Nine Star Hegemon Body Arts

A deep, thunderous rumble echoed as the Emperor reverse scale pulsed with violent, unstable energy. It sent shockwaves rippling through space, causing the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest to tremble like a ship caught in a tempest.

“Are you trying to start things now?” Long Chen murmured.

“Its evil energy is growing stronger. The Emperor reverse scale has absorbed an immense amount of death energy. It feeds on the desire to kill. The more lives lost, the greater its strength. It seems eager to take the initiative. If you don’t reach it soon, it will break the seal and come for you,” said the Dragon Sovereign.

“It has to wait for me. If it breaks the seal, the dragon power will vanish. How will my brothers advance to the great circle then?” After saying that, Long Chen accelerated the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest. It eventually became so fast that it was like a shooting star.

Previously, Long Chen had been buying time for the Dragonblood warriors so that they could all reach the great circle before arriving.

But now, the Emperor reverse scale was growing impatient—if it had gathered enough power to force its way free, it would cease radiating its dragon energy.

“Boss!”

Just as the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest was speeding along, Gu Yang’s eyes snapped open. His aura had undergone a complete transformation. Now at the great circle, his blood qi roared like a surging ocean. Beneath his skin, veins pulsed with writhing energy, as if his body contained so much power it could barely be contained.

“Damn, what a powerful body!” exclaimed Long Chen, patting Gu Yang’s shoulder hard.

Sensing his brother’s explosive power, Long Chen gave him a thumbs-up.

One by one, his brothers were ascending. Guo Ran, Xia Chen, Song Mingyuan, and now Gu Yang—all had reached the great circle of nine veins. Long Chen felt an exhilarating surge of pride. With such a group of powerful brothers by his side, who could possibly stop him?

The four of them looked at each other. Sensing each other’s immense power, they were all excited. In the Dragon Domain, they had passed all the trials, and now, they had condensed their core veins and fully merged with their dragon souls. They didn’t feel any fear about the upcoming battle. Instead, their blood boiled with excitement.

After bitterly cultivating for so long, they were eager to show the world the Dragonblood Legion’s power!

“Boss, do you have any strategy for this upcoming battle? Any instructions?” asked Xia Chen.

Though Guo Ran was the general of the Dragonblood Legion, he and Xia Chen crafted their strategies together. In truth, Xia Chen often did more work behind the scenes, carefully analyzing every possibility while Guo Ran had a habit of dramatizing things. This time, with Guo Ran busy crafting more arrows, Xia Chen took charge.

Long Chen pondered for a moment. “This battle won’t be like the past. Although everyone is in the same realm, we’re facing creatures from the primal chaos era. We may be strong, but we cannot afford to be careless. My goal is to seize the Emperor reverse scale, but to do that, I must first defeat the entity sealed within it. Once the battle begins, all the battlefield pressure will fall onto your shoulders.”

“Boss, don’t worry. If the fight is in the same realm, the Dragonblood Legion fears no one!” Gu Yang declared confidently.

But Long Chen shook his head and gravely said, “This time will be different. I already know of several existences who are no weaker than me.”

“Several?”

Xia Chen and the others stiffened. They were the ones who understood Long Chen’s strength best. From the mortal world to the immortal world, how many had ever truly matched him in a one-on-one battle? The only ones capable of such feats were ancient monsters who had suppressed their cultivation for countless years. And yet, Long Chen had just said there were several opponents on his level. That revelation sent a chill down their spines.

They knew Long Chen wouldn’t say this just to scare them. Most importantly, these were just the ones Long Chen knew of. Who knew how many more were lurking in the shadows?

“Then do you have a strategy?” asked Xia Chen.

“For now, not really. I’ll only know what to do once I reach the Emperor reverse scale. The Dragonblood Legion should keep a low profile and conserve their energy. Even if you have to reveal your strength, hold off until I obtain the Emperor reverse scale.” ℟ἈƝ𝘰𝖇Ɛš

Xia Chen frowned. “I’m just worried we won’t be able to hold back.”

“Do your best,” Long Chen said. “If things spiral out of control, just stall until I finish my battle.”

“Boss, I’m not trying to defy you, but I don’t agree. Are you saying that even with our full strength, we won’t be able to stand our ground? Do we really need to wait for you?” asked Gu Yang.

Gu Yang’s newfound power surged within him, fueling his confidence. If there were opponents capable of challenging Long Chen, so what? The Dragonblood Legion had transformed too. Their Dragonblood Cross Slash was unrivaled, so Gu Yang refused to believe they would be powerless.

Xia Chen and Song Mingyuan shared the same thoughts, especially Song Mingyuan. While he might not be able to kill, when it came to defense, he had absolute confidence. However, out of respect for Long Chen, they had kept silent. It was Gu Yang who finally voiced their doubts.

Long Chen’s gaze sharpened. “If this were a battle fought purely within the same realm, I’d have no worries. But you need to understand—not everyone fights without backing like we do.”

“You mean…” Xia Chen instantly understood what Long Chen was saying, his expression darkening.

Song Mingyuan and Gu Yang were both lost, so they looked at Xia Chen.

Xia Chen took a deep breath and spat out a single name.

“Netherdragon Tianfeng.”

Gu Yang and Song Mingyuan’s faces twisted with realization. They didn’t fear Netherdragon Tianfeng himself, but the one backing him was an existence that cast a shadow over all the nine heavens and ten lands.

“The Nether Emperor will descend upon the Heaven Vein Mystic Realm?” asked Gu Yang apprehensively.

“He won’t descend in person,” Xia Chen said. “But Netherdragon Tianfeng is here, so he definitely has a way to channel the Nether Emperor’s power through space. Otherwise, after Boss beat him to the point of crying for his daddy and mommy, how could he have the nerve to challenge Boss again?"

With that, they recalled how Netherdragon Tianfeng had challenged Long Chen back when they first entered the Heaven Vein Mystic Realm.

“I don’t doubt the Dragonblood Cross Slash’s power. But are you sure it can kill Netherdragon Tianfeng when he is backed by the Nether Emperor’s power?” asked Long Chen.

“That would be…”

Gu Yang was speechless. Last time, they had beaten Netherdragon Tianfeng black and blue. Hence, for him to have the gall to challenge Long Chen again, he must have some trump cards.

If they couldn’t eliminate him in a single strike, the backlash would be disastrous. Expending all their energy early in the battle would leave them vulnerable when surrounded by countless enemies.

Before they could dwell on the problem further, the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest suddenly shuddered. Its defensive runes blazed to life, forming a spinning vortex of energy.

“Invaders!” Xia Chen shouted.

But before anyone could act, a calm voice rang out.

“Relax. It’s your own people.”