Chapter 347: Emperor Flame – Transformative Lotus
"Thank you, Senior, for your guidance. Now that I know Huanhuan's whereabouts, allow me to clear out these enemies for you!"
In the ancient secret realm, as Lin Dong's words fell, he didn't wait for Xiao Tiance's approval. In an instant, thunder surged around him, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a god of lightning, vanishing in a flash.
In less than a second, Lin Dong had seized a Lower Earth Sovereign by the neck. His calm, chilling voice rang out:
"The Hand of the Ancestral Symbol!"
It was a dazzling move: a technique of his own creation that simultaneously utilized the Devouring Ancestral Symbol and the Thunder Ancestral Symbol. His hand, now a black liquid of thunder, crackled with terrifying energy.
The power of this attack was extraordinary. Against a mere Lower Earth Sovereign, it was overkill. Even a Peak Earth Sovereign would struggle to withstand it.
"So fast!"
From a distance, Xiao Tiance watched Lin Dong eliminate a Lower Earth Sovereign with ease and was amazed.
Although Xiao Tiance could similarly dispatch such an opponent quickly, he certainly couldn't do so as effortlessly as Lin Dong did using the combined might of two Ancestral Symbols.
"Of course," Xiao Tiance thought. "Ancestral Symbols not only enhance combat power but are practically sacred artifacts in their own right. The Devouring Ancestral Symbol drains an opponent's spiritual energy, while the Thunder Ancestral Symbol immobilizes them. Under the combined effects, even a Lower Earth Sovereign wouldn't stand a chance."
Xiao Tiance gained a clearer understanding of Lin Dong's current strength: invincible below Heavenly Sovereign level. Against an average Lesser Heavenly Sovereign, Lin Dong might not lose. However, he would be outmatched by a Greater Heavenly Sovereign.
Even Xiao Tiance himself wasn't confident in easily defeating Lin Dong. Perhaps only after advancing to Heavenly Sovereign level or mastering grandmaster level spiritual arrays could he do so.
Turning inward, Xiao Tiance asked, "Ling'er, how long until I can refine and master a grandmaster level spiritual array diagram?"
Ling'er's cheerful voice echoed in his mind:
"Don't worry, Little Sir. Soon! I promise to perfect it before this ancient secret realm closes."
Relieved, Xiao Tiance replied, "Good. No rush focus on your research. Once we leave the secret realm, I plan to head to Little Western Heaven with my elder brother and the others. Without a breakthrough in our spiritual array abilities, it will be difficult to contend with the Western Heavenly Battle Emperor, a Greater Heavenly Sovereign."
Ling'er confidently assured him, "At most three months, as little as one month, and it will be done!"
"Good," Xiao Tiance said, finally at ease.
Meanwhile, Lin Dong was already taking down another Lower Earth Sovereign. Even after briefly clashing with Winter Elder, Lin Dong remained unscathed, showcasing the overwhelming power of his Ancestral Symbols.
Seeing Lin Dong in action, Xiao Tiance couldn't help but admire him.
"The power of the Ancestral Symbols is truly enviable," Xiao Tiance mused. "But while I wouldn't mind having one, there's no need to turn Lin Dong into an enemy for it."
He chuckled inwardly. "Better to let him walk his path while I walk mine."
Suddenly, Xiao Tiance noticed Ling Zhanzi stealthily activating his Ancient Battle Emperor Avatar, taking advantage of Winter Elder's icy restraints to trap Lin Dong's legs. Ling Zhanzi's sneak attack could seriously injure Lin Dong.
Xiao Tiance was about to intervene when Lin Dong's confident voice rang out:
"Don't worry, Senior Tiance. Such petty tricks are beneath me."
Calm and composed, Lin Dong summoned his power. Lightning surged across his body, and flames erupted around his frozen legs, melting Winter Elder's ice in an instant.
In the same moment, Lin Dong's hands turned pitch black, emanating a devouring force so intense even Xiao Tiance felt wary.
"Boom!"
Lin Dong easily intercepted Ling Zhanzi's full force attack. His Devouring Ancestral Symbol began draining Ling Zhanzi's spiritual energy, forcing the latter to sever his connection to the avatar and retreat.
Even so, the brief exchange cost Ling Zhanzi one fifth of his spiritual energy.
Smirking, Lin Dong returned to his hunt, eliminating another Lower Earth Sovereign.
From his vantage point, Xiao Tiance was pleased. Though he hadn't had a chance to fight, he appreciated the break. He thought, "If only I had some snacks. Watching this would be even better."
Suddenly, a deafening dragon's roar echoed through the battlefield.
Turning to look, Xiao Tiance saw a massive black heavenly dragon hundreds of meters long soaring into the sky. On its head, Xiao Xuan was grappling with the beast, gripping its upper jaw with one hand and tugging a dragon whisker with the other.
"So this is the legendary Heavenly Dragon?" Xiao Xuan laughed heartily. "Impressive!"
Enraged, the dragon bellowed, "Damn human! I'll tear you apart!"
As the dragon opened its jaws to snap at Xiao Xuan, the latter yanked hard on the whisker, causing the dragon to howl in pain. Using the momentum, Xiao Xuan vaulted onto the dragon's head, clutching its horns.
With a mighty kick, he slammed the dragon's head to the ground.
"Boom!"
The impact created a massive crater, sending debris flying as golden blood poured from the dragon's mouth.
Not done, Xiao Xuan delivered a powerful punch, snapping off one of the dragon's horns with a resounding crack.
"Roar!"
The dragon's anguished roar echoed across the battlefield.
"Haha! A so called top tier divine beast? Seems overrated to me!" Xiao Xuan taunted, leaping clear of the dragon's retaliation.
Watching from afar, Xiao Tiance felt reassured seeing Xiao Xuan in control.
"Xiao Xuan's combat instincts are unmatched. Though his strength is slightly below Black Dragon's, his experience and adaptability turn every part of his body into a weapon."
Xiao Tiance couldn't help but admire his companion's prowess.
In a battle where combatants wield equal strength, larger forms can often be a disadvantage due to the abundance of vulnerable points.
"Clang! Clang!"
Elsewhere, the clash continued between Gu Xun'er and Black Phoenix. Black Phoenix's incredible speed allowed him to dodge most attacks, but the overwhelming power of Gu Xun'er's Emperor Flame kept him at bay. Unable to land a decisive blow, Black Phoenix had resorted to hit and run tactics.
However, upon seeing Black Dragon's injuries, Black Phoenix cast caution to the wind. Transforming into his true form a majestic True Phoenix he emanated an oppressive and ferocious aura.
Among those present, the weakest was at least at the eighth rank Sovereign level. Otherwise, the sheer pressure of Black Phoenix's aura would have immobilized them completely.
As the cry of the phoenix reverberated through the battlefield, Black Phoenix's speed increased dramatically. Yet, even with his acceleration, he couldn't overcome Gu Xun'er's Emperor Flame, which shrouded her like an impenetrable barrier.
"Nirvana Flame!"
With a resounding roar, Black Phoenix used his speed to circle behind Gu Xun'er and unleashed a massive, hundred meter long flame from his mouth.
The collision of Black Phoenix's Nirvana Flame and Gu Xun'er's Emperor Flame was akin to a celestial thunderstorm meeting an inferno. Explosions erupted continuously, neither flame yielding ground.
After over twenty seconds of this fiery stalemate, the heavens and earth trembled. Xiao Tiance, observing from a distance, smirked as he murmured:
"I see... that little girl has picked up Xiao Yan's technique. Fascinating."
Suddenly, countless multicolored and crystalline fire lotuses began forming around Black Phoenix.
Over a hundred of them, each radiating a deadly power capable of grievously wounding even a ninth rank Sovereign.
"Buddha's Wrath Lotus – Detonate!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The earth shaking explosions silenced everything else. Within the searing firelight, Black Phoenix's anguished screams rang out incessantly, piercing the battlefield.
"Second Brother!"
Black Dragon, seeing Black Phoenix gravely injured, immediately abandoned his fight with Xiao Xuan. Transforming back into his Heavenly Dragon form, he plunged into the fiery chaos to rescue his sibling.
Emerging moments later, his clothes in tatters, Black Dragon clutched the severely wounded Black Phoenix in his arms. However, before he could assess the injuries, Gu Xun'er launched another attack.
This time, it wasn't hundreds of lotuses but one massive, budding lotus. The energy radiating from it was suffocating an attack so potent even Xiao Tiance would have avoided it unless forced to withstand it.
"Emperor Flame – Transformative Lotus!"
Seeing the immense danger, Black Dragon fled with Black Phoenix. But no matter how fast they moved, the Transformative Lotus pursued them like a homing missile.
"Frozen World!"
Before the Transformative Lotus could strike, an overwhelming chill enveloped the battlefield. Ice rapidly spread, encasing the terrain in a thick layer of frost. Moments later, an enormous ice wall several dozen meters thick formed to block the lotus.
Winter Elder appeared, grabbing Black Dragon by the arm and urging, "Quickly! This ice wall won't hold for long!"
"Boom!"
Winter Elder's retreat was swift, but Lin Dong was swifter. In a flash, Lin Dong appeared beside him, delivering a powerful kick to Winter Elder's head and slapping Black Dragon into the ice wall, where he crumpled against it.
With that, Lin Dong disappeared once more, this time pursuing the fleeing Winter Elder.
The Transformative Lotus exploded, obliterating the ice wall as though it were paper. The enormous fiery bloom consumed everything in its path, threatening to annihilate all in its wake.
Black Dragon, overwhelmed by despair as the lotus neared, was suddenly yanked out of its trajectory by the recently revived Black Phoenix, who used his speed to escape the blast zone.
When the fiery chaos subsided, the battlefield was left in stunned silence. The central area of the explosion was entirely vaporized.
The sheer devastation caused even the boldest combatants to shudder. The attack's magnitude was such that even a Heavenly Sovereign would have fled rather than confront it directly.
"What on earth... Everyone else is throwing punches and swinging swords, but you had to go and drop a nuke?"
Xiao Tiance appeared beside Gu Xun'er, laughing as he teased her, "Not bad, girl. This move might come in handy when we face the Western Heavenly Realm."
Gu Xun'er giggled, replying humbly, "You flatter me, Uncle Tiance. I merely adapted it from Brother Xiao Yan's Buddha's Wrath Lotus. If Brother Xiao Yan were the one using this technique, its power would surely surpass my version."
Hearing this, Xiao Tiance smiled but remained silent.
It was true Xiao Yan's talent exceeded Gu Xun'er's, particularly in battle. Moreover, Xiao Yan was the most suitable heir for the Ancient Emperor's inheritance.
But the decisions leading to the current situation were Xiao Tiance's own.
"Perhaps you're right, but I don't regret giving you the inheritance instead of him," Xiao Tiance said after a pause. "Xiao Yan likely explained my reasons to you. Ultimately, it was a matter of perspective and responsibility, not right or wrong."
Pausing briefly, Xiao Tiance added with a smile, "This move of yours is quite formidable. Even if Xiao Yan were to use it, the difference wouldn't be too significant."
Xiao Yan's heart belonged to the Xiao Clan in Wutan City, not the Xiao Clan in Central Plains. As the Xiao Clan Patriarch, Xiao Tiance couldn't entrust the Ancient Emperor's inheritance to someone who didn't align with the clan's interests.
In contrast, Gu Xun'er had agreed to certain conditions and had proven herself trustworthy. Moreover, Xiao Tiance had the strength to reclaim the inheritance if necessary.
Gu Xun'er smiled warmly, her eyes glinting with admiration. "Regardless, I believe Brother Xiao Yan will rise to become a true powerhouse in the Great Thousand World."
Xiao Tiance nodded. "I have no doubt. With his personality and talent, it's only a matter of time."
His tone shifted, becoming more focused. "But the battle isn't over yet. Let's finish this."
(End of Chapter)
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