Chapter 839: Beast Spirit Fusion

Yixuan's eyes suddenly flared with an intense desire to kill, as a cold arc played at the corner of his lips. He resembled a god, high above, cold and ruthless, judging all living beings.

"Since you deem this an honor," he declared, "then I shall ensure you carry that honor into ruin. In my eyes, no one who dares to defy the imperial decree is worthy of life."

In truth, a man like Yun Yixuan was loyal to his beliefs, and one couldn't fault him for that. Yet, his expression made it easy for others to perceive him as nothing more than a lackey of the imperial family. Loyalty to the imperial family had become his mission, his very faith. It appeared he had likely been brainwashed by the old members of the imperial family. It was truly lamentable that someone so young, who had already reached the Heaven Martial Artist level, was content to be a mere lackey for the imperials.

The moment his words ceased, the long spear in Yun Yixuan's hand abruptly transformed into a tangible, soaring dragon. A massive dragon soul ascended into the sky, unleashing earth-shattering roars. The instant this draconic pressure erupted, the countless soldiers from both sides nearby were all utterly shaken by the overwhelming sound and force.

"This is terrifying," Old Tan immediately concluded. "If I'm not mistaken, this must be the soul of a true ancient dragon, imprisoned within that spear by this fellow through some special method to forge an aberrant soul artifact." Old Tan made this assessment instantly. In his youth, he had been quite knowledgeable about refining magical artifacts and had even worked as a blacksmith for decades, forging a defensive artifact that later fetched millions at auction. Thus, Old Tan was undoubtedly the most well-versed in various weaponry among Xu Yang's Five Heavenly Kings. With a single glance, he discerned the unique nature of the artifact in Yun Yixuan's possession.

The dragon soul soared, incredibly potent, yet the Tiger King before them displayed no overwhelming fear. He merely furrowed his brow before letting out a sudden, hysterical roar. The terrifying tiger's roar similarly had a wide-reaching, shocking effect.

"As far as I know," someone remarked, "special cultivation methods like the Tiger King's Beast Spirit Arts often manifest far greater practical combat abilities than their martial artist rank would suggest! Although Tiger King is only a first-tier Earth Martial Artist, his immediate combat power can almost rival that of a newly ascended Heaven Martial Artist!" While there was still a significant gap between him and Yun Yixuan, he was by no means a foe to be easily manipulated. More importantly, the old crow beside him, also a first-tier Earth Martial Artist, provided substantial assistance.

The Five Heavenly Kings and others discussed the battle, each commenting on the combat strength of both sides. Xu Yang, however, remained silent, though he was undoubtedly the most precise in assessing the battlefield situation.

"I wonder if you've noticed that while Tiger King and the Old Crow fight side-by-side, their auras show a certain tendency to merge! However, this merging trend cannot be further enhanced once it reaches a certain peak! Based on this alone, I can almost conclude that these two possess a special combination skill, but the necessary conditions for activating it haven't been met yet."

As Xu Yang's words concluded, the Five Heavenly Kings beside him all turned astonished gazes upon him.

"According to your meaning, Sect Master, this medium should involve several other power manifestations?"

"Precisely. This appears to be a method akin to a combination array. If it can rapidly unleash and merge the powers of multiple Beast Spirits into one, bringing the formation to perfection, it will undoubtedly release a formidable force capable of suppressing even Heaven Martial Artists."

Not long after Xu Yang finished speaking, three beams of light simultaneously shot forth, descending from the distant sky. Upon closer inspection, these three newcomers were a Xuan Turtle, a bear, and a minotaur! As predicted, three more Beast Spirit cultivators arrived, each possessing the terrifying strength of a first-tier Earth Martial Artist.

"So that's it, I understand now," exclaimed Lang Xian. "Tiger King, on one hand, holds the official title of leader of the Tiger King Alliance, and on the other, he maintains close ties with these Beast Spirits! It's evident that these five share a bond akin to comrades forged in adversity, but none of them possess Tiger King's official status; they are likely leaders among the bandits as well!" Lang Xian finally grasped the situation, nodding repeatedly in realization.

"No wonder Tiger King has such a fierce reputation!" he continued. "It's said that throughout the entire Eastern Region, aside from the alliance leader named Lingyao, Tiger King shows respect to no one else. Now I finally understand why! With several equally powerful Beast-race brothers as his backing, Tiger King certainly has his own significant standing across the Eastern Region."

As expected, everything unfolded precisely as Xu Yang had predicted. With the other three Beast Spirits joining the fray, the five Beast Spirits were now fully assembled, and Tiger King's combined combat strength clearly began to overpower Yun Yixuan, despite his Heaven Martial Artist rank.

"Special Envoy Yun? Do you require assistance?" Xu Yang had no intention of intervening himself, but he still projected his voice across every corner of the battlefield with remarkable clarity.

Yun Yixuan's pride, of course, would never allow him to accept Xu Yang entering the battlefield as a rescuer. What he desired was a one-against-five scenario, utterly crushing them all.

"Boy, are you trying to humiliate me?" Yun Yixuan retorted. "If I can't even handle these beasts, how could I, Yun Yixuan, be one of the great generals loyal to the Imperial Family? What right would I have to represent the imperial family and complete this mission? Today, I shall see what abilities you five beasts can truly unleash when combined. Do not disappoint me."

Yun Yixuan was truly asking for trouble, repeatedly calling his opponents "beasts." After all, these Beast Spirits were all prominent figures across the Eastern Region. No one would passively endure such reckless insults from Yun Yixuan. This method of address had undoubtedly infuriated Tiger King and his four chief-level brethren.

"Brothers," Tiger King roared, "today, we'll show them what the most powerful combined Beast Spirit power truly is!"

In that instant, these four or five Beast Spirit warriors simultaneously unleashed their innate Beast Spirit Qi, a highly unique form of potent energy. Xu Yang was not unfamiliar with this phenomenon; when he first arrived in Changle County, he had encountered someone cultivating a similar ferocious tiger Qi during an arena battle. However, that individual's Qi paled in comparison to the first-tier Earth Martial Artist, Tiger King, before them; the difference was monumental.