Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

"Damn it, how can that little bastard be so strong?"

This was Xuan Jiuding's heartfelt roar. When he first interacted with Yun Xiao, he could manipulate him at will with the prestige of being the Crown Prince, and his Meridian Qi Cultivation was also much higher.

But now, Xuan Jiuding is not only controlled for life by Yun Xiao's Absolute Spirit Stabilizing Pulse Hand, preventing him from breaking through, but he can barely even see the youth's shadow anymore.

Yun Xiao can now fight on par with the Lingtian Emperor of Earth Rank Third Realm, while Xuan Jiuding remains at the Peak of Meridian Union Realm. The gap between them cannot be measured in miles.

Despite Xuan Jiuding's resentment, he wouldn't dare provoke Yun Xiao now even if someone lent him the courage to do so. Hasn't he seen the many ashes and ice sculptures of the Black Star Empire over there?

With the abilities at the Peak of Meridian Union Realm, he was only slightly stronger than the owners of those ice sculptures and ashes. He was not confident that with a flick of Yun Xiao's finger, he wouldn't also turn into ash or an ice sculpture.

On the other hand, Nie Yi standing beside Xuan Jiuding had more confidence in her eyes. She believed that her brother, the Lingtian Emperor, would definitely be able to kill Yun Xiao, the little bastard, right here to vent the resentment of her and her mother.

A world-shattering battle erupted with everyone's thoughts, and for a while, no one could tell which side had the upper hand. However, all knew that determining the victor of this fight would not be a matter of a short time.

...

Xuanyue Imperial City, South Gate!

The battle between Yu Shu, Sect Master of Jade Pot Sect, and Du Fuyun, King of the Thunderwind Empire, had also reached a fever pitch. The battle between these two was evenly matched, and neither could gain the upper hand.

Yet, what Yu Shu did not expect was that during his fierce battle with Du Fuyun, Lu Dingtian, King of the Jingshan Empire, had somehow gotten close without notice, catching him somewhat unawares.

Boom!

A sudden attack struck Yu Shu from behind, and at this moment, he was being dragged by a ferocious move from Du Fuyun. If he dodged, the power of this sneak attack would hit right at his vital spot.

"Sect Master, be careful!"

Many cultivators from Jade Pot Sect on the city walls, witnessing this scene, couldn't help but have their eyes split with fury. They did not expect Lu Dingtian to be so despicable and shameless. People like Lu Zhan wanted to intervene at this moment, but it was too late because of the distance.

"Damn it!"

As the person involved, Yu Shu had already reacted within that instant. The force coming from behind him was not any weaker than Du Fuyun's, and likely, only Lu Dingtian, who was also at Half-step Earth Rank, could deliver such power.

Faced with both a heavy blow from the front and a sneak attack from behind, Yu Shu seemed to have fallen into a dilemma. After quickly reflecting, he decided to dodge the sneak attack from behind first and then deal with Du Fuyun's assault.

After all, the Jingshan Empire prioritizes Physical Body Cultivation, and Lu Dingtian's Physical Strength had reached an incredibly strong level. Taking it head-on could result in severe injuries or broken bones.

In contrast, the Thunderwind Empire was adept in Wind and Thunder Power, which might be less painful to endure than a heavy blow from Lu Dingtian.

Yu Shu made his decision in a flash. However, seeing the direction in which he dodged, Du Fuyun, King of the Thunderwind Empire, revealed a cold smirk of successful scheming on his face.

It seemed Du Fuyun had already anticipated Yu Shu's response, or maybe this had been part of his and Lu Dingtian's plan all along. Now, Yu Shu had walked right into their trap, and it looked like the South Gate of Xuanyue Imperial City might be the first to be breached.

Bang!

After Yu Shu dodged Lu Dingtian's powerful attack, it was impossible to evade another prepared strike from Du Fuyun. The South Gate echoed with a loud impact, and Du Fuyun's blow fiercely landed on Yu Shu's right shoulder.

"Power of Wind and Thunder, arise!"

Just when Yu Shu felt relieved that the force wasn't too strong and was barely acceptable, Du Fuyun let out this commanding shout. Immediately, Yu Shu's right half of the body went numb.

It turned out that in that moment, Du Fuyun had activated his Ancestor Vein Power. Like the Second Prince Du Ruofeng, he had activated two Ancestor Veins, specifically the Wind and Thunder Power.

It was as if a paralyzing force burst forth, and Yu Shu instantly felt the right side of his body immobilized. He internally cried out in alarm, knowing he had fallen into the calculation of these two Kings.

But back then, Yu Shu truly had no choice. Even if he chose to take a hit from Lu Dingtian, with the latter's unparalleled Physical Strength, his situation might not have been much better than it was now.

"Sect Master Yu Shu, my compliments!"

Having landed a successful hit, Du Fuyun knew that Yu Shu, even as a Half-step Earth Rank powerhouse, wouldn't be able to make much of a difference at this moment, so he simply let out a light chuckle.

Du Fuyun's face bore a smile, but there was not the slightest hint of mercy in his hand. With a flash of brilliant light from his right hand, a razor-sharp long sword materialized, and he viciously thrust it towards the vital area of Yu Shu's chest.

"Don't!"

Upon witnessing this scene, numerous cries of alarm suddenly erupted from atop the South City Gate, as Great Elder Lu Zhan leapt down from the city wall, attempting to save Yu Shu with utmost speed.

Alas, in such a lightning-fast moment, even with Lu Zhan's incredible speed, it was simply too late, and even if he could reach them, what could he possibly do against two half-step Earth Rank powerhouses?

Lu Zhan did everything he could, resigning to fate after fulfilling his duties. In such dire moments where the Sect Master faced certain death, if he did nothing, he would likely live the rest of his life consumed by endless guilt.

Du Fuyun's long sword was not the least bit deterred by the cries of shock or by Lu Zhan's actions. He believed that once this sword strike landed, the South Gate of Xuanyue Imperial City would no longer face much resistance.

Swoosh!

Clang!

However, just as Du Fuyun and Lu Dingtian believed Yu Shu would perish under this sword strike, a sudden sound of rushing wind came through, and Du Fuyun's sword was deflected to the side.

In fact, onlookers could clearly see sparks flying as the sword was deflected, as if it had been struck by a powerful attack.

"That... what is that?"

The gazes of those from the Jade Pot Sect promptly turned toward a small figure, and upon seeing it, individuals like Mo Qingling Pill found nothing unfamiliar.

"It's Chi Yan, Chi Yan has returned!"

Ling Wan was the first to react. Compared to other cultivators from the Jade Pot Sect, he probably had the best relationship with Yun Xiao's shoulder-mounted Vein Demon, having even fed Chi Yan numerous Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

The one who appeared at the South Gate of the Imperial City and saved Yu Shu's life was none other than the Fire Cloud Rat Chi Yan. Now a Sixth Rank Advanced Vein Demon, Chi Yan's innate bloodline might not be inferior even to a human cultivator at the half-step Earth Rank.

And when it comes to Physical Strength alone, even Yun Xiao might not necessarily be a match for it. Du Fuyun's specialty was not Physical Strength, and upon being parried by Chi Yan's paw, he felt a surge of heat and almost lost grip of his sword, feeling it could fly out of his hands.

"Chi Yan is back, could Yun Xiao have returned as well?"

Hearing the excited shouts of Ling Wan, Mo Qing immediately thought on another level, her beautiful eyes scanning around, because she knew that the Fire Cloud Rat Chi Yan was always inseparable from Yun Xiao.

Reminded by this, the other Elders and Disciples of the Jade Pot Sect also showed surprise and delight. After the series of events, they seemed to have developed a somewhat blind faith in the talented Yun Xiao.

It was a pity that at this moment Yun Xiao was engaged in battle with the Lingtian Emperor, Nie Wencang, at the North Gate of the Imperial City. Given the vast distance, they could not possibly witness it, and disappointment was clear on their faces.

However, the arrival of Chi Yan had averted the fatal crisis for Yu Shu. The Sect Master, who often gave it treats, held a special fondness in its heart, and upon seeing someone bully Yu Shu, Chi Yan immediately flew into a rage.

"Squeak!"

Angered, Chi Yan had been instructed by Yun Xiao to protect every member of the Jade Pot Sect from harm, so at this moment, it spontaneously invoked its most potent power.

There came an angry squeal from Chi Yan, and then its whole body, previously the size of a palm, transformed into a massive rat two zhang in length.

"What in the world is this thing?"

Du Fuyun, who had almost lost grip of his long sword moments before, was utterly shocked to see a giant red rat transform in an instant and blurted out his surprise, his face turning somewhat grim.

He had originally thought that, with his coordination with Lu Dingtian, he would kill Yu Shu here and now. But the sudden appearance of this bizarre Vein Demon in rat form had now completely turned the tide of the battle.

With the sensing capabilities of Du Fuyun and Lu Dingtian, they could naturally tell that this giant rat-shaped Vein Demon had reached the Sixth Rank Advanced level, and with the formidable combat prowess of a Vein Demon, it likely wouldn't be much weaker than them – the half-step Earth Rank powerhouses.

However, the subsequent engagement quickly dispelled any thoughts within Du Fuyun's mind. This rat-shaped Vein Demon, capable of freely altering its size, was not just on par with half-step Earth Rank powerhouses like them; it was much stronger.

There's no need to mention the Physical Strength of Chi Yan. The strong, intense heat radiating from its body was almost enough to singe Du Fuyun's hair and eyebrows, causing him extreme discomfort.

Over on the other side, the King of the Jingshan Empire, Lu Dingtian, although gaining the upper hand against an injured Yu Shu, didn't feel much better, because he was unsure how long Du Fuyun could hold on.

The battle at the South Gate of Xuanyue Imperial City had been drastically altered by Chi Yan's sudden arrival, with tens of thousands of eyes watching the two battlefields with utmost attention.