The Northern King suddenly moved, and the Daoist Xuankong, who was a hundred feet away, instantly changed his expression. He cried out in alarm and hurriedly retreated. At the same time, he quickly lowered his head, and a heavy leg mixed with violent lightning roared past his head in an instant!
Although the attack missed, the terrifying lightning blade that shot out still managed to cleave a snow-capped mountain peak in half in the distance.
If Daoist Xuankong hadn't relied on his immense Soul Power as an Tier Eight Alchemist, he probably would have perished from that attack, given his Early Yuan Zun Venerable cultivation.
Faced with the fierceness of the Northern King, Daoist Xuankong dared not underestimate his opponent and had to retreat repeatedly. After several fierce clashes with the Northern King, he finally distanced himself with an extremely solemn expression on his old face. He quickly swallowed a few pills and looked at the black-robed man on the ground with a cold gaze. He also paid close attention to the movements of the puppet opposite him with extreme caution.
"Hmph, Xiao Yan, I didn't expect the Xiao Clan to value you so much, actually entrusting you with a puppet at the Yuan Zun level."
Daoist Xuankong gritted his teeth and sneered. After a fierce battle with the puppet, he had not gained any advantage. The puppet's combat power was truly formidable. He immediately sneered angrily, while the little Origin Qi he had left in his body secretly condensed. At the same time, the palm under his sleeve quietly gathered a Power of the Great Dao.
With the stone within reach, he refused to give up easily. Though the puppet was strong, it was ultimately just a body. Even with a difference in combat power, Daoist Xuankong was confident he could stop it. Dealing with Xiao Yan, a mere Origin Sect Yuan Zong, would be a piece of cake. Once he had the stone, he could simply walk away. Once he recovered to his peak condition, what could the Xiao Clan possibly do to him?
Hearing the old man's cold laughter in the sky, Xiao Yan on the ground remained noncommittal. After carefully examining Xiao Siyu's injuries, he slowly stood up. The moment he looked up, a chilling killing intent flashed from his eyes without any attempt to conceal it.
Since returning to the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan has regarded the Xiao Clan as his own family. After wandering alone on this vast continent for a long time, he has finally begun to feel some warmth from his bloodline. Therefore, whether for the sake of the clan's dignity or for Xiao Siyu's serious injury, he must kill the person in front of him!
"Puff!"
Without any unnecessary words, Xiao Yan waved his hand, and three fierce flames of different colors immediately appeared in front of him. He spun his right hand and then suddenly pierced through the three Heavenly Flames with a palm strike. As the Heavenly Flames were absorbed into his body, a fierce aura far exceeding that of the Peak Yuan Zong suddenly surged out of his body.
After undergoing the Clan Ritual, Xiao Yan's cultivation level was further enhanced by the benefit of the Heavenly Flames, making him almost as close as a true Yuan Zun. In this state, Xiao Yan could even fight against an ordinary Yuan Zun, let alone this dying man whose Origin Qi had been mostly depleted!
"Whoosh!"
With a shift in his footing, Xiao Yan vanished from his spot in an instant, and an astonishing killing intent spread across the sky.
"What!"
The moment the sound of air being torn apart rang out, Daoist Xuankong had already noticed the abnormal situation. Xiao Yan's cultivation level below had suddenly increased by a large margin. The terrifying increase in power was even greater than that of Xiao Siyu had given him quite a headache!
Under these circumstances, Xiao Yan's combat strength was clearly no less than his own!
"Where did the Xiao Clan get so many terrifying secret techniques? Their cultivation at the Yuan Zong level is actually comparable to that of the Yuan Zun!"
The old man's face was extremely ugly. He gritted his teeth and cursed angrily. Then, he looked at the Northern King, who was covered in lightning, not far away. Just as he was about to make a move, a pitch-black curtain of light twisted and conjured up in the void to one side. Immediately afterward, a fist wrapped in flames slammed out from it. Daoist Xuankong was no weakling. As a Yuan Zun, if he were to be repelled by a Yuan Zong, how could he walk on this continent in the future?
With a swift movement, the right sleeve of his robe rose up, and with a sudden tremor, the void beside him twisted and solidified, instantly transforming into an invisible barrier. Xiao Yan's fist was easily blocked by this barrier, but judging from Daoist Xuankong's expression, he seemed to be in quite a bit of pain as well.
"Laugh!"
However, just as Xiao Yan landed his attack, the figure of the Northern King reappeared before him, twisting his body and unleashing a dragon tail strike, with terrifying lightning power coiling around it, shaking the very soul.
"Hmph, that's exactly what I've been waiting for! Seal it!"
Upon seeing the Northern King appear, Daoist Xuankong did not show any solemnity. He suddenly swung his left hand forward, and a fist-sized ball of energy appeared in his palm. The almost solid Power of the Great Dao within it made Xiao Yan, who had retreated, feel his heart pound with fear.
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, the ball of light suddenly exploded the instant it approached the Northern King. A dazzling white light instantly enveloped the surrounding space, forming a huge white ball of light. The light lasted for a few seconds before disappearing in a flash. However, what happened next within it was enough to make people feel horrified.
The space that was just enveloped by the ball of light has now strangely solidified. Everything in it— the Northern King's body, which was filled with unparalleled energy, and even the lightning power that was bursting with astonishing might—is now strangely frozen in the void like inanimate objects. Even the earth-shaking momentum has disappeared in an instant!
Such a bizarre scene startled Xiao Yan, causing him to gasp for breath. This old man was actually able to wield the Power of the Great Dao to such an extent. The methods of Yuan Zun were truly beyond the reach of the Yuan Zong!
Just then, a blurry figure suddenly appeared in the void behind him. Accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, a withered hand covered in bloodstains, carrying a fierce wind, slashed down fiercely towards Xiao Yan's neck.
"Laugh!"
The sharp hand blade slashed down instantly, but the expected splatter of blood did not occur. To Daoist Xuankong's astonishment, Xiao Yan's figure gradually faded away after this attack.
"Afterimage! This guy's speed is simply unbelievable!"
Daoist Xuankong exclaimed in surprise, slashing his palms several times in front of him, shattering the afterimage into pieces. He then turned his head to look at the void on the other side, where a black curtain slowly took shape, and Xiao Yan, dressed in a black robe, appeared from within it.
" The Great Dao of the Void is indeed extraordinary; even my Great Dao of Space cannot finish you off in a short time!"
The old man, his face pale, twitched incessantly as he spoke. He glanced down at the bloodstains on his palm, took a deep breath, and forcefully suppressed the wave of weakness surging through his body.
After his protracted battle with Xiao Siyu, Daoist Xuankong had already expended a considerable amount of energy. His battle with the Northern King had further depleted his Origin Qi. Now, if he wanted to assassinate Xiao Yan, all he could rely on was to continuously deplete his essence and blood.
Once he gets rid of this kid and obtains that stone, he'll be able to go much further in the Yuan Zun Realm. Compared to that, what is this little bit of consumption now?
"Buzz!"
The next second, the Northern King, who had broken free from the spatial constraints, returned to Xiao Yan's side, his empty eyes staring directly at Daoist Xuankong opposite him.
From the moment the Northern King was trapped until now, only a few breaths have passed.
Seeing the Northern King step forward again, Daoist Xuankong's pale face became even more grim. He had poured too much Origin Qi into trapping the Northern King, hoping to kill Xiao Yan in one blow, but he never expected it to end like this. If this dragged on any longer, he was afraid that not only would he not get the stone, but he himself would also perish here.
" Xiao Yan, things change, we..."
"Heh, Daoist Xuankong, a dignified Yuan Zun, has been forced to utter such words by a Yuan Zong petty scoundrel. I think you have no reason to remain in the Central Region."
Just as Daoist Xuankong was about to finish speaking, a cold laugh suddenly echoed from the tranquil void. This startled both Xuan Kong and Xiao Yan, causing their expressions to change drastically. The two looked towards a patch of void not far away, and after the void twisted and transformed, a young man in white robes stepped out.
" Yuan Zong? No, that's not right!"
Without time to ponder the young man's sarcastic remarks, Daoist Xuankong was taken aback upon sensing the aura emanating from the man, and then spoke in a deep, solemn voice.
"Now that you've revealed yourself, there's no need to hide any longer!"
Regardless of his current state, his cultivation at the Yuan Zun level is undeniable. This person's sudden appearance, without revealing any unusual activity beforehand, is enough to determine that this young man is far beyond the mere Origin Sect Yuan Zong and is likely another formidable enemy with terrifying strength!
As for Xiao Yan, after the young man appeared, he stared at him with an extremely ugly expression. His judgment was naturally the same as that of Daoist Xuankong. The difference was that after the young man appeared, he exuded a chilling killing intent that he did not try to hide.
This young man was none other than the white-robed youth who had exchanged a glance with him when they first entered the secret realm!
"Heh, I have no interest in you whatsoever. If you turn and leave now, I might spare your life."
The man glanced indifferently at the pale-faced Daoist Xuankong and said dismissively.
Upon hearing this, Daoist Xuankong's face twitched a few times. He wanted to refute something, but given the current situation and the other party's mysterious cultivation, he really had no intention of staying any longer.
"Snort!"
Finally, the old man flicked his sleeve fiercely, turned sharply, and rushed towards the distant horizon behind him. As for the person behind him, he didn't even have the heart to take another look. He only hoped that the young man would not go back on his word. As for Xiao Yan and that stone... saving their lives was the most important thing!
"You... this puppet is a bit of a nuisance, but dealing with you won't take too much effort."
Turning his head, the young man gave Xiao Yan a faint smile, the killing intent in his smile truly stirring the heart.
Are you Bai Clan person?
At this point, Xiao Yan knew that a battle was inevitable. He swallowed hard, and as he spoke, a massive amount of energy rapidly gathered in the palms of his hands beneath his sleeves.