Chapter 1225: Active Invitation

The second individual, apart from Little White, who possessed the aura of a giant dragon, was Azure Dragon, one of the Four Imperial Envoys dispatched by Emperor Yunlong. As for this person's true identity and origins, it was likely that no living soul, other than Emperor Yunlong himself, knew anything about it.

The elite assassins initially employed by Emperor Yunlong to locate the youth had all been secretly concealed by him. This applied not only to Azure Dragon but also to the other three Imperial Envoys.

Each of these four individuals possessed immense power. Most importantly, they would never betray Emperor Yunlong, for without the Emperor's protection, they would lose the very meaning of their existence in this world. No one knew them, and no one could offer them hope or guidance for their lives.

Perhaps in Emperor Yunlong's eyes, they were merely puppets and pawns to be manipulated, but for them, Emperor Yunlong was the sole proof of their purpose. As for how Emperor Yunlong controlled these four envoys, no one knew the answer.

At this moment, Azure Dragon was concealed deep within the endless layers of clouds. With his eyes gently closed, he used the aura flowing throughout his body and his potent mental energy to subtly perceive every individual in the team below, within the strait area.

Among this group, only two individuals made Azure Dragon feel wary: Xu Yang and Little Flower. Besides them, perhaps only Little White, the giant dragon who had just been subdued as a mount, earned a slight glance of respect from Azure Dragon.

"To think the Prince found such formidable help this time!" Azure Dragon mused. "No wonder my master ordered me to personally come and test these individuals' true capabilities. Let me consider what methods I should use to play with them."

Azure Dragon remained hidden above the clouds, no hint of tension discernible on his face. He idly toyed with two chess pieces, one black and one white, in his right hand. Unbeknownst to most, aside from completing tasks for Emperor Yunlong, Azure Dragon's only lifelong passion was the study of chess.

Whenever he wasn't on a mission, the black and white chess pieces were never far from his grasp. In his perceptive mind, all beings and transformations in the world could be understood and their inherent laws captured through the principles of chess.

If one were to draw a comparison to his obsession with chess, perhaps only Xu Yang's current mastery of the Boundless Sword Domain could truly be likened to it.

It was a realm that had long since become ingrained in Azure Dragon's very being, his bones and blood. Suddenly, an intriguing method came to his mind.

A handsome smile curved Azure Dragon's lips. Then, with a gentle flick of his right hand, two core chess pieces, one black and one white, descended. As the light from these two pieces landed above the waters near the edge of the strait, two earth-shattering roars instantly erupted in succession.

The spreading mist naturally couldn't linger for long, but the rule changes it brought to the surface waters of the strait as it spread were astonishing.

"Not good! The waters ahead seem strange! Quickly order the vanguard patrol boats to stop advancing!"

Little Flower immediately spoke after receiving a look from Xu Yang. However, no sooner had the Fifth Prince issued his command than the three leading vanguard ships burst into flames in an instant.

"My heavens, how is this possible?!" one team member exclaimed. "On the water, flames ignited so easily! I didn't even see any trace of fire being emitted. Did the flames just fall from the sky?"

The members of the Eight Gates team were utterly stunned. They watched, wide-eyed, as the leading warships eerily vanished into the flames. No one understood what kind of ability or rule this was!

Xu Yang spoke almost simultaneously with Little Flower. "The true form of the power that just appeared… Within the Yingzhou Continent, the number of powerhouses capable of manifesting rule-level abilities can be counted on less than five fingers. The powerful individual hiding in the clouds is undoubtedly one of them."

The Fifth Prince quickly turned his head to Xu Yang. "That term seems very distant to us. It's something beyond the comprehension of those at our cultivation level. Has some extraordinary figure appeared here?"

Seeing the Fifth Prince's expression, Xu Yang understood his current feelings. After all, within the Yingzhou Continent, the word 'rule' was almost a deified concept for ordinary cultivators. It was ethereal yet objectively present. However, those who genuinely wielded power and methods at the level of 'rule' in the path of the sword were exceedingly rare.

"Everyone, there's no need to panic," Xu Yang reassured them. "What's known as 'rules' isn't a power that only legendary gods can control. For instance, my Boundless Sword Dao, which you've witnessed, can also alter the rules within a certain area once unleashed.

"Simply put, by thoroughly studying and elevating a particular cultivation or understanding to its ultimate, perfected level, one can, to a certain extent, alter rules.

"As you just witnessed, the manifestation of fire-attributed power in an aquatic environment is something utterly impossible by conventional understanding. Its appearance is undeniably proof of anomalous rules being at play."

Upon hearing Xu Yang's explanation, the members of the Eight Gates team couldn't help but gasp. "My heavens! From what we understand, it seems no one, except you, Boss, can effortlessly manifest such rule-level power, right?"

Xu Yang chuckled. "I originally thought so too, but now it seems the Central Imperial Clan possesses reserves far beyond my previous estimations. This is good, though. Having a few more worthy opponents can bring me some amusement. At least until I encounter Yun Wangji, I can treat this as finding some entertainment for myself."

Hearing Xu Yang's words, everyone's previously agitated hearts calmed considerably. This was because as long as Xu Yang was present, no matter how powerful the opponent, their side would always be protected by his strength.

"Hehe, Boss, now that you've put it that way, my mind's completely at ease," Old Crab said. "Opponents of this caliber are exclusively for you; they have nothing to do with the rest of us. We'll just keep enjoying our popcorn, and you can get back to doing the heavy lifting, hehehe!"

Old Crab chuckled foolishly and, quite naturally, punted the ball into Xu Yang's court, shifting the arduous task onto Xu Yang's shoulders.

As the saying goes, "to those who can, more is given." On this expedition, whenever they encountered beings beyond the Eight Gates team's collective limit, they would unhesitatingly defer the challenge to Xu Yang.