Chapter 62: Qilin Transformation
Yang Zhao's voice had just fallen when the one-armed monster slowly moved his arms, forming a Tai Chi circle. The invisible aura emanating from his body expanded to an extreme degree, filling the entire space and seeming to be everywhere. The surrounding air was drawn in, instantly forming a fierce whirlwind that swept across the land. The demon dragon Black Tyrant King dug its four claws into the ground, but still couldn't help being pushed back, dragging out four long gullies on the surface of the earth, each about half an inch deep. It involuntarily raised its head and let out a long howl, its voice mixed with the sharp whirling wind, adding a hint of panic to its usual brutality.
Nesting in the Tiankeng forest, all kinds of strange birds and beasts of various sizes are also infected with its killing aura. In an instant, they become restless together. In the dark night, countless throats opened their mouths at the same time, issuing sharp or low, angry or frightened roars and howls. At first glance, it was as if a group of ghosts were crying at night, enough to frighten the soul.
Before even making a move, the momentum has already been seized. Given that strange person's cultivation, it shouldn't be surprising to achieve this point. What's strange is that through the exchange of auras between both sides, Young Master Wang can sense that this strange person in front of him is indeed using an amount of strength completely equal to his current state, neither more nor less by even half a hair. Yang Zhao's heart sank for a moment, but he immediately regained his calm composure, not angry, not frightened, not surprised. After all, the gap between their strengths was originally vast, and he had never hoped to create any miracles. As long as he tried his best and had no regrets, why bother about whether the opponent was strong or weak?
A masterful duel, beyond the tangible clash of skills and techniques, lies a crucial intangible confrontation on the spiritual level. At this moment, facing an almost insurmountable formidable foe, Yang Zhao paradoxically sheds the immense pressure weighing upon him like a mountain range, entering a state of perfect harmony with his surroundings, bordering on the mystical realm of "Nirvana". His entire being is intensely concentrated, with his essence, energy, spirit, and strength all inwardly focused, rendering him seemingly substantial yet insubstantial. He achieves an extreme state of stillness, forming a striking contrast with his opponent's extreme dynamism.
That strange man nodded in approval, saying: "Not bad." As soon as the words fell to the ground, his palms, which had been circling and drawing virtual arcs, suddenly clapped together in front of his chest. The two palms struck each other, and the entire space seemed to shake because of it. The true energy that had accumulated layer by layer in the fierce wind, but was locked up by the cocoon and could not be released, suddenly burst out completely. Wherever the force reached, let alone a person, even the Dragon King would be blown to pieces on the spot.
One after another, the sound of yin and yang colliding also rang out. Yang Zhao forcibly broke through the explosive air wave and flew out against the current. The Heavenly God Soldier dragged out two different colored auras, black and white, and in an instant, a fierce whirlwind was generated, becoming more and more intense. Even that strange person, because his old strength had been exhausted and new strength had not yet been born, was pulled along, his body greatly disordered, his feet involuntarily leaving the ground as he was sucked into mid-air.
The strange man's eyes shone with an unusual light, seemingly both shocked and delighted. However, his cultivation was extremely deep, having already reached the realm of "being prepared without preparation". Although he had not yet attained the state of "not lacking while being lacking, and lacking nothing", it was only a hair's breadth away. The massive explosion of true energy seemed like a landslide or tsunami, but to him it was still under control. With a single grasp of his five fingers forming a fist, he shouted: "Withdraw!"
"You think you can!" Young Master Wang retorted sternly. The Taiji pattern formed by the swirling black and white energies had already enveloped both sides, locking them in a tight seal. The yin and yang commands simultaneously rose up at an angle, and with a flick of his fingers, the air within three feet was completely drained, creating a vacuum state. The sudden change in internal and external atmospheric pressure made even the monster's indestructible body feel like it was expanding from the inside out, its blood boiling and organs churning, as if it were about to explode. Its five fingers were only half an inch apart but still couldn't form a fist, its body suspended in mid-air by some strange floating force, unable to struggle free. Since mastering the wordless true classic of the universe's true energy, this was the first time the monster had ever encountered such a predicament.
The two instruments of the Eight Methods, "Heavenly Rotation and Earthly Revolution" and "Heavenly Wasteland and Earthly Old Age". The former creates a true energy vortex that disrupts the enemy's balance, while the latter briefly creates a weightless space to restrain the enemy. When both are executed simultaneously, they immediately produce an extraordinary effect. Seizing this rare opportunity, Young Master Wang leaps into the air, pouring all his strength into his palm, and shouts: "Kill!" The Yin-Yang Twin Commands transform into two indestructible black and white lightning bolts that slash down with explosive destructive power, precisely the technique of "Heavenly Collapse and Earthly Fissure".
The outcome will be decided in this moment!
“Ding!” A strange sound echoed, and instead of blood and flesh, shards of jade splashed out from where the Yin-Yang Command had struck. Yang Zhao's eyes widened in incredulity as he saw his enemy transform into a being made entirely of fiery red crystal from head to toe. But before he could take another glance, an enormous counter-shockwave crashed down on him. Equivalent to withstanding the full force of his own attack, Young Master Wang was struck by lightning and thrown backward, tumbling uncontrollably for dozens of meters before finally coming to a stop. Before he could even get back to his feet, a mouthful of dark, congealed blood spewed out from his throat. His entire body's meridians felt like they were shattering inch by inch, the pain so intense it was almost unbearable.
It hurts, but it's not dead yet. As long as I'm alive, everything is still possible. Yang Zhao took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the intense pain, struggling to sit up with his hands tightly grasping the Yin-Yang Command. He wanted to use the divine weapon's ability to quickly absorb external power to replenish himself again. Unexpectedly, just as he was about to move, that strange person suddenly approached him and kicked his wrist pulse point. The sound of "ding-dong" rang out, and the divine weapon fell to the ground. Yang Zhao also let out a sigh in his heart. He closed his eyes and stopped speaking.
The fatal blow did not arrive. The crimson crystal body had returned to its normal flesh, and the strange man lowered his head, staring intently at Yang Zhao, but showed no intention of killing him. The silver river star in his left eye socket rotated rapidly, as if deep in thought. After a long while, he slowly asked: "You... what's your name, how old are you this year?"
"Yang Zhao, sixteen." Now that it has come to this, there is no need for Young Master Wang to hide anything anymore. He urged: "If you want to kill, then hurry up and kill. But don't forget the promise you just made with your own mouth. After killing, you must rescue... her."
The strange man sneered, "Hey, you don't look happy at all. On the contrary, you seem like some kind of Tian Jing successor. At such a young age, you already understand how to cherish and appreciate beauty? All that romantic nonsense is just a deceitful trick to amuse oneself, utterly meaningless. What's with this 'the seas may dry up and the stones may crumble, but my love will never fade' business? It's nothing but an excuse for self-deception."
"You won't understand." Yang Zhao's mouth twitched, the contempt and disdain in his tone completely unmasked. "How could someone as heartless and unscrupulous as you possibly understand?"
"You dare to be so presumptuous in front of me? Youngster, do you know who I am?"
Young Master Wang nodded and said: "Of course I know. You are the master of the Demon Alliance, 9,000 years old."
"Wrong! I'm not nine thousand years old anymore. I am now ten thousand years old, the Ten Thousand Years Old Holy Emperor of the Sacred Alliance!" The Nine Thousand Years Old corrected Yang Zhao's "mistaken" address in a deep voice. After a pause, he continued: "Youngster, that move 'Great Completion as if Lacking' earlier, my understanding is indeed not as good as yours. At such a young age, you already have this level of skill, and your martial arts are passable too. But you should also be aware that when it comes to true abilities, even if there were a hundred of you added together, I could still kill you all with one hand. Being emotional is the greatest weakness of human nature. If you can't cut off emotions and sever righteousness, then don't ever think about becoming a martial artist like me who is unparalleled in the world, do you understand?"
Yang Zhao coldly said: "Even beasts have feelings and righteousness, let alone humans? I would rather not be a top-notch expert than sink to the point of being worse than a beast like you."
"How dare you! You actually scold me for being no better than a beast?" Jiucheng's eyes shot out an eerie glow, his voice condensed as he said: "Then I'd like to know, what exactly is the son of someone who's no better than a beast?"
"Son?" Yang Zhao was taken aback by his words, and a bad premonition rose to his head. "What son do you have?"
"None before, but now there is," Jiū Qiān Suì said with a sly smile. With the power of Yang Huǒ's divine energy, his right arm, reborn through condensed air, suddenly stretched out and pressed down on Yáng Zhāo's head, shouting sternly: "Quickly kowtow to me three times! From now on, I am your foster father, and you are my foster son."
Yang Zhao's face suddenly changed as he shouted: "You want me to acknowledge this beastly person as my adoptive father? Don't even think about it! Let go, let go immediately!" As he cursed loudly, his body struggled with all its might. Unfortunately, after the intense battle earlier, his internal energy was already depleted, leaving no room for resistance. Jiucheng shouted: "In front of me, who are you to say yes or no? Quickly kowtow." His right hand immediately pressed down with force.
If it were before today, perhaps Little King Wang would have been in a hurry and temporarily made the 9,000-year-old his adoptive father to get through the current difficulties. However, Yang Zhao had now made up his mind and was determined not to yield even if he died. He felt as though the palm of the hand on his head weighed more than a mountain, with endless force pressing down from above, making it impossible for him to resist. Yet, he still supported himself with all fours, gritted his teeth, and desperately lifted his head, refusing to give in. The pressure from top to bottom was so great that his bones and joints creaked out a series of "ge ge" sounds, as if they were about to shatter into pieces. However, his forehead was still being pressed towards the ground, and the situation seemed impossible to reverse. The 9,000-year-old laughed excitedly and said: "Haha, wonderful! With this, the Great Sui Empire will become a treasure in the bag of the Holy Alliance. Good son, when you ascend to the throne and become emperor one day, I will be the Supreme Emperor, haha ha ha!" As he spoke, his hands continued to apply more force. Yang Zhao wanted to curse, but how could he?
This is not a matter of life and death, but it involves Yang Zhao's principles and bottom line as a person. A strong will may not be able to create miracles, but it can stimulate the last remaining strength in the body to resist. The black pupils suddenly turned fiery red, and Xiao Wangye gritted his teeth, with low, beast-like growls coming from deep within his throat. Scales grew on the surface of his skin, and something seemed to be about to emerge from under the skin on his forehead. A faint red glow rose all over his body, and suddenly, a fire qilin appeared in mid-air!
The sudden change shocked even the 9,000-year-old being, whose divine spirit was momentarily disrupted. Yang Zhao felt a surge of relief as the pressure on his head dissipated, and he suddenly let out a furious roar, violently throwing his head back in resistance. The intense counterforce sent the 9,000-year-old's right hand flying backward. Freed from the restraint, the young master's expression turned frenzied, and instead of retreating, he charged forward, embracing the 9,000-year-old with both hands and feet, instantly turning the tables and binding him motionless. With his teeth bared in a frenzy, he bit down on the enemy's neck, targeting the carotid artery.
It's unbearable. In the blink of an eye, Jiu Qian Sui's upper body transformed into a crimson crystal body as hard as gold. He let out a cold laugh and slapped Yang Zhao on the back of his neck with his hand. Little King was severely shaken, the qilin shape dispersed in the wind, and the strange changes on his body immediately stopped. Before he could even make a sound, he was knocked unconscious. Jiu Qian Sui's body returned to normal as he pushed Yang Zhao away, then pressed his own neck with his hand, his expression changing, unable to speak for a long time.
On that day, in the Lingyun Cave, Yang Zhao killed two Qilin and drank their blood. The Qilin's blood contained extraordinary power, not only could it gradually change a person's physique, but also make the drinker produce a kind of madness that would be passed down for generations. However, this transformation process was very slow, and it would take tens or even hundreds of years to become apparent. But Yang Zhao had also taken the Qilin's inner elixir, which accelerated the transformation process by countless times.
In the dark depths, searching for a way out, Yang Zhao had already felt the slow growth of the demonic nature within him. He originally wanted to use the divine sword in his hand to solve the disaster, but unfortunately, the Yin-Yang Order could only harmonize yin and yang, while the Qilin blood was hidden in the blood vessels, having nothing to do with the true energy inside. The medicine didn't match the symptoms, so it was powerless. Fortunately, his willpower was still relatively firm, and the demonic nature had no way to enter, being suppressed deep within his consciousness. But today, Jiuzhong Qian unexpectedly wanted to take him as a adopted son. Yang Zhao would rather die than yield, so he resolutely opened up his heart's restraint on the Qilin demonic nature, and indeed managed to force out the last bit of strength for a desperate counterattack.
Just now, Jiucheng was so confident in his control of the situation that when he forced Yang Zhao to kowtow to him, he didn't pay particular attention to using his powers to protect himself. If he hadn't absorbed the Flame Emperor's yang fire divine energy and been able to transform his body into an extremely hard crimson crystal form in time, then just now, Young Master Wang's desperate and frenzied biting would have definitely bitten through his main artery. Jiucheng had encountered countless enemies throughout his life and had weathered many storms, but because of a slight carelessness, today he almost capsized in the gutter, losing not only his reputation but also his life.
So close to the edge of death, Jiucheng's life had only been in such a precarious state twice. The first time was over a decade ago during the decisive battle against the Tianjing successor. At that time, the Tianjing successor had used a forbidden move, causing a massive explosion. Jiucheng had barely escaped with his life but lost an arm and a leg. Yang Zhao's current abilities were far inferior to those of the Tianjing successor back then. However, the feeling of death brought about by that one bite was not much different from what he had experienced when facing the Tianjing explosion over a decade ago. If this little brat were allowed to continue growing...
The 9,000-year-old peerless expert couldn't help but shiver with a chill. But immediately, a similarly almost crazy smile had quietly hung on the corner of his mouth.
Incidentally, I'll take this opportunity to thank you and give you a red envelope with money inside.
Regarding the limbs of 9,000-year-old, it was explained in the main text that they were regrown using the method of condensing true energy. Hope friends carefully read the main text and don't casually say that there is a BUG with 12...
I'm done, I'm so sleepy, I'll take a nap first... zzz...
