Word Count: 2,918 Words
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"Dragon Transforming Demon Formation?!" The instant that soul message arrived, a chill ran through the hearts of both Xiao Yan and Cai Lin. A blood-sacrifice grand formation! The Northern Dragon King had actually used one!
Cai Lin's pretty face darkened. "No wonder Zi Yan hasn't detected any movements from the three Dragon Kings. The Northern Dragon King has probably already killed the other two and used them to bolster his own strength, all to contend against Zi Yan's Dragon Slaying Sword!"
Zi Yan had been cultivating the Dragon Slaying Sword without pause, steadily building her power, but two years ago she had been only an intermediate 4-star Dou Saint. With Dragon Island split into four, Eastern Dragon Island's resources alone were no longer sufficient to fuel her rapid advancement.
Over two years later, she had only just reached the late 4-star Dou Saint stage, still a step short of 5-star. Bridging that gap was not something even Xiao Yan's alchemy could force in an instant. She needed time.
No one had imagined that the Northern Dragon King would be deranged enough to blood-sacrifice his entire tribe just to match Zi Yan!
On paper, the combined strength of the Yan Alliance and Eastern Dragon Island had already been more than enough to capture the Northern Dragon King. Both Xiao Yan and Zi Yan, however, had suspected that he would have laid a heaven-spanning net across Northern Dragon Island, waiting for Zi Yan to attack first. That was why they had resolved to wait until she fully mastered the Dragon Slaying Sword and broke through to 5-star before launching the assault. Neither had been willing to trade the lives of Eastern Dragon Island's tribesmen in a war of attrition.
They had never imagined the Northern Dragon King would turn their own caution against them!
He had known that calamity was inescapable and had taken an extreme gamble instead. Over these past two years, he had not wasted a single resource setting traps. He had poured everything into the Dragon Transforming Demon Formation and blood-sacrificed every last Ancient Void Dragon on Northern Dragon Island.
His bet had been on Eastern Dragon Island's desire for stability. He knew Zi Yan would never sacrifice her people in droves, knew she would not recklessly storm Northern Dragon Island, and that restraint had given him exactly the time he needed!
"Dammit. I didn't expect the Northern Dragon King to be this unhinged." Frustration edged Xiao Yan's voice, though he knew there was nothing he could have done. Two years ago, he simply hadn't possessed his current strength. Even if he had known, he could not have stopped it.
A grave light flickered through Cai Lin's beautiful eyes. "Since Feng Qing Er has already managed to relay this intelligence, the Northern Dragon King must be close to completing the refinement. Huang Tian will make his move to prevent us from reinforcing Eastern Dragon Island."
Xiao Yan nodded. "Cai Lin, you and Qing Lin stay in the Snake-People Tribe. The Northern Dragon King doesn't know I've returned, so he'll only send people to watch you. If Huang Tian truly dares come to the Snake-People Tribe to block your path, show him no mercy. I've already arranged support for you." A terrifying killing intent surfaced in his eyes. "Aside from Feng Qing Er's lineage, any member of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe who sets foot in our territory dies on the spot!"
Since the two sides were already opposed, there was no reason to be polite.
Though Cai Lin's own cultivation stood at only the early 4-star Dou Saint level, by drawing on the accumulated soul power of every previous generation of Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Pythons, her true fighting strength would not be much weaker than a late 5-star Dou Saint's. With Qing Lin and the Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent at her side, if Huang Tian truly dared come, they would make certain he regretted it.
Most importantly, Xiao Yan had left behind yet another trump card to welcome Huang Tian. If that man really came, he absolutely would not be leaving!
"Be careful." Cai Lin stepped close and looked up at him, her eyes brimming with worry. "The Northern Dragon King has already gone mad. There's no telling what he might do."
Xiao Yan smiled. He reached out and gently cupped the face of the woman before him in both hands. His thumbs traced the high curves of her cheekbones as he tilted her chin upward. Then he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. His mouth moved against hers with practiced tenderness, coaxing her lips apart until the warmth of her breath mingled with his own.
"What? You don't trust your husband?"
Cai Lin could only roll her eyes at his words, though the gesture carried no real intent. A dizzy flush crept across her cheeks and down the elegant line of her neck. She leaned forward and rested against his chest, her slender hands lightly braced against him. Her beautiful eyes grew heavy-lidded and soft, as alluring as spring water.
"Have a safe journey, husband," she murmured.
After their parting kiss, Xiao Yan departed with Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran, slipping through the void passage Mao Wu had opened to bypass the surveillance and fly toward Eastern Dragon Island.
The void was a place where spatial turbulence ran rampant, like the hidden jaws of demons lurking in darkness. They would surge forth without warning to shred apart everything they touched. Those chaotic currents were everywhere, capable of swallowing anyone who drew near in the blink of an eye. With the Nihility Devouring Flame's Heaven Seed Flame shielding them, however, Xiao Yan and his companions passed through unharmed.
Whoosh!
Three streaks of rainbow light shot through the silent void at blistering speed. The violent air currents trailing in their wake boomed and rumbled endlessly through that empty expanse.
Even pushing his speed to its absolute limit, Xiao Yan's face remained dark with brooding. Ever since the last battle had routed the three Dragon Kings, the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe's situation had tilted overwhelmingly in Eastern Dragon Island's favor. At that rate, unification should have followed as a matter of course.
He had never expected the Northern Dragon King to still have a move like the Dragon Transforming Demon Formation in reserve.
He did not know exactly how powerful the formation was, but the intelligence Feng Qing Er had relayed made its nature clear enough: a forbidden art of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, terrifyingly powerful, capable of granting the user strength far beyond his original limits through the blood-sacrifice of his own tribesmen.
Soon, Xiao Yan's group of three crossed the endless void like meteors chasing the moon and arrived at Eastern Dragon Island.
"Eh? Grandmaster Xiao Yan! Y-you've returned!" Three unfamiliar auras breaking through Eastern Dragon Island's territorial boundary had brought Hei Qing, captain of the guard squadron, rushing over with his team. The sight of Xiao Yan standing before him left him stunned.
Over the past few years, Eastern Dragon Island had gradually been annexing some of the territories and resources of the other three Dragon Islands, and its strength had been slowly recovering. Hei Qing's meritorious service had earned him due rewards; his cultivation now stood at peak 9-star Dou Venerate, with a real chance of stepping into the Half-Saint realm.
Xiao Yan had no mood for pleasantries and cut straight to the point. "Where's Zi Yan?"
"Lord Dragon Emperor is in the palace. I'll take you there at once." The urgency in Xiao Yan's expression made Hei Qing's heart sink. What kind of crisis could make the renowned grandmaster alchemist this tense?!
Xiao Yan's arrival on Dragon Island was naturally impossible to hide from Zi Yan. By the time he stood before her, she had long since learned of his return, and even she could not stop her eyes from glistening.
Maintaining her grown-up appearance, Zi Yan looked at him with a faint trace of grievance. Her small mouth pouted. "Why did you only come to see me now?"
Xiao Yan had no time to coax her. He walked forward and went straight to the point. "This isn't the time to catch up. I've received intelligence that the Northern Dragon King has activated the Dragon Transforming Demon Formation. Do you know what it is?"
"Dragon Transforming Demon Formation!" First Elder Zhu Huo, standing nearby, shot to his feet in shock. Horror and disbelief flooded his face. "Impossible! Thousands of years ago, the old Dragon Emperor himself ordered the Dragon Transforming Demon Formation destroyed!"
"The one who oversaw the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe's secret arts back then was the Northern Dragon King's great-grandfather," Elder Zhu Li said after a moment's hesitation. "He was also the one tasked with carrying out the destruction. Whether he actually did so, or whether he secretly kept a copy... given the current situation, the answer seems rather clear."
Zi Yan's purple eyes had gone ice-cold. She explained quickly for Xiao Yan's benefit. "The Dragon Transforming Demon Formation was originally created in the ancient era by an extraordinarily powerful expert within the tribe. Its purpose was to serve as a last resort, should the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe one day face an enemy too powerful to resist. In that dire hour, the tribe's experts could willingly sacrifice their lives through the formation to the Dragon Emperor, causing the Dragon Emperor's strength to surge and repel the invader."
Xiao Yan had encountered a similar formation before. In the Heavenly Flame memories Xiao Xuan had left behind, the Xiao Clan had once constructed a formation within the Heavenly Tomb. There, the Xiao clansmen had sacrificed all of their Dou God Bloodline to Xiao Xuan, granting him a chance to assault the Dou God realm.
The Dragon Transforming Demon Formation was very likely cut from the same cloth.
"Lord Dragon Emperor, time is of the essence! I urge an immediate deployment to Northern Dragon Island." First Elder Zhu Huo dropped to one knee, his voice deep and urgent. "If we wait until the Northern Dragon King fully completes the Dragon Transforming Demon Formation, I fear even you will struggle to contend with him, and the people of the three Dragon Islands will all fall victim!"
Zi Yan's beautiful purple eyes turned instinctively toward Xiao Yan, as though he alone were the pillar that steadied her when the storm closed in.
Xiao Yan gave a quiet nod. "I came precisely to see what I could do to help."
Even though he had already refined the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame and possessed the God Class Angry Buddha Lotus Flame, he would not claim he could resolve the Northern Dragon King with absolute certainty before seeing both him and the Dragon Transforming Demon Formation with his own eyes.
With Xiao Yan at her side, Zi Yan's resolve solidified. She nodded firmly. A resonant hum rang out as a suit of imperial armor materialized around her body. The Dragon Emperor would lead this expedition in person!
"First Elder, summon all elders and every tribesman of Rank 8 and above immediately. Follow me to Northern Dragon Island!" She swept her hand outward, her voice ringing like struck steel.
"Yes, Lord Dragon Emperor!"
Rumbling sounds erupted across Eastern Dragon Island in an instant. Countless hidden auras blazed to life one after another, and elders who had been deep in seclusion emerged without exception.
In that moment, all of Eastern Dragon Island had fully awakened. Compared with a few years prior, when the three Dragon Kings had launched their assault, it had grown noticeably stronger. After all, that battle had not merely driven back the three Dragon Kings and their forces; it had also resulted in the capture of a number of their warriors. Those prisoners, too, were eager to atone for their crimes through service.
High above Eastern Dragon Island, an Eye of the Void slowly faded from sight.
At the very moment Eastern Dragon Island's forces stirred to life, a figure swathed head to toe in blood mist opened his eyes on Northern Dragon Island, hidden somewhere in another stretch of void. It was as though he had long anticipated Zi Yan receiving the news. A savage grin split his features, baring fangs stained the color of dried blood.
"Hehehehe... come, then. Inside this Dragon Transforming Demon Formation, let's see how you escape this time."
…
Simultaneously, just as Xiao Yan, Zi Yan, and the others led their army toward Northern Dragon Island, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe appeared exactly as expected.
The terrifying aura of a late 5-star Dou Saint blanketed the entire Yellow Springs Mountain Range, pressing down on the Snake-People Tribe like a physical weight.
Cai Lin and Qing Lin stepped out of the void and looked gravely at the figure standing in midair. Behind him, a colossal demon phoenix beat wings that spanned hundreds of feet. Atop its head stood a man clad in purple-gold robes, hands clasped behind his back. A pair of golden eyes brimming with incomparable majesty swept toward the two women.
Huang Tian. Leader of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe!
"Huang Tian, this is the Snake-People Tribe's territory. If you're tired of living, I don't mind sending you on your way." Cai Lin swept her hand outward, and her nine-colored snake tail slammed into the void with a thunderous crack. A terrifying wave of energy burst outward in every direction.
The Heaven Demon Phoenix warriors lurking in the surrounding void were shaken back in an instant.
Huang Tian's cultivation far exceeded Cai Lin's, but for Her Majesty Queen Medusa to show him an ounce of fear was utterly out of the question.
"Hehe, worthy of Queen Medusa indeed. That kind of dominance truly has no equal." A faint smile passed through Huang Tian's eyes as his gaze roamed over Cai Lin and Qing Lin without the slightest restraint. "I was merely asked to delay your Snake-People Tribe's movements here. As long as you obediently remain within the Snake-People Tribe, that will be enough."
Cai Lin's delicate brows drew together. Why did Huang Tian speak as though he already knew they were aware of the Dragon Transforming Demon Formation?
Catching the puzzlement on their faces, Huang Tian let out a cold laugh. He plunged one hand deep into the void as if reaching through still water and wrenched something free. A figure was dragged out and dangled limply in his grip.
"Did you really think I didn't know she was a spy planted by the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe?"
A cold smile split his face as he seized Feng Qing Er by the throat and hauled her out of the void.
"Cough... cough..."
Feng Qing Er was barely clinging to life. Her black dress was drenched in blood, and her body was covered in wounds so deep that bone gleamed beneath the torn flesh. Every cough sent searing agony tearing through her. Her aura had withered to almost nothing; not a trace remained of the strength she had displayed in her battle against Nalan Yanran.
"Hahahaha! The Dragon Transforming Demon Formation was completed long ago! The Northern Dragon King has already finished his evolution!" Huang Tian threw his head back in savage laughter. "All of this was nothing more than bait to lure that Dragon Emperor, who doesn't know the height of heaven or the depth of earth, to Northern Dragon Island!!"
As far back as two years ago, Huang Tian had never trusted Feng Qing Er. For the past two years, every scrap of intelligence about Northern Dragon Island that had reached her ears had been deliberately leaked, so that she would dutifully pass it on to Zi Yan.
Even if Feng Qing Er had been utterly loyal, Huang Tian would still have treated her as nothing more than a disposable pawn.
Tears slid from Feng Qing Er's beautiful eyes. In the end, she still could not escape the fate of death.
Once, she too had devoted herself wholeheartedly to her tribe, and this was where it had led. Perhaps this was the end every traitor deserved.
"Go on your way without worry." Cold ruthlessness gleamed in Huang Tian's eyes. "Once the Northern Dragon King refines that Dragon Emperor, I'll send your Feng lineage to join you. You won't have to wait long."
He and the Northern Dragon King had been colluding like wolves and jackals for a long time. Lure Zi Yan to Northern Dragon Island, use the Dragon Transforming Demon Formation to refine her, and the Northern Dragon King would become the true Dragon Emperor and unify Dragon Island!
Dou Qi gathered in Huang Tian's right hand. A cold smile curved his lips as he raised his palm and aimed it squarely at Feng Qing Er's head. She was not even a Dou Saint. One palm from Huang Tian would shatter not just her body but her very soul. Not even immortals could save her then.
Feng Qing Er watched his hand rise and slowly closed her eyes, surrendering her struggle. She was about to die. Yet even now, she knew her lineage would survive, because neither the Northern Dragon King nor Huang Tian knew one crucial thing.
Xiao Yan had already returned!
In that hairsbreadth between life and death, a powerful wave of Spiritual Strength suddenly erupted from within Feng Qing Er's body. The darkness of her black dress seemed to solidify into something tangible, and from that living shadow, a figure materialized without warning.