Chapter 41: Nine Doubts Mountain Dragon-Locking Abyss
Lu Qingyang stepped on the Dragon Stone of the Nine Doubts Mountain range, the Yin Qi coiling around his fingertips condensing into a bluish-grey mist.
The mountain wind swept past his Late Stage Golden Core Protective Aura, carving fine cracks into his dark-colored Daoist robe.
The incomplete map he had purchased from the black market three days prior was now burning hot in his palm; the cinnabar inscription marking "Dragon-Locking Abyss" seeped blood, subtly echoing the patterns on the qingmu spirit pearl in his embrace.
"This map was probably drawn with human blood," he said, flicking the yellowed beast hide with a bent finger, then looked up at the mist-shrouded rift valley.
The rattling of chains from the abyss bottom startled groups of blood-eyed bats, their flapping wings echoing the clang of metal against metal between the cliffs.
Su Li's Puppet Silk entangled a falling blood bat.
The moment a silver needle pierced its wing membrane, the bat's blood actually congealed into a seal script in mid-air: "At Chenshi three-quarters, Yin Qi surges skyward."
Yinghuo's silver bell cord on her wrist vibrated lightly, and nine layers of hexagrams unfolded from the Xun position, manifesting the residual Spiritual Qi of a Taiyi Pavilion Elder in the morning mist.
"Ye Wuchen's running dogs are quite diligent," Lu Qingyang said, wiping away the hexagram with joined fingers, then stuffing the blood-stained bat corpse into his qiankun bag.
"This blood bat's gallbladder can fetch thirty Spirit Stones in the black market, Fellow Daoists, please wait a moment..."
Before he finished speaking, a hundred-zhang black wave suddenly surged from the abyss bottom, engulfing fragments of bronze chains and assailing the three of them.
"Kan Palace five steps, Thunder Zhen to suppress evil!"
Yinghuo's chensha stone struck the eye of the wave, temporarily freezing the surging Yin Qi.
Lu Qingyang stepped on the splashing chain fragments and leapt towards the abyss bottom; the water-repelling array hidden in his boot soles clashed with the black wave, and among the exploding splashes, half of a "Nine Doubts Mountain Topography Map" actually appeared.
The Spiritual Vein directions marked on the map were strikingly similar to the cracks on the qingmu spirit pearl.
The cold pool at the bottom of the abyss reflected the blood-colored moonlight, and half of the three hundred sixty Dragon Suppression Pillars had collapsed.
Lu Qingyang pried off a bronze scale from a broken pillar, and the prickling pain in his fingertips made his brows slightly furrow—this was clearly the natal reverse scale of a Golden Core Stage flood Dragon.
The rust peeling from the pillar's body suddenly came alive, condensing into a fragmented chapter of the "Beast-Rearing Secret Tome" in mid-air.
"Taiyi Pavilion actually secretly raised flood Dragons?"
Su Li's Puppet Silk entangled the falling pages, her usually cool voice tinged with astonishment.
Lu Qingyang, however, stared at the whirlpool in the center of the pool and chuckled softly: "More than just raising Dragons, I fear they've even cooked Dragon liver and Phoenix marrow..."
Before he finished speaking, a heaven-shaking Dragon roar suddenly came from the bottom of the pool, and the entire cold pool instantly froze.
Yinghuo's silver bell cord wrapped around the two of them, pulling them back rapidly; where they had stood earlier was now filled with ice shards.
Lu Qingyang threw out three Exploding Flame Talismans with a backhand, and in the firelight, a half-rotted dark-colored Dragon corpse was revealed—seven Soul-Suppressing Nails inscribed with curses were driven into the Dragon's head, and a bowl-sized blood hole at the reverse scale gushed out black Qi.
"Kan Palace shifts, Li Fire burns evil!"
The moment the chensha stone shattered the Soul-Suppressing Nails, the Dragon corpse suddenly erupted.
Lu Qingyang stepped on the flying ice shards and swept towards the Dragon's head; the qingmu spirit pearl automatically activated the Tai Xu Swallowing Sky Skill, swallowing the scattered Dragon soul essence into his Dantian.
The Dao patterns on the surface of his Golden Core suddenly surged, condensing into an illusory Dragon shadow within his Purple Mansion.
"Lu Qingyang! Your Golden Core..." Su Li's exclamation was drowned out by the Dragon roar.
Lu Qingyang, however, grinned and said: "Su Xianzi, don't panic, this old Dragon's remnant soul is perfect for tempering my Golden Core."
As he spoke, he actually tore off half a Dragon whisker and chewed it in his mouth, green scales immediately crawling up his throat, and his pupils becoming vertical slits.
Yinghuo's silver bell cord wrapped around his wrist: "Dragon Qi backlash!"
"Backlash?" Lu Qingyang shook off the chains, and a bluish-black Evil Qi surged around him, "Mr. Lu didn't die even after swallowing a Gu King at seven years old, mere Dragon soul..."
His voice abruptly stopped, and he suddenly froze in place—beneath the ice layer at the bottom of the pool, a corpse of a Taiyi Pavilion Disciple was actually sealed, tightly clutching a jade tablet inscribed with "Ye Wuchen's personal Disciple."
At the peak of Yin Qi during midnight, the Dragon Suppression Pillars suddenly chimed in unison.
Lu Qingyang stepped on the Dragon corpse and leapt towards the epicenter of the vibration; the qingmu spirit pearl reflected the bronze coffin at the core of the pillar array.
The coffin lid was not inscribed with talismans, but rather a secret spring palace painting, the woman's eyes and brows strikingly similar to the courtesan of Drunken Immortal Pavilion.
"Ye Wuchen's fetish..." He sneered as he pried open the coffin lid, only to see the coffin filled with frost-covered dragon blood grass, and amidst the grass leaves lay a half-scroll of "Reverse Scale Sword Skill."
The moment the Sword Qi touched the spirit pearl, the Dragon shadow on the Golden Core's surface suddenly opened its eyes, exhaling a wisp of Divine Sense mixed with alcohol scent: "To break through to Nascent Soul, first slay the Heart Demon."
The fifth watch drum sounded three times, and Lu Qingyang sat cross-legged on the Dragon corpse's head.
Su Li's Puppet Silk formed a protective array, and she frowned as she watched the Dragon scales appearing and disappearing on his Golden Core's surface: "You've already touched the Nascent Soul Bottleneck?"
"Still half a step away," he said, flicking his finger to shatter a carrion vulture attempting a sneak attack.
"Once I've dealt with the hidden stakes Ye Wuchen buried at the bottom of the abyss, it'll be time to seek that thousand-year Ice Soul Lotus in the Northern Nether..."