The Nine Nether Yellow Spring was chilling and silent, with occasional howling winds in the sky. Jiang Yun and his group were waiting for Zhu Feng. Before long, a muffled sound resounded from the Nine Nether Yellow Spring beside them, followed by a horrifying vortex stirring the lake into chaos.
Splash...
Two figures soared into the air from the broken water, with Zhu Feng slowly descending beside Jiang Yun. The other figure, weak and emaciated, was thrown to the ground by Zhu Feng. However, instead of resentment, his eyes were filled with excitement, and he laughed manically.
"Hahaha, I, Yao Ming, am finally free!"
The wild laughter caused the three women—Medusa, Cai Lin, and Qing Lin—to frown slightly. Zhu Feng immediately barked, "Laugh again, and I'll seal you back!"
Hearing Zhu Feng's rebuke, Yao Ming seemed to have been choked. Realizing the presence of powerful individuals beside him, he immediately restrained his emotions and scrutinized Jiang Yun's group. When he saw Zhu Feng standing slightly behind Jiang Yun, as if led by him, he was shocked. Zhu Feng, a Taixu Ancient Dragon of the Dou Saint level—the fact that a human could command such deference implied unimaginable origins.
"Ahem, I, Yao Ming, thank the friends of the Ancient Dragon clan for the rescue!" Yao Ming adjusted his clothes and cupped his hands towards Zhu Feng in gratitude.
"Don't thank me; if it weren't for the young master, I wouldn't care whether you live or die," Zhu Feng replied indifferently to Yao Ming's thanks.
Yao Ming awkwardly scratched his head. A Dou Saint Taixu Ancient Dragon was not someone he could contend with, not to mention his benefactor. However, Yao Ming then turned to Jiang Yun and expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, young friend, for your assistance."
"All things are fated. I restored your freedom; in return, you will serve me for ten years. That is fair!" Jiang Yun looked at Yao Ming indifferently, his voice calm.
"You want... you want to enslave me?!" Yao Ming was taken aback, horrified.
"Boom—"
Instantly, the aura of a peak two-star Dou Saint erupted from Zhu Feng, pressing down on Yao Ming.
"Ugh—"
Yao Ming, who had just escaped his seal and was at his weakest, was caught off guard by Zhu Feng's power, spewing a mouthful of blood and collapsing weakly. Footsteps approached, and Yao Ming saw a pair of black shoes. Jiang Yun's voice came from above, "Think about how you ended up like this. The ones who harmed you are still carefree now. I just need an obedient leader for the Nine Nether Earth Serpent clan, not necessarily you."
With each of Jiang Yun's words, Yao Ming trembled, his eyes filled with hatred. "If the Nine Nether Earth Serpents rebel, the next one who comes won't be a two-star Dou Saint like Zhu Feng," Jiang Yun added, his tone unyielding.
Understanding dawning on him, Yao Ming responded in disbelief, "Is the Taixu Ancient Dragon planning to unify the Beast Region?"
"You must understand, it's not the Taixu Ancient Dragon that needs the Beast Region, but the Beast Region that needs the Taixu Ancient Dragon!" Jiang Yun stated calmly.
The Beast Region could exist peacefully under the eyes of the seven imperial clans not just because of balance and environment but also due to the mysterious Beast Sovereign. The Taixu Ancient Dragon clan lived within the Beast Region. If they left, the five-star Dou Saint Huang Tian alone couldn't stop the imperial clans.
"I understand!" Yao Ming was smart. He knew he was at their mercy and couldn't escape death if he didn't comply. With his great vengeance unachieved, he couldn't die here.
"Yao Ming greets the young master!" Yao Ming knelt before Jiang Yun.
"Release your soul," Jiang Yun instructed calmly.
Under Zhu Feng's watchful eyes, Yao Ming slowly released the defenses around his soul. A dark flame flew from Jiang Yun's forehead and fell into Yao Ming's consciousness sea. Jiang Yun then understood Yao Ming's soul level—a bit higher than his own early Heaven Rank—thus necessitating Yao Ming's willingness to open up, as forcing it would be too taxing.
A dark flame mark appeared on Yao Ming's forehead. As the sealing was lifted, Jiang Yun stated, "The seal is broken. Yao Xiao Tian will soon sense the changes here. Zhu Feng's concealment will only last three hours, enough time for you to regain your strength. I don't care how you do it; you must become the ruler of the Nine Nether Earth Serpents."
Receiving a jade bottle, Yao Ming swallowed the pills inside and quickly dashed out of the valley to recover his strength.
"Let's observe for now," Jiang Yun said to Medusa and the others after Yao Ming left.
"Sure!" The three women nodded, interested in the coming battle. Although they had seen Zhu Kun's dominance, there had been no real display of a Dou Saint's extraordinary powers. This time, they could get a real spectacle.
Zhu Feng waved his sleeve, and the space power surged, making them vanish rapidly.
Three hours passed swiftly.
In a grand palace within the Serpent vein, the atmosphere was lively. Many serpent tribe leaders gathered, their laughter echoing through the hall. On the throne sat a man in black, flanked by two seductive women, carefully massaging him. His hands roamed over their soft bodies, making them appear extremely enchanting.
The man looked handsome but had an unhideable sinister aura. His slightly opened eyes sparkled dangerously, like venomous snakes poised to strike, sending chills through one's heart.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, the black-clad man's eyes abruptly opened, shock evident in them. He pushed the two female serpents away and shouted, "Damn it, the seal is broken?"
"Chief, what happened?" An elder with a crimson snake coiled around his shoulder frowned slightly.
Yao Xiao Tian's face darkened as a faint voice reached the elder's ears, "Elder, we are in big trouble. The seal suppressing Yao Ming has suddenly broken..."
"What? That's impossible..."
With a sinister chuckle, Yao Xiao Tian's figure vanished from the throne. "He can't escape. This time, he'll have no burial place!" He aimed to eliminate Yao Ming for good, seeing the broken seal as an opportunity rather than a setback.
As Yao Xiao Tian left abruptly, the gathered leaders were puzzled, but the elder's reassurance shifted their focus back to the dancers in the hall.
A figure sped towards the Nine Nether Yellow Spring, halting abruptly at the valley's edge, where a familiar yet strange figure waited—Yao Ming, his body no longer emaciated but tall and robust. Although his face was somewhat dark, his eyes shone with a sinister aura.
"Yao Xiao Tian!"
Seeing Yao Xiao Tian, Yao Ming roared in fury, his two-star Dou Saint aura erupting, locking onto Yao Xiao Tian.
"My dear brother, why did you come out... two-star Dou Saint, how is that possible?!" Yao Xiao Tian's face paled at the realization of Yao Ming's strength.
"Thank my little brother for everything. Today, it all comes back to you!" Yao Ming sneered, his attacks filled with terrifying black energy.
"Why won't you die, why did you come back, why not just die..." Yao Xiao Tian roared, his icy aura surging, manifesting a thousand-foot-large giant hand above him, filled with extreme cold.
"You're using the Yellow Spring Palm wrong!" Yao Ming mocked, countering with his own technique, shattering space.
"Yellow Spring Finger! One finger of Yellow Spring, determining life and death!" An icy voice came from behind Yao Ming as a massive yellow finger pierced space.
"Do you think I didn't notice you?" Yao Ming turned, coldly smiling at the elder's surprise attack. He unleashed a black staff, the Nether Serpent's Wrath, summoning a colossal black serpent with terrifying presence.
When their techniques collided, the space around them crumbled, attracting the Nine Nether Earth Serpent's attention.
"Everyone, seize this intruder!" Yao Xiao Tian's shout drew his clan members.
"Nether Serpent Guards, capture him!" The elder also ordered, desperate to kill Yao Ming.
"Yes!"
In the chaos, the Nine Nether Earth Serpent chose to follow Yao Xiao Tian and the elder, their armored figures encircling Yao Ming.
"How dare you! The Nine Nether Staff is here; will you defy me?" Yao Ming stepped forward, brandishing the staff, exuding authority.
"The Nine Nether Staff! It's been lost for a century!"
"That's the clan leader's token!"
"You're Clan Leader Yao Ming..."
The elder's face changed, and the clan members, feeling the staff's authority, kneeled in recognition.
"Yao Xiao Tian, your end is near. Today, you'll be torn apart and thrown into the snake pit for the ultimate punishment!" Yao Ming's voice, filled with hatred, vowed revenge. His attacks on Yao Xiao Tian and the elder were merciless.
Not long after, Yao Xiao Tian was sent flying, crashing into a distant mountain, bleeding heavily. The sight of his broken body made the clan shudder.
"Did not expect Yao Ming to retake power so effortlessly!" Medusa remarked, surprised at the ease of Yao Ming's coup.
Having witnessed the difficult unification of the Taixu Ancient Dragon clan, the quick reversal by Yao Ming was unexpected. If Zi Yan returned alone to Dragon Island, despite her pure bloodline, it wouldn't have been as easy.
"Each clan has its challenges," Jiang Yun replied thoughtfully.
"Yao Ming has stabilized the clan. Qing Lin's path is clear now. Next, it's your turn!" Jiang Yun said to Medusa and the others as Yao Ming subdued Yao Xiao Tian and the elder, reclaiming leadership.
"I feel like you just want us gone to have time alone with Xiao Yixian," Medusa quipped, casting a doubtful look at Jiang Yun.
Xiao Yixian blushed, her heart fluttering. Qing Lin also eyed Jiang Yun and Xiao Yixian suspiciously. Smiling, Jiang Yun deflected, "Nothing of the sort. Let's go. We have a half-emperor legacy to inspect from the Nine Nether Earth Serpent clan."
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