Chapter 96: Overwhelming Dominance!

"A seventh-rank magical beast?"

"The emperor of the Magical Beast Mountain Range has broken through to the seventh rank?"

The expressions of the five elders behind Xie Shan turned to shock upon hearing this. They stared in awe and disbelief at the enormous body of the Amethyst Winged Lion King. Among the five, two were Dou Zong, and three were at the peak of Dou Wang; they were well aware of the difficulty of such a breakthrough.

Moreover, it was even harder for a magical beast. Due to the constraints of their bloodline, magical beasts faced an even more formidable challenge in breaking through their limits. The elders knew well how unfathomable such an achievement was.

"Hmph—, with the assistance of my master, I have reached my current state. Xie Shan, summon Xie Bi Yan, or else... I will flatten your Wan Scorpion Gate today!"

Witnessing the varied expressions of the elders, the Amethyst Winged Lion King glanced at them with disdain, raising its head arrogantly as it spoke.

As its words dropped, an immense pressure emanated simultaneously from the two beasts, pressing fiercely toward Xie Shan and the others.

"Another seventh-rank magical beast!!!"

Seeing the sudden burst of aura from the other side, and realizing that the other Amethyst Winged Lion King was also at the seventh rank, Xie Shan's face changed. A surge of powerful Dou Qi erupted from him, and the five strong Dou Zong and Dou Wang figures behind him also roared furiously, placing their palms on Xie Shan's shoulders, injecting an overwhelming amount of Dou Qi into him like a tide.

Receiving such a massive infusion of Dou Qi, Xie Shan's face turned crimson. With a thought, he wildly unleashed his immense Dou Qi, clashing fiercely with the Dou Qi released by the Amethyst Winged Lion King.

"Boom —"

After a thunderous explosion, Xie Shan and his companions eventually ran out of energy, letting out a muffled groan and being forced back dozens of meters.

"Since Xie Bi Yan refuses to come out, there is no need for your Wan Scorpion Gate to exist anymore!" As if afraid of Yun Yi's impatience, after a single strike, the Amethyst Winged Lion King's gaze suddenly turned cold. Surrounded by purple flames, its aura grew even more violent.

"Amethyst Lava Cut!"

Following a sharp cry, the purple flames around the Amethyst Winged Lion King suddenly surged toward Xie Shan and his group. Midway, the flames fused into a single purple flame slash, creating countless traces visible to the naked eye in the sky due to the terrifying heat.

Seeing the formidable attack of the Amethyst Winged Lion King, Xie Shan and the others turned pale. As expected, Dou Zong level power was beyond their ability to withstand; the terrifying heat from the purple flames could reduce a Dou Wang to ashes.

"Presumptuous—"

Just as the purple flame slash was about to reach within ten meters of them, a loud, thick voice erupted. An old figure mysteriously appeared in mid-air, and the crutch in his hand struck the void fiercely. A vast expanse of Dou Qi erupted from his body, forming a light curtain that enveloped the ten-meter space in front of them.

"Boom—"

The purple flame slash crashed fiercely into the light curtain, causing ripples, but the curtain remained stubbornly upright without any sign of dissipating.

The old man wore simple clothes, his aged face expressionless. Yet, his murky eyes concealed a chilling sharpness. A black crutch with a sinister scorpion head at the upper end emitted faint purple glows from the head's forehead.

Seeing the newcomer, the members of Wan Scorpion Gate hurriedly bowed with respect and breathed a sigh of relief. Their backbone had arrived, and they no longer had to face a Dou Zong directly with such trepidation.

"How dare these two beasts run wild in my Wan Scorpion Gate; bring out your master and stop playing tricks!"

Xie Bi Yan's murky gaze swept over the Amethyst Winged Lion King. Sensing its Dou Qi was only equivalent to a one or two-star Dou Zong, he relaxed and spoke coldly.

"You wish to meet my master, you still—" Infuriated by Xie Bi Yan's dismissiveness, the Amethyst Winged Lion King roared angrily.

"Amethyst!" At this moment, a calm voice rang out, carrying a peculiar power that made everyone present feel an unusual tranquility, causing Xie Bi Yan's heart to skip a beat.

To achieve such an effect with just a voice demonstrated the coming person's high soul cultivation – this suggested a truly formidable opponent.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a slender hand lifted the curtain of a carriage, and Yun Yi slowly emerged.

However, his appearance left everyone present stunned.

Too young. Although he seemed to be eighteen or nineteen years old, the vigorous vitality on his face still clearly indicated his youthful age.

"Young Master!" The Amethyst Winged Lion King gazed at Yun Yi, lowering its giant head in unparalleled fanaticism. Even if Yun Yi commanded them to die the next second, they would do so without hesitation.

In their perception, from the moment they left the Magical Beast Mountain Range, their lives no longer belonged to them.

This was the fearsome aspect of Huo Nu; it wouldn't make you lose your rationality entirely. You remained yourself, but with the addition of a master for whom you could sacrifice everything.

The Amethyst Winged Lion King's demeanor caused Xie Bi Yan's pupils to constrict, entirely dispelling any illusions in his mind. The newcomer truly hailed from an unknown powerful force.

To the point where they could use seventh-rank magical beasts as mounts – their origin was unimaginable.

"Xie Bi Yan!" Yun Yi's gaze fell on Xie Bi Yan at this moment, and he spoke in a calm tone, "From today onwards, the Wan Scorpion Gate will work for me. Do you agree?"

Accompanied by the domineering voice that echoed in everyone's ears, Yun Yi's straightforward manner revealed an inherent sense of authority, as if discussing an incontestable matter.

At this point, the members of the Wan Scorpion Gate looked up in astonishment.

They saw in the firmament above, in front of the pitch-black chariot, a figure in white robes looking down upon everything, speaking slowly. Beside him lay two majestic and awe-inspiring magical beast emperors. At this moment, he radiated a brilliant light, resembling a deity, noble and extraordinary. 

The sunlight reflected off his heroic and handsome face.

Even the experienced Xie Bi Yan was momentarily struck dumb by the sight of Yun Yi.

"..."

After a prolonged silence, Yun Yi's brows furrowed slightly, his cold and deep gaze sweeping over the scene.

"Aaaah—"

In an instant, a dragon's roar echoed, and behind Yun Yi, black mist surged, revealing a massive coiling shadow. It was a pitch-black demon dragon enveloped in dark, sinister flames, obscuring the sky, filling everyone present with terror.

"Heavens, what is that?"

"It's a dragon—, there's a real dragon amidst the black mist—"

"There are dragons in the Northwest Continent, how terrifying!"

A chorus of exclamations erupted, people were incredibly shocked. Besides the Amethyst Winged Lion King, there was still a back-up plan – who exactly was this traveling noble!

"Submit—"

"Or Die—"

The next moment, Yun Yi's indifferent voice resonated. Simultaneously, he exuded an abyssal aura, pressing down on Xie Bi Yan.

"Ugh—"

A muffled groan sounded as Xie Bi Yan stepped back under Yun Yi's pressure.

"How is this possible—"

At this moment, Xie Bi Yan didn't have the luxury to worry about his injuries. Instead, he stared at Yun Yi in shock.

The others might not see it, but he definitely did.

That wasn't another magical beast; it was a manifestation created by Yun Yi, which only astonished Xie Bi Yan further. How old was Yun Yi?

Probably not even a fraction of his age, yet he had already reached the same realm – how could he accept this!

With no reply coming, Yun Yi, being decisive in his actions, clenched his fist, generating a turbulent airflow that produced massive white waves.

"Rumbling Thunder—"

The terrifying force of the punch tore open the sky. The demon dragon behind him moved, its tail sweeping and bringing a sea of fire towards Xie Bi Yan.

"No!"

Sensing the terrifying power, Xie Bi Yan's expression changed drastically. His figure trembled, and he fiercely swung his crutch, releasing five foul-smelling, venomous beams from the scorpion head on the crutch, which merged in mid-air into a larger venomous python aiming at the demon dragon.

Boom—

The fierce energies clashed in the void, producing a series of hissing noises, and faint smoke rose.

"Soul Funeral!"

Once started, Yun Yi's attacks were relentless like a storm.

Condensing Dou Qi in his hand, a strange rune appeared. As Dou Qi gathered, the rune turned blood red, seeming to come to life before melting into the void.

"Boom!"

A vast black energy vortex emerged from the void, spinning rapidly, almost as if it were absorbing the surrounding space.

Encircling the black energy vortex were countless hideous soul bodies, wailing and moaning without cease.

In an instant, the whole sky filled with eerie winds.

Staring at the black vortex for too long felt like one's soul would be sucked into it.

"Woo woo woo!"

The black vortex, with mournful and eerie cries, brought a destructive force towards Xie Bi Yan.

"Blood Soul Art!"

Faced with the incoming attack, Xie Bi Yan's face changed drastically. He yelled angrily, stamping his crutch in the void, his clothes shredding, and a blood-colored giant scorpion tattoo on his body squirmed as though it were alive.

With a shift in his hand seals, the Blood Demon Scorpion Tattoo seeped into his body, causing a drastic transformation. His hands turned into blood-red pincers.

Soon, he turned into a half-human, half-scorpion monster, seeping with blood while a fierce, murderous aura erupted from him.

"I don't care who you are or who backs you, if you want my life, then today, I'll make you my first victims after perfecting the Blood Soul Art!"

Now with his power surging to five-star Dou Zong levels due to his technique, he turned maniacal, his red eyes fixed on Yun Yi and the Amethyst Winged Lion King.

With a burst of fierce and murderous aura, his colossal pincers lunged at Yun Yi.

"Great Burning Flame Palm!"

Watching the charging Xie Bi Yan with the aura comparable to five-star Dou Zong, Yun Yi showed no signs of worry. He casually extended his right palm, pressing toward Xie Bi Yan.

Buzzing sound!

High above, the black dragon roared, transforming into an enormous black flame hand over a hundred meters wide, descending towards Xie Bi Yan in sync with Yun Yi's gesture.

"Damn—"

"How can you be so strong!"

Facing the descent of the flame hand, shockwaves of disbelief surged through Xie Bi Yan's heart. How could someone so young possess such terrifying power and techniques?

With no time to ponder, and the immense energy oppression closing in, Xie Bi Yan's expression shifted several times. Grabbing his subordinates behind him, he tossed them into the incoming flame hand.

"Patriarch—"

Before they could scream, the Dou Huangs and Dou Wangs met their doom.

Seeing the flame hand left unimpeded, Xie Bi Yan's face contorted in fear. His hands moved rapidly, converging his entire Dou Qi into a pitch-black energy ball.

With the energy ball formed, Xie Bi Yan's aura plummeted drastically. Gritting his teeth, he flicked the ball at the oncoming flame hand.

Boom—

The two forces, both potent enough to stun a Dou Zong, collided. Yet, contrary to expectations, no stalemate occurred. The black flame hand, like an abyss, quickly corroded the black ball.

In Xie Bi Yan's disbelieving gaze, the black ball vanished within moments, and the unstoppable flame hand descended upon him.

"No—"

With his Dou Qi nearly exhausted, Xie Bi Yan could not resist. His final shout of defiance was snuffed as the flame hand reduced his body and soul to ashes, leaving only a vast handprint scorched into the earth.

All was silent!

Only then did the disciples of the Wan Scorpion Gate react, exchanging bewildered looks.

"The sect master is dead!"

"It seems the old sect master is also dead!"

"What do we do now?"

"..."

"Kill them all," Yun Yi commanded indifferently as he turned and returned to the chariot, his cold and murderous voice resonating, causing the Amethyst Winged Lion King to tremble.

"Roar—" With two roars, the Amethyst Winged Lion King, like a wolf among sheep, began slaughtering the surviving members of the Wan Scorpion Gate.

The purple inferno blazed, lighting up the entire mountain range. With all the top combatants gone, the remaining disciples of the Wan Scorpion Gate stood no chance, facing nothing but slaughter.

Not long after, examining the few storage rings laid out on the table – the spoils of Wan Scorpion Gate – Yun Yi pondered the additional souls in his soul pouch.

"Wan Scorpion Gate is still too small. Amethyst, head to the Heavenly Snake Empire!"

(Chapter End)