"Am I supposed to be afraid of you?"
Man Yan laughed heartily as his grayish-white skin transformed into purple dragon scales. His hands turned into sharp dragon claws, and his body took on a half-human, half-dragon form.
After the transformation, an immensely monstrous aura emanated from Man Yan's body, distorting the surrounding space. He looked at Zhu Li with dark-purple eyes and smiled.
"We haven't met in many years. I wonder if you have broken through beyond the Dou Venerate realm!" Man Yan's voice carried a hint of mockery as he pressed his feet down, causing intense fluctuations. In a blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Elder Zhu Li, waving his dragon claw and releasing terrifying energy.
...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the sky, intense energy fluctuations spread like muffled thunder, echoing throughout Dragon Island.
However, Xiao Ming, who was sitting in front of the large cauldron, seemed oblivious to the chaotic situation outside.
In fact, Xiao Ming couldn't possibly be completely unaware of the commotion outside. However, the external Dragon Phoenix Crystal within Zi Yan's body was almost completely assimilated, and he couldn't afford to interrupt the process. Zi Yan could wake up at any moment.
Of course, if there was a real danger, he could release the Sky Demon Puppet.
But based on Xiao Ming's simulations, the probability of encountering danger on Dragon Island was very low. Today was probably just another uneventful day, so he remained calm and unaffected by the ongoing battle above.
However, the nearby Hei Qing didn't share the same calm mindset. He couldn't help but stomp his foot as he watched the turbulent space in the distance.
Hei Qing wanted to go up and help, but he was one of the people entrusted by Elder Zhu Li to protect Xiao Ming. For now, all he could do was stand by and watch helplessly.
...
Bang!
In mid-air, two figures fiercely collided, and the resulting impact tore open a nearly thirty-three-meter-wide black void in space. The combatants separated in an instant, each retreating.
"It is really unexpected… the current you have also advanced to the Half-Saint realm…" Man Yan's footsteps staggered back, the deep-purple dragon scales on his body dimming. His eyes locked onto Zhu Li, who stood a short distance away, as he spoke in a deep voice.
Zhu Li's face remained expressionless. While his strength was comparable to Man Yan's, the latter possessed a special secret technique that transformed him into a half-dragon half-human for combat, making him quite troublesome to deal with. Defeating him would prove to be a difficult task.
"Zhu Li, do not continue any pointless resistance. The strength of your Eastern Dragon Island is the weakest among the four islands. With the combined forces of the three islands, you won't be able to resist no matter what. You should hand the person over…" Man Yan spoke slowly.
"If the ancient powerhouses of my Eastern Dragon Island hadn't entered the void to train, and if the First Elder and the Second Elder weren't undertaking a deep retreat, forget about you, even the three great dragon kings would not dare to come here!" Zhu Li sneered.
Although Eastern Dragon Island lacked a Dragon King, it could stand independently among the other three major dragon islands and was the first to discover Zi Yan. Naturally, they had competent individuals.
In addition to the ancient powerhouses who had left, there were also some Elders from Eastern Dragon Island who were cultivating outside and whom Zhu Li had intended to recall.
"Ha ha, Zhu Li, you should also be aware that it is only an 'if'..." A soft laughter suddenly echoed from the void, interrupting Zhu Li's sneering voice.
Zhu Li's expression immediately turned ugly upon hearing the laughter. His eyes stared intently into the empty space.
"Damn it, Northern Dragon Island!"
As if in response to Zhu Li's words, the empty space emitted numerous green lights. The lights rapidly grew larger, revealing numerous human figures riding them. They carried a monstrous aura as they appeared in the sky above the dragon island, wave after wave of rushing wind could be heard.
The leader of the group was a green-robed old man.
"Qing Yan!" Zhu Li's face darkened completely. The Three Dragon Kings' actions were significant. They'd actually sent three Half-Saints. They appeared to be dead set on obtaining Zi Yan.
The old man called Qing Yan glanced at the gloomy-faced Zhu Li after he appeared and laughed. He then turned his attention to the deepest part of Dragon Island.
"Elder Man Yan, you will block Zhu Li. The old me shall personally take away that great person who possesses a royal bloodline…" Qing Yan said before transforming into a streak of light, rushing toward the deepest part of the island.
Zhu Li seethed with fury upon witnessing this, but Man Yan blocked his path before he could give chase. Man Yan's dragon claws danced, cutting through the air as he rushed toward Zhu Li.
"Everyone, do your best to stop Qing Yan! Don't let any mistakes happen!" Zhu Li had no choice but to shout at the others.
...
At this moment, Hei Qing's expression grew even more unpleasant. He couldn't simply stand by and watch any longer. However, his opponent was a Half-Saint powerhouse, and he feared that he alone wouldn't be enough to handle him.
"Hmph! Let me handle this!" Hei Qing's face turned fierce, and he let out a furious roar before rushing towards Qing Yan.
In the mountains and forests, figures emerged one after another, transforming into roaring giant dragons that froze the space and made the void tremble. Pairs of eyes filled with flames stared fixedly at Qing Yan. Even though they knew he was a Half-Saint powerhouse, they still had the courage to fight to the death.
While the numerous dragons were incomparable in size to Qing Yan, the minuscule aura emanating from him surpassed them all.
Qing Yan's smile remained unchanged, but a trace of killing intent flashed in his eyes. His voice was gentle as he chuckled and said, "Hei Qing, you and your group are no match for me. It's better for you to retreat."
Seeing that the group of giant dragons remained unmoved, Qing Yan flew towards them, shaking his head. With his withered right hand slowly raised, horrifying energy gradually converged.
"Stubborn fools. Since that's the case, let this elder teach you a lesson!"
"Puny creatures like you dare to call yourselves elders? Die!"
Hei Qing's eyes widened with fury as if he had suffered a great humiliation. Taking the lead, he charged towards Qing Yan with his dragon body.
Qing Yan's palm slammed down, and a terrifying shockwave of energy surged forth like a raging tide, wreaking havoc upon the dragons below, layer upon layer.
Boom!
In an instant, including Hei Qing, the dragon guards were hit head-on by the surging shockwave of energy. Their impenetrable scales shattered, and the dragon guards were turned into a bloody mess.
One by one, the giant dragons fell from the sky, their aura weakened, their life and death unknown. Only Hei Qing, who remained relatively intact, had eyes filled with fury.
"Qing Yan! You will die!"
Faced with Hei Qing's bloodshot eyes, Qing Yan wasted no words. He took a step forward, and as the space distorted, his figure instantly vanished.
Hei Qing's enormous pupils contracted. Normally, he used the power of space to mercilessly slaughter his enemies, but now, facing Qing Yan, he couldn't detect his whereabouts.