In the void of emptiness, a silence reigned supreme, yet violent spatial turbulence stirred quietly beneath, concealing deadly peril…
“Fwoosh!” Amidst this stillness, a sharp, tearing wind pierced the hush, and then, in an instant, rays of light surged from the distant darkness, speeding forward like lightning amid howling winds that ripped forcibly through the chaos of fractured spatial currents.
“Eldest sister, the three great dragon islands are today mobilizing fully against Donglong Island. With our aid, we should be able to crush Donglong entirely.” Beside the leading red-robed lady hovered a black-robed elder, his raspy voice echoing softly through the void, his slight lip movements exuding a frightful suction force. This man, known as Kuanghuang, had earned a terrifying reputation. Opponents captured by him often met their demise—not slain outright, but devoured still alive. In bygone days, his was a name that echoed dread across the realm of magical beasts.
“No rush. Let them slaughter each other some more; let them perish freely.” Her crimson eyes flashed momentarily; calmly, the robed female declared.
“Ha! Who could’ve predicted the three great dragon islands seeking our help?” A shadowed-visage elder beside her chuckled darkly in turn—Ehuang, one of the Sanhuang of the Tianya凰 Clan.
“After the fall of Donglong Island and obtaining the bloodline essence,” she added, smiling coldly beneath her flowing sleeve. “So too will the three great dragon towers eventually be obliterated completely by the forces of our Tianya凰 race.” As she was speaking, her intent to surge her advance was abruptly interrupted when, all at once, an alarming sensation seized her core—before her reflexes could respond, the surrounding turbulence erupted violently beneath them.
From below, surging forth in violent torrents came a fierce torrent of Dou Qi — razor-sharp and swift-moving. It rocketed straight among the ranks of the Tianya凰 sect, slicing in like death—prompting wretched shrieks that immediately exploded into existence.
“What cowardly fool dares to ambush the Tianya凰?! Come to die!” With her expression instantly hardening amidst the chaos, she turned her focus sharply downward at the heavy damage visited upon her allies, wrath boiling forth. With a quick gesture, she clenched violently towards the turbulence below, twisting space violently inward—a thunderous crack rang forth as the turbulent chaos itself erupted outright.
“Haha—If indeed cowardly, we simply wouldn’t brave such a frontal interdiction of your proud Tianya凰 race.” With an echoing, defiant cackle amidst the dissipating chaos, came a sudden booming challenge from deep amidst the rupture — instantly a figure emerged from the spatial maelstrom to present himself face to face across from the Tianya凰 forces opposite. Flailing his arms wide, waves of terrifying spiritual presences spread from him like wildfire through the firmament above.
“So… The Tianya Sanhuang—still standing after some centuries… Are you well yet?”
“Who are you?” Fierce crimson irises burned as the female regarded Yen Mien’s silhouette stepping to center-stage, lines of unease creasing her forehead before they darkened ominously with realization setting in. “Yen Mien – you live yet?”
“That heretic yet breathes among stars? We had word you’d fallen to self-inflicted destruction!” Both Jinghuang and Ehuang exchanged glances of shock.
“Heh—the three ancient fiends amongst you persist—I as Sovereign surely would not perish before them!” Mien’s laughter rippled wide; pride and defiance radiating as if his words themselves were a living challenge thrown before assembled power.
“And who is speaking that so dares challenge our might?!” Phoenix, her eyes burning a cold fury toward Yen Mien’s silhouette, turned toward one more presence whose faint mirth had slipped between lines just beyond.
From behind Yen Mien now appeared—emerging like a spectral wraith amidst shifting air, another presence materialized before the collective assembly—the unmistakably calm visage of Xiao Yan himself.
“You—? Just who are you to stand against me?” Her voice dipped toward icy venom laced with shock—her senses immediately identifying him as yet another formidable Saintly adept, late-stage advancement with no trace of disguise.
“Ahhh—Xiao Yan indeed?” With his name slipping loose in shocked exclamation from Phoenix’s lips, behind her came panicked outcries—an astonished voice of recognition rising simultaneously from her attendants, Feng Qing’er alongside Jiufeng.
“You’re him—the man who ensured we Tianya凰 could neither attain, possess the primordial source fruit of the Celestial Dragon Immortals’ lineage. The man called… Xiao Yan?” With the outcries, Phoenix’s features hardened darkly, rage coiling deep in her tone as sharp incisors clenched tight.
“Well, I see indeed—my fame precedes me here in your noble house.” Yan offered a quiet, mirthless chuckle as if to himself, while his gaze idly flit across the anxious figures of Ninth Phoenix and that ever-hateful yet diminished presence of Feng’s—two former rivals once proud among Tian Ya ranks, whose current forms wavered slightly, visibly tense despite their attempts at poise at sight of him—a gaze so simple… yet somehow sufficeth.
With one mere glance, their own confidence eroded beneath his aura’s sheer might and mastery—an echo of that time when she first faltered upon realizing her potential was eternally capped beyond even that of the revered bone-severing ascension’s costs—stunted irreversibly, leaving no hope for progress to semi-Saintly ascension. Ninth Phoenix, however, stood mightier now—in a form nearing the apex of her cultivation—a pinnacle nine-turn Dou Sovereign just shy of transcendence—mark of one likely in future leadership roles within Tianya凰.
“Hee…” A slow inhaled breath escaped phoenix’s lips as she exhaled sharply through her nostrils, staring deeply and grimly into Xiao’s calm and knowing visage—here was an opponent who had undoubtedly prepared for bloodshed.
“Tis your doing—will the Jiuyou Fenmang’s intent here be war outright against Tianya凰 itself, Yen Mien?” A cold challenge lanced from her mouth through teeth clenched tight.
“Afraid I must disappoint you—I have commitments; yet unlike you three, I fight not in aid of these dragons… No—I stand behind Donglong.” Yen spread out arms wide, as though to offer a gesture of apology—but in truth masking his own fearlessness toward their might. If her aura was to shake ordinary beings—he’d long weathered greater tempests in battle; her name carried no such power against him.
“Perhaps, three of you should now take departure.” Yan now turned cool tones toward assembled might with another smile that barely concealed steel beneath, his tone casual yet heavy upon gathering dread in assembled figures.
“WHAT are YOU?” Cried Ehu angrily interrupting Yan’s calm offer; outrage twisted across all his visage, “TO dare bid us leave? We walk now—we’ll simply leave behind only corpses behind on that isle when all’s done.”
As these dark words fell upon Xiao Yan, fingers tensed within flowing sleeves—unimaginably prompt had begun their offensive against Donglong. He hadn’t considered they’d strike so early.
“One—last warning. Leave now these formless dimensions or perish.” Frowns knitting closer together as patience wore thin, Xiao Yan’s voice rang suddenly across this space with finality etched deeply within; words untempered by the need for further courtesy.
Both Qinger and the Ninth shuddered—feeling deep trepidations upon hearing him utter such bold challenges toward the three hallowed elders standing among the enemies. The three figures were indeed apex beings—Towering Saints within these dimensions; titanic among beings that walked their world as living legend…
“You’re but spawn of a womb unborn at my prime—you arrogant child… Know your worth!” Eyes burning with fury and malice alike, Elder Ehu spat at Yan’s words. The sheer force of unrestrained Qi poured from their body like spiraling whirlwinds breaking outward in all directions—an ominous display of unchecked might.
“END THEM!” Her features as frigid as glacial winds—Phoenix exhaled a single chilling command steeped in blood-lust, eyes locked on her adversaries unyielding beneath pressure of power displayed.
“Marvelous! Now, I too would test strength gained after countless years.” With thunderous, resonating laughter bursting unchallenged from Mien, he launched forth instantly.
“Leave Xiao Yan’s brash challenge to one of you,” Phoenix spat a calm, cold strategy as she took form in midair once. “Kuing… confront our arrogant opponent—Ehu, eliminate remaining stragglers.” And as swiftly as strategy issued—suddenly she surged forward, locking collision in fury against opposing force of her equal.
A violent clashing resonated; a single point of energy meeting head-first—ripples spreading outward in a wave of raw chaotic force threatening to sunder the surrounding spatial weave itself in its path.
“You think just one would stop me?” Yan’s laughter now echoed unbound like crashing thunder through all voids, a presence appearing between Ehu and Kuing in an instant before golden light flashed. Muscles bulged outward in the moment his own frame underwent expansion—clad arms crackled with power, a single punch hurled towards the Kuing like an explosive force of nature.
“Devoured by Heaven & Earth!” Faced headlong against Xiao Yan’s onslaught, Kuing snarled with grimacing intensity—mouth wide as waves of pitch-black air expelled outward. Swiftly taking monstrous shape—the gaping mouth forming something like ten-fold size as the fist of gold met a gaping aperture ready to devour all in a moment.
“Your appetite outstrips wisdom, old one—beware being made undone by gluttony.” Xiao Yan chuckled, lips curling with quiet fury beneath that calm veneer. A sudden surge outward—a shock sent along those tendrils of darkness still clutching tight. In the next moment—a brilliant explosion erupted from within as dark mouth burst in spectacular fashion.
Concussive force lashed outward with unyielding might—splashing back along dark limbs of predator struck mid-prey motion. The Kuing’s own body wrenched back—shock registering across eyes once confident while the impact’s recoil set his heels scraping skyward across countless meters of void space before halting.
“You again?” Ehu, momentarily poised to strike toward Little Healer Immortal, gasped as he beheld Kuing reeling from a singular punch that broke the black mouth’s hold entirely—panic surging.
“Together.” Kuing hesitated—but grim nods followed quickly—a brief glance to partner before both launched into motion against the golden titan rising now before them both—an overwhelming display proving his dominance despite even pairing of their powers in unison.
Elsewhere amidst battle—Feng, watching alongside Ninth, exchanged pale expressions—shattered disbelief flooding through both minds at glimpse shown by this advancing golden figure amidst chaos—a Saint… but stronger still than even Kuanghu himself?
In only two years since departing ways, he’d ascended so drastically beyond both—an unreachable specter. Both had pushed themselves toward mastery with relentless strive—and yet, here they were; unable now so much as trace even the shadow of Yan’s presence from even near distance—this a blow against pride so fierce it nearly brought tears.
Suddenly, shrieks broke out—an ear-splitting cacophony of dual screechings pierced the void as a monstrous resonance rose from within Kuing and Ehu’s bodies.
Like titanic storms, their powers erupted outward in violent waves—shimmering ripples radiating across miles of surrounding empty dimension—drowning out surrounding chaotic air within miles.
“Do not think pairing Saint averse can daunt me!” In a final defiant declaration ringing amidst air charged for carnage, Yan thundered with unrestrainable bravado—towering figure framed in golden brilliance, a sovereign among mortals, undaunted.
“Hoo-haaaaaaaa!!” His laugh burst across void like thunderclap unshackled. The Saintly Goliath strode, poised between destruction and divine majesty!
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