Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

”Dammit!”

Upon sensing that all of his controlled Moons were gone, Xuan Jiuding couldn’t help but let out an angry roar on the platform. This was supposed to be his strongest move, and yet it still failed to take down Yun Xiao. How could he ever live down this embarrassment?

Previously, even though Yun Xiao had forcefully defeated Nie Qianqiu and Shen Wannian, advancing into the top four, Xuan Jiuding had never taken him seriously. After all, he himself had already made a breakthrough to the peak of the Meridian Union Realm.

In fact, this was Xuan Jiuding’s biggest surprise prepared for everyone, originally intended to be revealed in the final battle. Unexpectedly, he encountered Yun Xiao in this fight.

Xuan Jiuding had never underestimated Yun Xiao; he was simply too confident in himself. Thus, as soon as the battle started, he stimulated his Meridian Qi at the peak of the Meridian Union Realm and also employed the Xuanyue Heavenly Mirror in conjunction with Moon Dance, hoping to crush Yun Xiao with an overwhelming force and kill him on the platform.

It was known that at this Countries Hidden Dragon Conference, Yun Xiao was the most prominent, and coming from the same Xuanyue Empire, many people compared Xuan Jiuding to Yun Xiao.

Hearing all these rumors, Xuan Jiuding wanted to use this vigorous battle to prove to everyone that he, the Xuanyue Crown Prince, was not someone who could be compared to a grassroots figure like Yun Xiao.

But now, even though Xuan Jiuding was not at an absolute disadvantage, his two powerful attacks were easily resolved by Yun Xiao. The fact that he couldn’t even leave a scratch on the young man had somewhat enraged him with embarrassment.

”Hehe, Crown Prince, this is not the time to be lost in thought!”

However, just as Xuan Jiuding was slightly taken aback, a light laughter suddenly rang out by his ear. Immediately followed by a surge of great force, it surprised him so much that he involuntarily dodged to the right.

Bang!

Although Xuan Jiuding’s reaction was quick, Yun Xiao’s punch was prepared with intent, and since he had the mood to jest, he certainly wouldn’t let this punch miss its target.

Xuan Jiuding felt a burst of severe pain in his left shoulder, obviously having been struck by Yun Xiao. It was only then that he personally experienced the tremendous power of this Mid Stage of the Meridian Union Realm youth.

The truth was that Xuan Jiuding and Yun Xiao had a longstanding grudge, but this was their first true hand-to-hand confrontation, also the first time that Xuan Jiuding was hit by Yun Xiao. The formidable force made him feel agony down to his bones.

Fortunately, Xuan Jiuding was born with the Xuanyue Royal Bloodline and had cultivated the Earth Rank Low Level Cultivation Technique Xuanyue Heavenly Mirror, which meant his Physical Strength was far beyond that of his fellow cultivators at the same level.

Therefore, although Yun Xiao’s sneak attack was full of force, it only caused Xuan Jiuding some pain. To say that it truly injured the Crown Prince, that was still impossible.

However, Yun Xiao’s purpose was not merely this one sneak attack. With this successful strike, he had already closed in on Xuan Jiuding. In a pure contest of Physical Strength, perhaps he wouldn’t even need to resort to other trump card techniques to bring down the Crown Prince.

The facts proved that Yun Xiao’s close combat prowess was indeed more than Xuan Jiuding could contend with. Even though he was two minor realms higher than Yun Xiao, under the power of the Ancient Dragon Taming Technique’s cultivated Meridian Qi, the gap between them was not that vast.

The formidable Physical Strength completely compensated for Yun Xiao’s inferior Meridian Qi Cultivation. Therefore, at this moment, what everyone saw was the Xuanyue Crown Prince, at the peak of Meridian Union Realm, being pressed and beaten by Yun Xiao, who was only at the midstage.

Two minor realms apart, and yet the fight was turning out this way, which was something no one had anticipated. From this, they all clearly knew that the Physical Strength of that roughly-dressed youth was likely no less than that of some Vein Demons who had just entered the Sixth Rank.

”Yun Xiao, you cannot possibly defeat me!”

Just when everyone was wondering if this fight would end like this, that Xuanyue Crown Prince suddenly let out a roaring cry from his throat.

Huuh... Huuh...

Right after that, the aura on Xuan Jiuding’s body surged tremendously, and sensing the majestic force around him, many spectators realized something and showed a shocked expression.

”It’s Ancestor Vein Power, and not just one!”

The Jade Pot Sect Master, with perhaps the strongest Power of Soul among the crowd, was the first to sense the change in Xuan Jiuding’s aura and could not help speaking out in a solemn voice.

”Yes, it should be two Ancestor Veins, both reaching the level of Spiritual Rank. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such a significant increase!”

Lu Zhan, whose Power of Soul was also not weak, chimed in. As he said this, several Elders from the medical pulse of the Jade Pot Sect had somewhat somber expressions.

Ancestor Vein Power is the basis for a cultivator to surpass fellow cultivators at the same level. A cultivator with Ancestor Vein Power will definitely have much stronger combat capabilities.

Moreover, upon invoking Ancestor Vein Power, it also enhances one’s own Meridian Qi to a certain extent. Although Xuan Jiuding had not yet reached the half-step Spirit Vein Realm, on the path of the peak of the Meridian Union Realm, he had already gone quite far.

Ancestor Veins also vary in grade, just like the path of cultivation, divided into five major ranks: Mortal Spirit, Earth, Heaven, and Holy. Each major rank corresponds to three levels of cultivation grades.

Simply put, an Ancestor Vein of a grade that can invoke the power of the Ancestor Vein to break through a minor realm in the Meridian Rushing Realm is roughly considered low level in the Spiritual Rank.

Following this logic, the power of an Ancestor Vein that can help a cultivator in the Meridian Union Realm increase a minor realm naturally ranks as Spiritual Rank Intermediate, but such Ancestor Veins on the Hidden Dragon Continent are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Ancestor Veins rely on inheritance, and even for a mighty empire like the Xuanyue Empire, its foundation has accumulated for nearly a thousand years. Therefore, the two Ancestor Veins activated by Xuan Jiuding are only at the low level of Spiritual Rank.

For this reason, even though Xuan Jiuding possesses two Ancestor Veins, in the Meridian Union Realm, he can only elevate his Meridian Qi a bit and cannot break through to a higher realm.

Moreover, even a Spiritual Rank Intermediate Ancestor Vein cannot directly allow a cultivator at the peak of the Meridian Union Realm to break through to the early stage of the Spirit Vein Realm; at most, it can only help break through to a half-step Spirit Vein Realm.

However, no matter what, Xuan Jiuding, who has activated two Ancestor Veins, has seen a significant increase in aura. Moreover, it came unexpectedly for Yun Xiao, so after his strike, he finally widened the gap between them.

”Yun Xiao, to force me to this extent, you should be proud of yourself!”

Filled with the power of the two Ancestor Veins, Xuan Jiuding’s previous frustration vanished in an instant, replaced by a strong self-confidence, a confidence that belongs to the inheritance of the Xuanyue Royal Family.

”Now, taste the most powerful technique of this Crown Prince at his strongest state!”

Full of triumph, Xuan Jiuding paid no attention to Yun Xiao’s somewhat odd expression. As he finished speaking, his entire body was once again enveloped by a dense white glow.

Just when everyone thought Xuan Jiuding was about to deploy the same low-level Earth Rank Meridian Technique, Moon Dance, they saw the white glow flickering and transforming into a giant crescent moon.

Some Meridian Refining Masters with powerful Soul strength could clearly sense that the white crescent moon forming around Xuan Jiuding was indeed comprised of many small white crescent moons. But this time, it was drastically different from the previous Moon Dance.

The Xuan Jiuding enveloped in the giant white crescent moon seemed to have turned into a crescent moon himself. It somewhat resembled the prior scene where Jin Wuli had transformed into a Golden Blade.

However, at this moment, Xuan Jiuding’s entire body had not turned into a crescent moon, but he was only enveloped in a giant white crescent moon, and one could still vaguely discern the human form inside.

”Human and Moon Unity, Moon Shattering the Heavens!”

The voice that came from Xuan Jiuding, now wrapped by the white moon, was deep and somber. Even Xuan Haoran from the northern high platform was thrilled; he couldn’t have expected his son to have mastered this technique.

In reality, this was also initially a low-level Earth Rank Meridian Technique. However, it was a high-level expression of this Earth Rank low-level Meridian Technique. Typically, only peak cultivators of the Spirit Vein Realm like Xuan Haoran had a chance of successful cultivation.

But now, even though Xuan Jiuding had invoked the power of his two Ancestor Veins, he had not truly broken through to the Spirit Vein Realm. So Xuan Haoran had always believed his son could not perform this strongest strike.

Human and Moon Unity involves blending the entire aura of the person into the myriad of white crescent moons, and under the control of Xuan Jiuding, the power that the crescent moon shape could unleash is far beyond that of the thousand moons striking separately.

Whoosh!

The very next moment, everyone clearly saw Xuan Jiuding, now one with the moon, charging at Yun Xiao like a cannonball leaving its chamber.

With this attack, could Yun Xiao still use his potent blood-red flames to completely burn away the white crescent moons on the outside of Xuan Jiuding’s body? Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Yun Xiao’s right hand.

However, figures like Qian Sanyuan and Meng Liyang, seated in the northern stand, were not so optimistic. The speed and strength of the crescent moon Xuan Jiuding had transformed into, as well as the refined concentration of its Meridian Qi, were far from comparable to those minute crescents that struck separately before.

Under such speed and force, if Yun Xiao could not evaporate that crescent moon completely in a short time, allowing it to strike his body, it would not be unlikely for him to be cut in half.

The oncoming onslaught of Xuan Jiuding’s Human and Moon Unity was incredibly fast. In almost the blink of an eye, he had already reached Yun Xiao, and by that pace, the latter had no time to react.

Clang!

Yet at that moment, everyone heard a crisp clang of collision, and they saw Yun Xiao’s crossed hands radiate a dazzling golden light.

The fierce Human and Moon Unity Meridian Technique did not cut Yun Xiao in half; it didn’t even sever his arms. It simply blasted him back several dozen feet.

When everyone instinctively looked towards the young man in coarse clothing who was blasted back several dozen feet, their gaze abruptly froze. For at this moment, Yun Xiao had changed completely from before.