Countless large of trees were knocked into the air and fell on the outer region of the forest as Wan Long's four companions watched with horrified faces.
A while later, Wan Long struggled strenuously to climb up from the ground with slow movements.
"Senior Brother Wang!" Wan Long's four companions were jolted to their senses and hastened to his side.
Wan Long slightly waved his hand at them, but he didn't say anything. All if a sudden, he coughed out a mouthful of blood.
Wan Long was a little dazed as he stared at the blood on the ground. He… vomited blood?!
More than two hundred years had passed since he broke through late-Tenth Order God Realm, and ever since that moment, no one had managed to wound him. Several decades ago, he was able to retreat safely despite facing a Highgod Realm master that wanted to kill him.
But now, he was actually injured!
They were even grave injuries to the point where he vomited blood!
Then it crossed Wan Long's mind that he was someone who could break through to Highgod Realm at any time. Moreover, his sturdy physical body far surpassed any other late-Tenth Order God Realm cultivators, especially after that life-changing opportunity he once came across.
In this lower realm, not many things could harm his physical body.
But this punk in front of him merely used his fists to cut through his holy dark energy and Dark Radiance Thistle Boundary, even breaking past his Holy Dark Armor. Lastly, forcing his way past his physical body's defense.
"Who are you?" Wan Long's voice was hoarse, his eyes fixed on Huang Xiaolong. He really wanted to know who Huang Xiaolong was, this person who could injure him. It was clear to Wan Long that Huang Xiaolong had yet to become a Highgod Realm master, he was only a mid-Tenth Order God Realm cultivator.
"You all will know who I am in the future." Huang Xiaolong replied as he approached the five of them, "Then again, you lot might remain ignorant forever," he added. A whelming killing intent enveloped the five people, forcing them to take a step back.
"You, want to murder us all?" One of them was deathly pale as he looked fearful eyes looked at Huang Xiaolong.
They were arrogant in the beginning due to confidence in their own strength, but now all their arrogance was ground down to nothing.
From what Huang Xiaolong had shown earlier, killing them was nothing difficult.
Wan Long's heart tightened, his gaze on Huang Xiaolong was more vigilant. Any person facing death would feel fear, including him.
"I'll give you all a choice," Huang Xiaolong drawled, "If you submit to me, I can allow you to live on."
"Submit to you?!" All five people were dumbfounded.
Huang Xiaolong continued without a change to his expression, "Right, you only have this one chance, I'll give you five minutes to think it over."
It was a ripe time to foster his own force in the four galaxies, hence, Huang Xiaolong decided not to kill these five people yet. On top of that, this Wan Long was ranked first of the Highgod Advancement List, he could break through to the Highgod Realm any time. Once he did, his identity and status in the Wan Family would definitely make him the next in line to take over the Wan Family's Patriarch position. When the times would come for Huang Xiaolong to unify the Vermilion Bird Galaxy, Wan Long could provide significant assistance.
As for the other four, they were probably core disciples of other super forces.
Hearing the condition for them to keep their lives, Wan Long's eyes flickered. No-one spoke a word.
Huang Xiaolong was in no hurry to hear their answers, he believed these five people knew what the best choice was.
The sands of time trickled by, the surroundings' death aura thickened.
The five people's breathing grew heavy, becoming chaotic.
"After we submit to you, what do you want us to do?" Close to the time limit, Wan Long asked in a low voice.
"You all have no need to know this." Huang Xiaolong continued, "When I need you to do something, I will tell you when the time comes. Naturally, I won't interfere with your daily lives."
Hearing Huang Xiaolong say that he wouldn't interfere with their lives, Wan Long and the other four were inwardly relieved.
What they were afraid the most was that, after submitting to Huang Xiaolong, they would be treated like slaves. That kind of life was worse than death to them.
"Of course, I'll be branding your souls with my mark if you submit." Huang Xiaolong then added. Only this method would allow Huang Xiaolong to trust Wan Long and the other four.
"What?! Soul mark?!" All five faces exclaimed.
"No way!" One of them reacted badly, shook his head incessantly as he shouted, "We won't let you stain our souls with a soul mark!"
Huang Xiaolong glanced at the person out of the corner of his eye, then raised his hand and lightly pointed at the man.
The force from Huang Xiaolong's finger pierced through the man's head through the center of his brows.
Wan Long and the remaining three people jumped back in alarm, watching as Mo Yunfei's body fell limply to the ground. Mo Yunfei was the Mo Family Patriarchs' son, a late-Tenth Order God Realm cultivator.
Amongst the five, Mo Yunfei's strength was only second to Wan Long. Even if Wan Long himself wanted to kill Mo Yunfei, it would be a strenuous effort.
Yet they just saw Mo Yunfei being turned into less than a fart in an instant?!
Huang Xiaolong stated in a deadpan face, "I've already said that you only have one opportunity."
The four remaining people felt their throats go dry, nothing would come out. In the end, the four submitted to Huang Xiaolong, after all, Mo Yunfei's corpses was a jarring example right in front of them.
Huang Xiaolong branded their souls with his soul mark, then took out two Spring Autumn Hundred Life Divine Pellets; one for Wan Long and the other one for the first person who attacked, a Grand Elder of the Celestial Peach Sect, Li Zhan.
Shortly later, Wan Long and Li Zhan's injuries fully recovered.
Since these four had already submitted to him, Huang Xiaolong no longer concealed his identity. When Wan Long and the rest got to know that the young man in front of them was the Black Warrior Institute Principal's and the Ascending Moon Old Man's personal disciple, Huang Xiaolong, calling what they felt 'shock' was an understatement.
After all, during the Alchemist Grandmaster Competition, Huang Xiaolong's cultivation was at the Eighth Order God Realm, how long had it been from that time until now? This Huang Xiaolong was already a mid-Tenth Order God Realm!
Moreover, a mid-Tenth Order God Realm that could easily defeat someone like Wan Long.
"Let's hear it, what's this about a Fire Scaled Beast?" As if he didn't notice the four dumbfounded expressions directed at him, Huang Xiaolong asked about the Fire Scaled Beast. The Fire Scaled Beast's core was some good stuff that could increase one's soul clarity.
At this point, elixirs that could increase his soul's clarity were crucial to Huang Xiaolong. If he was to condense the king of godheads, then he had to strive to use every possible means to increase the clarity of his soul.
When the four heard Huang Xiaolong ask about the Fire Scaled Beast, they revealed all they knew, not daring to conceal anything.
As it turns out, the four of them heard about the Fire Scaled Beast from a certain family's disciple. At a certain place in the Fire World, inside a rock cave lived a Fire Scaled Beast. That Fire Scaled Beast's strength was said to be around mid-Tenth Order God Realm to late-Tenth Order God Realm.
"Firecloud Mountain." Huang Xiaolong repeated to himself.
This Firecloud Mountain was one of the perilous lands of the Fire World, the place where the fire element demonic beasts ruled, not far after crossing the God Burial River.
The night passed quickly, giving way to the rising sun.
When the sun was shining brightly in the sky, Huang Xiaolong and Wan Long's group departed, leaving the forest and arriving at the edge of the God Burial River.
Despite the daylight and the fact that the fire poison exuded by the river was much weaker than it was at night, Huang Xiaolong, Wan Long, and the others dared not carelessly proceed. Wan Long's group of four summoned the armor they had prepared in advance, protecting their bodies, whereas Huang Xiaolong formed a barrier around him with his true immortal essence fire.