188: Chapter 188 True Dragon Illusion vs. Nine-Tailed Fox

Ao Qin stood up from the Kunlun seating area, stretched his wrists, his expression calm yet tinged with seriousness.

He turned to look at the Kunlun Disciple and grinned: "I'll go meet that Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan first."

He didn't say much more, stepped off the viewing platform, and walked along the bluestone path toward the battle stage.

On the other side, the Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan also stood up from the Jiuqiu Fox Clan's seating area, her fiery red robes particularly striking in the morning light.

Her expression was composed, with a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her face, as if she had anticipated this matchup all along.

The nine fox clan women behind her sat quietly, their gazes calmly following her back; they did not speak, nor did they make any unnecessary movements.

The two stood on opposite ends of the battle stage, about twenty zhang apart.

The morning breeze swept over the battle stage, gently lifting and then dropping the edges of their robes.

The noise from the crowd below gradually died down; everyone was waiting for the start of the match.

Ao Qin stood there, his body wreathed in faint, golden Qi.

He looked at the Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan opposite him, reading from those amber eyes an emotion he couldn't quite name—a mix of curiosity and scrutiny, as if she wanted to personally gauge exactly how much weight he, the Dragon Clan Third Prince, carried.

Just as the referee was about to announce the start of the match, no one noticed that in the Void Realm above the battle stage, a faint aura was hiding among the clouds.

The figure wore grey robes, with an ordinary face and an aura so restrained it was nearly non-existent; only those eyes, peering through layers of clouds, were fixed unwaveringly on the golden figure on the battle stage.

The Guardian, protector of the East Sea Dragon Clan, had been ordered by Dragon King Ao Yuan to secretly accompany Ao Qin.

Unless there was a life-or-death crisis, he would never appear, nor would he intervene, but his eyes could capture things ordinary people could not see.

At this moment, he watched the golden figure on the battle stage, his gaze filled with a complex and hidden concern, as if watching a tragedy about to unfold.

He knew a little more than the others in the Dragon Clan; when Qing Yue, the Clan Chief of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan, sought an audience with the Dragon King five years ago, he had vaguely revealed the plight the fox clan faced and the inevitability of their re-emergence.

The Dragon King had rejected his request at the time, but upon returning, he had said one thing to the Guardian: "The Southern Wilderness will face a great catastrophe, and I fear it has to do with the Jiuqiu Fox Clan."

The Guardian did not know how that great catastrophe would arrive, but as he watched Ao Qin confronting the Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan on the battle stage, that thought surfaced in his mind for a moment before he suppressed it.

If Ao Qin hadn't joined Kunlun, he would have definitely forced him back to the East Sea; after all, he didn't know when the disaster in the Southern Wilderness would descend.

On the battle stage, the deacon confirmed both sides were ready and lowered his hand.

The signal for the start of the match had just dissipated, and before Ao Qin could move, the voice of the Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan had already reached him.

Her voice was not loud, yet it clearly cut through the morning breeze and reached Ao Qin's ears, carrying a hint of relaxed amusement: "Dragon Clan Third Prince, I've heard much about you."

As soon as she finished speaking, her figure vanished from where she stood.

The next instant, a fiery red figure appeared less than three zhang from Ao Qin, her right hand forming a sword gesture, pointing vaguely at Ao Qin's shoulder.

The finger wind was sharp, carrying a scorching and keen Qi, silent and soundless, not even stirring the air, yet it made Ao Qin's gaze instantly sharpen.

He dodged the finger wind while throwing a punch with his right hand, a golden Dragon-shaped Qi condensing on his fist, pressing toward the direction of the Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan with a low Dragon roar.

The figure of the Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan twisted in the air, her fiery red robes tracing a fluid arc, easily avoiding the fist force, while her left hand swept through the Void Realm, sending a pale green light like a crescent moon slashing diagonally at Ao Qin.

Ao Qin raised his left arm to block, and the green light struck his arm guard with a dull thud, sparking ripples of golden spiritual light.

In the interval as he stepped back half a step, the Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan had already opened up the distance, standing several zhang away, her fiery red robes gently fluttering in the morning breeze, her expression still composed.

Below the stage, the Cultivators watching had not fully reacted; the two had already exchanged two moves.

No one saw how the Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan appeared in front of Ao Qin from the other end of the stage, nor did anyone see how much power Ao Qin's punch contained.

But the impact of that intertwining speed and power had instantly quieted everyone, their gazes locked on the two figures on the battle stage.

On the battle stage, the two separated upon contact, each standing several zhang away.

Ao Qin lowered his left arm, glanced at the faint green mark on his arm guard, and a flash of seriousness appeared in his eyes.

The previous moves were just a test, but it was enough for him to make an initial judgment of the strength of the Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan; the combination of her movement technique and finger technique was natural and unforced, clearly not something practiced overnight.

"Young Lord of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan has excellent movement technique."

Ao Qin spoke, his tone carrying a hint of praise, though he had already set aside the casual smile from before.

"I'm going to get serious now."

As the words fell, the spiritual power within him no longer restrained itself, instantly surging out.

A majestic Dragon Clan pressure permeated from him, golden Qi churning and condensing around him, slowly forming a phantom behind him.

The phantom was blurry at first, but as the golden Qi became thicker and more solid, it gradually revealed a clear outline.

A golden True Dragon phantom, its head held high, with golden lightning seemingly leaping within its Dragon eyes.

Its body coiled behind Ao Qin, the patterns of the Dragon scales faintly visible, and a pressure originating from the depths of the Bloodline spread in all directions with the appearance of the True Dragon phantom, causing the Cultivators closest to the battle stage to involuntarily hold their breath.

Ao Qin stood in front of the True Dragon phantom, golden Qi flowing endlessly around him, the tyranny and majesty unique to the Dragon Clan Bloodline fully revealed at this moment.

Opposite him on the battle stage, facing the oncoming Dragon Clan pressure, the robes of the Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan were whipped by the air current brought by the Azure Dragon phantom, her expression remaining composed.

She looked at the gradually solidifying Azure Dragon phantom behind Ao Qin, a flash of light appearing in her amber eyes.

She waved her hands rapidly, mysterious runes appearing around her, and a cluster of pale green light condensed in her palms.

The light was soft at first, then grew increasingly intense, condensing into a phantom behind her as well.

The outline of that phantom was completely different from the Azure Dragon, yet it carried the same ancient and rich aura.

A snow-white nine-tailed fox, with a slender body, fur like condensed moonlight, and nine long tails swaying gently in the Void Realm, each tail tip emitting a faint green spiritual light.

Those fox eyes were slightly narrowed, carrying an unfathomable depth amidst the same composure as the Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan herself.