Chapter 368: Betrayal

After Wang Man returned, he began talking with Yan Buji: "Now Wang Chao is acting against reason and beginning his tyrannical suppression of any voices dissatisfied with him."

"That's apparent." Yan Buji nodded: "My several disciples all say that; it seems Wang Chao really does have the potential to become a king."

Wang Man raised his eyebrows: "Now is not the time to praise him; I don't know how Wang Chao found another spiritual stone mine, already begun large-scale mining, and even raised everyone's wages and rewards."

"Carrot and stick?" Yan Buji's eyes shifted: "Put this aside for now; have you found Yang Long?"

"I went to Soul Mountain, but didn't find him." Wang Man shook his head.

"That shouldn't take this long."

Yan Buji thought carefully, then chuckled: "I'll go out and look for him."

"No need to worry about Wang Chao's side?"

"Now is exactly the time for Wang Chao's transformation; perhaps... it's also my opportunity."

Yan Buji chuckled and left the room.

Wang Man didn't understand, but still nodded and saw him off.

Soon, Yan Buji left Myriad Dragon Palace and headed toward Soul Mountain.

Arriving at Soul Mountain, Yan Buji searched carefully for a long time, finally discovering a cave in the shady side of Soul Mountain.

"Here?"

Yan Buji entered the cave and, going downstream, discovered a huge void.

Scattered within the void were many remains, plus some demon kings' corpses!

"Yang Long's magical fluctuations."

Yan Buji walked over to examine the wounds on those demon kings' corpses, confirming Yang Long had been here.

Continuing deeper, Yan Buji suddenly saw a huge skeleton lying still on the ground, with no one around; at that moment Yan Buji understood what had happened.

"Yang Long, come out."

"You've come."

Yang Long walked out from the darkness, accompanied by Long Batian and Zhang Yao.

"Oh? Wang Chao isn't coming?"

Long Batian gave a cold snort: "Dealing with you doesn't require so many people."

"Then you're seriously underestimating me. And you, Yang Long, what price did they pay to make you betray me?"

Yang Long smiled: "What betrayal? I never said I would submit to you. Besides, do you think Wang Man couldn't discover this place?"

"Ah, no wonder you removed the formations outside the cave; even now you still want to drive a wedge?" Yan Buji laughed.

Long Batian's face sank: "No more nonsense; the Dragon People cannot allow chaos to erupt! You and Wang Chao must decide a victor—so go die!!"

"That's what I should say!"

Yan Buji took out the Sea Kun Hammer and charged forward!

Yang Long had been gone a long time without returning; Yan Buji had already suspected something. Although Yan Buji knew this guy could rebel at any moment, he didn't care.

As he said, in the end struggles for power and profit must be settled by force; the victor becomes king—this has been the principle since ancient times.

But Wang Chao didn't appear here, which really is a pity for Yan Buji, because.....

"Even if you relied on eating people to lift the bloodline seal, what then?!"

Yan Buji grinned, his speed erupting faster than lightning; a stream of light flashed between his fingers, and Yang Long's eyes suddenly reflected Yan Buji's massive figure!

"You!"

"I said, you're seriously underestimating me!"

"Long Serpent Armor!"

Yang Long, startled, immediately summoned the Crouching Beast Armor, attaching it to his body; the over-three-meter-long Long Serpent Armor was extraordinarily agile, actually bursting forth with terrifying speed in an instant, aided by a peculiar water current that temporarily slowed Yan Buji's movements, allowing him to escape danger!

Boom!

Yan Buji's hammer smashed through the water current, heavily striking the ground; the surrounding bones trembled uncontrollably, and the nearby waters also violently vibrated, forming a massive whirlpool.

"Such tremendous force?!"

Long Batian and Zhang Yao's expressions hardened; they also summoned their armors. A dragon-and-phoenix armor manifestation appeared, while Yan Buji held the Sea Kun Hammer aloft, ready.

"Is that all? Come kill me, not daring to act? Hehehe." Yan Buji chuckled a few times.

"Impudent brat!" Long Batian roared, a fierce blue fireball fiercely condensing in his dragon claw!

"Dragon Brother, I'll help you!"

Only seeing Zhang Yao unfold her armor's twin wings, a gorgeous aurora blanketed the entire cave!

Under the aurora, Yan Buji suddenly felt a heavy pressure, accompanied by a magical stagnation that made breathing somewhat difficult.

Meanwhile, Yang Long and Long Batian indeed saw their aura surge in the aurora, which Yan Buji watched with relish.

"Aberrant Bone?!"

At this moment, Yang Long also stood aside, a pallid bolt of lightning condensing in the giant maw of the Long Serpent Armor, its power surging under the aurora's amplification!

"Go!"

The two attacks launched simultaneously; Long Batian's blue fireball transformed into a long dragon, clearly a flame form yet possessing an extremely icy sensation—this was actually a technique forged from a special Spiritual Fire, its power not to be underestimated.

Yang Long's pallid lightning was likewise; whether due to Zhang Yao's armor bringing the aurora's enhancing effect or something else, it also emitted an extremely dangerous aura.

For Yan Buji, this was the first time he fought a Golden Core expert of the same rank, and right from the start he unleashed his authority.

If so!

"Perfect, let's give it a try!"

Yan Buji mobilized his True Essence within, then—!

Blood qi, dark qi, spiritual sense, Buddha light, anger fire, and gang qi—six forms of power erupted from Yan Buji's body like a volcanic eruption; in an instant his entire person swelled to ten meters tall, his huge muscles and terrifying visage seeming inhuman, yet the True Essence surrounding him was even more beyond human control!

This is Yan Buji's complete form; after the Blood Heaven Ascension Degree supplemented the core outline of his fundamental mystic skill, it further drove all states to their extreme simultaneous activation!

"What?!"

Only Yan Buji was seen holding a hammer in one hand, a single strike shattering ice fire; then Yan Buji clenched his fist and swung, a towering torrent of True Essence extinguished the thunder, and the ultimate power needs no adornment—just fists and kicks can unleash earth‑shaking momentum!

Long Batian and Yang Long's faces changed dramatically, and from behind Zhang Yao shouted immediately: "Don't engage him in close combat!"

"Too late!"

Yan Buji's realm and strength surged wildly; this was not only because the Blood Heaven Ascension Degree stemmed from Yan Buji's integration of many extremely profound Martial Dao Profound Skills, but also because his current comprehension of Martial Dao had already reached an exceedingly lofty realm.

After learning how to break through the Martial Dao Nascent Soul, Yan Buji practiced Martial Dao daily; the more he cultivated, the deeper his understanding of Martial Dao became, allowing him to better control his own power.

The Blood Heaven Ascension Degree erupted in all its states simultaneously, and the resulting amplifications were far beyond what a simple secret technique could achieve; they reflected Yan Buji's understanding of Martial Dao and his cultivation of the art, which already surpassed most Martial Cultivators in history.

Precisely for this reason, the speed and power Yan Buji unleashed at this moment exceeded his former strength by dozens of times, and in the blink of an eye he appeared before Yang Long.

"Why are you staring at me like that?!"

"We are both enemies; the betrayer dies first!"

Boom!

As the Sea Kun Hammer descended, a terrifying True Essence gathered at the hammerhead, and with both hands he grasped it, pouring all his power into it!

Bang!

With several explosive cracks, the Sea Kun Hammer struck Yang Long's armored head, crushing it brutally, and Yang Long could not withstand Yan Buji's blow, his armor shattered to reveal his true form.