Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

”Damn it, I’m exhausted!”

Zhang Xiaowan plopped down on the ground without any regard for her image. Her long, snow-white legs were frequently exposed, giving Su Han a bit of a headache. This little vixen was truly bold and unfiltered.

Su Han didn’t rest. He opened his mouth and inhaled the Dragon Qi, circulating the Devouring Heaven Demonic Art to begin devouring and refining it. He could feel that he was on the verge of a breakthrough. He had already refined three strands of Dragon Qi before, and now he had obtained three more. These new strands were of even higher quality.

BOOM!

A powerful aura burst forth from inside Su Han, turning into waves of energy that roiled like the tide. The surge spread out, kicking up sand and stone amidst a dazzling demonic light. He had broken through to the Ninth Layer of the Physique Realm!

Dragon Qi really can help me break through. Could it be because this is a True Dragon’s cultivation energy, not something naturally born of the world, and that’s why I can devour it?

Feeling the tide of Devouring Heaven Demonic Qi surging within him, Su Han reveled in the pleasant sensation of his breakthrough while a new thought formed in his mind.

It only took six strands of Dragon Qi for a breakthrough, which is even faster than I anticipated. Of course, that’s because these three Dragon Qi Demon Beasts were stronger. That means the stronger the Dragon Qi Demon Beast, the higher the quality of the Dragon Qi. If I found a Dragon Qi Demon Beast at the Heavenly King Realm, I might only need one or two strands to break through a minor realm! Of course, a beast of that caliber would be terrifyingly powerful. Even with the Nine Palace Golden Pagoda, I wouldn’t be able to kill it.

”Little Su Su, thanks for your help,” Zhang Xiaowan said, having finished her rest. She got up, dusted herself off, and looked over. ”But that Holy Artifact of yours… why does it look so familiar?”

”I remember now! That’s the Nine Palace Golden Pagoda! Isn’t that the Holy Artifact of the Tian Lou Saint? How did it end up in your hands?” Zhang Xiaowan’s beautiful eyes widened, her small mouth hanging slightly agape as she finally recalled.

”I killed Zi Qiong and took it from her,” Su Han explained casually. He had, after all, already told her that he had killed both Zi Qiong and Xuan Song.

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaowan finally processed his words and sized him up from head to toe. ”Little Su Su, you really hide your strength, don’t you? No wonder Sister Tongyan can’t stop thinking about you. It seems that while your looks are just average, your skills are anything but!”

”You have the Nine Palace Golden Pagoda, and I have the strength of the Divine Power Realm. Plus, we both cultivate Demonic Techniques. If we team up, we’ll be an invincible, deadly duo!”

Zhang Xiaowan’s brazen words gave Su Han a headache. He was not good at telling risqué jokes or handling relationships, and their meeting had been purely coincidental.

”By the way, do you know where Miss Tongyan is?” Su Han didn’t dare engage with her comment, quickly changing the subject to ask about Tongyan’s whereabouts.

”The entrance is infused with the Power of Space-Time, so no one can be sure where they’ll end up. The lucky ones land safely, while the unlucky ones fall straight into a deathtrap and perish. Things like this are all recorded in the ancient texts.”

”Sister Tongyan has the Qi Holy Body, so she’s always been lucky. She probably landed right in some treasure-filled spot. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. You should be more concerned about me. After all, we’re the team now.”

Zhang Xiaowan patted her flat little chest and explained to Su Han, putting on the airs of a seasoned veteran.

Then she leaped forward, heading straight for the Dragon Scale Flower. She plucked it but then handed it over to Su Han. ”It’s our first meeting, and I don’t have a welcome gift for you, so I’ll give you this Dragon Scale Flower,” she said.

Zhang Xiaowan was playing a clever game. The Dragon Scale Flower was a treasure from the Dragon Palace Ruins to begin with. Moreover, if Su Han hadn’t intervened, she wouldn’t have just lost the flower—she would have lost her life. She was merely offering him a gift that was never hers to begin with.

However, Su Han didn’t call out her little ploy, nor did he refuse the Dragon Scale Flower. He truly did need an ample supply of Dragon Blood Force and Dragon Qi.

”This is your first time in the Dragon Palace Ruins, so you aren’t very familiar with it. Since we’re a team now, allow me to give you an introduction!” With her youthful, doll-like face, Zhang Xiaowan insisted on speaking in a worldly tone, posturing as a senior guiding her junior.

What made it worse was that this was her first time entering the ruins too. Su Han felt utterly exasperated that she dared to take such a tone with him.

”The Dragon Palace Ruins are vast, about the size of your Qingzhou, I suppose. There are four layers here. Our current location is the outer area. Deeper in is the middle area, followed by the inner area, and finally the core area.”

”The deeper you go, the stronger the Dragon’s Might and the more powerful the Dragon Qi Demon Beasts become. Therefore, only the strong can keep delving deeper. Of course, the deeper you go, the greater the opportunities. The fabled Dragon Transformation Pool is located in the core area, which is what Tian Lou Saint and Jun Zhantian are aiming for.”

”With our capabilities, we should be fine in the outer and middle areas. As for the inner area, we will decide when the time comes. If we’re lucky, we might even be able to explore it. Of course, we’ll need to be cautious since the inner area is home to Dragon Qi Demon Beasts of the Heavenly King Realm.”

Although Su Han found Zhang Xiaowan somewhat irritating, the information she provided was exactly what he needed. He had been completely in the dark about the Dragon Palace Ruins, only learning about Dragon Blood Herbs and Dragon Qi Demon Beasts through his own trial and error. Having someone like Zhang Xiaowan, who knew these secrets, would save him the trouble of wandering around aimlessly.

”In the outer area, the greatest opportunity is known as Dragon Blood Mountain. It’s rumored that a True Dragon died there, its blood soaking the entire mountain. Hence, the mountain is covered in Dragon Blood Herbs and contains pure Dragon Blood.”

”However, Dragon Blood Mountain has also attracted numerous Dragon Qi Demon Beasts, so climbing it and picking Dragon Blood Herbs is no easy task. But if we join forces, our chances are greatly increased. If Sister Tongyan were in the outer area, she would definitely check out Dragon Blood Mountain as well.”

Zhang Xiaowan had given Su Han another clue.

Dragon Blood Mountain! It’s covered with Dragon Blood Herbs and surrounded by a large number of Dragon Qi Demon Beasts. That means access to both Dragon Blood Force and Dragon Qi. This could be the opportunity I need to break through to the Divine Power Realm. Of course, the danger is also tremendous. I can handle one or two Dragon Qi Demon Beasts, but if there were eight or ten, I’d have no choice but to flee. Any more than that, and I could only watch helplessly from a distance. But since I’m already here, how can I not go and take a look? There might be a real chance to harvest some Dragon Blood Herbs and kill some Dragon Qi Demon Beasts!

”In that case, let’s head to Dragon Blood Mountain!” Su Han made his decision.

Zhang Xiaowan was brimming with delight. This was precisely her goal, and now with Su Han’s assistance, her chances of success were even greater.

”The deadly duo is on the move!” Zhang Xiaowan enthusiastically waved her arms, which were as fair and plump as lotus roots.

However, at that very moment, a glint of cold light silently appeared behind them and streaked directly toward Su Han’s back. The way of the assassin—a killing blow