Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

The Dragon Blood Spiritual Mountain soared three thousand meters high.

Beneath the dark clouds, the crimson Dragon Blood Mountain was particularly striking. A heavy Dragon’s Might emanated from it, giving the impression of a blood dragon coiled in slumber, so that no one dared disturb its sleep.

Su Han activated his Nine Heavens Eye and looked carefully. He observed that the vegetation on Dragon Blood Mountain was rich and lush; every single plant contained the Dragon Blood Force. Not only were there Dragon Blood Herbs, but also Dragon Blood Flowers, Dragon Blood Vines, and Dragon Blood Trees. The surging Qi-Blood billowed forth, shrouding the entire mountain in a thick, blood-colored fog. Without the Nine Heavens Eye, it would have been impossible to see any of this clearly.

”Eh!” Su Han’s eyes filled with surprise as he looked up toward the summit. He saw a pillar of blood-red light shooting into the sky and connecting with the dark clouds. It resembled a crimson pillar propping up the heavens, extremely eye-catching, with its blood energy surging to the absolute limit. Within the column of light, one could faintly make out the majestic and powerful shadow of a dragon.

”See that? That’s Dragon Blood Mountain,” Xiao Tian said, his eyes blazing as he stared at the pillar of blood-red light. ”At the peak, there’s a Dragon Blood Pool filled with True Dragon Essence Blood. The entire mountain has remained undiminished for ten thousand years precisely because of this pool. With just one drop of True Dragon Essence Blood, breaking through to the Physique Realm would be a matter of minutes.” His goal for this trip was the True Dragon Essence Blood in the pool.

However, climbing to the top to reach the Dragon Blood Pool was no easy task.

Su Han’s gaze shifted back to the mountainside, where the constant calls of birds and roars of beasts echoed. A large number of Dragon Qi Demon Beasts lived there, each one incredibly powerful and far beyond what ordinary demon beasts could match. By a rough estimate, there were at least a hundred Dragon Qi Demon Beasts on the mountain, including formidable beings at the eighth and ninth layers of the Divine Power Realm. As for any Heavenly King Realm Dragon Qi Demon Beasts, Su Han had yet to spot any.

RUMBLE!

At this moment, the sounds of battle already echoed across Dragon Blood Mountain. People were climbing up, attempting to harvest Dragon Blood Herbs and slay Dragon Qi Demon Beasts. These were the prodigies from the various factions who had entered the Dragon Palace Ruins together, though most were only at the Divine Power Realm. The Heavenly King Realm prodigies had already left this area, their sights set on the Inner Area, or even the Core Area in the deepest parts of the ruins. After all, while the True Dragon Essence Blood in the pool was precious, obtaining it with so many Dragon Qi Demon Beasts around was incredibly difficult. Rather than laboring for little reward, it was better to contend for greater opportunities elsewhere.

Idiots. Fighting alone is the mark of a brute! Tao Ming sneered in disdain as he watched the fighting, seeing no value in such reckless behavior. Isn’t it far better to latch onto a powerful backer and feast on the spoils?

Just then, an unfamiliar voice rang out. ”Xiao Tian, how about we join forces?”

A huge figure sped in from the distance, quickly appearing before the group. The figure was massive, at least three hundred meters long, like a small mountain. It was a gigantic whale, a beast from the Jing Tribe—one of the three strongest tribes in the East Sea. The Jing Tribe possessed a trace of the Dragon Clan Bloodline. This, combined with their mighty physiques, had made them the strongest tribe in the East Sea, one that firmly suppressed even the ferocious and bloodthirsty Shark Tribe.

However, the whale had not arrived alone. Three other figures stood on its broad back: a semi-translucent jellyfish, clearly from the Jellyfish Tribe, another of the three great powers; a Tuna Demon Beast; and a Dolphin Demon Beast. These three were all at the fourth or fifth layer of the Divine Power Realm. The leading whale, like Xiao Tian, was a powerful expert at the Divine Power Realm Ninth Layer. Judging by his bearing, he clearly held a high position within the Jing Tribe.

”Jing Yun? Are you also after the True Dragon Essence Blood?” Xiao Tian asked, recognizing the huge whale’s identity and origins.

Although the East Sea Demon Clan did not belong to the Eastern Region and wasn’t ranked on its prodigy lists, it still had many powerful young geniuses. The whale before him, Jing Yun, was one of the Jing Tribe’s own prodigies, and his strength was in no way inferior to Xiao Tian’s.

”Our Jing Tribe inherently carries the bloodline of the Dragon Clan. If I can obtain enough True Dragon Essence Blood, I might be able to break through to the Heavenly King Realm. Naturally, I wouldn’t miss such an opportunity,” Jing Yun replied in a deep, booming voice, making no effort to hide his intentions. After all, the greatest prize here was the True Dragon Essence Blood in the pool. Everyone had come for it, and to pretend otherwise would be hypocritical.

”The amount of True Dragon Essence Blood that appears in the Dragon Blood Pool each time is limited. If we join forces, how will we divide the spoils?” Xiao Tian was tempted. There were numerous Dragon Qi Demon Beasts on the mountain. His group of six would have great difficulty reaching the summit to get the blood, but if they teamed up, their chances of success would increase dramatically.

”There isn’t much True Dragon Essence Blood, and neither of us would be willing to give it up. In that case, let’s join forces to reach the top. As for the Essence Blood, whoever snatches it gets to keep it.” Jing Yun was no fool, nor did he take Xiao Tian for one. To suggest splitting it evenly would be an insult to their intelligence; neither would agree. The only solution was to fight for it at the end.

”That proposal is reasonable enough. In that case, I agree to cooperate with you!” Xiao Tian said.

Jing Yun’s line of thinking was the same as his own. Xiao Tian needed the True Dragon Essence Blood to achieve the Great Accomplishment of his King’s Body and was unwilling to share a single drop with anyone, least of all Jing Yun. Teaming up to reach the summit and then competing for the prize was indeed the best possible solution.

”There should be three Dragon Qi Demon Beasts at the Divine Power Realm Ninth Layer on the mountain,” Jing Yun spoke again, clearly having come well-prepared with a plan already in mind. ”We can have the others act first to lure them away, and then we make our climb. What do you think?”

”No. We move together,” Xiao Tian immediately rejected the plan. Although he thought it was a decent idea, he knew better than to completely follow someone else’s lead, lest he fall into an invisible trap. While haughty, Xiao Tian wasn’t so arrogant as to believe himself invincible. Moreover, Jing Yun was no weakling, and Xiao Tian had no intention of being outmaneuvered by him.

”Alright. We’ll do as you say. We move together,” Jing Yun said after a moment’s hesitation, finally nodding in agreement. With that, a preliminary alliance was formed between the two groups.

However, at that very moment, Xiao Tian’s voice sounded in Su Han’s ear via a transmission.

”Listen up, everyone. The moment we’re on Dragon Blood Mountain, find a chance and eliminate them for me.”

Su Han’s expression remained unchanged. He understood that Xiao Tian didn’t trust Jing Yun in the slightest and was worried he would snatch the True Dragon Essence Blood. Jing Yun probably had his own schemes as well. Indeed, those from the great clans were all devious and cunning.

But this was good news for Su Han. When the snipe and the clam grapple, it’s the fisherman who profits. He could play the fisherman.

”Let’s move out!”

With their own schemes hidden in their hearts, the members of this ostensible alliance descended from the sky, landing at the foot of Dragon Blood Mountain. Due to the profound Dragon’s Might permeating the area, it was impossible to fly directly up; to reach the summit, one had to climb step by step.

Soon, Su Han and the others set foot on Dragon Blood Mountain.

A battle of open strife and secret plots was about to unfold.