Chapter 28: Awakening Potential
Yao Nong? Seal the space?!
Mu Xiao, just about to leave, froze upon hearing Yao Yan's words. His heart sank and goosebumps erupted all over his body. A suffocating sense of impending death overwhelmed him. Without hesitation, he unleashed his Dou Qi and activated his Dou Qi wings, turning into a streak of light as he tried to escape toward Shennong City.
Too late.
High in the sky, a figure had silently appeared, standing upon the void as though it were a calm lake, ripples emanating beneath his feet. He raised his hand and grasped the air—immediately sealing off the space within dozens of miles. An invisible barrier locked the area like an overturned bowl over the land.
Shua!
Mu Xiao came to a stiff halt mid-air, his expression grim as he looked at the sealed space. He raised his head toward the figure in the sky and cupped his fists. "Senior of the Yao Clan, there may be a misunderstanding here. Please, for the sake of my position as a disciple of the Shennong Sect, allow me to explain."
The hovering Yao Nong gave no reply. He stood in the void coldly, silently awaiting the conclusion of this beast-in-a-cage struggle.
At the same time—
A sharp sound of air being torn echoed from behind Mu Xiao. Yao Yan was charging through the sky, stepping through the air with Soaring Dragon's Chant. Each movement shattered the air beneath his feet, and his burning gaze locked onto Mu Xiao.
He's treating me like a whetstone?!
Mu Xiao instantly understood Yao Yan's intent. A wave of indignation and hatred surged in his chest. Yet he had no choice but to endure it—and even cooperate, allowing Yao Yan to train his body-refining Dou Techniques. He clenched his fists tightly, golden Dou Qi swirling around him as he suppressed his fury. In a low voice, he said, "Senior, aren't you worried I might cripple him?!"
No response came—only Yao Yan's fist. That solid, forceful punch slammed into Mu Xiao's arm, making it sting.
"Damn it!"
Mu Xiao was completely enraged. Cursing inwardly, his Dou Qi surged as he raised his hand and formed a golden palm several meters wide. He slammed it down on Yao Yan like swatting a fly, crushing everything in its path and pinning Yao Yan to the ground.
Boom!
The ground trembled violently with a deafening crash.
But instead of joy, Mu Xiao's breathing grew ragged. He glanced nervously toward the hovering Yao Nong, worried the mysterious powerhouse might swat him to death with a slap.
Yet the man made no move.
Instead, laughter rang out from below. "As expected, the force of a Dou Huang hits hard. Hahaha!"
Amidst the dust and rubble, Yao Yan appeared again in Mu Xiao's line of sight. His clothes were somewhat torn, but his aura remained completely unaffected. He wasn't even visibly injured. Instead, his eyes shone even brighter, burning with fervent battle spirit as he stared at Mu Xiao.
Yao Yan patted the dust from his clothes and smiled lightly. "Come down. My movement technique isn't agile in the air. If you fight me without Dou Qi wings and manage to beat me until I can't continue, I'll let you leave. How about that?"
He could tell Mu Xiao was holding back, clearly unwilling to go all out against him. That wasn't what he wanted.
"Are you serious?"
Mu Xiao's eyes lit up slightly with hope as he asked in a deep voice.
"I have no reason to lie to you," Yao Yan replied calmly.
Mu Xiao glanced at Yao Nong, hesitated for a moment, and then descended—he had no choice but to bet on Yao Yan's word. As for the idea of capturing Yao Yan to use him as leverage against Yao Nong… such a move would be idiotic in front of someone at or beyond the Dou Zong level.
Yao Yan rolled his shoulders, then took a sixth-grade Body Tempering Pill from his storage ring and swallowed it. Illusionary Gold Flame surged around him as the pill's medicinal effects flowed through his limbs and bones. He exhaled deeply and said, "Let's begin."
With that, he charged again, fists just as plain but full of terrifying power.
At the first level, the Indestructible Vajra Body could only shatter air. But at the second level, it could distort space and launch shockwave cannons capable of devastating force.
Boom! Boom!
The two clashed violently, their battle echoing across the land.
Yao Yan fought more and more comfortably. Every part of his body became a weapon, relentlessly targeting Mu Xiao's vital spots without the slightest mercy.
Mu Xiao, however, grew more and more alarmed. He could clearly feel that Yao Yan's strength was steadily increasing—without limit. It was as if his body held boundless potential. With every clash, more of that strength poured out.
At first, he could suppress Yao Yan and knock him flying with ease. But now, the boy could withstand his attacks.
Unbelievable.
He even had the absurd feeling that if this went on, he might be the one to lose.
Mu Xiao decided to stop holding back and end it in one move.
"Mysterious Tier Mid-Grade—Razor Gold Feathers!"
He retreated several steps to widen the gap, quickly forming hand seals. His Dou Qi surged, condensing into hundreds of razor-sharp golden feathers in front of him. Under the sunlight, they sparkled brilliantly before sweeping toward Yao Yan.
Yao Yan's eyes narrowed. He released his soul force to track the feathers and began smashing them with his fists. But there were simply too many.
Soon, he was engulfed by the golden feathers. They rained down like a storm, pounding his body with overwhelming force.
"Stay down!"
Mu Xiao's eyes turned icy. Not only did he hold nothing back—he increased the power of his attack. He intended to settle things with this blow. Whether or not it would cripple or kill Yao Yan wasn't his concern. That mysterious powerhouse above certainly wasn't a decoration.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each feather was like an artillery shell, ravaging the battlefield. The thunderous explosions seemed enough to level the entire forest within miles.
After a dozen breaths passed—
Mu Xiao frowned. He could clearly sense that Yao Yan's vitality wasn't weakening—instead, it was increasing. Yes, his life force had started to surge violently after facing fatal attacks. It was becoming more intense with each moment.
His expression darkened. Gritting his teeth, he rapidly formed new seals. His Dou Qi erupted once more as the countless golden feathers gathered into a massive golden sword, over ten meters long.
This was a derivative Dou Technique of Razor Gold Feathers—the more destructive Mysterious Tier High-Grade technique, Golden Sword Technique. It pushed the sharpness of metal-attributed Dou Qi to its limit. With his strength as a three-star Dou Huang, it could lethally wound even a six-star Dou Huang. If a nine-star Dou Huang wasn't careful, they could suffer serious injury.
"Slash!"
Mu Xiao's eyes locked onto Yao Yan's aura, and he sent the golden sword crashing down.
This scene naturally fell into Yao Nong's view. With his soul force, he could easily sense the entire battlefield, including the changes within Yao Yan. Under the pressure of the three-star Dou Huang, the potential hidden in his body was beginning to erupt on all fronts.
"With multiple Dou Di bloodlines… this potential is terrifying…"
Yao Nong muttered to himself.
He didn't know the experiments Hun Xuzi had performed on Yao Yan—nor would Hun Xuzi bother explaining. But during this time as his guardian, Yao Nong had clearly felt Yao Yan's body evolving, especially during the incident where he devoured a member of the Stone Tribe. The transformation then had been enormous.
The uncontrollable blood energy… If he hadn't sealed the surrounding space in time, it would've drawn in countless magical beasts.
That moment had made Yao Nong realize Yao Yan was no ordinary boy.
That skin tone, identical to the Stone Tribe…
And now, after returning from Shennong City, Yao Yan's life force had become even more vigorous—comparable to a humanoid magical beast. His face, too, had grown exceedingly handsome, reminiscent of the Spirit Tribe—an imperial clan known for beauty and longevity.
But what astonished him most was Hun Xuzi's methods.
To fuse multiple Dou Di bloodlines into one person—such a feat was simply unimaginable. Perhaps only a being like Hun Xuzi could achieve it.
Clearly, Yao Nong didn't know about the existence of the Spirit Devouring Clan, a unique bloodline that had vanished a thousand years ago.
(END CHAPTER)
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