Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

"Elder Long, you honor me too much. I, Yang Xiao, may not be a man of great talent, but I am one who knows to repay his debts. You have saved me from peril twice now. How could I not return the favor? As long as it's something I can do, I will not refuse!"

Hearing Elder Long's words, Yang Xiao paused for a moment before speaking without hesitation.

He was speaking the truth.

Including the recent attack from Second Elder Lu, Elder Long had now saved him twice. How could he not repay the debt of having his life saved?

Besides, compared to Human Emperor Xuanyuan, Elder Long felt much more like a true senior.

Yang Xiao was certainly not the type to forget his debts.

"Really?"

Elder Long was pleasantly surprised.

He clearly hadn't expected Saint Prince Yang Xiao, who had been so unyielding even before Human Emperor Xuanyuan, to be this agreeable.

"Of course."

Yang Xiao nodded solemnly.

Hearing this, Elder Long couldn't help but think.

'Perhaps I really have chosen the right person.'

'But my master's legacy is of immense importance. Even if I think highly of Yang Xiao, I can't just hand everything over to him now. This was part of the plan from the beginning.'

He immediately said, "I have an ancestral relic that was lost in the Void Dark Realm. As you likely know, without special means, even a Top-tier Divine King would find it difficult to last long in there. However, you now possess the power of the Demon Pattern, and your Greater Yang Power also counters the Void Dark Realm. It would be far easier for you to enter than for us. So, I would like to ask for your help in retrieving this ancestral relic."

After speaking, Elder Long looked at Yang Xiao.

A troubled look appeared on his face.

After all, that place was the Void Dark Realm. Just as he'd said, even Top-tier Divine Kings wouldn't necessarily be able to gain an advantage in there.

Much less a junior like Yang Xiao?

Although he was extraordinary, he was still a great distance from becoming a Top-tier Divine King.

'Most people would probably refuse.'

Elder Long thought to himself.

"Okay! But Elder Long, what does this ancestral relic of yours look like? Does it have any distinguishing features? And how am I supposed to find it?"

To his surprise, however, Yang Xiao agreed immediately, without a moment's thought.

Moreover, he was even asking about the relic's features.

He was clearly taking this seriously, not just paying lip service.

At once, Elder Long's spirits lifted. With a flip of his hand, a bead appeared. It looked quite ordinary at first glance, but a closer look would make one's very spirit tremble, as if the bead contained infinite mysteries.

"This Dragon Pearl was formed from our ancestor's life Essence. Its power has been exhausted by his descendants, so it can no longer be used for combat and has lost its myriad mysteries. However, it is the only thing that can sense the ancestral relic. Carry it with you, and you will be able to find the relic as soon as you draw near."

Elder Long's expression was extremely solemn.

This Dragon Pearl had an extraordinary origin, for it was formed from the life Essence of the first Ancient Divine Dragon to ever exist. And that very dragon happened to be the mightiest warrior under the command of the master Elder Long had mentioned.

And the ancestral relic that Elder Long was sending Yang Xiao to find in the Void Dark Realm was the crucial key to unlocking that being's legacy. If Yang Xiao could actually retrieve it, then that entire inheritance would be his.

Furthermore, although this Dragon Pearl no longer possessed any power, just as Elder Long had said, it contained no small number of mysteries within.

If Yang Xiao put his mind to it, he might even be able to comprehend some of the Secret Techniques of that first Divine Dragon of Ancient Times.

One must understand that in the Ancient Era, the physical combat techniques of the Divine Dragon Clan were supreme among the myriad Descendant races. Whenever physical combat was mentioned, the Dragon Race was always the prime example.

One could see this just from the classification of Physical Strength, which was measured by the power of a Flood Dragon, a Flood Dragon, a Great Dragon, a True Dragon, and a Divine Dragon. This alone showed how renowned the Dragon Race was throughout the world for its physical might.

Even one of the Human Race's three great Secret Techniques for cultivating the physical body, the Emperor Golden Dragon Secret Technique, involved cultivating a Visible Flood Dragon and giving it the name "Golden Dragon" for this very reason.

And now, if Elder Long was not mistaken—setting aside the ephemeral Power of the Emperor, which was merely a force gathered from the hearts of the people—at least eighty percent of Yang Xiao's true power came from his Physical Strength.

'If he can gain some enlightenment from this Dragon Pearl...'

'...his strength will likely increase by another huge margin.'

'But the secrets of this Dragon Pearl are hidden deep. Even for us with the bloodline of the Dragon Race, it's hard to discern anything from it. It will be exceedingly difficult for the Saint Prince to comprehend its mysteries, let alone the combat techniques of the Ancestor Dragon Venerable. Still... since I've already placed my hopes in him, I might as well go all in and give him a leg up.'

A thought struck Elder Long.

He made up his mind.

After Yang Xiao accepted the Dragon Pearl with equal gravity, Elder Long continued, "I know that what I'm asking of you is no easy task. I have a Secret Skill here called the True Dragon Nine Transformations. It is a combat technique of my Dragon Race, and I hope it will be of some assistance to you."

As he spoke, Elder Long flicked his finger, and a drop of brilliant golden Dragon Blood flew out, landing between Yang Xiao's brows.

In an instant, another Supreme Secret Technique appeared in his Sea of Consciousness.

This result left Yang Xiao somewhat stunned.

'What kind of day is this? How have I run into so much good fortune, one thing after another?'

'But he also knew that the task Elder Long had given him must be fraught with danger. He was given this Secret Technique to increase the odds of success.'

Instead of offering thanks, he just said solemnly, "I will accomplish the task you have given me, Elder Long. Please rest assured, Senior!"

Seeing how seriously Yang Xiao took the matter, Elder Long smiled.

"I have faith in you. Coincidentally, the Human Emperor just gave you two Secret Techniques that can resolve the latent dangers of your Divine-Demon Body. In addition, because you defeated a Lu Family disciple, the Greater Yang Pool, as well as the Lu Family's records, Secret Techniques, and all kinds of Cultivation Resources, will be open to you. For the coming days, you should just focus on cultivating and seeking enlightenment here in the Secret Realm."

"Furthermore, on behalf of the Lu Family, I hereby formally pledge our allegiance to you, Saint Prince. We hope to become your Guardian Family. What are your thoughts, Saint Prince?"

Although Yang Xiao had guessed as much on his way here, he was still surprised that Elder Long stated it so clearly, even using words like "pledge allegiance" and a beseeching tone.

However, this was a good thing.

How could he refuse?

"With the Lu Family presiding over the outside world, I can finally be truly at ease."

Yang Xiao smiled faintly.

Without the slightest hesitation.

This made Elder Long think even more highly of him.

「In the days that followed.」

Yang Xiao became quite busy.

Just as Elder Long had said, he possessed the Divine-Demon Body, which could easily cause great disaster if left uncontrolled. However, with a Secret Technique and an Array taught by His Majesty the Human Emperor, it became much easier.

Leaving aside the Emperor's True Body Method, the Twelve Heavenly Forbidden Techniques was a top-tier Sealing Array perfectly suited for Yang Xiao to cultivate.

Within a few days, Yang Xiao had comprehended this Array.

Instantly, the thirteen shockingly powerful Divine Pills within his Qi Sea vanished.

'Haha, it actually worked! The only problem is, my cultivation level can't increase any further like this. I'll have to form a new Divine Pill.'

A thought occurred to Yang Xiao.

'If I'm going to form a new Divine Pill, the Star Divine Pill is the obvious choice. To get the Star Secret Pattern, I know a trip to the Star God Continent has to be a priority.'

'Of course, it's not just about forming a Star Divine Pill. More importantly, Yun'Er is there.'

'I wonder how Yun'Er is doing. It's been almost a year since I last saw her. But before I leave, there are still a few things I need to take care of. I also have to cultivate the Emperor's True Body. After all, even if I take this Power of the Emperor with me, it will become like a rootless water plant once it can no longer sense the hearts of the people. It would be better to form the True Body and leave it to watch over the Profound Sun Continent.'

Yang Xiao's mind raced, and a plan quickly began to form.

Now that he had mastered the Array, and knowing that comprehending the Emperor's True Body or the True Dragon Nine Transformations would take time, Yang Xiao felt restless after his long seclusion. He was just thinking of going to see the Greater Yang Pool.

Just then, a figure arrived at the entrance to his seclusion chamber.

Yang Xiao sensed who it was and broke into a smile.

'This fellow really has perfect timing.'