Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

”No one can take anything from my Wuyan Palace!”

At this moment, Zhang Daohe finally exuded the dominance befitting the Seventh Elder of Wuyan Palace, without a trace of the frustration he felt when being jointly pressured by others outside.

With these words, Ge Wanli’s expression became somewhat unsightly. After all, he was still half a step away from breaking through to the Late Stage of Earth Bending Realm, and it was impossible to bring flying bird demon pets into the depths of Yanji Lake. For these elders of Demons Mountain, without the demon pets, their combat power undoubtedly decreased significantly.

If it were outside, with the help of flying bird demon pets, Ge Wanli could at least barely contend with Zhang Daohe, but the current situation left him somewhat conflicted.

He didn’t want to give up the treasure that was almost within reach, nor did he want to fight Zhang Daohe for over three hundred rounds. Just as Ge Wanli was hesitating, the Seventh Elder of Wuyan Palace made a decision.

”Leave in three breaths, or don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

Zhang Daohe stepped forward, his tone filled with a thick killing intent, as if a moment’s more hesitation from Ge Wanli would prompt him to lash out violently.

”You...”

Being treated so unceremoniously, how could Ge Wanli, a Demons Mountain elder, not be furious? He was almost driven to spit blood, but sensing the faint danger emanating from Zhang Daohe, he finally regained some rationality.

”Elder Ge!”

And just as Ge Wanli was about to take a step back and think long-term, a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears. Following the sound, his expression slightly changed.

”Fusheng, what are you doing here? Leave quickly!”

Ignoring the glaring Zhang Daohe, Ge Wanli crossed over in a few steps, as he had recognized the figures entering the hall: the Demons Mountain geniuses Luo Fusheng and Xiao Ming.

Knowing he could not rival Zhang Daohe, Ge Wanli felt even more apprehensive that should Zhang Daohe choose to kill the Demons Mountain geniuses, it would be beyond his power to protect them.

”Elder Ge, we’ve come with Yun... huh? Where’s Yun Xiao?”

Luo Fusheng showed no fear, greeted them, and intended to reveal Yun Xiao, who had been following, yet upon turning around, there was no sign of the rough-clothed youth.

”Hmph, at least you old fellow know your place!”

While Ge Wanli and Luo Fusheng conversed, Wuyan Palace’s Seventh Elder Zhang Daohe revealed a sneer, then attempted to reach for the blue wooden box with a cold snort.

Whoosh!

However, at that moment, a sound of something cutting through the air suddenly came, and Zhang Daohe saw a shadow swiftly approaching, aiming for the same target as him.

”Courting death!”

Seeing this, Zhang Daohe was furious. He had just intimidated Ge Wanli into retreating, and now an audacious individual dared to snatch the treasure from under his nose. How could he tolerate this?

Zhang Daohe always considered himself the strongest to enter this Water Palace; neither Ge Wanli of Demons Mountain nor Zong Puti of Thunder Sound Mountain was a match for him one-on-one.

After entering the Water Palace, everyone sought the treasure, making alliances impossible. Thus, Zhang Daohe defeated them one by one, reaping plenty; Ge Wanli was the greatest opponent here.

Now that even Ge Wanli backed off, how could Zhang Daohe not be enraged when someone dared to challenge his authority again? He resolved to capture the audacious one and make him wish for death.

But at this moment, Zhang Daohe wouldn’t just watch the blue box fall into someone else’s hand, so he decisively acted, his right hand swiftly reaching for the box ahead of the shadow.

Swish!

Zhang Daohe’s move was indeed quick, but then he caught sight of a black light swiftly descending, targeting his extended right wrist poised to grab the wooden box.

In a tight spot, Zhang Daohe couldn’t discern what the black light was, but instinct warned him that inaction could lead to an unbearable outcome.

So even though Zhang Daohe was unwilling, he didn’t risk it, experiencing a taste of his own medicine just like Ge Wanli earlier. How quickly this retribution came!

Under Zhang Daohe’s gloomy gaze, he ultimately withdrew, and as the black light descended, he watched helplessly as the nearby wooden box was grasped by a hand.

When Zhang Daohe finally saw what the black light was, he nearly spat a mouthful of old blood: it was merely an ordinary wooden sword like a child’s toy.

A strongman of the Late Stage of Earth Bending Realm, frightened off by an unimposing wooden sword—this was an utter humiliation for Zhang Daohe. And when he shifted his gaze to its owner, his throat itched unbearably, needing to vent.

”Yun Xiao!”

These two words were almost squeezed out between Zhang Daohe’s clenched teeth. He loathed the coarse-clothed youth to the core, but on that day outside Yanji Lake, he was forced by Ge Wanli and couldn’t kill him.

Furthermore, Zhang Daohe knew that the Wuyan Cloth, Wuyan Palace’s secret treasure, was on Yun Xiao. Hence, after extreme anger, a trace of delight appeared in his eyes.

This is truly a case of wearing out iron shoes with no avail, only to find it effortlessly; he had been anxious about not finding this audacious youth, and the youth just walked right into his arms.

”Is it Yun Xiao?”

Yun Xiao’s sudden move, snatching the blue wooden box from Zhang Daohe’s hand like a tiger seizing prey, made Ge Wanli both surprised and alarmed.

”He has actually broken through to the Early Stage of the Earth Bending Realm!”

Ge Wanli, a genuine Earth Rank Advanced Beast Vein Master, whose Soul Power long reached Earth Rank Advanced, sensed Yun Xiao’s true level of Meridian Qi Cultivation in his swift action.

Just over ten days ago, outside Yanji Lake, Yun Xiao was only at the half-step Earth Realm; how had he broken through to the true Early Stage of the Earth Bending Realm in such a short time?

Ge Wanli himself had come from the Seeking Origin Realm; he knew how difficult it is to break through this realm. It’s possible for many powerful cultivators to be stuck at half-step Earth Realm for a lifetime.

And everything seemed to have no bottleneck for this coarse-clothed youth. At this moment, Ge Wanli suddenly had an epiphany; could it be this first youth entering the foggy passage had another unknown mystical encounter in Yanji Lake?

”Yun Xiao, do you really think that breaking through to the Early Stage of the Earth Bending Realm allows you to act so recklessly?”

As the closest person to Yun Xiao, Zhang Daohe, himself a formidable Late Stage of the Earth Bending Realm expert, naturally sensed Yun Xiao’s current true cultivation instantly.

However, Zhang Daohe had not truly seen Yun Xiao’s hidden means. He believed that even if the latter managed to break through to the Early Stage of Earth Bending Realm, it would be impossible to be a match for him, a Late Stage expert.

The Seventh Elder of Wuyan Palace had been overwhelmed with excitement from acquiring the complete Wuyan Cloth; he believed that if he killed this youth and seized the Wuyan Cloth, the most important treasure in Wuyan Water Palace would be his.

”Elder Ge, Long Xiwawa has already died at Yun Xiao’s hands!”

Seeing the shock on his teacher’s face, Luo Fusheng suddenly spoke out, and this voice was not particularly concealed, allowing Zhang Daohe nearby to hear it clearly.

”What?”

If Ge Wanli was shocked, then Zhang Daohe was furious; Long Xiwawa was a once-in-a-century super talent of Wuyan Palace and a direct disciple of the Palace Master, now dead at the bottom of Yanji Lake without cause?

The sudden news made Zhang Daohe tremble all over, unsure whether it was anger or fear, with mixed emotions crossing his face grimly.

Zhang Daohe could imagine how furious the Palace Master would be if this news returned to Wuyan Palace headquarters, or reached the Palace Master’s ears. By then, as the elder leading the team to Yanji Lake, he would be in deep trouble.

The whole Wuyan Palace knows how fond Wu Zhukong, the Palace Master, is of this favored disciple; Zhang Daohe certainly understood it too.

He knew clearly that no matter what treasure he could bring back from Yanji Lake, it wouldn’t make up for the poor protection and negligence of failing in his duties. Long Xiwawa’s importance in the Palace Master’s heart was far superior to his.

”Yun Xiao, you seek death!”

Having realized all this, Zhang Daohe’s eyes turned blood red, knowing that everything resulted from the youth before him, turning his once promising future dim; such deep hatred must be avenged!

”Not good!”

Ge Wanli, who was nearby, saw Zhang Daohe’s shame turning into fury and attempting to hurt him, immediately cursed silently and subsequently moved, intending to save Yun Xiao by attacking Zhang Daohe’s weakness.

Although Ge Wanli hadn’t witnessed the previous fight, he could infer from Luo Fusheng’s words; at this moment, it wasn’t just for Xu Hongzhuang’s sake but also because Yun Xiao had saved two Demons Mountain talents.

But Ge Wanli had no certainty, for Zhang Daohe was indeed a genuine Late Stage of Earth Bending Realm expert. Even if Yun Xiao broke through to the Early Stage, he was far from being a match for him.

Speaking from his own perspective, Ge Wanli had experienced Zhang Daohe’s might; even as a Middle Stage of Earth Bending Realm elder of Demons Mountain, just half a step away from breaking through to the Late Stage, he was not Zhang Daohe’s rival, let alone a mere youth.

But as he moved after Zhang Daohe attacked, Ge Wanli undoubtedly was a bit too late. Now, he could only pray silently that the youth Xu Hongzhuang had taken a liking to could withstand Zhang Daohe’s first strike.

If he could withstand the first strike, Ge Wanli might have a chance to sneak behind Zhang Daohe, thereby saving Yun Xiao from danger.