Chapter 55 - 55: 45,000-Year Old Golden Lion King

A/N: Well holy damn! 4.5k word count chapter! Didn't think I would wrote this much honestly. So I didn't edited this so expect some mistakes, comment on the mistakes to tell me, and I will probably won't be able to update tomorrow due to me and my family going to the beach???? Oh yeah!

So enjoy this long a.s.s chapter, vote your power stones, comment, review and share it with your friends! P.S. If you can guess the inspiration for the spirit beast, then, congrats! Your a genius ????

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"ROOOAAARRRR!!!" A great roar was heard throughout the outer area of the Star Dou Great Forest, specifically near a certain cave that was occupied by two teens and two ghosts.

The roar had immediately woke up Xiao Yan and Ma Xiaotao, both quickly stood up in a combat stance.

"What was that?" They simultaneously said in worry and fear.

That roar had caused the hairs on their skin to stand straight, the instincts they hone through countless combat, had signified the danger coming from that roar.

Xiao Yan, decided he wanted to check it out for a moment, had suddenly started to coughed harshly. Making him stagger his steps before kneeling with a single knee to the ground.

"Xiao Yan!" Ma Xiaotao shouted in worry. She quickly moved towards Xiao Yan, grabbing a hold of him protectively.

"*Cough* D-Don't worry... *cough* *cough* I'm just a bit tired." Xiao Yan said, waving off Ma Xiaotao's concern.

It was true, but that's just putting it mildly. Xiao Yan has dark bags under his eyes, showing his exhaustion and how low he is in spiritual power.

Xiao Yan had already eaten some of Oscar's Recovery Sausage, that he stored a while ago when he separated from the group, sadly he had only three in store as it had a time limit of twelve hours.

Hence he had recovered most of his spirit power, health, and Vigor but spiritual power is an energy not easy to recover.

He could easily recover such energy if he either devour spiritual power from another being or eat a herb. But those two options are currently not available for him. So it could only be recovered in the most basic and natural way; rest, let his mind and spirit recuperate from the stress it acc.u.mulated.

But Xiao Yan dosen't have the time to do that. He coughed once more into his hand, he felt his body getting weaker, no, more like his brain is slowly failing to get a hold of his body.

"*Cough* Damn it..." Xiao Yan said. Coughing once more into his hand.

She felt every bone in her body to run away from where she stood. But her heart, for the first time, turned stone cold as her eyes set on Xiao Yan.

Ma Xiaotao dosen't want to abandoned the boy who helped her. She doesn't want to run away and leave someone she knows and in debt, to a fate of being devoured by a spirit beast. She especially wouldn't abandoned someone she feels something more than friendship.

Ma Xiaotao turned to stare at Xiao Yan gritting his teeth with a grim expression.

She paused for a moment. Staring at Xiao Yan intently, as if remembering every finer details of his face.

Xiao Yan, gritting his teeth in frustration at the situation he had gotten himself into, he widened his eyes as an idea flashed through his mind.

He immediately use what remained of his spiritual power and contacted his past self, telling him, '.... The spirit tools I gave to Tang San and the others tells me that they're too far for them to come here to help. Looks like I don't have any choice. Flame Emperor, take over my body and–' but Xiao Yan was interrupted by Ma Xiaotao, who had unexpectedly hugged his body tightly.

Xiao Yan widened his eyes in surprise. He felt Ma Xiaotao trembling as she hugged him. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but the words that left Ma Xiaotao's mouth froze him in shock.

"Xiao Yan, stay here and wait for me. I'll go deal with the spirit beast." Ma Xiaotao murmured in determination.

"H-Huh?! Oi, oi senior this isn't the time for jo-" Xiao Yan tried to deny her request and stop her but he stopped, his eyes rolled back and his body fell like a puppet cut off from his strings.

"I'm not sorry for what I am doing Xiao Yan. Because between the two of us, I have the higher cultivation and combat experience, also, I'm your senior. What kind of a senior am I if I let you go and kill yourself?" Ma Xiaotao stated with a small, and sad, smile on her face. Her arms circled around Xiao Yan's torso and embraced him once more.

Ma Xiaotao leaned her forehead on Xiao Yan's own, and whispered,

"If I, or us, don't survive this. I just hope that we'll meet once more in our second life." As soon as she finishes. She lay Xiao Yan's body somewhere more hidden within the cave and walked out towards the entrance of the cave.

"I hope we'll be more than friends in the next life..." Ma Xiaotao muttered before leaving the cave.

"That idiot..." Xiao Yan said, frustration clear in his tone, in his astral projection form.

Besides Xiao Yan was Flame Emperor and Igneel. Both looking at former with unreadable expressions.

"So, what are you going to do?" Igneel asked with a raised eyebrow.

Xiao Yan stayed silent as he bit on his thumb for several moments before taking a deep breath.

Turning towards Flame Emperor, with a determined expression, Xiao Yan said, no, pleaded.

Flame Emperor stared into Xiao Yan's eyes for a moment, seemingly staring deep into the latter's soul.

... The fact that Flame Emperor is Xiao Yan's past self may have something to do with that but that's not important.

Flame Emperor continued staring before a grin appeared on his face.

"I thought you didn't trust me?"

"I don't." Xiao Yan unhesitatingly replied.

"So what's the sudden change?" Flame Emperor asked.

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes and said.

"Don't get me wrong. I really don't trust you, nor ever, but I do believe that you would want to save my a.s.s from dying. Tell me if I'm wrong?"

Flame Emperor smiled and shook his head.

With that said, Flame Emperor moved his spiritual body towards Xiao Yan's physical body and possessed it.

A moment later, the unconscious 'Xiao Yan' opened his eyes that seemed to hold great experiences and age, a smirk set on his mouth before it froze and said.

"Ohhhh, yeah. I forgot how weak your body currently is compared to my own in the past, oh well, beggars can't be choosers. Now then..." 'Xiao Yan' stood up, he moved his neck and body around earning him pops, and walked towards where Ma Xiaotao had gone to. His left eye lit up in a green and red color while lightning crackled in his right eye.

As he stopped at the entrance of the cave, his entire body seemed to let out an ancient and powerful aura. 'Xiao Yan' smiled and exclaimed.

"It's time for the original to take the stage!"

....

Ma Xiaotao, using her spirit power, jumped dozens of kilometers away from the cave's location and arrived in a clear grass land.

Looking around in vigilance, she took a deep breath and steeled her heart.

'Live Xiao Yan.' A moment later Ma Xiaotao activated her spirit. Showing a pair of beautiful 5 meter long wingspan of fiery purple red feathered wings on her back. An image of a phoenix appeared behind her for a moment before disappearing.

Though it was slightly different than before.

Because red scales started to appear on Ma Xiaotao's skin. Along with her pupils turning into slits, teeth slightly jagged and both of her hands turned into a dragonic claws.

With a phoenix wings on her back and characteristics of a dragon, Ma Xiaotao looked as if she were a demon.

However, even with the new changes on her body, Ma Xiaotao still looked as beautiful, if not, more than ever. Especially since it caused her body to m.a.t.u.r.e a couple of years, making her taller and all of her curves a bit more filled. Not only that but the dragonian characteristics seem to have given her a sorta of unique and sought after feeling, as well as an aura of dominance and royalty.

Ma Xiaotao was shocked and confused at the new changes of her body. Staring down at her two newly changed claws, she felt some of sort of unknown energy flowing within her, making her feel more powerful than before!

Not only that, but, due to having gone here without thinking, she wasn't able to check the situation within her body. Hence, she didn't noticed the once dominating Evil Fire, that had been suppressing her mind and body within, had greatly lessen to the point of not feeling it within her body!

No, she could still feel the Evil Fire swimming around her body. It's just that, it felt docile and pure? Like it had been purified...

Suddenly two purple and one black spirit rings appeared over Ma Xiaotao's body, shocking her at the new color configuration.

"How did this happen?" Ma Xiaotao mumbled in both wonder and awe at the brimming power of the purified Evil Fire revolving within her. Purple-red flame balls, at the size of a a.d.u.l.t human head, appeared on both of her palm claws.

'Xiao Yan...' Her eyes widened in realization and mist, tears started to fall from her eyes; like a pearl necklace that had its strings cut off.

She doesn't know how her spirit had changed, nor how her spirit ring colors as well, but Ma Xiaotao would now have Xiao Yan a special place in her heart for what he has given her.

'If, if I survive this. I promise to repay you these gifts you have given me.' Ma Xiaotao swore as she put her two hands, turned claws, to where her heart is.

"ROOOAAARRRR!!" Suddenly a roar interrupted Ma Xiaotao's train of thought.

Turning around with cold and with the intent to kill eyes, Ma Xiaotao stared with narrowed eyes as a 50 meter tall spirit beast, with shoulders as wide as a great wall, its fur shone like gold, no, more like the sun! Its huge head looked as if it's capable of eating an entire two human a.d.u.l.ts, it's teeth is as sharp as iron swords, it appeared before her slowly with saliva drooled from its jaws as it looked at her.

Cold sweat dropped from her forehead as Ma Xiaotao identified what kind of spirit beast in front of her.

'To think my luck would be so bad. It's a Golden Lion! Known as kings of all feline type spirit beasts. They are known for their almost invulnerable defense, incredible speed, powerful physical power and spirit power.'

'They are also known to have an intelligence equal to that of a teenager when they are at the age of a hundred years old, making it one of the very few known intelligent spirit beasts. Thus making them highly dangerous confront, as they are also very ruthless and bloodthirsty, regardless if they are human or spirit beast. An intelligent bloodthirsty spirit beast, something all spirit masters are afraid to face. Especially since even it is at a thousand years of age in cultivation, it can suppress and dominate ten thousand year old spirit beasts.' Ma Xiaotao clicked her tongue in frustration and slight fear at her situation.

'Golden Lions age could be estimated on how bright the color of their fur is. As this one's fur is as bright as real gold, then that must mean-' Ma Xiaotao's train of thoughts were interrupted by a male rough and loud voice.

"Human, so you are the reason of that sudden rise of spirit power." The Golden Lion spoke somewhat fluently with its mouth slightly open.

Ma Xiaotao's slit pupils turned into pins, despair and hopelessness appeared on her face and in her heart.

'I-It talks! If a hundred years old Golden Lion has the intelligence of a teenager, a thousand year old has the intelligence of a human a.d.u.l.t, then a t-ten thousand year old Golden Lion has the ability to speak human tongue.'

"Y-You're a Golden Lion King..." Ma Xiaotao said with a stutter, fear clearly seen on her face.

It was reasonable for her to be afraid, after all, a thousand year old Golden Lion can kill an average ten thousand year old spirit beast. While a ten thousand year old Golden Lion, who will be granted a title of a king of it reaches that level of age, in theory, will be able to kill a average hundred thousand year old spirit beast.

"Indeed I am." The Golden Lion King nodded in agreement, it's golden eyes watching the slightly trembling body of Ma Xiaotao intently. It let out it's large tongue and lick around its lips, saying, "Now, although you are young, you might have already understand why I am here right?"

It started to walked slowly towards Ma Xiaotao, whom the latter took several steps back. The Golden Lion King stopped for a moment, before starting to walk left and around Ma Xiaotao, circling around her.

It opened it's mouth once more and said, "I had sensed a huge amount of spirit power coming from this area a while ago, something that can help me jumped towards the fifty thousand year old stage. Although you let out a lot of spirit power, much more than the one I had sensed, but I can feel that yours cannot help me. Something about that former spirit power outburst, made my blood boil in excitement. So, if you can be so kind as to tell me where that thing or person is, then I might let you off with a painless death." It stopped, just several feet away in front of Ma Xiaotao once more.

Ma Xiaotao widened her eyes as she woke up from her fearful state. Hearing what it said about the sudden outburst of spirit, she knew what it was talking about.

She bit down on her lower lip, drawing blood, and raised her head to glare angrily at the spirit beast in front of her.

She thought, with her slit eyes glowing in a dark purple glow,

'If I don't stop the Golden Lion King, he would go after Xiao Yan!'

She used her pair of wings to fly up into the sky, making it so she would have the advantage against the Golden Lion King, who was just staring at, looking bored.

Without saying anything, she narrowed her eyes and her third black spirit ring lit up.

Ma Xiaotao's two feathered wings on her back was set ablaze in a more prominent purple red colored flame, making it looked as if her wings were made out of flames instead and she also gained a pair of five fingered claws on each top end of her wings.(A/N: If you played DMC5 then just imagine it like the wings on Nero's back.)

Not only that, but she also grown a meter long flaming phoenix tail. Though the feathers on her tail seem to be different than a normal phoenix tail, as its feathers seem to looked harder and yet smooth, as if it were made out of scales.

This was Ma Xiaotao's third spirit ring ability, Phoenix Wing Ascension. Due to her spirit rings evolution, her phoenix flames is now increased by 250% and her range of attacks is increased by 150%.

Staring down at the Golden Lion King with cold and anger filled eyes, Ma Xiaotao lit up her second spirit rings; Phoenix Baptism. Making her entire body engulfed in purple red, with some tints of green, flames. Her phoenix flames are now increased with an added 50%, making it a total 300% percent, and her flight speed is increased greatly as well.

The Golden Lion King's eyes narrowed as he felt the power of those flames quadruple in power.

Instead of getting wary or afraid, it just made the Golden Lion King let out a bloodthirsty grin.

"Interesting..." The spirit beast muttered.

Back at Ma Xiaotao, she concentrated the power of her flames at the ready and quickly started to make a plan.

'I just can't attack head on, it's hide(A/N: Meaning it's fur or skin of an animal) is known to be perverse. I can only either kill it by letting eat a fireball or lead it away to another, possible, powerful spirit beast so I can grabbed Xiao Yan and get out of here.' Ma Xiaotao clenched her hands.

'Problem for the latter is that, I don't know any place that holds a powerful spirit beast can possibly kill this Golden Lion King, excluding the inner and core area of the forest. Even I do find one, how can I be guaranteed that the other spirit beast won't kill me? And there's the other problem for that plan, is if the Golden Lion King would follow me.'

'What should I-' "How long will you make me wait?" The Golden Lion King's voice sounded out, moreover, it was quite near...

Ma Xiaotao's eyes widened in shock and her face paled as she turned around to see the Golden Lion King in the air behind her, it's pair of golden eyes stared at hers in amus.e.m.e.nt. Its four limbs were in a jumping position, though it looked as if he did it lazily.

Ma Xiaotao glanced at where the Golden Lion King had once where, finding patches of the grass missing, and had quickly figured out on what he did.

Her first spirit ring lit up, Phoenix Fireline, emitting a straight line of purple-red flame from Ma Xiaotao's mouth towards the bored looking Golden Lion King.

Using that slight chance of distraction, Ma Xiaotao flapped her pair of phoenix dragonian wings and fly several kilometers away from the Golden Lion King.

Ma Xiaotao silently cursed to herself, she can't believe that she forgot that Golden Lion Kings have incredible speed second only to its almost invincible defense.

At that moment of distraction in thinking of a plan, the Golden Lion King had silently used its hind legs and in great speed appeared right behind her.

Cats are known to be silent and sneaky, that principal should apply to other felines as well, especially a freaking lion!

'Okay that just sounds farfetched, even for me.' Ma Xiaotao quickly shook off those thoughts out of her head. She had to think of a plan to deal with that monstrous spirit beast, fast!

'But how? Its defense, speed and attack are all top tier. I can only think of attacking it with my flames, covering him with them and drain all of the air around so it couldn't breath, but seeing how fast it moved? I doubt I could follow with my plans before it ignores the flames with it's defense, moved towards me with great strides and ends with me getting eaten.' Ma Xiaotao thought, tears suddenly started to fall from her eyes, though it turned to steam as the flames the engulfed her body burn those wet stains of her face.

'Is this it? Will this really be the end? I thought I could either kill the beast or lead it away from Xiao Yan, but knowing the Golden Lion King can sensed my and Xiao Yan's spirit power, I don't doubt that it would linger around trying to find latter's location.' Ma Xiaotao felt her heart ache, even though she wanted to repay Xiao Yan for what he has done, she wasn't able to do so.

For all her abilities and strength, Ma Xiaotao couldn't even do a simple thing such as protect the person she treasures.

Ma Xiaotao could feel it. A cold and suppressing feeling swept her entire body, causing her to freeze in place. Her flames that covered her entire body had unexpectedly extinguished.

Her spirit then soon deactivated, causing her to fall like a meteor down onto the ground of the forest hard. Trees around her bend and broke as she fell, as her body passed through trees as thick as two human a.d.u.l.ts in a circle, it had also caused the bones of her body to break and dislocate. Due to being a couple kilometers up in the air, Ma Xiaotao's fall into the ground had also caused a small crater.

"Oww..." Ma Xiaotao g.r.o.a.n.e.d as she felt the bones within her body were out of order and probably had punctured an organ or two.

'Well that was quite a fall.' She thought.

"Looks like you chose death..." The Golden Lion King's voice was heard behind her.

Turning her head rigidly, as she felt hundreds of needles had stabbed her as she moved her body, Ma Xiaotao's eyes widened in horror and hopelessness as a familiar golden spirit beast appeared.

The Golden Lion King didn't look any different, despite the fact he took a fully quadrupled power phoenix with dragonian characteristics flame breath point blank, something that not even spirit emperors would leave unscratched! Though, if anyone were to looked closely they would noticed a few strands of fur missing.

With a large bloodthirsty grin on his face, the Golden Lion King said, "Though I have to admit little human. Despite your low cultivation, your flames was able to burn a few old hair of mine. For that you have my respect."

A single slid down Ma Xiaotao's right eye, not because of the pain attacking her entire body, no, it was because of the regrets she had.

She's a young lady, not even at the prime of her life, and she's going to die.

She was just given a second chance to really enjoy life and yet, she was going to die.

'Xiao Yan, Ma Hongjun, master, teacher Zhao, everyone... I'm sorry...'

Ma Xiaotao closed her eyes as the Golden Lion King approached her, his right claw up in the air b.a.r.e and ready.

"Goodbye, little bird."

However, just as the claw, or is it paw?, was about to decapitate Ma Xiaotao's body, a incomprehensible noise was heard that caused the Golden Lion King to pause.

"What is that?" The Golden Lion King muttered as he strained one of his ears to listen in–

"Surprise motherf.u.c.ker!"

[Secret Ability Heavy Black Rule Whirlwind!]

A spiralling black ruler appeared in the air, spinning in a wild manner but it held a great amount of strength. It was going straight down towards the Golden Lion King.

The said spirit beast widened his eyes as he felt a dangerous chill that made his hairs standing up.

His instincts screamed at him to move!

Without any hesitation, the Golden Lion King followed his instincts and used his speed to disappear from where he stood.

Fortunately he followed his instincts, because a moment later...

*BANG!*

A gigantic crater, that was 30 meters of diameter and 20 feet deep, was formed from where Golden Lion King had stood. The force that made such a crater was so great, that it made some small and weaker trees around to be blown away!

As for Ma Xiaotao that was close to the blast radius? She was safe and unconscious, though not before taking a final look at her savior.

"Xiao... Yan...?" Ma Xiaotao said with difficulty.

'Xiao Yan' smiled gently at Ma Xiaotao that was held in his left arm while his right arm was busy holding onto the handle of his spirit, the Heavy Xuan Ruler.

Before 'Xiao Yan' had slammed the big a.s.s dull sword to the ground, he had used the Controlling Crane to pull her towards himself.

"Rest now young phoenix. I'll handle everything from here." 'Xiao Yan' said lightly, subtly using the Mind Over Reality to let her sleep with a great dream.

Now that Ma Xiaotao's asleep, 'Xiao Yan' turned towards the now wary Golden Lion King with blank cold eyes.

"Now, you must be the little kitty that was trying to kill my friend here huh? Well I can't possibly let you go for that now would I?" As soon as he finished saying that, 'Xiao Yan' let go of the handle of his Heavy Xuan Ruler and let his right palm up in the air.

The Golden Lion King's instincts once more screamed at him, and this time, it was telling him to run. To run, run, run, run, run...!!

'Ack, w-what is this?!' The Golden Lion King thought in disbelief, as he felt his entire unmoving and restricted. As if his body wasn't his own anymore.

[Space Lock] A space manipulation ability that the Flame Emperor had gotten in his previous life. Because the current of Xiao Yan's spirit power was too weak, the former wasn't able to use most of his space related abilities.

But controlling the space around someone to restrict his or her movement? Now that, Flame Emperor could do easily.

Back to 'Xiao Yan', two flame essence energies appeared. The Green Lotus Core Flame and the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame, the appearance of the two heavenly flames had caused the surrounding vegetation to turned to ashes.

It was something unprecedented in the history of the Douluo continent. Two heavenly flames appeared within the hold of a single person, much less appearing in the same location, it was something that is known to be impossible!

If anyone, especially Titled Douluos and alchemists, they would be green in envy and turned pale at the sight of the person holding two heavenly flames, merging them.

On 'Xiao Yan's' right hand palm, a small green-red lotus with lightning flickering within appeared.

The Golden Lion King's eyes widened in terror as he could sense, no, taste the destructive power the small lotus held.

'Xiao Yan' opened his mouth and muttered,

"Mini Buddha's Fury Flame Lotus..." As soon as he said that, he let the small lotus fly towards the frozen Golden Lion King while he disappeared in a flash of lightning.

'Xiao Yan' appeared a kilometer away from his previous location, already unsummoned his Heavy Xuan Ruler, while carrying a unconscious Ma Xiaotao in a princess carry.

A moment later, a gigantic explosion was seen from where the Golden Lion King was left. A huge lotus flame image appeared for a moment before disappearing and waves of spirit power flames could be felt, an after effect of the Mini Buddha's Fury Flame Lotus.

Flashing back to where he left the Golden Lion King to die, 'Xiao Yan' could only see a barren wasteland of death with only a black spirit ring floating and a golden armor lying around near it remained in the devastation he caused.

At the sight of destruction in front of him, 'Xiao Yan' could only say,

"Well, I overdid it again..."