Never in his wildest dreams did Long Nixian imagine that Xiao Yan would be so ruthless as to detonate a Peerless Saint Artifact. Everyone in the Great Thousand World knew that artifacts of that level were exceedingly rare—many ancient clans treated them as clan-guarding treasures. Even Heavenly Sovereigns would go to great lengths to obtain one. Let alone the average Sovereign, anyone with sense would preserve such a treasure at all costs.
Long Nixian was certain that if he had acquired a Peerless Saint Artifact from someone else, even if he couldn't refine it immediately, he would keep it until the opportunity came to make it his. He would never waste it like Xiao Yan just had. Even though it wasn't his, Long Nixian still found it heart-wrenching to witness its destruction.
But Xiao Yan didn't care. After all, it wasn't his to begin with, and even if he had retained it, he lacked the power to control it. Moreover, he couldn't withstand Long Nixian's Dragon Roar Demon-Suppressing Art anyway. Given the circumstances, he figured it best to make use of it before it became a burden. Besides, he still had the Time Ancestral Symbol. If necessary, he could reverse time and retrieve it again.
The explosion of the Peerless Saint Artifact seriously injured Long Nixian on the spot, forcibly interrupting his Divine Ability and triggering a devastating backlash. As his injuries worsened, Xiao Yan seized the opportunity to press the assault, commanding the Battle Spirit formed by the Dragonbone Guard's Battle Will to relentlessly pursue the wounded Long Nixian.
Long Nixian had already been outmatched by the Battle Spirit, and now, grievously wounded, he was completely suppressed. However, he quickly realized that Xiao Yan's Battle Spirit couldn't last much longer. He understood that all he needed to do was stall. As long as the Battle Will dispersed, he could easily crush Xiao Yan—killing him would be as simple as squashing an ant.
Xiao Yan, too, was aware of this. Though the Dragon Spirit Pearl provided him with control over the Dragonbone Guard, it was still external power and couldn't sustain him indefinitely. Worse still, the activation of the Time Ancestral Symbol had depleted a significant amount of his soul energy. He was nearly at his limit—he estimated he had only about one minute left.
"Looks like you're at the end of your rope," Long Nixian sneered, sensing the Battle Spirit growing fainter, its attacks weakening. Without the support of Battle Will, Xiao Yan was merely a peak Sovereign. Even while injured, Long Nixian could kill him with ease.
Xiao Yan grunted in response, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His body plummeted from the sky, while the Battle Spirit dissolved, and the Dragonbone Guard fell from the heavens one by one. Seeing this, Long Nixian's lips curled into a savage grin. With a flap of his draconic wings, he shot forward, claw outstretched to strike the falling Xiao Yan.
At that moment, Xiao Yan's eyes were tightly shut, as if unconscious. Inside his body, the spirits of the Ancestral Stone and Xiao Yao stirred, ready to break free and shield him. Yet for some reason, they were unable to emerge—they could only watch as Long Nixian's deadly claw reached for Xiao Yan's chest.
If that strike landed, Xiao Yan would be ripped open on the spot. But just as the claw neared within half a meter of him, Xiao Yan's eyes suddenly snapped open. A flicker of mockery flashed through them as a wisp of ghostly blue flame burst from his fingertip.
Long Nixian's pupils shrank. Though he didn't know the origin of the flame, he felt a deadly sense of threat emanating from it. If it touched him, even he might perish.
'How does this brat have something like this?!' Alarmed, Long Nixian tried to retreat, realizing too late that Xiao Yan had been feigning unconsciousness, luring him in for a close-range attack. Fortunately, he'd noticed the trap in time—any later and he would've fallen for it.
But as he turned to flee, a shadowy figure materialized before him—another "Xiao Yan," just as illusory, just as calm. This doppelgänger's fingertip also carried that same blue flame. Before Long Nixian could react, the flame-laced finger jabbed into his forehead.
A blood-curdling scream erupted from Long Nixian's throat. His body lost all strength and plummeted like a meteor to the earth, crashing down violently. Whether he lived or died was unclear—but the devastating power of that flame was evident.
Xiao Yan exhaled a deep breath. Yet he remained cautious. With a quick hand seal, the Dragonbone Guard's Battle Will coalesced once more into the Battle Spirit, which promptly unleashed several torrents of dragon breath upon Long Nixian's prone form. Whether he had survived the flame or not, this barrage ensured his complete annihilation.
That ghostly blue flame was none other than the Battle Will Flame gifted to Xiao Yan by Long Fan. It was his ultimate trump card—his final means of threatening a Heavenly Sovereign. Though the Battle Spirit had been powerful, it lacked the lethality to finish Long Nixian. This flame was the true executioner.
In truth, Xiao Yan had not been completely drained when the Battle Spirit dissipated. He had feigned collapse to lure Long Nixian in, disguising his ploy with clever illusions. Even the release of the Battle Will Flame had been a ruse—the true strike came from his soul clone hidden in the shadows.
The power of this Battle Will Flame surpassed even the Battle Spirit. At close range, it could deal fatal damage to a Heavenly Sovereign. Unfortunately, Long Fan had only given him two flames. One was now spent, and the other remained sealed within him as a final contingency.
Long Nixian's body—though his soul had been obliterated—remained mostly intact. Whether Xiao Yan wished to refine it or use it as material, it was an exceptional trophy. But what truly interested him was the Divine Ability Long Nixian had wielded—the Dragon Roar Demon-Suppressing Art.
Still, Xiao Yan didn't linger. First, he used the Time Ancestral Symbol to reverse time and retrieve the silver longsword. Then he stored Long Nixian's body in his spatial artifact. Judging by the time, those other cultivators had likely already spread word of the battle. A Heavenly Sovereign could arrive at any moment.
It was time to vanish.
(End of Chapter)
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