Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

A lightning-fast exchange of Meridian Techniques left the surrounding Outer Sect prodigies overwhelmed. Initially, the confrontation of techniques unfolded just as they had anticipated.

Family Head, as a Meridian Rushing Realm Cultivator, unleashed Meridian Techniques far more formidable than Yun Xiao’s; such a clash would surely place Yun Xiao at a disadvantage.

However, while Yun Xiao did indeed lose in the exchange of techniques, Family Head’s Tiger Head Meridian Techniques failed to injure him. Yun Xiao’s extreme reflexes and speed astonishingly granted him the initiative for a counterattack.

Huff...

Yun Xiao’s right fist, wreathed in the peak Meridian Qi of the Meridian Gathering Realm, appeared somewhat hazy and blurred. The whooshing of the wind it thrust forward invoked envy among some peak talents of the Meridian Gathering Realm below the arena.

It could be said Yun Xiao reached his present standing purely on his own strength, without resorting to any shortcuts—merely, he had the misfortune of facing the Meridian Rushing Realm Early Stage Cultivator, Family Head. Defeat was only a matter of time.

Therefore, although everyone sensed the considerable power behind Yun Xiao’s punch, they didn’t believe it could truly harm Family Head. While ferocious against Meridian Gathering Cultivators, such an attack would seem negligible to one in the Meridian Rushing Realm.

”How foolhardy!”

Indeed, just as Yun Xiao’s punch seemed about to strike Family Head’s right cheek, Family Head let out a scoff of disdain and reached out his right hand, effortlessly catching Yun Xiao’s fist in his grasp.

”Yun Xiao, you will pay the price for overestimating yourself!”

Family Head, having precisely caught Yun Xiao’s right fist, appeared quite pleased with himself. In fact, a Cultivator’s Physical Strength also advances alongside their Meridian Qi level. Though Yun Xiao had been tempered by Stone Heart Marrow, compared to Family Head, he was only about equal.

Yet after being caught by Family Head, Yun Xiao sensed a surge of overwhelming power; Family Head had not only used his Physical Strength but had also channeled potent Meridian Qi, a combined force Yun Xiao found challenging to withstand.

However, everyone, including Family Head, seemed to have subconsciously neglected a certain technique that Yun Xiao had used in the past. At the moment Family Head caught Yun Xiao’s right fist, intending to crush it with his Meridian Qi, he suddenly felt an unusual searing heat in the palm of his right hand.

”Hmm?”

Sensing the heat, Family Head reacted swiftly, immediately recognizing the nature of the force. In a panic, he released his grip, and then he saw a slender thread of blood-red flames in the palm of his hand.

Naturally, this was Yun Xiao’s Ancestral Vein Fire. Even though Family Head was a genuine Meridian Rushing Realm Early Stage prodigy, upon encountering this intense heat, he dared not face it head-on.

In fact, Family Head had been on guard against Yun Xiao’s Ancestral Vein Fire all along, as he had previously witnessed the ferocity of these blood-red flames.

However, once the battle unfolded, Yun Xiao’s lower Meridian Qi Cultivation led Family Head to overlook this, and he became so intent on crushing Yun Xiao’s hand that he fell right into Yun Xiao’s trap.

Seeing his Ancestral Vein Fire taking hold on Family Head’s palm, Yun Xiao couldn’t help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. Truth be told, his maneuver had been quite risky.

After all, Family Head’s Physical Strength was no less than Yun Xiao’s, and his Cultivation level a full Great Rank higher. Had Family Head been cautious, Yun Xiao might have been gravely injured during his gambit.

Fortunately, Family Head had suffered due to his complacency, allowing Yun Xiao’s Ancestral Vein Fire to burn his palm. Even in Yun Xiao’s heart, a glimmer of hope sparked—if this Mortal List’s number one lacked any special methods, perhaps this could be an easy victory.

But Yun Xiao had noticeably underestimated Family Head’s resources. To become the first on the Mortal List, surpassing Shen Xiao, a talent in the Meridian Rushing Realm Early Stage, Family Head’s arsenal couldn’t be summarized by what little Yun Xiao had seen, the mere tip of the iceberg.

Take, for instance, this moment—when Family Head’s palm was enveloped by the blood-red flames, he decisively retrieved a Jade Bottle from his Waist Storage with a swift motion.

Crash!

Family Head’s left palm was not idle; he smacked the Jade Bottle fiercely, shattering it. Ignoring the scattering fragments, he plunged his hand right into the break.

Sss!

Yun Xiao, along with the audience around the arena, clearly saw that when the Jade Bottle shattered, a wisp of cold air burst forth, enveloping Family Head’s entire palm and emitting a peculiar sound of ice and fire mingling.

Whatever was inside Family Head’s Jade Bottle, once it sprayed onto his palm, the sliver of Yun Xiao’s Ancestral Vein Fire blood-red flames extinguished with a pop, leaving his palm singed and swollen at most.

”So it’s ’Jade Cold Qi’. This fellow really has some nice things!”

Yun Xiao, with his keen eyes, instantly sensed the fleeting cold qi, an entity known as ”Jade Cold Qi,” which was exceedingly rare on the lowliest Hidden Dragon Continent, despite being quite common in the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud.

Jade Cold Qi is an extreme cold qi refined from millennium-old ice in the most frigid and desolate places. This cold qi can be preserved in special vessels and, at times, unleashed to harm and defeat enemies.

For example, during combat, suddenly unleashing Jade Cold Qi would catch an opponent completely off guard, and that momentary distraction might determine the outcome of the fight.

However, Feng Hang, compelled by necessity, utilized the Jade Cold Qi to save his own life. He knew the ferocity of Yun Xiao’s Ancestral Vein Fire; another moment’s delay and he might not have been able to save even his right hand, hence he had no choice but to use the valuable Jade Cold Qi.

Feeling the icy qi from his right hand and the searing heat that seemed to be piercing into his palm, Feng Hang’s previously smug expression changed to one of anger and gloom.

This close call that nearly overturned his boat in the gutter was not something Feng Hang had foreseen, and without the Jade Cold Qi, the consequences would have been unpredictable.

The scene unfolding on the stage was clearly witnessed by the surrounding crowd of talented individuals, all of whom were shocked in that instant.

How could a newly advanced Outer Disciple at the peak of the Meridian Gathering Realm hold the upper hand against an opponent in a head-to-head battle? What was going on?

Perhaps only some perceptive and formidable geniuses understood that Yun Xiao’s advantage was merely a surprise to Feng Hang, and the real battle was just beginning.

Most Outer Disciples were somewhat familiar with Yun Xiao’s Ancestral Vein Fire, a formidable and unpredictable ability that is effective only once and much harder to use as a surprise once the enemy is on guard.

”Brat, such trivial tricks are not worth showing off and only serve to embarrass yourself!”

Feng Hang thought so, and being provoked to rage by Yun Xiao, he felt it a profound humiliation to suffer a setback so publicly.

”Heh, trivial tricks? Without your Jade Cold Qi, do you realize what would have happened?”

Despite the situation, Yun Xiao’s face still bore a faint smile, stirring another shock in Feng Hang, who wondered how this young man from the Shang Family of Moon Bow City could know about something as rare as Jade Cold Qi.

But at that moment, Feng Hang had no time to ponder these thoughts, especially since just the mention of ”Jade Cold Qi” ignited the fury within him to erupt immediately.

Jade Cold Qi was scarce, and the batch in Feng Hang’s Jade Bottle was not obtained by himself, but procured by his father, the Family Head of the Feng Family, from a high-level auction at a considerable cost.

To have used such a precious Jade Cold Qi in a fight against a mere ant at the peak of the Meridian Gathering Realm pained Feng Hang greatly. The price paid necessitated compensation with Yun Xiao’s life.

”The luck you’ve had won’t last!”

From beneath his purple robe, Feng Hang uttered these chilling words—his tone was murderous, signaling his readiness to get serious.

Swoosh!

As he spoke, Feng Hang reached to his waist and produced a short axe about two feet long with a round handle, shining with bright polish, no doubt extremely sharp.

”Eh, isn’t that Brother Feng Hang’s famous weapon: the Cold Light Axe?”

”Yun Xiao must feel proud to compel Brother Feng Hang to use his Cold Light Axe!”

”But I’ve heard once Brother Feng Hang’s Cold Light Axe is drawn, it won’t be sheathed without tasting blood. Yun Xiao is in danger this time!”

”Hmph, he’s courting death; who else is there to blame?”

”...”

As the gleaming short axe was revealed, exclamations and murmurs burst forth from the stands, indicating that these Outer Disciples were quite familiar with this weapon.

Some geniuses who disliked Yun Xiao were all too pleased with the turn of events, seemingly envious of someone who’d just entered the Outer Sect and managed to make it this far in the contest.

Feng Hang had once climbed to the number one spot on the Mortal List among the Outer Sect using this very Cold Light Axe. The Outer Sect geniuses knew that once Feng Hang wielded his Cold Light Axe, if it didn’t harm life, it would sever limbs, for it wouldn’t be sheathed until it drew blood.

This clearly showed that Feng Hang was truly enraged. With the Cold Light Axe drawn, this stage battle was unlikely to end amiably—an uncompromising fight to the death seemed inevitable.