Chapter 569: Chapter Five Hundred and Sixty-Five: Destruction

Observing the abrupt change in his opponent’s expression, Tang Luo, who had transformed into a giant, chuckled. Mockingly, he asked, “Didn’t you just claim you would win? How exactly? Jump up to hit my knees?”

His pointed words darkened Xiao Ziyu’s face with irritation. He snapped back harshly, “Hope you’ll maintain your sense of humor when divine fire surrounds me later!”

Eight fiery dragons of different hues swooped towards the giant. A larger body, while capable of exerting greater strength, was also an easy target.

The full-fledged explosion of the Monument Dragon Diagram emanated dazzling light from the back of Xiao Ziyu. The dragon shadow, under his relentless infusion of spiritual power, burst out furiously, its body stretching to an extraordinary length.

The chilling blue Sorrowful Departure Profound Skyfire dragon targeted the giant’s throat, the orange Scorching Sun Orange Flame dragon lunged at the giant’s left chest, while the earth-colored Seven-Day Phoenix Fire dragon targeted the giant’s lower body…

Eight dragon shadows aimed at eight vital points. Xiao Ziyu had started the battle by giving it his all, showing no signs of holding back. His power even surpassed that of his previous battle with Elder Xu on the Xiling arena.

Xiao Ziyu, with a clear mind, manipulated all eight flame dragons singlehandedly, determined to win this duel. He wanted to demonstrate to the Clan Chief that there were other ways of earning the trust of the Mi Clan without losing and dying!

The young man’s noble ambitions were fueled by a desperate determination. Xiao Ziyu broke through the boundaries of his spiritual cultivation, animating the eight flame dragons, making them appear more lifelike.

The first strike of this battle would decide the victor!

In the clear northern sky, Great Elder Tang Siyuan and Sixth Elder Tang Gaomin stood by, watching Xiao Ziyu’s extraordinary outburst, their brows furrowed in concern.

“What is the Xiao family up to!?” Sixth Elder Tang Gaomin conveyed to Great Elder Tang Siyuan through his spiritual power, his voice trembling with rage. Although Xiao Ziyu was merely a Mortal Realm cultivator, his unique flames packed a powerful attack. Eight dragon shadows like these would penetrate his protective spiritual skills, he instantly felt alarmed.

Great Elder Tang Siyuan’s brow also creased in worry, silently cursing at the sight of the unmoving Tang Luo.

Just yesterday, they had reminded Tang Luo to show restraint in the battle. However, Xiao Ziyu had launched a lethal attack right at the onset. Even if this was done to safeguard the secretive alliance between the two clans, such a brutal attack without prior warning was too excessive.

Even more terrifying was the fact that they had instructed Tang Luo to pull his punches in the battle. With victory and defeat in a martial duel often determined by a hair’s breadth, Tang Luo could potentially lose the advantage due to their instruction, and possibly even lose the battle.

Thinking of the torment caused by the burn of the unique fires, Tang Siyuan’s heart clenched. He instantly messaged Tang Gaomin, “The moment Tang Luo’s Divine Armor of Heaven breaks, halt the match immediately. We cannot allow his body to be burnt by Xiao Ziyu’s unique fire.”

Having previously battled a holder of a unique fire, Tang Siyuan was well aware of the immense damage it could inflict. The fire toxins could linger in the body for ages. Even with his spiritual power and the innate resistance of his Pure Gold Aura, it took him half a year to purge the fire toxins. Tang Luo, being a Mortal Realm cultivator, stood little chance.

The Martial Ancestors guarding the skies felt the peak heat wave. Glancing back, they saw the silver-gray giant that Tang Luo had transformed into cornered. Xiao Qi, the referee, broke out in cold sweat as his Divine Dragon Shadow emerged behind him. His eyes remained glued to the melee, his heart heavy with regret.

A few days ago, when Xiao Qi had revealed the alliance between the two clans to Xiao Ziyu and requested him to lose the duel and feign death, only to be reborn through the Nirvana Divine Fire, his usually obedient nephew had lost his temper.

“Why should I lose to Tang Luo? Because his family, the Tang Clan, is bigger and more prosperous than ours?”

“I refuse! I can beat him; why must I feign defeat and death and waste such a precious opportunity for nirvana on this?”

“You’re not fit to be the junior chief of the Xiao Family. You’re nothing but a spineless jellyfish; I want to see the Clan Chief!”

When Xiao Ziyu had walked out of Xiao Jinlin’s study, distraught, Xiao Qi understood that his highly-esteemed genius nephew’s worldview had been shattered in an instant.

Every young man has an idol, and for the disciples of the Xiao Clan, that idol was Clan Chief Xiao Jinlin. To them, the Xiao Clan’s power may not be superior to the Tang and Mi Clans, but as long as Xiao Jinlin was there, they could hold their heads up high in front of the princes of the two clans, competing on a fair and square basis.

To these young warriors of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Jinlin was almost a deity. After all, they’d grown up hearing stories about him.

Stories of how he’d suppressed the geniuses of the Tang and Mi Clans in his youth, how he’d evaded the assassinations of warriors from the two clans during his travels as a young man. They also shared tales of his spiritual command over the Divine Dragon Shadow, and how after he’d etched the two Monument Dragon Diagrams, he overpowered the might of the Mi Clan and became the top martial artist of Xiling.

With Xiao Jinlin’s rise, they all understood the significance of a Clan Chief and it inspired a resolve in the young warriors of the Xiao Clan: ‘One day, I’ll be just like Chief Xiao, protecting the clan, allowing our people to stand tall rather than grovelling in front of the two clans.’

How could these young men of the Xiao Clan, who were raised with such beliefs, accept the notion that one day they would cooperate with the Tang Clan and bow down to them?

After all, they were the true original inhabitants of Longzhou, the former rulers of Xiling. The Tang and Mi Clans were merely settlers who arrived from Zhongzhou a thousand years ago!

Wasn’t the existence of the Xiao Clan supposed to suppress the Tang and Mi Clans and regain control of Xiling?

When the martial belief that had been established for over twenty years was destroyed instantly, Xiao Qi understood the magnitude of the emotional upheaval his nephew had experienced. Fortunately, Xiao Ziyu was neither broken nor dismayed, instead becoming more astute than ever.

Xiao Qi had initially assumed that Xiao Ziyu had understood the rationale behind the alliance, but it was now clear that his nephew was obsessing over a different issue.

The Divine Dragon Shadow emerged behind Xiao Qi. It resembled a true spiritual ancient totem, watching the unfolding battle. As the referee, Xiao Qi could only sigh and hope against hope that the duel wouldn’t cause too much turbulence.

The giant version of Tang Luo and Xiao Ziyu, who had conjured eight fire dragons, were now separated by a distance of more than ten meters. The eight unique fire dragons opened their jaws, the sharp dragon fangs seemed almost corporeal, aiming to drill into the vital points of the giant.

The dragon heads opened and closed, and eight flame dragons passed through the giant’s body, their attack only hitting an afterimage. Xiao Ziyu’s killer blow had merely struck an illusion.

The moment the illusion appeared, a large shadow immediately enveloped Xiao Ziyu’s location. Tang Luo had somehow swiftly covered the distance and appeared behind him.

“It’s okay, I’m safe. I have the Divine Fire Armor, and the dragon shadows will arrive soon. He’s got nothing on me!” Xiao Ziyu forcibly suppressed the turbulence in his heart, consoling himself to calm down. As he recalled the fire dragons, he couldn’t help but chide himself.

Having witnessed Tang Luo’s ghostly agility outside Xiao Jinlin’s tent, Xiao Ziyu had naturally been cautious of this speedy technique. However, the martial arts researchers in the clan had assured him that once Tang Luo transformed into a giant, he definitely wouldn’t be able to execute such agile movements due to his immense size, which would cause a tenfold increase in spiritual resistance. Even if Tang Luo forced himself to do so, he would end up draining his spiritual power, rendering him harmless.