Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

"Huh? This Golden Light..."

Indeed, this being was worthy of being the Array Heart Strange Spirit of the Nine Revolutions Golden Palace Array. At this moment, it finally noticed something odd. Staring at a certain golden light, it couldn’t help but let out a surprised exclamation.

From the outside, this golden light looked no different from the ordinary golden light, but as the Array Heart Strange Spirit, it was profoundly knowledgeable about the golden light attacks it unleashed, and even the slightest change could not escape its sensing.

Yet at this precise moment, the Array Heart Strange Spirit noticed that this golden light was quite different from the others, though it couldn’t immediately perceive exactly how. It only had a vague feeling.

In reality, this golden light that made the Array Heart Strange Spirit feel unusual was naturally the illusion created by Yun Xiao when he used the second transformation of the Dragon Taming Sword. Its realism had reached an extremely sophisticated level.

This golden light formed by the Dragon Taming Sword was blended among countless other golden lights. Under Yun Xiao’s deliberate control, it was so inconspicuous that it was absolutely impossible to differentiate with the naked eye.

It’s precisely because the Array Heart Strange Spirit was the owner of the Nine Revolutions Golden Palace Array that it could sense the difference in this particular golden light from among thousands of others. But to discover it at this moment was undoubtedly a bit too late.

Earlier, Yun Xiao had Nangong Xiaofeng enter the dark golden palace, in part to distract the Array Heart Strange Spirit. It now seemed that this strategy was indeed very effective.

In just that brief moment of distraction, Yun Xiao had already controlled the golden light transformed by the Dragon Taming Illusion to approach the Array Heart Strange Spirit, now only a foot away from it.

Whoosh!

So just when the Array Heart Strange Spirit sensed something was amiss, that light slightly transformed, immediately turning into a dark flash, piercing into its main body.

In fact, the main body of the Array Heart Strange Spirit was a dazzling golden light hidden among countless others, making it undetectable to ordinary people.

But what kind of person was Yun Xiao? He was already at the half-step Holy Rank level of soul power, so he had long sensed the position of its main body, which closely matched his earlier speculations.

No matter how it was said, this was the Array Heart Strange Spirit of the Nine Revolutions Golden Palace Array. Its main body was indeed the Array Heart of the array. Given Yun Xiao’s familiarity with this large array, a comparison allowed him to guess about eighty to ninety percent correctly.

The sudden change caught the Array Heart Strange Spirit by surprise, especially upon seeing the dark light suddenly stabbing toward its array heart body. The golden light it turned into couldn’t help but tremble violently.

"No! I won’t be defeated like this. I am a strong being at the half-step Holy Rank!"

At this moment, the Array Heart Strange Spirit was undoubtedly extremely unwilling. It had cultivated for many years, barely managing to develop spiritual wisdom, and now it faced being destroyed by a youthful cultivator at the Middle Stage of the Heavenly Realm. How could it possibly accept this?

Clang!

However, no matter how unwilling the Array Heart Strange Spirit was, Yun Xiao had no pity for it. Only a crisp sound was heard; the dark light of the Dragon Taming Sword had already accurately pierced a certain golden light.

What appeared to be a dark light was actually the spirit crystal of the Array Heart Strange Spirit. Once pierced by the Dragon Taming Sword, the entire golden light transformed into a golden crystal, appearing resplendent and extremely mysterious.

"Ah!"

Even though Yun Xiao controlled it intentionally so the spirit crystal of the Array Heart Artifact Spirit wouldn’t be pierced through by the Dragon Taming Sword in one stroke, it still caused the Array Heart Strange Spirit to let out a painful scream.

Swipe!

Such was Yun Xiao’s speed that in just a split second, his Thunder Wings unfolded behind him, and immediately his figure appeared beside the Dragon Taming Sword.

At that moment, the tip of the Dragon Taming Sword still held a glittering golden crystal. Sensing the vast energy fluctuations within the crystal, Yun Xiao couldn’t help but feel satisfied.

In fact, Yun Xiao hadn’t mooted Half-step Holy Rank Strange Spirits before, like the Strange Spirit of the Chongxiao Stairs.

But at that time, he made a mistake chasing a genius of the Chongxiao Sect, failing to refine the spirit crystal of the Chongxiao Stairs Strange Spirit.

Yet now, Yun Xiao certainly wouldn’t repeat that mistake.

Knowing that without the bloodline of the Nangong Family, it was utterly impossible to enter that palace, this Half-step Holy Rank Gold Attribute Array Heart Strange Spirit was his greatest gain.

Therefore, Yun Xiao wasted no time. Taking advantage of that moment when the Array Heart Strange Spirit was flicked out by the Dragon Taming Sword, he stretched out his hand and grasped the fist-sized golden light crystal.

"A gold attribute spirit crystal at the Half-step Holy Rank!"

As the spirit crystal landed in his hand, Yun Xiao sensed the immense gold attribute power within it, and couldn’t help but show a trace of satisfaction on his face, internally acknowledging that coming to this secret location of the Nangong Family with Nangong Xiaofeng this time was indeed the right decision.

The spirit crystal controlled by Yun Xiao was naturally no longer capable of causing any ripples. One could say that from this moment, this strange spirit born from the Array Core of the Nine Revolutions Golden Palace Array was truly annihilated.

The instant Yun Xiao erased its spiritual wisdom, the Nine Revolutions Golden Palace Array returned to normal. Of course, apart from the direct descendants of the Nangong Family possessing the Gong Jinzhu, no one else could enter this great array.

"Hehe, this is indeed a good place. Why not refine this gold attribute spirit crystal here!"

Yun Xiao surveyed his surroundings and, noticing there was nothing else besides the dark golden hall, sat down cross-legged and spread out the gold attribute spirit crystal.

This place was a secret location of the Nangong Family, likely protected by the Nine Revolutions Golden Palace Array since its establishment, ensuring no outsiders had ever entered.

Now that the only threat, the Array Heart Strange Spirit, had been dealt with, Yun Xiao intended to use this safe place to refine the half-step Holy Rank spirit crystal to make further progress.

As for Nangong Xiaofeng, who had entered the dark golden hall, Yun Xiao no longer had the mind to care, and even if he did, he couldn’t enter the hall to intervene.

Since that was the case, why not take this opportunity to refine his spoils of war!

Yun Xiao believed that after refining this half-step Holy Rank gold attribute spirit crystal, both his meridian qi cultivation would greatly advance, and the power of his gold attribute Ancestor Vein would receive a significant boost.

"Hiss... So painful!"

As Yun Xiao decisively started to refine and absorb the gold attribute spirit crystal, a sharp pain assaulted him, followed by an immense wave of energy sweeping through, nearly causing his entire body to burst.

Whoosh...

Just as Yun Xiao frantically operated the Ancient Dragon Taming Technique to refine the immense energy, a surge of golden light erupted from within him, clearly indicating Golden Snake Worm Xiao Wu’s attempt to snatch the energy.

"Leave me some!"

Sensing the powerful devouring force from Xiao Wu, Yun Xiao became anxious. Immediately, a fierce tug-of-war began between man and snake.

This was a half-step Holy Rank Strange Spirit Crystal. Even with Xiao Wu’s involvement, Yun Xiao couldn’t completely refine it for personal use in a short time. It was destined to be a long and arduous process.

Meanwhile, Nangong Xiaofeng, who had entered the dark golden hall, might also have obtained his creation. With the passing of time, perhaps a completely different Nangong Family genius would emerge.

......

In the center of the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, Emperor Canglong Palace!

This was the core area of the entire Human Territory and the place countless Dragon Cloud Cultivators dreamed of entering because it was the supreme sovereign of the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud: Emperor Canglong Palace!

Before a secret place deep within the palace, a graceful and noble woman stood. If Yun Xiao were here, he would recognize her as his wife from a previous life who betrayed him, now the Empress of Emperor Canglong: Lu Qinwan.

Having sat in the position of Empress for many years, Lu Qinwan no longer possessed the gentleness she had as the wife of the Long Xiao Battle God. Instead, she exuded an unmistakable nobility and arrogance, akin to the Dragon Cloud Empress on high.

At this moment, Lu Qinwan’s gaze was fixed on a particular special place ahead, seeming to exude a faint special aura.

"Xiaoxue, this is your creation and also your calamity. If you can endure it, you might soar and transform into a dragon. But if you cannot..."

Lu Qinwan murmured, and judging by her address, the person in the secret place was clearly Yun Xiao’s childhood friend and older sister: Xue Qi.

After all this time, Xue Qi, who was severely injured and defeated in the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain of Tenglong Continent, finally returned to the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud and eventually made her way back to Emperor Canglong Palace.

However, for the proud and narrow-minded Xue Qi, that experience was a great humiliation. Had she not been gravely injured, she would have wanted to immediately go back and reclaim her honor.

But Xue Qi knew herself well. Having witnessed Yun Xiao’s methods, and later hearing of the death of Heavenly Realm’s Ma Nu, even if given courage, she wouldn’t dare to confront Yun Xiao alone again.

Xue Qi, who once thought she had climbed the high branch of Emperor Canglong Palace, believed that even if Yun Xiao was still alive, his prowess just from mingling in the Lower Five Realms couldn’t possibly match her own strength.

Little did she know the battle at Ten Thousand Demons Mountain made Xue Qi finally understand that reality was completely different. That youth who cultivated in the Lower Five Realms and Middle Three Realms was truly formidable and terrifying.

Returning to Emperor Canglong Palace, every recollection of that battle filled Xue Qi with a distinct feeling that even with the resources of Emperor Canglong Palace, she might never surpass Yun Xiao if she followed the conventional path of cultivation.

Consequently, after much contemplation, Xue Qi’s vengeful heart finally prevailed, transforming into a peculiar madness, leading to the scene at hand.