I Am Overlord c1-962
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And if he was lucky enough to get the dragon liquid while he was at it, that would be even better. As for Li Haonan, he couldn't even be bothered with him. In any case, he was the one who had gone against their initial agreement of finishing the mission together. Li Haonan's anger was understandable.
Xiang Shaoyun then sent away the two peak Emperors he had just placed under his control. He would only put them to use during crucial moments. That way, they could play a greater role than if they had remained by his side.
And thus, Xiang Shaoyun started adventuring alone with Money by his side. The Dragon Phoenix Mountain Range was filled with powerful demonic beasts. Each step he took was akin to walking on thin ice. Any sort of carelessness would turn him into beast fodder. Though, he still felt somewhat at ease with the nether prison devil puppet. He also had the Nether Soul Domain, which could help him reverse any dangerous situation.
Three days later, Money advanced yet again, advancing two stages to become a seventh-stage Demon King from the fifth-stage. Xiang Shaoyun could sense that the change of cultivation base wasn't the biggest change Money underwent. Rather, the durability of his body had become even scarier than before.
He was certain of the change because Money had undergone two lightning tribulations in a row, but he had suffered barely any injuries. Although Money grew up within the silver lightning core, as he grew in strength, the lightning tribulation he faced became even scarier. In fact, any lightning tribulation a demonic beast faced scaled in destruction with the demonic beast's strength.
And yet Money was able to completely ignore his lightning tribulations. After some questioning, Xiang Shaoyun learned that this was a result of physical strengthening after Money absorbed the nine-colored fog. Money's breakthrough had also attracted many powerful demonic beasts, but Xiang Shaoyun had dealt with all of them.
Xiang Shaoyun's draconic aura formation had returned to 99 percent completion, and only 1 percent was required for him to step into the Dragon Ascension Realm. He thus stopped traveling and started focusing on increasing his grasp over the powers he cultivated. At the same time, he also meditated on the draconic aura, trying to understand it more.
But before he could fully focus, he smelled a certain scent ahead of him, a scent that caused him to suddenly feel extremely comfortable and calm. Money reacted even more poorly and directly shot toward the scent's source like a bolt of lightning.
That forced Xiang Shaoyun to give chase. Shortly after, he heard demonic beasts battling halfway up the mountain before him. From the sounds, it seemed like a battle among Demon Emperors.
"Has an emperor medicine appeared?" Xiang Shaoyun wondered as he continued ahead. When he approached, he saw a massive red lizard battling a bear with spikes on its back.
They were fighting with their lives on the line, snapping at and clashing against each other, raining destruction on their surroundings. It was worth noting that a certain spot in their surroundings was completely undamaged. Both parties seemed to be exerting great care to not let any of their attacks fly in that direction.
Their actions allowed Money, who had reduced his size, to approach the spot. Soon, he left with something hanging in his mouth. Leaving with the prize finally caught the attention of the massive red lizard and the spiked bear. Both stopped attacking each other and charged Money. They roared. Xiang Shaoyun didn't even get a chance to get a clear look at what Money had in his mouth before he was forced to charge the lizard and the bear.
"Bring it on! An intense battle is just what I happen to be looking for!" shouted Xiang Shaoyun with his battle intent raging.
He controlled the power of earth, making use of the profundity of earth he had comprehended. His body shone with a brownish light, and he repeatedly threw his fists at the two Demon Emperors. Both of them were peak third-stage Demon Emperors, and they possessed combat prowess comparable to a fourth-stage human Emperor's.
For Xiang Shaoyun to dare face them head on, his courage had truly been bolstered by his strength. The lizard swept its massive destructive tail forward while the bear slammed its mountain-like paws down, sending two completely different but dreadful powers toward him.
Rumble! Rumble!
A series of explosions erupted, the impact turning the nearby trees into fine powder and kicking up a cloud of dust. The impact pushed Xiang Shaoyun's body tens of meters backward. If he wasn't borrowing the power of earth, the two attacks would have killed him through impact alone.
"Again!" A look of excitement covered Xiang Shaoyun's face as he roared and drew even more earth energy from his earth star. At the same time, an unending stream of earth energy flowed into his body from the earth beneath him.
The power of earth allowed him to battle the two beasts to his heart's content, but this much power was not enough to defeat them. In fact, under the joined assault of the two beasts, things got dangerous for him many times.
He was forced to change the way he fought. He fully unleashed his speed and fully activated his gift of instincts, baring the attack trajectories of the two beasts to his eyes. He then attacked with numerous powerful techniques, and slowly, he started getting the upper hand.
Devil Severing Edge!
Lightning Bolt Fist!
Seven Scorching Sun Claws!
The attacks of wind, lightning, and flame spiraled around each other as they blasted the two beasts, causing them to wail in pain. However, the two had freakishly durable bodies. It was rather hard for Xiang Shaoyun to defeat them with pure brute force.
Thus, he used his strongest technique: the Cosmos Dao Destroying Fist.
The moment he threw his fist out, it was as if his fist had turned into a star, flooding the surroundings with an ancient aura that was overbearing and oppressive, shocking both the beasts.
One punch to overturn the cosmos, one punch to obliterate the myriad daos.
Nine bright stars appeared at the same time, sending nine-colored energy rippling outward, destroying the nearby mountains. It was at this moment that the two beasts decided to flee, but it was too late. Their tough bodies were unable to withstand the torrential fist energy, and they were turned into mincemeat.
The demonic beasts in the surroundings sensed the terrifying power and fled far away in fear. They did not dare to stay nearby, as they were afraid that whatever was happening would somehow implicate them as well.
When the dust settled and Xiang Shaoyun got a clear look at the destruction around him, even he himself was stunned. He had known that the Cosmos Dao Destroying Fist was terrifying, and he had also known that the nine-colored fog was destructive, but the damage the two had caused still filled him with disbelief. This attack was even scarier than the Nine Overlord Skyslaying Saber Technique!
Chapter 609: Entering the Dragon Ascension Realm
Intoxicating fragrant flower. This was a unique flower that would cause one to enter a deep trance after consuming it. Within this trance, a cultivator could comprehend the karma of everything that the cultivator had experienced before.
After awakening from the trance, two things might happen. One would be able to fully understand one's heart and reaffirm one's faith, gaining a greatly increased comprehension ability that would smoothen one's progress in the path of cultivation. Or one would sink into eternal confusion and no longer be able to maintain a clear mind, becoming a true fool.
One could say that the intoxicating fragrant flower could be either extremely helpful or harmful. That was what Money had just harvested. The intoxicating fragrant flower radiated an enchanting scent capable of easily attracting the attention of demonic beasts. The moment a demonic beast consumed it, the beast would have a chance of increasing its intelligence and forming its demonic soul, or it might lose any ounce of intelligence it had and become as good as a cripple.
Holding the flower in his hand, Xiang Shaoyun smiled. "Keep it for yourself. I don't need it."
The intoxicating fragrant flower was fatally enticing for many cultivators, but Xiang S
haoyun had his Nether Soul Domain and filthless soul. His comprehension capability was already extremely good. Thus, this intoxicating fragrant flower wouldn't do much for him. It was hardly worth taking, yet it would be a pity to discard.
Since that was the case, it was better to keep it for Money. It might be very helpful for him. After Xiang Shaoyun told Money the flower's function, Money gave it some thought before swallowing the flower without hesitation. Then, he transformed into a drunk snake, wobbling and swaying about as if he had consumed too much liquor, looking rather comical. As for Xiang Shaoyun, he stood guard in the area to avoid anyone from disturbing Money.
You must make it! Xiang Shaoyun prayed nervously.
He had great confidence in Money. Even if Money didn't end up as powerful as Little White in the future, he wouldn't be too much weaker. At the thought of Little White, Xiang Shaoyun started missing him. Perhaps that fellow was already much stronger than him now!
After all, Little White had obtained the inheritance of the white tigers. And now, the demons were personally nurturing him. It was almost impossible for Little White to not grow strong under such conditions.
After an unknown amount of time, Money's body suddenly erupted with a brilliant silver radiance. Strands of silver lightning danced around his single horn as the horn rapidly enlarged, looking even more malicious and conspicuous than before. As he released his aura, his serpentine pupils shone with a look of wisdom, as if his eyes contained an indescribable grace. It was also at that moment that he transformed into his human form—a handsome young man with silvery-white skin.
"Boss!" Money smiled at Xiang Shaoyun.
This was his first time in human form. In the past, he would never appear as a human as he preferred his snake form more. For some reason, he had decided to change his form that day.
"Not bad at all. Looks like you have benefited greatly," said Xiang Shaoyun praisingly. Money smiled as a layer of scales appeared on his skin, protecting his vitals and forming a silver-scaled armor, making him look even more extraordinary than he was.
"Yes, I have indeed benefited greatly. It's all thanks to you, boss," said Money gratefully.
"Don't worry about it. It's something you got yourself. It doesn't have much to do with me," said Xiang Shaoyun with a wave of his hand. "I'm nearing advancement too. I might need you to stand guard for me when I break through."
Money nodded. "Don't worry, boss."
Next, the two looked for a quiet place and settled there. After the previous battle, Xiang Shaoyun could no longer keep his draconic aura suppressed. His draconic aura had fully formed, and his spine had also assumed the form of a dragon. He had to advance as soon as possible.
Due to how much he had been suppressing his own strength, his comprehension of the nine powers within him had also grown considerably. Thus, his advancement progressed smoothly without any hiccups.
After the advancement, a nine-colored dragon soared into the sky, and the spiritual energy in the surroundings all converged around him. Nine incorporeal strands of astral energy flowed from the sky into the dragon, further solidifying its shape, as if a nine-colored celestial dragon had descended on the mortal world, spreading an aura of prosperity and peace far and wide.
The aura nourished all the plants in the area, filling them with life as the plants started growing lushly. Money, who was standing guard over the advancement, wasn't surprised by the sight. Inwardly, he thought, No human has ever managed to cultivate nine powers successfully. However, my boss will definitely create a miracle.
Within Dragon Phoenix Academy's Back Graveyard, a crooked figure appeared high in the sky. His empty eyes rippled with an odd undulation, and his gaze seemed to penetrate layers of space to reach a certain faintly discernible nine-colored celestial dragon.
Inwardly, he muttered, The hardest part of cultivating nine stars and nine powers is merging the nine powers into one. Looks like the boy has succeeded in that, forming a nine-colored celestial dragon. Will he bloom just for a moment like a firework, or will he become a stunning eternal river of stars? That will rely on himself.
At the depths of the Dragon Phoenix Mountain Range, a certain old demon had also sensed the nine-colored celestial dragon. The old demon had an incredibly massive body that seemed boundless, and because he was buried deep beneath the mountain range, nobody knew of his presence. Any changes happening within the mountain range could not escape him, including the nine-colored celestial dragon.
Looks like a remarkable boy has appeared among the humans, thought the old demon.
Not long after the nine-colored celestial dragon appeared, it re-entered Xiang Shaoyun's body. The draconic aura within him became 15 percent solidified, pushing him right into mid first-stage Dragon Ascension Realm. The reason why he was able to advance half a stage immediately after advancing was because he had constantly suppressed his cultivation base, but the might of his nine stars had also helped.
As his draconic aura grew, Xiang Shaoyun felt it nourish and enhance every inch of his body. His vitality increased greatly, signifying that his lifespan had also grown significantly.
Generally, a Transformation Realm cultivator had a lifespan between 200 to 300 years. A Skysoar Realm cultivator had a lifespan of about 500 to 600 years, a Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator had a lifespan of about 1,000 to 1,500 years, and a Soul Foundation Realm cultivator had a lifespan of about 3,000 years.
Based on this common knowledge, those in the Dragon Ascension Realm could live at least 1,000 years, but in Xiang Shaoyun's current condition, his lifespan was comparable to a peak Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator's, reaching about 1,500 years. That was due to the rich vitality the nine-colored draconic aura brought him.
Furthermore, Xiang Shaoyun's astral cosmos sea had expanded considerably as well. The nine-colored fog within had become much denser, and the plants in his astral cosmos sea had also advanced, each growing new buds.
As for his filthless soul, it had now reached the level comparable to the soul of a Sovereign, with the only difference being the lack of a soul foundation. One could say that this breakthrough was a new turning point in Xiang Shaoyun's life.
Chapter 610: Dragon-Scaled Elephant's Territory
Xiang Shaoyun's advancement had also pushed his senses to a level most people couldn't imagine having. Basically, his senses were now as good as a regular Sovereign's. It was evident he was now ahead of many Emperors, and this would greatly benefit him in his future growth.
"Congratulations, boss, for reaching a brand new height," said Money when Xiang Shaoyun finally walked out of his cultivation spot.
"Haha, you're quite a smooth talker, aren’t you?" said Xiang Shaoyun with a hearty laugh. "Let's go. We'll look for some dragon liquid to further grow our strength."
"You sensed it as well, boss?" Money asked in astonishment.
"What? Did you sense it long ago?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
Money replied, "During your seclusion, I did sense something. It might have something to do with my bloodline."
"Well, let's see if we sensed the same thing, then," said Xiang Shaoyun with a smile.
They then headed toward a certain direction together. That was also where Shou Xie, Yan Gang, Zhong Xia, Tang Longfei, Lady Shura, and Li Haonan were currently. The group had their sights set on two particular mountains, as pointed by the treasure seeking mouse. However, a group of powerful demons resided in the area, and they wouldn't be able to search the area easily.
This was the territory of the dragon-scaled elephants, a demonic beast breed with a massive body and seemingly endless strength. The dragon scales on their skin protected them, making it almost impossible for opponents of the same level to harm any of them.
Each dragon-scaled elephant had a trace of draconic aura in its body, granting it a valiant offensive prowess. Furthermore, they were very united and always moved together whenever there was a conflict.
Fortunately, there weren't many dragon-scaled elephants in the area. Th
ere were about a hundred of them, and not a single one was weaker than a Demon King. About one third of them were Demon Emperors, and among them, some were even peak Demon Emperors.
Shou Xie and company had discovered this area, but they did not dare to approach. If they provoked the elephants in some way, even escaping would be hard. They all hid and tried to pinpoint the location of the dragon liquid so they could sneak off with it.
The treasure seeking mouse wasn't exactly powerful in terms of offensive strength, but it had the ability to fly and drill into the earth. It could also transform its form freely. Thus, it could move freely within the dragon-scaled elephant territory without worry. The elephants were large and cumbersome, and they could do almost nothing to the nimble mouse.
After spending about two days in search, the treasure seeking mouse finally locked on to a certain location where the dragon liquid could possibly be found. It was a place the dragon-scaled elephants frequented. In fact, they enjoyed resting there and only left when it was time for them to forage for food.
"We found it, but with our strength, it will be too hard to steal from the elephants," said Shou Xie.
They had all consumed some concealment herbs so they would not need to fear detection. They sank into thought, evidently considering their options.
After a while, Li Haonan said, "I have an idea, but I don't know if anyone will dare to do it."
Zhong Xia asked, "What is it? Tell us about your idea."
"Some of us should go lure the dragon-scaled elephants away while the others go steal the dragon liquid," proposed Li Haonan as he swept his glance at Tang Longfei, Lady Shura, and Ning Wenhuang.
Tang Longfei said, "Are you suggesting we act as baits?"
"That's right. Nobody is better suited for this task than you guys," said Li Haonan without hesitation.