Word Count: 3,132 Words
******
Xiao Yan waved his hand, and Xing Tian appeared before him. Including Venerable Yan She, Qing Lin now controlled three serpent race experts at the initial stages of the Dou Venerate realm. Combined with her own 1-star Dou Venerate strength, she had essentially transformed into a formidable serpent beast tamer!
Green light flickered as giant pythons emerged one after another from her spatial storage. These were all serpent race members from the former Sky Serpent Mansion, though their cultivation had severely diminished. She Tian Hao, for instance, now possessed only 5-star Dou Ancestor strength, rendering him utterly incapable of contributing to the current battle.
The sight of these serpent slaves emerging from Qing Lin's storage space, all dominated by the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, naturally terrified She Ba Shou and Jiu Xia. Their faces twisted in shock.
"Yan She?! Even you have been controlled!" Jiu Xia stared at Venerable Yan She with profound dread. Yan She was a 3-star Dou Venerate, far superior to the two newly ascended Rank 8 experts from his own tribe who had barely reached 1-star Dou Venerate. Yet even he had succumbed.
This starkly illustrated the sheer horror of those mystical pupils!
'If we allow her to grow to Half-Saint—no, even to peak Dou Venerate—the entire Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe will be annihilated!' Jiu Xia's heart pounded fiercely. His tribe possessed only two Dou Saints in total.
The First Elder was a Half-Saint, while Tribe Leader Yao Xiaotian was a 1-star Dou Saint. Moreover, their bloodline concentration was not particularly high; even Yao Xiaotian's Ancient Heaven Serpent bloodline paled in comparison to Queen Medusa's.
Weaker bloodlines would offer even less resistance against the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils!
Jiu Xia's expression darkened as he gazed at the seemingly innocent Qing Lin. This young girl alone could dismantle the entire Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe!
His hand, hidden within his robes, flipped over and crushed a spatial jade slip.
The motion was discreet, but Xiao Yan detected it nonetheless. However, he could not intervene because his spatial barrier was incomplete, which made such spatial tokens unstoppable. Nevertheless, the Eastern Region was far from the Beast Region. Even with the jade slip's aid, reinforcements would need considerable time to arrive.
They had to deal with these fellows before then!
"I'll handle the Strange Serpent Tribe," Xiao Yan announced, his Spiritual Strength locking onto their four Dou Venerates. Though few in number, each surpassed 3-star Dou Venerate, including a 5-star expert alongside She Ba Shou. They were a stronger force than the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python contingent.
Cai Lin naturally understood that Xiao Yan was taking on the strongest opponents. Though she was slightly unhappy, she nodded her head nonetheless.
"Qing Lin, stay vigilant. I'll have Xing Tian protect you," Xiao Yan transmitted.
"Rest assured, Young Master Xiao Yan. Qing Lin's strength isn't weak now," Qing Lin replied with a serious nod. She had, after all, traveled far and wide with Cai Lin.
As the Xiao Clan's chief maidservant, losing face was not an option!
"Let me see what you local snakes are capable of!" Xiao Yan's lips curved upward, a ruthless gleam flashing in his eyes. For their earlier assault on Cai Lin, he would exact repayment tenfold!
A sharp whoosh cut the air as he drew the Heavy Xuan Ruler. He did not know what materials had been used to forge it, but it was likely equivalent to a rank 7 or 8 weapon. Most importantly, the ruler could be enhanced with Heavenly Flames.
He instantly summoned the Yin-Yang Twin Flame. Black and white fires coiled around the ruler, the yin-yang twin fish transforming into black and white dragons!
"You swung a sword at her earlier, didn't you?" Xiao Yan's gaze locked onto the burly man farthest to the left. He was one to nurse grudges.
The burly 3-star Dou Venerate from the Strange Serpent Tribe felt Xiao Yan's chilling killing intent lock onto him, and his soul turned ice-cold, as if plunging into the ninth layer of hell!
Xiao Yan had, after all, slain Venerable Huang Quan in a single clash, and this man's strength matched Huang Quan's at best!
BOOM!
The Ancient Phoenix Wings beat once. The Tian Class Dou Technique's speed remained terrifyingly peerless! Xiao Yan moved so fast that he left only an extremely realistic afterimage before appearing behind the burly man.
Flame Splitting Tsunami was unleashed again, and the Yin-Yang Twin Flame elevated the power of its flame waves to another level.
"A Tian Class flying Dou Technique?!"
This time, everyone was certain. Venerable Huang Quan had died so easily because the Ancient Phoenix Wings on Xiao Yan's back were a Tian Class flying Dou Technique!
Tian Class! The very designation was enough to leave countless people breathless!
The Heavy Xuan Ruler smashed down. A massive black and white ruler light charged toward the enemy, its power exceeding even Cai Lin's Heavenly Flame assault as the scorching light incinerated everything in its path!
"Form up!" She Ba Shou shouted, sensing Xiao Yan's terrifying strength. The Strange Serpent Tribe's Dou Venerates erupted with horrifying blood-qi power. Their energy instantly transformed into four strange eight-headed creatures.
Xiao Yan had seen Cai Lin use a similar move when they had fought for the Green Lotus Core Flame; it was a beast technique of the serpent race.
BOOM!!
The black and white ruler light from Flame Splitting Tsunami collided violently. Serpent cries rang out as the four strange serpents intertwined into a ball. A blood-red energy shield blocked Xiao Yan's attack.
Flames scattered from the ruler light fell like meteors, pulverizing the white bones below. Those rogue cultivators who had lingered, hoping to ambush or scavenge, were instantly vaporized by mere contact with the fire waves, unable to even scream.
"With just this paltry blood-qi joint attack formation, you guys are still not enough!" Xiao Yan laughed, facing the combined assault of four Rank 8 magical beasts whose cultivation all exceeded his own.
He formed a hand seal, and five kinds of Heavenly Flames appeared above his head, as if an otherworldly realm composed of five flame divine beasts had materialized!
The five Heavenly Flames began taking shape, each occupying a corner to form an array.
Though the Green Lotus Core Flame, Fallen Heart Flame, and Ten Thousand Beast Flame were absent, would Yan Tianzun lack Heavenly Flames?
Yin-Yang Twin Flame, Sea Heart Flame, Nine Dragon Lightning Flame, Bone Chilling Flame, and Three Thousand Burning Flame! Five flames emerged at once, capable of incinerating the sky and boiling the seas!
The Heavenly Flames rose above Xiao Yan's head. Having reached Heavenly State Spiritual Strength, his Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique had transformed. This time, the five flames did not become five different beasts, but all took the form of dragons!
The Yin-Yang Twin Flames resembled two black and white long dragons coiling around each other. The Sea Heart Flame still appeared as a sea flood dragon. The Nine Dragon Lightning Flame merged its nine dragons into one, resembling the nine-headed evil dragon Xiao Yan had once seen in Burning Flame Valley.
The Three Thousand Burning Flame went without saying; it looked exactly like an Ancient Void Dragon. Most peculiar was the Bone Chilling Flame, its entire body covered in bone spikes like a dragon sculpted from ice.
The five dragons appeared so incomparably realistic that one could hardly tell they were transformed from Heavenly Flames. It was as if a world of ten thousand dragons existed behind Xiao Yan, the power of all dragons at his command.
Dragon aura surged mightily within his body, and a terrifying dragon might permeated the entire small world.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
Under the dual suppression of dragon might and Heavenly Flames, the ground trembled violently. Even the Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent's withered bones began to shake.
Ancient Void Dragon and Ancient Heaven Serpent had been natural adversaries in ancient times, frequently clashing in battle.
"Such terrifying might! Are those real dragons?!"
"Tian Class… definitely Tian Class! That is the might of a Tian Class technique!"
"Those are five Heavenly Flames?! How is this possible?! He can actually command five Heavenly Flames?!"
The entire small world fell into a deathly silence. Even Cai Lin paused her attacks to stare at Xiao Yan, who seemed to be a sovereign of flame, a commander of ten thousand dragons!
"The Yan Alliance actually has eight kinds of Heavenly Flames!" Jiu Xia's face paled. The Yan Alliance's strength far surpassed all rumors!
Such a number of Heavenly Flames was simply unheard of!
BOOM!
Xiao Yan waved his hand downward. The five dragons roared, each spewing terrifyingly powerful dragon breath. The breath attacks from the five Heavenly Flames merged, forming a massive Heavenly Flame light beam. Space shattered as the beam approached, the heavenly might of the Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique sweeping in all directions!
The four from the Strange Serpent Tribe paled dramatically. They instantly united, unleashing their most powerful defensive beast technique. Blood seeped from their skin as their blood-qi surged out desperately, cloaking them like blood armor!
The four erupted into their strongest state. The other three suddenly punched themselves, spitting out essence blood that carried an ancient aura. Their hair instantly turned snow-white as all their Ancient Heaven Serpent essence blood merged into She Ba Shou.
"Summon Ancestral Power!" She Ba Shou's aura exploded after absorbing the others' essence blood. He executed a bloodline secret method, and his cultivation instantly rose two stars to the peak of the 8-star Dou Venerate realm, comparable to the Eighth Tianzun!
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!!
In the nick of time, a completely pitch-black giant python descended like a deity!
The black serpent appeared entirely real, its oval head and pitch-black eyes resembling a black mamba, though the shape of its head was more cobra-like.
Even someone who did not recognize this black giant serpent could guess what it was: the legendary, long-extinct Ancient Heaven Serpent!
Facing the Tian Class light beam of the Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique, the black serpent fiercely opened its cavernous mouth and spat out a cloud of black poisonous gas. The poison was actually no weaker than the Woeful Poison. It instantly corrupted the surroundings and melted the space it touched.
Under everyone's astonished expressions, the ancient confrontation between dragon and serpent played out once more!
BOOM!!
The two supreme forces collided with an earth-shattering impact! Flame waves and poisonous gas spread in all directions as the terrifying energy shattered the surrounding world to pieces. In an instant, the entire sky cracked like glass in a spectacular display.
The broken space was then melted by the extreme heat and potent poison, revealing vast swaths of the void!
Under the most destructive strike of Xiao Yan's Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique, even She Ba Shou, who had absorbed all of his comrades' essence blood, was blasted away by the flame waves.
BOOM!
The four bodies crashed into the ground as if struck by a heavy blow, creating a massive crater.
The three who had sacrificed their essence blood reverted to their original forms and fainted. Only She Ba Shou, whose cultivation had reached the peak of the 8-star realm, managed to hold on, but his entire body was shattered and broken, dripping with blood in a terrifying sight.
"Impossible! A peak 8-star Dou Venerate who also summoned Ancestral Power… this is already stronger than most Low Tian Class Dou Techniques!"
This scene shocked all the Dou Venerates present, especially those from the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, who felt as if hammers had smashed their chests. That black giant python was the Ancient Heaven Serpent!
Their tribe also possessed its bloodline. How could they not be shocked and pained by this sight?
"How is that possible? Xiao Yan is only a 3-star Dou Venerate! Even if he uses a Tian Class Dou Technique, he couldn't possibly be a match for She Ba Shou erupting with the power of the Ancient Heaven Serpent!!"
Many Dou Venerates could not believe what they were seeing. In the Dou Venerate realm, the difference of a single star was huge, let alone a difference of five! Even with Heavenly Flames, it just did not seem reasonable.
"No… it's Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength! His Spiritual Strength and fire control are extremely strong, which makes the Dou Techniques he executes even more powerful!"
Someone finally discovered the truth. They had sensed the terrifying spiritual power Xiao Yan unleashed when executing the technique, making the Heavenly Flame spirits seem tangible. His Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique had surpassed even the original.
In other words, Xiao Yan's mastery of the Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique had already exceeded Venerable Tian Huo's. The student had surpassed the master!
The fire waves receded. The five Heavenly Flames reverted to flame clusters and returned to Xiao Yan's body, revealing the black-robed figure standing in the sky.
Xiao Yan had not completely crushed She Ba Shou. The Ancient Heaven Serpent's power was not to be underestimated, and the poisonous gas had struck him. However, having refined the Ghostly Poison Flame, his body possessed extreme poison resistance. Combined with the recovery power of the Life Flame and the Three Thousand Burning Flame, his body had already begun to heal.
For all practical purposes, he was uninjured!
Venerable Jian, who had left the small world long ago, witnessed this scene with his spiritual perception and sighed. "This is the terror of Heavenly Flames. They bring not just destructive power, but also special abilities that can imperceptibly change one's physique."
"With the Three Thousand Burning Flame, Xiao Yan is practically an immortal and indestructible existence."
Venerable Jian and the Dou Venerate from Sound Valley stood above Nine Snake Ridge, using secret techniques to observe the battle below. Witnessing Xiao Yan's terrifying combat strength, they felt fortunate they had not been greedy and had escaped early.
Otherwise, given Xiao Yan's methods, they might not have escaped at all. Their fate would probably have matched Venerable Huang Quan's.
Xiao Yan had no friendship with the Ten Thousand Sword Pavilion after all.
Beside him, Tang Ying sighed softly, his heart filled with envy. He had once matched Xiao Yan in cultivation, participating in the Four Pavilion Grand Meeting alongside him.
At that time, Xiao Yan's strength had crushed Feng Qing Er, but Tang Ying still felt he had a chance to catch up. Now, encountering Xiao Yan again, only envy and jealousy remained. He had long since lost any desire to challenge him.
"If you only rely on such a weak Ancient Heaven Serpent bloodline, I'm afraid you won't do." With the Three Thousand Burning Flame burning on his body and repairing his wounds, Xiao Yan smiled and shook his head, speaking in a leisurely manner. "Let me see something else. Surely a local snake like you has more in reserve than just this?"
He spoke this way deliberately, aiming to lure She Ba Shou into sacrificing himself to draw out the remnant soul of the Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent.
Xiao Yan was certain the soul was not in the Monster Core. As for where it was, he could not find it and needed to make use of the Strange Serpent Tribe. Using Qing Lin's pupils might also draw out the soul, but he did not want her to take that risk unless necessary.
"Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent! I never expected it to actually be a Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent!"
A surprised voice rang out just as Xiao Yan was laying a trap. Space distorted, and waves of a vast, invincible aura instantly impacted the surroundings, shaking the entire small world.
A wormhole appeared, and the figure of a middle-aged man emerged. Strands of black light radiated from behind him. He had black hair and looked down at the Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent skeleton with sharp eyes.
"Fourth Elder!" Jiu Xia immediately knelt before this middle-aged man.
"A peak 9-star Dou Venerate!"
"This is the Fourth Elder of the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, Yao Ao!"
The moment this person appeared, an incomparably vast and profound might pressed down. His aura was suffocating, making people involuntarily want to prostrate themselves!
Though She Ba Shou had emanated a powerful Ancient Heaven Serpent might, he still lacked much when compared to this man.
The experts of the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe quickly moved out of Cai Lin's attack range to stand by Yao Ao's side, rapidly explaining the situation via soul transmission.
When Fourth Elder Yao Ao heard that Cai Lin had evolved the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python bloodline, a fierce killing intent flashed through his eyes.
If the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils could only affect serpent races with weaker bloodlines and had not yet completely shaken the foundation of their tribe's rule, then Cai Lin, who possessed the orthodox Heaven Swallowing Python bloodline, was completely digging up their roots!
Not all serpent races possessed the Ancient Heaven Serpent bloodline. Most affiliated tribes followed the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe simply because they possessed the most concentrated version of it.
But Cai Lin's was a pure Heaven Swallowing Python bloodline, far more orthodox than their own!
Cai Lin and Qing Lin moved to Xiao Yan's side. Cai Lin flicked the blood off her serpent sword; she had just killed a 2-star Dou Venerate from the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe.
The situation between the two sides grew tense. The Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe was indeed worthy of being one of the three great magical beast tribes. A peak 9-star Dou Venerate was equivalent to the Fourth Tianzun of the Hall of Souls, and even Xiao Yan grew serious at such strength.
Most concerning was that the other side had additional experts: a peak 8-star Dou Venerate, a 6-star one, and several others. Not only that, but the rogue Dou Venerates had also all sided with the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe.
Even if they could not get the entire Monster Core, obtaining a bit of essence blood was still a tempting prospect.
"Young Master Xiao Yan, do you need Qing Lin to use the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils?" Qing Lin's expression was tense.
"No need. Your cultivation is still too weak; you can't deal with those above 4-star Dou Venerate." Xiao Yan shook his head. The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils had limits. The target's cultivation could not exceed Qing Lin's own by more than three stars, and their bloodline could not be too high. She could not, for instance, control Cai Lin.
Xiao Yan looked helplessly at Cai Lin, who nodded, understanding his meaning.
It seemed Xiao Yan would have to give up his first time here.
"Sigh, what a bloody loss."