Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

"Chi Yan, cover me while I practice my Cultivation Technique!"

Yun Xiao did not particularly mind the foul stench within the Crocodile Cave; what he valued was merely a place like this. Therefore, upon entering the cave, he directly bellowed out loud.

Truth be told, for a cave like this behind the waterfall, with the splashing droplets, the fire-attributed Vein Demon, Chi Yan, was quite averse to it. However, unlike the Golden Snake Worm, Chi Yan never refused Yun Xiao's orders.

So Chi Yan dutifully stood guard at the cave entrance, while Yun Xiao had already stepped inside. Looking at the mess within, he was indifferent. How clean could a place inhabited by a Vein Demon be?

"Hehe, let's begin then!"

Yun Xiao found a spot and sat down cross-legged; he then swiped his right hand over his waist, and a sparkling object appeared in the palm of his hand, surrounded by strands of silver thunder flickering around it.

"Thunder Spirit Crystal!"

Looking at the Thunder Spirit Crystal he had managed to obtain from the Spirit Fighting Conference with great difficulty, Yun Xiao did not hesitate. A stream of Meridian Qi surged out and quickly came into contact with the core of the Thunder Spirit Crystal.

"Eh? Those two didn't come out to snatch it?"

Yun Xiao found it strange. He had prepared himself for the Golden Snake Worm and Red Feather to fight over the feast. Yet, when his Meridian Qi covered the Thunder Spirit Crystal, neither of them showed the slightest movement.

"Could it be they've changed their nature?"

The thought involuntarily popped into Yun Xiao's head, but he immediately shook his head. Recalling the temperament of the Golden Snake Worm, he thought that expecting that creature to change was like waiting for a lifetime in vain.

Failing to receive an answer from the Golden Snake Worm and unable to solve the puzzle, Yun Xiao finally attributed it to the Thunder Attribute of the Spirit Crystal perhaps not matching well with the other two.

However, this allowed him to absorb the energy of the Thunder Spirit Crystal even more flawlessly. As for what level he could achieve after refining it, that was something he could not yet guess.

Boom ka! Boom ka! Boom ka!

Once Yun Xiao began refining the Thunder Spirit Crystal, the silver thunder around the crystal, as if provoked by something, broke free and struck his body fiercely.

A feeling of numbness came over him instantly. Even with Yun Xiao's Physical Strength, he felt extremely uncomfortable. Fortunately, armed with the Ancient Dragon Taming Technique, once this miraculous Cultivation Technique was activated, he finally felt a bit better.

"Hmm?"

At one moment, Yun Xiao suddenly felt itching and numbness at the base of his shoulders, as if something was trying to burrow out from both sides. He knew, it must be the Thunder Attribute Energy from the Thunder Spirit Crystal inducing the awakening of his sixth Ancestor Vein.

This discovery further bolstered Yun Xiao's confidence. He believed that after refining this Seventh-Rank Advanced Thunder Spirit Crystal, his combat power would see an immense surge.

However, how long this methodical refinement process could continue wasn't up to Yun Xiao anymore. Some people were already tracking his aura and getting closer.

...

At a certain spot in Yulei Mountain!

Tap tap tap tap tap!

Several figures appeared from the dense forest, and if Yun Xiao could see their faces, he would likely recognize each of them.

Leading them was a young man holding a folding fan, exuding a sense of nobility on his face—it was none other than Xu Huan, the young master of the Douling Commerce of Yuyang City.

Following Xu Huan were Ji Fu, Ruan Shiming, and Xi Shaoqing, who had previously fought with Yun Xiao in the Meridian Spirit battle; all present except Peng Muxin, who had died at the hands of Xia Yong, had gathered.

"Young Master, are you sure it's okay not to bring the Chairman along?"

Ji Fu was a Qi Seeking Realm Late Stage Cultivator, and his strength was relatively inferior to the others. At this moment, he suddenly thought of what happened during the Spirit Fighting Conference and felt somewhat worried.

"Haha, Ji Fu, you're really too timid," Ruan Shiming, hearing Ji Fu's comment, burst into laughter and his words carried a hint of ridicule. It seemed he looked down on this mere Qi Seeking Realm Late Stage fellow.

Indeed, as Ruan Shiming said, no matter how stunning Yun Xiao's performance at the Spirit Fighting Conference, it didn't change the fact that he was just a teenager in the Early Stage of the Qi Seeking Realm.

Originally, Xu Huang, Chairman of the Spirit Fighting Commerce of Yuyang City, should have led the group, but Xu Huan suddenly changed his mind right before departure. Thinking of Yun Xiao's own Cultivation, the former did not insist too much, especially since the Spirit Fighting Conference had just ended, and there were many matters in Yuyang City awaiting his attention.

To Xu Huan, dealing with a little ant at the early stage of the Qi Seeking Realm hardly required the intervention of a powerhouse from the Seeking Origin Realm like his father, which is why he only brought these few men for the pursuit.

With these fellows who had old grudges with Yun Xiao following him, Xu Huang wasn't worried about them slacking off. Should these few combined prove unable to handle a youngster at the early stage of the Qi Seeking Realm, then the Spirit Fighting Commerce of Yuyang City might as well dissolve.

"It seems we shouldn't be far from that kid!"

Hearing the conversation between Ji Fu and Ruan Shiming, Xu Huan nonetheless reached for his Waist Storage and then pointed in a certain direction, his face revealing a hint of peculiarity.

"It's rather strange, that kid hasn't moved for half a day; could he really believe he's escaped from danger?"

After sensing for a while, Xu Huan's face turned curious as he spoke some more, causing everyone beside him to glance at each other, their eyes revealing a spark of excitement.

The continuous pursuit over the past few days had indeed made them somewhat irritable. Although they had the sensing ability of the Thunder Spirit Crystal's Strange Spirit, if the kid kept running, it could end up prolonging their mission.

But now, the kid had bizarrely stopped, undoubtedly saving them from much futile chasing. As long as they killed the kid, their mission would be considered complete.

About a time later,

When the group turned around a mountain hollow, they were greeted by a grand waterfall cascading down, lifting their spirits and also providing some sensation.

Take Ge Sheng, who had always been by Xu Huan's side; although his cultivation was only at the Peak of Qi Seeking Realm, his Meridian Refining Technique had already reached the Earth Rank Low Level, meaning his Power of Soul had also reached the Earth Rank Low Level, and naturally, his sensing ability was extraordinary.

"Young Master, that kid Yun Xiao should be inside the waterfall!"

Before Xu Huan could sense with the corpse of the Thunder Attribute Strange Spirit, Ge Sheng, who had come closer, had already spoken out loud. Apparently, what Yun Xiao was previously sensing, he could sense just as clearly.

"There should be a cave inside that waterfall; this is good. Let's catch the turtle in the jar and see where that kid can run to now."

Xu Huang, analyzing certain sensations and combining them with Ge Sheng's words, quickly slapped his folding fan into his left palm and then eagerly rushed out, leading the way towards the waterfall.

Splash!

However, just as Xu Huan leaped into the air, the previously tranquil Water Abyss suddenly stirred. A massive creature broke through the water, targeting Xu Huan, who had leaped into the air.

"What in the world is that thing?"

Xu Huan's face slightly changed, but as a talented individual at the Late Stage of Qi Seeking Realm, he stayed calm in the face of danger. After shouting, his body twisted just right in midair. Although he was unable to get into the waterfall, he managed to dodge the strong strike of the bizarre Vein Demon.

"Is that... a Two-tailed Dragon Scale Crocodile? But why does it have only one tail?"

Xu Huan, after dodging the attack, flipped in midair and returned to the shore. When his gaze swept over the massive Vein Demon that had also fallen to the shore, perplexity flashed across his eyes.

Given Xu Huan's identity and experience as the young master of Yuyang City's Spirit Fighting Branch, he recognized it was a Two-tailed Dragon Scale Crocodile right away, but this particular one had one of its tails cleanly severed, leaving the other looking unusually lonely.

"Could it be that Yun Xiao did this to the big guy?"

As a certain thought struck him, an image of a slender figure in rough clothes involuntarily emerged in Xu Huan's mind, but he quickly shook it off.

"No, it can't be him. That kid is just a cultivator at the early stage of the Qi Seeking Realm; how could he possibly contend with a Seventh Rank Advanced Two-tailed Dragon Scale Crocodile?"

That was the reason Xu Huan refused to believe it; because, even he himself wouldn't be a match for the crocodile in its prime, and he would never admit that he was weaker than Yun Xiao.

His loss at the Spirit Fighting Conference didn't mean he was truly inferior to Yun Xiao; that was merely a battle of Meridian Spirits, entirely different from a fight in one's true form. The gap in Meridian Qi between them could always not be made up.

"Ji Fu, block that big guy!"

His thoughts swiftly changing, Xu Huan didn't pay much attention. Hearing his shout, Ji Fu quickly moved forward. Although his strength was only at the Late Stage of Qi Seeking Realm, blocking a wounded Two-tailed Dragon Scale Crocodile shouldn't pose a problem.

After all, they weren't trying to fight the creature to the death, just to defend and prevent it from interfering with Xu Huan and the others' actions. For a moment, Ji Fu and the Seventh Rank Advanced Vein Demon fought to a standstill.

It must be said the Two-tailed Dragon Scale Crocodile was quite aggrieved; it had encountered a defiant youngster the other day, resulting in the loss of one of its tails.

And now, a bunch of humans had arrived. Judging by the aura emanating from these people, the crocodile knew it wouldn't stand a chance if they swarmed it; in this moment, it even considered retreating.

Meanwhile, owing to Ji Fu's intervention, Xu Huan and his company had already leaped into the waterfall.