Chapter 155: Subjugation!
"Rumble!"
The Nine Serene Yellow Spring was frigid, cold, and utterly silent. Only the occasional howl of chilling winds sounded from the sky above.
Jiang Yun and the others were waiting for Zhu Feng. Before long, a muffled boom suddenly came from the Nine Serene Yellow Spring nearby. Then, a terrifying whirlpool appeared, churning the lake waters into chaotic surges.
Splash... Splash...
Accompanied by the sound of breaking water, two figures flew into the air one after another. Zhu Feng slowly landed beside Jiang Yun.
The other figure—weakened in aura, gaunt and emaciated—was flung to the ground by Zhu Feng with a casual toss. Yet, at this moment, he had not the least complaint. His eyes were brimming with wild excitement, and the corners of his mouth split into a mad, wide grin.
"Hahaha! I, Yao Ming, have finally gotten out!"
The manic, roaring laughter made Medusa and the other two women frown slightly. Zhu Feng immediately barked a harsh rebuke: "Laugh again, and this old man will seal you right back in!"
"Gak—" Hearing Zhu Feng's reprimand, Yao Ming felt as though his throat had been seized. Only then did he remember that there was a major figure beside him. He promptly reined in his emotions and began sizing up Jiang Yun's group.
When he saw Zhu Feng standing behind Jiang Yun, faintly positioning himself as the subordinate, his heart jolted. Zhu Feng was a Dou Sheng-level Taixu Ancient Dragon! For a human to make him adopt such an attitude—this person's origins were likely beyond imagination.
"Ahem... This old man is Yao Ming. Many thanks to the friend of the Ancient Dragon Clan for rescuing me!" Yao Ming straightened his clothes and cupped his fists toward Zhu Feng in thanks.
"No need to thank me. Had it not been for the Young Master, this old man wouldn't have cared whether you lived or died!" Faced with Yao Ming's gratitude, Zhu Feng did not accept it, speaking indifferently.
Yao Ming awkwardly scratched his head. A Dou Sheng-level Taixu Ancient Dragon was not someone he could afford to offend—not to mention that the other party was also his benefactor.
Yao Ming then turned his gaze toward Jiang Yun, who was clearly the leader of the group, and offered his thanks: "Many thanks to you, young friend, for your helping hand."
"Every sip and every bite is determined by heaven. Now, I grant you your freedom. In return, you will serve under my command for ten years. It is perfectly fair." Jiang Yun looked at Yao Ming indifferently and spoke in a calm voice.
"You want... you want to enslave me!!!" Yao Ming was instantly alarmed and stared at Jiang Yun with horror.
"Boom—"
At once, the aura of a peak two-star Dou Sheng erupted explosively from within Zhu Feng's body, bearing down on Yao Ming to suppress him.
"Pfft—"
Having just escaped the seal and being in his weakest state, Yao Ming was immediately caught off guard by Zhu Feng. A large mouthful of blood sprayed out, and he collapsed to the ground weakly.
"Tap—" Footsteps approached from close by. Yao Ming, fallen to the ground, looked forward. A pair of black shoes entered his vision. Jiang Yun's indifferent voice came from above: "Think about how you ended up in this state. The ones who framed you back then are still living free and easy to this day. I merely need an obedient clan leader for the Nine Serene Deep Earth Pythons. It does not necessarily have to be you..."
With every word Jiang Yun spoke, Yao Ming's body trembled once. His eyes had long since been filled with hatred.
"Should the Nine Serene Deep Earth Pythons resist, the next time, it won't just be Senior Zhu Feng, a two-star Dou Sheng, who comes..."
"Do you understand?"
As Jiang Yun's words fell, Yao Ming looked up in disbelief and said: "Does the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan intend to unify the Beast Domain?"
"You must understand—it has never been that the Taixu Ancient Dragons need the Beast Domain, but rather that the Beast Domain needs the Taixu Ancient Dragons!" Jiang Yun stated calmly.
The reason the Beast Domain could still exist peacefully under the watchful eyes of the seven great imperial clans was not only because of the checks and balances between various powers, environmental factors, and the like, but also because the mysterious supreme beasts of the magical beast world—the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan—dwelt within the Beast Domain.
If the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan were to leave, how could Huang Tian, a mere five-star Dou Sheng, possibly hold back the iron hooves of the imperial clans?
"I understand!" Yao Ming was a clever man. Moreover, at this moment, the knife was in another's hand while he was merely meat on the chopping board. If he refused, he would likely be unable to escape the fate of death. He still had a great vengeance unfulfilled—he could not die here.
"Yao Ming pays respects to the Young Master!"
Looking at Yao Ming kneeling at his feet, Jiang Yun spoke in an even tone: "Open up your soul!"
Yao Ming's entire body shuddered. Under Zhu Feng's watchful gaze, he slowly lowered the defenses within his soul.
The next moment, a wisp of pitch-black flame flew out from Jiang Yun's brow and slowly descended into Yao Ming's soul sea.
At the same time, Jiang Yun also learned Yao Ming's soul realm—Heaven Realm, early stage. Much higher than his own. This was precisely why he needed Yao Ming to voluntarily open his mind. Forcing it would have been far too exhausting.
"Weng—" A pitch-black flame marking appeared at Yao Ming's brow. Other than that, there was no discomfort whatsoever.
"With the seal broken, Yao Xiaotian will soon sense that something has changed here. Senior Zhu Feng's methods can only conceal things for three hours—enough for you to recover your strength. I don't care how you do it, but the Nine Serene Deep Earth Pythons must come to revere you as their sovereign." Handing a jade bottle to Yao Ming, Jiang Yun gazed at the Nine Serene Yellow Spring ahead and spoke calmly.
"Yes!"
Feeling the indisputable tone in Jiang Yun's voice, Yao Ming's heart trembled. He nodded, directly swallowed an entire bottle of pills into his stomach, and swiftly darted out of the valley, seizing every minute to restore his strength.
"Next, we simply wait and watch how things unfold!" After Yao Ming had left, Jiang Yun looked at Medusa and the others and spoke slowly.
"Mm!" The three women nodded, quite interested in the battle to come. Although they had witnessed Zhu Kun's overwhelming dominance, that had, after all, been a complete steamroll, and they hadn't seen the slightest display of a Dou Sheng's extraordinary power. This time, they could feast their eyes.
With a wave of Zhu Feng's sleeve, spatial power surged forth, and the group quickly vanished.
Three hours passed in the blink of an eye.
At this moment, within the grand, imposing palace in the Serpent Earth Vein, it was exceedingly lively. The leaders of many snake-people tribes had gathered here. The sound of laughter and cheerful conversation echoed throughout the great hall.
On the throne at the head of the hall sat a man dressed in black. Beside the man, two enchantingly alluring women were cautiously kneading his body.
Similarly, the man's large hands roamed ceaselessly over the two women's soft, voluptuous figures, causing their gazes to grow somewhat hazy with a look of exceptional seductive charm.
The man's appearance was quite handsome, but between his brows, a coldness he could not conceal was revealed. As his eyes slightly opened and closed, sharp glints flickered, like a venomous snake that could deliver a fatal blow in an instant, sending chills through one's heart.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, the slightly closed eyes of the man in black abruptly opened, a flash of shock appearing within them. He violently pushed the two snake-women aside. "Damn it! The seal has been broken?!"
"Clan leader, what is it?" Below the man, an elder with a crimson-red venomous snake coiled on his shoulder furrowed his brow slightly and asked.
Yao Xiaotian's expression was extremely unsightly. A faint voice transmitted into the elder's ear: "Grand Elder, a great disaster—the seal suppressing Yao Ming has suddenly shattered..."
"What? That's impossible..."
Upon hearing the transmitted message, the elder reflexively denied it. But seeing the unfeigned expression on Yao Xiaotian's face, he hastily reined in his emotions. Casting a discreet glance at the elders and various tribal leaders within the great hall, he transmitted back in a low voice: "Go quickly. Under no circumstances can Yao Ming be allowed to escape. I'll stabilize things here, then come quickly to support you..."
Yao Xiaotian gave a sinister grin. His figure moved, and he vanished from the throne. "He can't escape. This time, I'll make sure he dies without a burial place!"
The group found Yao Xiaotian's sudden departure somewhat strange, but under the Grand Elder's reassurances, they promptly shifted their attention to the alluring dancing girls in the great hall.
"Swoosh—"
A figure sped swiftly toward the Nine Serene Yellow Spring. Just as it approached the valley, it came to an abrupt halt, for there stood a figure both familiar and foreign, staring intently right at him.
This person was none other than Yao Ming. His body was no longer withered and gaunt; instead, it had grown much taller and more robust. Though his face was somewhat swarthy, as his eyes flickered, a trace of baleful gloom also permeated them.
"Yao Xiaotian!"
When enemies meet, the eyes blaze red with fury. Seeing Yao Xiaotian appear, Yao Ming immediately roared in fury. The full force of his two-star Dou Sheng aura surged out like an overwhelming tide, locking onto Yao Xiaotian from afar.
"My dear big brother, why did you have to come out..." Yao Xiaotian looked at Yao Ming and sneered coldly. Then, suddenly sensing the strength erupting from the other party, his expression instantly turned deathly pale. "Two-star Dou Sheng?! How is that possible?!"
He had never imagined that after being suppressed for so many years, Yao Ming's strength would have risen instead of fallen, soaring directly from the Half-Saint level back then to the level of a two-star Dou Sheng.
"My dear little brother, everything you did back then—today, you will repay it all!"
After a few flickers, Yao Ming appeared before Yao Xiaotian. A savage, ferocious grin slowly spread across his face. With one palm, he brought with it an incomparably terrifying, dense black qi.
"Why won't you die?! Why must you come back?! Why don't you just go and die!!"
Yao Xiaotian went berserk. A monstrous, bone-chilling aura erupted out from within his body. This stretch of heaven and earth immediately began to fluctuate violently. Overwhelmingly vast, it gathered above his head to form a colossal palm a full thousand zhang wide. The giant palm was saturated with an extraordinarily frigid, sinister power.
"The Yellow Spring Palm—that's not how you use it!" Watching Yao Xiaotian's attack, Yao Ming sneered coldly. Raising his hand, he similarly struck out with a palm. The terrifying force twisted and shattered space itself.
"Yellow Spring Finger! A single finger of the Yellow Spring severs life from death!"
At that very moment, an icy, sinister voice rang out from behind Yao Ming. In the next instant, a deep-yellow finger, hundreds of zhang in size, tore through space and ruthlessly stabbed toward Yao Ming's back.
The surface of the fingertip was exceedingly coarse, yet it was permeated with faint traces of destructive power. Seen from afar, it looked like a pillar that propped up the heavens, towering between heaven and earth.
"Did you think I hadn't noticed you?" Yao Ming spun around abruptly. Looking at the Grand Elder, who had appeared at some unknown moment, he sneered coldly. Opening his mouth, a streak of black light shot out, ultimately transforming into a black scepter about half a zhang long.
"Serpent of the Underworld's Fury!!!"
Yao Ming roared furiously and raised the Nine Serene Underworld Scepter high. A ring of black light instantly radiated outward. The utterly pitch-black rings of light condensed black mist, transforming into a massive black serpent a thousand zhang in size. A heaven-soaring baleful flame spread out, like an evil, wicked deity standing between heaven and earth.
The instant the three figures, executing their Dou Techniques, collided—heaven and earth fell utterly silent for a moment. Then, an overwhelming storm of energy abruptly took shape. The space within a thousand-zhang radius nearly completely collapsed. The terrifying commotion finally drew the attention of the Nine Serene Deep Earth Python clansmen.
"Men! Follow my command and seize this villain who dares run wild among our Nine Serene Deep Earth Python Clan!"
In the midst of the battle, sensing the surrounding clansmen, Yao Xiaotian suddenly roared.
"Serpent Guard, heed my order! Capture this man!" The Grand Elder also immediately followed with a furious shout, wanting to complete the kill before Yao Ming could be recognized.
"Yes!"
As expected, amidst the chaos, the members of the Nine Serene Deep Earth Python Clan chose to obey the commands of the Grand Elder and Yao Xiaotian. Figure after figure clad in serpent-shaped armor shot out from the various mountain peaks. Their numerous auras locked firmly onto Yao Ming.
"Insolence! The Nine Serene Underworld Scepter is right here! Ming Chang, do you all wish to commit treason and insurrection?!"
Yao Ming took a step forward, the black scepter floating above his head. His pair of eyes stared deathly at the Serpent Guard.
"The Nine Serene Underworld Scepter?! To think it's the Nine Serene Underworld Scepter, lost for a hundred years!"
"This is the token of the clan leader!"
"You are Clan Leader Yao Ming..."
The moment the Nine Serene Underworld Scepter appeared, the complexions of all the elders changed. Then, a look of fanatical fervor surged within their eyes. From that scepter, they felt a bloodline pressure—some even immediately knelt down.
"Yao Xiaotian, your reign is over! You filthy pair of scum! I trusted you with everything, and you betrayed me! Today, I will tear you to pieces and throw you into the Ten Thousand Serpent Pit to suffer the supreme punishment of being devoured by ten thousand serpents!!!"
Yao Ming's voice was like the wretched howl of a ghost from the deepest netherworld, brimming with boundless hatred. Holding the Nine Serene Underworld Scepter in one hand, he launched a frenzied assault against Yao Xiaotian and the Grand Elder.
Yao Ming was bathed in blood, his expression appearing exceptionally savage. His hatred for Yao Xiaotian was indeed as vast as the heavens. Every move he made was ruthlessly vicious.
Boom—
Before long, Yao Xiaotian was blasted flying by a single strike, crashing onto a distant mountain peak and directly pulverizing some of the nearby boulders into powder.
Having received this blow, Yao Xiaotian also spat out a mouthful of blood. Mixed within the sprayed blood were some fragments of shattered internal organs. This scene made the eyelids of quite a few Nine Serene Deep Earth Python clansmen twitch.
"To think Yao Ming had such a trump card up his sleeve. He reclaimed his authority without the slightest effort!"
Watching Yao Ming so easily set things right and reverse the tide, Medusa spoke with some surprise.
After all, the precedent of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan was right before them. They hadn't expected that when it came to the Nine Serene Deep Earth Python Clan, the reversal would be this effortless. Had it been Zi Yan returning to Dragon Island all by herself...
Even with her orthodox bloodline, unification likely wouldn't have been so easily accomplished.
"One could only say each had their own disadvantages," Jiang Yun mused for a moment before speaking softly.
"Yao Ming has already suppressed the rebellion. Qing Lin's path has been paved. Next, it's your turn!" Watching the distant scene—how after suppressing Yao Xiaotian and the Grand Elder, Yao Ming had once again ascended to the position of clan leader amidst the support of the crowd—Jiang Yun looked at the three women and spoke.
"I can't help but feel you're trying to send the three of us away so you can be alone with Xiao Yi Xian!" Medusa cast a sidelong glance at Jiang Yun, her gaze tinged with suspicion.
Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian's cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She shot Jiang Yun a somewhat bashful look, her heart thumping like a deer in chaos.
Qing Lin likewise swept a suspicious gaze back and forth between Jiang Yun and Xiao Yi Xian.
Seeing this, Jiang Yun laughed in spite of himself: "Nothing of the sort. Come—before that, let's first take a look at the Half-Di legacy of the Nine Serene Deep Earth Python Clan!"