Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

”Yun Xiao! Yun Xiao!”

As Yun Xiao’s figure disappeared into the fourth level entrance of the Jade Pot Cave, the Guardian’s expression turned grim, but he was without any means to follow, as he had more pressing matters to attend to.

”Damn it, what kind of flame is this?”

Only moments later, the Guardian’s face turned to panic. No matter how he tried to shake it off, he couldn’t rid himself of the blood-red flames, and even channeling his Meridian Qi did nothing to extinguish them.

Generally speaking, when high-level Cultivators face the Meridian Fire of those at a lower level, it is easily resolved because, after all, Meridian Fire is also induced by Meridian Qi. If the gap between them is too broad, there’s practically no threat at all.

However, this Ancestral Vein Fire unleashed by Yun Xiao was something inexplicable. After the Guardian’s Meridian Qi was stimulated, the fire grew even more intense, threatening to burn off his right foot entirely.

This Guardian finally realized that the rumors about Yun Xiao were not exaggerated. This youngster indeed possessed the strength to battle cultivators at the Early Stage of the Meridian Rushing Realm even when at the Peak of the Meridian Gathering Realm, and his methods were indeed extremely peculiar.

Just as Yun Xiao had thought, due to a moment’s delay, the Guardian allowed the Ancestral Vein Fire to come into contact with his flesh, resulting in a tragic situation where he had to make a swift decision to amputate his right foot in order to save the rest of his body.

But for a Jade Pot Sect Inner Sect prodigy to make such a decision was undoubtedly agonizing. If he truly cut off his foot, he might become the laughingstock of the Inner Sect and even his foundation for cultivating could suffer greatly.

Tap tap!

In the midst of the Guardian’s hesitant and panic-stricken expression, the entrance to the fourth level once again carried the sound of light footsteps, directing the gazes of both him and Song Tian to the source immediately.

”Elder Brother Yin Huan?”

To Song Tian, the green-clad young figure slowly approaching was not too unfamiliar; it was Yin Huan, the rising star of the Poison Vein from the Inner Sect of the Jade Pot Sect, and the favorite disciple of the Second Elder.

However, since Song Tian had just joined the Medical Pulse, even though it had only been a day, he didn’t hold much liking for these disciples of the Poison Vein, perhaps due to the influence from Yun Xiao.

On the other hand, the Guardian, upon seeing Yin Huan, was overjoyed and cried out in surprise, ”Elder Brother Yin Huan, please help me!”

”Oh, isn’t this Tan Qi? What happened to you?”

The newcomer was indeed Yin Huan, but even after hearing Tan Qi the Guardian’s cry for help, his pace did not change until he shifted his gaze to the blood-red flames at the latter’s right foot.

”Elder Brother Yin Huan, it was Yun Xiao, it was that Yun Xiao who used some kind of bizarre method on me, please help me extinguish this ghost fire!”

At this moment, Tan Qi had no time to explain the reasons and consequences to Yin Huan. The burning pain from his right foot became increasingly intense, and he knew he could not delay any longer.

The prior conjectures in Yun Xiao’s mind were not wrong; with such a cruel disposition, Tan Qi was indeed an Inner Sect prodigy of the Poison Vein, only his mentor was not Elder Fu Du.

Therefore, when Tan Qi saw Yin Huan, he felt like he had seen his savior. He was well aware that although his opponent’s Meridian Qi Cultivation was only one small realm higher than his own, the Poison Meridian Skill under the careful tutelage of the Second Elder was far beyond his own capabilities.

The desire to survive is universal. Having developed his Meridian Qi Cultivation to such levels, Tan Qi naturally didn’t want to lose it. So at this moment, he no longer cared about his own pride, only wishing to save his right foot.

When Yin Huan first saw the blood-red flames, he had his suspicions, because he had already seen Yun Xiao use them several times during the Outer Sect competition.

This time, Yin Huan spent hundreds of points to enter the Jade Pot Cave, not to treasure hunt, but to kill Yun Xiao in this Jade Pot Cave where life and death were not forbidden.

Elder Fu Du had said that since Yun Xiao had already been taken as a Direct Disciple by the Sect Leader, the Poison Vein was likely lost to them. Even if they forcefully took Yun Xiao away, incurring the Sect Leader’s anger was not something Elder Fu Du could afford.

What one cannot have, and with Yun Xiao already bearing enmity towards the Poison Vein, it was necessary to obliterate him. Neither Elder Fu Du nor Yin Huan wanted to see Yun Xiao grow into his true power.

From the recent Outer Sect competition, both Elder Fu Du and Yin Huan had seen a lot. Yun Xiao, who had defeated Feng Hang and Shen Xiao at the Peak of the Meridian Gathering Realm, showed an astonishing talent and methods in Cultivation.

Even Yin Huan was thinking that if Yun Xiao really made a breakthrough to the early stages of the Meridian Rushing Realm, perhaps even he, as a seasoned Inner Sect genius, would no longer be his match. After all, he was only at the middle stage of Meridian Rushing Realm cultivation.

As for Tan Qi, who was also from the Poison Vein, Yin Huan didn’t pay much attention to him. But when he learned that the blood-red flames were conjured by Yun Xiao, he had to take action.

Perhaps it was Yin Huan’s subconscious at play, thinking that if he couldn’t neutralize the blood-red flames, wouldn’t it imply that his Meridian Refining Technique was inferior to Yun Xiao’s? He could be outdone by anyone else, but not by Yun Xiao.

Consequently, Yin Huan made a swift decision. With a few strides, he released a stream of Meridian Qi from his hands, tinged with a hint of green, which instantly assailed the blood-red flames.

The fact proved that both Yin Huan’s Meridian Qi Cultivation and his Meridian Refining Technique were far superior to Tan Qi’s. When his powerful Meridian Qi engulfed the flames, it took only a moment before they were extinguished.

Of course, this was because Yun Xiao’s Ancestral Vein Fire was clinging to someone else’s body. If Yin Huan’s own skin came into contact with such flames, it would not be so easy to neutralize them.

In terms of Meridian Qi Cultivation, Yun Xiao was indeed much behind Yin Huan, who clearly understood this principle and thus, without using his own body, he enveloped the flames with his Meridian Qi, easily resolving the situation.

”Huff...”

It was only after the burning pain in his foot dissipated that the Guardian, Tan Qi, let out a long sigh of relief. That moment just now was the most dangerous he had ever faced in his life.

Perhaps Tan Qi had never considered that he would be tripped up by a new disciple at the peak of the Meridian Gathering Realm, and that young man’s methods were so vicious. It didn’t seem like the actions of someone who had just recently joined the Inner Sect.

”Thank you, thank you Elder Brother Yin Huan!”

Tan Qi, who seemed a few years older than Yin Huan, still addressed him as ”Elder Brother,” which suggested that in Jade Pot Sect’s Inner Sect, seniority didn’t determine one’s ability to be called ”Elder Brother”; strength did.

”Never mind!”

For something as trivial as this, Yin Huan didn’t care much. On the contrary, it was Tan Qi’s blood-red flames that made him realize Yun Xiao had just recently entered the fourth layer of Jade Pot Cave. It seemed he would soon catch up to his target.

Thus, Yin Huan did not pay any attention to the two people on the third layer and proceeded directly to the entrance of the fourth layer. It wasn’t until his figure had long disappeared that the Guardian, Tan Qi, came back to his senses.

”Eh? There’s another guy?”

When Tan Qi regained his composure, his mood was far from pleasant. With Yun Xiao gone, the fear in his heart vanished, replaced by extreme resentment.

However, when Tan Qi thought to channel his hatred towards the other individual associated with Yun Xiao, he turned around to find that the person he had previously gravely injured had disappeared without a trace.

Song Tian wasn’t a fool; he knew well that without Yun Xiao’s protection, he was no match for the Guardian, Tan Qi. So, when Yin Huan helped Tan Qi neutralize the blood-red flames, he seized the opportunity to slip away and leave this place of conflict.

Leaving aside what treasures these disciples on the third layer might obtain, Yun Xiao, who had entered the fourth layer, clearly wasn’t concerned with the just-concluded battle.

His techniques, when unexpectedly unleashed, could have a tremendous effect. The reason why he had fought so fiercely with Feng Hang and Shen Xiao on the Outer Sect’s arena was already understood and guarded against by them.

Although Tan Qi’s strength was above both Feng Hang and Shen Xiao, his lack of knowledge about Yun Xiao meant he fell into a trap right at the start, almost losing a foot – there was a reason for it.

Upon entering the fourth layer, Yun Xiao became more cautious. Knowing that even the Guardians of the fourth layer were at the early stages of Meridian Rushing Realm implied that the Vein Demons within were likely at least at the Fourth Rank Low Level.

Yun Xiao could easily pass through Tan Qi, an early-stage Meridian Rushing Realm Guardian, but if he faced a Fourth Rank Low Level Vein Demon, it wouldn’t be so easy.

Vein Demons were known for being stronger than human Cultivators of the same level. After all, Yun Xiao hadn’t truly broken through to the early stages of the Meridian Rushing Realm. If he lacked even the advantage of his Physical Strength, the battle would be doubly difficult.

However mighty the Vein Demons of this fourth layer might be, the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures within it were incomparable to those of the third layer. In the third layer, low-level Spiritual Rank treasures were an occasional sight, with mostly high-level Mortal Rank items.

But in this fourth layer, as soon as Yun Xiao entered, his powerful Soul senses already detected unusual auras from certain places, seemingly just what he needed.

What Yun Xiao didn’t know was that as he cheerfully searched for treasures in the fourth layer of Jade Pot Cave, another figure had also appeared at the entrance to the fourth layer. Perhaps there would be an unexpected encounter, leading to unpredictable events.