of the three, her figure suddenly shrank, and in the blink of an eye, she had reverted to the small girl's form from the past.
"I'm too weak… I can only recover in a form that conserves the most energy." Zi Yan let out a bitter laugh, her voice soft yet filled with unwillingness.
"Haha, this form is far cuter—and it reminds me of those days long ago." Xiao Hua rubbed Zi Yan's small head, his smile calm yet firm. "Xun'er, Xian'er, you two should withdraw with her. Leave this to me."
Xun Er was slightly startled. Her teeth pressed together as she spoke, "Brother Xiao Hua, you mustn't force yourself. With your current condition…"
"That's right. Why don't you let Sister Xun Er and I handle this?" Little Fairy Doctor's gentle voice carried a trace of worry. She knew well that even if the Northern Dragon King was only a step stronger than Zi Yan, Xiao Hua's state left him with little Dou Qi to spare.
"Rest assured." Xiao Hua shook his head, a faint smile curving his lips, though his eyes glimmered with icy resolve. "Defeating him will not be that difficult. The fact that he cannot escape, nor even resist my spatial suppression despite my weakened state, proves he has yet to truly step into the realm of a Six-Star Dou Sheng. Such an opponent… is not impossible to slay."
Xun Er, Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan remained quiet and understood the thing he wanted to say. Though it is not impossible, it also meant that it would be quite difficult.
A brief silence followed before Xiao Hua turned, his gaze narrowing toward the dragon island. "There are still countless members of the Ancient Void Dragon tribe trapped within this formation. Go—save them while I pin him down. If not, he will devour their blood and Dou Qi at will, allowing his strength to remain at its peak. That, I will not permit."
Xun Er, Little Fairy Doctor, and Zi Yan exchanged glances before taking a deep breath and nodding in unison. Yet within their eyes lingered reluctance and deep concern.
"…We understand. We will save them as quickly as possible," Xun Er spoke softly, though her voice trembled with worry.
"Still, don't push yourself too far," Little Fairy Doctor sighed, her gaze filled with unease.
"If things become too dangerous, call for me. No matter what, I will not allow you to suffer grievous injury because of me—or because of the Ancient Void Dragon tribe's troubles," Zi Yan added firmly, her brows furrowing as her eyes clung to his figure.
With those words, the three turned and shot toward the dragon island, racing to rescue the tribe members trapped within the formation. If they allowed the Northern Dragon King to devour their essence blood, his strength would surge once more. Worse, he could use them to distract Xiao Hua and launch a sudden strike. Either outcome would tip the scales into peril.
Now, with the three of them moved to complete their task, the sky was left to Xiao Hua and the Northern Dragon King alone. The atmosphere between the two grew even sharper, heavy with killing intent as their gazes locked.
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