Previously, Li Mu’s Divine Sense had swept over these eerie green light spots, finding no signs of life.
They were merely objects similar to ghost fires, generated by the extremely dense Yin Qi in this place.
Now, as they gathered and flew towards him, the situation became rather peculiar!
Seeing the ghost fires approach, Li Mu flicked his finger, and a Fire Element Spirit Sword materialized out of thin air, flying out to unleash a blazing Sword Qi that aimed to extinguish the green light clusters.
However, the expected scene of annihilation did not occur; the eerie green light clusters were extinguished for a moment, then reformed to their original state.
“Hmm?”
Li Mu let out a soft exclamation, his vigilance greatly increasing. The next second, five Five Elements Spirit Swords appeared simultaneously, encircling his body. In the blink of an eye, he set up a simple Five Elements Sword Domain, then swiftly rushed towards the cave entrance, preparing to escape this place first.
The cave entrance was within reach, but the next second, an anomaly suddenly occurred: a hundred-zhang long skeletal claw abruptly emerged from underground, swatting at Li Mu with immense power!
So big!
Li Mu was greatly alarmed, sensing the terrifying force contained within that giant claw.
Without hesitation, Li Mu clenched his five fingers, and the five Medium Grade Spirit Swords merged into one, transforming into a Five Elements Giant Sword, which met the enemy. At the same time, the Five Elements Spirit Mountain rapidly enlarged, acting as a massive shield to block the skeletal giant claw.
Li Mu’s five fingers pointed forward, then suddenly swept down. The Five Elements Giant Sword, glowing with brilliant five-colored light, resembled a meteor, sharply slashing towards the skeletal giant claw.
With a loud “boom,” the Five Elements Giant Sword struck heavily against the skeletal giant claw, immediately generating a terrifying explosion aftermath. The surrounding seawater was cleared, the underground Immortal Cave collapsed, and the ground cracked.
The Five Elements Spirit Mountain blocked most of the shockwave, but Li Mu, being so close, was sent flying by this terrifying impact. He tumbled an unknown number of times before crashing into a giant rock, which fortunately stopped him.
Li Mu’s mouth was stained with blood as he looked towards the impact site, remotely controlling the Five Elements Giant Sword to fly back to his side.
The next moment, the mud and Dragon Corpse at the bottom of the sea were all churned together by an unknown force, plunging the surroundings into complete chaos, making it impossible to discern the true situation ahead.
Li Mu’s heart sank. What in the world was that thing?
He extended his Divine Thought to scan it, but was met with a powerful surge of resentment that countered him. Left with no choice, Li Mu could only retract his Divine Thought’s exploration, his gaze fixed intently on the front.
That skeletal giant claw was too immense! Just a single claw was a hundred zhang long; if the entire skeleton appeared, how enormous would its main body be?
How could his Divine Sense not have detected such a colossal entity earlier?
Li Mu’s brows furrowed. Just then, the seabed began to shake violently, collapsing boulders continuously fell, and countless skeletons began to float up involuntarily, gathering towards a certain direction.
Li Mu’s eyes narrowed. The Five Elements Sword Formation was instantly set up, and at the same time, he activated the Five Elements Spirit Mountain to release the Five Elements Spirit Domain, causing five-colored spiritual light to immediately spread across the seabed.
The surging skeletons from the surroundings were all shredded into pieces by the Sword Qi of the Five Elements Sword Formation, unable to approach Li Mu.
Skeletons flew, the ground heaved, and mud churned as massive bone segments gradually rose from the seabed, creating a grand spectacle.
The colossal skeleton was pale blue, entwined with materialized resentful mist, emitting terrifying cold Qi that froze the surrounding seawater into ice.
A powerful pressure then spread out.
Witnessing the sudden appearance of the colossal skeleton made Li Mu’s heart pound. Unable to use his Divine Thought to probe, he stared intently at it, waiting for the Heavenly Talent - Identifying Myriad Spirits to take effect.
Soon, Li Mu clearly saw the general outline of the colossal skeleton. It was an incredibly massive Dragon Corpse, ten thousand zhang long, and all its information appeared in the character log box.
It was fine before he looked, but after clarifying it, Li Mu was immediately startled.
【Azure Illusion Dragon Bone】
【Rank: Seventh Order Resentful Dragon】
【Characteristics: True Dragon’s Might, Ice Cold Domain, Resentment Sinking, Soul-Stealing Resentful Curse, True Dragon Bone Resentment.】
【Status: Spiritual Nature Damaged, Divine Soul Confused】
【Azure Illusion Dragon: The offspring of an ancient Azure Dragon and an Illusion Snake Demon. This Dragon successfully transformed into a True Dragon by activating the True Dragon Bloodline within its Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon body. It possesses an Extreme Ice Spiritual Root, powerful essence Soul Power, and excels in illusion attacks. Unwilling to fall into oblivion after death, it became a Resentful Dragon after ten thousand years of resentment. It can only restore its Dragon Bone body by being washed for a hundred years with a large amount of Extreme Yin True Water. To restore its Dragon Soul, its soul must be extracted and its resentment refined with Heavenly Karma Fire.】
Seventh Order Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon?
Does it have to be this exciting?!
The True Dragon bone Li Mu had been thinking about finally appeared!
However, Li Mu felt no excitement; instead, his heart pounded, and he was inexplicably terrified. He never expected that such a place would conceal a Seventh Order Dragon bone.
What made him even more panicked was that this Dragon bone was actually attached to the Azure Illusion Dragon’s resentful soul. This Dragon Soul’s resentment was extremely deep, and it had returned to the Dragon body. The Dragon Soul and Dragon bone had merged into one, evolving into a ten-thousand-year Dragon Corpse. Its strength had not decreased but had significantly increased.
This was bad!
Cold sweat poured down Li Mu’s back as he watched the Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon’s entire ten-thousand-zhang Dragon bone struggle free from the mud, filling the underground Immortal Cave to the brim.
The Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon’s pale blue skeleton emitted an Extreme Cold Ice Domain and terrifying resentment. Its massive body slammed against the rock walls, its coiling form twisted into a spiral. Its ferocious Dragon head, with blood-red pupils, exuded monstrous Evil Qi, mixed with resentment that tainted the seawater.
“Run!”
The Seventh Order Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon, having undergone ten thousand years of precipitation, possessed terrifying strength and was absolutely not something he could resist now. A single thought immediately surfaced in Li Mu’s mind.
The next moment, Li Mu retracted the Five Elements Spirit Mountain and the Five Elements Spirit Sword. A pair of Thunder Wings materialized behind him, and he immediately cast the Five Elements Escape Technique, enveloping his entire body to transform into a five-colored thunder light, rushing out of the Immortal Cave at the first opportunity.
However, before he reached the entrance, Li Mu crashed head-on into a transparent barrier. A series of complex Formation patterns immediately appeared, blocking his escape route.
What’s going on?
When was this Formation set up?
Li Mu was greatly alarmed. He observed carefully and found that the flowing patterns of the Formation contained such profound meanings that even Li Mu, who had learned the Nine Dragons Immortal Slaughtering Formation, could not break it in a short amount of time.
Just then, the Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon extended a giant claw, covering the sky and earth, grabbing towards Li Mu. The surrounding seawater instantly froze, trapping him within.
The gigantic Dragon claw seized the ice block, held it in its hand, and twisted it forcefully.
With a “crack,” the large block of ice shattered in response, turning into countless fragments.
The ‘Human cultivator’ within the ice block did not bleed or show signs of life; instead, his body transformed into a pool of clear water, flowing down with the shattered ice.
The Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon’s crimson pupils flashed with a red glow, enraged beyond measure. It scanned the entire water area, releasing powerful resentment.
Li Mu emerged from a giant rock wall using Earth Escape, concealing his aura, his heart pounding with lingering fear.
Fortunately, he had reacted in time, using a Water Escape Clone to create a diversion and escape like a cicada shedding its skin. Otherwise, that extreme cold Qi would have been enough to freeze his physical body and Divine Soul.
Li Mu was less than ten zhang from the cave entrance. Taking advantage of the Dragon Corpse’s search, he decided to fight with all his might, once again casting the Thunder Five Elements Escape Technique, rushing straight for the entrance.
Just as Li Mu was about to rush out of the Immortal Cave, an ancient skeletal giant claw slammed down, forcefully blocking his escape route.
“Despicable and shameless Human Race, I will tear you to pieces!” The Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon spoke in human tongue, its crimson eyes filled with monstrous killing intent.
Feeling the Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon’s furious killing intent, Li Mu’s heart sank. He took a deep breath, pondering a way to escape.
The Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon swung its giant claw towards him, releasing endless resentment.
Li Mu extended his hand, and the Five-Order Thunder Talisman Spiritual Tome appeared. Two Five-Rank Body Fixing Lightning Prison Talismans were activated in a flash, transforming into countless lightning snakes that counterattacked the skeletal giant claw.
Immediately after, Li Mu roared, unleashing his Heavenly Talent - Self-Formed Sword Domain. Countless Sword Qi materialized out of thin air, sweeping up the mud in the sea. The mud, mixed with seawater and countless sharp Sword Qi, obscured everything around.
The Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon’s giant claw was blocked by the violent lightning. In an instant, the entire space, filled with lightning, ice, resentment, and Sword Qi, blended together, becoming a chaotic world.
Li Mu took the opportunity to fish in troubled waters, taking out the Seventh Order Immortal Cave Spirit Treasure - Painting World Treasure Mansion, and entering it.
The Painting World Treasure Mansion could change size at will, transforming into a grain of sand amidst the seabed mud, concealing its aura, blending in, and disappearing without a trace.
Having escaped into the Painting World Treasure Mansion, Li Mu plopped down onto a stone chair, wiping the sweat from his forehead with lingering fear. He had never felt so close to death.
Although he could hide inside the Seventh Order Spirit Treasure, the Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon couldn't do anything to him.
However, constantly hiding like this was not a solution.
Li Mu never liked to sit and wait for death, so he sat cross-legged, emitting a faint Star Concealment Divine Thought, controlling the Painting World Treasure Mansion to observe the outside situation.
The Seventh Order Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon suddenly realized it had lost the Human cultivator and immediately flew into a rage, frantically releasing its demonic power, freezing the entire underground Immortal Cave into an ice cavern. Its massive skeleton slammed around chaotically, its giant claws swung violently, and its rampant demonic power completely shattered the entire area.
The powerful destructive force bombarded the Formation, but the Formation outside was of an extremely high rank. Even under the Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon’s attacks, it only caused large ripples, quickly returning to its original state.
However, this provided Li Mu with an opportunity. Taking advantage of the Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon’s mental turmoil, he controlled the Painting World Treasure Mansion, which had transformed into a grain of sand, and seized the chance to slip out of the cave entrance.
Having escaped to safety, Li Mu was still worried that the mysterious Formation might not hold back the Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon. He immediately emerged from the Painting World Treasure Mansion, put away the Immortal Cave Spirit Treasure, and fled, using Thunder Wings and activating the Five Elements Escape Technique alternately, escaping at the fastest possible speed towards the distance.
Thunder shadows flashed, and water shadows appeared a hundred li apart. Li Mu broke through the surface of the sea, looking around to see nothing but the vast ocean, unsure of his current location.
Li Mu fled several thousands of li in one direction before his taut nerves finally relaxed.
He summoned the Celestial Shuttle Spirit Ship from the nine storage spiritual pearl, entered it, sat cross-legged, and regulated his breathing to recover the greatly consumed Spiritual Qi.
This encounter was the most perilous enemy Li Mu had ever faced. Even the Sixth Order Blue-Scaled Thunder Lion he encountered during the Golden Core Stage was far inferior to it.
It was truly terrifying! That dreadful resentment and Dragon might, and the powerful ice Domain; with the slightest mistake, Li Mu would have met his demise.
No wonder the Nine Dragons Immortal Slaughtering Formation could use Flood Dragon bones as a substitute. The path to obtaining True Dragon remains indeed carried a very high risk to one’s life!
This adventurous exploration left Li Mu with a profound lesson. He only needed to cultivate diligently to continuously improve his cultivation. Unless absolutely necessary, he should not venture into such dangerous places again.
Fortunately, this time, there was danger but no harm, and he also gained two sets of Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon bones, as well as a large amount of Spiritual Plants, Spirit Medicine, and Spiritual Artifacts, yielding a considerable harvest.
As for that mysterious cave and the Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon trapped within the powerful Formation in the cave, Li Mu had no interest in exploring them. He would wait until his strength improved in the future before coming back for that Dragon bone!
Putting aside the matter of the Azure Illusion Resentful Dragon, Li Mu calmed his mind and decided to first capture that Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon.
He took out the Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon’s scales and a star wood from the nine storage spiritual pearl, using the star wood as a medium to forge a Formation Artifact.
The requirements for refining a tracking Formation Artifact were not high. With the help of the Skyfire Refining Furnace, Li Mu’s current Artifact Refining Skill could produce it without expending too much effort.
The star wood, enveloped by Spiritual Qi, was sent into the Skyfire Refining Furnace. Along with some Fourth Order Materials, under the tempering of Extreme Yang Heavenly Fire, numerous Artifact Refining Materials melted and mixed together, forming a chessboard-shaped artifact embryo.
Li Mu formed hand seals, and streaks of Formation imprints merged into the chessboard artifact embryo.
Following that, Li Mu took out a soul gathering bottle, preparing to put in the Octopus Demon King’s essence soul.
Opening the soul gathering bottle, the Octopus Demon King was still in a berserk state, actually lunging at him to kill.
“Seeking death!”
Li Mu waved his hand, conjuring a Five Elements Spiritual Fire, which transformed into a fiery hand that gripped the Octopus Demon King’s essence soul. A palm strike imbued with Five Elements Spiritual Qi heavily slapped its face.
The Octopus Demon King’s essence soul, having been infected by Evil Qi for a relatively short time, finally regained clarity under the purification of the Five Elements Spiritual Fire, looking at Li Mu with an innocent expression.
“Do you want to obediently become an Artifact Spirit, or do you want to die?”
The Octopus Demon King’s essence soul naturally had no choice. It cast a resentful glance at Li Mu, then flew into the chessboard artifact embryo.
Li Mu couldn’t help but smile. This was the first time he hadn’t used Extreme Yang Heavenly Fire, and with the little white’s ability, he had made a Fifth Order Demon King’s essence soul obediently become an Artifact Spirit.
It seemed that sometimes, a good beating could be beneficial!
With the Artifact Spirit injected, the chessboard emitted a brilliant azure light, water ripples spread, and a strong water aura permeated the air. The surrounding temperature dropped by more than ten degrees, brimming with spirituality.
The chessboard quickly transformed into a small, palm-sized octopus, which actively flew out and wrapped its eight tentacles around Li Mu’s arm.
【Artifact Name (None)】
【Rank: Fifth Order Medium Grade Formation Artifact.】
【Characteristics: Star Encirclement Plate, Searching the World, Tracking and Positioning.】
【Status: Spiritual Qi newly emerged, perfectly rounded and full.】
【Using star wood as the main material, adding Water Star Soul, Grand Yin True Water, Shadow-Viewing Profound Iron, and incorporating a Fourth Order tracking Formation, it forms a Spiritual Artifact. This Spiritual Artifact has no offensive capabilities. When placed with a personal item, it can track for ten thousand li.】
The tracking function of this Formation Artifact was extremely precise, and Li Mu was quite satisfied.
Musing that it still had no name, after some thought, Li Mu stared at the eight-tentacled Artifact Spirit and said, “I’ve given you a name. Let’s call you ‘Spirit Tracking Plate’!”
The little octopus, delighted with its new name, nodded repeatedly and climbed onto Li Mu’s shoulder along his arm.
Li Mu grabbed it down with one hand, preparing to use it to search for the Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon’s whereabouts, placing the previous scales in front of the ‘little octopus’.
The little octopus extended its eight tentacles, took the azure scales, and transformed into a ‘chessboard’. Soon, white mist emanated from the Formation patterns on the chessboard, enveloping the azure scales.
In the blink of an eye, the Flood Dragon scales, whose toughness was comparable to a Fifth Order Spiritual Artifact, were completely disintegrated.
On the chessboard, pieces appeared, and they began to transform: some became continuous mountains, some turned into azure blue seas, and even more transformed into countless schools of fish…
Countless pieces, through transformation and depiction, formed a phantom scene.
One of the general pieces wriggled and transformed into the Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon. In the center of the chessboard, a red pointer appeared, indicating the Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon’s position.
The tracking results appeared, and Li Mu was overjoyed. He immediately piloted the Celestial Shuttle Spirit Ship, heading at full speed in the direction indicated by the arrow.