At the bottom of the Blood Yin Wind Pool, Long Jiuyyao's brows furrowed as he meditated. He was just one step away from reaching the peak of the Earth Origin Realm, yet he couldn't quite make the final breakthrough, leaving him somewhat restless.
The Yin Sha Power in the Blood Pool churned as Long Jiuyyao slowly absorbed and refined it. The mass of energy had shed its crimson hue and turned as black as night, but a few threads of red still remained, keeping it from reaching perfection.
In the deepest part of the Blood Yin Wind Pool, an old man who had been meditating opened his eyes. His pupils were colorless and profound. "What an interesting little fellow. He dares absorb Blood Yin Sha Qi here despite being only in the Earth Origin Realm."
"Hmm? No, something's off." The old man drew his index finger across the space between his brows, slicing it open like a thin thread. As a blood-red dragon eye opened there, the entire Blood Yin Wind Pool trembled.
"What a remarkable little fellow. No wonder he dares come here despite being only in the Earth Origin Realm. He actually possesses Ancient Dragon Bone and two segments of Primordial Dragon Bone Finger Bone. In that case, I'll help him complete this final step."
The blood-haired old man formed a hand seal. The Blood Yin Sha Qi filled the sky like a blood-red heavenly dragon, hurtling straight toward Long Jiuyyao.
The blood-red dragon entered his body, and Long Jiuyyao grunted. The enormous Yin Sha blood dragon merged into his pitch-black Yuan Power Seed.
"Brother, brother." Yuan Xin called out, her voice choked with tears.
Only echoes answered her in the vast space.
"Brother, where are you? I shouldn't have taken revenge on you by bringing you here. I was wrong. Please come out, brother."
"Waaah! Come out, brother. I'll listen to you from now on," Yuan Xin cried.
"Will you really listen to me?" came a carefree voice.
"Really. I'll do anything you say, as long as you come out," Yuan Xin sobbed.
"Silly girl, don't cry. I'm back." A warm hand gently stroked Yuan Xin's forehead.
"Brother!" Yuan Xin spun around and threw her arms around Long Jiuyyao.
Suddenly, Yuan Xin fainted. Long Jiuyyao looked her over in alarm. "Thank goodness. It's only the cold entering her body. She's just passed out."
Long Jiuyyao scooped Yuan Xin into his arms. "Thank you for helping me, senior. I'm deeply grateful."
"Little fellow, come back when you reach the Nirvana Realm," a voice said, ancient and dignified.
"I'll remember, senior."
Long Jiuyyao carried Yuan Xin back to her room, then stepped into the courtyard. A mass of ink-black Yuan Power appeared in his hand, and the Yin Sha Power it unconsciously released instantly turned every flower and tree in the courtyard into ice sculptures.
"Gasp! What powerful Yin Sha Power. I'm afraid the Yang Gang Qi I absorb when I break through to the Heaven Origin Realm won't be any weaker than this." Long Jiuyyao was stunned.
The Yin Sha Power it released was already this powerful. Just how terrifying would it be if he used this Yuan Power to attack? Long Jiuyyao felt that all the suffering he'd endured had been worth it.
He knew everything about Martial Universe, so of course he knew how great the dangers this world would face in the future were.
"Yao'er, where did you absorb this Yin Sha Power?" Yuan Gan demanded angrily.
"Dad, why did you sneak up behind me without a sound?" Long Jiuyyao said helplessly.
Long Jiuyyao turned and saw Yuan Gan's angry expression. It was the first time he'd ever seen him lose his temper.
"I absorbed this Yin Sha Power at Prison Dragon Yin Blood Peak," Long Jiuyyao replied timidly.
"You brat! You're going to give me a heart attack. Do you think you can go to a place like that at your current level? Even the Nirvana Realm experts of our clan wouldn't dare set foot there lightly!" Yuan Gan roared.
"Uh! It's that dangerous? Xin'er never told me. Besides, I'm fine, aren't I?" Long Jiuyyao said awkwardly.
"Xin'er... That girl never accepted having a brother appear out of nowhere. I should've realized this would happen. It's my fault." Yuan Gan patted Long Jiuyyao on the shoulder.
"Let me make it up to you. Tell me what you want, and I'll do my best to get it for you."
"Dad, you said it, so I won't hold back. When I reach the Creation Three Realms, I want to go out and train. But I want to choose the destination myself. I hope you'll prepare the spatial teleportation in advance." Long Jiuyyao stated his terms.
"That's all?" Yuan Gan asked in surprise. He'd thought Long Jiuyyao would make an unreasonable demand.
"That's all. But it's a long way away, in the Eastern Xuan Domain, at the Great Yan Dynasty," Long Jiuyyao said again.
Since he'd come to the world of Martial Universe, how could he not meet the future Martial Ancestor? He was the son of the Tian Xuan Continent, and the future crises would have to be dealt with by him. He'd become an incredible fighter on Long Jiuyyao's side.
"I'll make the arrangements in advance. I may not be able to pinpoint the exact location, but it won't be far from the Great Yan Dynasty." Yuan Gan asked no further questions, only promising to make the preparations.
"The clan meeting will begin in a month. The top five will get a chance to enter the Dragon Treasury. Take good care of that girl. I'm leaving."
Long Jiuyyao watched Yuan Gan leave. Just as he turned around—
"Thump!" A book fell, catching Long Jiuyyao's attention.
"That old man..." Long Jiuyyao picked it up and glanced at it, a hint of warmth in his eyes. He knew Yuan Gan had left it there on purpose.
"This is actually a Ninth Grade Martial Art, the Black Obsidian Dragon Finger. It turns Sha into power and uses the finger as its vessel; with one strike, life and death are both extinguished."
"This martial art was made for me."
The Yin Sha Power he'd absorbed was already terrifying, and even an ordinary attack from the index finger containing Primordial Dragon Bone could rival a Middle Stage Martial Art.
Now that he possessed the Black Obsidian Dragon Finger, using it with Primordial Dragon Bone would probably make it comparable to a Creation Martial Art.
But he was only at the middle stage of the Earth Origin Realm. His level was too low for him to fully unleash the power of the Ancient Dragon Bone.
Long Jiuyyao put the book away and sat beside the bed, gazing at the still-sleeping Yuan Xin. "In this life, I'll protect the Dragon Clan."
He stroked Yuan Xin's forehead. Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, a small hand clasped his tightly. She murmured, "Don't go, brother. Don't go."
"Be good, Xin'er. I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here with you."
After a while, seeing that Xin'er still showed no sign of waking, Long Jiuyyao gently freed his hand and went to the top of a valley.
Looking at the Origin Energy in the air, so dense it seemed almost liquid, he sighed. "No wonder they're one of the Four Hegemons of the Demon Domain. An environment like this is a rare sight across the entire Tian Xuan Continent."
The pitch-black Yuan Power Seed in Long Jiuyyao's dantian trembled. Terrifying Yin Sha Power gathered on his index finger, freezing and splitting the flesh, while the jade light of the Primordial Dragon Bone kept it from shattering.
"Go!"
A pitch-black dragon-shaped beam shot out like a meteor, piercing through the Azure Stone in front of him, which was dozens of meters wide.
"This martial art only worked because of the strength of the Primordial Dragon Bone. If I'd had ordinary Dragon Bone, the Yin Sha Power would probably have destroyed it already." Long Jiuyyao murmured as he looked at his split flesh.
Long Jiuyyao lay on his back at the summit, gazing at the pure white clouds in the sky as his mind gradually settled. The cracks in his index finger had already healed thanks to the Primordial Dragon Bone.
"Dragon Bone may be powerful, but my body is weak compared to my bones. It can't withstand this extreme Yin Sha Power."
"It looks like I'll have to strengthen my physique from now on," Long Jiuyyao murmured, resting his hands behind his head.
"Brother."
Long Jiuyyao sat up and turned to see a pink-cheeked, jade-like little girl slowly coming into view.
"Xin'er, you're awake." Long Jiuyyao was delighted.
"Brother, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken you to such a dangerous place," Yuan Xin said apologetically.
"That's all? I've already forgotten about it. If you hadn't taken me there, I wouldn't have absorbed this extreme Yin Sha Power. Besides, I'm fine, aren't I?" Long Jiuyyao said, stroking Yuan Xin's forehead.
"Come on, you and I can enjoy this beautiful view from the mountaintop today."
Yuan Xin smiled and nodded, leaning against Long Jiuyyao's shoulder as they admired the view.
"Xin'er, I heard Dad say the clan meeting begins in a month. How will the competition work?" Long Jiuyyao asked.
"Brother Yao, everyone taking part in the clan meeting will be sent into a mirrored space to fight. The more mirror images they defeat, the higher they'll rank. I'm taking part this time too!"
"And the top five get a chance to enter the Dragon Treasury. It's full of countless treasures, and even one of them could be a huge help." Yuan Xin explained, as if reciting a familiar lesson.
"What level are the clan members taking part?" Long Jiumo asked again.
"The lowest is the Earth Origin Realm, and the highest is the Origin Core Realm. I heard Elder Qingzhi's disciple, Liu Qing, is taking part in this clan meeting too. I heard he's already reached the Origin Core Realm." Yuan Xin sighed.
"The Origin Core Realm? He'll be a formidable opponent," Long Jiuyyao murmured.
Long Jiuyyao was very interested in Liu Qing. In the book, he was described as a battle-crazed fighter who would challenge anyone, even the Patriarch. But he was also deeply loyal, and someone Long Jiuyyao could befriend as an older clan brother.
As the sun sank in the west, the two watched the clouds glow like flames.
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