Chapter 721: Body? Soul? Qi Yun Golden Dragon?

Inside the palace.

Qi Ruohua had people prepare delicious food and drink in advance; they were spirit wine and monster meat, rare items outside, and here one could eat as much as one wanted.

Chen Chuyang and the others were starving, so they ate heartily, especially Heishanyang, who ate most joyfully; his appetite was so voracious that anyone who saw it felt frightened. Qi Ruohua paid no mind, ordering the servants to keep bringing delicacies, without a hint of stinginess.

After eating enough, Chen Chuyang sent a mental message to Heishanyang, telling it to watch its impact, that it was sufficient and not to overdo it.

Heishanyang only then ceased gulping food, squatting beside Chen Chuyang, while Zhuge Ruolan and the others waited for Qi Ruohua to speak. This woman's enthusiastic hospitality did not seem casual; offering kindness without cause surely concealed a plot.

The others had poor appetites, ate a little and stopped, all waiting for Qi Ruohua to speak, to see what riddle this woman was selling.

Li Shenghong kept appraising Qi Ruohua, feeling deeply satisfied; this descendant was truly impressive—bloodline, talent, strength, even her temperament were all strong, and he could read Qi Ruohua's inner thoughts.

"Qi Songbai has been dealt with, but that does not mean the danger within Wangdu is eliminated."

"The Earth Serpent Ancestor has emerged, and Qi Jian as well; they must be hidden inside Wangdu."

"Qi Ruohua probably intends to eliminate the two of them, but it is not that easy."

Chen Chuyang naturally understood Qi Ruohua's intention, did not speak in advance, but … waited for Qi Ruohua to speak.

When Qi Ruohua saw it was enough, she spoke: "Chen Chuyang, you must have also suffered an attack. That Formation is the one the Earth Serpent Ancestor set up by sacrificing himself, specifically to … harm you. I wanted to stop it but could not; he moved too swiftly."

"The Earth Serpent Ancestor and that youngster are still in Wangdu; they hide in deep-space within Wangdu. I am not confident I can capture them, so …"

Qi Ruohua stared at Chen Chuyang and recounted what had occurred before they emerged.

She also said that Qi Jian and the Earth Serpent Ancestor had hidden themselves; the Earth Serpent Ancestor sacrificed himself, yet his true body still remains in Wangdu.

Earlier Qi Ruohua could not sense their location; after the Earth Serpent Ancestor's sacrifice, she sensed it and obtained a piece of flesh and blood to pinpoint their whereabouts, but she was still unsure how to deal with them.

Even the Black Dragon Guard gathered throughout Wangdu could not handle Qi Jian and them.

To hedge against any eventuality, Qi Ruohua approached Chen Chuyang, asking him to act, to eliminate them once and for all.

She did not want any trouble to arise in Wangdu, nor for its inhabitants to be affected.

"Can you locate where they are?"

"Yes," Qi Ruohua nodded. "I have already pinpointed their location; I only need you to act and eliminate them."

"Inside the Qihuang Bao Ku, you must have encountered the first-generation Qi Emperor, right?"

Chen Chuyang nodded: "Indeed, the soul of the first-generation Qi Emperor Qi Songbai was extinguished, and his reincarnated body was also slain."

"The existence beneath Wangdu, which Qi Emperor of the Qi family is it?"

The Qi family truly produces countless geniuses.

Qi Songbai, who suppressed this world, did not die after hiding; instead he sought a way to resurrect himself.

Li Shenghong, the third-generation genius of the Qi family, may not be a Qi Emperor, but is no less; for him to have survived to this day, there must be some secret, otherwise it would be impossible.

Now another appears; the Qi bloodline is truly formidable.

Qi Ruohua gave Li Shenghong a deep glance, feeling something off about his gaze, and she sensed on him a familiar aura that the Qi Yun Golden Dragon reminded her of.

She couldn't help but glance at Li Shenghong a couple more times, then stopped, unable to determine his true identity.

"I am not entirely sure either; this person must be of the Qi bloodline, and I suspect he is also a first-generation Qi Emperor."

"However, if you encountered the first-generation Qi Emperor Qi Songbai and killed him, this person's identity …"

Qi Ruohua voiced her own idea; after investigating, she arrived at an uncertain notion.

That speculation was shattered after meeting Chen Chuyang and his party.

If not a first-generation Qi Emperor, then … who is he?

Li Shenghong interjected: "Your conjecture could indeed be true; the soul of the first-generation Qi Emperor Qi Songbai does reside within the Qihuang Bao Ku, but that is only his soul, not his body."

"The body and soul are separate; Qi Songbai indeed achieved this back then—his body remained outside, his soul interred in the Qihuang Bao Ku. He did so to use the Great Qi Dynasty to nourish his body, keeping it unchanged."

"And his soul must leave the body, lest it be assimilated by the Qi Yun Golden Dragon."

Chen Chuyang turned back in surprise, intrigued by this claim.

Qi Ruohua frowned, staring intently at Li Shenghong.

Deep within, she again doubted his identity.

Li Shenghong paid no mind to their gazes, continuing: "The Qi Yun Golden Dragon is powerful, its effect strong, but after all it is the qi of a dynasty. If it absorbs enough and binds to the dynasty, it flourishes with the dynasty; should the dynasty fall and the Qi Yun Golden Dragon die, then it too will collapse together."

There are pros and cons, and the drawbacks outweigh the benefits.

Back then Qi Songbai did not believe the Great Qi Dynasty could survive for millennia, nor could he guarantee his own dynasty would endure forever.

In this world, dynastic succession is a perfectly normal occurrence.

He also does not wish to revive only to face a weakened state.

Dividing the dynasty, dividing the Qi Yun Golden Dragon, making it independent of the dynasty—that is what he desires, and the confidence that allows him to pursue higher realms.

Qi Songbai does not wish to be bound to the Great Qi Dynasty.

Hence the act of separating body and soul.

Qi Ruohua, hearing this, frowned: "By your account, his body remains inside Wangdu, nurtured by the Qi Yun Golden Dragon; then why would he still enter the Qihuang Bao Ku?"

"Could his corpse have birthed consciousness, forming an independent entity?"

Li Shenghong smiled and nodded: "Indeed, after several thousand years, a body developing consciousness is not impossible."

"I speculate that Qi Songbai's body has gained consciousness and is continuously strengthening itself; moreover, it was not born in recent years—it likely originated long ago, awaiting this day to arrive."

"He wishes to reverse and devour Qi Songbai's soul, completing the body's wholeness, so that he can leave Wangdu and escape the Qi Yun Golden Dragon's binding."

The body is bound, unable to depart alone.

It has become part of Wangdu, or rather, part of the Qi Yun Golden Dragon.

When the words ended, the Dadian fell silent.

Chen Chuyang pondered briefly, then sneered: "If so, I shall go take a look."

He was very curious.

How did Qi Songbai's body achieve this step?

That body—what form does it take to stay alive?