The Steward Demonic Emperor

Proofreader: Papatonks

[He's changing again?!]

Everyone was becoming stone statues with how often they got stunned by Zhuo Fan's skills. First, the mere fact there were two variations of the same soul was incomprehensible, and now they found out there was a third one as well.

All around was nothing but gasping and slacked jaws.

[Just what on earth is this kid's cultivation method and path to end up with three variations?]

They had no way of knowing Zhuo Fan's Demon Transformation Art contained everything in existence. The azure flame was a true mediator between yin and yang, holding every aspect of everything in this world. It fits everything to perfection, not causing a single conflict.

So to say Zhuo Fan had three variations was a gross understatement. He could go for hundreds if he wanted to.

As for Ye Lin, who received a dragon ancestor's inheritance, his soul's path ended at Decimating Golden Heaven Dragon King. Anything deviating from it was impossible. Wen Tao's soul was the gentle sword, overcoming strength with softness. If he changed his sword soul into a greatsword, it just did not fit his path, thus impossible to achieve it.

It was because Zhuo Fan's cultivation method conformed to all paths, coming from the Nine Serenities Emperor himself. He focused all his knowledge on making it, allowing him to go on without having disharmony among the wide array of skills he got from all those experts.

It was also why he failed to grasp a deeper understanding of Dao. It was just like he concluded. While Ye Lin and the others were plumbing the depths of Dao, he was taking in all its broadness.

This fight was no different. No one knew better about being a sacred beast inheritor than Ye Lin. The Almighty Scarlet Dragon King, a sacred beast inheritance variant, was not inferior to Decimating Golden Heaven Dragon King at all. It was just that Zhuo Fan's knowledge of Qilin's power was lacking and could not showcase its true might.

While on the opposite side, Zhuo Fan could use the shifts in the soul to compensate for his shortcomings. For this particular instance, he needed something to curb the brutality of that raging fire, and who better than the Vaulting Dragon King, in harmony with all things?

Roar!

The azure dragon showed no fear beneath the hail of thousands of burning scales. It even charged on excitedly.

The eyes of the audience widened, and their hearts skipped with worry that the azure dragon would meet the same fate as the other two.

But then they watched in shock as the scales went right into the azure dragon. They exploded, and then the golden flames released a golden flash covered in azure flames to soothe its savagery, turning it into azure flames at the end.

The people went crazy when the savage scales entered the azure dragon, to see them turned into azure dragon's power, whose flames were burning stronger now.

The azure dragon roared to mock the golden dragon as it kept charging.

"Is this Vaulting Kunpeng's Chaos Flame?"

Ye Lin cried out in shock, "Master said that of the five great sacred beasts who harnessed primal chaos' power, only two wielded divine flames. One was he, Decimating Dragon Ancestor, wielder of a fierce flame, the Decimating Golden Flame that can destroy everything, and the other was the head of the five great sacred beasts, Vaulting Kunpeng, wielder of the gentle flame, Chaos Flame of Creation. The flames also earned them their titles. The fierce flame destroyed, and the gentle flame created. The five great sacred beasts can bring heaven down, and the gentle flame can hold it up.

"One can say they are yin and yang, engendering and clashing with each other. The only thing that can soothe the brutality of the strongest fierce flame can only be the strongest gentle flame. I just can't believe it's on him! Does Vaulting Kunpeng have his back? Then whose disciple is he? Qilin's or Kunpeng's?"

Ye Lin found Zhuo Fan as one huge enigma, impossible to unravel.

He didn't know which sacred beast's inheritance he got. Zhuo Fan hardly ever displayed the azure flame to anyone. Then there was the mighty Qilin arm he relied on the most that got Ye Lin to side with him being a Qilin disciple.

As for the purple lightning, it had to be because he got drowned in it in that canyon; it didn't count. Why else would his use of it look so clumsy?

So, after careful analysis, he was certain that Zhuo Fan was a Qilin disciple, wasting a power he was unfamiliar with. Glossing over the melee battle, there was no way he could be defeated in a soul battle!

Now he found out that all of this was wrong. Zhuo Fan finally revealed the power that could contain his own. The Chaos Flame changed the heaven dragon soul into Vaulting Dragon King in complete opposition to his Decimating Golden Heaven Dragon King.

[If you only consider the powers' character, yes, but once you add them to a dragon soul…]

Ye Lin's eyes flashed, and he no longer sat still as before. Having discovered Zhuo Fan's nature, he ordered his golden dragon to charge at the azure dragon for an attack.

"Humph, the azure flame and the golden flame are against one another, but when it comes to dragon souls, strongest and hardest is the way to go! You really think that you can overcome my fierce flame's strength by using that gentle flame on the dragon soul?"

Ye Lin glared at Zhuo Fan and roared.

Grinning, Zhuo Fan knew from the start where he stood and had never had any certainty he would win. Now though, he sneered, having found all he wanted to know.

This proved that Zhuo Fan's tactic worked.

[The punk is anxious. All that's left is to go all out.]

Showing a creepy smile, Zhuo Fan taunted, "Haven't you heard of overcoming hardness with softness? Are you sure your fierce flame golden dragon can beat my gentle flame azure dragon?"

"Without a doubt!" Ye Lin raised his head as he declared. "A dragon is tough and strong. No matter how opposing are our two flames, when it comes down to it, my golden dragon will trump yours!"

Ye Lin made a sign, and the golden dragon roared as his body exploded in golden flames. In a blink, it was on the azure dragon, bearing its claws.

Bam!

The golden dragon claw struck the azure dragon's spine. The berserk golden flame charged into the azure flame, burning the azure dragon's back. Yet the azure flame quickly shifted and wrapped around the golden flame, swallowing in a blink of an eye.

That did nothing to stop the mighty and hard claw from making the azure dragon's spine creak and cry out.

Zhuo Fan's brow hardened as he felt a stab of pain in his mind. He chose to clench his teeth and bear it. Seeing his moment was here, his eyes flashed and sent the azure dragon to claw the golden dragon now that it was wide open.

Ye Lin mocked, "Useless, the azure dragon with the gentle flame is good for defense, not attack. This claw won't harm my dragon at all!"

"I don't think so!" Zhuo Fan grinned, his eyes glinting evilly.

Hum~

A flash of red appeared on the dragon soul.

Ye Lin expected it as he sneered, "I knew you would change back to Almighty Scarlet Dragon King. Only the scarlet dragon can really attack among all your variations. Well, too bad he only has strength. In a soul battle, power is the last resort. At most, it will only push my dragon back and not harm it…"

"When did I say I had only three?"

Cutting him off, Zhuo Fan's evil grin was on full display.

A rumble echoed in everyone's ears, a prelude to the shocking scene that came.

The Decimating Golden Heaven Dragon King's belly was run through by a dragon claw, throwing spiritual energy everywhere.

Ye Lin shook, and his eyes bugged out in shock. Blood flowed from his mouth and dripped onto the ground, but it still couldn't lift the confusion in his eyes.

[How is this possible? Logically, those three dragons can't harm my dragon!]

Ye Lin's brow shook. He turned his stiff head around to see the golden dragon with a huge body, unlike any of the three variants he had seen before. It was covered in purple lightning.

The crackle of thunder rumbled each time it streaked its body. Its sharp claw flickered purple as it came out of the golden dragon's other side.

"T-that's Heaven Crushing Phoenix's Berserk Purple Lightning…" Ye Lin's eyes shook, recalling having seen the purple lightning on Zhuo Fan. Since he got three types of dragon souls, what stopped him from having one with purple lightning as well?

But he got careless when he was focused on dealing with the azure flame…

Zhuo Fan could read him like a book and sighed, "Finally… nailed you!"

"What do you mean?" Ye Lin wore a mask of confusion.

Zhuo Fan chuckled, in no hurry to reply. He pointed at the purple dragon and took his time, "Dragon soul variant, Heaven Crushing Dragon King. It's the only one that can do some damage to you. So before I could use it, I had to make you forget it ever existed…"

Ye Lin shook as it dawned on him. The blood leaked from his mouth, bloodening his shocked face.

[You're telling me everything so far has been to lead me into this trap?]

Wu Qingqiu was also shocked, "Damn it, he's been duped!"