Full Power, One Against Nine!

Under the canopy of the sky, the bright moon spilled cold, clear light, coating the earth in silver frost.

Behind Gu He, cyan Dou Qi condensed into a pair of wings, suspending him in midair.

His eyes narrowed, locking tightly onto Xiao Yan not far away.

His tone carried a chill:

"Friend, I, Gu, have gathered my men to face the Snake People Clan head-on."

"Yet you lurk in the shadows, biding your time—doesn't that seem a bit improper?"

"Why not let me see what you've taken that makes you so eager to leave?"

As he spoke, coldness flickered in his gaze:

"Otherwise, I fear you won't leave the Snake People Holy City intact..."

His tone was thick with menace.

Xiao Yan floated in the air, the four wings behind him gently vibrating.

Gilded Fire Feathers shimmered under the moonlight, occasionally shaking off sparks like drifting fireflies.

Xiao Yan let out a light scoff, the corners of his mouth lifting in disdain:

"What I've taken aside for now, I'm actually a bit curious."

"A mere Dou King—who gave you the courage to stand in my way?"

"Planning to crush me to death with your pills?"

With that, he spread his palm, and the Kirin Devouring Heaven Flame slowly gathered in his hand.

The blazing red fire reflected in Gu He's eyes.

His pupils instantly contracted sharply, his gaze filled with shock and disbelief!

A perfectly tamed Strange Fire form?

Impossible!?

It hadn't even been an hour!

Then, as if struck by a thought, greed slowly seeped into Gu He's pupils:

He has two Strange Fires!!

His Dou Qi instantly surged, and his sleeve flicked!

"Shh! Shh! Shh!"

Seven Soul Devouring Nails shot out abruptly!

Tearing through the air, they let out sharp whistles.

Like shooting stars, they flew toward Xiao Yan.

In an instant, they were before him!

"Boom!"

The Fire Wings instantly expanded, blocking in front of him!

The moment they touched the wings, they melted into molten iron:

"Sizzle! Sizzle!"

They dripped to the ground.

Gu He was greatly alarmed, his voice trembling slightly:

"Impossible! Those were..."

Xiao Yan's face was full of annoyance, his brows tightly knit as he let out a light shout:

"How annoying!"

With that, he flicked his finger lightly, and the flame in his palm instantly condensed into a sphere!

Like a bomb, it swelled rapidly, expanding to ten zhang in the blink of an eye!

The scorching fire illuminated the night sky around them.

Seeing this, Gu He's face turned deathly pale.

He was clearly a Dou King, yet he felt the threat of death from this one move!

The fireball shot out abruptly!!

In desperation, he could only hastily summon his medicine cauldron to block with all his might.

The cauldron collided with the fireball, barely holding for a moment!

Then a crisp "crack" sounded from the cauldron's body, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared.

"Boom!"

The flame suddenly exploded, engulfing an area hundreds of meters wide!

The overburdened cauldron crashed to the ground with a clang, shattering into pieces.

Among the scattered fragments of the pill furnace, Gu He's twisted and despairing face was reflected.

He shouted hoarsely:

"The target is over here, don't get bogged down in battle!"

Ignoring Gu He for now, Xiao Yan knew that staying in the Holy City any longer would inevitably invite a siege from the Snake People Clan!

Dou Qi surged, and two streaks of light tore through the Holy City's barrier with overwhelming force!

Xiao Yan carried Xiao Yi Xian, flying side by side with Hai Bodong as they sped out toward the desert!

Where the streaks of light vanished, Gu He led nine Dou Kings and Yun Yun in hot pursuit!

As for the Snake People Clan's pursuers, they never left the Holy City.

On the vast, boundless desert, covered in yellow sand, a dozen streaks of light ripped through the air, chasing across heaven and earth!

The pursuit lasted a full half-hour before Xiao Yan and Hai Bodong's pace finally slowed.

Gu He's face lit up with joy as he sped after them!

Xiao Yan set Xiao Yi Xian down and gave her a pill to conceal her aura.

Then he rose alone into the air, facing the ten figures before him!

A smile spread across Gu He's face as he spoke with feigned sincerity:

"This friend, I think we don't need to fight again."

"If you just leave the Strange Fire behind, you're free to go."

"You're a clever man—surely you can see how things stand?"

Gu He's words were dripping with confidence:

On the other side were merely two Dou Kings, while here stood nine Dou Kings and one Dou Emperor.

How could anything go wrong?

Even a fool knew which choice to make!

But if the other party remained stubborn, he'd have no choice but to help them see reason!

Behind him, the nine Dou Kings ignited their Dou Qi Armor, their Dou Qi churning like raging waves!

"Hand over the Strange Fire now!"

"And I'll spare your life."

Gu He's roar rang out!

Hai Bodong snorted coldly, his Ice Wings spreading wide.

Frost flowers drifted down like falling snow, rapidly forming a hundred-meter ice path across the desert.

His sharp gaze swept over Yun Yun, whose face was half-hidden.

His tone brimmed with confidence and arrogance:

"Just nine Dou Kings and one Dou Emperor!"

"I, Hai Bodong, will protect whoever I want—no one can touch them!"

As his words fell, the overwhelming aura of a Dou Emperor pressed down on the entire scene!

Gu He was stunned:

"Ice Emperor, weren't you long since..."

Before he could finish, Hai Bodong's wings flapped once, and countless ice crystals coalesced into two ice dragons!

They swept out with an unstoppable, surging momentum!

Mysterious Ice Dragon Soar!

As this move was unleashed, thousands of sword energies spread out before Yun Yun, surging forward to meet Hai Bodong!

Xiao Yan exhaled lightly, raging flames churning within his body.

In an instant, they engulfed him entirely:

A phantom armor flickered to life on his chest!

In a flash, the Gilded Red Armor spread over his body like a living thing, emitting a series of clicking sounds.

His gaze was firm and resolute:

"Then let me see my own limits!"

All nine Dou Kings unleashed their Dou Techniques at once!

The yellow sand was abruptly repelled by surging Dou Qi.

Their Dou Qi surged forth like a torrent.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Wind blades! Lightning bolts! Flames!

They came crashing toward Xiao Yan with an unstoppable momentum!

At this critical moment, Xiao Yan's Armor helmet clicked shut.

His aura finally finished brewing, sweeping outward like a storm:

Dou King, Four-Star.

The gilded Fire Wings behind him suddenly expanded to ten zhang.

"Boom!"

With a single powerful flap, a fierce hurricane roared to life!

It swept the raging sandstorm back into the sky!

"Wave Splitting Flame Ruler: Nine Star Chain!"

Xiao Yan bellowed, his voice thundering across the heavens!

The Heavy Black Ruler in his hand instantly transformed into nine phantom images!

Each blade edge was wreathed in crimson fire, a Kirin Phantom materializing, erupting with scorching heat!

The fire-attribute Dou King at the very front bore the brunt of it!

His pupils shot wide in terror as he stared at the incoming ruler shadows.

This power—was this really a Dou King?!

He struggled desperately to resist, but his fire-attribute Dou Qi, which had always obeyed his will like an extension of his arm, now seemed to have met its sovereign. No matter how he cycled his technique, he couldn't summon a single thread!

Under the Master of Fire, all flames bow!

He could only hastily raise his giant axe, trying to block this devastating attack!

"Bang!"

But that giant axe, under the impact of the Kirin Phantom, shattered like fragile paper in an instant!

Then, his Dou Qi Armor, like thin paper torn by a single gust of wind, was easily ripped apart!

Blood sprayed from his wounds.

His entire body flew backward like a kite with a snapped string!

"Boom, boom, boom!"

His tumbling body broke the sound barrier midair, smashing through an entire sand dune behind him, vanishing into the yellow sand without a trace.

The Dou King beside him saw the dire situation and turned pale as paper:

"W-what the hell is this thing?!"

In his panic, he tried to burrow into the sand to evade the lethal attack.

But Xiao Yan seemed to have already read his mind.

With a light wave of his hand, crimson fire surged from the ground.

It rose instantly from the sand, the blazing flames tightly enveloping that Dou King.

"Aaaah!"

Under the burning of the Strange Fire, a bloodcurdling scream rang out.

He struggled a few times within the flames, then was charred to cinders, a pungent stench of scorched flesh filling the air!

"The third one."

Like a phantom, Xiao Yan's Crimson Wings flapped once in an instant.

At a speed nearly surpassing the limits of a Dou King, he appeared behind a wind-attribute Dou King.

That wind-attribute Dou King only felt a chill creeping up from behind.

He was about to turn his head to check when his neck suddenly tightened.

Xiao Yan's Armor gauntlet clamped down like an iron vise, gripping his throat!

The wind-attribute Dou King struggled desperately, both hands prying at Xiao Yan's grip!

Countless wind blades lashed out, slashing against Xiao Yan's armor!

Besides adding a few white marks, it was completely useless!

"Guh... guh..."

The crimson flames swept around and wrapped around his body!

His eyes bulged like copper bells, and a rasping "heh... heh..." sound escaped his throat.

In the end, his entire body went limp, and he lost all signs of life.

The remaining Dou Kings, seeing this, had eyes filled with terror and despair.

They frantically activated their secret techniques, their Dou Qi surging wildly like a volcano about to erupt!

Completely ignoring Gu He, they fled in all directions across the desert:

A monster, this simply wasn't human!

How could they possibly win!?

Damn it all, Gu He had led them astray!

But at that very moment, Yun Yun's sword qi shot through the air like a meteor:

Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill!

An Azure Luan hundreds of feet tall, condensed from sword qi.

It lunged at Xiao Yan with a sharp, piercing howl!

Hai Bodong's figure flickered into view, and he lightly raised his hand, clenching it:

Myriad Flower Ice Mirror!

Ice crystals twisted and coiled, rapidly forming before him, radiating bone-chilling cold light, indestructible!

"Boom!"

The sword qi slammed into the ice mirror, and both canceled each other out.

Hai Bodong let out a cold laugh, his voice casual:

"Sect Master Yun, your sword seems to have dulled a little."

At this moment, both sides had two people each.

As they faced off in midair, Gu He's face turned ashen.

He knew deep down that there was no more advantage to be gained today.

A flicker of reluctance flashed in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth.

Finally, he cupped his hands:

"This Gu admits defeat—my skill is inferior!"

A flash of light from the Fighting Wings behind him, and Gu He's figure vanished from the spot.

The moon rose to its zenith, its silvery light spilling like flowing water across the desert.

Yun Yun also turned around at that moment.

But a voice transmission, like a wisp of gentle breeze, quietly slipped into Xiao Yan's ear:

"Thirty li northeast, meet at the oasis."

Xiao Yan was slightly startled, then nodded lightly:

Even though he had worn a mask from the start, his own features were still too obvious.

It would be strange if Yun Yun hadn't recognized him.

The two landed, and Xiao Yan instructed Xiao Yi Xian and Hai Bodong to wait a moment.

He flew off alone toward the northeast.

The oasis thirty li away was surrounded by lush, thriving greenery.

Under the moonlight, the lake shimmered with a mysterious silver glow.

Like a giant silver crystal embedded in the desert.

A gentle breeze passed by, and ripples spread across the lake's surface, glittering and shimmering.

Yun Yun's slender figure stood quietly by the lakeside.

Xiao Yan stepped forward.

She also gently lifted off her veil...