“Such a weak imperial edict’s residual power dares to block me? Let me break it!”
After cracking the forbidden technique left by Yu Qing Daoist, the cliff wall trembled. The imperial edict on it, however, shone with golden light, each character connecting seamlessly into a golden dragon!
This was the ancestral dragon qi of Ji Yi, the founding emperor of the Zhou Dynasty. It carried the majesty of the Zhou’s three-hundred-year rule over the nineteen provinces—so mighty that even a Heavenly Master would retreat!
“Jiu jiu!”
Facing this, Wu Ming merely sneered coldly. His hand clasped the Shang Dynasty’s jade seal, which hummed in response, and a phantom aura of the Xuan Niao bird emerged.
Upon seeing each other, the dragon and the phoenix hesitated not a moment, immediately clashing like mortal enemies.
In terms of might, although the Shang Dynasty had long been destroyed, this was merely an imperial edict, while the Xuan Niao’s aura came directly from the Shang’s imperial jade seal. Since the original seal still existed, the two forces were evenly matched.
“Power of the Dharma Realm, empower!”
Unfortunately, Wu Ming was nearby and was clearly taking sides. Seeing that the Xuan Niao couldn’t suppress the golden dragon, he entered the fray without hesitation.
A burst of clear light enveloped the Xuan Niao, forming a thick layer like armor around it.
Could the might of a terrestrial immortal be underestimated?
Empowered, the Xuan Niao flapped its wings fiercely, letting out a piercing cry that pierced the heavens, and pecked forward with its beak!
Boom!
The golden dragon’s body trembled, struck precisely on its vulnerable scales. Suddenly, its entire form disintegrated, turning into wisps of golden clouds that scattered.
“Jiu jiu!”
The Xuan Niao cried out proudly, flew back to the cliff wall, and swept its wings sideways, erasing one golden character after another until they dimmed. Then, satisfied, it returned into the jade seal.
“Good!”
Wu Ming nodded slightly. The imperial edict’s seal was the final defensive barrier. Now that it had been broken, the cliff wall vibrated and retreated, revealing a passage leading further downward.
“It feels like I’m heading straight to the ninth level of hell…”
With a slightly exasperated feeling, Wu Ming continued his descent.
This passage wasn’t long, and soon he reached the end, where light poured in.
Slightly quickening his pace, Wu Ming stepped out of the passage and suddenly found his view broadening.
“What is this…”
The scene before him was beyond even his expectations.
Before his eyes lay a deep pit, its pitch-black malevolent qi forming black snakes that constantly gathered at the bottom, even forming a vast lake of dark energy!
At the lake’s center was a golden island!
This metallic island bore five thick golden pillars arranged in the cardinal directions—east, south, west, north, and center. Their bases were fully integrated into the island, seemingly part of it. From the towering golden pillars on all four sides stretched golden chains that tightly bound a monstrous dragon to the central pillar.
Even on the dragon’s body, seven enormous metal spikes pierced through critical points such as its shoulder blades, rendering it completely immobile.
Yet despite this, a savage and ferocious aura continuously emanated from the dragon, sending chills down one’s spine.
“Roar!!”
Upon seeing Wu Ming intrude, the bound dragon roared furiously, its voice like a dragon’s cry shaking heaven and earth. The entire metallic island vibrated with a humming resonance, and the lake of malevolent qi surged into towering waves.
The might of this roar alone was enough to shock the heavens and move the spirits of the dead!
“It’s truly the ancestor of the Shang Dynasty…”
Seeing this, Wu Ming was completely unsurprised and sighed again: “What a hero you were in life, yet even in death, your body is desecrated. Truly, you cannot die in peace.”
“As for this island…”
A look of confusion flickered across his face: “It bears resemblance to the Twelve Terra-Cotta Warriors. Could it be a relic from that era? No! These metals lack the golden malevolence and Xuan Niao’s heavenly mandate. This is not debris from the fallen warriors—it must be surplus material collected by Jie of Shang when he gathered all the golden essence under heaven…”
“However, the golden pillars, chains, and the Seven-Star Nails at the island’s center are definitely forged from the remains of the Twelve Terra-Cotta Warriors…”
Back then, when the Twelve Terra-Cotta Warriors fell, they were heavily cursed by heaven, and most of their bodies were destroyed by divine lightning.
The remaining fragments were secretly gathered by the Blood-Oath Alliance’s master, who had been waiting in the shadows with ulterior motives.
In truth, that Yu Qing Daoist and Ji Yi could find so many leftover scraps had already greatly surprised Wu Ming.
“Tsk tsk… imprisoning the ancestor dragon of a dynasty and using formations to gather the world’s malevolent qi to cultivate it… truly an impressive scheme!”
Wu Ming gazed calmly at the dragon-monster on the golden island, which could be called an emperor among dragons, and shook his head: “Cui Jue and the Bureau of Strange Affairs collecting malevolent crystals definitely aren’t for this creature; that level of power would barely handle the few dragons outside… It seems the court was somewhat cautious this time, or perhaps merely wanted to test things out first? Alas, they met me…”
“Originally, the Blood-Oath Alliance Master only planned to use those materials to forge a level-six puppet to resist the Overlord’s will… but now, my conditions are far better than his…”
Looking at the pool of malevolent qi and the dragon ahead, Wu Ming’s eyes revealed ambition!
To speak bluntly, the dragon-slaying malevolence within this dragon emperor, combined with what had already been stored in the jade seal, was almost half of what the Twelve Terra-Cotta Warriors had possessed back then!
Coupled with Wu Ming’s existing Xuan Niao’s heavenly mandate, remnants of the Terra-Cotta Warriors, and this massive metallic island…
“Gongshu Zhe was still too narrow-minded…”
Wu Ming slapped his Taotie pouch, and a torrent of golden light surged forth. Amidst the spreading clear light, it nearly encompassed the entire depression…
…
Boom!
The cliff wall slowly descended.
Who knows how long passed before Wu Ming arrived at the surveillance palace above the imperial tomb, gazing at the ever-changing scenes reflected in the eight bronze mirrors, his face brimming with barely contained excitement: “Finally, the main task is accomplished!”
Looking around, he noticed nothing had changed since he left, and couldn’t help but smile: “This imperial tomb is the best habitat for the dragons. They wouldn’t leave even if given the chance, no wonder the Yu Qing sect felt so confident, leaving only a few people here for surveillance…”
“All that needed to be done has been done. I hope when Yu Qing hears about it, he doesn’t end up spitting blood…”
“But that old fox had already planned to retreat long ago. Even if he finds out, he’ll probably just smile it off, indifferent…”
Lost in thought, Wu Ming transformed into a streak of clear light, emerging at the ruins of the palace above.
If one hadn’t experienced it firsthand, who could imagine that beneath these ruins lay such a tremendous secret?
“The stage is set. Shouldn’t it be time to invite others to the performance?”
He glanced toward a certain direction, stroking his chin thoughtfully, before vanishing into the distance in an instant.
…
It was only an incense stick’s time after Wu Ming left that a group of people hurriedly arrived, heading straight for the tunnel entrance.
“Taoist Yu Qing has not sent word for so long; he must have encountered misfortune!”
Yan Sheng’s face was as dark as ink, mingling with barely concealed astonishment.
After all, Yu Qingzi was the younger apprentice of Yu Qing Daoist, a master of Daoist arts reaching the level of a Heavenly Master, truly a Zhenjun!
At such a level, a Daoist could summon wind and rain, scatter beans into soldiers, and perform countless other magical feats with ease… even during the peak of the dynasty, emperors would treat him with respect, easily granting him the title of “Zhenren” (True Man).
Yet now, with no word for so long, it seemed he had met a violent end. How could this not shock and alarm Yan Sheng?
“Thirteenth Prince!”
As the group entered the tunnel, Yan Sheng and Cui Jue flanked a young man dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, protecting him: “Please rest assured, my lord, we will ensure your safety!”
“I… I am very grateful… grateful to you all…”
The young man being supported had a pale complexion, his hands trembling slightly, struggling to speak.
Though still a youth, he bore the air of nobility. He was the emperor’s younger brother, granted a princely title early on, with the title “Yong.”
“Understood!”
The others responded in unison. Qiu Yi cast a glance at the young man filled with pity: “In the decline of a dynasty, even the sons and daughters of dragons meet tragic ends… Take this one, for instance, chosen to bear the dragon’s malevolence under the emperor’s suspicion. Heh heh, though it may sound reasonable in theory, the dragon’s malevolence is no trifling matter. One misstep, and he’ll be reduced to nothing but bones!”
His eyes exchanged subtle signals with a few others, who all nodded slightly: “And even if he succeeds, it will merely be clothing another in glory…”
Inwardly, he couldn’t help but admire the royal family’s ruthlessness.
This Prince Yong was the emperor’s own brother, their bloodline and fate closely intertwined. If he succeeded, naturally the emperor could also benefit.
If he failed, it would be no great loss—merely one more royal offspring sacrificed.
“If everything below is safe, I will have Taoist Yu Qing open the gate, using the malevolent crystal to lure out a dragon’s malevolence, channeling its fortune into the prince’s body!”
Yan Sheng naturally knew what to say at the right time: “Though this fortune may be meager, it will be enough to ensure the prince a life of wealth and honor. In the future, the emperor will surely rely on you greatly!”
“I… I do this for the sake of the nation, and don’t mind the risk!”
The young man waved his hand dismissively, though his steps steadied slightly, prompting a secret smile from Yan Sheng.
When they reached the palace below, their expressions suddenly turned to shock: “There’s blood!”
“Taoist Yu Qing has vanished without a trace!”
Wave after wave of reports came in, causing Yan Sheng’s face to change repeatedly. He ordered Cui Jue to protect Prince Yong first, then rushed into the grand hall himself.
Upon seeing the imperial tomb still intact in the bronze mirrors and the passage leading to it sealed shut, he finally exhaled in relief.
“Those dragon malevolences won’t even come out when summoned…”
Cui Jue escorted Prince Yong into the hall, his face dark: “With the power this person displayed in killing Yu Qing, reaching the depths of the imperial tomb would pose no problem…”
“T-then… what should we do?”
Sweat the size of soybeans had already appeared on Yan Sheng’s forehead. For someone at the Martial Sage level, this was almost unthinkable!
“Lord Yan, with our combined strength, do you think we can reach the depths of the imperial tomb?”
Cui Jue gazed at the bronze mirrors in all directions, thoughtfully asking.
“Hmm…”
Yan Sheng gritted his teeth: “If our luck holds, at some cost, we might have an eighty percent chance!”
By “luck holding,” he meant not encountering any dragons, or at least not facing two at once if they did!
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but sigh bitterly: “Ah… I never imagined that the design of using dragons as defenses by those masters back then would now block us all out… truly, fate is playing tricks on us!”
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