Word Count: 2,192 Words

  ******

  Xiao Yan held the Heavy Xuan Ruler in one hand, and though his gaze appeared calm like an ancient well, turbulent currents surged within.

  He meant every word he said!

  He knew that these ten so-called Bck Submerged Army members before him were very strong. Nine of them were Dou Kings, and one was a Dou Emperor. Moreover, they were from a Dou God Cn, so their strength was definitely not as simple as ordinary Dou Kings and Dou Emperors. They had likely been cultivating Di Css Qi Methods and Dou Techniques since childhood.

  Just this group alone could probably sweep through all the factions in the Bck-Corner Region.

  "Xiao Yan ge-ge..." Xun Er's eyes revealed reluctance and distress at his words, yet she also felt a kind of bliss at being protected.

  "Xiao Yan? Oh, I was wondering who was talking so big. It turns out you're that so-called 'genius' young master of a fallen cn. Heh, if your Xiao Cn hadn't been destroyed, perhaps you really could speak so boldly. But now, the Xiao Cn is merely a ruined, declining cn of the lower realm." Ling Quan narrowed his eyes with a mocking smile tugging at his lips.

  Xiao Yan's face gradually turned icy as he heard Ling Quan's cold ridicule toward the former Xiao Cn. His hand slowly gripped the hilt of the Heavy Xuan Ruler.

  It was true that the Xiao Cn had been destroyed, and the current Xiao Cn could be said to have no connection to its former self. But that didn't give others the right to make snide remarks.

  "Ling Quan, shut up! The Xiao Cn has an alliance with our cn. How dare you insult them?" Xun Er's heart tightened as she noticed Xiao Yan's darkening expression, and she reprimanded Ling Quan in a stern voice.

  "Hehe, please don't be angry, Young Miss. I merely spoke my mind too bluntly," Ling Quan said with a chuckle. Then, as if recalling something, he added, "Before we set out, several elders instructed that if we happened to meet Young Master Xiao Yan, we should 'appropriately' inquire as to the whereabouts of the Xiao Cn's portion of the key."

  Before Xiao Yan could speak, Xun Er retorted, "I've stayed in the Xiao Cn for many years without ever hearing any news about this 'key.' Are you implying that I have deliberately concealed it and deceived the cn?"

  Ling Quan's eyelids twitched, and he hastily lowered his head to apologize. "This subordinate did not mean that. This subordinate was being foolish. Young Miss, please return now. The cn has urged this many times already."

  Xiao Yan couldn't help but sigh upon seeing this scene, "Ah, you really seem to think I don't exist."

  He slowly shook his head, revealing a faint smile, but that smile was as cold as the Nine Nether. In the next second, the Ten Thousand Beast Fme roiled within him, and a towering dragon might burst forth from his body.

  "Dragon might?!" The members of the Bck Submerged Army surrounding Xiao Yan all had drastic changes in their expressions as they looked at him in astonishment.

  None of them could have imagined that a Dou King from a fallen cn would actually possess dragon might within his body. Moreover, this dragon might was not weak at all.

  Under such terrifying dragon might, their legs were already weakening. It was as if they were not facing a human but a true dragon!

  Xiao Yan didn't give these people a chance to react. The Fme Mantra circuted wildly like a rampaging engine. Already infinitely close to Intermediate Di Css, it was circuting slightly faster than usual at this moment.

  In his heart, he roared, 'Ancient Dragon Roar!'

  Space shook, and the earth trembled. Even the wind and clouds above surged like wild waves in all directions. A wave of sound burst from him, like a flood capable of obliterating everything.

  At the echo of that deep dragon roar, a soul-penetrating sonic attack smmed into the nine Dou King members of the Bck Submerged Army.

  "Ahh!!"

  The nine Dou King-level Bck Submerged Army members clutched their ears with both hands. Their faces contorted as they shut their eyes. They only felt a dragon's roar penetrating their minds and shaking their souls. In their consciousness, it was as if a giant dragon was raging uncontrolbly. Not even their Dou Qi defenses could stop it.

  Trickles of fresh blood flowed from their ears. Compared to the year before, Xiao Yan's Ancient Dragon Roar was on a completely different level.

  Back then, he was only a 3-star Dou Spirit; the Ancient Dragon Roar hadn't even reached entry level. Now, he was a Dou King who had spent a year cultivating it, and more importantly, his Spiritual Strength was incomparable to before.

  "Ahhh!! What is this?!"

  "My ears!!"

  Cracking sounds echoed as fissures appeared on the armor of the Bck Submerged Army members.

  The dragon roar echoed throughout the Inner Academy and even reached the Outer Academy.

  "Hmm? Is that Xiao Yan's sonic-type Dou Technique?" In the distance, Lin Yan looked toward the source of the sound.

  "Xiao Yan? Is he fighting with Zi Yan again?" Lin Xiuya slowly opened his eyes from his cultivation and looked into the distance.

  Meanwhile, Zi Yan was searching for natural treasures in the forest outside the Inner Academy when she heard the Ancient Dragon Roar. A purple light flickered in her eyes as she muttered, "That roar is filled with anger... he's fighting someone? No, I have to check on him."

  She spread her wings and hurriedly flew toward Xiao Yan's direction.

  The Ancient Dragon Roar was a Di Css sonic-type Dou Technique. Its terrifying destructive power caused countless cracks to appear on the entire hillside. Xiao Yan's eyes hardened, and his body erupted with the Ten Thousand Beast Fme to enhance his physical strength. He unleashed Mad Lion Chant.

  By relying on Three Thousand Lightning Movement, he fshed forward while the Bck Submerged Army members were still dazed. The Heavy Xuan Ruler descended with a thunderous crash, instantly shattering both the armor and the body of one of them, sending blood spraying everywhere as bone snapped.

  The Heavy Xuan Ruler weighed thousands of pounds, and coupled with Xiao Yan's monstrously strong physique, this strike was unimaginably devastating.

  Even if these Dou Kings hadn't been shaken by the Ancient Dragon Roar, they still would not have been able to withstand this. The gruesome sound of bones shattering rang out as that man smmed into the earth, flung so far that no one knew where his body would nd.

  Xiao Yan followed with several more horizontal sweeps of the Heavy Xuan Ruler, painting the ground red. Many of the Bck Submerged Army members now y colpsed in the distance, barely able to move. Even if they weren't dead, they were severely injured beyond recovery.

  Ling Ying watched with wide-eyed shock. Xiao Yan was only a 1-star Dou King, while the weakest of these Bck Submerged Army members were 5-star Dou Kings. Yet four of them were instantly dealt with and beaten to the point where their life or death was unknown, without even a chance to fight back.

  One of the more advanced Dou Kings clenched his teeth to endure the severe pain and pulled out a square sky halberd. Just as he was about to summon a Dou Technique, the dragon aura within the Ancient Dragon Roar caused his soul to tremble, making it impossible to unleash any techniques!

  Octane Bst!

  Xiao Yan turned around as this person stood shocked at his inability to use Dou Techniques. His left fist condensed with the Ten Thousand Beast Fme and, facing the thrusting square sky halberd, he punched out directly.

  BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

  That Rank 5 Monster Core Weapon was actually shattered by his single punch. The terrifying Ten Thousand Beast Fme, combined with hidden force, instantly engulfed this Dou King.

  His chest caved in directly, blood spurting from his mouth as he flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

  "Form the Four-Directions Formation!"

  The remaining four men shook their heads vigorously. Ferocious expressions appeared on their faces as they attacked Xiao Yan simultaneously from all directions.

  Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength instantly saw through their fws. With a whoosh, he threw the Heavy Xuan Ruler into the air. In the next second, the weapons in the four men's hands instantly pierced through his body.

  Sizzle sizzle sizzle!

  Sparks crackled as lightning fshed. Xiao Yan's body turned into a lightning afterimage.

  Instant Lightning!

  A fsh of lightning streaked through the middle of the four men. That speed was truly like lightning, as fast as a thunderbolt.

  In the next instant, a figure appeared behind one of the Bck Submerged Army members. Xiao Yan caught the falling Heavy Xuan Ruler, his eyes cold like the Grim Reaper harvesting lives.

  Fme Splitting Tsunami!!

  A thunderous boom sounded as the Low Di Css Fme Splitting Tsunami, cultivated to major mastery, was unleashed at close range. Even these Bck Submerged Army members from the Gu Cn, being only at the Dou King realm, found it not easy to obtain Di Css Dou Techniques, let alone cultivate them to major mastery.

  The four Bck Submerged Army members enveloped by the Ten Thousand Beast Fme could hardly believe it. How could a young master from an outside fallen cn not only reach Dou King at such a young age but also have cultivated so many Di Css Dou Techniques!

  And even possessed a Heavenly Fme!

  The terrifying explosion turned the small hillside into a massive crater. The st four Bck Submerged Army members were bsted away like charred logs. Their bck armor could only barely preserve their lives.

  Cp. Cp.

  In the middle of that crimson sea of fire, a man holding a bck ruler walked steadily forward, as though emerging from the depths of the underworld.

  Xiao Yan's face remained composed, and his eyes were calm. Yet anyone looking at him now could tell what kind of mood he was in.

  The Fme Mantra was erupting like never before, absorbing the surrounding energy at high speed into Xiao Yan's body, quickly replenishing the Dou Qi he had just consumed.

  Even Ling Ying held his breath. At this moment, anyone would need to carefully consider whether they could withstand Xiao Yan in his current state.

  Xiao Yan raised the Heavy Xuan Ruler. His killing intent was chilling, and he looked imposing from every angle. He had been desperately cultivating for this very day, so that when someone tried to take away what was precious to him, he could use his fists to tell them:

  Today, as long as I stand here, I'd like to see who can take her away!

  Ling Ying fell silent. Those Bck Submerged Army had a cool name, but to put it bluntly, they were equivalent to the cn's guard corps. All the Gu Cn members who joined the Bck Submerged Army were people whose Dou God Bloodline was below Grade 4 but had reached the Dou King realm in strength.

  But even if their Dou God Bloodline was below Grade 4, they still possessed the Dou God Bloodline. Whether in cultivation speed or Dou Qi, they would be stronger than ordinary Dou Kings, not to mention the Gu Cn's abundant resources.

  It was unimaginable that they would be instantly crushed by a 1-star Dou King!

  "Haha, a bit interesting. Even though those people were just new recruits of the Bck Submerged Army with lowly bloodlines, you were able to defeat them so easily. If I'm not mistaken, you have received the inheritance of the Xiao Cn, right?" Ling Quan sneered coldly. In spite of Xiao Yan's imposing approach, his look of disdain remained.

  Upon hearing this, Ling Ying's heart suddenly trembled, and his pupils filled with shock! Because at this moment, he finally understood why Xiao Yan did this, why he left Jia Nan Academy four years ago to roam the world, and why he so desperately pursued strength!

  It was all for this day!

  'He had long anticipated that this day would come! Anticipated that the Gu Cn would send people to take the Young Miss away!'

  Ling Ying, who had been shadowing Xiao Yan all along, had always harbored a doubt in his heart: what was Xiao Yan's reason for wanting to become stronger?

  Now he knew. Xiao Yan had risked his life to obtain Heavenly Fmes and seek strength, all for the purpose of today!

  It was not to forcibly keep Xun Er, but to tell those elders behind her: He, Xiao Yan, could defeat the people of their Gu Cn. He possessed limitless potential and was worthy of Xun Er.

  To tell the Gu Cn: The Xiao Cn was not gone!

  He, Xiao Yan, would someday lead the Xiao Cn to the glory it once had!

  This battle was a signal to the Gu Cn that, regardless of whether they sent the so-called Bck Submerged Army's Deputy Commander, he, Xiao Yan of the Xiao Cn, could still cross realms to defeat them!