Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor
Chapter 80: Didn’t even get an advantage at eighty

Chapter 80: Didn’t even get an advantage at eighty

Relative to the acupoints on the arms, those on the back are far more crucial; if Yun Xiao manages to execute the Fuxue Technique accurately, I’m afraid Xuan Zhi would lose his combat capabilities in an instant, rendered completely numb and sore.

Many spectators harbor a peculiar anticipation upon witnessing this moment; they knew Zhao Ningshu had just suffered greatly from such a misfortune, resulting in a total collapse. Could it be that the Third Prince of the Xuanyue Empire will follow in Zhao Ningshu’s footsteps?

The truth demonstrates that, be it Meridian Qi Cultivation or reflex speed, Xuan Zhi is not comparable to Zhao Ningshu. Perhaps this is the disparity in cultivation resources, or maybe Xuan Zhi’s Power of Soul is ultimately much stronger than that of Zhao Ningshu.

However, as Yun Xiao’s right hand index and middle fingers were about to touch Xuan Zhi’s back, the Third Prince shifted his entire body several feet to the left with remarkable agility, causing Yun Xiao’s Fuxue strike to miss instantly.

"The mere Fuxue Technique, what can it do to me?" It must be said, the Third Prince of the Xuanyue Empire is indeed far more knowledgeable; a technique like Fuxue that ordinary families might never have heard of, he recognized at a glance, along with a hint of disdain in his tone.

In reality, Xuan Zhi was sweating bullets internally; precisely because he understood the fierceness of the Fuxue Technique did he realize that if he had been struck by Yun Xiao, he might have instantly fallen into a numb state, giving his opponent a chance.

Even with Yun Xiao’s Meridian Qi Cultivation, hitting an acupoint might not necessarily break Xuan Zhi’s defense. But as the esteemed Third Prince, how could he afford to be punched and swell up like Zhao Ningshu? Where would he put his face?

Xuan Zhi, who originally looked down on Yun Xiao, after exchanging rapid blows, has put away some of his arrogance. Although this boy is only at the Peak of Meridian Introduction Realm, those tactics are indeed unpredictable.

Xuan Zhi will never forget the day in Medicine Valley when a patch of skin and flesh was burned off his left arm—an experience that will haunt him for a lifetime.

It seems Yun Xiao is aware that Xuan Zhi has his guards up against the Ancestral Vein Fire; he didn’t unfold his strongest measure at the start, knowing that invoking the Ancestral Vein Fire consumes a great deal of Meridian Qi.

Yun Xiao doesn’t lose heart after missing his strike. If the Third Prince in the Meridian Gathering Realm Middle Stage could be dealt with so easily, then the Xuanyue Royal Family wouldn’t have dominated the Xuanyue Empire for a thousand years.

But as Yun Xiao readies himself to change tactics and attack anew, he realizes that his right arm, still not retracted, is somewhat immobile.

Xuan Zhi, who had just broken out in a cold sweat, hadn’t been idling; as he moved several feet to the side, his left hand swung out in tandem, grabbing hold of Yun Xiao’s right wrist with precision. It must be said, the Third Prince’s reaction was extraordinarily quick.

Yun Xiao has numerous tactics, many of which are rarely seen strong techniques on the Hidden Dragon Continent, but Meridian Qi Cultivation has always been his weakness.

Regardless, Yun Xiao’s Meridian Qi Cultivation is two minor realms below Xuan Zhi, and there’s a huge chasm of a Great Rank between them. Thus, he always avoids direct confrontations of Meridian Qi with stronger opponents and would rather use cunning moves.

However, Xuan Zhi’s reaction and maneuver were beyond what Yun Xiao anticipated. The Third Prince from the Royal Family changed his tactics rapidly, transforming defense into attack in an instant. Such finesse does indeed surpass Zhao Ningshu and Cao Luo by more than just a little.

"Not good!" With his right wrist trapped by Xuan Zhi, Yun Xiao just started to feel alarmed when he saw a familiar pale-white glow flash before his eyes, aimed straight at his right arm.

Back in Medicine Valley, that very glint of pale-white light had snatched away the Purple Energy Flower Lotus right before his eyes, so he immediately realized it was Xuan Zhi’s peculiar weapon—a very sharp one at that.

Yun Xiao is not wrong in his guess; Xuan Zhi is ruthless and never hesitates. After his flesh was seared by Yun Xiao’s Meridian Fire and he was forced to slice off a piece of his skin, he now plans to make up for his own loss with Yun Xiao’s right arm.

While restraining Yun Xiao’s left hand, Xuan Zhi’s right hand has already drawn a crescent-shaped white weapon from his waist. With a single slash aimed at the base of Yun Xiao’s right arm, he violently chops down.

Many in the crowd speculate at this moment, especially Zhao Ningshu and Cao Luo, whose faces reveal joy, for they had seen with their own eyes the sharpness of this peculiar weapon in Medicine Valley.

Even the Red-tailed Tiger Crocodile, known for its incredible defensive power and ranked as a Low Level Third Rank, had its head chopped off with one strike from this weapon—let alone the frail human frame of Yun Xiao.

They all believe that if Xuan Zhi’s slash truly cuts across Yun Xiao’s arm, then no matter what, the latter would be powerless to turn the tide. That right arm is destined to be lost.

Even in Xuan Zhi’s heart, he thought the same. He could sense Yun Xiao’s struggle with his right hand, but under the crushing force of his own Meridian Qi at the Meridian Gathering Realm Middle Stage, he believed all struggles were in vain. At least, before his weapon sliced across Yun Xiao’s arm, the kid would absolutely be unable to break free.

"Hmm?"

But in the next moment, just as Xuan Zhi felt a sudden scorching heat in the palm of his left hand, everyone watched agape as the Third Prince of the Xuanyue Imperial Family, who was on the verge of cutting off Yun Xiao’s arm, hurriedly released Yun Xiao’s right wrist with his left hand.

To all the onlookers, this scene was utterly puzzling. They knew Xuan Zhi was not the kind to show mercy, but why would he suddenly let go at such a critical moment when victory seemed assured?

It turned out that Xuan Zhi had sensed the burning power emanating from Yun Xiao’s right palm at that moment. Having suffered a great loss before, he immediately recognized what it was. Acting decisively without hesitation, he dared not gamble with his own arm.

If Xuan Zhi had not withdrawn his hand, his right-hand weapon might have cut through Yun Xiao’s right arm, but his own left arm might not have been spared either, for he was all too familiar with that intense heat—it was the same formidable Meridian Fire that had once stripped flesh from his bones in Medicine Valley.

Seeing Xuan Zhi retract his hand, Yun Xiao also breathed a huge sigh of relief, simultaneously thanking his lucky stars that it was his right hand employing the Fuxue Technique. If it had been his left hand, he might have actually found himself overturned in the gutter this time.

In that hair’s-breadth moment just now, Yun Xiao had not hesitated to invoke his Ancestral Vein Fire, and it was the sensing of this overpowering flame that caused Xuan Zhi to withdraw his hand in such a fluster.

However, although Xuan Zhi had withdrawn his left hand, his right hand didn’t pause at all; it seemed he was still counting on Yun Xiao being too slow to retract his hand, and perhaps would end up having his right arm severed by this stroke after all.

But Xuan Zhi underestimated him. Yun Xiao might not match him in the density of Meridian Qi, but when it came to responsiveness and speed, it wasn’t necessarily true that Yun Xiao was much inferior.

Therefore, what everyone witnessed at this moment was such a dangerous scene: Xuan Zhi’s oddly-shaped weapon swung down in an arc, but Yun Xiao’s right arm ultimately still wasn’t cut, narrowly withdrawing before the blade could reach him.

"Phew..."

Although it was just a lightning-quick move, although it only happened in the span of a single breath, the crowd felt as though they had experienced an incredibly drawn-out period of time.

It was only after Yun Xiao perfectly withdrew his arm that everyone let out a huge sigh of relief. In those moments, they had been holding their breath, not even daring to let out a whisper.

For the younger talents like Tan Yun and Ling Wan, who had a good relationship with Yun Xiao, it was naturally a moment of great relief, but for those like Zhao Ningshu and Cao Luo who harbored grudges against Yun Xiao, their mood was far from pleasant.

Zhao Ningshu and company had always believed that Yun Xiao’s arm would be severed in an instant, thus viewing the Third Prince’s actions as vicarious revenge on their behalf.

Who would have known that Yun Xiao still had such an astonishing move up his sleeve? Up to this point, Zhao Ningshu and Cao Luo, both talents of the Meridian Gathering Realm, seemed to have guessed what Yun Xiao had just employed—undoubtedly, it was that indomitable Ancestral Vein Fire.

If it weren’t for those peculiar blood-red flames, with Xuan Zhi’s level of Meridian Qi Cultivation, how could he possibly have withdrawn his hand at such a critical moment, allowing Yun Xiao to narrowly escape disaster?

Compared to Zhao Ningshu and Cao Luo, Xuan Zhi, as the person involved, had an even gloomier expression. To be honest, his immediate reaction to switch from defense to offense at that moment made him extremely pleased with himself. Yet even so, he still failed to injure Yun Xiao. Instead, the palm of his own hand was scorched with a tingling pain.

However, this had only served to intensify the killing intent towards Yun Xiao in Xuan Zhi’s heart. The kid was much younger than him, yet his methods were exceedingly peculiar and marvelous.

On top of that, Yun Xiao possessed the Fire Attribute Ancestor Vein, and very likely was also a genuine Meridian Refining Master. This deepened the imbalance in Xuan Zhi’s heart.

He was the esteemed Third Prince of the Xuanyue Empire, showered in Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, with a Spiritual Rank Meridian Refining Master constantly refining his meridians, enabling him to activate his Ancestor Vein and become a Meridian Refining Master.

What merits did this Yun Xiao possess, and what qualifications did he have to stand on an equal footing with himself?

The habitual pride of the royal family caused Xuan Zhi to feel extremely aggrieved. In his view, everyone who saw him should be kowtowing and fawning over him; even the two great Inner Sect geniuses of the Jade Pot Sect were polite and courteous to him, weren’t they?

But Yun Xiao was such a thorn in his side, not only disregarding the stature of the Third Son of the Royal Family but also stealing the Purple Energy Flower Lotus that belonged to him, and even making him lose a piece of flesh. This deep humiliation—if Xuan Zhi couldn’t avenge it, it might even affect his future Cultivation path and his martial heart.

"Young man, you should feel honored that this prince has resorted to this move!"