After letting out a furious roar, Long Nixian charged at Xiao Yan like a bolt of silver lightning. A full-force assault from a half-step Heaven Sovereign was so overwhelming that even Xiao Yan's soul power couldn't track his movements clearly. Without hesitation, Xiao Yan detonated all the Heaven-grade spiritual arrays he had previously set up.
Ordinarily, under such oppressive might, even a typical ninth-grade Sovereign wouldn't be able to move. But Xiao Yan was no ordinary cultivator. His strength had long surpassed the usual Sovereign level, and thanks to the brutal training in the Nine Nether Secret Realm, he could forcefully execute some actions under this pressure. That fleeting window of mobility was precisely his key to countering Long Nixian.
The explosion of the spiritual arrays generated a raging energy storm that instantly concealed Xiao Yan's figure. Using the opportunity, he dove into the Heavenly Tomb, quickly retrieving the Dragon Spirit Pearl. The moment its latent power began to emanate, the once-bloodthirsty Dragonbone Guards suddenly fell silent, all turning their heads toward Xiao Yan.
One by one, the Dragonbone Guards appeared out of thin air. Their combined battle intent fused together, instantly severing the spiritual pressure released by Long Nixian. Seeing the skeletal dragon figures materialize, Long Nixian's expression froze for a split second before darkening with dread.
"Those are… Dragonbone Guards?"
"That's right. The very ones you betrayed and personally turned into these forms," Xiao Yan's voice echoed as his figure emerged from within the encirclement of Dragonbone Guards. With their protection, he no longer feared Long Nixian. Still, ever cautious, he remained ready to retreat into the Heavenly Tomb if necessary. As long as the tomb remained, not even a Heaven Sovereign could touch him.
"No wonder you know so many of the secrets. You must've gotten all this from the Dragonbone Guards… I suppose it was Long Fan who told you everything, wasn't it?" Long Nixian's gaze fell on the largest of the skeletal figures. He scoffed coldly. "But do you really think you can resist me with just these things?"
"We'll find out soon enough." Xiao Yan calmly raised his hand and made a seal. Instantly, powerful waves of battle intent erupted from the Dragonbone Guards. The surging energy fused in the air above them, coalescing into the form of a giant skeletal dragon looming in the sky, roaring silently at Long Nixian.
Like the Dragonbone Guards themselves, the dragon spirit was skeletal in form, its bones etched with millions of intricate battle patterns. As it twisted and coiled through the air, space around it cracked and buckled, releasing a terrifying pressure—strong enough to threaten even a true Heaven Sovereign.
This skeletal dragon was the Battle Spirit formed from the collective intent of the Dragonbone Guards. With Long Fan's inherited memories, the Dragon Spirit Pearl's resonance, and Xiao Yan's formidable soul strength, he had succeeded in summoning it. Even Long Fan would never have imagined Xiao Yan could reach this level.
Feeling the oppressive aura radiating from the bone dragon, Long Nixian's expression grew grim. If he were still at his peak, he wouldn't have feared these Dragonbone Guards. But having only just broken free from the seal, with his strength still far from recovered, dealing with a battle spirit of this caliber would be far from easy.
"Even if I don't know how you managed this… you're still just a ninth-grade Sovereign! There's no way someone like you could summon a battle spirit with ten million etched patterns!"
Despite his compromised state, Long Nixian's Heaven Sovereign-grade insight quickly saw through Xiao Yan's limitation. No matter how gifted Xiao Yan was, his own cultivation base was still that of a ninth-grade Sovereign. No matter how strong his will, he shouldn't be able to fully wield something capable of threatening a Heaven Sovereign. He had to be relying on external forces.
Having figured that out, Long Nixian narrowed his eyes. "Even if you managed to gain temporary control over these Dragonbone Guards, I doubt it will last. Once that power fades, I'll crush you like an ant. What do you think you've got—five minutes? Ten?"
"It'll be more than enough to deal with you," Xiao Yan replied flatly. Without wasting any more words, he activated the battle spirit. The skeletal dragon let out a silent roar, opened its jaws, and spat out an immense torrent of flame-like battle intent that rushed straight toward Long Nixian.
Startled, Long Nixian hastily formed seals. Torrents of spiritual energy surged forth, condensing into a massive, white dragon claw that collided head-on with the flame torrent.
A shockwave of terrifying force exploded from the clash. Before the impact wave could dissipate, the bone dragon lashed its tail, sending Long Nixian flying backward. As he reeled, countless bone spikes erupted from the dragon's body, raining down like a storm toward him.
Long Nixian quickly summoned a silver dome of energy to shield himself. But the sheer number and intensity of the bone spikes were too overwhelming. The barrier flickered and trembled violently. Then, with a piercing dragon roar, a giant bone claw descended from above, shattering the dome like glass.
"Damn it!"
Long Nixian hadn't expected such a fierce assault. Within mere moments, he was driven into a battered state. It was no surprise, though. A battle spirit with ten million etched battle lines was strong enough to threaten even a Heaven Sovereign. If not for his divine beast body and Xiao Yan's inexperience in controlling the spirit, he would've been in even worse shape.
"You think I'm afraid of a battle spirit like this?!"
Forced to retreat under the pressure, Long Nixian let out a furious roar. A flash of light gleamed, and a silver longsword appeared in his hand. With a single swing, it cleaved through the incoming rain of bone spikes, reducing them to glittering dust.
The sword was ancient in design, covered with countless mysterious runes that flowed like veins. At their center was the shape of a coiling dragon.
"That sword…" Xiao Yan's expression tensed. From the silver longsword, he could clearly sense an overwhelming energy—a fluctuation far beyond that of ordinary sacred artifacts.
It was… a peerless sacred artifact.
(End of Chapter)
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