Supreme Sword Exalt

Instead of getting angry, Yun Ao simply stared regretfully at himself, then at the Flame Emperor. “What a pity. It seems like I cannot fight any longer.”

He slowly began to dissipate. In the blink of an eye, half of him was already gone. The Flame Emperor was no different. One was afflicted by a curse, decaying physically. Meanwhile, the other had overdrawn the power of the dragon mark.

Coupled with that chaotic energy flow, which contained everyone’s might, they could no longer sustain themselves.

Despite Feng Xi’s cold and detached nature, her eyes still reddened. “Father...”

The Flame Emperor shook his head. “It’s nothing. Last time, it was my negligence that nearly harmed him. This time, it won’t.”

Gu Han’s heart sank. “Senior!”

He hadn’t expected the Flame Emperor to pay such a heavy price to protect him.

Yun Ao remained composed. “Relax. The dragon mark is our clan’s supreme treasure. He only lost his physical body, he’s not dead yet. As for you, Feng Kid, do you know—”

A vast, primordial dragon qi descended.

Yun Ao seemed to sense Yun Tian’s intention. “Yun Tian, do you want to perish together with me?”

The trembling of the dragon mark on the emperor's brow grew more intense, already signaling his stance.

“You think it is up to you to decide?” Yun Ao shook his head. Then, he gave Feng Xi a deep, meaningful look, his tone unreadable. “The dragon possesses nine transformations, its body indestructible. The phoenix endures nine deaths, its spirit imperishable.”

The next moment, the remaining half of him ignited with a layer of green flames.

Fatty grimaced with distaste. Can’t he speak normally?

However, Gu Han pondered thoughtfully. He had always suspected that Feng Xi was not the Flame Emperor’s biological daughter, but had never felt comfortable asking. Yun Ao’s words seemed to subtly reveal Feng Xi’s origins.

In an instant, Yun Ao’s form had completely burned away. Only his final words lingered in the space between them. “Kid, before I leave, I’ll send you a small gift as repayment for ruining my plans.”

A wisp of black qi as fine as hair emerged from the pile of green-tinged ashes. It swirled for a moment, before transforming into a bizarre rune that descended upon Gu Han.

Curse power! The Flame Emperor’s expression changed slightly. He forgot about pursuing Yun Ao. A wisp of purple flame rose, and he burned his remaining body, transforming into a dragon-shaped mark. A trace of vast, ancient dragon qi scattered down, crashing into that mark.

The erosion quickly annihilated the mark. However, Gu Han sensed that something had settled upon his shoulder, bringing an indescribable sense of oddness and discomfort.

His heart sank. Damn it!

Just like before, this curse power was too strange. Although the emperor had seemingly quelled it, the part capable of affecting fate had still fallen upon him.

The dragon mark eroded the rune completely, growing somewhat dim and lusterless. It trembled slightly, and the Flame Emperor materialized once more, hazier and unreal. Moreover, his cultivation could barely stabilize at the Saint realm’s early stage, just a step away from falling.

He looked at Gu Han with an apologetic expression on his face. Having confronted the curse mark, he understood that he had not completely refined the curse.

The demoness’ face paled. “Could it be—”

Gu Han smiled wryly. “It’s fine. It just means worse luck. I’m used to it.”

Fatty didn’t understand what was happening. He just stared at Gu Han and the demoness, his eyes darting back and forth knowingly. Something’s off! Very off! Something obviously happened between the two!

Pretending not to notice his gaze, Gu Han swept his eyes around, a frown creasing his brow. “Senior, is Yun Ao dead?”

The Flame Emperor shook his head. “No. But his outcome won’t be much better than mine.”

Fatty’s eyes lit up. “Fallen in realm? Then while his strength is greatly diminished, let’s find him and kill him!”

The Flame Emperor was silent for a moment before saying, “It’s useless. Without a physical body, he’s actually harder to kill.”

***

Meanwhile, within the forbidden zone of the War God Hall, the pond was deathly still. Without the little ancestral dragon, the water no longer had a single ripple.

A flash of green light fell from the sky and vanished into the pond. The earth trembled, and the pond water churned. Cracks, deep and bottomless, spread in all directions. Then, the pond flashed with green light again, rising from the ground and disappearing into the sky. And in its place, only a pit of unknown depth remained.

Within the void, the chaotic qi flow gradually began to calm. The three, including the Luoheng Holy Master, secretly sighed in relief.

Suddenly, a hazy green light streaked across the sky, and Yun Ao’s voice followed. “Fellow Daoists, we shall meet again if fate allows.”

Their expressions darkened, and they immediately struck out with full force. He’s not dead?

With a page of a Dao book, a mass of demonic clouds, and a wisp of grey light, they transformed into three beams of light. The three chased after the green radiance, smashing down upon it fiercely. However, the green light only flickered before returning to its original state. With Yun Ao’s laughter, it vanished completely, not even giving them a chance to give chase.

Fu Youde frowned deeply. “How is that possible?! The three of us struck with full force, yet...”

The War Prince sighed. “It’s useless. His physical body is destroyed, and his divine soul has completely fused with the Dragon Seal. Its defense is so strong that almost no one can break it. Unless you destroy the Dragon Seal, you can’t hurt him.”

Fu Youde grunted twice, feeling somewhat dissatisfied. No one can break it? My son’s defense is second to none in this world! Isn’t he stronger than this lousy Dragon Seal?

***

Gu Han’s mood sank slightly as he saw the green light disappear into the sky. The five domains were vast, and the forbidden zones beyond them were even more so. If Yun Ao was determined to hide, finding him would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

The Flame Emperor withdrew his gaze. “It’s fine. For now, it will be difficult for him to accomplish anything significant.”

Just then, a miserable cry rang out. It was Yan Qi! He lay curled on the ground, rolling violently, his eyes filled with pain. The shape of his scales constantly changed, gradually turning rhomboid. His originally chaotic qi slowly became purer, and a small bump grew on his head.

Just now, the power of the dragon mark leaked, and he couldn’t resist but to absorb a wisp. Not even a real dragon could resist the temptation of the ancestral dragon’s breath, let alone a mere python.

Ah Man and Tai Ji were terrified. “Lord Python!”

The demoness’s knowledge far exceeded theirs. “Don’t touch it. It isn’t every day a python ascends into a flood dragon.”

The Flame Emperor glanced at it. “Indeed. It has some opportunities.”

It was akin to a heaven-sent fortune for Yan Qi. By chance, he had embarked on a cultivation path to shed its python form and transform into a real dragon.

Fatty grinned slyly as he stared at Yan Qi, the corners of his mouth nearly splitting to his ears. “What a fortune for Yan Qi, the body of a real dragon...”

He felt Yan Qi had a simple nature, easy to trick— ahem, easy to get along with. In the future, they could deepen their acquaintance.

Gu Han immediately understood Fatty’s thoughts. Soaring through the cosmos on a dragon's back was certainly majestic, the limelight unmatched for a time. Even Gu Han felt a little tempted.

Just then, silently and imperceptibly, three figures also landed in their midst. After seeing the Flame Emperor’s state, everyone sighed silently, feeling sorrowful in their hearts. A supreme expert on the verge of the Ascension realm had come to such an end, clearly demonstrating the difficulty of this battle. Then, they saw Yan Qi, on the verge of transforming into a flood dragon.

The three sighed inwardly with emotion. What an immense fortune!

This python’s opportunity was extraordinary. If its cultivation went smoothly, it would surely transform into a real dragon in the future.