"Clan mark, reveal!"
Faced with the steadily advancing Dragonbone Guard, a radiant clan mark burst into view on Xiao Yan's forehead. His aura surged, instantly climbing to the peak of the ninth-grade Sovereign realm. His hand seals shifted rapidly, and a massive light seal condensed into existence before slamming toward the Dragonbone Guard.
"Netherworld Sacred Demon Seal!"
The colossal light seal, carrying a force that could crush mountains, struck down fiercely. Although the Dragonbone Guard reacted swiftly, folding its draconic wings over its body, it was still smashed into the ground by the terrifying power of the seal. Before it could rise, thousands of demonic runes burst from Xiao Yan's body, converging mid-air to form a thousand-foot-tall demonic pillar that slammed down with terrifying momentum.
"Great Sumeru Demon Pillar!"
The Eternal Void Demon Body was born from ancient weapon imprints branded onto Xiao Yan's body. One of its unique abilities allowed him to simulate ancient weapons using demonic runes. This Great Sumeru Demon Pillar was a reproduction of the one Mu Chen had once used to attack him in the Nine Nether Realm. The fierce, bloodthirsty aura it carried had left a lasting impression, which is why Xiao Yan chose it to deal with the Dragonbone Guard.
The simulated pillar, powered by Xiao Yan's current strength, was even more formidable than the original. After all, its true might depended on his mastery of the Eternal Void Demon Body. A strike from it could crush an ordinary peak ninth-grade Sovereign into bloody paste, and even lower Earth Sovereigns would suffer grievous injuries.
But the Dragonbone Guard was no ordinary puppet. Its body was incredibly sturdy and completely immune to pain, making it a nightmare opponent even for peers of the same realm. As the pillar crashed down, the Guard raised both its clawed arms to catch it directly.
"Golden Sky Palm!"
Naturally, Xiao Yan wouldn't give it a chance to retaliate. Golden light surged in his eyes, and a massive palm made of pure golden light materialized from thin air. The hand gently gripped the demonic pillar. In that moment, the dark red pillar gleamed with dazzling gold, radiant and divine.
The combination of the Golden Sky Palm's suppressive force and the pillar's killing aura proved too much, even for the Earth Sovereign-tier Dragonbone Guard. It was forced to the ground, unable to resist. But even pinned, the creature struggled fiercely, refusing to be subdued.
Just as Xiao Yan was about to unleash another technique, the voice of the Spirit of the Ancestral Stone echoed in his mind.
"Flame Emperor, wait! I have a way to subdue it!"
"You can subdue this thing?" Xiao Yan frowned in disbelief. Based on rank alone, the Ancestral Stone counted only as an artifact-level treasure. At best, it could deal with ordinary Sovereigns. But this puppet had the combat strength of an Earth Sovereign.
"Not alone. But if I borrow the power of the ancestral symbols, temporarily suppressing it shouldn't be a problem," the spirit replied after a pause.
"Then I'll leave it to you." Xiao Yan nodded. Though he had no intent to fuse this bone into his own body, a puppet equivalent to an Earth Sovereign would be a huge asset.
With his approval, the Spirit of the Ancestral Stone floated out from Xiao Yan's body. Nine ancestral symbols manifested around it, hovering above the suppressed Dragonbone Guard. As the spirit formed complex seals, a stream of milky white light descended from the sky, forming a glowing dome that sealed the guard inside.
Once the dome enveloped the Guard, Xiao Yan withdrew the Great Sumeru Demon Pillar. Immediately, the unbound Guard launched a wild assault against the barrier. The spirit poured its full power into the dome, but it was clearly on the verge of collapse.
At that critical moment, nine beams of light fell from the heavens. Chains adorned with strange runes bound the Guard tightly. The dome rapidly contracted until it shrank into a fist-sized orb, which the spirit absorbed into itself.
Exhausted, it said, "Flame Emperor, I've sealed it for now. When you have time later, refine it properly."
"Mm." Xiao Yan nodded absentmindedly, though his thoughts had drifted elsewhere. The Ancestral Stone might only be a mid-tier treasure now, but it was incredibly versatile. If he could evolve it into a true divine relic, its value would be immeasurable. He would need to collect some artifact-forging divine stones soon.
Just as he put the Ancestral Stone away, an ominous sound echoed nearby. Xiao Yan looked up sharply—another Dragonbone Guard was approaching.
His heart sank.
Dragonbone Guards, by nature, were deployed in squads. Though it wasn't impossible to encounter a lone one, the appearance of a second almost certainly meant there were more. If his instincts were right, there was likely an entire army hidden in this chamber!
Boom!
A chorus of bone-creaking echoed in the distance. Looking out, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed as thousands of Dragonbone Guards stared back at him.
Each of them possessed the strength of an Earth Sovereign. Even a Heavenly Sovereign would feel pressure under such a formation.
"Flame Emperor! Be careful! They carry a battle intent resonance!" the spirit of the Ancestral Stone warned.
Xiao Yan's expression darkened.
He was all too familiar with battle intent. It was a power that could only be harnessed by a special profession known as Battle Formation Masters. Similar to Symbol Masters and Alchemists, they were an elite class in the Great Thousand World.
Battle Formation Masters could unite the consciousness of entire armies, forming a spiritual will known as "battle intent." This power allowed armies to challenge opponents far above their level.
If thousands of Earth Sovereigns could already make a Heavenly Sovereign feel dread, then an army of Earth Sovereigns enhanced by battle intent could potentially slay a genuine Heavenly Sovereign outright.
And even without a Battle Formation Master present, the residual force from their battle intent alone was enough to overwhelm almost anyone.
It was definitely not a force Xiao Yan could face head-on right now.
(End of Chapter)
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