Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

’A good opportunity. It looks like Ye Zongling doesn’t want to kill me directly!’

As the Fire Python lunged, Yang Xiao’s greatest fear was a pincer attack from Ye Zongling behind him.

If that happened, even if he used every trick up his sleeve, he would likely suffer heavy injuries just to escape. But now, with only the Fire Python attacking, he had an opening to exploit.

SHREEE!

BANG!

Yang Xiao pointed a finger, and a pillar of red flame shot directly into the Fire Python’s wide-open, bloody maw.

The immense force made the Overlord Level, Tier Three Barbaric Beast tremble from head to tail.

But in the next moment, it charged at Yang Xiao with even greater fury.

However, that brief tremor had given Yang Xiao his chance. With a flash, faint wings materialized behind him, allowing him to move with the wind. He drifted behind the Fire Python.

’Success!’

’The Profound Feather Divine Technique is truly impressive. It’s perfectly suited for my current situation.’

Yang Xiao smiled faintly.

The faint wings behind him gave a gentle flap.

His speed instantly increased by several degrees.

He half-flew, half-dived deeper into the earth.

”SHREEE!”

The Fire Python, having lunged at empty air, was instantly enraged.

Without even a glance at Ye Zongling, it charged after Yang Xiao’s retreating figure.

Ye Zongling also reacted, his expression ugly as he followed.

He had thought Yang Xiao was facing certain death.

He never expected Yang Xiao to break the deadlock in the blink of an eye.

Moreover, when he saw the faint, controllable wings behind Yang Xiao, he was stunned. He never imagined that the Flying Wing Secret Technique could not only form Feather Blades for an attack but also shrink to such a small size, increasing one’s speed even in these narrow underground caves.

’How truly exquisite.’

What he didn’t know was that Yang Xiao’s ability to use the Profound Feather Divine Technique to this extent stemmed from his own understanding of Divine Techniques, not from a power inherent to the technique itself.

After all, although he had never practiced the Profound Feather Divine Technique before, the former Yang Xiao had been a Supreme Divine King who stood at the Peak of the Gods.

Before cultivating it, it didn’t matter. But after starting, if he couldn’t grasp its essence and maximize the power of this Divine Technique...

...that would be far too embarrassing.

With the help of these faint wings, Yang Xiao’s speed was naturally very fast.

But as an Overlord among Tier Three Barbaric Beasts, and with this being its home turf, the Fire Python still gradually began to catch up to Yang Xiao.

’It’s about to catch me. This spot will have to do. The Fire Elemental Power here is enough for me to take care of one of them.’

Suddenly, Yang Xiao stopped.

Coincidentally, the Fire Python also stopped.

Its pair of large, blood-red eyes stared at Yang Xiao, and surprisingly, they held a trace of fear.

It seemed unwilling to take another step forward.

’What’s going on? Can this beast actually sense that my strength here is enough to kill it?’

Yang Xiao froze.

But the Fire Python’s next reaction surprised him even more.

It was actually retreating.

Within its large pupils was unconcealed terror.

At this, Yang Xiao’s expression changed as well.

He had sensed it too.

A terrifying aura was surging from behind him.

It was getting closer and closer.

This power...

’The Earth Fire Qilin Beast!’

At that thought, Yang Xiao’s figure leaped high into the air.

Fortunately, the ceiling of the cave here was quite high, allowing Yang Xiao to make such a move.

Otherwise, he probably would have had to retreat as well.

And in the instant he leaped, a scorching aura washed over him.

The Fire Python actually knelt.

No, it was prostrating itself on the ground.

Its entire body trembled.

It was like a dead snake.

The overlord-like aura it had when chasing Yang Xiao was completely gone.

”ROAR!”

An angry roar.

A massive, terrifying beast wreathed in flames, resembling a large, fiery-red dog, appeared beneath Yang Xiao.

It had four huge, sharp claws, and its body was covered in scales that were red with a blackish sheen.

With another roar, the entire cave trembled.

With a single swipe of its claw, it crushed the Fire Python’s head.

’So this is the Earth Fire Qilin Beast? How does this look like a Qilin? It’s more like a big dog. It seems to have only a very thin trace of Qilin Bloodline.’

Hanging upside down from the cave ceiling, Yang Xiao sized up the Earth Fire Qilin Beast.

To be honest, he was a little disappointed.

But after a moment’s thought, he came to terms with it.

A true Qilin was a terrifying Divine Beast from the same origins as his first life. From birth, they stood at the Peak of the Gods and were among the beings most likely to break through to the level of a Holy Beast.

If this Earth Fire Qilin Beast truly possessed a significant amount of its bloodline, it likely wouldn’t have just its current level of might.

At the very least, it should have been a Seventh or Eighth Tier Demon Beast.

’Fuck, what is going on?’

In contrast to Yang Xiao’s slight disappointment, Ye Zongling, for his part, wanted to curse up a storm.

’Hasn’t it been said that the Earth Fire Qilin hasn’t appeared for decades?’

He knew far more about Flame Sun Mountain than Yang Xiao did, which was why he dared to follow him in. But now... was this a fucking joke?

’How could I be so unlucky to run straight into this thing?’

The Earth Fire Qilin Beast.

That was a Mid-Tier Four Peak Barbaric Beast.

Forget him—even his grandfather, Ye Dongcheng, the Supreme Elder of the Purple Sun Sect renowned as its most powerful combatant and a Sixth Layer Martial Arts Grandmaster, probably couldn’t withstand a single one of its swipes.

Even more terrifying, this frightening, dog-like Fierce Beast also possessed the fearsome Fire Manipulation Divine Technique.

And right on cue, upon seeing Ye Zongling, the Earth Fire Qilin Beast opened its mouth and spewed a terrifying flame. The flame was an inky green, clearly poisonous on sight.

Terrified, Ye Zongling immediately fled.

As for Yang Xiao.

As for the Secret Skill he wanted.

Damn it, his life was on the line!

Who would still be thinking about that?

Although he was unwilling, although he was resentful.

But in the face of a terrifying Barbaric Beast like the Earth Fire Qilin Beast, the only thing Ye Zongling could do was run.

’So this old bastard has a day like this too.’

Yang Xiao smiled.

To him, in his current state, Ye Zongling was truly a massive threat.

He hadn’t expected this old coot to be so shameless as to personally make a move against him.

If he hadn’t obtained the Profound Feather Divine Technique this time, he probably would have been captured by that old scoundrel before even reaching Flame Sun Mountain.

After all, with his current strength, he could defeat an Innate Sixth Layer and escape from an Innate Seventh Layer, but against an Innate Eighth or Ninth Layer existence, he could only fight for his life.

Against a Martial Arts Grandmaster like Ye Zongling out in the open, he didn’t have a single shred of a chance of winning.

Only by borrowing the Fire Elemental Power here could he hope to contend with him.

But even then, it would only be contending.

But now that the Earth Fire Qilin Beast had appeared to take care of him, Yang Xiao felt he didn’t need to lift a finger himself, which naturally made him very happy.

But before the smile could fully form on his face, his mood soured in an instant.

Because, as Ye Zongling fled, the Earth Fire Qilin Beast didn’t give chase. Instead, its bell-sized eyes turned and fixed an icy gaze on him.

That single glance sent an endless chill through Yang Xiao’s heart.

Damn it!

’This beast is actually going to deal with me first!’