Bei Ming Shan licked his lips, chuckled sinisterly, and continued, "When that time comes, you and I will join forces, and we will surely suppress the four directions, look down upon the entire royal family, and even have the opportunity to impact the position of Emperor."
Hearing this, Zhou Yan's expression sank, his eyes turned cold, and he said in a chilling voice, "Old man, you want to kill me?"
"Hahaha..." Bei Ming Shan burst into laughter, shaking his head and saying, "How could I kill you? I will slowly torment you, making you know what it means to be unable to live and unable to die!"
"Enjoy yourself."
Afterward, Bei Ming Shan stopped paying attention to Zhou Yan and turned to leave the valley. He planned to return to the royal palace and go into seclusion to refine the Dragon Vein power.
He believed that with his talent and foundation, he would soon advance to the Grandmaster realm.
Once he stepped into the Grandmaster realm, even facing the three Great Holy Lords of the empire, he would have a chance to contend and dominate the entire Southern Ridge.
"No!"
Seeing this, Zhou Yan's face became anxious, and he quickly stood up, chasing after Bei Ming Shan. He was unwilling to sit and wait for death.
"Brat, you think you can run?"
Bei Ming Shan glanced back, watching Zhou Yan's movements, and sneered repeatedly. He quickened his pace, instantly closing the distance between them.
"Little scoundrel, you still want to escape? Surrender obediently and come back to the royal city with me, and perhaps I'll spare your dog's life."
Bei Ming Shan spread his arms, like an eagle preying on a rabbit, his figure swift as lightning, flashing several meters in an instant and blocking Zhou Yan's path.
"Bei Ming Shan, you wish!"
Zhou Yan grunted, exerting force with his legs, unleashing his ultimate power, and punching out fiercely, like a giant hammer beating a drum.
This time, Zhou Yan poured all his strength into it, performing the Zhou family's secret technique, "Bagua Wandering Dragon Fist." His fist energy surged, stirring up a gust of wind that enveloped Bei Ming Shan.
"Seeking death!"
Bei Ming Shan's brows twitched, a murderous glint in his eyes. He struck out with his palm, the palm wind sharp as a blade scraping through the void, emitting a whistling sound, like the wailing of ghosts and wolves, chilling to the bone.
The two clashed fiercely, fighting in a chaotic melee. Zhou Yan was repelled several steps, his blood churning, his face paler.
On the other hand, Bei Ming Shan remained unharmed and composed, the difference in their strength evident.
"Zhou Yan, I advise you to be sensible and surrender obediently!"
Bei Ming Shan glanced over and said coldly.
"Bei Ming Shan, you are too weak!"
Suddenly, Zhou Yan raised his head, his pupils flashing with a purple-gold light, revealing a trace of strangeness that made Bei Ming Shan's heart tremble, giving him a sense of inexplicable unease.
"This is... the Dragon Soul Mark!"
Bei Ming Shan's eyes widened in disbelief, and he stammered, "You... you possess the Dragon Soul Mark, you are actually a member of the Zhou imperial family, how is this possible..."
"My grandfather is the Emperor, the Son of Heaven, and you dare to betray our Zhou imperial family. You deserve to die."
As the words fell, Zhou Yan's face contorted, his eyes filled with murderous intent. With a flick of his right hand, a pitch-black dagger instantly appeared.
*Puff!*
Holding the dagger, he suddenly plunged it into Bei Ming Shan's left shoulder. Blood splattered, dyeing his clothes red, and Zhou Yan's eyes showed a bloodthirsty expression.
At this moment, Zhou Yan completely lost control!
Zhou Yan's eyes turned crimson, filled with killing intent, like a demon god. He tightened his grip, rotating the dagger, and forcefully tore off a piece of flesh from Bei Ming Shan, blood dripping.
"Ugh... Ah... Bastard, you little miscreant, I'll kill you."
A searing pain struck, Bei Ming Shan trembled all over, roaring to the sky in extreme rage, wishing he could dismember Zhou Yan and flay him alive to vent his hatred.
Unfortunately, he was entangled by the Dragon Vein power and severely injured. At this moment, his combat strength was only thirty percent of his peak, and he was no match for Zhou Yan.
A moment later, Bei Ming Shan lay on the ground, his chest caved in, gasping for breath, covered in blood, and on the verge of death.
"Cough, cough..."
"Little beast, I won't let you off even as a ghost." Bei Ming Shan gritted his teeth, staring at Zhou Yan with venomous eyes.
"Bei Ming Shan, your soul also belongs to me," Zhou Yan's indifferent voice sounded.
"No... you can't kill me."
Upon hearing Zhou Yan's words, Bei Ming Shan was terrified to his core. He felt a deep dread and pleaded repeatedly, "I am an elder of the Bei Ming royal clan, with an extraordinary status. If you kill me, the Bei Ming imperial family will absolutely not let this matter go."
"The Bei Ming imperial family?"
Zhou Yan sneered and said, "In that case, let the Bei Ming imperial family come to seek revenge on me."
"Little beast, I curse you..."
Bei Ming Shan's eyes were bloodshot, and he shrieked hysterically.
Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, Zhou Yan sealed his acupoint of silence, cutting off his voice abruptly.
Then, Zhou Yan grabbed Bei Ming Shan's arm and yanked it hard, dragging him forward.
"Brat, I won't let you go... Ahhhhh!" Bei Ming Shan cried out in panic and despair, his screams gradually fading into the distance.
"My dantian is about to explode..."
"Am I going to die?"
Zhou Yan's face was ashen, sweat beading on his forehead, his heart filled with profound sorrow.
This body, after all, could not withstand the erosion of the Dragon Vein power and was on the verge of collapse. If it wasn't resolved soon, he would eventually explode and die.
Furthermore, he was now severely injured, unable to even contend with an ordinary person. He could not resist the erosion of the Dragon Vein at all. Once it erupted, he was doomed.
"Hoo..."
Zhou Yan took a deep breath, his gaze resolute, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Although the Dragon Vein power is strong, it ultimately does not belong to me. Once it disappears, my cultivation will be ruined."
"Therefore, even if I die, I will fight to the end!"
With that said, Zhou Yan's eyes focused, and he looked in the direction Bei Ming Shan had disappeared, murmuring to himself, "When I recover my cultivation, I will personally kill you!"
"Now, I will refine your Dragon Vein first."
Zhou Yan's eyes burned with passion. He slowly walked to Bei Ming Shan's side, crouched down, placed his hand on Bei Ming Shan's head, and began to activate the "Spirit Devouring Art."
In an instant, vast and pure true essence surged forth, pouring into Zhou Yan's body continuously, integrating into his dantian, and accumulating in his dantian.
This true essence was even more potent than the previous Dragon Vein power. As soon as it fused, it became restless, as if eager to break free from the confinement and escape Zhou Yan's dantian.
Zhou Yan understood that this was because his cultivation was too low to control this power. Only when he broke through the bottleneck would he truly control this power.
Therefore, the most important thing now was to absorb the Dragon Vein power and increase his strength to be completely confident.
"Swallow it for me!"
Zhou Yan gritted his teeth, frantically circulating his cultivation technique, guiding the Dragon Vein power to flow rapidly through his meridians.
Streams of warm power flowed through his meridians, making Zhou Yan feel incredibly comfortable, as if bathing in spring rain, warm and soothing, making him feel ethereal.
A moment later, Zhou Yan's skin began to glow with a radiant luster, like fine jade, emitting a crystal-clear texture, as if cast from glazed treasure, shining with brilliant radiance.
"This is the Dragon Vein power, truly extraordinary."