The energy drawn out from refining the Nine-Turn Green Lotus was exponentially faster than any cultivation method Xiao Yan had used before. In merely a day, he opened his eyes, sensing the vast, refined Spiritual Energy flowing through his veins—multiple times stronger than before. A faint, satisfied smile rose on his lips.
By harnessing the terrifying power hidden within the Nine-Turn Green Lotus, he had finally broken through, ascending from the Eighth Grade Sovereign to a true Ninth Grade Sovereign. While it was only an initial breakthrough into the ninth rank, it still represented a massive leap forward. More importantly, with his advancement came a considerable increase in Spiritual Energy. Many of his techniques required massive amounts of energy to support them—without it, even the most skilled alchemist was helpless without ingredients.
As for the jade-white lotus seed, Xiao Yan stored it inside his body, where it was enveloped by the Creation Green Lotus. The lotus's tremendous life force continued to nourish the Creation Green Lotus, further refining the Spiritual Energy stored within. This contained energy would prove invaluable when the time came for him to assault the Earthly Sovereign realm.
When Xiao Yan emerged from the depths of the pool, the surroundings had long since been deserted. The Life Lotuses floating atop the water had been completely picked clean. Judging by the signs of battle, quite a few people had cleared out the Abyssal Demon Squids and then ventured below, hoping to uncover hidden treasures. Unfortunately for them, their efforts would have been fruitless.
Leaving the lotus pond behind, Xiao Yan explored several treasure-rich areas. However, they had all been thoroughly looted by others, leaving nothing of value. Still, he remained undeterred and continued to sweep the surrounding terrain with his powerful soul force. After nearly half an hour of relentless scanning, he finally detected a surge of dense spiritual energy.
The source of that energy came from a hidden chamber embedded deep within a mountainside. If not for his unusually strong soul perception—and a reminder from the ancestral stone's spirit—he might have missed it entirely. It was precisely because the chamber was so well-concealed that no one else had managed to find it.
After some probing, Xiao Yan triggered the mechanism that opened the secret chamber. As he slowly stepped inside, the stone door slammed shut behind him with a dull boom. A harsh, grating sound echoed ahead, causing Xiao Yan to pause warily. Could someone have gotten here before him?
Just as he was puzzling over it, the source of the noise revealed itself—and what he saw caused his brows to jump in surprise. Before him wasn't a living being, but a skeleton. More shockingly, it was a dragon-shaped skeleton!
The bony frame was dry and brittle in appearance, as if a light tap could shatter it into dust. But Xiao Yan could tell—it was tougher than it looked. In fact, its bone hardness probably rivaled sacred relics. Its twin sets of claws gleamed with a frigid, deadly glint. A single swipe from those claws would be catastrophic.
"That… could it be a Dragonbone Guard?" the ancestral stone spirit muttered in astonishment.
This time, Xiao Yan didn't even need to ask. He already knew the answer. Dragonbone Guards—according to ancient lore—were puppet warriors crafted exclusively by the Dragon Tribe. As the name implied, they were forged from real dragon bones, and infused with fragments of the original being's consciousness, turning them into living weapons of war.
Though extremely rare, Dragonbone Guards were terrifyingly powerful. Even the weakest among them wielded Earthly Sovereign-level strength. The strongest ones were said to rival peak Earthly Sovereigns in combat. In ancient times, a battalion of Dragonbone Guards backed by formation masters of the Ten Thousand Sigil level could even slay a Heavenly Sovereign.
Fortunately, the one before him was alone. Moreover, perhaps due to the passage of countless years, this particular Dragonbone Guard was only at the threshold of the Earthly Sovereign realm. Had it been in full form, even Xiao Yan would've had no choice but to flee. Nevertheless, it was still a genuine threat.
"Lord Flame Emperor, you must find a way to preserve this Dragonbone Guard's remains," the ancestral stone spirit urged within his consciousness.
"Why?" Xiao Yan paused, puzzled.
"Because the Wujin Void Devil Body you currently use is integrated with the cultivation technique, Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art. However, that technique has not yet been brought to full power. Its final stage is called 'Dragonbone Fusion.' But as a human, you lack a dragon's frame. To complete the final step, you need to fuse with a real dragon's skeleton. This Dragonbone Guard is a perfect match."
"So that's why..." Xiao Yan nodded. No wonder the Wujin Void Devil Body never reached its full potential after incorporating the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art. It was missing the last piece of the puzzle. But even so... an Earthly Sovereign-level dragon skeleton was decent, yet still far from satisfying his ambition.
While Xiao Yan and the ancestral stone spirit conversed, the Dragonbone Guard had already launched its attack. Its razor-sharp claws swiped viciously toward Xiao Yan's head. With a cold snort, Xiao Yan activated the Wujin Void Devil Body. A resonant dragon's roar echoed through the chamber, and thousands of dark-red dragon-shaped demonic sigils lit up across his body, colliding head-on with the incoming claw.
A muffled shockwave burst out from the impact. Invisible force rippled through the chamber, shaking the entire underground hall. Stone cracked and split beneath them. Xiao Yan was blasted back hundreds of meters before he managed to stabilize, while the Dragonbone Guard was forced several steps backward by the same blow.
"As expected of a true Dragon Clan guardian… impressive." Xiao Yan flexed his arms, eyes sharpening. Though the guard lacked divine techniques, its sheer physical might was nothing short of terrifying. Had he not just broken through to the Ninth Grade Sovereign realm using the Nine-Turn Green Lotus, that claw strike alone would have seriously injured him.
But instead of deterring him, the Dragonbone Guard's strength only stoked his fighting spirit. It was the perfect opportunity to test his current level of combat power—especially the Ninefold Devil Fury Technique he had spent an entire year perfecting.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, There is 2 Chapters Ahead of Release for Free Members on my Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.