Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

”Do you members of the royal family only engage in such sneaky tricks?”

Yun Xiao finally shifted his gaze from the black key, looking at Yan Shi with a rather gloomy expression as he responded. However, despite his words, he was already contemplating how to escape.

Despite having advanced to the Late Stage of the Meridian Rushing Realm, Yun Xiao could subtly sense that Yan Shi, standing before him, seemed much stronger than back at the Meridian Treasure vault—an opponent by no means easy to contend with.

Moreover, this was the Royal Family’s territory. Yun Xiao did not believe that after the incident at the Meridian Treasure vault, Xuan Jiuding would only assign Yan Shi to stand guard here. If other powerful members of the Royal Family joined forces to encircle him, escaping might as well be as difficult as growing wings.

”Haha, sneaking around? Yun Xiao, do you even realize where you are? Who is the real sneaky thief here?”

Upon hearing this, Yan Shi couldn’t help but burst into laughter, then stretching out his hand to gesture around and added: ”This place is the Royal Treasure Vault of the Xuanyue Royal Family. Your unauthorized intrusion is a capital offense!”

As Yan Shi uttered these words, Yun Xiao suddenly realized that this was probably all part of Xuan Jiuding’s plan. The guard earlier might have had nothing to do with Xuan Jing, not even a Gold Coin’s worth of connection; his purpose was likely to lure Yun Xiao into this Royal Treasure Vault.

Yun Xiao recalled the time in the Northwest of the Empire when he was falsely accused of being a royal treasure thief. Unexpectedly, such a baseless accusation now seemed destined to become true. Today, he might indeed become a Royal Thief.

Even though the old wooden box was originally the property of the Jade Pot Sect, given the current situation, Yun Xiao, with even a hundred mouths, would not be able to explain himself clear—he had been caught red-handed by Yan Shi.

”Hmph, you alone are not enough to stop me!”

With these thoughts rushing through his mind, Yun Xiao was unwilling to linger a moment longer. If any more powerful figures from the Royal Family arrived, even with the help of the Golden Snake Worms, his fate would be sealed.

Without hesitation, as soon as he finished speaking, Yun Xiao no longer cared for the black key. Preserving his life was the top priority. Seeing him leap forward, he had already closed a few dozen feet towards the vault’s grand doors.

”Royal guards, heed my command and capture this audacious thief who dared to burst into the Treasure Vault!”

Just as Yun Xiao made a slight move, Yan Shi immediately shouted, and soon after, numerous guards in the Royal Family’s uniform appeared at the great hall’s entrance, sealing his exit tightly.

Seeing this, Yun Xiao’s face couldn’t help but darken like the water’s depths. Wasn’t it enough to have a guard at the Late Stage of the Meridian Union Realm stationed here? To think that there were so many hidden guards, and each of them at least at the Late Stage of the Meridian Rushing Realm, with power comparable to Yun Xiao himself.

It was clear just how strong the Royal Family was, and under such circumstances, Yun Xiao’s path to escape became exceedingly difficult. Other than carving a bloody path, there was no other way out.

Relatively speaking, breaking through the group of guards, each at the Late Stage or Peak of the Meridian Rushing Realm, was undeniably simpler. And since these people were blocking the entrance, Yun Xiao, without any hesitation, charged in their direction.

As Royal Guards, these obstructers truly underestimated Yun Xiao, for after all, he was merely at the Late Stage of the Meridian Rushing Realm. Surrounded by so many of them, could he still escape with his life intact?

Regrettably, like Yan Shi, they all underestimated Yun Xiao’s combat prowess. As the coarse-clothed youth launched his attack, a blossom of blood-red flames emerged on his right palm.

”Quick, get out of the way!”

Yan Shi, not far behind, witnessing those blood-red flames from Yun Xiao, suddenly remembered the scenes from the Meridian Treasure vault, and couldn’t help but shout a warning.

However, this warning was too late; Yun Xiao’s Ancestral Vein Fire was even faster than Yan Shi’s voice, leaving the frontline guard with no time to react.

Ssst!

A faint sound was heard, and in the next moment, the blood-red flames from Yun Xiao’s right palm had viciously struck the left wrist of the guard.

”Ah!”

A scream of extreme agony echoed within the Royal Treasure Vault. How formidable was Yun Xiao’s Ancestral Vein Fire, for once attached to a person’s body, it was impossible to shake off, causing the guard to suffer immensely.

If it were a cultivator with a higher level of Meridian Qi Cultivation than Yun Xiao, perhaps they could have relied on some special methods to neutralize it, but this Royal Guard, being at the Late Stage of the Meridian Rushing Realm just like Yun Xiao, tragically could not withstand the blow.

The sudden ferocity took the group of guards by surprise. Yun Xiao needed just such an opportunity. While the guards were briefly stunned, he sprang forward with his rapid movement technique, bursting out of the great hall’s doors, and luckily not trapped within their clutches.

Yan Shi observed this scene and his face became so overcast it was as if water was about to drip from it. Under such favorable circumstances, he had allowed Yun Xiao to escape from the palace. Where would this leave his old face?

Although Yun Xiao had left behind the black key, the Crown Prince’s command was to take Yun Xiao’s life as well. Now that Yun Xiao had slipped away from the palace, at the very least, the credit for killing him would be beyond Yan Shi’s reach.

”Big brother, stop that little thief Yun Xiao!”

Just as a sigh of relief had settled in Yun Xiao’s heart, believing that once outside the palace the sky was the limit, he didn’t expect a sudden loud shout from behind him from within the palace, sending a shiver down his spine as an extreme sense of danger suddenly descended upon him.

Whoosh!

Without a moment to think, Yun Xiao exhibited a movement technique once exclusive to the Long Xiao Battle God from his previous life. He saw his body shift horizontally several feet in a straight line, narrowly evading a sudden and heavy strike that appeared out of nowhere.

”Eh?”

Such a reaction and movement technique elicited a surprised exclamation from someone who had been lying in wait. It seemed incredibly unfathomable to that person that such a sure-hit strike had missed its mark.

Having dodged the deadly strike, Yun Xiao’s back was already drenched in cold sweat because from that attack, he could clearly sense that this person’s strength was definitely far above Yan Shi’s, even reaching the level of the Spirit Vein Realm.

When Yun Xiao turned around and saw the face filled with surprise, he had no further doubts. That face was vaguely familiar—it was none other than Yan Yong, the Commander of the Xuantie Army, who had guided him and Yu Shu to the Heavenly Moon Pavilion upon their arrival in Baiyue City.

However, what Yun Xiao had not expected was that this Yan Yong was actually Yan Shi’s elder brother. It seemed that as soon as he had inflicted serious injuries on Yan Shi, he had already forged a deep enmity with this Commander of the Xuantie Army.

Yan Yong had concealed his intentions exceptionally well. At least on that day, Yun Xiao hadn’t detected anything hostile about the man; instead, he had only noticed Yan Yong’s cordiality.

But at this moment, Yun Xiao had no time to appreciate Yan Yong’s acting skills. Since the man was Yan Shi’s elder brother and the Commander of the Xuantie Army, his presence here was probably premeditated.

Yun Xiao had already struggled against the Late Stage Yan Shi of the Meridian Union Realm, not to mention Yan Yong, who had reached the level of the Spirit Vein Realm and was likely not far behind Yan Chun, the fifth Elder of the Jade Pot Sect. Being the Commander of the Xuantie Army, the difference couldn’t be that vast.

If facing Yan Shi in the Late Stage of the Meridian Union Realm, Yun Xiao might still have a chance to struggle for survival using his otherworldly methods from his previous life, but now, he had already given up any hope of resistance. There was a gap of two Great Ranks between him and a practitioner of the Spirit Vein Realm.

Whoosh!

As these thoughts raced through Yun Xiao’s mind, Yan Shi had already appeared from within the great hall. However, his expression was not particularly pleasant, for letting Yun Xiao escape from the Treasure Vault amounted to negligence on his part, to some extent.

But in front of his own elder brother, Yan Shi showed no embarrassment, and he snarled, ”Big brother, catching the thief who stole the Royal Treasure is a great accomplishment indeed!”

It seemed that Yan Shi had really deluded himself into thinking Yun Xiao was just a Treasure Thief. In fact, it was merely an order from Xuan Jiuding. To act against the Direct Disciple of the Jade Pot Sect Master, they needed a justifiable reason.

”Yun Xiao, I advise you to surrender without a fight. Perhaps the Crown Prince will be merciful and spare your life. Otherwise...”

Yan Yong paid no attention to Yan Shi. As his gaze shifted towards Yun Xiao, he spoke words that seemed generous but were imbued with an unmistakable, thick threat.

Such talk could only deceive those naive youngsters just starting out. What kind of discernment did Yun Xiao possess? He believed that if he gave up resistance, he would instantly be rendered useless, stripped of his Meridian Qi. What point would there then be to his existence?

Yun Xiao had lived again. He surely didn’t want to live an unremarkable life. Even in the face of a Spirit Vein Realm powerhouse, with the chances of escape exceedingly slim, he would persevere to the very end.

”Hmph, I don’t believe the Xuanyue Royal Family can completely control everything, can Xuan Jiuding?”

Now was not the time for pleasantries, and Yun Xiao directly invoked the name of the Crown Prince, which caused a subtle change in the expressions of the Yan brothers.

Today was the birthday of the King Xuan Haoran of Xuanyue Country. Xuan Jiuding did not wish to be directly involved. They intended to pin the identity of a Treasure Thief on Yun Xiao, to justify their actions legitimately.

Yet Yun Xiao’s words were not meant to let Xuan Jiuding off the hook. If this matter were to be brought into the open and the King of Xuanyue Country intervened, maybe the truth would come to light. After all, Yu Shu, the Sect Master of the Jade Pot Sect, was still within the Imperial Palace. No matter what, Xuan Haoran had to give face to the Master of a Sect.

”Big brother, why bother talking nonsense with this brat? Knock his teeth out one by one and see if he can still talk tough,”

Presumably, Yan Shi, having witnessed Yun Xiao’s eloquence within the Meridian Treasure, knew that competing in verbal wit with the young man could end up as fruitless as the difference in Meridian Qi, so he immediately spoke up in a cold voice. In the next moment, his body surged with potent Meridian Qi.