"Guess I'll have to treat a dead horse like a living one..." Xiao Yan muttered to himself as he took out a Heart Demon Pill and swallowed it. The moment it entered his system, his pupils darkened into twin black holes, swirling with an eerie and unfathomable depth. This transformation marked the activation of the pseudo-Heart Demon state triggered by the pill.
In this pseudo-Heart Demon state, Xiao Yan's spiritual energy didn't see any significant increase, but his mind became deathly calm. This unnatural clarity allowed him to draw out every ounce of power within him to its fullest. More importantly, when facing a desperate, death-looming crisis, this rational state allowed him to perceive even the faintest glimmer of survival amidst overwhelming odds.
With this heightened calm and keen perception, Xiao Yan soon noticed that the pair of ghostly crimson lights in the eye sockets of the Dragonbone Guardian were subtly moving in sync with his own position. 'Strange… Can this thing still see even after death? Or is it sensing me through some other method?'
Just as the Dragonbone Guardian pounced again, Xiao Yan formed a thought. The black-and-white Life and Death Ancestral Symbol suddenly manifested, then swiftly transformed into a grayish shroud that enveloped his entire body. The moment the shroud took shape, the Dragonbone Guardian's massive skeletal form froze in place. It began to look around, confused, as if trying to find Xiao Yan's position. But Xiao Yan was standing right in front of it, unmoving.
Watching the massive skeletal creature spin around in place like a headless fly, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief. 'Looks like my guess was right. This Dragonbone Guardian has long since lost its vision. Its attacks are locked on living targets based on sensing the presence of life energy.'
What Xiao Yan had done was use the deathly aura from the Life and Death Ancestral Symbol to create a barrier that completely suppressed the life force around him. With no life signal to guide it, the Dragonbone Guardian naturally lost track of his presence. This explained why the Dragonbone Guardians he had previously sealed into the Heavenly Tomb remained motionless afterward.
Now that his safety was temporarily assured, Xiao Yan began pondering how to destroy the energy core within the Dragonbone Guardian. That core was housed deep within its ribcage and protected by thick layers of bone. Breaking through that defense would be no easy task, even with his divine arts. Not to mention, the Dragonbone Guardian's strength was at the peak of the Earth Sovereign realm.
Originally, Xiao Yan considered using the Flame Emperor's Flame, but he quickly realized that the energy within it contained intense vitality. Such vibrant life energy would instantly expose his location to the creature. That ruled out using techniques like the Furious Lotus of Annihilation.
Just then, a long-forgotten technique surfaced in his mind. Though he had rarely used it since ascending to the Great Thousand World, he had once refined it during his early days. Now, against such a powerful foe, this technique might prove unexpectedly effective.
With a flash of thought, Xiao Yan's figure shot forward, silently approaching the still-confused Dragonbone Guardian. At the moment of contact, his right hand clenched into a fist, enveloped in Emperor Flame, and smashed directly into the Guardian's chest. A ripple of force burst out like a stone hitting water, sending spatial waves rippling in all directions.
At the same moment, the Dragonbone Guardian reacted. A skeletal claw slashed toward where Xiao Yan had just struck. Though Xiao Yan had suppressed all life energy from his body, the spiritual force released during his attack was enough for the Guardian to lock onto.
However, Xiao Yan had already prepared for this. As he retreated using the Lotus Burial Step, he simultaneously activated Ghost Armor and his Dragon-Phoenix Ancient Armor. On top of that, he used the Time Ancestral Symbol to forcibly delay the Guardian's strike for a breath of time—just long enough to escape unscathed.
"Detonate!" Just as he stabilized himself, Xiao Yan clenched his fist tightly. The burst of internal force he had embedded in the strike earlier exploded within the Guardian's chest. A dull cracking sound echoed from within the skeleton's body, and the mighty dragon-shaped Guardian froze on the spot.
The technique he had used was Eight Extremes Collapse—an ancient Dou Technique he had learned on the Dou Qi Continent. After reaching the Great Thousand World, Xiao Yan had refined it, elevating its power to the level of a perfected divine technique. This technique housed eight layers of hidden force, capable of breaching defenses by triggering internal explosions even if the surface was unscathed.
This property made it perfect for facing off against the Dragonbone Guardian. Of course, against a true peak Earth Sovereign, this wouldn't normally be effective, as such experts could instantly detect and expel any foreign force. But the Dragonbone Guardian lacked that sensitivity, allowing the internal explosion to strike its core.
"That strike should've destroyed its energy core." Xiao Yan cautiously approached the now-frozen skeleton. He planned to seal it away for later use. If he couldn't obtain the Dragon Emperor's remains in the end, then this peak Earth Sovereign Guardian could serve as a powerful substitute.
However, just as he neared the Guardian, its head abruptly lifted and its crimson eye sockets locked onto him. Even in his pseudo-Heart Demon state, Xiao Yan couldn't help but jolt in shock. He immediately retreated several steps and assumed a defensive posture.
'What the hell? Didn't the Spirit of the Plane say that destroying its core would make it lose all movement?' Xiao Yan barked internally.
"I don't know either," the Spirit of the Plane replied helplessly. "Logically, my analysis should've been correct."
Xiao Yan's expression turned cold. He didn't sense any deceit in her voice, which meant she truly hadn't anticipated this outcome. "So what now?"
"We're out of options. I'll inject the energy from the Plane Embryo into you, force you to break through to Earth Sovereign. That might give us a fighting chance!" the Spirit of the Plane said.
Xiao Yan nodded. He had originally intended to save that energy for his breakthrough to Heavenly Sovereign, but now wasn't the time to be picky. Just as he was preparing himself mentally to refine the Plane Embryo's energy—
"Thank you... for helping me find release."
The Dragonbone Guardian suddenly spoke.
Even though its voice was hoarse and its tone as dry as rusted iron, those words carried a weight and clarity that stunned Xiao Yan into stillness.
(End of Chapter)
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