Within the arena.
The Heavenly Dragon True Emperor was no longer the eerie and ghostly figure from before. His entire form was twisted and blurred, swaying like a flickering flame, drifting like a wisp of smoke, as if he might dissipate into nothingness at any moment.
Yet, the heart-rending, agonized screams never ceased, growing only more and more wretched.
Beside him, Warrior Emperor Wuzang had first transformed into a Blazing Sun, then manifested the Five Stars Solar Sovereign, yet he was utterly no match for Demon Emperor Blood River. At this moment, he too was in excruciating pain. His heart-mind, tormented by the Strange Fire, grew increasingly distorted, his self-awareness more and more blurred, and his manifested form became increasingly twisted and indistinct, his facial features beginning to change and swell.
"Ah—!" Warrior Emperor Wuzang could not help but roar towards the heavens. In that instant, the Void itself changed. Though there was no wind, the Void seemed to move; though there were no clouds, the Void seemed to drift. It looked like a wind-swept, cloud-churning illusory world of nothingness, or like the profound and layered Ninefold Heavens.
Immediately after!
Roar!
A dragon's roar exploded forth, mighty and domineering, as if piercing through heaven and earth, shaking the four directions and eight points, and intimidating all living things.
Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar!—Nine dragon roars erupted simultaneously as nine azure dragons manifested.
The azure dragons roared furiously, bellowing within this wind-swept, cloud-churning illusory world of nothingness, and roaring within this profound and layered Ninefold Heavens.
Winds rise and clouds surge, Nine Heavens dragons soar, the Young Master of Xuantian, Warrior Emperor Wuzang.
This was a legend about Warrior Emperor Wuzang that circulated in the Great Wilderness.
Legend had it that when Warrior Emperor Wuzang appeared, winds would rise and clouds surge, and the Nine Heavens dragons would soar.
Warrior Emperor Wuzang wielded a sword named the Nine Heavens Dragon Sword. This sword was a supreme treasure of the Great Dao of the Xuantian Immortal Path. It was said that the Elders of the Xuanmiao Grotto-Heaven, in the Primordial Era, gathered the essence of the Nine Heavens to forge this supreme treasure of the Great Dao. Its might was boundless, its power limitless, its force inexhaustible, and its mysteries endless.
The so-called Nine Heavens, also called the Ninefold Skies, were referred to in ancient sayings: The heavens have nine layers—Chi Xiao, Bi Xiao, Qing Xiao, Xuan Xiao, Jiang Xiao, Jin Xiao, Zi Xiao, Lian Xiao, and Jin Xiao.
In truth, the so-called Nine Heavens also referred to the present Nine Heavens.
Such as Xuantian, which dominated the Immortal Dao; Azure Heaven, which dominated the Heavenly Dao; Western Heaven, which dominated the Buddhist Dao; Azure Heaven, which once dominated Impartial Justice; Yellow Heaven, which once dominated the Human Dao; and so on—all were among the Nine Heavens.
Legend said that at the inception of the Nine Heavens' gestation, the origin of the Nine Heavens gave birth to nine heavenly dragons. The Nine Heavens Heavenly Dragons each guarded one of the heavens.
However.
During the Primordial Era, it was said that someone ascended to become the True Lord of Original Sin, slaughtered the Three Thousand Great Daos, destroyed the Nine Heavens, and even ushered in an Era of No Dao.
After the Primordial Era ended, the Three Thousand Great Daos vanished, slumbered, or revived. The Nine Heavens were the same.
The Immortal Dao that dominated Xuantian revived, so Xuantian, one of the Nine Heavens, also revived.
The Heavenly Dao that dominated Azure Heaven remains slumbering to this day, so Azure Heaven has never appeared, and no one has ever set foot within it.
The Buddhist Dao that dominated Western Heaven revived, so Western Heaven revived alongside it.
The Impartial Justice that dominated Azure Heaven vanished, so Azure Heaven vanished.
The Human Dao that dominated Yellow Heaven vanished, so Yellow Heaven vanished...
As for the Nine Heavens Dragons that guarded the Nine Heavens, only the Purification Dragon guarding the Xuantian Immortal Path revived. The other eight guardian dragons remain missing to this day.
Some say that the Great Emperor Changfeng obtained the Azure Heaven inheritance, wields the Blade of Great Justice, and also possesses the Azure Dragon guardian, allowing him to act on heaven's behalf and execute all injustice in the world.
Others say that the Chi Xiao Dragon once guarded the Nether Emperor, but later seemed to vanish again.
In other words, Warrior Emperor Wuzang's Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring was not the true Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring in the literal sense, but was transformed from the Nine Heavens Dragon Sword. Nevertheless, this was enough to inspire awe and caution.
After all, the Nine Heavens Dragon Sword was forged by the Elders of the Xuantian Immortal Path by gathering the essence of the Nine Heavens. Whether in terms of imposing might or destructive power, it absolutely surpassed imagination.
And indeed, this was the case.
The moment Warrior Emperor Wuzang manifested the Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring, its vast and majestic might shook the Void, causing ancient ruins to tremble. Even the Great Dao experts hiding within those ancient ruins felt an intense sense of oppression.
This was the second time they had felt this way.
The first was when Demon Emperor Blood River descended, as boundless darkness swept forth, making them deeply uncomfortable and fearful at heart.
Now, as Warrior Emperor Wuzang manifested the Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring, its rolling, vast, and majestic might pressed down like the Ninefold Heavens themselves, crushing their hearts with panic and straining their spirits.
"Winds rise and clouds surge, Nine Heavens dragons soar, the Young Master of Xuantian, Warrior Emperor Wuzang—truly living up to his reputation!"
The Seven Elders spoke in a deep voice.
He had long heard of the legends of Warrior Emperor Wuzang but had never witnessed them firsthand. This was his first time seeing it, and it shocked him profoundly. It was far more terrifying than he had imagined.
He had originally thought that Warrior Emperor Wuzang's Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring, transformed from the Nine Heavens Dragon Sword, was similar to Warrior Emperor Wuzang's Five Stars Solar Sovereign or Miao Rulai's Five Wisdom Kings Wrathful Manifestations—merely containing the form and intent of the Nine Heavens Dragons.
But when Warrior Emperor Wuzang manifested the Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring, he realized he had underestimated both Warrior Emperor Wuzang and the Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring.
Because from the imposing might of the Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring, he genuinely and tangibly felt the purifying power of the Xuantian Dragon, the transcendent power of the Western Heaven Dragon, the power of great justice of the Azure Heaven Dragon, the power of all phenomena of the Yellow Heaven Dragon, and even the dominating power of Azure Heaven...
It was truly inconceivable and unimaginable!
The wind-swept, cloud-churning illusory world of nothingness was like the reappearance of the Ninefold Heavens!
The rolling, vast, and majestic dragon roars were like the bellows of immortals, Buddhas, demons, and monsters!
The earth-shaking, cloud-parting Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring was like the descent of the Judgment of the Nine Heavens!
It truly was like the Judgment of the Nine Heavens.
The Judgment of Xuantian, purifying all things between heaven and earth.
The Judgment of Western Heaven, transcending all things between heaven and earth.
The Judgment of Azure Heaven, adjudicating all things between heaven and earth.
The Judgment of Azure Heaven, dominating all things between heaven and earth!
"De—mon Em—per—or Blood—River—! My Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring is comparable to the Judgment of the Nine Heavens! I want to see how you withstand this! Ah—!" Warrior Emperor Wuzang's furious roar exploded through the Void alongside the majestic dragon cries, shaking the endless darkness into distortion and causing the Void itself to change.
Roar!—The Nine Heavens Dragons roared, baring fangs and brandishing claws as they swooped down.
That man.
That Demon Emperor Blood River still stood in the Void, unmoving, like a sword or a solitary peak. His expression remained unchanged—cold and ruthless. Only his long hair danced wildly, and only his robes fluttered and snapped.
Even as the Nine Heavens Dragons charged before him, he did not move.
Even as the Nine Heavens Dragons coiled around him, he still did not move.
Roar!—The Nine Heavens Dragons circled, weaved, purified, transcended, adjudicated, dominated, and judged around Demon Emperor Blood River...
This scene left people dumbstruck and filled them with awe.
Although many knew the legend of Warrior Emperor Wuzang's Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring, few had truly witnessed it.
Even those who had seen the Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring had absolutely never witnessed it as frenzied and akin to the Judgment of the Nine Heavens as it was at this moment.
Because in the Great Wilderness, whether among the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens, the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, or the various major powers, few could withstand the imposing might of the Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring.
And no one had the qualification to force Warrior Emperor Wuzang to manifest such a frenzied Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring!