Chapter 1845: The Black Water True Dragon's remnant soul is extinguished, leaving a single True Dragon corpse

"Haha, fellow Daoist loves to joke; as a lofty True Dragon princess, how could she possibly take a liking to me?" Chen Chuyang gave a self‑deprecating laugh, not thinking a True Dragon princess would favor him; although he considered himself outstanding and his strength was strong, he would not be foolish to that point.

Ao Zhong smiled at Chen Chuyang and said slowly, "Fellow Daoist, why belittle yourself? You have a Taotie clansman by your side, and another woman who has awakened True Dragon blood; my sister is no different—you are certainly worthy of her."

"I also hope my sister can marry you, fellow Daoist; I see hope in you, and hope for my sister's advancement to Sainthood. Fellow Daoist, will you agree to my request?"

The words have changed—it is no longer a transaction, but a request.

Ao Zhong lowered his head; he naturally sensed the presence of the black mountain goat and the little carp outside, especially upon seeing the little carp, his dragon soul trembled—a tremor clearly abnormal. What surprised him most was that Chen Chuyang's true body directly touched his flesh, and the black qi continually entered his body yet caused no damage.

The terror of the Nether Kun Blood Curse is such that even Ao Zhong cannot endure it for seven days, yet Chen Chuyang's human body suffers nothing; his Hunyuan body devours all energy and transforms it into Hunyuan true qi.

The Hunyuan Dao Scripture transforms everything, turning all true qi into part of his own true qi; it must be said that in this regard Hunyuan true qi is truly overbearing—any power entering the body is immediately assimilated.

These are the reasons Ao Zhong changed his mind; moreover, he sees in Chen Chuyang a bewildering emptiness—nothing can be perceived, fate cannot be read, there is no karma, and he possesses nothing—such a situation is extremely rare; over the years he has encountered only one such person.

This person is a benefactor to his sister; Ao Zhong firmly believes this—his sister following Chen Chuyang will surely not fare poorly, nor will she be so unlucky.

"Fellow Daoist, you jest—what virtue or ability do I have to wed a True Dragon princess?" Chen Chuyang again spoke humbly, but he did not take it seriously; such words are merely talk, and if one took them seriously, one would truly be a fool.

"Fellow Daoist, no need for humility; this is the fact—your body brims with infinite possibility. If I were not already spent, I would certainly have my sister marry you—cough, cough, cough." Ao Zhong's dragon soul had reached its limit; his strength was nearly exhausted.

The dragon soul was about to dissipate; he stared at Chen Chuyang, awaiting his reply, otherwise he would not disperse.

"Ao Zhong, fellow Daoist, I accept your request; I will try to heal your sister, and if I cannot, it cannot be blamed on me." Chen Chuyang nodded in agreement; indeed, their cooperation would benefit everyone, a hundred advantages with no harm.

If he refused, the Ao Zhong before him would surely find a way to kill him to prevent him threatening his sister; upon hearing this, Ao Zhong revealed a relieved smile, his dragon soul began to swell, withdrawing from his human form and returning to his True Dragon form.

Dragon Might shone fiercely; the Dragon Pearl rotated as he rushed into it, and that pearl emitted light. In the next instant the Dragon Pearl appeared before Chen Chuyang, and a voice sounded: "Fellow Daoist, please look after my sister henceforth; Ao Zhong gives his thanks."

Those were his final words and his gratitude; the Dragon Pearl settled steadily in Chen Chuyang's palm without resistance, containing everything—all of Ao Zhong's essence resided within that pearl.

Chen Chuyang grasped the Dragon Pearl, felt everything inside, put it away, then gazed at the empty True Dragon corpse—nothing but an empty shell remained, lacking the pearl's support, and this body began to collapse.

The soul departed the True Dragon's body and returned to its true form; Chen Chuyang's eyes brightened as he fixed his gaze on the corpse, his hands began to draw out all its energy—this body still had some use, but could not be simply scrapped.

He devoured the corpse's decaying qi and transformed it entirely into his own Hunyuan true qi.

This transformation took ten days.

Inside the Myriad Monsters Hall.

The Kunpeng Guardian opened his eyes, gazing into the distance, his hands constantly forming seals—as if calculating something, or sensing something.

After a while he sensed nothing, his brow furrowed: "The Nether Kun Blood Curse has been broken—did Ao Zhong die, or…?"

"It's impossible; no one can break my Nether Kun Blood Curse. The only possibility is that Ao Zhong has indeed perished. This person has endured to this point—truly not easy. The fate of the Black Water True Dragon clan is truly tough; even expending a wisp of my lifespan on the Nether Kun Blood Curse failed to kill him within seven days."

"Ao Zhong is dead; Ao Hei probably can't hold out either. The Black Water True Dragon clan now has only Ao Hei left—you cannot escape; I, the Dharma Protector, will soon find you, Ao Hei—just wait for me."

The Kunpeng Guardian's face gradually grew cold, his hands withered, and his body began to become desiccated and aged.

That face remained unchanged, yet all his aura had become unstable.

"This body is growing ever more unstable; I must find the Black Water Seal, master the Lingzhou rivers, merge with the waters of the world, and command the world's waters—only then can I stabilize my body and advance further."

"Sainthood—countless beings strive for this realm; my situation can be resolved only by advancing to Sainthood."

"Ao Hei, I, the Dharma Protector, will surely find you."

He, his body already at its limit, grew ever weaker from the previous battle.

Over these years he has been searching for Ao Hei and his kin; the Black Water True Dragon clan has basically been wiped out, leaving only two who fled.

Those two will not live long—one is severely injured, his days are numbered.

The other has been struck by his Nether Kun Blood Curse and has already perished.

He could sense a wisp of aura, but it vanished quickly before he could pinpoint its location—then it was gone.

He still could know the approximate location.

"Cangzhou—indeed, they have fled to Cangzhou."

"Hmph."

The Kunpeng Guardian hastily rose, intending to move forward, his expression changing.

A burly figure approached, swaggering over; his massive frame towered over the Kunpeng Guardian by a head, his muscles terrifying to behold.

Before him, the Kunpeng Guardian resembled a frail old man.

The Left Dharma Protector of the Myriad Monsters Hall, the Pig Dharma Protector, shouted: "Kunpeng Guardian, where are you headed? May I accompany you?"

"Pig Dharma Protector, how did you come here?" the Kunpeng Guardian replied, showing neither joy nor sorrow.

"His Majesty the Demon Emperor summons you; set aside your affairs, Kunpeng Guardian, and come with me to see him." The Pig Dharma Protector said this bluntly, to his face.

The Kunpeng Guardian's expression shifted, and he asked: "What orders does His Majesty the Demon Emperor have?"

"I don't know." The Pig Dharma Protector shook his head, glanced around, and lowered his voice: "I too have just received news, unaware of what happened; perhaps it is related to the recent turmoil in Lingzhou."

"Let's go, Kunpeng Guardian—we'll go together."

"All right." The Kunpeng Guardian nodded resignedly and followed him.