Chapter 1469: Dragon Vein Power

"He is still in his recovery period, and without Xiangliu and Fuyou to guard him, my intervention, coupled with the Crown Prince's assistance, should have a high chance of success."

"But why is he so calm? That shouldn't be!"

"Right, since Gonggong was renowned throughout the world in ancient times and commanded two powerful beings like Xiangliu and Fuyou, he certainly isn't foolish. If so, why would he let Xiangliu leave and face me alone?"

"Could it be that his strength has recovered enough to suppress me? Is that why he isn't afraid of me making a move?"

"Or is he intentionally testing me this way? Is Xiangliu actually hidden in the shadows?"

In that instant, thousands of thoughts flashed through the Demon Emperor's mind. Ultimately, he still didn't make a move; the aura Gonggong displayed was simply too terrifying, making him believe that Gonggong surely had a trump card.

So, even if the other party hadn't fully recovered, he wouldn't dare take such a great risk.

"My Lord is jesting. How dare I!"

He was used to seeing his ministers tremble in fear before the Demon Emperor. Now, seeing his father also so apprehensive before another, Crown Prince Jinwu felt a deep weariness in his heart.

Hmph, this so-called 'strong will' is all fake. Only true strength matters.

If one's strength surpasses others, maintaining a strong will comes naturally;

If one's strength is inferior, one can only obediently humble oneself.

Understanding all this, his bewildered gaze instantly became resolute.

"I'd imagine you wouldn't dare," Gonggong snorted, then continued to absorb vital energy, his body growing more solid.

When had the Demon Emperor ever endured such contempt?

A wave of frustration and anger welled up in his heart, but with his profound cunning, he showed no outward sign, merely gazing subtly in the direction Zu An had fled.

Previously, they had clearly been enemies, but this time, he inexplicably hoped they could create some miracle.

Meanwhile, Zu An and his companions were not faring well. The ancient tomb was a labyrinth, and they had no idea where they were escaping to.

Although they had set up various traps and mechanisms along the way to obstruct their pursuer, Fuyou was an Earth Immortal after all, and the power gap was simply too immense.

"Little An'zi, continuously fleeing like this isn't a solution. Why don't we turn back and fight him?" Yun Jianyue said anxiously.

"Fight with what?" Yan Xuehen poured cold water on the idea. Although Fuyou's strength was not comparable to the Demon Emperor or Zhao Hao, he was still an Earth Immortal. In a direct confrontation, they wouldn't last long, let alone win.

"The Sun-Shooting Bow! The suns we shot down before were far more powerful than this Fuyou," Yun Jianyue replied instinctively.

"What about the others after we deal with Fuyou?" Yan Xuehen said coldly. Only one special arrow remained. While it could certainly deal with Fuyou, using it on him would be too wasteful, given the existence of even stronger foes like Xiangliu, the Demon Emperor, and even Gonggong.

"Then what else can we do?" Yun Jianyue felt frustrated. After years of traversing the world unhindered, she had never felt so vexed as she did during this experience in the Unknown Land.

"A'Zu will surely find a way," Yu Yanluo said, gazing tenderly at Zu An.

Yun Jianyue was somewhat unconvinced, thinking that while the young man did possess extraordinary combat power, even with his miscellaneous tricks, he was at most on par with her current self. How could he possibly contend with an Earth Immortal?

Could the legend that women become foolish when they fall in love truly be accurate?

To her surprise, she suddenly noticed the Ice Stone Woman beside them also gazing at Zu An with immense trust, and her heart stirred.

Just then, a loud laugh echoed, and Fuyou's massive form blocked their path. "Boy, let's see where you'll run this time!"

Zu An smiled faintly, the tension previously on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by a playful expression. "Who said I was running? I merely wanted to lure you here alone."

Fuyou was startled, then grumbled, "Brat, have you lost your mind?"

Even Yan Xuehen and the other two women looked at him with confusion, utterly bewildered as to where his confidence came from.

Zu An wasted no more words. He immediately made a strange gesture with both palms in front of him: "Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms!"

Yu Yanluo blinked, then asked the two women beside her, "Sisters, you are both well-informed. Do you know what kind of martial art this 'Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms' is?"

She had never heard of it, despite racking her brain for a long time, and secretly felt ashamed of her limited knowledge. But Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue were both sect leaders and Grandmasters, so they surely must have heard of it.

Seeing the expectation in Yu Yanluo's eyes, Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue exchanged glances, both feeling their cheeks flush. "The name certainly sounds impressive, but we haven't heard of it either."

"His starting pose doesn't seem to have any effect, and it's full of flaws. It looks a bit like..." Yan Xuehen trailed off.

"Like a street performer's," Yun Jianyue stated more directly.

Little did they know, these starting poses were merely movements Zu An had seen actors perform on television in his previous life.

At that moment, Zu An took a step forward. Suddenly, various hidden patterns flashed around him, extending in all directions. Soon, a rumbling sound seemed to emanate from the distant mountain.

In an instant, everyone felt as if the entire mountain had come alive.

"Mere theatrics!" Fuyou scoffed, lunging forward. The powerful gust of wind generated by his massive body was enough to make them all gasp for breath.

Just then, the adjacent wall suddenly cracked open, and a colossal yellow dragon flew out, with a massive head, fearsome teeth, sharp claws, and even clearly visible scales.

"Is this dragon energy formed by a dragon vein?" Yan Xuehen's eyes widened in astonishment.

Having some knowledge of runic formations, she naturally knew that certain large mountain ranges were rumored to possess dragon veins. Cultivators practicing within them could achieve twice the results with half the effort, and if a mortal dynasty's imperial mausoleum was buried there, it could ensure the nation's long-lasting prosperity and good fortune.

However, such things had always existed only in legend; no one had truly seen them. Even Yan Xuehen had believed dragon veins were an invisible and intangible force, so she never expected to witness one with her own eyes today.

Fuyou was also caught off guard. He immediately swung his palm, sending a ball of red light to meet the golden dragon. The golden dragon and the red light collided, emitting a blinding flash that shook the entire passage. If not for the ancient tomb's defensive formation still being active, they would likely have been buried alive.

"Hmph, that's all there is to it." Fuyou felt a tingling sensation in his palms. Clearly, that last strike had been powerful, but not enough to threaten him. Zu An's eyes were deep. As he walked casually, countless golden dragon energies surged from the surrounding walls, ceiling, and floor, each radiating immense power, and enveloped Fuyou in an assault.

At this, even Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen's expressions changed. Faced with such terrifying attacks, they would likely be pulverized by these dense dragon energies if they were in Fuyou's place.

The crucial point was that this young man had only just reached the Grandmaster realm. Why could he unleash such immensely powerful attacks?

Yan Xuehen suddenly had an idea. She recalled when they first arrived in this mountain range, Zu An had observed the terrain from the air and commented on the abundant dragon veins crisscrossing the area.

In ordinary spiritual mountains and great rivers, even one dragon vein was rare. Yet, this continuous mountain range surprisingly concealed countless dragon veins.

That was how Zu An could borrow such immense power.

It must be through using the "Elucidation of the Heavenly Marrow," right?

Wouldn't that mean that from now on, as long as he was within a dragon vein, his combat power would be equivalent to an Earth Immortal's?

Both women felt a little dizzy. If this news were to spread, it would surely shake the entire world.

For those close to him, it might be manageable, but various factions would undoubtedly try to win him over at all costs. If they couldn't recruit him, they would spare no effort to eliminate him.

Especially Zhao Hao and the Demon Emperor.

Yu Yanluo's eyes, meanwhile, sparkled brightly. "My brother is truly amazing!"

When she first met A'Zu, he was still an awkward young boy. Now, he was a mature, dependable man. Oh dear, why was she turning into such a lovesick fool?

Surrounded by dragon energy on all sides, countless golden dragons attacked Fuyou.

Fuyou roared repeatedly. His usual combat style was straightforward, making it impossible for him to evade so many golden dragon attacks.

He could only use both his hands and feet, unleashing streaks of red light to shatter the golden dragons. But as soon as one was destroyed, another appeared, and even with his cultivation, he couldn't sustain it.

Soon, golden dragons continuously pierced various parts of his body, causing splashes of blood.

He roared continuously. Unfortunately, having only recently recovered, his original power hadn't returned to its peak. Now, with injuries all over, his movements became increasingly slow, leading to even more wounds.

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue's eyes were filled with excitement. They had never imagined Zu An could kill an Earth Immortal-level powerhouse!

Unlike the previous instance of shooting down the Golden Crow, that achievement primarily relied on the power of the Sun-Shooting Bow, along with the combined efforts of the Ten Witches of Lingshan and themselves.

Although this time he also borrowed from the dragon veins, "Elucidation of the Heavenly Marrow" was something he had learned himself, so it counted as his own ability.

Just as Fuyou seemed about to be defeated, a white figure flashed over, instantly splitting into nine white phantoms. They arrived by Fuyou's side, helping him block all the surrounding dragon energies.

"Disperse!" The figure was surrounded by green and black light, and a powerful domain energy unfolded, shattering all the nearby dragon energies.