Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 1446 - No Survivors, Yan King and His Royal Family

Qing Shui did not expect to reunite with his father so quickly. He was happy, but not excited. Perhaps his father was excited; he must miss a lot of people, and the memories etched into his heart...

Mother would be elated if she knew, but the top priority at the moment was to free Father from Soaring Dragon's grasp. The Soaring Dragon Organization was the Soaring Dragon Continent's strongest force. However, the current Demon Lord Palace was no weakling either. Facing the Soaring Dragon Organization head-on without the loot from the Ancient Relics would have been impossible. Now that they had gained some power, it was a different story.

Even though the numbers were impressive in such a large organization, only a few key players were necessary to turn the tide in battle, especially since Qing Shui had already reached this level of strength.

"Father, is this the so-called way of justice? It's even worse than the typical evil way. The Soaring Dragon Organization might be strong, but we aren’t weak either," Qing Shui stood up and asked, looking at Yan Zhong Yue.

Yan Zhonyue hesitated. Based on that old man's character, he would never be allowed to walk away that easily; even those related to him would be at risk. He started to regret having his memory restored and reuniting with his son.

"Mother and Qing Qing miss you very much. I've grown up now; leave it to me, okay?" Qing Shui continued.

"Haha, okay, then! Let's join hands, father and son! I've been the Dragon Head for so long, how would I not have some capabilities? Since you all are so cruel, I'll repay the favor!" Yan Zhongyue declared and turned towards his enemies.

"Dragon Head, you say? Haha. Didn’t you ever suspect anything? I have one question for you; have you ever had any say in any matter?" the sarcasm dripped from Left Custodian’s lips.

The old man's face was rigid, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s, emitting a chilling aura.

"Of course, I knew. You people were far older, so I sucked it up. Xiao Zilang, you have always assumed that you were stronger than me just because you are the Left Custodian. I dare you to face me, one-on-one.”

"Fight you, one-on-one? Bring it on! I'd like to see how you'd fair against me," Xiao Zilang growled with a rigid smile.

"Father, let me fight in your place!" Qing Shui quickly interjected.

"What? Don't you have faith in me? Don't worry; I won't die until I've met with your mother and Qing Qing." Yan Zhongyue patted Qing Shui on the shoulder, laughing.

Qing Shui knew it was useless to insist. After all, Father was the Dragon Head of the Soaring Dragon Organization, and he had remarkable medical skills. With him here, things should not get out of hand.

With only one leap, Yan Zhongyue was in the air, already having closed half the distance between himself and his opponent.

"Make your move, and don't accuse me of bullying. You, Dragon Head, are nothing to me. You could've remained the Dragon Head for another century, but you just threw that away." Xiao Zilang laughed cynically.

The Dragon Saber appeared in Yan Zhongyue's hand out of nowhere. The blade was three meters long and seven inches wide, decorated with an Azure Dragon. It was such a domineering weapon.

"I've never seen you use this weapon; did the Patriarch give it to you?" Xiao Zilang asked.

"Ignorant fool. Take this!"

Tidal Wave First Saber!

Yan Zhongyue swung the Dragon Saber. With a dragon cry, a huge saber Qi slashed down on Xiao Zilang.

Xiao Zilang's weapon was a long, thick, dark-green staff.

Wooden Shield!

He employed a ray of green Qi to shield himself. At the same time, with a swing of the staff, the staff’s shadow appeared to block the domineering saber Qi.

Tidal Wave Second Saber - City Break!

With a flash, Yan Zhongyue broke through like a dragon, the Dragon Saber in his hands once again slashing towards Xiao Zilang.

Xiao Zilang could not remain relaxed anymore. This slash was too much of a threat. Plus, his weapon was weak against sabers. This set him on guard.

****

Layers of greenish light began to appear from the staff. All of a sudden, a sky-high Ancient Tree sprouted out of nowhere, enveloping him instantly and blocking the slash.

"Let's see how long you can hide. Divine Dragon Tail Whip!"

Yan Zhongyue swung his Dragon Saber once again. The image of an Azure Dragon seemed to descend from the heavens, swinging its tail at the Ancient Tree.

Crash!

The impact was devastating. The attack sent Xiao Zilang flying, but he did not sustain much damage.

Qing Shui now knew that his father had hidden his true strength. He feels that he had inherited his abilities; otherwise, he would not have powered up so quickly. His father's strength could not compare to his own, but he was still stronger than Zhan Yu and Hua Rumei regarding raw power, not actual battle power.

"Who would've thought you hid your true strength. I must say that I'm surprised. However, you're still coming back with me today. Men, attack!" The Left Custodian either realized that he could not win or was scared to reveal it. Either way, he had enough.

"Fighting with numbers, are we? I'll teach you the true meaning of despair!" Qing Shui immediately summoned the Golden Scaled Dragon Elephant, Dragon Slaying Beast, and Hellfire Phoenix before activating his Innate Skills.

He who made the first move would gain the advantage.

Emperor's Qi!

At the same time, he cast his Innate skills on Yan Zhongyue and the others.

Phoenix Battle Intent!

Without hesitating, Qing Shui took the lead and charged forward. Worrying about his safety, the Demon lord quickly followed Qing Shui.

The Soaring Dragon Organization's men had not even recovered from the previous impairment, but enemies approached once more.

Qing Shui charged straight for the Left Custodian.

Nine Stances of Ancient Battle Technique!

Qing Shui lashed out with the Golden Battle Halberd, attacking with the Nine Stances of Ancient Battle Technique.

Qing Shui's current power and defense were off the charts, and his attacks were even more devastating. Perhaps because the Left Custodian was incompetent that, even though he blocked Qing Shui's attack with his staff, the Golden Battle Halberd sliced through the wooden staff and split his brains with just one strike.

Currently, even the Dragon Slaying Beast could not withstand the Golden Battle Halberd's penetrating power, much less this old man and his staff. Although the wooden staff was rather powerful, almost Legendary Grade, Qing Shui's halberd was Divine Grade. Due to this, in addition to the weapon advantage, the Left Custodian never stood a chance.

Qing Shui's attack triggered the opponents’ panic. The Left Custodian had been among the top five warriors in the Soaring Dragon Organization, yet a single move had finished him off.

With the upper hand, Qing Shui continued with Tiger's Descend, Nine Stances of Ancient Battle Technique Cycle, and Nine Palace Steps, striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. The penetration was virtually an insta-kill; even without that, Qing Shui's incredible speed was enough to harm the opponent.

The opponent had not even formed a formation - of course, it was too late for that now. The Dragon Slaying Beast would always be the best beast for ambushing. It was far more terrifying than Assassin-type beasts.

The opponent had only discovered a way to counter the Dragon Slaying Beast after it had already slain two men, but it was all for naught. It was too bad; the Dragon Slaying Beast was now beside Qing Shui, attacking anyone Qing Shui targeted. It was an absolute insta-kill!

Qing Shui’s partnership with the Dragon Slaying Beast was incredibly deadly; the duo was unstoppable and undodgeable.

The remaining elders now stood trembling in anger, frantically ordering their men to assemble and defend as one. It was such a shame; it was too late for that now.

Mighty Dragon Elephant Stomp!

Underworld Fireball!

The Golden Scaled Dragon Elephant used Mighty Dragon Elephant Stomp continuously. Currently, with its power, the attack had a high chance of stunning the opponent. Once they were stunned, other attacks would not miss easily 一 insta-kill!

The ones who strike first would always have an advantage, moreover, the enemy had already been impaired by 30%, and all allies strengthened by 20%. Qing Shui's side had been stronger, to begin with; now that the power gap had grown, this was an easy massacre.

Gloom Covering Skies and Earth!

Soul Lock!

At one moment, the remaining people used their Sure Kill Heavenly Techniques, and the sky grew dark. Instincts screamed that something was coming, but the body was too slow to react, unable to do anything.

Nine Palace Disintegration!

Qing Shui suddenly leapt a few meters into the air. With a stomp, the darkness disappeared, and everything reverted to normal. This was an improvisation of his Seven Steps Nine Palace Crush and had the same effects.

From that point on, the battle held no suspense at all. The Soaring Dragon Organization had lost their main warriors; it was a huge loss.

After looting some war trophies, Yan Zhongyue decided not to return to the Soaring Dragon Organization. However, he could not afford to relax, not until the organization had been wiped out, especially the Patriarch and his lackeys.

…...

Qing Shui and Yan Zhongyue sat on Qing Shui's Fire Bird, speeding towards the Demon Palace.

"Qing Shui, if you really want to fight with the Soaring Dragon Organization, you must possess the power to do so." Yan Zhongyue was a lot more relaxed now and quite happy.

"Obtaining power is easy, but it's difficult to have a strong influence. Just like the Soaring Dragon Organization, this was the fruit of decades of hard work.

"Actually, through all of these years, I wasn't just the Dragon Head of the Soaring Dragon Organization. I have another identity," Yan Zhongyue informed Qing Shui after some consideration.

"Oh!" Qing Shui's interest was aroused.

"Do you know about the Great Yan Dynasty of the Soaring Dragon Continent?" Yan Zhongyue asked.

"The Great Yan Dynasty, which is closest to the Dancing Phoenix and Haohan?" Qing Shui responded.

It was at this moment that Qing Shui noticed that the Joyous Sage was not around. That old man was quite mysterious; things did not seem simple...

"That's right. I am the Yan Emperor," Yan Zhongyue said with a tinge of bitterness in his words.

The Great Yan Dynasty was shrouded in mystery. It was very strong, and on the surface, it had close ties with the Soaring Dragon Organization. This was definitely related to Yan Zhongyue, but the Great Yan Dynasty was a powerful existence; even the Patriarch of the Soaring Dragon Organization would not act blindly. Yet, for some reason, Qing Shui's father had become the Yan Emperor.

"You're curious as to how I became the Yan Emperor, right?" Yan Zhongyue sighed at Qing Shui.

"Yep!" Qing Shui was puzzled.

"I even have a queen there. She's the old man's only descendant."

He even had a family there, a royal family. However, Qing Shui was not surprised. Since he had lost his memory, forming a family there was normal. It was just that he was not quite used to that feeling.