Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

”Beg you?”

Upon hearing Xiao Wu’s veiled words, Yun Xiao, with his cleverness, instantly understood, and a smile appeared on his face as he said, ”Such little tricks, don’t bother showing them in front of me, they won’t work!”

”Boy, you need to know, this is Chaos Sub-fire. Without my help, there’s no way you’ll succeed in refining it!”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu seemed rather exasperated, but the more he behaved like this, the more Yun Xiao was certain of his thoughts. After being together for so many years, Yun Xiao has come to quite understand this self-proclaimed Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, who sometimes throws childish tantrums.

”I’m going to start refining this Chaos Sub-fire now. If you can hold back, you naturally don’t have to act!”

A faint smile crossed Yun Xiao’s face, and then he reached out to touch the Chaos Sub-fire filled with Water Attribute.

”Ah, it hurts so much!”

As Yun Xiao’s fingers just touched that intangible flame, an extreme burning sensation instantly assailed him, causing him to cry out in pain instinctively, feeling as though his fingers were about to be burned into nothingness.

”Those who do not heed the wise words of the elders will suffer right before their eyes!”

Seemingly able to see Yun Xiao’s distorted and grimacing face, Golden Snake Worm Xiao Wu gloated a little at his misfortune. And as he spoke, a violent energy instantly poured into Yun Xiao’s body, even making his snake eyes become a bit more solemn.

”I can’t believe you can endure this!”

Yun Xiao gritted his teeth against the burning pain; this was why he had previously resolved not to ask Xiao Wu for help. This guy loved snatching things the most on ordinary days, and now facing such a colossal energy, there was no reason he could sit still.

”Alright, you win!”

Sure enough, as Yun Xiao channeled the Chaos Sub-fire’s energy into his body, a hint of struggle flashed in Xiao Wu’s snake eyes, but ultimately, he still compromised. A certain force erupted, and the violent energies surged towards his snake body.

The power of this Chaos Sub-fire was indeed extremely terrifying. Even if it was just one sub-fire, even if a portion of its energy had possibly been stripped away, it still was not something Yun Xiao at the Early Stage of Earth Bending Realm could endure.

And it was truly so that without the assistance of the Golden Snake Worm, even though Yun Xiao’s physical strength was extraordinarily formidable, he would soon find his entire body burnt, with over an eighty percent chance of being unable to hold on.

But with Golden Snake Worm Xiao Wu’s ”help”, the situation was different. In devouring such alien energy, Xiao Wu was more than a match for Yun Xiao, now the Chaos Sub-fire was within the range Yun Xiao could bear.

As for Red Feather, the chick of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix, she may be an exceedingly powerful Fire Attribute mutant, but since this Chaos Sub-fire was the Water Extreme, she detested such an aura the most and wouldn’t come out to snatch it.

However, the energy of Chaos Sub-fire was just too immense, this time’s refining would definitely not be short, and during this period, major changes unfolded outside.

...

Demons Mountain!

In a special place deep within Demons Mountain, a white steed with wings on its back lay on the ground, appearing quite feeble.

If Yun Xiao were here, he might recognize it as the Snow Stepping Flying Horse, which had shown him utter disdain before—a Vein Demon of supreme rank reaching Ninth Rank Advanced Peak, also the mount of Demons Mountain’s founding Mountain Master.

And in some further areas, a red-skirted girl looked extremely anxious, her gaze fixated unwaveringly on the nearby Snow Stepping Flying Horse, her beautiful eyes full of worry.

”Xue’er, you have to hold on!”

This red-skirted girl was naturally Xu Hongzhuang, the new owner of the Snow Stepping Flying Horse. She hadn’t even had time to bid farewell to Yun Xiao back then, because news from Demons Mountain suggested this place had abnormalities that might directly vault Snow Stepping Flying Horse into the Heavenly Demon Rank.

Unsure how long it would take Yun Xiao to heal Xue Ningxiang, Xu Hongzhuang ultimately decided to bring Snow Stepping Flying Horse back to Demons Mountain—perhaps due to witnessing Yun Xiao’s power, she felt a sense of crisis.

Yet months have passed, and Snow Stepping Flying Horse still hasn’t wholly refined that force.

According to Mountain Master Hou Tianlie, who had already gone to Xuanyin Hall, that force should be specifically left by Demons Mountain’s founding ancestor for Snow Stepping Flying Horse, logically without any issues.

Now with turmoil in Xuanyin Hall, virtually all leaders of first-class and top forces have been invited, leaving Great Elder Xiao Bailin to preside over Demons Mountain’s main base.

Interestingly, while Great Elder Xiao Bailin’s name sounded feminine, he was a clean-shaven old man and a super strong person who had broken through to Heavenly Rank Floating Life Realm.

”Hongzhuang, don’t worry too much, Xue’er should be able to pull through!”

Seeing the worried expression on Xu Hongzhuang’s face, Xiao Bailin spoke in comfort, and now the name Xue’er did not sound so awkward to their ears.

”But...it’s been several months already!”

Despite Xiao Bailin’s words, they provided little comfort to Xu Hongzhuang. Her gaze remained fixed on Snow Stepping Flying Horse, and at that moment, a sudden change occurred.

Boom!

A surge of immense power suddenly erupted from the Snow Stepping Flying Horse, which had been silent for a long time, as it suddenly stood up and let out a long, mournful cry to the sky.

”Neigh...”

The sound carried a tinge of anxiety and pain, causing Xu Hongzhuang and Xiao Bailin’s expressions to change slightly. Then, they saw dark red blood trickling from the nostrils and mouth of the Snow Stepping Flying Horse.

Pfft!

After several cries, the Snow Stepping Flying Horse seemed to collapse softly to the ground due to some energy burst. The mud and dust that splattered made Xu Hongzhuang’s heart feel like it was breaking.

”Xue’er!”

Xue’er cried out in sorrow and immediately dashed forward toward the Snow Stepping Flying Horse. Great Elder Xiao Bailin was shocked out of his wits upon seeing this scene.

For the place where the Snow Stepping Flying Horse was located was already considered a forbidden zone, possibly imbued with the energy left by the founder of the mountain. Even Hou Tianlie, the current Mountain Master, dared not to touch it lightly.

It seemed that a restriction had been planted on the energy, making it so only the Snow Stepping Flying Horse could touch and devour it. Any human cultivator who dared to enter its range might be instantly shattered by that terrifying energy.

Back when Hou Tianlie left for Xuanyin Hall, he had issued a strict order forbidding anyone from approaching the area where the Snow Stepping Flying Horse absorbed energy, not even its new master, Xu Hongzhuang.

The power that even Xiao Bailin found intimidating was now being disregarded by Xu Hongzhuang as she rushed in. He could not stop her, and now, with deep regret, he could only stomp his feet in frustration.

”Huh?”

However, in the next moment, just when Xiao Bailin thought Xu Hongzhuang would be blown to bits by that power, he saw that the girl was unaffected, with her garments fluttering gently in the breeze.

”Could it be...”

Xiao Bailin considered a possibility and took a step forward, thinking that after several months of energy absorption by the Snow Stepping Flying Horse, the violent energy might have dissipated enough not to pose a threat.

Boom!

Yet, the moment Xiao Bailin took a step, an extremely violent power struck him, shaking even a super strong person of the Floating Life Realm like him. He was knocked back several meters before he steadied himself.

”What on earth is happening?”

Watching Xu Hongzhuang now beside the Snow Stepping Flying Horse, and sensing his own numbed body from the shock, Xiao Bailin was puzzled, completely unable to figure out what was going on.

”Xue’er...”

The current situation rendered Xu Hongzhuang oblivious to anything else as she approached, gently wiped away the blood from the Snow Stepping Flying Horse’s nostrils with her right hand, her voice tinged with sadness.

Although she had been with the Snow Stepping Flying Horse for less than a year, Xu Hongzhuang had long considered it her life-and-death partner. Now, seeing it barely clinging to life, her heart ached terribly.

The Snow Stepping Flying Horse could not even make a sound, its eyes staring blankly at its new master, a sign of despair replacing its once majestic aura that soared through the skies.

Swish!

At this moment, as Xu Hongzhuang wiped away the blood from the Snow Stepping Flying Horse, the dark red blood seeped into her palm, and the space around them again buzzed with strange and forceful waves.

Xu Hongzhuang felt a mysterious power enveloping both her and the Snow Stepping Flying Horse, inducing dizziness as if she were about to lose consciousness.

”Great Elder, go find Yun Xiao!”

Almost instinctively, at the moment of losing consciousness, Xu Hongzhuang shouted out loud before closing her eyes, disconnecting from the outside world and entering a special state.

She might not be certain of the impacts of these changes, but she knew that if anything were to happen in the future, perhaps the plain-clothed young man she considered omnipotent might be her and the Snow Stepping Flying Horse’s last hope.

At this moment, Xu Hongzhuang didn’t think of Great Elder Xiao Bailin, nor did she think of her teacher Hou Tianlie, but rather thought of that young man who she could never forget.

Hearing Xu Hongzhuang’s shout, a thought struck Xiao Bailin’s mind. He had heard of Yun Xiao before, knowing that he was considered a top young genius who had caused quite a stir in Xuanyin Hall.

Still, Xiao Bailin couldn’t fathom why Xu Hongzhuang would want him to find Yun Xiao. Did she believe that the young man’s abilities surpassed even him, the Great Elder of Demons Mountain, and the Mountain Master?

However, seeing Xu Hongzhuang and the Snow Stepping Flying Horse in a special state, Xiao Bailin realized there was nothing he could do. Resolute in respecting Xu Hongzhuang’s decision, he decided to find the young man named Yun Xiao first.