Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

”Such a useless old man!”

Looking at his severely injured and gasping teacher, Xuan Zhi couldn’t help but curse silently. People like him would never look for reasons within themselves.

In Xuan Zhi’s view, even if Yun Xiao had relied on some mysterious power to miraculously advance to the mid-stage of the Meridian Union Realm, how could his teacher, also at the mid-stage of the Meridian Union Realm, be so easily defeated?

If his teacher had been more cautious, using delaying tactics to exhaust Yun Xiao’s power, the final outcome would surely have returned to their control.

Yet, after a single punch left the teacher seriously wounded, no one else dared to strike at Yun Xiao, leading to the complete failure of their plan.

”Cough... cough... Third Prince, hurry and kill Xuan Jing!”

Although the teacher was extremely seriously injured, coughing up blood before even speaking, he was still able to convey this message, causing Xuan Zhi to shudder.

”Eh? Where’s my second brother?”

However, when Xuan Zhi turned his head to look at the place where Xuan Jing had been blasted away by the teacher, he saw that the area was already empty, with no trace of his brother to be found.

At this moment, both Xuan Zhi and his teacher’s expressions darkened considerably. It seemed they had underestimated the Second Prince of the Empire. Despite such severe injuries, he still found the opportunity to flee far away, indicating more trouble ahead.

In fact, Xuan Jing had indeed lost the ability to move due to the teacher’s heavy hit. If, at that moment, the teacher or Xuan Zhi had taken the opportunity to deliver a final blow, perhaps the Second Prince of the Empire would truly be dead.

Regrettably, the teacher believed his blow would incapacitate Xuan Jing for a significant time and couldn’t stand idly by to watch Yun Xiao escape with the treasure, so he changed his target.

Little did he know, this was the beginning of his nightmare. What happened next was a whirlwind of actions, and in the end, with the teacher himself seriously injured, he obviously neglected Xuan Jing.

Through a period of recuperation, although Xuan Jing could not fully recover, he managed to regain his mobility. Knowing this was a rare opportunity, he did not hesitate and left the contentious place unnoticed.

When the teacher and Xuan Zhi’s gazes were fixed elsewhere, everyone came to their senses and realized that the Second Prince of the Empire had also vanished, feeling a mixture of emotions.

Upon reflection, everyone felt disheartened and frustrated, as not a single one of the three treasures from the heart of the Meridian Treasure had been acquired by anyone present—a truly stifling outcome.

Among them, the small tree and the Black Jade Bottle had been taken by Yun Xiao, while the black scroll had ended up in Xuan Jing’s hands. Both possessors of the treasures had disappeared without a trace, leaving no clue for those who wished to pursue them.

However, thinking back to the display of power that Yun Xiao showed in an instant, everyone seemed to come to terms with it. After all, someone who could effortlessly inflict severe injuries on a mid-stage Meridian Union Realm cultivator could reasonably possess such treasures.

For a time, the entire heart of the Meridian Treasure was engulfed in an eerie silence, with no one speaking for a long while. What each of them was pondering in their hearts was anyone’s guess.

...

Whoosh!

Within a passage of the Meridian Treasure, a figure in coarse clothing shot through rapidly. When he finally revealed himself, who else could it be but Yun Xiao?

But now, Yun Xiao’s aura was somewhat disorderly, although he still possessed the cultivation of the mid-stage Meridian Union Realm. His condition seemed on the brink of relapse.

Fortunately for Yun Xiao, no one was in pursuit. After passing through several tunnels, it wouldn’t be so easy for the likes of Yue Qi and Cao Kong to find him again.

Huff... puff...

As Yun Xiao turned another corner, his chaotic aura, like a clock set on time, finally dissipated at this moment, and even the golden glow in his eyes slowly faded away.

The mysterious and powerful force vanished, leaving Yun Xiao as if all his strength had been drained, collapsing to the ground, unable to get up for a long while.

”Kid, borrowing your body to exert my power this time, I may need to rest for a while before I can recover. Remember, you must protect the Dragon Summoning Tree well!”

Inside Yun Xiao’s mind, a somewhat breathless voice of intention suddenly echoed. It was clearly the Golden Snake Worm speaking.

However, at this moment, the Golden Snake Worm seemed extremely tired, and even the golden light around it flickered weakly. It seemed, as it had said, the power it lent Yun Xiao really exhausted it substantially.

The disappearance of the golden snake worm’s power allowed Yun Xiao to regain control of his body. Gasping heavily, he steadied his breath and finally caught a second wind.

”Rest assured, having put in so much effort to obtain this Dragon Summoning Tree, I’ll make sure it does not fall into anyone else’s hands!”

Yun Xiao’s Inner Vision Eye fixated on the drowsy golden snake worm. Despite the lack of sufficient Meridian Qi, he felt a tinge of excitement. After all, he had never imagined that he could safely bring the Dragon Summoning Tree out from the heart of the Meridian Treasure.

Back then, Yun Xiao was only at the Early Stage of Meridian Rushing Realm, whereas several cultivators at the Early Stage of Meridian Union Realm, and even someone as formidable as the Mid Stage master during the later part, were present in the core of the Meridian Treasure.

”This time, thank you!”

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Yun Xiao silently uttered his gratitude in his thoughts. Yet no response came forth after he spoke.

When Yun Xiao’s Inner Vision Eye looked closely, he noticed that the golden snake worm had fallen into a deep sleep, leaving him to wonder if his words of thanks were ever heard.

Truth be told, Yun Xiao had always been on guard against this golden snake worm ever since he acquired it from the Shang Family Snake Nest, never having a single day of good fortune.

Instead, due to the struggle for his body against Long Xiao Battle God’s soul, he was captured by a Talisman Poison Master and brought back to the Jade Pot Sect, where he suffered immensely.

But now, as Yun Xiao clearly sensed the golden snake worm’s weak breath, he realized how much he owed this little creature.

Perhaps after this battle, Yun Xiao’s attitude toward the golden snake worm, of which he knew not what it was, had changed somewhat—not only could it save his life at critical moments, but also it had evoked a subtle and special bond between them.

”We should not linger here!”

After a moment of reflection, Yun Xiao struggled to his feet, glanced behind, and realized that he was still far from safe.

Every bone in Yun Xiao’s body was almost falling apart, and he could barely stand. Even if he were chased by Mid Stage Meridian Union Realm cultivators like Yue Qi and Cao Kong, let alone those like Zhao Ningshu and Cao Kong, probably just a flick of a finger would knock him down, right?

Bearing the pain of his severe injuries, Yun Xiao continued to wind through the labyrinth-like Meridian Treasure, and upon finding an extremely secluded spot, he resolved to heal his injuries first.

The Meridian Treasure was vast, and finding someone in such an extensive network was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, Yun Xiao speculated against the thoughts of Yue Qi and Cao Kong, realizing this place was the safest.

He guessed that Yue Qi and the others must have figured out that he had drawn upon some power, so they would not linger in the Meridian Treasure. They must have taken the opportunity, when everyone was held at bay, to leave long ago.

Thus, the Meridian Treasure became the safest place. As long as Yun Xiao recovered from his injuries, even without the golden snake worm, his escape would become much easier.

Days flew by swiftly.

And on this day, Yun Xiao suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint shooting forth, signifying that his body, which had almost been shattered by the power of the golden snake worm, had finally made a full recovery.

It had to be said that his body, refined by the Stone Heart Marrow, was far stronger than ordinary cultivators at the Early Stage of Meridian Rushing Realm. Had any other cultivator of the same stage received such an impact, recovery would not have been so swift.

Of course, aside from Yun Xiao, perhaps no other Early Stage Meridian Rushing Realm cultivator could withstand the energy of the golden snake worm, let alone recover.

”I wonder if Cao Kong and Yue Qi have left yet?”

Yun Xiao murmured to himself, feeling deeply after his battles with Yue Qi and the others that his own strength was not enough—not only was he no match for Meridian Union Realm cultivators, but even Peak of Meridian Rushing Realm cultivators like Bi Luo and Xue Gong were far beyond his league.

For one thing, he did not know if his enemies had left; for another, Yun Xiao was dissatisfied with his own power. Hence, he did not decide to leave immediately.

In fact, it had been two or three months since Yun Xiao’s breakthrough to the Early Stage of Meridian Rushing in Jade Pot Cave, after his reincarnation. Not having broken through even a minor realm in such a long time was somewhat illogical.

”Hehe, perhaps there’s something that could lend me a hand!”

As thoughts whirled in Yun Xiao’s mind, suddenly he thought of something. His eyes lit up, and as his words fell, he already reached out to touch his waist, and a black Jade Bottle appeared in his hand in the blink of an eye.

”Let’s see what treasured thing this Middle Level Spiritual Rank Meridian Refining Master held so dearly.”

Staring at the black Jade Bottle faintly glittering in his hand, Yun Xiao let out another chuckle. What had appeared in his hand was one of the Meridian Treasure trinkets he had audaciously snatched from the hands of Mid Stage Meridian Union Realm cultivators like Master Yue Qi.

In fact, Yun Xiao had only intended to snatch the Dragon Summoning Tree. The black Jade Bottle was just an impromptu bounty, but now, feeling the insufficiency of his strength, he wished to rely on this unknown object to see if he could enhance his Meridian Qi Cultivation.