novelnext Chapter 597 The Dying Dragon
Chapter 597 The Dying Dragon
Chapter 597 The Dying Dragon
Cangmo Sect, Liusha Palace.
On the teleportation platform, two figures, a man and a woman, slowly appeared.
"Senior Brother Zheng, Senior Sister Li."
Upon seeing the newcomer, the Cangmo Sect cultivator responsible for guarding the teleportation platform bowed slightly and greeted him.
The sect now strictly forbids people from leaving the sect; only core disciples holding elder tokens are allowed to leave the mountain gate at will.
Every disciple who was allowed to go out was someone he could not afford to offend.
Just then, deep within the Flowing Sand Palace.
An elderly man dressed in a gray-yellow Taoist robe, with a gaunt face and thin figure, suddenly opened his eyes and noticed a very subtle abnormality.
"Who dares to trespass on my Cangmo Sect!"
The old man let out a sharp shout, his voice like muffled thunder that shook the heavens and earth, instantly resounding throughout the entire mountain gate.
Upon hearing this, the Cangmo cultivator below the teleportation platform changed his expression drastically. He immediately summoned his protective magic treasure and looked at Zheng and Li warily, but dared not make the slightest move.
The reason was simple: the warning voice that had just spoken came from the sect's Supreme Elder, True Lord Hengsha.
The esteemed Hengsha True Monarch Xu Shaolan is one of the few late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect, and has been presiding over the sect's Flowing Sand Hall for eight hundred years.
The fact that this Supreme Elder was so alarmed that he hastily issued a warning suggests that the cultivator who trespassed into the sect was no ordinary person; he could probably take the life of a Foundation Establishment cultivator with just a glance.
They had served at the Flowing Sand Palace's teleportation platform for many years, but their strength was meager, and their monthly salary was only seven hundred low-grade spirit stones, barely enough to maintain the basic operation of the sect's teleportation platform.
If it weren't for the sect's strict laws and severe punishment for deserters, they probably would have retreated and fled immediately.
"boom!"
"boom!"
"boom!"
There were also some Cangmo Sect cultivators who reacted extremely quickly, activating the sect's protective array, the "Nine Transformations Yellow Sand Sky-Covering Array," the instant Hengsha Zhenjun spoke.
In an instant, countless brilliant rays of light surged forth, completely enveloping the entire mountain gate and suppressing everything.
Moreover, streaks of light emerged from the distant mountains, forming ranks and a Daoist army formation, radiating an aura comparable to that of a Nascent Soul True Monarch. These were none other than the Desert Daoist Army of the Cangmo Sect, renowned throughout Xuanyan, who had once surrounded and killed a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator with their army.
"Senior Brother Zheng, Senior Sister Li, why don't you surrender and cooperate with the sect's investigation!"
A Foundation Establishment cultivator, whose fingers were trembling, immediately spoke up.
This is the mountain gate of the Cangmo Sect. Even dragons have to coil up and tigers have to lie down.
Although he feared death, he feared even more the lack of cultivation resources, which would keep him stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage.
"call out!"
Under the awe-inspiring gazes of the assembled cultivators, True Monarch Hengsha Xu Shaolan appeared instantly, radiating a surging aura.
Ignoring Zheng and Li, he looked at a seemingly normal void and his eyes narrowed: "Your technique of concealing your form in the void is profound, but it cannot escape the detection of my great array."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Shaolan raised his hand, his five fingers pressing lightly against the empty space, "Hurry up and reveal yourself!"
The yellow sand surged like waves, suddenly bursting apart and tearing through space.
tread!
tread!
tread!
As footsteps sounded, a figure in snow-purple slowly walked out.
Upon seeing the seven-tailed purple fox appear, the fear in Xu Shaolan's eyes quickly dissipated, replaced by a hint of greed.
Those madmen who dared to trespass into the Cangmo Sect were all extraordinary individuals, and were very likely to be powerful beings that he could not match. In the end, however, it turned out to be just a late-stage fourth-order demon king.
It should be noted that although a late-stage fourth-order demon king is strong, this place is the Cangmo Sect's mountain gate. Even if this demon king seems to have an extraordinary bloodline, he cannot possibly defeat the many powerful figures in the sect.
"Eek."
Zhi Ling frowned slightly, then struck out with her palm at Xu Shaolan, unleashing the Great Sky Claw.
It detests this kind of greedy gaze that treats itself as an object.
"You even dared to injure someone!"
Xu Shaolan shouted loudly, not rushing forward, and summoned the Horizontal Sand Dharma Image to mobilize the power of the sect's great formation.
The next instant, the yellow sand surged, and nine towering sand walls rose from the ground, like yellow dragons coiled in the sky, combining offense and defense, exuding a strong killing intent, and completely locking onto Zhi Ling's aura.
Rumble!
The yellow dragon suddenly rose up, opened its mouth to bite, and its power was earth-shattering.
Without a doubt, this was a strike that mobilized the sect's protective formation, enough to instantly shatter a Nascent Soul Peak True Monarch!
In Xu Shaolan's eyes, the fate of the Seven-Tailed Purple Fox was already sealed, and another demon king would be added to his ranks.
"Eek."
Sensing danger, Zhiling's eyes narrowed, and she withdrew her Great Cleave Claw, retreating rapidly to create distance. Immediately, ripples appeared in the void behind her, revealing two faintly visible figures.
"tread!"
"tread!"
"tread!"
Dressed in white, Chen Beiwu strolled out of the void as if taking a leisurely walk.
not good!"
Xu Shaolan's pupils contracted, and alarm bells rang in his mind.
The white-robed cultivator before him had an unfamiliar face, an obscure aura, and was unfathomable; he had never seen him before.
That would have been fine, but he recognized the green-skirted female cultivator beside him. She was the current sect leader of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, whose cultivation had reached the half-step Nascent Soul stage. She was the Ten Thousand Poisons Fairy, whose combat power was at the peak of the Profound Transformation Realm.
To be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Fairy of Ten Thousand Poisons, such an existence is definitely beyond his ability to deal with.
Xu Shaolan then withdrew his hand and retreated rapidly, speaking in a deep voice: "You two—"
He had barely finished speaking when the white-robed cultivator cast a detached glance at him and lightly tapped with his right index finger.
Faced with this single finger strike, Xu Shaolan was overwhelmed, his mind went blank, and he even forgot that he was in control of the Nine Transformations Yellow Sand Heavenly Array. He only instinctively activated his Heavenly Gang Dharma Form and unleashed the true power within his body to resist, crying out, "Spare me—spare my life!"
Xu Shaolan looked pleading, trying to save his life.
But Chen Beiwu had no intention of wasting any more words.
Even disregarding the immense sins and karmic burdens he carries, the murderous intent emanating from his eyes towards Zhiling alone is enough to seal his fate.
"Crunch crunch."
As the Heavenly Finger of the Cave Truth Tribulation descended, Xu Shaolan's protective aura and the yellow dragon phantom coiled around his body collapsed instantly like paper. A bloody hole exploded in his dantian, and his golden core emitted a mournful sound of shattering before being annihilated inch by inch, completely powerless to resist.
Seeing Xu Shaolan fall backward, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his nascent soul turning into a cloud of yellow sand as he tried to escape, Chen Beiwu shook his head slightly and did not make another move.
"Hey!"
Schiller put his hands together and activated his profound power. A five-headed wooden dragon immediately appeared and bit Xu Shaolan's nascent soul.
For a fourth-tier demon king in the Southern Wilderness, a True Monarch Purple Mansion Nascent Soul is undoubtedly a great tonic. Consuming a single Nascent Soul is enough to increase one's cultivation by thousands, or even break through to a higher realm.
However, Xue Le, who came from the Jade Purity Immortal Sect, knew that it was more beneficial for the Demon King to devour the Nascent Souls of cultivators than to consume them. This would easily pollute the soul and bloodline, which would be detrimental to the future advancement of the bloodline. It would be better to use the Nascent Souls of cultivators to fertilize the land and nourish the great medicine of creation.
He actually found the entrance to the Cangmo Sect!
Lan Xinyi remained calm, though she was quite surprised.
She knew that Chen Zi'ang was incredibly powerful, and that ordinary Nascent Soul True Monarchs couldn't withstand even a finger's touch from him, so she wasn't surprised by the fall of Hengsha True Monarch.
What truly surprised her was that, when the Cangmo Sect was shrinking its power, Chen Zi'ang actually managed to find the Cangmo Sect's mountain gate by sheer luck.
Extremes beget their opposites. To possess such fortune in the Southern Wilderness today, could it be that Sect Master Jingyue is a chosen one born in response to the great changes in heaven and earth, and is expected to soar to the heavens in the future, becoming a cultivation giant who looks down upon all living beings?
Lan Xinyi's mind raced, and she became increasingly convinced that she had made the right choice.
The reason she initially sided with the Mirror Moon Sect and was willing to regard Mirror Moon as the superior sect was not because she valued Chen Zi'ang's strength, but because as the Great Array of Heaven and Earth gradually collapsed and the four regions were reconnected, the old immortals in Guixu Mountain would inevitably not continue to slumber, but would gradually break the seal and awaken, causing a great chaos.
At that time, the Myriad Poisons Sect, as a dominant force in the Profound Realm, will inevitably face a great calamity. It would be better to find a powerful backer as soon as possible.
Coincidentally, through word of mouth passed down by successive sect leaders, Lan Xinyi learned that there was a Nascent Soul True Venerable with unfathomable cultivation deep within Guixu Mountain. The origin of that Nascent Soul True Venerable was mysterious, and even the successive Wandu Sect leaders dared not speculate on it. They only knew that he had a close relationship with the Jingyue Sect of the Earth Evolution Realm and was one of the top transcendent beings in Guixu Mountain.
It was precisely because of this relationship that Lan Xinyi changed her mind and took the initiative to bring up the betting match.
Regardless of the outcome of the bet, the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect can ensure the continuity of its lineage through generations to the greatest extent possible.
On the other side, inside the main hall of the Cangmo Sect.
An ancient scroll shone brightly, reflecting everything on the teleportation platform of the Flowing Sand Palace, including the fall of the True Lord of Horizontal Sand.
"I have already ordered the mountain gates to be closed. Take a good look at this. What is it?" Zhai Cang said in a deep voice.
The fall of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator certainly dealt a heavy blow to the Cangmo Sect's power, but it wasn't enough to cause Zhai Cang heartache.
What truly enraged him was that his master was in seclusion and could not afford to fail, yet now the sect's gates had been breached by the combined forces of the Mirror Moon Sect Master and the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect Master.
"Sect Master, please calm down. They are merely two Nascent Soul True Monarchs."
The deputy sect leader of Cangmo looked at Cangying Ancient Scroll, his tone calm.
Undeniably, True Martial Lord and Fairy of Ten Thousand Poisons are both top-tier Nascent Soul True Lords. Even if he and the sect leader personally took action, they would not be a match for them, and they would even be in danger of dying.
But this is not a desolate wilderness, but the mountain gate of the Cangmo Sect.
Even though Zhenwu Zhenjun and Zhenwu Zhenjun are incredibly powerful, the foundation of Cangmo Sect over tens of thousands of years cannot be easily shaken by two Nascent Soul Zhenjuns.
"Sect Master, why not let these two into the Cangmo Hall and suppress them with the sect's grand formation?" The Vice Sect Master suggested, his eyes flashing.
The existence of Fu Yuan Hong Long must not be revealed, otherwise accidents may easily occur.
To avoid any unforeseen complications, the two should be lured into the Cangmo Palace and defeated, or even suppressed, in order to avoid the risk of Fuyuan Qiulong being exposed.
"How confident are you?" Zhai Cang asked succinctly.
"Not much, seventy percent." The vice sect leader's lips curled up slightly: "If the sect leader gathers all the Nascent Soul Grandmasters in the sect, I am ninety percent confident that I can suppress True Martial True Monarch and Ten Thousand Poison Fairy."
"madness."
Zhai Cang shook his head and retorted, "The Mirror Moon Sect inherited its lineage from the Taiyi Dao Sect, and its foundation is profound. As the current sect master of the Mirror Moon Sect, True Martial True Monarch may very well possess a fifth-order Yuan Talisman for protection."
At this point, Zhai Cang looked directly at the Vice Sect Master: "If True Martial Monarch were to unleash a fifth-tier Yuan Talisman, are you confident you can withstand it?"
The deputy sect leader frowned and said frankly, "No, but fifth-order Yuan Talismans are extremely rare and are the foundation of a sect's inheritance. True Martial True Monarch may not even have one."
"What, you're going to gamble your sect's foundation on a possibility?"
Zhai Cang said with a deep look in his eyes, "Regardless of whether True Martial True Monarch has a fifth-order Yuan Talisman, we only need to force him back with the formation of the sect's grand array. There is no need to take any risks."
Once Master completes his seclusion and emerges successfully, everything will change. Even if True Martial True Monarch possesses a fifth-tier Yuan Talisman, he can only remain within the Earthly Root Realm, daring not to step into the Profound Root Realm.
"Yes, Sect Master."
Watching the departing figure of the sect's True Monarch, Zhai Cang's eyes flickered with uncertainty.
It is hoped that True Martial Lord and Fairy of Ten Thousand Poisons will be sensible and voluntarily withdraw from the Cangmo Sect after being blocked by the sect's great formation.
Otherwise, if things become unmanageable, he will have no choice but to use the fifth-order Yuan Talisman left by his master to seize an opportunity to kill the two of them.
On the other side, in the Flowing Sand Palace, all the desert soldiers collapsed to the ground, unable to withstand the three-phase dragon might of the golden egg.
"After the fall of True Monarch Hengsha, the higher-ups of Cangmo will definitely try to delay and use the mountain gate formation to wear down our True Monarch. What do you plan to do?"
"Lan Xinyi said with great interest."
Deep within a sect's mountain gate, surrounded by dangers and the constant threat of being ambushed and killed, Lan Xinyi showed no fear whatsoever; instead, she seemed eager to try.
Chen Beiwu did not speak, but scanned his surroundings and finally locked his gaze on his feet, revealing a thoughtful expression.
"Buzz".
Suddenly, the formation in front of Chen Beiwu and his companion vanished, revealing a passage leading directly to the core of the Cangmo Sect's mountain gate.
"Interesting, this is a trap."
Lan Xinyi glanced at Chen Beiwu: "Should we go in or not?"
Sensing the provocation from the Cangmo Sect, Chen Beiwu smiled: "Why not go in?"
"Roar!" (There's something down there!)
Golden Egg offered a timely reminder.
Within the Cangmo Sect's mountain gate, one can sense an indescribable, pure dragon's might deep within the earth's veins.
"Woof?" (How skilled are you?)
Tie Dan urged the Karmic Fire to listen to the sinful mystic path and looked down, but he could see nothing.
"roar."
The golden egg shook its head, its dragon eyes solemn.
Although it couldn't discern the dragon's exact cultivation level, it was certain that the dragon's bloodline was of an extraordinary quality, at least on par with its own, nearly at the fifth rank. It might be a fifth-rank rainbow dragon, or it might be a fifth-rank creation beast.
"Hey." (It shouldn't be a Creation Beast.)
Schiller questioned.
The old immortal of Guixu Mountain has been searching for the Creation Beast. If such a being existed in the Cangmo Sect, it would probably have been captured long ago. Why would the other party covet the Biling King Serpent of the Wandu Sect?
"Eek."
Zhiling's eyes flickered, and she slashed forward with her right claw, tearing through space to create a spatial passage.
Compared to the Green Ridge King Serpent whose fate was unknown, it was more concerned about the dragon that the golden egg vaguely feared.
"Let's go. Before heading to the Cangmo Sect's mountain gate, let's capture the dragon first."
Ignoring the spatial passage that had been opened ahead, Chen Beiwu stepped into the void path created by Zhiling.
Lan Xinyi raised an eyebrow, asked no further questions, and followed closely behind Chen Beiwu.
"Boom!"
As soon as he stepped out of the spatial passage, Chen Beiwu heard the tremors caused by the surging of the earth's vein energy.
But he had no time to pay attention to the noise; all he could see was the enormous, golden rainbow dragon, its body as thick as a mountain ridge.
Even though its entire body is covered in golden scales and its energy is strong, it cannot conceal the rampant leakage of its primordial energy.
Without a doubt, this was a dying dragon!
"Wait, could this be a Hidden Golden Dragon?" Chen Beiwu's eyes showed a pained expression.
The cultivators of the Southern Wilderness are truly wasting their talents!
The Hidden Golden Dragon is born at the bottom of the earth's lungs, moves and hides in the earth's veins, and roams the nine lands. It is one of the very few exotic species that can suppress the fortune of the world. Therefore, it can be ranked ninety-ninth on the Immortal Alliance's list of creation beasts with the body of a fifth-order dragon.
For a fifth-tier dragon species, the essence of Qian Jin Hong is a great tonic. Eating its flesh can prolong life, drinking its blood can purify blood, gnawing on its bones can temper the body, eating its marrow can break through realms, and devouring its heart can restore one's bloodline to its ancestral state.
It is no exaggeration to say that if the golden egg could devour a hidden golden dragon, the effect would be no less than taking a Nascent Soul Elixir.
However, the Golden Dragon in front of us had already had all its bloodline drained, and all its essence had vanished. Otherwise, it might have helped Golden Egg's cultivation level soar, allowing it to ascend to the Perfect Demon King realm and become the first member of the team to attempt to prove the Dao of the Fifth Realm Demon Venerable.