Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

”Now’s not the time to be distracted!”

Yun Xiao sighed inwardly, but his hands never stopped moving. With a light chuckle, he directed another Five-Colored Light Beam from the Five Elements Halo at Zong Puti with incredible speed.

”Can’t take it head on!”

Zong Puti swiftly made a wise decision upon seeing the Five Elements Light Beam streaking toward him. Even his Protective Divine Power Golden Body Cover couldn’t withstand it. A direct hit might spell instant death.

Thus, Zong Puti decisively endured the intense pain in his right shoulder and shifted three feet to the left, feeling the wind brush past his ear as the Five Elements Light Beam swiftly skimmed by, leaving him drenched in cold sweat.

Yet, what Zong Puti didn’t see was the gleam of a successful scheme in the eyes of the boy in coarse clothes when he dodged this Five Elements Light Beam.

”Not good!”

Zong Puti reacted swiftly, but he instantly understood the situation as he found himself facing a massive mouse-shaped Vein Demon waiting in the spot where he’d dodged.

This mouse-shaped Vein Demon was none other than Chi Yan, who had long been in tune with Yun Xiao after years together. Understanding immediately when Yun Xiao unleashed the second Five Elements Light Beam, he was already prepared for Zong Puti’s arrival.

”Your grievances must ultimately be resolved by yourselves!”

Seeing Zong Puti fall into the trap, Yun Xiao knew the battle was coming to a quick end, and his words left many deep in thought.

Boom!

As Zong Puti realized the dire situation, his entire body gleamed with golden light. But it was too late. Chi Yan had already spit out a small flame before his Golden Body could fully cover him. It touched his left cheek, burning with intensity.

”No!”

Feeling the destructive energy within the flame, Zong Puti knew he was beyond saving. He barely uttered a word before losing all thought.

The Lifebound Fire Burning Flame from the Fire Cloud Rat was powerful, capable of more than just touching Zong Puti’s cheek—even contact with his clothing would bring calamity.

Earlier, Chi Yan hadn’t revealed his strongest move due to uncertainty. But faced with the opportunity created by Yun Xiao, he struck with full force.

In just a single breath, Zong Puti’s entire head was incinerated, the skull reduced to ashes. Then, the Burning Flame continued downward, turning the once grand Eight-Armed Arhat of Thunder Sound Mountain into nothing but a pile of ash, devoid of life.

The area in front of the grand hall suddenly fell silent; everyone was staring blankly at the heap of black ash, seemingly struggling to comprehend the scene.

Especially the two top talents of Thunder Sound Mountain and Zhao Ling, the foremost talent of the Zhao Family, who were deeply grieving. After all, these were their sect elders.

Even though Zong Puti and Zhao Huai’an had agreed to deal with Yun Xiao beforehand, they never expected such an outcome. It had barely been any time, yet two powerful Late Stage Earth Bending Realm fighters met their end.

Though Zong Puti ultimately died under Chi Yan’s Burning Flame, everyone understood that without Yun Xiao’s interventions, the mouse-shaped Vein Demon couldn’t have triumphed so easily. Yun Xiao had the lion’s share of credit for this victory.

Aside from the grieving geniuses of Thunder Sound Mountain and the Zhao Family, those who hadn’t acted—Jia Tianshu and Wu Tong—now felt a mix of relief and lingering regret.

If they’d known the boy was so formidable, slaying Earth Bending Realm Middle Stage cultivators as effortlessly as chickens, they would have supported Yun Xiao and Ge Wanli earlier.

”Missing a good opportunity!”

Both Jia Tianshu and Wu Tong shared this thought, while the younger counterparts like Jun Tieshu and Nie Xiaosheng were filled with deep reflection.

Once, the youth named Yun Xiao was merely vying with them, the young talents, although he exhibited superior strength within their ranks.

But now, Yun Xiao cut down even Earth Bending Realm Middle Stage fighters, demonstrating a power far surpassing the youth category, worthy of competing with the older generation.

Even top talents of the Tenglong Continent, like Gu Changsheng and Su Jian, were only Half-step Earth Realm, and those acclaimed geniuses couldn’t fight beyond their level.

Nie Xiaosheng and Jun Tieshu realized that this battle thoroughly extinguished their hopes of competing with Yun Xiao. His opponents now were strong players of the Earth Bending Realm.

Apart from those cultivators familiar with Yun Xiao, other low-level practitioners stood silent, a few among them wearing expressions frozen in shock.

”He... has actually become this strong?”

Lv Xiaoman from the Lv Family was quite lucky. Under the protection of her father and the Lv Family Elders, she managed to hold on until this point, and now her pretty face was full of shock.

When she had once encountered Yun Xiao by chance on the Yanji Mountain Range, she, along with many from the Lv Family, had looked down on Yun Xiao. It wasn’t until later, when Tiger Roar Manor attacked, that they first witnessed the terrifying side of this boy in coarse clothing.

But even so, people like Lv An still did not compare Yun Xiao with the top talents of the Tenglong Continent. At least compared to the talents of the four top powers, he was still a bit inferior.

Who knew that this boy in coarse clothing would shock people without stopping, not only intimidating the two great talents of Firewood Valley on the outskirts of the Yanji Mountain Range into inaction but also at this moment, even managing to kill a strong practitioner at the Middle Stage of the Earth Bending Realm.

He’s no longer just a talent among the youth; he could probably be a dominating figure in a city as big as Wuchuan City.

Recalling their past exchanges, both Lv An and Lv Xiaoman felt a tinge of regret and a hint of fear in their hearts.

......

”Elder Zhang, all your helpers are dead, do you really want to keep fighting?”

Yun Xiao, unlike the many onlooking cultivators, gently stroked Chi Yan, who had already leaped back onto his shoulder, then raised his head, shouting toward a battle that was still raging.

Bang!

But just at that moment, within the fierce battle between the two great powers, a sudden, loud burst of energy erupted, soon followed by two figures separating, with Ge Wanli’s aura seeming extremely unstable.

”Ha... hahaha, Zhang Daohe, didn’t expect this, did you, cough...”

Ge Wanli suppressed his chaotic energy, letting out a great laugh, obviously excited, though the laughing was eventually interrupted by a bout of dry coughing.

Ge Wanli was truly happy. Originally, he had been leaving it to fate, never expecting Yun Xiao could really turn the tide given the joint forces of Zong Puti and Zhao Huai’an.

And not just turning the tide, but completely reversing the situation: Zhao Huai’an was cut in half with one strike, and the Shenxiao Sect’s Zong Puti was reduced to nothing but ashes. This outcome was not something he had ever imagined.

It wasn’t until this moment that Ge Wanli realized he had underestimated this boy in coarse clothing after all, while beginning to deeply admire Xu Hongzhuang’s foresight.

Someone like Yun Xiao, with his strength and talent, had transcended the traditional definition of a genius, capable of killing even strong practitioners at the Middle Stage of the Earth Bending Realm, let alone those young talents at the Half-step Earth Realm.

Ge Wanli was keenly aware that this boy in coarse clothing hailed from the Hidden Dragon Continent. Three years ago at the Countries Hidden Dragon Conference, he was only at the Peak of Spirit Vein Realm, right?

This boy, coming from the Hidden Dragon Continent with far fewer cultivation resources than the talents of the Tenglong Continent, had in just over two years made such a leap, a truly terrifying thought.

These thoughts flashed through Ge Wanli’s mind, then he saw his old rival, Zhang Daohe, turn around without another word, and with a few flashes, only a silhouette remained visible.

”Yun Xiao, this time you’ve won, but the treasures of Wuyan Palace are not so easy to claim. Just you wait!”

The distant returning voice left everyone dumbfounded. Though the words were harsh, it couldn’t hide a fact: the dignified Seventh Elder of Wuyan Palace, a genuine late-stage Earth Bending Realm practitioner, had actually run away?

”That old fellow...”

Even Yun Xiao found it somewhat amusing and frustrating. He had been ready for a long battle of attrition with Zhang Daohe, only to find that after killing just two people, the old fellow fled in panic.

But moments later, Yun Xiao understood Zhang Daohe’s intentions. After the death of Zong Puti and Zhao Huai’an, he had become the sole remaining elder.

Under Yun Xiao’s strong presence, Zhang Daohe was not confident he could truly kill this young man. Plus, with a Ninth Rank low-level Vein Demon, an Origin Seeking Realm Middle Stage elder from Demon Mountain, facing three opponents at once, the possibility of his defeat was at least 80%.

As for the two elders from Firewood Valley and the Shenxiao Sect, Zhang Daohe didn’t count on them at all now.

When they had the upper hand just moments ago, those two had not chosen to help; let alone now. The chances of them helping Yun Xiao against Zhang Daohe might be even greater.

It had to be said that Zhang Daohe, as the Seventh Elder of Wuyan Palace, knew when to hold on and when to let go. Treasures are great, but you need your life to enjoy them. If you lose your life, no treasure matters at all.

Moreover, Zhang Daohe had already made arrangements externally. He believed that even if Yun Xiao or others acquired the treasures within the Water Palace, as long as he guarded outside like a sitting rabbit, the ultimate victory would still belong to him.