Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art

After the Dragon Fish had been dealt with, the surrounding fog gradually cleared. The three of them decided to leave camp and take a look around.

They put out the campfire and set off to explore. Every so often, Long Jiuyyao left a Spirit Mark on a tree so they wouldn't lose their way back.

Lan Xinhuang took the lead, Yuan Xin stayed in the middle, and Long Jiuyyao brought up the rear. Now that they had a shelter, food was their biggest concern, and hunting demons was their best option.

Of course, they had to know their limits. An unexpected injury could put the whole group at a serious disadvantage. Unless they had an overwhelming advantage, it was best to pick off isolated targets.

They could also use strategy. Nothing was off-limits in these mountains. As long as they won, no one would care what methods they had used.

The three moved at an unhurried pace, prioritizing caution. Long Jiuyyao kept his spiritual power within fifteen meters of them at all times. Nothing that entered its range could escape his notice, making it their first line of defense.

With Long Jiuyyao's Natal Celestial Talisman, he could maintain this spiritual detection for a whole day, as long as he didn't deliberately expend his spiritual power.

The mountains in the Dragon Domain were rich in resources. After exploring for only half an hour, they had already gathered plenty of Spirit Fruits. Unless something major went wrong, everyone could survive.

But survival was only a prerequisite for winning. Given how abundant these mountains were, almost everyone could make it through. The real contest would be to see which group hunted the most demons.

The rules stated that the group with the most Demon Crystals from their kills would win. They didn't say anything about stealing other people's crystals, and many had already spotted this loophole.

Of course, some people went out to hunt demons themselves. The first to find traces of one was Liu Qing's group.

The demon standing before them was a Major Qi Creation Realm Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros. It was as big as a small mountain, its body covered in silvery-gray armor, with an enormous, sharp horn as its powerful weapon.

The youth in a green robe stared at the Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros, a hint of arrogance on his face. The other two didn't interfere; instead, they blocked its escape routes, leaving it no choice but to face Liu Qing head-on.

Both of them were at the Minor Form Creation Realm, while the aura Liu Qing gave off clearly overpowered the rhinoceros. It was obvious he was at least at the Major Qi Creation Realm.

Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art, First Stage: Azure Dragon Skin.

Green light rippled wildly across his skin, then seeped out as something like a layer of green scales. This was the martial art Liu Qing had practiced in seclusion, passed down to him by his teacher, Qing Zhi.

As Liu Qing performed the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art, the two behind the Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros stared with burning eyes. Beneath their excitement, they also felt a trace of envy.

Clearly, they knew how renowned this martial art was. It was famous even among the Dragon Clan.

Martial arts in the world were divided into nine grades and three stages. First, Second, and Third-Grade Martial Arts were Lower Stage; Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth-Grade Martial Arts were Middle Stage; and Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth-Grade Martial Arts were Upper Stage.

Above the Upper Stage were even more powerful martial arts, known as Creation Martial Arts. Every one of them possessed immense power, enough to boil seas and shatter mountains.

Above Creation Martial Arts were Spirit Martial Arts. When a martial art possessed a spirit, it became a Spirit Martial Art. Such techniques contained a trace of their creator's spirit. Once performed, they could summon that elusive spirit, unleashing power that truly shook heaven and earth!

Above Spirit Martial Arts were Heavenly Martial Arts, which could harness the power of heaven and earth. These were the classifications for all martial arts on the Tian Xuan Continent.

But the most important thing was the practitioner. In the hands of a true powerhouse, even an ordinary First-Grade Martial Art could be deadly. The stronger the practitioner, the more powerful the martial art they performed.

The Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art was a body-tempering martial art created by the Dragon Clan's Punishment Elder, Qing Zhi. It ranked as a Heavenly Martial Art, and even among the Dragon Clan, few were qualified to practice it.

As Liu Qing formed the Azure Dragon Skin, his face was full of arrogance. The Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros refused to back down, either. It knew that unless it fought with everything it had, it would die here.

The rhinoceros's silvery-gray armor hardened. Like a tank, it charged straight at Liu Qing. Its hardened hide had become far more durable, and its horn glinted with a dazzling light, looking capable of piercing through anything.

Liu Qing refused to yield. Green light blazed around him, enveloping his entire body in Azure Dragon Skin. The Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros was fast, and it soon reached him.

Liu Qing gripped its sharp horn with both hands, determined to test his strength against it. But under the rhinoceros's tremendous force, he was driven backward, carving two deep furrows into the ground.

The two men behind him grew worried. They had expected Big Brother Liu Qing to exploit the rhinoceros's slow movements, keep his distance, and wear it down to win.

Who could have guessed that this battle maniac would challenge the Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros in a contest of strength?

"Argh!" Liu Qing roared. Green light surged around him, and his body gradually came to a stop. At last, he even forced the Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros back.

The two men stared in astonishment. Their envy of the martial art grew, and they felt even greater respect for Elder Qingzhi.

"Moo!" the Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros bellowed in fury.

Its silvery-gray armor gleamed like silver. It stomped all four hooves against the ground, which immediately cracked. The earth shook like an earthquake across an area a hundred zhang wide.

The three could barely keep their footing. Seizing the moment, the Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros charged at Liu Qing again. It knew that once it dealt with him, the other two would pose no threat.

Liu Qing found it boring now. He could tell this was the rhinoceros's strongest attack.

Azure Dragon Skin covered Liu Qing's body. He shot forward like a meteor and met it with a palm strike, clashing head-on with the Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros.

"Shh, shh!"

Green light rippled wildly across Liu Qing's body. Then, in an uncanny sight, layer upon layer of fine green scales began to appear on his right palm.

The scales were sparse, but the faint green glow made a powerful sense of unease and danger rise in the Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros.

"Azure Dragon Sky-Tearing Hand!"

But it was too late for it to do anything. Liu Qing's expression turned icy in an instant. His palm, covered in green scales, shot out like a glint piercing through space and slammed into the rhinoceros's head. Under its horrified gaze, he severed the horn it had always been so proud of, then drove his claw through its skull!

"Boom!" Liu Qing pulled out his hand, now covered in green Dragon Scales. The enormous Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash.

"You two, carry this Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros back to camp!" Liu Qing also pocketed its half-meter-long horn. It wasn't as useful as his spirit treasure, but it would do as a weapon.

After that fight, they understood just how powerful this martial art was. Liu Qing was in high spirits, and the Demon Refining Giant Rhinoceros would provide at least seven days' worth of food.

Everyone had made a decent haul, but Liu Qing's group had found the most valuable prize.

Meanwhile, Long Jiuyyao and the others spotted a Crimson Sun Tanuki, a Form Creation Realm demon. It was leisurely drinking from a lake.

It was the undisputed ruler of this area. The lake was vital to every living creature within ten miles, and it controlled them all!

Suddenly, the Crimson Sun Tanuki's right ear twitched. It slowed its drinking.

"It's spotted us. No more waiting—let's attack!"

The Crimson Sun Tanuki had, of course, noticed the three hiding behind it. It refused to back down, too. Anyone who dared challenge it would pay the price!

A vicious glint flashed in the Crimson Sun Tanuki's eyes. It let out a series of low, snarling cries. Long Jiuyyao and the others had no idea what it was doing.

Only later did he understand: demons could unleash certain elemental attacks, not by controlling Yuan Power, but by chanting in their own unique Beast Tongue!

"Boom!"

Without warning, a faint red glow began to spread across the ground around Long Jiuyyao and the others. A powerful Fire Aura erupted!

Flames rained down, surrounding all three of them. Their roar made the air crackle, and even the space around them twisted!

The three were shocked. The Crimson Sun Tanuki could use the Fire Element, and the attack's power was already the limit of what a Minor Form Creation Realm demon could unleash.

The instant the flames began spreading in earnest, the three moved from their original positions. Now they stayed on guard, surrounding the Crimson Sun Tanuki in a triangle.

"Awoo!"

The Crimson Sun Tanuki, trapped inside their encirclement, howled again. The sound was just like the one it had made before launching its earlier attack.

With a buzz, another blue gale sprang up around Long Jiuyyao and the others.

"This time it's a storm!" Long Jiuyyao cried.

He couldn't understand why the Crimson Sun Tanuki would summon a storm now. The flames were clearly more powerful as an attack.

Then Long Jiuyyao witnessed something that shattered his understanding of the world. The fierce flames surged under the storm's howling gusts. The flames, which had originally risen only a few zhang, grew several zhang taller as the wind blew them. The wind fed the fire, making it unstoppable!

"Holy crap, this demon's got brains!" Long Jiuyyao shouted.

Even as he spoke, the three didn't stop moving. They each formed a Yuan Power Barrier and retreated as they fought.