The Northern Dragon King's roar echoed powerfully within the blood array, gradually spreading outwards into the distance... "Pff!" As soon as the Northern Dragon King's voice fell, the rose-colored flame appearing atop Zǐ Yán suddenly expanded rapidly, forming a fiery dome that tightly encased Zǐ Yán. The surrounding blood mist, upon touching the dome, hissed briefly before dissipating. "Northern Dragon King, it's truly you who've been orchestrating this!" As the dome solidified, ripples spread through the space beside Zǐ Yán, and then two figures slowly materialized—Xiao Yan and Cai Lin, who had rushed swiftly to join. "It's Xiao Yan! The sudden appearance of Xiao Yan and Cai Lin immediately caught the attention of the Dong Long Island clan members outside the array, and a wave of delighted voices soon rose. However, shortly thereafter, several elders grew increasingly serious. Though they had previously learned from their encounter that Xiao Yan was a Dou Sheng powerhouse, the current situation was such that even a typical Dou Sheng would have only a one-way path to death. Upon reflecting on this, many of them felt a subtle weight settle upon their hearts. "Hahahaha, Phoenix Tian—what a waste! He's only delayed so briefly..." Amidst the silence of the others, the Northern Dragon King's crimson eyes turned steadily toward Xiao Yan. He licked a strand of blood from his lip, his voice sharp and cold as he smiled. "Well, it doesn't matter now. The tide has turned. Your arrival here is merely another offering—another sacrifice—to be placed upon my altar." Xiao Yan's expression remained calm. He glanced at the Dragon King, his gaze lingering on the three strange faces adorning the king's head. With his soul perception, he instantly sensed the subtle signs of the Dragon King's remarkable growth. His brow furrowed slightly—such a ruthless determination, indeed. "Ahem..." As Xiao Yan frowned, Zǐ Yán suddenly coughed up a thick stream of blood, her cheeks pale as paper. Blood rapidly spread across her shoulders, seeping into her body. Though her Dragon-Phoenix constitution was fiercely resisting, the waves of intense pain continued to drive her pallor deeper. "Hahahaha! With the dragon-empowering blood essence of the Dragon-Transformation Magic Array, even if you possess the Dragon-Phoenix constitution, I doubt you'll fare much better... " Seeing Zǐ Yán's visibly frail condition, Northern Dragon King burst into loud, booming laughter. He had nearly turned the entire population of the Northern Dragon Island into blood essence, paying such a devastating price to regain the upper hand—now, witnessing Zǐ Yán's plight, he felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. "How did you both come here..." Zǐ Yán wiped the blood from her lips, her pale complexion touching the heart with its delicate fragility. She glanced at Xiao Yan and the other, her eyes slightly dimmed, and said with a bitter tone, "This time isn't going to be as easy as last time. After consuming the blood and flesh of the two southwestern Dragon Kings and numerous members of her clan, that man has already subtly reached the level of Six-Star Dragon Saint..." Though Zǐ Yán's strength had improved steadily over the past few years, she had still not surpassed the Five-Star Dragon Saint level. Even with her Dragon-Phoenix heritage, she simply couldn't defeat the Northern Dragon King again—the gap between them was simply too vast. Xiao Yan smiled gently at her, said nothing, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, where her blood energy flowed abundantly. Subtle, faint pink flames shimmered and flickered. "Hey, if you want to expel the dragon-blood essence, you must think you're—" Upon seeing this, the Northern Dragon King snorted with scorn. Yet before he could finish his laugh, he was struck by astonishment as strands of blood essence began to rise swiftly from Zǐ Yán's shoulders, gradually fading into nothingness. "The Strange Fire?" As he watched this unfold, a flash of surprise swept across the Northern Dragon King's crimson eyes. Now, he realized that the Strange Fire in Xiao Yan's hands had evidently evolved—different from what he had witnessed back then. Xiao Yan paid no attention to the Dragon King, instead guiding the pure lotus fire in a complete circuit through Zǐ Yán's body, fully absorbing and evaporating all the dragon-blood essence before slowly withdrawing his hand. As the dragon-blood energy within her faded, Zǐ Yán's complexion regained a slight rosy hue, yet she still appeared extremely frail. Moreover, under the astonished gazes of Xiao Yan and Cai Lin, her body slowly shrunk—within just a brief moment, she had once again transformed into the little girl she used to be. "Too weak; I can only recover into the most energy-efficient form," Zǐ Yán said with a wry smile. "Ah, that's even more endearing," Xiao Yan chuckled, gently stroking Zǐ Yán's small head. "You and Cai Lin go ahead—this one I'll handle." Upon hearing this, Zǐ Yán was momentarily stunned, then bit her lip softly. "He's quite strong..." "I've never once been strong just to appear so," Xiao Yan replied with a smile. Watching that serene smile, Zǐ Yán suddenly realized that Xiao Yan's strength had once again surpassed her own—her own face warmed with a touch of delight. "Shall I assist you?" "Chai Lin spoke softly, 'If the transformed Northern Dragon King indeed possesses a strength comparable to a Six-Star Battle Saint, then relying solely on Xiao Yan alone... Thinking of this, a touch of concern flickered in her eyes. 'He hasn't quite reached the level of a true Six-Star Battle Saint, so defeating him is by no means impossible. Right now, there are still many members of the Ancient Dragon Clan within the array. When I hold him off, you should move them all out—otherwise, he'll continuously absorb their vital energy, maintaining his combat prowess at peak levels.' Xiao Yan shook his head slightly, displaying a notably calm demeanor. 'Understood.'" "Heard this, Cailei couldn't say much more, so she simply nodded, grasped Ziyan firmly, and with a swift motion, darted swiftly out of the blood array, appearing before the elders of Donglong Island. Upon seeing this, the elders immediately rushed forward in a flurry, their faces filled with anxiety—should Ziyan meet any misfortune, the Tuoxiang Ancient Dragon Clan would likely never achieve unification. As for Cailei and Ziyan's departure, Northern Dragon King did not intervene. In his view, it was merely a slight extension of their lifespans. Once he eliminated Xiao Yan, he would consume each of these people one by one. Thinking of the exhilarating surge of power he would experience, a terrifying, grim smile spread across the Northern Dragon King's face." "The unique aroma of your flesh—somewhat similar to that of the Dragon and Phoenix—yet it seems even more delicious..." The northern Dragon King extended his crimson tongue, licking the blood from his face, his gaze now glowing with a special warmth, fixed firmly on Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan gently lifted his eyes, naturally understanding what the northern Dragon King meant—within him flowed three kinds of bloodline energies, and that exquisite flavor must stem from that. Yet, despite the northern Dragon King's unusually refined palate, Xiao Yan remained silent. He raised his hand, and a soft, rose-colored flame slowly spread outward from within him. The intense heat instantly vaporized the blood qi seeping in, turning it into nothingness. Seeing that the particularly tenacious dragon-blood aura could even not reach close to Xiao Yan's body, the Northern Dragon King's crimson eyes slightly narrowed. Though he had consumed numerous lives, fueling his fierce killing intent, his nature remained inherently cold and cautious—maintaining vigilance even at this moment. "You possess the power of Dragon-Phoenix bloodline within you. That makes you perfect for tasting the sword of the Dragon-Slaying Blade!" The Northern Dragon King's gaze flickered, then suddenly took a decisive step forward, his form moving as swiftly as lightning to appear just a short distance in front of Xiao Yan. With his blood-red great sword, he sliced through the air, carrying a strong scent of blood, and delivered a powerful blow straight toward Xiao Yan's head. "Yellow Springs Palm!" Xiao Yan slightly retreated, effortlessly launching a Yellow Springs Palm. A massive energy palm imprint roared forth. "Sliced through like thin paper—no match at all!" "Seeing this, the Northern Dragon King let out a scoff, raising his massive sword infused with blood energy and delivering a lightning-fast slash that cleanly split the energy palm seal in half. Then, he crossed his sword and unleashed three immense sword gusts, swift as lightning, charging toward Xiao Yan like thunder. Faced with this relentless assault, Xiao Yan's back seamed of vibrant green and crimson bones fluttered continuously, barely deflecting the attacks. Yet even before he could steady himself, the Northern Dragon King surged forward with renewed fury, launching wave after wave of attacks, leaving him no time to catch his breath. Outside the formation, the elders of Dong Long Island grew increasingly anxious as they watched Xiao Yan gaining the upper hand. With Xiao Yan now struggling, the fate of Dong Long Island hung in the balance—should he fall, the entire island would likely suffer a major collapse. And if the Northern Dragon King then launched his full force, the entire Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan might be extinguished... "Thud!" Amidst those intense gazes, Xiao Yan finally met the Northern Dragon King in a fierce, head-on clash. As a result, his internal qi stirred slightly, and his body was knocked back several steps. "Indeed, you've reached a level that's barely at the six-star Supreme Saint tier..." With his internal qi stabilized, Xiao Yan's eyes flickered with seriousness—against such a contender, ordinary combat techniques would yield only modest results. "Well, perhaps I can give that technique a try..." His gaze shifted momentarily, then suddenly he gathered all his inner energy, swiftly forming a series of unfamiliar and somewhat awkward hand seals. As his hand seals changed, his small companion, Xiao Yi, suddenly opened her eyes, rose swiftly, and settled between Xiao Yan's eyebrows. At that very moment, Xiao Yi also formed the identical hand seals as Xiao Yan. "Xiao Yan! Do you really think you can challenge me, the King of the Northern Dragon Realm? Truly, an ambitious notion!" Watching Xiao Yan's actions, the Northern Dragon King sneered, offering him no time at all. With his massive sword, he unleashed a fierce, unyielding gust of wind, slashing directly toward Xiao Yan's head. "Body and spirit fused—destroying the fire body!" As Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi simultaneously stabilized their hand seals, the delicate flame lotus within Xiao Yan's eyes began to spin wildly. At that moment, an overwhelming surge of power—so intense it left everyone stunned and nearly overwhelmed—erupted from within him, sweeping through like a storm.