Chapter 346: The Battle Begins
"So, this is the Heavenly Puppet? Truly powerful! It's no wonder we've been so fixated on it. Hahaha, the method to craft Heavenly Puppets I must have it!"
In the depths of the ancient secret realm, Black Dragon laughed heartily. As he spoke, he casually shook his hand, the one that had just collided with Qing Hou's punch.
As a Sky Dragon, a supreme divine beast in the Great Thousand World, Black Dragon was second only to True Dragons among his kin. Typically, a Sky Dragon reaching adulthood could rival a Heavenly Sovereign in power. His physical body was extraordinarily strong. Even though he had not fully manifested his dragon form, his physical prowess was such that even weaker Heavenly Sovereigns would struggle to harm him.
Yet, that single exchange of fists caused Black Dragon pain. This heightened his interest in the Heavenly Puppet refinement method in Xiao Tiance's possession. If he had been curious before, he was now determined to acquire the technique and bring it back to the Black Heaven Ancient Clan.
"You want the method to refine Heavenly Puppets from me?" Xiao Tiance laughed in response to the greed in Black Dragon's eyes. "That's simple defeat me, and I'll hand it over willingly!"
"Defeat you? Just what I was hoping for!"
Black Dragon grinned. He had never expected Xiao Tiance to hand over the method willingly. Fighting for it suited him just fine.
Before Black Dragon could act, Xiao Xuan stepped forward, stopping just a hundred meters away from him. With his spiritual energy radiating and his eyes locked on Black Dragon, Xiao Xuan smirked.
"A little worm like you? Let me test your strength first. If I slap you to death in two moves, Tiance won't even need to bother with you."
"You dare to call me a worm?!"
Black Dragon's battle intent turned into fury. He roared, his pride as a Sky Dragon thoroughly provoked.
"Dare? Let's find out after we fight," Xiao Xuan chuckled, unbothered by the insult. As a natural fighter, Xiao Xuan couldn't resist the chance to challenge someone like Black Dragon.
Before Black Dragon could make his move, a streak of black light shot through the air. Black Phoenix appeared beside him.
"Brother, leave this one to me. Focus on Xiao Tiance. I'll make sure no one interferes with your fight," Black Phoenix said, locking eyes with Xiao Xuan and smiling.
Before he could continue, a surge of vibrant flames erupted behind Xiao Tiance, drawing everyone's attention. A stunning figure emerged, cloaked in multicolored flames. Like a celestial goddess descending to the mortal world, Gu Xun'er glided to Xiao Xuan's side.
In a calm, cold voice, she said, "Uncle Xiao Xuan, you handle this worm. Leave the bird to me. I haven't had the chance to fight seriously since my powers recovered."
Turning to Xiao Tiance with a playful smile, she added, "Uncle Tiance, leave these two 'protected species' to us. You won't mind, will you?"
"Haha, not at all," Xiao Tiance laughed. "If you're interested, they're yours. But be careful these two 'protected species' are quite formidable."
Xiao Tiance's words carried humor, but he wasn't entirely dismissive. Black Dragon and Black Phoenix were powerful adversaries, but Xiao Xuan's combat prowess and Gu Xun'er's Emperor Flame were exceptional in their own right.
Among them, Gu Xun'er's Emperor Flame was unrivaled. Even Xiao Tiance's Golden Emperor Flame, though nurtured over years, couldn't quite match it.
"Insolent! Do you think reaching Peak Earth Sovereign makes you worthy of arrogance before us?" Black Dragon scoffed, his tone full of disdain.
Black Phoenix, too, burned with anger. "Brother, if they want to die so badly, let's grant their wish. I'll handle the girl; you take the man."
"Careful, Brother," Black Dragon warned. "Her flames are dangerous. I'll deal with her; you can take Xiao Xuan."
Black Phoenix shook his head, a sly grin on his face. "Playing with fire? Hmph, we True Phoenixes excel at it."
With that, Black Phoenix lunged forward, reaching Gu Xun'er in an instant.
"Sky Splitting Claw!"
Black Phoenix's attack tore through the air, the sheer force splitting the space around them.
But Gu Xun'er remained calm. With a thought, her Emperor Flame erupted like a volcano, expanding outward. The fire forced Black Phoenix back, melting the sleeve of his robe.
If not for his formidable body and the True Phoenix Clan's natural affinity for fire growing up bathing in lava Black Phoenix might have suffered far worse.
But even he was stunned. The Emperor Flame's power far exceeded his expectations.
"Damn it! What kind of flame is this? How can it be so overpowering?"
As Black Phoenix retreated to Black Dragon's side, his face darkened. He stared at the scorched remains of his sleeve and the burns on his arm, his gaze toward Gu Xun'er now filled with caution.
Seeing Black Phoenix forced back so easily, Black Dragon's expression turned grim. He knew his brother's strength. Even some of the Heavenly Sovereign elders of their clan would struggle against Black Phoenix, especially given the True Phoenix Clan's speed and mastery of Nirvana Flames.
But in mere seconds, Gu Xun'er had injured him and left him visibly wary.
"Brother, are you alright?" Black Dragon asked.
"I'm fine," Black Phoenix replied, shaking his head. "But her flames... they're too tyrannical. Even the strongest fire from the Fire Spirit Clan couldn't compare to this."
As he spoke, the burns on his arm rapidly healed a testament to his divine bloodline.
"Interesting," Xiao Xuan chuckled, his eyes brimming with excitement. "Ready for round two?"
Black Phoenix's face darkened, and Black Dragon stepped forward. "You underestimate us at your own peril."
The battle was far from over.
Not far away, Xiao Tiance noticed the scene unfolding and couldn't help but feel surprised.
He was well aware of the power of the Emperor Flame. The fact that Black Phoenix's injuries had recovered so quickly spoke volumes about the terrifying resilience of the True Phoenix Clan's physical bodies.
"As expected of the True Phoenix Clan," Xiao Tiance thought to himself. "To recover from such burns in such a short time it's truly terrifying."
Meanwhile, below, Winter Elder, who had just witnessed Gu Xun'er injure Black Phoenix with a single move, felt a lingering sense of fear.
When they were in the Little Western Heaven Realm, he had refrained from acting against Gu Xun'er and Tian Luo during their escape out of respect for the Western Heavenly Battle Emperor. Otherwise, the outcome might have been different.
"This is terrifying. Who could have imagined that the little girl who once seemed no different from an ordinary person could possess such immense power? And her flames... even a Heavenly Sovereign would dread facing them."
Winter Elder couldn't help but think to himself.
Nearby, Ling Jianzi sent a mental transmission.
"Winter Elder, should we act now?"
After all, this was a longstanding feud between the Western Heavenly Battle Hall and Xiao Tiance's group. Now that Black Dragon and Black Phoenix had already taken action, it would seem disgraceful if they stood by and did nothing.
Winter Elder hesitated for a moment before responding.
"We must act. If word gets out that we stood by and did nothing, the reputation of the Western Heavenly Battle Hall will be ruined."
Hearing this, Ling Zhanzi, Ling Jianzi, Xiong Ba, the Purple Mountain Sect Master Zi Wuji, and the two Upper Earth Sovereigns from the Shu Sect, Tang Chen and Tang Yu, simultaneously took a step forward. In the next moment, they all flew into the air, confronting Xiao Tiance and his group.
Seeing this, Xiao Tiance's smile grew even wider.
The last time they clashed, Bone Changming and Ao Tianxiu, two Peak Earth Sovereigns with high attack and defense respectively, had been major obstacles. Additionally, Xiao Tiance hadn't yet fully mastered his powers, nor had he unleashed all his techniques.
But now, with so many opponents before him, it was the perfect opportunity to hone his skills.
Before Xiao Tiance could act, however, the two figures beside him Luo Tianshen and the Headmaster of the Heavenly Dome Academy glanced at each other and immediately summoned their Heavenly Puppets.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
As two golden Heavenly Puppets appeared, the opposing side was instantly filled with shock. Though the puppets' faces were hidden behind masks crafted by Xiao Tiance, the aura of Lower Earth Sovereigns emanating from them left everyone astonished.
"Another two Heavenly Puppets at the Earth Sovereign level!" Winter Elder muttered, frowning.
Luo Tianshen sneered, unsheathing his Luo Divine Sword and pointing it at Ling Jianzi and Xiong Ba.
"Ling Jianzi, Xiong Ba, last time you two ganged up on me. Let's see how you fare this time!"
Ling Jianzi and Xiong Ba exchanged uneasy looks but couldn't back down in front of so many people.
"Hmph! Do you think we're afraid of you?"
In the blink of an eye, Luo Tianshen commanded his Heavenly Puppet and engaged Ling Jianzi and Xiong Ba in battle.
Seeing that Luo Tianshen had chosen his opponents, the Heavenly Dome Headmaster wasn't far behind. With a flick of his fan, he smirked coldly at Zi Wuji.
"Zi Wuji, you old dog. Care to let me give you a beating?"
"Hmph! Do you really think a Lower Earth Sovereign puppet and a has been like you can make me fear you?" Zi Wuji retorted, charging forward.
Soon, the battlefield split into multiple skirmishes:
Xiao Xuan vs. Black Dragon – A fierce melee with punches and kicks exchanged at close range, their clashes oozing raw power and energy.
Gu Xun'er vs. Black Phoenix – Though Black Phoenix had incredible speed and a durable body, he was completely helpless against the Emperor Flame's overwhelming might.
Luo Tianshen and his Heavenly Puppet vs. Ling Jianzi and Xiong Ba – While Ling Jianzi and Xiong Ba worked together, they struggled to keep up. The puppet's devastating punches often sent Xiong Ba flying, forcing him to retreat repeatedly.
Heavenly Dome Headmaster and his Heavenly Puppet vs. Zi Wuji – Despite his puppet's sturdy frame, the headmaster found himself slightly outmatched by Zi Wuji, whose expertise in spiritual formations made him a formidable opponent.
Amid the chaos, Xiao Tiance and Lin Dong stood unchallenged.
Even with their numerical advantage, Winter Elder and his allies didn't dare make the first move. Xiao Tiance alone was enough to make them wary. With the enigmatic Lin Dong beside him, none of them wanted to risk becoming the first to fall.
Watching the battles unfold, Xiao Tiance smiled and turned to Lin Dong.
"Lin Dong, interested in joining the fun?"
Lin Dong clasped his hands respectfully.
"Senior Tiance, I'm willing to act. But first, I'm curious how do you know about Huanhuan? Are you, too, from the Tianxuan Continent? With your level of power, I would've heard of you if you were."
Xiao Tiance chuckled.
"I'm not from the Tianxuan Continent. I hail from the Dou Qi Continent. As for your question, I cannot answer it now. However, I can tell you this: the person you seek, Ying Huanhuan, hails from the Ice Spirit Clan. Currently, only a fragment of her soul remains. If you wish to restore her, your current strength is insufficient."
He paused, his tone turning serious.
"That said, I propose an alliance. In the future, we will face a common enemy the Western Heavenly Battle Emperor. Of course, you can walk away now, and the information I've shared about Huanhuan can count as payment for helping me claim the Heavenly Mirror."
Lin Dong's eyes lit up at Xiao Tiance's mention of Ying Huanhuan.
While he hadn't learned how Xiao Tiance knew about her, he had gained crucial information about her whereabouts.
Clasping his hands again, Lin Dong bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Senior, for the guidance. Since I now know where Huanhuan is, allow me to help you eliminate these enemies."
(End of Chapter)
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