However, Yi Yun ignored Patriarch Pillheart's rage. He was a person who would take revenge the moment he was given an opportunity. He had been bent on seeking revenge back when Ling Xie'er's strength was being devoured. Now that that array was in disarray, Ling Xie'er was too weak to stop it because her strength had been drained. Obtaining the fire seeds of others was the best way to recover her strength.
"Yi Yun, what are you doing!?"
At that moment, the High Priest was incensed as well. The array was on the brink of collapse but Yi Yun was still engaging in a petty war by devouring Patriarch Pillheart's fire seed.
Yi Yun said loudly, "Your Excellency, my fire seed was drained of its strength previously by these fire seeds. However, they do not know how to use this strength, making it a waste. So now, I'm getting Xie'er to retrieve her strength so that she can quell the array."
Yi Yun's words made the High Priest even angrier. He was already greatly disappointed by Yi Yun when the array's loss of control continued. How was he to be convinced with Yi Yun's present bold statements?
Meanwhile, Ling Xie'er was still absorbing Patriarch Pillheart's fire seed's strength. The infuriated Patriarch Pillheart ignored everything as he extended his hand and made a grabbing motion. A gigantic toxic claw manifested in midair. It came crashing down at Yi Yun with a thunderous boom!
"Kid, you are courting death!"
The toxic claw had been infused with poisonous substances by Patriarch Pillheart over a long period of time. It could directly hurt one's dantian by spreading poison into the meridians, eventually affecting the entire body. He wanted to destroy Yi Yun's dantian directly!
Upon seeing this scene, Aged Blackrock felt great palpitations through him. However, the High Priest beside him did not take any action. From the High Priest's point of view, this matter was Yi Yun's fault to begin with. For him to have the audacious thought of devouring Patriarch Pillheart's fire seed while repairing the array was a completely lawless act.
"Stop it!"
Aged Blackrock struck out with his palm. He held back, preventing the strike from being lethal. Instead, he focused on absolute speed. After all, he was situated on the island outside the array. He was too far away from Patriarch Pillheart and Yi Yun.
Patriarch Pillheart had attacked too suddenly. He had long hated Yi Yun to the bone. Now, with all the accumulated anger exploding, his killing intent surged. His palm sealed off the surrounding void as he attempted to directly cripple Yi Yun's cultivation!
Since Yi Yun was devouring his fire seed, crippling him of his cultivation was not something others could fault him for!
Patriarch Pillheart revealed a hideous expression. The claw had already arrived in front of Yi Yun. In response, Yi Yun rapidly retreated while facing the massive green claw.
However, Patriarch Pillheart was even faster. He clenched his palm, and the void that had been sealed became like a cage, trapping Yi Yun completely within!
"Do you want to stall for time so that Blackrock can save you? It's too late!"
Patriarch Pillheart laughed sinisterly. His Yuan Qi voice transmission reached straight into Yi Yun's ear. But, at that instant, an azure-blue sword appeared in Yi Yun's hand.
His expression changed instantly, turning into one of infinite concentration. At that moment, Yi Yun seemed to be isolated from the world. He entered an ethereal state where all he saw was his sword.
Crackle!
Yi Yun's flesh and bones crackled loudly. His body's strength surged, as though a primordial behemoth had awakened inside of him.
"What? He wants to forcibly receive Patriarch Pillheart's strike?"
Aged Blackrock, who had yet enter the battleground, was alarmed. Nine Li Magus Maiden could only widen her beautiful eyes. At her meager level of strength, she was completely unable to tell what was happening on the battlefield. All she could see was Yi Yun's body burst with gold light as a primordial totem's phantom appeared behind him.
"Nine Stances of the Ascending Dragon—Golden Carp!"
Chi!
A blinding sword beam seemed to descend from the sky, tearing through space as it thrust towards the toxic claw.
At that instant, nearly everyone's vision was filled by the tiny sword flash.
The disciples with weaker cultivation levels even felt a stabbing pain reach their eyes. They nearly turned blind from just one look. It was imaginable how keen the sword flash was.
A strike to tear the firmaments. Not only was the sword flash keen, more importantly, it also contained immense and unbeatable strength. It was as though the world was collapsing!
This strike stabbed through the toxic claw's center. The violent collision exploded into endless energy tornadoes that swept up.
"Boom!"
With a loud boom, the toxic claw exploded in mid-air.
In that moment, no matter how blinding the sword flash was, everyone widened their eyes to see the scene. They were extremely astonished. Yi Yun actually managed to defend against Patriarch Pillheart's strike!?
Meanwhile, the toxic claw that had dissipated transformed into toxic fumes as it dispersed. The spatial cage was still present. The toxic fumes contained nomological powers akin to Apocalyptic Fumes. They were about to infiltrate Yi Yun's body through space.
Yi Yun put away his sword as a thunderous rumble emitted from his body suddenly. He took a deep breath as his chest rapidly swelled up. When the Dragon Emperor Technique's circulation of his lifeblood powers reached a maximum, Yi Yun unleashed a mighty roar!
Roar—!
The heaven-reaching dragon's roar came directly from Yi Yun's dantian and blasted in every direction uniformly!
Truths of the Ascending Dragon!
By stimulating the Dragon Emperor bloodline in him, he roared the Truth. The moment this Truth was roared, it could shatter all the meridians of a warrior, sending them to their deaths with a simple shout!
Yi Yun's roar blasted out like storm winds. All the toxic fumes were scattered by his roar!
Yi Yun retreated rapidly. Suddenly releasing all his vital potential and using the Dragon Emperor Technique in battle was extremely demanding on Yi Yun. His meridians could hardly tolerate such a burden.
However, knowing that he had withstood Patriarch Pillheart's strike still made Yi Yun feel contented.
However, Patriarch Pillheart had yet to retract his palm. All he did was stand in a daze as he looked at Yi Yun. He even forgot to follow up with another attack. He was just marveling at the ludicrous scene that unfolded before him. It was as if it was a dream.
Yi Yun… actually managed to withstand his claw?
Although he had struck out without much thought while Yi Yun had used all his strength, it still left Patriarch Pillheart in disbelief. He was a Divine Lord while Yi Yun had just become a Supremacy. His foundation wasn't even totally stable, yet he was capable of withstanding a Divine Lord's attack with the strength of a Supremacy?
Not only was Patriarch Pillheart in shock, everyone else fell silent from the shocking turn of events. No one spoke, and all that could be heard were the erupting flares of the Yuan Qi fire.
Yi Yun had only been in seclusion for a few years. Even with the River of Forgetfulness's water, it was impossible for him to be this strong. It completely subverted all that they knew.
And at that moment, Ling Xie'er took the opportunity to completely absorb the green fire seed in her hands. She digested it fully while within the array's core.
Ling Xie'er's mental strength was extremely powerful. The mental imprint left in the green fire seed was directly burnt away by Ling Xie'er's Heretical God Fire, wiping it away completely.
"Puah!"
Patriarch Pillheart's face suddenly turned white as he spat out a mouthful of blackened blood. He looked up, his eyes filled with shock, as well as despair and anger.
The fire seed that was intrinsic to him had been devoured!
Ling Xie'er had only taken seconds to completely devour his fire seed.
"Ah, ah, ah!"
Patriarch Pillheart roared crazily as all his energy blasted outwards. His clothes tore apart. He wanted to attack Yi Yun with all his strength and get revenge!
However, he sensed a cold killing intent come from behind him at that moment.
"I said this before. If someone wants to kill Yi Yun, it means making an enemy out of me. Don't forget that you are currently in my Nine Li Magus Empire."
Aged Blackrock appeared behind Patriarch Pillheart like a ghost. If he had not retracted his attack, he would have severely injured Patriarch Pillheart.
"You!"
Patriarch Pillheart turned his head suddenly towards Aged Blackrock. This was bringing bullying to an extreme. It was just too much!
His fire seed had been devoured and he was bursting with anger. Yet, Aged Blackrock was still siding with Yi Yun, completely ignoring the fact that his fire seed had been devoured!
Aged Blackrock said leisurely when faced with Patriarch Pillheart's glare, "You keep saying that Yi Yun devoured your fire seed… but you previously tried to devour Yi Yun's fire seed. His Excellency did not stop you. Now that your fire seed is being devoured, it is only right and proper. Did you think I would administer justice for you? In fact, you took at least fifteen minutes to devour Yi Yun's fire seed, and even then failed to finish it. As for Yi Yun, he devoured your fire seed in less than thirty seconds. Things seem fairly even to me."
Upon hearing Aged Blackrock's words, Patriarch Pillheart nearly blew a top.
Things were even?
When he took fifteen minutes to devour Yi Yun's fire seed, all he did was devour a tiny portion. As for Yi Yun, the seconds he took to devour his fire seed ended with him devouring the entire fire seed. Even his soul was damaged as a result. Yet, Aged Blackrock had the gall to say those words. It was completely overbearing and shameless!