Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

In fact, there were many ways for Yun Xiao to handle this advanced Sixth Rank Strange Spirit. For example, he could have the Blood Winged Fire-Eyed Lion come down and capture it, shattering it to pieces, and then the Spirit Crystal would be easily obtained.

But now, Yun Xiao had an even simpler method, which, although it would not end the life of that Strange Spirit in one fell swoop, was quite certain to secure the Spirit Crystal.

Having made up his mind, Yun Xiao suddenly stamped his right foot on the ground. A thread of earthy yellow hue then abruptly took shape, eventually channeling up through the meridians of his right leg and torso and condensing in his right hand.

Boom!

As Yun Xiao's mind willed it, a mini mountain peak suddenly formed in front of him, astonishingly identical to the peaks in the Nine Palace Mountain Formation.

It turned out that having taken control of the Array Core of the Nine Palace Mountain Formation, Yun Xiao was able to summon it at any time within the territory of the Qingshan Sect, and could even be considered unbeatable within the Qingshan Nine Peaks.

This was unlike the first time Yun Xiao attempted to control the Nine Palace Mountain Formation, nor was it the same as the method used by the Qingshan Sect's Sect Master, Li Feng. The method he controlled was much more formidable and mystical than even the founding ancestor of the Qingshan Sect.

Even if the founding ancestor of the Qingshan Sect were to come, they would first have to stand upon that high platform to summon the Nine Palace Mountain Formation. But Yun Xiao could do so anytime and anywhere within the Qingshan Nine Peaks, such as this very moment.

Although the mountain peak seemed to be only a few feet high, it contained the immense weight of thousands of pounds, which even a Sixth Rank advanced Earth Attribute Strange Spirit could not withstand the heavy blow descending from the sky.

Splash!

Such a weight, heavy as a thousand pounds, directly pressed the Earth Attribute Strange Spirit into true mud, and at the same time, Yun Xiao had already caught a glimpse of the earthy yellow flash under the heavy pressure, which was the Spirit Crystal of the Strange Spirit.

As long as the Spirit Crystal remains intact, even if its body is shattered to pieces, a Sixth Rank advanced Strange Spirit would not die. But Yun Xiao had been waiting for this opportunity. The moment the mountain peak vanished, he swiftly captured the earthy yellow Spirit Crystal in his hand.

Boom!

A burst of blood-red flame emerged, immediately enveloping the Spirit Crystal, as if in an instant severing some kind of connection within the Spirit Crystal. And those mud and stone pieces that were still moving just moments ago suddenly became motionless.

The might of the Ancestral Vein Fire was indeed, at that moment, forcibly erasing that hint of Spiritual Wisdom within the Spirit Crystal, preventing it from controlling the mud and stone energy to reconstitute the Strange Spirit's body.

From that moment on, it could be said that although the Spirit Crystal was still intact, the Strange Spirit was dead. Without the Spiritual Wisdom, the Strange Spirit was nothing more than a pile of mud and stone, no longer capable of launching any attacks.

Swoosh!

However, just as Yun Xiao was pleased holding the Spirit Crystal in his hand, the earthy yellow Spirit Crystal suddenly disappeared from his palm. When he eventually remembered something, he couldn't help but beat his chest and stamp his feet in regret.

"Damn it, how could I forget about this guy?"

Yun Xiao's face showed a touch of anger, for he knew why the Spirit Crystal had vanished from his hand. It was because something inside him had seized the opportunity to snatch away the meal.

This scene had unfolded countless times within Yun Xiao's body, but he still occasionally forgot. In fact, when he was in Jade Pot Cave, the Earth Attribute Spirit Crystal he snatched was also devoured by the Golden Snake Worm, wasn't it?

However, compared to that time, Yun Xiao now, under the Golden Snake Worm's snatching, was not completely defenseless. Thus, he decisively began to absorb the Spirit Crystal energy that had entered his body using the Ancient Dragon Taming Technique.

Hoo... hoo...

The energy of a Sixth Rank advanced Spirit Crystal was immense, but it was no match for the two creatures sharing it. Both the Golden Snake Worm and Ancient Dragon Taming Technique consumed the energy rapidly.

About half an hour later, the energy of the Sixth Rank advanced Spirit Crystal was utterly depleted. Yun Xiao got about one-third of it, which made him quite satisfied.

Because, in the past, under the Golden Snake Worm's snatching, Yun Xiao couldn't even get a scrap of leftovers. Now, with such an outcome, it was already a great achievement.

And Yun Xiao believed, as his strength improved, the day would come when he would suppress the Golden Snake Worm, making it act according to his whims. He would share as much as he wanted and never again be as passive and frustrated as before.

"The only downside is, I didn't break through to the Peak of Spirit Vein Realm!"

Standing up, Yun Xiao felt somewhat dissatisfied because, after absorbing one-third of the Spirit Crystal, he did not break through to the Peak of Spirit Vein Realm, but had only reached the ultimate threshold of the Late Stage of Spirit Vein Realm.

It seemed Yun Xiao could almost touch the barrier leading to the Peak of Spirit Vein Realm, which made him silently curse once more, thinking that if the Golden Snake Worm had snatched a little less, wouldn't he have broken through?

But since things had reached this point, Yun Xiao stopped dwelling on it. As he turned his gaze to the cave that no longer held any sense of danger, a glint of anticipation flashed in his eyes.

With the Strange Spirit's obstruction gone, Yun Xiao strode confidently into the cave, and as he entered, a peculiar sensation arose within him.

The entrance tunnel to the cave was not too long, only about a dozen zhang or so. Thus, after a brief moment, Yun Xiao had already arrived at a spacious space, and the situation inside the cave was clear at a glance.

"That's it?"

However, at this glance, a look of disappointment immediately appeared in Yun Xiao's eyes because the space, as far as the eye could see, seemed to be void of anything else, as if it were just an ordinary cave.

Yun Xiao, who originally thought this was the Qingshan Sect's Treasure Vault, coupled with the prior battle with the Strange Spirit in the outer area, could imagine how crestfallen he felt.

"Hm?"

But in the next moment, Yun Xiao's gaze was attracted to something in a corner of the cave. This object was hidden in a dark corner and had escaped his notice just now.

"What is this...?"

As Yun Xiao stepped closer, the appearance of that object became clearly visible in his field of view, causing his gaze to instantly freeze. A mysterious object from the depths of his memory surged like a tide into his mind, becoming unforgettable.

It was a lotus that looked like a small stone pillar, of an earthy yellow color. Unlike ordinary lotuses, it seemed to be made of mudstone, but its petals were finely detailed and visible, looking somewhat strange.

"Earth Burst Stone Lotus?!"

After carefully examining the object, Yun Xiao finally couldn't help but murmur to himself, and a sense of joy rose from the depths of his heart—for his journey here had not been in vain.

"So it's because of this thing. It seems that the formation of that Strange Spirit isn't without trace after all!"

Regaining his senses, Yun Xiao slowly nodded. Seeing the so-called "Earth Burst Stone Lotus" also confirmed his previous guess—the formation of a Strange Spirit on the Hidden Dragon Continent indeed had special reasons.

The Earth Burst Stone Lotus differs greatly from ordinary Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures because its Grade is hard to determine. It could be Low Level Mortal Rank or even High-level Saint Rank, possibly even higher.

As the name suggests, the so-called Earth Burst Stone Lotus is a stone lotus that emerges from the core of the earth, and it's something that can be stumbled upon but not sought. Without certain special conditions, it simply cannot form.

In his previous life, the Long Xiao Battle God had seen an Earth Burst Stone Lotus at an exceedingly grand auction, which attracted countless Nine-layered Dragon Cloud powerhouses.

In the end, that Saint Rank Earth Burst Stone Lotus was acquired by the Emperor Canglong, who had been referred to as "good brother" by the Long Xiao Battle God at that time. After that, Emperor Canglong's physical strength became incomparably formidable.

Yes, the Earth Burst Stone Lotus is an extraordinary object that can refine physical strength. Its effects on the body far surpass both the Stone Heart Marrow and Body Tempering Golden Crystal Silk that Yun Xiao had previously acquired.

After Yun Xiao refined the Body Tempering Golden Crystal Silk to enhance his body, although his Physical Strength continued to rise along with his Meridian Qi, the effects were not overly significant.

Now, Yun Xiao's physical body was roughly equivalent to that of a Peak Late Stage Sixth Rank Vein Demon. Although such physical strength was enough to crush cultivators of the same level, it was far from satisfying to him.

Training physical strength is more difficult than Meridian Qi Cultivation by several degrees, as it requires the assistance of these Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for refining. Thus, stumbling upon this Earth Burst Stone Lotus now was like a sleepy person coming across a pillow for Yun Xiao.

However, at this moment, Yun Xiao did not know the Grade of this Earth Burst Stone Lotus. If it was the same as that one from the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, even if he had cultivated the Ancient Dragon Taming Technique and had the Golden Snake Worm share the burden, he would probably end up in a situation where both would be shattered by its impact.

"Let's take a look first!"

Because of his knowledge of the Earth Burst Stone Lotus, Yun Xiao did not take any rash actions. He had to first check the Grade of this item before deciding whether to absorb it.

Seeing Yun Xiao briskly walk over, his right hand was already wrapped in a layer of crimson flame—the Ancestral Vein Fire—precisely to escape promptly if any mishap occurred.

Swoosh!

Just as Yun Xiao's fingers touched the stone petals of the Earth Burst Stone Lotus, the stone lotus disappeared in an instant. Thinking of a certain possibility, his face turned pale with shock.

"Damn it, must you be so eager to snatch it away?"

Having learned from previous experiences, how could Yun Xiao not understand that it was the Golden Snake Worm emerging once again? But if the Earth Burst Stone Lotus was beyond what he and the Golden Snake Worm could withstand, wouldn't that be a tragic joy?

"Silly boy, do you think I am like you?"

Seemingly aware of Yun Xiao's current thoughts, the Golden Snake Worm's disdainful voice emerged, causing a momentary pause in Yun Xiao, who then immediately understood the creature's intention.

It seems that while Yun Xiao, the transmigrated Long Xiao Battle God from the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, had been extremely careful and cautious, the Golden Snake Worm had already sensed the Grade of the Earth Burst Stone Lotus. That's why it brazenly absorbed it into its body and began devouring its energy.