Dark Qilin vs. Evil Phoenix, Nan Qiuqiu's Ulterior Motives, and Her Resourceful Highness

"Tianjun, you must never force yourself when refining Evil Soul Power."

"Don't worry, Grandpa. I know what's at stake."

"Heh, I've been watching you fight with the Five-Element Qilin all this time. Seeing you like this now takes some getting used to."

"I think this is how I should be. I was born in darkness, but my heart yearns for light. Why should I be bound by appearances?"

In a secluded cultivation chamber of the Heavenly Dragon Sect, its two central figures, one old and one young, sat facing each other. The luminous images of their respective martial souls appeared behind them.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon had only grown mightier with age. Different powers gathered in its majestic dragon eyes: a spiraling storm in the left, flickering lightning in the right.

The natural elements of wind and lightning mingled with the imposing might of a true dragon. Yu Yuanjue's body underwent complete dragon transformation, his aged features becoming youthful and magnificent, with a heroic bearing that looked down upon the world.

Yet when he opened his right claw, a meter across, clusters of dark, withered markings protruded from his palm. Sinister currents seeped out, eerie and chilling, rapidly lowering the temperature.

Opposite the true dragon, the Qilin's luminous image revealed its true appearance and abruptly opened its eyes. Its dark-gold vertical pupils were like blazing suns sinking into an abyss. A full size larger than its Five-Element Qilin form, it measured five meters long and over three meters tall. Black spirals wreathed its coral-like horns, and its powerful limbs sent ripples through space with every step.

Ink-black scales covered its magnificent, hill-like frame. Dark-purple light flowed around it like lava through cracks in the earth's crust. With every breath, the pressure of a divine beast and the aura of darkness surged outward in tangible waves, like a peerless ferocious beast striding out of antiquity.

Yu Tianjun sat cross-legged before the qilin, at the center of those dark tides. Darkness adorned his almost unnaturally handsome face, lending him an overwhelming presence. His shoulder-length black hair stirred without wind, while gentle halos flickered within his dark-gold vertical pupils, like light beneath an abyss, reflecting his true state of mind.

Yellow, purple, purple—three soul rings bobbed around him, dancing with joy. This was their master's true appearance.

"Ultimate Darkness, Myriad Forms, Qilin Demon Flame."

Yu Tianjun activated his martial soul origin and his second ultimate innate talent. The surrounding dark tides converged before him, forming an Azure Lotus Flame, ink-black and utterly silent. Though it resembled a terrifying blaze, its essence remained a transformed manifestation of darkness.

The instant this flame appeared, the sinister currents spilling from Yu Yuanjue's palm shuddered. The oppressive force of an ultimate attribute was like a god suppressing a Limit Douluo, permitting not the slightest resistance.

As for its lotus shape, that was simply because Yu Tianjun liked the imagery. It looked sophisticated.

"Grandpa, I'm starting. It might hurt a little."

"Go ahead. I've endured it for so long already... urgh~"

Despite claiming he wasn't afraid of pain, the moment the demon flame began burning the Evil Soul Power, Yu Yuanjue felt an agony like all ten fingers being torn straight through to his heart.

The Evil Soul Power had entrenched itself in his body for far too long. After decades of battling it, the two had begun to merge, much as a cancer patient's body suffered devastating damage during chemotherapy.

Of course, with a Level 96 Super Douluo's bodily control, advance preparations allowed him to temporarily separate everything belonging to himself from the Evil Soul Power. Even so, the pain remained unbearable, as though flames were scorching his entire body.

"What powerful Evil Soul Power. It isn't ultimate evil, but it's close. The bloodline of the divine beast phoenix, and a faint trace of an evil dragon's fluctuations..."

As he felt the Evil Soul Power resist, Yu Tianjun's clear, handsome brow grew solemn.

Yu Yuanjue's injuries had come from more than one evil soul master at the Super Douluo level: at least one dragon martial soul expert and one phoenix martial soul expert. The dragon expert's soul power was stronger, but there was less of it.

The Evil Soul Power approaching ultimate evil originated from a phoenix martial soul. As it burned, that sinister power condensed into a savage phoenix. Even under Yu Yuanjue's suppression, its aura remained forceful and icy.

"Zhongli Wu and Feng Ling?"

With such obvious characteristics, Yu Tianjun quickly recalled the Holy Spirit Cult's husband-and-wife duo. If Yu Yuanjue really had encountered them, it was no wonder he claimed he would have died horribly without someone coming to his rescue.

In another timeline, Du Busi—the Level 98 Super Douluo closest to the Limit realm—had suffered devastating damage to his origin when Zhongli Wu and another evil soul master joined forces against him. He had been forced to sacrifice himself for his country through self-detonation.

Who would've thought Grandpa was even more reckless than Du Busi in his youth? He actually dared to storm the Holy Spirit Cult alone.

With two Limit Douluos at the top, the dragon-and-phoenix couple serving as leader and deputy leader beneath them, eight elders and the Offering Hall within, and the peerless Soul King Death Messenger outside, the Holy Spirit Cult's strength was simply absurd.

But those matters weren't Yu Tianjun's concern yet. A meal had to be eaten one mouthful at a time. All he needed to do now was heal the old man.

"Qilin, possess me."

The phantom image of the Dark Qilin turned into a stream and merged into his body. An ink-black lotus of light blossomed over Yu Tianjun's heart. Its stamens unfurled, unraveling thread by thread like a living thing, their filaments spreading through his meridians. Reverse scales grew along those patterns, protecting his vital areas.

His right arm underwent Qilin Transformation. Strength, attack, and defense increased by one hundred percent, while his darkness element multiplied severalfold. Ultimate Darkness protected his body, granting immunity to all abnormal conditions.

His first soul ring shone. The Darkness Origin Return soul skill activated his Qilin bloodline, boosting every attribute, including spiritual power and perception, by fifty percent. Yu Tianjun's control over Qilin Demon Flame rose sharply, and beneath those stacked enhancements, the flame unleashed unprecedented combat power.

The juvenile Ultimate Dark Qilin tore into the trapped adult evil phoenix. With Yu Yuanjue suppressing its strength and Yu Tianjun suppressing its attribute, the plucked phoenix was worth less than a chicken, burned away little by little.

The dark markings on the blue lightning dragon's palm began to fade, proving that Yu Tianjun's efforts were taking effect, however tiny the change.

Yu Tianjun focused entirely on driving his demon flame against the phoenix evil fire. Beads of sweat slowly formed on his forehead.

He felt as though he wasn't facing lifeless soul power, but a living phoenix soul master standing before him, unleashing evil flames to fight him.

Though its attribute was suppressed by his own, its combat techniques and elemental transformations far surpassed his, displaying the methods of an older generation.

In response, Yu Tianjun chose to launch a righteous gang beating.

"Third soul skill, Darkness Clone."

His thousand-year third ring shone. Dense darkness elements condensed into six clones, each possessing sixty percent of Yu Tianjun's own aura, making them stronger than his Five-Element Clones.

Naturally, their consumption was greater too.

However, as Yu Tianjun battled the evil-attributed soul power, his first soul skill, Darkness Origin Return, remained active. Every collision forcibly siphoned away one-third of the resisting soul power, purifying it into dark soul power to replenish his expenditure.

His same-attribute clones possessed this effect too, making their fighting style almost a perpetual-motion machine. In a sense, the more fiercely the evil phoenix's soul power resisted, the happier Yu Tianjun and his six clones became.

Six fresh masses of black Qilin flame joined the battlefield. It was much like one large Qilin leading six little ones in a siege against an old phoenix.

Yu Tianjun grew excited. Blood raced through his veins, and dense, gaseous soul power circulated rapidly through his body. Wretched evil soul master, accept the judgment of a righteous soul master!

The Yangtze's newer waves drive on the old; a young phoenix sings clearer than its elder. The dragon and phoenix have aged—the Qilin shall rise!

"Even in my dreams decades ago, I could never have imagined this sight..."

Yu Yuanjue offered his heartfelt reflection.

Under the seven Qilins' joint assault, even the evil phoenix's superb combat techniques couldn't keep it from struggling on every side. It had no choice but to stir up more Evil Soul Power, unleashing stronger sinister energy to resist the invasion.

As the patient, the old man felt it most clearly. It was as though poisonous barbs embedded deep in his marrow were being pulled from his bones and sinews.

First came excruciating pain. Then the soul power that had been squeezed aside was released. The pressure of years eased, and his bodily functions began recovering.

At this rate, there truly was a chance to eradicate his injuries!

As time slowly passed, the old man keenly noticed that Yu Tianjun was adapting to the evil phoenix's tactics through their repeated clashes, making slight adjustments in response and improving his techniques for controlling his origin power.

The Qilin prodigy could scarcely find a rival among his peers. Now he was trading blows across a distance with an expert of the older generation.

This battle was also a rare trial for Yu Tianjun, like a Super Douluo lowering her combat strength to spar with him. Moreover, she was exposing her origin and holding nothing back, pouring out everything she had to teach him.

The Heavenly Dragon Sect had no Titled Douluo with a darkness attribute. Feng Ling's soul power had unexpectedly helped Yu Tianjun. The evil phoenix possessed the divine beast Phoenix Bloodline, and its attribute was close to ultimate evil, making it one of the most suitable human teachers for him.

"A blessing born from disaster. What he's gaining here will serve him for years. These decades of suffering weren't entirely wasted."

At that moment, Yu Yuanjue achieved a measure of peace of mind. His piercing gaze gradually softened.

His vitality had suffered grievous damage. Even if the longstanding root of his illness was removed, his chances of a breakthrough were slim.

The future lay with Yu Tianjun.

"I hope this body can still muster one final surge. If our ancestors watch from heaven, please grant us your protection."

The following afternoon.

The next day, in the afternoon. "One dragon roar, my ambition pierces the clouds; hot blood burns through winter as I soar! Behold the world within Dragon City and beyond, mountains and rivers clear beneath smiling skies... everybody, get hyped!"

Outside the Heavenly Dragon Sect, Xing Yan, the captain responsible for guarding the gate, led the dereliction of duty, entertaining himself during work hours. He walked and sang, showing off his voice amid the ice and snow.

"Yes, Third Brother!"

The gatekeeping disciples answered the call of the Heavenly Dragon Sect's third-strongest youth. An earth dragon Soul Elder cleared the ground, a wood dragon Soul Elder produced firewood, a water dragon Soul Elder washed ingredients, a metal dragon Soul Elder made a hot pot, and a fire dragon Soul Elder lit the fire.

The Heavenly Dragon Sect's Five-Element True Dragon Soul Elders started their hot pot on the spot. Xing Yan directed them with his hands behind his back, then took out his treasured thousand-year Ice Bear paws, breathing great mouthfuls of fire over the ingredients.

"Drink from big bowls and eat great mouthfuls of meat! Here in the Heavenly Dragon Sect, we eat well, play well, sleep well, and cultivate well. Let those paupers from the Earth Dragon Sect die of envy."

Having finished his work, the earth dragon Soul Elder raised his hand. "Third Brother, Third Brother, won't someone beat us to death for being this arrogant?"

Xing Yan's lips curled upward. "What? Are you scared of that little girl Nan Qiuqiu?"

The earth dragon Soul Elder lowered his voice. "No, I mean we're singing and having hot pot without inviting Second Brother Tianjun or Big Brother Tianlong."

"Why didn't you say so sooner!"

Xing Yan became a man like the wind. Activating his red dragon trot, he hurried back into the Heavenly Dragon Sect to fetch them, humming a jaunty tune.

The commotion of singing and hot-pot making soon reached next door. A certain pink-haired soul master browsing the street stalls followed the aroma over. Seeing that neither Yu Tianlong nor Xing Yan was present, her eyes lit up.

I've got the advantage this time!

Nan Qiuqiu quickly slipped back to the Earth Dragon Sect. With her head high and chest out, she assembled all the sect's young elites and issued an emergency battle order.

"Disciples of the Earth Dragon Sect, heed my command! The entire sect will charge the Heavenly Dragon camp and head straight for their giant hot pot! Take down the Heavenly Dragon Sect and capture Yu Tianjun alive!"

"As you command, Boss!"

"Move out!"

Nan Qiuqiu waved her fair hand and led the Earth Dragon Sect disciples on their long-distance raid, her small chest bouncing as Yu Tianjun's seemingly delicate, easily bullied face surfaced in her mind.

Soul power and soul rings aided physical development. Yu Tianjun had grown splendidly after advancing to Soul Elder, and Dragon City's most beautiful young man had captivated countless girls.

Witty, humorous, learned, and talented, he had long been the object of Nan Qiuqiu's desire.

"Ah..."

In the Earth Dragon Sect's main hall, a beautiful middle-aged woman pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed. Her foolish daughter had gone off to embarrass herself again.

"Charge! Heavenly Dragon Sect, you're done for... Yu Tianlong, when did you get here?"

The Earth Dragon Sect reached the Heavenly Dragon Sect's gates just as Xing Yan brought Yu Tianlong out to join the party.

Utterly unlike Yu Tianjun, Yu Tianlong gave a cold smile. His martial soul possessed him, his arms transformed into dragon limbs, and his body swelled into a burly frame. Blue lightning coiled around him, and four soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple—pulsed up and down as he fixed the little pink-haired girl with a hostile stare.

A lightning-specialized Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Soul Ancestor with a pure bloodline: his lightning's destructive force and explosive power far exceeded Bei Bei's light-infused Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. A tier-one martial soul in the current meta.

"I just got here. Nan Qiuqiu, are you itching for another beating?"

Clearly, this wasn't Yu Tianlong's first encounter with Nan Qiuqiu. They had known each other since childhood, but their relationship was strictly adversarial.

Nan Qiuqiu wasn't interested in muscular men like Yu Tianlong either. She much preferred his younger brother's type. Faced with his threat, she loudly countered with one of her own.

"Pah! Believe it or not, I'll call your mother out to save me right now!"

Yu Tianlong nodded earnestly. Lightning roared around him as he charged forward, swinging his Thunder Dragon Claws. Crackling bolts crashed into the Earth Dragon Sect's ranks, delivering full-body massages.

"I believe you. So now, Heavenly Dragon Seven Sons, charge with me!"

"Charge, everyone!"

Xing Yan activated Red Dragon possession and shouldered a Class 4 Soul Cannon, opening fire on the Earth Dragon Sect's defense-type Soul Elder.

The Five-Element True Dragons each found an opponent. True dragons against earth dragons—this was a battle without suspense.

"We're done for! Retreat, retreat..."

Her surprise attack a failure, Nan Qiuqiu fled in disgrace. There was no desire in her eyes to contest Yu Tianlong's strength; she simply stretched her long legs and bolted.

The quality of her rouge dragon martial soul was no worse than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's, and its annihilation attribute didn't fear lightning. But Yu Tianlong's soul power was ten levels above hers. It would have been a miracle if she could beat him.

When Xu Jiujiu and Manyi arrived outside the Heavenly Dragon Sect, they happened to witness the latest Dragon City Free-Fighting Tournament hosted by the Heavenly Dragon and Earth Dragon Sects.

Yu Tianlong swung his huge claws, chasing and battering the invader Nan Qiuqiu until she fled, while Xing Yan led the five-element true dragons in sweeping through the Earth Dragon Sect.

"Big Brother, we're on the same side! Why must dragon soul masters make life difficult for other dragon soul masters?"

"Hehehe! Earth Dragon Sect, you've lost again! Hand over the hot-pot base..."

The night dragon Soul Elder Ye Xiao Sheng raised a white flag in one hand and held packaged seasoning in the other.

"I knew following Boss out would bring nothing good. I prepared this ages ago."

The Sabertooth Earth Dragon Soul Elder Xu Shenshu looked helpless. "Am I cleaning the ground again?"

Yu Tianlong folded his arms and laughed. "Of course. Little Xu, you're very self-aware. The defeated should know their place. Hehehe..."

The earth dragons begged for mercy, and the heavenly dragons laughed wildly. Then the Heavenly Dragon Sect set up a new, enormous hot pot, and both sides sat together to feast as if nothing had happened.

"Is Dragon City's atmosphere really this warm?"

Xu Jiujiu was surprised. Dragon City was a rather remarkable place.

The Dragon City lord, who was guiding the visitors, gave an awkward smile. "The Heavenly Dragon and Earth Dragon Sects have always been close comrades who fight each other and support each other. Yu Tianjun often arranges gatherings, so the two sides have grown even closer. They tussle frequently, and their elders are all used to it."

"The Heavenly Dragon Sect's seven young talents are known as the Heavenly Dragon Seven Sons. Every one of them is exceptionally gifted, and they sweep through Dragon City without a rival."

"Impressive. But Yu Tianjun doesn't seem to be here today?"

Xu Jiujiu's lovely eyes searched the crowd. The members of both sects generally looked unremarkable. Aside from the comical girl Nan Qiuqiu, not one could compete in looks.

Manyi swept her gaze over them and told Xu Jiujiu seriously, "The Heavenly Dragon and Earth Dragon Sects have considerable foundations. In another five years, the Star Luo Royal Academy might not compare to this group."

Xu Jiujiu nodded in understanding. "I can see that. Fortunately, these sects don't participate in the Continental Soul Fighting Tournament. Otherwise, the royal academies of the Three Great Empires would struggle to retain their places in the top four."

"Dragon City Lord, our identities are sensitive. We've come as members of the Adventurers' Association's Star Luo Empire branch this time. Please deliver our visiting cards to the Heavenly Dragon Sect so we don't alarm our allied nation. Sorry for the trouble."

The city lord wanted to say that the two of them crossing the continent and suddenly descending upon Dragon City was already alarming enough, but he wisely kept that to himself.

He jogged forward to relay their request.

"Talents of the Heavenly Dragon and Earth Dragon Sects, a remarkably resourceful Princess has traveled a thousand miles and descended upon my residence to seek your Second Brother."

Yu Tianlong swished food through the hot pot and asked between bites, "Princess Vina?"

"No, Princess Jiujiu of the Star Luo Empire."

"Huh?"

The disciples of both sects stopped eating in unison. Fourteen pairs of eyes fixed on the city lord, making sweat pour from his forehead.

It was no exaggeration to say that all these youngsters would eventually be stronger than him. Every one of them had the potential to become a Soul Douluo.

"Xing Yan, entertain our guests. I'll fetch Father." Yu Tianlong rose and returned to the sect, his expression turning grave.