Chapter 929: The Evil "Dragon"
Chapter 929: The Evil "Dragon"
"Evil Dragon?" Mo Hua was taken aback and turned to look at Elder Xun Zixian.
Elder Xun Zixian pondered for a moment and said, "Dragons are ancient divine beasts and the totems of the Dao Prefecture's imperial lineage. They can summon winds and rains, control thunder, and possess supreme power."
"Everything about dragons, including their souls, bones, flesh, blood, and scales, are all precious divine treasures."
"Countless cultivators in the world desire to draw immense power from dragons, and as a result, various cultivation methods have emerged."
"Among these cultivation methods, some are righteous, and some are evil."
"The righteous ones, for example, include some Azure Dragon Techniques, Mystic Yellow Dragon Secrets, Dragon Blood Body Refinement Arts, or Dragon Style Martial Arts, Dragon Power Dao Spells, Dragon Bone Spirit Tools, Dragon Spirit Elixirs..."
"As for the evil dragon-related cultivation methods, there are also quite a few. However, these are all forbidden arts of the Demon Dao, and ordinary cultivators can't even come into contact with them..."
Elder Xun Zixian's gaze turned towards the distance, his expression becoming solemn. "Within that roar, there's a mixture of human resentment and boundless murderous intent, filled with an extremely heavy evil aura. I wonder what kind of sinister method was used to nurture this evil dragon..."
Mo Hua had a vague understanding in his heart; this was an array.
Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array...
Mr. Tu must have transformed the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array into the Malevolent Azure Dragon Array, using human flesh and blood to nourish it, thereby gaining the power of the evil dragon.
But...
Mo Hua furrowed his brows slightly.
If this Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array truly became a 'malicious array', and the Azure Dragon turned into an evil dragon, could he still use it?
If he were to imprint it as his Lifesoul Artifact pattern on his body, wouldn't he also become a demon cultivator bearing the evil dragon's power?
Mo Hua looked into the distance; blood essence filled the sky, and the evil dragon's roar was deafening, its formidable might causing fear in everyone.
"Are dragons really that powerful?"
Mo Hua muttered to himself.
Elder Xun Zixian nodded, "Anything related to the word 'dragon' is not weak, and the evil dragon is no exception."
Dragons...
Mo Hua was slightly startled and couldn't help but think of his junior martial brother, Bai Zisheng.
He vaguely remembered that on the Corpse Mountain in Nanyue City, his junior martial brother had condensed an azure dragon phantom, and then, with the fusion of man and spear, he had used a powerful spear technique to pierce through the chest of the Lu family's patriarch and traitor of the Little Spirit Hidden Sect, Lu Chengyun, the former master of the 'Corpse King'.
That spear technique seemed to be called the "Dragon Returning Spear".
Since his junior martial brother was from the main branch of the Bai family, it seemed that the Bai family's heritage was also related to 'dragons'. The Bai family's background was probably truly extraordinary.
"Anything related to dragons is not weak..."
Mo Hua muttered to himself again, and his heart secretly mocked, "I can't say about other things with the word 'dragon', but at least the move 'Soaring Dragon in the Sky' that my junior martial brother taught me is definitely a fake. He named it that way to make it sound impressive, but in reality, it's all show and no substance. In actual combat, he would have been beaten to a pulp..."
Mo Hua's thoughts wandered, and as he reminisced about the past, the memories of the four of them traveling together as master and disciples resurfaced in his mind, leaving him feeling a bit despondent.
"I wonder where that fool of a junior martial brother is now..."
However, he didn't have time to dwell on it for long. A terrifying dragon's roar once again pulled his thoughts back to reality.
At the same time, there was an even stronger spiritual energy fluctuation coming from the distance. Mountains shattered, and blood-colored marsh splattered into the sky, accompanied by a foul wind carrying an evil aura.
This was the result of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator's all-out clash, causing a violent explosion.
Even the aftermath was enough to shatter mountains and rocks, instilling fear in onlookers.
Elder Xun Zixian stepped in front of Mo Hua, and with a flick of his sleeve, the Two Instruments transformed and condensed into a layer of crystalized spiritual energy shield, blocking the aftermath of the explosion and protecting Mo Hua.
Only then did Mo Hua feel a sense of relief.
At the same time, his heart was filled with awe.
The might of spiritual energy in a full-power clash between Golden Core cultivators was so terrifying; it seemed that his previous caution had been justified.
Staying behind the scenes and letting Golden Core cultivators kill each other was fine.
But if he had to take action personally and enter such a dangerous situation, he would likely die with his physical body shattered by their techniques.
He had underestimated Golden Core cultivators...
Mo Hua felt a bit worried, "Elder Xun, can the sect elders handle this evil dragon's power? Will there be any danger?"
Elder Xun Zixian's thoughts stirred, and after sensing for a moment, he shook his head, "This evil dragon's power is violent, but its foundation is insufficient. It's likely that the cultivation technique is incomplete, or the method is not fully mastered, and it hasn't been completely cultivated."
"On this trip, the Great Void Sect has sent many experts. Zi You's sword intent is unparalleled, and with the addition of the late-stage Golden Core elders from the Ta Ao and Chong Xu lineages, the three sword techniques complementing each other, should not face too much danger..."
Mo Hua felt slightly relieved and asked, "Can they kill this demon with the evil dragon's power?"
"It's difficult," Elder Xun Zixian replied, "It depends on luck."
Mo Hua sighed softly.
If they couldn't be killed, then capturing them alive was even more impossible.
With this, whether he could obtain the "Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array Diagram" became an uncertainty.
The ferocious dragon roar still echoed throughout Goose Landing Mountain.
But after a moment, a crisp zither sound rose, like a high mountain stream, soothing the heart and suppressing the savage roar of the evil dragon.
It seemed that a Golden Core Elder had intervened, using the zither sound to counter the dragon's roar.
The dragon's roar indeed weakened, and the malevolent aura within it diminished significantly. At this moment, the dragon's cry no longer instilled fear as it had before.
"This is the Wenren Clan's Calming Heart Zither, a relatively rare zither-type Artifact legacy," Xun Zixian explained.
Mo Hua nodded.
He recalled that among the Administrators who had set out, there seemed to be a Golden Core Cultivator from the Wenren family.
The zither sound suppressed the dragon's cry, and after a while, the tremors of Spirit Energy surged once more.
The encirclement and suppression operation seemed to have reached its climax.
With Elder Xun Zixian's protection, Mo Hua was relatively safe, but looking at the blood and Spirit Energy raging across Goose Landing Mountain, his heart couldn't help but feel a bit concerned.
The Spirit Energy and blood continued to tremble, lasting for a full half-day before gradually subsiding.
The blood in the air had already condensed into a blood mist.
The operation finally came to an end. Some Taoist Court Office Cultivators were already handling the aftermath.
The Demon Sect had been defeated, and the Golden Core Demon leaders had been slain.
But it wasn't over yet.
There were still large numbers of Demon Sect disciples scattering like birds and beasts.
The Taoist Court Office was blocking the exits, hunting them down one by one, trying to exterminate them to prevent these remnants from escaping and harming innocent Cultivators.
The grand battle had ended, but small-scale fights continued to erupt in various corners of Goose Landing Mountain.
Mo Hua wanted to go out and take a look, but Elder Xun Zixian wouldn't allow it.
While the major battle was dangerous, the smaller skirmishes that followed were equally perilous, and one couldn't afford to let their guard down.
Elder Xun Zixian dared not let Mo Hua take such a risk.
Mo Hua could only wait patiently.
After a while, the Golden Core Elders of the Great Void Sect returned one after another. They appeared exhausted, with injuries and disheveled robes, their auras slightly chaotic, clearly having fought a challenging battle.
Xun Zi You also returned, with a distinct bloodstain on his Daoist robe, half of his hair bun undone, his face pale, and bloodstains all over his body. His eyes still retained a fierce killing intent.
He was nothing like the Elder Xun Zi You that Mo Hua had seen before, who secretly followed him and enjoyed slacking off, leisurely drinking tea.
Xun Zi You seemed to still be immersed in the slaughter from earlier, his face frozen with killing intent, until he saw Mo Hua and met his clear gaze, then he finally snapped out of it and heaved a long sigh of relief.
"Elder Xun, are your injuries serious?" Mo Hua asked.
Xun Zi You spoke in a gentle tone, "It's fine, no major issues." After taking a few pills, he sighed, "It's just a pity that the Demon Sect leader managed to escape."
Mo Hua's gaze slightly intensified.
Elder Xun Zixian frowned, "What exactly happened?"
Xun Zi You's expression turned solemn as he said, "We fought our way forward, all the way to the blood pool, where we encountered the Demon Sect leader."
"That person had a half-human, half-ghost appearance, looking extremely malevolent. On his back was a dragon pattern of unknown origin. Once activated, his body surged with blood energy, and a dark green evil dragon roamed his body, impervious to blades and spells, accompanied by a dragon's roar that shook the soul. Even with three or four Late-stage Golden Core Elders joining forces, we couldn't hold him down."
"The Void Sword Intent of the Great Void Sect, the sword edge of the Ta Ao Sect, and the sword aura of the Chong Xu Sect were all unable to break his defense."
"After such a stalemate for several hours, he sucked dry an entire blood pool, seemingly unable to hold on any longer. He transformed into a dragon's shadow, carrying overwhelming malevolent power, broke through the encirclement, and fled deeper into Goose Landing Mountain."
"The evil dragon's escape technique was too fast, and we dared not pursue too deeply. We had to let him go and first find a way to exterminate the other demons of the Demon Sect."
After all, the Demon Sect's disaster didn't just lie with one leader but with a group of toxic tumors spreading demonic arts.
Successfully exterminating most of the demon Cultivators was already considered a victory.
Mo Hua also felt a sense of relief. The success of this operation against the Demon Sect was all that mattered, but he still felt a sense of regret in his heart.
The Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array was indeed powerful.
The Demon Sect leader possessed the power of an evil dragon, and even three or four Late-stage Golden Core Sect Elders couldn't restrain him.
With this, what about the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array Diagram? If so many Golden Core Elders couldn't defeat this Demon Sect leader, he had no chance at all.
Mo Hua frowned in thought.
Over there, after Xun Zi You sat down and drank a cup of tea just brewed by Elder Xun Zixian, he suddenly remembered something and said, "I killed a Golden Core Demon leader."
Xun Zixian calmly said, "You killed them, so what's there to talk about?"
Killing one or two Golden Core Demons at the Late-stage Golden Core was not a big deal.
"No," Xun Zi You frowned, "Do you remember the few Golden Core Demon Cultivators I told you about in the Demon Valley?"
Xun Zixian's eyes narrowed, and he nodded.
Mo Hua was startled and pricked up his ears.
Xun Zi You explained, "Initially, at Demon Refining Mountain, there were three Demon Cultivators at the Golden Core realm in the Demon Valley."
"One of them, we found his corpse while searching the mountain later. He had a long, thick claw mark on his chest, as if someone had torn open his chest and killed him. His storage bag was also missing, and the skin with the demon patterns had been cut off, making it impossible to identify his demon cultivation."
"The other two were a Serpent Demon and a Bear Demon. They were the same two demons who surrounded Elder Xuan Jian of Chong Xu Sect on Demon Hunting Mountain."
"I fought with these two demons, and they escaped. Later, when we searched the mountain again, we couldn't find any trace of them."
"But just now, I actually encountered them in the Demon Sect."
Upon hearing this, both Xun Zixian and Mo Hua were surprised.
"Is the Demon Valley incident also related to this Demon Sect?" Xun Zixian furrowed his brows.
"It should be..." Xun Zi You replied.
Mo Hua knitted his brows.
He had suspected earlier that the demon cultivators in the Demon Valley would have the qualification to leave the valley after forming their core, and this Demon Sect might be one of their destinations.
It was just a guess before, but Elder Xun Zi You's words had just confirmed his speculation.
Indeed, the Demon Valley was connected to this Demon Sect.
"What about those two Golden Core demons?" Xun Zixian asked, "Did you kill them?"
"I killed one," Xun Zi You answered, "The Serpent Demon is dead, but the Bear Demon escaped. I don't know where he went or if he died at the hands of another elder."
Xun Zixian pondered for a moment, "There's something strange about this..."
Xun Zi You nodded, "Indeed."
Mo Hua also seemed deep in thought. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly sensed something amiss and quickly looked up at the sky.
The sky was shrouded in a bloody haze, and an evil energy was flowing in the darkness, following a predetermined path.
Mo Hua was startled and immediately turned to Xun Zixian, "Elder!"
Xun Zixian also sensed the anomaly and his expression turned grim, "It's a formation!"
He stood up abruptly, releasing his divine perception, and seemed to be calculating something in his mind. After a moment, his face turned solemn, and he said to Xun Zi You, "It's a Malevolent Energy Diversion Array, absorbing the blood essence and grudges of the dead to nourish something. Pass down the order, spare the remaining demon cultivators if possible, or this formation will continue to feed."
Xun Zi You didn't understand formations well, but he knew Xun Zixian's expertise in the art. He immediately summoned a few Inner Sect disciples and instructed them to pass on the order.
The Inner Sect disciples promptly relayed the command.
Xun Zixian's brows remained furrowed in concern.
"Not killing them isn't a solution either. Many have already died in the previous battle, and if we don't kill them now, the demon array will continue to operate, absorbing the blood malevolence."
Mo Hua understood this as well. He said, "Elder Xun, we must find a way to break this formation. We can't let this demon array continue."
Xun Zixian slightly nodded, but he looked at Mo Hua with concern.
Mo Hua knew he was worried about his safety, so he said, "I'll go with you, staying by your side without straying. With the Golden Core demons dead or fled, there shouldn't be any danger now."
Xun Zixian pondered for a moment and then nodded, "Alright."
He then set off, leading a few Great Void Sect elders who still had strength left, into the poisonous swamp of Goose Landing Mountain.
What was once a poisonous swamp had now transformed into a "Blood Swamp."
The mist in the air was permeated with fresh blood, turning it into a deep crimson. With the power of the formation, it drifted in the air, refusing to disperse.
Within the blood essence, a faint flow of life and death circulated.
Xun Zixian took out a divination compass and swiped his fingers a few times, causing the golden needle to spin and point in the direction of the flowing demonic energy.
Xun Zixian followed the compass's guidance.
Mo Hua obediently followed behind him, stepping over the withered grass, the poisonous swamp, and the severed limbs of the demon cultivators, inching deeper into the swamp.
After a stick of incense's time, Xun Zixian halted and his eyes narrowed. With a point of his finger, a sword beam shot out, leveling a hill covered in wild grass in front of them.
Beneath the hill, there was a large bone inscription stone with hideous patterns carved all over its surface.
The blood malevolence in the air converged from all directions towards this bone inscription stone.
Nourished by the blood essence, the patterns on the stone absorbed the fresh blood, emitting a sinister red glow, and seemed to come to life, slowly writhing.
(End of Chapter)
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