Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

Chunxiao City!

This is a major city located north of Lianyun Mountain, home to branches of various powerful groups such as the Meridian Refining Master Association and Douling Commerce. Yet today, a peculiar and somber atmosphere pervades the Douling Commerce branch.

”How is it? Has Protector Situ returned?”

In a great hall, at the highest seat sits the branch chairman of Chunxiao City’s Douling Commerce, Shen Litong, who is himself a peak Seeking Origin Realm expert. But at this moment, his face is marked with anxiety, and his tone is quite irritable.

This Chairman Shen was involved with Protector Situ Lang from the Douling Commerce headquarters in the pursuit of Chi Yan north of Lianyun Mountain. Unfortunately, despite days of chasing, they failed to capture that uniquely fire-attributed mouse-shaped Vein Demon.

Being the chairman of Chunxiao City’s Douling Commerce branch, Shen Litong naturally has many mundane duties to attend to and cannot waste too much time wandering Lianyun Mountain alongside Situ Lang.

So, after a month, he had to return first to Chunxiao City to attend to the mountains of accumulating affairs.

Initially, upon returning to the Chunxiao City branch, Shen Litong found nothing amiss, but recent days have left him restless.

Every night, an Elder from the Douling Commerce branch goes missing without a sign, not even a body to be found; it’s unknown whether they are dead or alive.

To know this is the Douling Commerce branch is crucial, for few dare provoke this giant entity. Yet such bizarre events are happening, igniting anger and fear.

”Where is the Sixth Elder? Why hasn’t he come?”

Looking at a vacant seat in the great hall, Shen Litong, without waiting for a response, felt increasingly restless. At such a critical moment, what could be more important than this strange affair?

Tap, tap, tap!

As Shen Litong grew anxious, footsteps came from outside the hall. A guard from the branch quickly rushed in, holding something strange and black in his palms against his chest.

Seeing the guard’s hurried steps and irrepressible fear, Shen Litong’s heart first sank with a sense of misfortune, already suspecting something.

”Chairman, something terrible has happened!”

The guard knelt on one knee, his words sending the branch chairman and five great elders exchanging glances, each seeing a hint of panic in the others’ eyes.

”What has happened? Where is the Sixth Elder?”

This guard was familiar to Shen Litong; he had been sent to invite the Sixth Elder for a meeting, yet returned alone with such an expression, evidently something had gone awry.

”The Sixth Elder… the Sixth Elder… may already be… dead!”

Upon the chairman mentioning the Sixth Elder, the guard’s body trembled, and a few specks of black dust leaked from between his fingers. Remembering certain things, he was still somewhat unsettled.

”Reveal everything you know!”

With a gloomy face, Shen Litong, though having some guesses, did not yet disclose them, needing more confirmed details from the guard, who clearly knew certain unseen information.

”I… I was sent by the chairman to the Sixth Elder’s courtyard. As I reached outside, a fiery red shadow flashed by—it seemed to be... a mouse-shaped Vein Demon!”

The guard dared not hide anything, and upon hearing his last words, the five branch elders, including Shen Litong, all shuddered, flashes of sharp awareness in their eyes.

”Continue!”

Shen Litong’s face grew darker, almost dripping with foreboding. His suspicions became clearer, yet he didn’t voice them but demanded more from the guard.

”Surprised, I heard a painful scream from the Sixth Elder’s courtyard. Without hesitation, I pushed the door open. Inside, the Sixth Elder was already consumed by flames and finally… finally…”

Recalling the prior horrific scene, the guard’s final words trembled, holding out the black dust, prompting everyone to realize what it was.

”The Sixth Elder’s ashes!”

Shen Litong and the five elders reacted swiftly, grasping the truth immediately while the elders involved in Lianyun Mountain affairs already needed no further explanation.

”Damn beast!”

At this moment, all truths were revealed. With the Sixth Elder already turned to ashes, the Chunxiao City branch of Spirit Fighting Commerce had lost four elders in just a few days.

The entire Chunxiao City branch had merely nine great elders, and now almost half were dead. How could Shen Litong endure this? He knew that with the deaths of these four elders, the Chunxiao City branch of Spirit Fighting Commerce would suffer a significant setback.

From the description given by the guard, Shen Litong knew clearly that it was definitely the Fire Attribute mouse-shaped Vein Demon they pursued a month ago, which had eluded the Headquarters Protector Situ Lang and came to Chunxiao City seeking revenge.

For Chunxiao City, this was truly an unfortunate disaster. It’s crucial to understand that only Situ Lang coveted the Fire Attribute Mouse Demon. At first, Shen Litong led the elders to it merely for support.

Unexpectedly, it led to self-destruction. The Eighth Rank Advanced mouse-shaped Vein Demon had such a keen sense of smell that it unexpectedly tracked down the Chunxiao City branch of Spirit Fighting Commerce, brutally killing four elders of the branch.

Judging from the manner of the Sixth Elder’s death, the previous elders were definitely burned to ashes by the Lifebound Fire of the Fire Attribute Vein Demon, but no one witnessed it. With the gentle breeze, those elders naturally disappeared without a trace.

A Vein Demon reaching Eighth Rank Advanced level ensured that even someone like Shen Litong, the chairman of the branch, had no confidence in achieving victory. Therefore, full of anger, he slammed his hand on the chair back and shouted furiously, ”Where on earth did Protector Situ Lang run off to? Doesn’t he know the backyard is on fire?”

At this moment, there was no doubt that Shen Litong felt slight resentment towards Headquarters Protector Situ Lang, his tone becoming somewhat unkind.

”Why is Chairman Shen so furious?”

Just as Shen Litong finished speaking, a deep voice came from outside the hall doors, causing him to spring up as if suddenly propelled by a spring.

”Protector Situ, you have finally returned!”

At this moment, Shen Litong was no longer the dignified chairman. He rushed towards the entrance like he was seeing a family member, a hint of choked emotion and grievance in his voice.

Meanwhile, a figure finally flickered at the hall entrance, a middle-aged silhouette appeared in the elders’ line of sight. His face seemed slightly flat, appearing amiable yet harboring a hint of anger in his eyes.

This person was none other than Spirit Fighting Commerce’s Headquarters Protector Situ Lang. His cultivation had reached Early Stage of Earth Bending Realm, much stronger compared to Bai Wushuang, who died at Yun Xiao’s hands.

To be honest, Situ Lang was in a terrible mood, because his pursuit of the Fire Attribute mouse-shaped Vein Demon in Lianyun Mountain yielded no results. Ultimately, he realized that he was fooled by an Eighth Rank Advanced beast.

When the incident occurred at the Chunxiao City branch of Spirit Fighting Commerce, Situ Lang finally tracked down its real whereabouts from the subtle clues left behind by Chi Yan, which naturally pointed directly to the Chunxiao City branch of Spirit Fighting Commerce.

Following those traces, Situ Lang actually reached the Chunxiao City branch of Spirit Fighting Commerce. Yet as soon as he entered, he heard Shen Litong’s resentful words, further souring his mood.

”Protector Situ, you must know, that beast…”

Seeing Situ Lang remain silent as he walked towards the head position, Shen Litong cautiously followed, ultimately unable to hold back, due to the Chunxiao City branch of Spirit Fighting Commerce’s prolonged frustration lately.

”Of course, I know. It’s just a few deaths, isn’t it? What’s the big deal?”

As an Early Stage Expert, Situ Lang had actually never taken someone like Shen Litong, the branch chairman, seriously. His ultimate goal was still to obtain the Fire Attribute Vein Demon and refine it into his Meridian Spirit.

Upon hearing this remark, several elders could not help but twitch their lips inwardly, thinking this man really doesn’t regard them as human. What does he mean by ”just a few deaths”? Those were four living people!

”Don’t worry, I will avenge them. But before that, I still need one person. Who will volunteer?”

Situ Lang walked directly to the head position and sat down, then changed the subject. Hearing his last sentence, several elders felt a chill on their backs, vaguely guessing what this protector was going to do with a volunteer.

”What does Protector Situ mean?”

Although Shen Litong had some speculations, he cautiously asked aloud and then saw Situ Lang glance at him, the look in his eyes seemingly saying, ”Can’t you even figure this out? Are you an idiot?”

”Of course, it is to use someone as bait to lure that beast out!”

Situ Lang didn’t beat around the bush, directly revealing his thoughts. Seeing the hearts of several elders tighten, he continued, ”With me, the Protector, around, do you really have anything to worry about?”

”Worry? Worry your granddad!”

Several branch elders inwardly cursed. The earlier tragic deaths of four elders left them psychological shadows of the mouse-shaped Vein Demon.

They never thought that as soon as Situ Lang arrived, he would want one of them to be bait. Isn’t this like putting them directly in danger, likely to be burned alive?