After a hard clash, Ye Yang was still pushed against the wall of the Fire Qilin Cave. His True Qi was slightly disordered, surging within him, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. The Breaking Flame Sword trembled slightly, its blade shimmering with a faint azure glow, as the cyclone within him slowly circulated, powered by the Dragon Power he possessed.
In contrast, the Fire Qilin had suffered from a hit of Blazing Inferno, leaving a faint sword mark on its forehead. Its front claws retracted slightly, trembling as a deep gash appeared between its sharp claws, accompanied by a low growl. Its injuries were even more severe than Ye Yang's.
"Glug!"
Ye Yang swallowed hard, the Breaking Flame Sword emitting a subtle Dragon Roar. A slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, his clear eyes filled with confidence as he laughed heartily, "Beast, I will definitely slay you with my second strike!"
"Hong Hong!"
With energy surging forth, the Fire Element surged wildly, instantly elevating his power to its peak state. What followed was the second strike of the recently learned Fire God Three Strikes—Purgatory Flame Blade!
"Roar!"
The Fire Qilin seemed to sense the imminent danger; its life was under intense threat. Its fur stood on end as it suddenly stomped its hind legs against the ground and leaped high into the air, taking the initiative to attack first!
In Ye Yang's eyes, the Fire Qilin's claws grew larger as they aimed directly at his neck with overwhelming force, like a mountain roaring and a sea surging, as if it could tear through space itself.
"Beast!"
Ye Yang shouted angrily, his left palm suddenly opening wide. The blue yin-yang fish flowed slowly as an incredibly profound Void Power surged forth. The essence of Heaven and Earth Shield was clear in his mind; the Fire Qilin's furious strike was rendered completely ineffective as if it had vanished into thin air.
What was worse was that the Fire Qilin's claws could not be retracted; it seemed bound and completely restrained by this young man before it.
The wind howled fiercely, accompanied by a faint Dragon Roar. Ye Yang's second sword strike carried with it the might of thunder and wind, resembling the emergence of a celestial dragon. The Breaking Flame Sword acted like a Divine Weapon from beyond the heavens, completely locking onto the Fire Qilin and rendering it unable to move an inch as he fiercely slashed down!
"Slash!"
With a crisp sound, Blade swept through, blood gushing like a fountain. The near-screaming roar of Fire Qilin was abruptly cut off, and the massive head of Ling Kong flew through the air in an arc.
"Smack!"
Ye Yang opened his hand and firmly grasped the mane on Fire Qilin's head. Indeed, with Ye Yang's significant improvement in cultivation, the combination of Fire God Fragment True Qi and Dragon Power resulted in impressive attack power. Just two strikes were enough to slay a Ninth-Grade Beast, far surpassing the clumsy Ye Family boy he once was.
Looking at the head of Fire Qilin in his hands, Ye Yang took a deep breath, calming the nearly boiling True Qi within him. Although it seemed simple, Ye Yang had already used all his skills. In fact, he could only remember the first two strikes taught by Dreamfire God Warrior; the third strike felt elusive and completely slipped from his memory.
Lifting the Breaking Flame Sword, he thrust it forcefully into Fire Qilin's head, reaching inside to retrieve a Core. This was a gem infused with fiery energy, a Core from a Ninth-Grade Beast—truly priceless!
Now, Ye Yang possessed three Ninth-Grade Beast Cores in total, along with twenty-one Earth Scorpion Cores. The Cores from Eighth-Stage Beasts were also extremely valuable. However, what Ye Yang valued most was a Thunder Core he owned; it was produced by the Starry Sky Beast Silver Armored Dragon, making this Core exceptionally precious—worth its weight in gold!
...
Carrying Fire Qilin's head, he stepped out of the Fire Qilin Cave.
At the foot of the mountain, a group of Hidden Dragon Hall guards stood respectfully on either side of the path. When they saw Ye Yang appear with Fire Qilin's head in hand, they all knelt on one knee, their expressions filled with respect.
Elder Qingxuan stood before the Pavilion and said with a smile, "Ye Yang, you have passed numerous trials and become the heir of Hidden Dragon Hall. From now on, you must take it upon yourself to uphold justice and eliminate evil; do not let down our expectations for you..."
Ye Yang smiled slightly but couldn't fathom what this old man truly expected from him.
"Ye Yang, rest at Hidden Dragon Hall tonight. Tomorrow, I will assign you your first mission!"
"First mission?"
"Yes, heirs of Hidden Dragon Hall traditionally gain experience outside. You will wield the power of dragons to slay demons and vanquish evil. Once you complete enough missions, I will teach you the ultimate skill of Hidden Dragon Hall: The Hidden Dragon Technique!"
Ye Yang was momentarily stunned. "Secret technique? Then why not teach it to me now?"
Elder Qingxuan smiled slightly. "It's different. Although you are already the Heir of the Hidden Dragon Hall, your mind has not been tempered through experience. Only after you complete the task outside can I pass on the Hidden Dragon Technique to you. This has been the principle upheld by the Hidden Dragon Hall for countless years."
"Alright..."
Ye Yang waved his hand. In fact, he wasn't particularly eager for the Hidden Dragon Technique. As long as he mastered his True Fire God Technique, supplemented by the Three Styles of Fire God and the Heaven and Earth Shield, he would be capable of both offense and defense, enough to look down upon the world. Moreover, he understood the simple truth that one should not be greedy.
"By the way, Elder, my two friends are still in the Dragon Abyss..." Ye Yang finally remembered Zhang Tianhe and Yun Xiaoxi.
Elder Qingxuan laughed heartily. "No worries, your two friends are waiting for you at the entrance of Dragon Abyss Mountain. Also, don't call me Elder anymore; from now on, you are my disciple, so call me Master!"
"Yes, Master!"
Ye Yang glanced at Elder Qingxuan and noticed that he seemed even poorer than himself. It appeared there would be no gifts exchanged, so he didn't bother asking for anything. He clasped his fists and said, "Master, please tell me the task for this outing immediately. I am worried about my father at home and cannot stay here for long."
Azure Xuan nodded and smiled. "It's very simple. For this trip out of the mountain, you only need to kill one person."
"Who?"
"The Lord of Liang City, Pang Jing!"
"Oh? Why do we need to kill him?" Ye Yang asked in surprise.
Azure Xuan's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "This person came to Dragon Abyss ten years ago and narrowly escaped with his life. However, he used despicable means to kill two of our patrol guards from Hidden Dragon Hall. Hmph! If this person is not eliminated, what dignity will remain for Hidden Dragon Hall? Moreover, I have heard rumors that Pang Jing rules over a territory but behaves tyrannically in Liang City, indistinguishable from those corrupt officials of Qin State. His death is not a loss; you should kill him and bring his head to see me!"
Ye Yang nodded heavily. "I will obey your command!"
"Well! I'll have the Guardian Dragon take you to the Dragon Abyss!"
"Okay!"
...
At the entrance of the Dragon Abyss, thunder rumbled and rain poured down.
Zhang Tianhe clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he said, "Two days have already passed. What on earth happened to Zi Yu in this Dragon Abyss?"
Yun Xiaoxi opened her eyes, her beautiful gaze calm as water. However, upon hearing Zhang Tianhe's words, a ripple stirred in her heart, and she couldn't help but stand up, looking towards the deep bottom of the Dragon Abyss.
Suddenly, a dragon's roar echoed, and the Azure Dragon reappeared!
"Ah?!"
Yun Xiaoxi stumbled back several steps, her stunning face filled with shock. Not only did she see the Azure Dragon, but she also noticed a figure standing steadily atop its head, someone who looked familiar.
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