Chapter 81: The Ruined Hall of Yama (1)

Lin An was equally astonished as he gazed at the manifestation of the true dragon conjured by Xiao Yan. He hadn’t expected Xiao Yan to harbor such a terrifying technique in secret. The image of a five-clawed true dragon was something perhaps no one on the Dou Qi Continent had ever witnessed, but Lin An was intimately familiar with it. What surprised him, however, was that Xiao Yan possessed the ability to manifest even a true dragon.

Yet, a five-clawed true dragon, after all, was not the legendary progenitor of all dragons, and thus not an invincible being. The dragon elephant, if allowed to mature, would certainly be no weaker than a true dragon; indeed, a true dragon elephant could effortlessly slay a true dragon.

With a cold sneer, the once-shadowy dragon elephant gradually assumed solid form before the eyes of the crowd, exuding a wild, primordial aura. In that instant, it seemed as though a genuine dragon elephant had emerged into the world, so vivid and real that no one could tell it was merely Lin An’s conjuration.

The true dragon broke through its defensive restraints and soared straight into the heavens. Soon, its massive head emerged from the boundless black mist, peering down at Lin An below.

A thunderous roar erupted from the dragon elephant’s mouth, a shockwave so powerful it seemed to scatter the clouds above. With a series of booming steps, the dragon elephant strode across the void, closing the distance to Xiao Yan in a flash.

For a moment, heaven and earth changed color. Terrifying waves of energy radiated in all directions, dispersing the overcast sky in the blink of an eye and restoring daylight. Everyone watched in awe at the sky, witnessing the spectacular and dreadful battle, their shock beyond the power of words to express.

The ferocity of the clash surpassed all imagination.

Suddenly, the true dragon’s body radiated dazzling divine light. With a furious roar, it wound itself around the enormous dragon elephant, binding its massive form. The dragon elephant let out a mournful cry, and a terrifying surge of power followed. Its dragon scales seemed to transform into razor-sharp sword qi, carrying a force that could shatter the void as they lashed out wildly in all directions.

This sword qi was enough to slice through even the true dragon’s scales. Before long, the dragon elephant broke free of its bindings.

Seeing this, Lin An pressed the attack. Accompanied by thunderous sonic booms, streams of divine light surged forth as his massive body rammed into the true dragon.

Then, with a trunk as formidable as a true dragon itself, the elephant ensnared the dragon’s body, waves of energy rippling outward, distorting space as if to crush the dragon’s form entirely.

The true dragon struggled desperately, unable to break free. At last, it spewed a breath of dragonfire, instantly engulfing both colossal beasts. The entire sky seemed to become a sea of flames, their forms all but lost within.

No one knew how much time had passed when, at last, two figures tumbled from the sky, the twin manifestations dissipating with their fall.

In the end, both landed steadily upon the ground. Xiao Yan was covered in blood, his body trembling uncontrollably. He had not imagined that, even after unleashing his most powerful attack, he still could not kill Lin An—instead, he himself was grievously wounded.

Lin An looked only slightly better than Xiao Yan, though it was obvious to most that his condition was little different. Both were spent, only barely holding on—it would come down to which could outlast the other.

“I thought I’d imagined you as formidable as you could be,” Xiao Yan said suddenly, looking at Lin An. “But in the end, I still underestimated you. There must be a secret you hide, just like me, isn’t there?”

Xiao Yan spoke openly, making no effort to conceal his words from those present. Many listeners’ eyes lit up at his remark.

Both Lin An and Xiao Yan were, by any measure, preternaturally powerful young men. For people of their age to attain the rank of Grand Dou Master was already extraordinary, let alone that both were also master alchemists of immense strength.

No one could believe there weren’t secrets behind their meteoric rise. But what kind of secret could have transformed the once-worthless Xiao Yan into such a monster in just three years?

“Aren’t you afraid that if your secret is revealed, even if you defeat me, you’ll be hunted by everyone in the world?” Lin An replied with a question of his own.

“Heh. So what if my secret is exposed? As long as I don’t show my face, no one in this world can find me. But you… I doubt it’s so simple for you,” Xiao Yan answered with confidence.

He spoke the truth; unless he revealed himself, it was nearly impossible for ordinary people to track him down. Ever since the end of the Alchemist Convention, countless people had sought Xiao Yan’s whereabouts, yet none had succeeded.

Lin An said nothing. At this point, their struggle would soon be decided.

After all, the time limit for the Yama’s Descent was nearly up. If he didn’t kill Xiao Yan before it ended, he would become a helpless lamb awaiting slaughter, powerless to resist.

It seemed Xiao Yan had seen through Lin An’s thoughts, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.

It looked as if the final victor would be him.

Strangely, Xiao Yan’s aura suddenly surged again, as if he had taken a secret elixir. In a short span, he had recovered to his normal state, showing no sign of weakness whatsoever.

“How is this possible? Xiao Yan must have secretly taken some kind of pill—how else could he recover from his wounds so quickly?”

“This is a fight to the death, but there was never any rule against taking pills. If Lin An can, he’s free to take one too.”

“Exactly—let’s see if Lin An came prepared with such medicines.”

…

Xiao Yan’s sudden recovery left many crying foul, but when someone reminded them that no such rule had been set, they could only fall silent and watch the contest unfold.

Lin An sneered coldly. He knew that for Xiao Yan to recover so swiftly must have come at a great cost. The depletion from their clash was real—even he had to endure a period of weakness.

Just then, an overwhelming pressure materialized from nowhere. In Lin An’s eyes, a divine temple appeared behind Xiao Yan, its façade bearing three shattered, ancient characters: Hall of Yama.

Decay, desolation, ruin…

These were Lin An’s first impressions of the newly revealed Hall of Yama.

“What’s going on? Could it be that Xiao Yan’s meteoric rise wasn’t due to help from the Hall of Yama on the Dou Qi Continent, but rather… he too inherited the legacy of the Hall of Yama?”

Lin An stared at the scene before him, murmuring in disbelief.

The last time he’d seen the shadow appear around Xiao Yan, Lin An had thought it was the will of the Hall of Yama aiding him. But now, it seemed things were not as he had imagined.