Chapter 307: White Bone Soul Nails, on the Ascending Dragon Platform, the Codex is Unsealed!

After making a decision, Zhao Xing immediately went to Xi La's residence.

Ji Mengjun's base in Wang Cheng had by now become a temporary council hall for many high-grade experts to deliberate.

As the coordinating official, Seeing Ji Si broke into a bitter smile the moment he saw Zhao Xing.

"My lord, it seems you already know what I am about to say," Zhao Xing said, bowing.

"In nothing else do I fall short of my elder brother, but I am skilled at calculating human affairs. The Heaven's Secret Veil that conceals you was crafted by my elder brother; his arts and mine stem from the same lineage," Seeing Ji Si sighed.

"Then you must know I have no choice but to go," Zhao Xing said calmly.

"Zhao Xing, I have only one request," Seeing Ji Si said gently; he spoke of a request, not a demand.

At this moment, Seeing Ji Si was not speaking as a superior official to a subordinate, but more like an elder giving counsel.

"Please speak."

"In the Nine Star Prison of the Central Dragon Court, a traitor has appeared. You must be escorted by Ji Mengjun and her people."

"Do you not trust the Divine Emperor and Ye Ye Yukong?" Zhao Xing asked, surprised.

"I do trust them, but they are too weak."

Zhao Xing thought: Fortunately, the two are waiting outside; otherwise, hearing such words would have been deeply hurtful.

To be fair, Master Zhao and the Divine Emperor were not weak; on the contrary, Master Zhao possessed sword talent of the first tier, and the Divine Emperor was not far behind.

It was just that, given the current situation, they were insufficient.

But more people did not necessarily mean easier execution; if Ji Mengjun went, who would the operation follow?

Seeing Ji Si seemed to see through Zhao Xing's concern and immediately said, "Although Ji Mengjun is the Deputy Hall Master of the War Dance Bureau in the Martial Realm,"

"she does not hold military command; the operation will still follow your orders."

"Would this not..."

"She knows."

Zhao Xing understood.

Chatting with a coordinating official was convenient; there was no need for lengthy explanations.

Seeing Ji Si, knowing Zhao Xing would go regardless, had not even tried to dissuade him; he had simply drafted the list of the escort squad.

"First-grade Dance Master Ji Mengjun, second-grade Music Master Xiao Huang."

"First-grade Martial Master Tong Jin, second-grade Artisan Jiang Chuan."

"Plus the Divine Emperor and Ye Ye Yukong."

"The document contains detailed descriptions of their strength."

Seeing Ji Si handed over a dossier.

Zhao Xing respectfully accepted the list and burned it after reading.

"You have taken great trouble; Xing is deeply grateful."

"If you are so grateful, then you could simply not go. Bai Yun Wu is not without others to rescue him."

Having spoken, both Seeing Ji Si and Zhao Xing smiled.

After a pause, Zhao Xing clasped his hands and took his leave: "Take care."

Seeing Ji Si waved wordlessly.

After Zhao Xing departed, Ji Mengjun emerged from behind the hall.

Ji Mengjun asked, "Do you truly intend to let him go?"

"What choice do I have?" Seeing Ji Si shook his head. "I have examined ten thousand possible outcomes of this conversation,"

"and not one resulted in successful persuasion."

How could Seeing Ji Si bear to let Zhao Xing go? It was simply unavoidable.

If he issued an order? That would only backfire, provoking Zhao Xing's rebellious nature.

If he forcibly restrained Zhao Xing's freedom, the consequences would be even more extreme, possibly causing Zhao Xing to defect from Great Zhou.

Seeing Ji Si, as a coordinating official, merely managed the coordination.

In name, he was not a military commander either.

In terms of strength and prestige, he could not command the top experts within the army.

Even taking ten thousand steps back, even if he were, he would still have to heed the advice of the first-grade experts.

Only someone with the prestige and position of the Divine Emperor could override the crowd and mobilize first-grade experts to fight to the death; even Yang Qingyun, the Commander of the Golden Guards outside, would find it difficult.

Therefore, when Seeing Ji Si sent people to escort Zhao Xing this time, he selected only two first-grade and two second-grade experts.

This was because Ji Mengjun and Tong Jin were experts absolutely trusted by the Ji Royal House; they would unconditionally obey Seeing Ji Si, the coordinating official, and were also qualified to know the secrets concerning Zhao Xing and the Great Expansion Divine Art.

As for other first-grade experts? Seeing Ji Si would not even mention them. Setting aside issues of trust, those first-grade experts each had missions of extremely high priority.

Of course, Seeing Ji Si did not truly have no means at all.

Ji Mengjun asked, "Is there anything else you wish to instruct?"

Seeing Ji Si pondered, then drew a secret imperial decree from his robes and handed it to Ji Mengjun: "This is a secret decree from Your Majesty. If this journey encounters an extreme peril, you may activate it. If it is not used, it must be returned to me upon completion of the mission."

Ji Mengjun took the secret decree: "At what point does it count as extreme?"

Seeing Ji Si said coolly, "If you deem the situation so dangerous that Tong Jin, the Divine Emperor, Ye Ye Yukong, Jiang Chuan, and Xiao Huang all fall in battle and still cannot ensure Zhao Xing's safe departure, then it may be used."

Ji Mengjun said softly, "I understand."

In Gu Ting Wang Cheng, at the Central Teleportation Array.

Nine mountains, each ten thousand meters high, stood like true dragons soaring, towering over the sensitive area of the imperial palace.

A dragon boat slowly flew into the central region surrounded by the nine mountains.

"This is the Nine Dragon Teleportation Array, an ancient formation of the Dragon Court," said the Divine Emperor from the bow, gazing outward through the barrier. "The art of this formation has been completely lost. Our dynasty has long sought to master this ancient formation, but alas, no one in the world can achieve it; even the Dragon Clan itself cannot recreate a Nine Dragon Teleportation Array."

The teleportation formation has always been the brightest star among the great category of mechanism arrays.

However, no one in the Era of Primordial Qi could pluck this most brilliant star.

Whether it be the Jade Pool of the Blue Ocean or the Divine Altar of Leaving Fire, both have existed since ancient times; later generations only knew how to use them, not how to recreate them.

To this day, the scope of the Jade Pool of the Blue Ocean is confined only to Ping Haizhou, and its range is shrinking further.

The Divine Altar of Leaving Fire is the same; the maximum limit of its fire pits is fixed and unchanging, and many have already extinguished completely, unable to be reignited.

"Boom~"

At a certain moment, nine dragon heads spat out beams of light from their mouths; the multicolored radiance rushed straight toward the central area surrounded by the high mountains.

At the moment of convergence, the light beams suddenly refracted, shooting straight up into the sky.

The dragon boat at the center instantly vanished along with the light beams.

The next moment.

The radiance dissipated.

They had already appeared in a new environment—the True Long Wang Cheng.

Zhao Xing scanned the surroundings; this was a vast dragon-stone plaza, with nine high mountains surrounding it as well.

However, their flying boat was not in the central area but had appeared on the East Dragon Mountain in the northeast.

"We have already entered the area of the Central Wang Ting." The Shen Luo Wang pointed west. "Fly west, and you will reach the Nine Star Fire Prison realm where Bai Yunwu is trapped."

"We are not going that way." Zhao Xing unfolded a map. "First, go to the 【Sheng Long Tai】 in the south."

"Very well." The Shen Luo Wang immediately piloted the flying boat, beginning to speed southward.

As for Ji Mengjun, Tong Jin, Jiang Chuan, and Xiao Huang, the four of them remained inside the cabin.

If there were no danger, they would not show themselves casually, lest they attract unnecessary trouble and pursuit.

Their task was merely to escort Zhao Xing; avoiding a fight was best.

As for the Shen Luo Wang and Ye Yukong, they asked nothing; if asked, it was a secret.

Zhao Xing closed his eyes, quietly waiting for the destination to arrive.

At the same time, he thought within his Memory Palace.

"Bai Yunwu holds the title of Long Wang Jue; he has a large fiefdom in the Gu Si Kingdom."

"According to intelligence, Bai Yunwu received a plea for help from Boyi, a First Rank powerhouse of the West Sea Water Clan, so he contacted Tang and Ao, two First Rank Wang Jue holders, along with forty-five high-rank humans from three families under their command, to go to the rescue."

"The result was a trap; Boyi, the powerhouse of the West Sea Water Clan, had long been brainwashed by the Sect Realm and set an ambush in advance, causing the reinforcements led by Bai Yunwu to be trapped in the Fire Prison Plain."

"Bai Yunwu is one of the four Long Wang Jue holders of Great Zhou; the two family heads, Tang and Ao, are also Water Clan Tusi Chieftains of the East Sea, serving as the bulwarks of the East Sea defense line."

"Once they were surrounded, it immediately drew support from the other three Wang-level Dragon Jue holders of Great Zhou."

"The opposing forces involved the Jin Yu Wang Ting, Holy Spirit Wang Ting, Flame Light Wang Ting, and Purple Long Wang Ting of the four great Wang Tings of the Southern Barbarians; the Great Snake Kingdom of Japan and its thirty subordinate vassal departments; the Bi Shui and Xuan Tian two great Shen Sect powers among the Ten Shen Sects; and the forces of five top-tier sects: Bai Gu, Hu Kui, Four Saints, Qing Yang, and Gui Yuan."

"These forces began to besiege the points and attack the reinforcements supporting Great Zhou."

"Most powerful figures possess the authority to command the Dragon Clan; for instance, a Lord-level (Second Rank) authority can command City Lord-level Dragon Clan members (Third Rank); the other three Wang-level Dragon Jue holders of Great Zhou could mobilize even more."

"Thus, the number of human and Dragon Clan powerful figures from the ten great kingdoms of the Dragon Court Ancient Land heading to the Central Dragon Court rapidly surged."

"Initially, it only involved Bai, Tang, and Ao, three First Rank Water Clan Wang Jue holders, and forty-five high-rank individuals."

"In less than seven days, the number of First Rank humans exceeded one hundred, involving over ten thousand high-rank individuals,"

"and it was still increasing."

"Truly, the whole world is an enemy; the adverse effects brought by Liang Wang's rebellion are beginning to manifest in the external situation," Zhao Xing thought silently. "When has there ever been such a large-scale attack on Great Zhou before?"

"However, we cannot blame Liang Wang entirely; Emperor Jing's expansion outward for nearly three hundred years has made him, in the eyes of external forces, a veritable 'Mo Sect', and Emperor Jing is the number one great demon under heaven."

"Taking advantage of Emperor Jing's purges and reduction of military power in the early years of the Great Peace, they quickly seized the opportunity to strike at Great Zhou's elite forces in the Dragon Court Ancient Land."

Zhao Xing knew of this matter, but he originally had no intention of participating, because such a war would not last long.

Emperor Jing simply did not want to fight a high-level battle and deplete his reserves, not that he was unable to fight.

Within a few months, the alliance of external opposing forces could no longer hold out.

The death of a few First Rank individuals in Great Zhou was trivial; for those so-called top-tier sects, great tribes, and powerful Water Clans, the death of a single First Rank member meant a massive loss of strength. With no great profit to be gained, why follow the Shen Sect and Southern Barbarian forces to fight?

Thus, this siege of Great Zhou by the Dragon Court soon came to nothing.

Just as he was pondering, a second "Zhao Xing" appeared at the entrance of Zhao Xing's Memory Palace; with a cold expression, he said to the first Zhao Xing, "I originally planned to wait for this storm to pass and safely reap the benefits, but now we must risk our lives. Have you forgotten the original intention of the Great Plan for Immortality?"

The first Zhao Xing responded, "I intended to wait for this storm to pass; in my previous life, the one trapped in the Nine Star Fire Prison was not Bai Yunwu, but Tang Yinglong, but now things have changed."

The second Zhao Xing snorted, "What does this have to do with you? Long Xiao is merely an NPC; even if he dies, what does it matter to me?"

The first Zhao Xing said, "It is not just for Long Xiao; Bai Yunwu cannot die now, and it is best if the three great Water Clan Wang Jue holders do not die either."

The second Zhao Xing retorted, "Why must they not die?"

"Now that a deviation has occurred, are you certain you can withdraw unscathed?"

The first Zhao Xing explained, "The deviation is not too great; what can be confirmed is that the one trapped in the Nine Star Fire Prison will definitely be one of the three great Water Clan Wang Jue holders of the East Sea."

"Because the siege action of the Great Zhou opposing alliance was aimed directly at them."

"Cutting off the Water Clan Tusi Wang Jue holders of the East Sea is the best choice."

"With the turmoil in Ping Haizhou just settled, if one of the three great Water Clan Wang Jue holders dies, Great Zhou's expansion outward from the East Sea will become very difficult, and the Seven Island Chain defense line must be halved."

"The resources at sea are abundant; if this place is blocked, how will Great Zhou's various goods be dumped across the four seas? Future fiscal revenue will inevitably decrease greatly."

"With reduced fiscal revenue, when I become the Grand Minister of Agriculture in the future, won't I be a pauper?"

"With Great Zhou's fortune decreasing, how will I endure?"

Zhao Xing constantly found reasons for himself to save Long Xiao.

Because another thought in his mind constantly interfered, stopping him from taking risks.

"How will you save him? The Nine Star Fire Prison was created to imprison Dragon Kings; those who fall inside cannot get out!"

"I have the Dragon Emperor Code!"

"Ridiculous; even activating the Code carries danger. Do you think Ji Mengjun and that Tong Jin, whose name you've never even heard, plus dragging along a few trash, will be safe and sound? The sacrifice requires the true body to go personally; if anything unexpected happens, you will die."

"I have the luck of Yan Six; activating the Purple Gold Ancient Coin and the Fortune Coin can raise my luck to Yan Seven!"

"Luck is not invincible! Accidents, do you know what an accident is?" the second Zhao Xing said coldly,

"Once you encounter one, it is eternal damnation."

"I can become a Yin Spirit, hold the Ancient Yin Warship, wait for the Spirit Qi to revive, and resurrect!"

"Did you fall victim to the Ritual Cultivator's Stupidity Spell? You are already dead; shouldn't the Shang Tang Order have dropped? The True Long Wang Cheng cannot tear open the Yin-Yang channel."

"Shut up, can't you wish for something good?"

"Such impulsiveness, no wonder the ex-girlfriend left—"

"Damn it, how can you drag that up? Get lost!"

"If I don't go, my thoughts won't flow smoothly!"

As the newly appeared Zhao Xing spoke, his voice grew louder and louder.

The phantom of the second Zhao Xing slowly faded away.

Opening his eyes, Zhao Xing saw double images and felt somewhat dazed.

He rubbed his eyes and shook his head.

Ye Yukong noticed this movement and immediately walked over: "Little brother, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Zhao Xing said humorously, "Maybe I'm just tired from raiding families recently."

"Hahaha." Upon hearing this, Ye Yukong laughed loudly. "Your courage is truly beyond what an ordinary person can match."

Where were they going now? It was a dangerous place where First Rank cultivators roamed like ants, and Third Rank cultivators were not even as good as dogs.

The Shen Luo King and he felt somewhat nervous in their hearts; upon reaching the Central Dragon Court, the two spoke even less.

Who isn't afraid of death? As long as there is life, there is an instinct for survival!

Yet Zhao Xing could still make jokes.

"I have a clone." After a pause, Zhao Xing looked at the long sword at Ye Yukong's waist. "Brother Ye, how long have you used this sword?"

"You mean the Bright Moon Sword?" Ye Yukong gripped the hilt, "Almost thirty years."

"It should be at the Eighth Rank Supreme Grade level?"

"Mm."

"Why haven't you changed it?" Zhao Xing was somewhat puzzled.

Previously, when Ye Yukong drew lots, one of the items was a Ninth Rank Supreme Grade treasure, while the other was merely an Eighth Rank material selected blindly.

But even these items were enough to exchange for a sword with Ji Si; after all, Ji Si had mobilized people this time and collected quite a few good things.

It would be no problem for Ye Yukong to switch to a Ninth Rank sword; he is currently Second Rank, his Dao realm is high enough, and he can fully wield it.

"Back then, I commissioned a great craftsman from the Hundred Weapons Academy to custom-make the Bright Moon Sword; I am used to it," Ye Yukong explained. "If I switch to a Ninth Rank sword, if it is of middle-lower grade, it would be completely useless; it is better to use the Bright Moon Sword to unleash greater power."

"If it were of Superior Grade or Supreme Grade level, the power of the sword techniques might increase by a notch."

Zhao Xing asked, "What if it were a Treasure-grade Sword Dao Divine Weapon? Could Brother Ye unleash its power?"

Ye Yukong said proudly, "I am of the Sword Sect school, so of course I can unleash its power; although I haven't tried, it will definitely work."

To adjust his state, the Shen Luo King also leaned in to chat; this fellow immediately launched a face-to-face attack: "By the way, isn't your Sword Sect inferior to the Qi Sect?"

Ye Yukong's face immediately darkened: "Fool, if you don't understand, don't talk nonsense! Our Sword Sect is number one under heaven!"

The Shen Luo King waved his hand: "Never heard of it."

Ye Yukong mocked: "Then you must have heard that the Shen Luo School is inferior to the Dao Soldier School, right?"

The Shen Luo King glanced at him: "Nonsense!"

Ye Yukong snorted: "When fighting Yushanzi back then, if the Dao Soldier School's artificers had come, why would we have had to fight for so long?"

The Shen Luo King instantly exploded: "Yushanzi at that time had fused the soul and luck of a Second Rank Ritual Cultivator! Only the Shen Luo School could fight for so long; if someone from the Dao Soldier School had come, they would have long since run away! If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense!"

"The number one artificer in the Dojo is also of the Shen Luo School! What about you martial artists?"

Ye Yukong was instantly silenced.

Because the number one martial artist under heaven was indeed of the Qi Sect school.

"Dojo competitions, can those even count?" Ye Yukong said, sticking his neck out.

"How can they not count?" The Shen Luo King smiled: "Situ Gong internally cultivates the Gluttony Method and externally cultivates the Black Turtle Dharma Form; his Golden Body is invincible, his Divine Fist is peerless, and his Primordial Qi is so vast it is like an immeasurable ocean. Stand there and let him stab you, and you won't even break the skin."

Zhao Xing stood aside, secretly laughing.

The Situ Gong mentioned by the Shen Luo King was the Duke of Great Zhou and the former Dean of the Divine Martial Academy, Situ Wu.

Although he never publicly spoke on behalf of the Qi Sect, the world regarded Situ Wu as the master of the Qi Sect.

His status was second only to Ji Shuang, the first Divine Warrior of Great Zhou who cultivated the Dragon Elephant Golden Body.

The dispute between Qi and Sword in Great Zhou's martial arts has existed for a long time.

The Qi Sect believes the body can be the universe; martial arts cultivation should develop towards "allowing the body to contain more Primordial Qi." To achieve this, the martial arts Golden Body must be strong enough; if the body, this vessel, becomes stronger, it can contain more Primordial Qi. Conversely, Primordial Qi can strengthen the body.

Making the body comparable to a Divine Artifact!

Supported by vast Primordial Qi, a single punch thrown out is unbearable for the enemy.

Releasing one's own Primordial Qi can trigger a Primordial Qi storm.

Technique? Flashy nonsense; watch me punch one shot to become a god!

The Sword Sect is exactly the opposite; they believe martial arts techniques are where human wisdom and essence lie; cultivating Wu Ji,

Through profound Wu Ji, one comprehends the Dao of Heaven and Earth; one sword strike can twist the rules, or even change the rules!

The Qi Sect? Vulgar and primitive! The more you cultivate, the more you regress!

The difference between the Shen Luo School and the Dao Soldier School lies in this:

The former creates giant Divine Weapons, giant mechanical armor, giant mechanical puppets; they believe big is strong! And they advocate that artificers personally control them!

The latter is the mass-troop school; they advocate cultivating the 【Combat Instinct】 and 【Battle Soul】 of mechanical beasts and mechanical puppets, giving them the ability to fight independently, without the artificer needing to personally control the Dao Soldiers.

Ye Yukong, unable to win the argument, immediately grabbed Zhao Xing: "Little brother, you come and judge this?"

"Me?" Zhao Xing shook his head hurriedly, "I am just a humble Minister of Agriculture; how could I understand this?"

One version brings one god; every school has its time to soar and its time to fall.

Of course, Fate Officials are excluded.

Every generation cuts down Fate Officials!

Looking at the historical trend, the strength of the Fate Official profession is becoming increasingly worse.

Mainly because in the era of Spiritual Qi Resurgence, the spells of Fate Officials receive very little amplification from Spiritual Qi.

Furthermore, the strength increase of other professions all exceeds that of Fate Officials; as one wanes and the other waxes, it amounts to Fate Officials being cut down.

In the Spiritual Qi era, all creatures compete for freedom under the frosty sky!

The stronger an individual's power, the stronger their control over their own fate!

This causes the difficulty for Fate Officials to calculate people to rise sharply.

Of course, this is only from an overall perspective; some relatively obscure schools, such as Treasure-Hunting Sorcerers, still have considerable utility.

Individuals possessing divine artifacts such as the Creation Plate still cannot be ignored.

Additionally, aspects like Curse Flow and Luck Tracking are still quite effective.

Thinking of this, Zhao Xing could not help but worry about Long Xiao.

He pinched his fingers to calculate Long Xiao's situation, but the moment he calculated, his ten fingers split open, blood flowing endlessly, the wounds deep enough to see the bone.

"Old Chen didn't die; you cannot fall here." Zhao Xing licked his fingers, muttering in his heart. "Hold on."

Outside the cabin, three people were chatting; inside the cabin, First-Rank Martial Artist Tong Jin and First-Rank Dance Master Ji Mengjun were also chatting.

"Mengjun, he has no real connection with Bai Yun Wu, right?"

"He has no connection with Bai Yun Wu," Ji Mengjun said, "but he has a deep connection with Long Xiao, Bai Yun Wu's grandson-in-law."

"Long Xiao and Chen Shijie were the guides who led Zhao Xing to join the army; later, after Zhao Xing completed training at the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven, when he went to complete the Soldier Realm assessment, Long Xiao was his Guardian."

"Afterwards, they fought together on the Pingman Battlefield and were demoted to the East Sea together due to the Liang Wang faction's exclusion; it is said that even the name of the Divine Marquis's war pet was chosen by Long Xiao."

"The Earth Official title, that mountain cat?" Tong Jin actually had some impression; when Zhao Xing was staying in Wang Cheng,

he had seen it a few times; it was always accompanied by a cat, a sheep, and a dog, and it still remains in Gu Ting Wang Cheng.

"So that's why, no wonder." Tong Jin suddenly understood. Those who grew up together from humble beginnings naturally have deep bonds; he had also been a soldier and could easily understand.

What he did not quite understand was why Seeing Ji Si would actually agree to accompany Zhao Xing to take such a risk.

Even if Zhao Xing possesses some divine artifact of the Dragon Clan, could he possibly alter the current situation?

"Someone," Ji Mengjun suddenly raised her eyebrows, her eyes shifting, looking out of the boat.

Tong Jin immediately darted out like a cat.

The Ascending Dragon Platform is not inside the True Long Wang Cheng, but outside the Wang Cheng.

It is similar to the Altar of Heaven, the Altar of Earth, and the Sacrificial Altar used by the Human Race during sacrifices.

Around the Ascending Dragon Platform are many Dragon God totems and Dragon Emperor statues.

One can comprehend Dragon Clan spells and learn the Dragon Language here.

There are rumors that the Ascending Dragon Platform is the Dragon Emperor's General-Appointing Platform.

Others say it is the place where the Dragon Emperor consults the Dragon God to confer rewards upon meritorious Dragon Clan members.

In short, the Ascending Dragon Platform is considered a high-traffic exploration site within the Central Dragon Court.

Every time the Dragon Court opens, the humans who enter always come to the Ascending Dragon Platform to take a look.

Now that a great chaotic battle has erupted in the Central Dragon Court, the original situation where well water did not mix with river water has been broken.

The three Wang Jue of Great Zhou, excluding Bai Yun Wu, have all issued orders.

Now, whenever Great Zhou and the opposing alliance meet at any location, they fight fiercely.

Having lost the initiative, the Ascending Dragon Platform is now occupied by three opposing factions.

When Zhao Xing's flying boat arrived, he sensed from afar the traces of numerous reconnaissance outposts.

"Big Brother Ye, catch a tongue and ask," Zhao Xing said. "No problem." Ye Yukong immediately transformed into a beam of moonlight, flying towards a large rock in the east.

"Whoosh"

Behind the large rock, a red light attempted to flee, but it was intercepted by the moonlight, and the light instantly extinguished.

Swish~

In five breaths, Ye Yukong returned to the flying boat from a thousand meters away, with a man wearing a Daoist robe and a Baigu mask beside him.

Two sword qi blades were inserted into his shoulder blades; pure and dense sword qi, as substantial as a physical object.

Sword qi like moonlight, fine as silk and thread, spread through his five viscera and six bowels, locking away all of this person's primordial energy.

"Kneel."

Ye Yukong kicked the back of his knee, and the Baigu Sect Daoist robe man fell to his knees with a thud.

At this moment, Ji Mengjun, Tong Jin, Jiang Chuan, and Xiao Huang all walked out.

"Baigu Sect, Third Rank early stage; judging by the clothing and token, he should be at the Elder level within the sect," Tong Jin spoke.

"Divine Marquis, let me do the questioning," Ji Mengjun looked at Zhao Xing.

"I leave it to you, My Lord Ji," Zhao Xing nodded; Third Rank Pindezong Sect demons basically possess very profound protective measures to avoid leaking secrets.

Ordinary severe torture would indeed not easily extract anything from them.

However, facing Ji Mengjun, it is different.

Ji Mengjun merely entered the prisoner's line of sight, and the Third Rank of the Baigu Sect suddenly raised his head, his expression dazed.

The moment he saw Ji Mengjun, his eyes were filled entirely with Ji Mengjun's image, and he unconsciously took two steps forward.

The Fate Soul floated out of the body just like that.

The Divine Luo King, Ye Yukong, Second-Rank Sorcerer Jiang Chuan, and the musician Xiao Huang all showed expressions of admiration.

Zhao Xing also felt the terror of the Soul Dancer; he did not even know what Ji Mengjun had done, yet the opponent's Yuan Soul was simply drawn out.

Without needing to ask, this person directly began to pour out his story: "My name is 'Bone Thirteen', I am an elder of the Baigu Sect, a disciple of the Purple Bone Heavenly Venerable—"

Zhao Xing listened silently; in the Sect Realm, one basically only addresses someone as Heavenly Venerable at the First Rank level.

Above First Rank, they are called Some-Deity Supreme Lord.

Second and Third Ranks are more casual; True Person, True Lord, Yuan Lord, Venerable, Great Immortal—whatever one pleases, one calls them whatever makes them happy.

"I, following my Master's orders, stood guard around the Ascending Dragon Platform; there are seventy-five people like me,"

"My Sect is responsible for the south side of the Ascending Dragon Platform."

"There are sixteen figures of Heavenly Venerable level, four in each of the four directions—True Lords, Yuan Lords, and Venerables total thirty-five people..."

"There are one hundred and two Dragon Clan Lords in total—"

"There are Dragon Clan City Lords in total—"

The voluntary revelation of information ended quickly.

Ji Mengjun began to dig deep for important information: "What magical treasures did the First-Rank Heavenly Venerables bring, and what are their effects;

If there are formation arrays, where are they deployed—"

The Third-Rank Realm counts as high-level in the Great Zhou, and holds an even higher status in the Sect Realm.

It is only by entering the Central Dragon Court and encountering such a great chaotic battle that they became cannon fodder, but in reality, one can learn a lot; at least, their usual understanding would not be too poor.

However, just at this moment, Bone Thirteen's Life Soul began to tremble continuously, saying nothing.

Seeing this, Ji Mengjun quickly extended a finger and gently tapped.

Bone Thirteen returned to stability.

"My Lord Ji, what is happening?" Tong Jin asked.

"He has a self-destruction method on his person." Ji Mengjun pondered for a moment, and the silver chain bell on her wrist rang.

Subsequently, on Bone Thirteen's Life Soul, nails-like magical artifacts appeared floating at multiple locations: the forehead, lower back, rear shoulder, abdomen, thighs, and so on; the nails were of two colors, red and blue.

Many thin lines emerged, with fluorescent light flowing, weaving inside and outside Bone Thirteen's soul body, appearing quite eerie.

Everyone was slightly moved.

"Bone Soul Nails?"

"Correct, they are Bone Soul Nails."

"Bone Soul Nails are extremely cruel; for every one driven in, the soul body feels pain as if being flayed by a thousand knives."

"Bone Soul Nails can destroy the Life Soul, preventing the Life Soul from being controlled by others and leaking secrets; life and death are entirely in the hands of superiors."

"It is not entirely without benefits; Bone Soul Nails can stabilize the Life Soul, allowing it to travel further when the Yuan Soul detaches, and withstand stronger attacks."

"Truly vicious!"

Ji Mengjun looked to the side: "Divine Luo King, can you possibly solve this?"

Soul Nails are Divine Artifacts; the micro-formation arrays inscribed upon them are something only the Divine Luo King might be able to break.

However, facing Ji Mengjun's inquiry, the Divine Luo King said somewhat shamefacedly: "Soul Artifacts are rare; the micro-formation arrays within Soul Artifacts are not within my area of study, and I am of the Divine Luo School—"

The Divine Luo School focuses on the grand scale; how would they study micro-formation arrays?

It would be more fitting for the Dao Soldier School.

"How about I go catch another one?" Ye Yukong said.

"They are not stupid," Tong Jin shook his head.

Just now, they came suddenly, and acting quickly allowed us to catch one.

Now that everyone ahead has run back, how is it possible to easily catch a live prisoner again?

Ji Mengjun did not say much more; she had originally planned to directly destroy Bone Thirteen's Life Soul, but seeing Zhao Xing's expression of contemplation, her eyes moved slightly: "Marquis Shenwei, do you have something to say?"

Zhao Xing spoke: "During the period of turmoil, I once killed an elder of the Baigu Sect; I unintentionally obtained the 'Bone Soul Nail Seven-Star Diagram'. At that time, I saw a nail covered in a sky full of stars, but did not understand what it was, so I simply memorized it by force."

"Now, hearing the Divine Luo King speak, I remembered it. With My Lord Ji holding the line, perhaps I can explain this method to him and see if it is of any help."

This meal of Liang Wang, Old Master Zhao has truly eaten until it is still dripping with oil; anything can be pushed onto it as a fourth, fifth, or sixth excuse.

Hearing there was still a chance to restore his image before the Goddess, the Divine Luo King immediately said: "If there is a secret method to learn on the spot,"

"the chances of success are very high."

Zhao Xing said: "I do not know what will happen; in any case, there is no loss, so let us try."

The micro-formation arrays on the Water-Fire Bone Nails formed prohibitions just like the wires inside a bomb.

He had no secret method to tell the Divine Luo King; he simply knew the sequence for pulling out the nails.

Back then, when he broke into the Heavenly Craft Hall of the Great Dream Academy, he also memorized the solution and broke through; of course, the current situation is far more complex.

Zhao Xing did not guarantee success; after all, if that Purple Bone Heavenly Venerable had changed it slightly, it might be different.

However, using Bone Thirteen as a test costs nothing.

Zhao Xing thought for a moment, stood beside Bone Thirteen's Life Soul, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Divine Luo King.

He waved his hand, manipulating the Five Elements Qi before him, pushing aside other attributes until only Water and Fire remained.

Having cultivated the Yin-Yang Original Self Sutra to the Third Layer, Zhao Xing's control of the Five Elements Qi had reached an extremely exquisite level.

The Water and Fire Qi, like silk threads, quickly replicated thirteen nails.

The nails were composed of Yuan Qi, completely simulating the shape and structure of the Bone Soul Nails; everyone present was of high rank and could easily understand.

"Divine Luo King, you must observe his Life Soul and his flesh, five viscera, entire skeleton, and meridians," Zhao Xing said. "That demon's secret manual says this method is the Dual Soul and Body Solution."

"Hmm." The Divine Luo King nodded and began to expand his vision, entering the microscopic level.

Although the nail was clearly only the size of a finger, many starlight points appeared inside, distributed on the uneven surface of the nail.

Zhao Xing also began to recite:

"The Baigu Soul Nail shifts the Life Star; to release the soul, one must first restore the Master Nail."

"If starlight locks the three soul threads, a cold gleam suddenly appears, breaking the clarity of the Qiming point."

"Planting the nail begins from beneath the feet; the thread of death often hooks the two flanks and shoulders."

"When Zhaoyang enters the Dipper, heaven and earth fall into chaos; close both eyes and enter the Netherworld."

As soon as he finished, the musician Xiao Huang, the shaman Jiang Chuan, and Ye Yukong were instantly baffled, while Tong Jin and Ji Mengjun also looked somewhat lost.

The Shenluo King fell into thought.

However, he did not think for long before Zhao Xing continued, "The manual has annotations; the general meaning is that the Baigu Soul Nails have already shifted the person's Life Star. To break the soul control, one must first locate the Master Nail position."

"If even the three souls are locked, a cold light will flicker at the Qiming point where the physical body and life soul reside. This is the most profound Baigu Soul Nail soul-locking forbidden technique, not the Water or Fire Soul Nails."

"Soul nails are generally planted starting from the feet. The soul threads generated by the shining starlight usually have the thread of death hooked from the shoulder down to the rib side."

"If the light of the Zhaoyang position all shines toward the Big Dipper, resolving it this way means there is no hope left; it is equivalent to sending the person directly to the Netherworld (the sect's term for the Yin Realm)."

The Shenluo King asked, "Are the soul threads those red and blue lines? What is the thread of death?"

Zhao Xing shrugged and said, "It should be, I suppose. As for the thread of death, I don't know; it isn't written there either."

Actually, it wasn't that it wasn't written; rather, it was to let the Shenluo King discover the pattern of Water and Fire primal qi attaching to the soul threads himself.

If Zhao Xing understood everything perfectly, that would be too abnormal; he had to let Old Luo realize it himself.

"The foot soul nail corresponds to Water, the upper yuan position has three stars, shifting sixteen stars to Chongguang."

"Divine light illuminates the kidney water, branching from the left upper rib bone and surging toward the right lower leg bone. When the Water path Zhaoyang breaks like a hair, it is to restore its seven-keli nail position."

"If it is not the seven-keli nail position, entering or exiting the nail position must be corrected swiftly, otherwise—"

"Ah!!" Before Zhao Xing could finish speaking, Bone Thirteen's life soul and physical body both screamed in pain.

The Shenluo King felt somewhat embarrassed, but Zhao Xing continued reading expressionlessly, "Otherwise, the pain will be unbearable."

"Ahem, that was the first attempt; allow me to try again."

"It doesn't matter."

Sharpening the axe does not delay the woodcutting; if they can force out secret information, their ascent to the Ascending Dragon Platform will be much smoother.

Without intelligence to charge in blindly, a seven-person team with only two First Rank Realm cultivators is truly not enough to fight their way in.

Bone Thirteen was also incredibly unlucky.

The Shenluo King was indeed a mechanic, but his specialty was not a perfect match; learning this top-tier sect technique combined with a top-tier artifact was a stumbling process for him.

Master Zhao also memorized it by rote and had to pretend not to understand certain details, forcing the Shenluo King to try it himself.

Thus, Bone Thirteen's screams of agony hardly ever stopped.

If Zhao Xing were just guessing wildly, then Bone Thirteen would have died quickly, but unfortunately, Zhao Xing truly knew the correct solution.

If the Shenluo King made a major mistake, then Bone Thirteen would have died quickly, but unfortunately, the Shenluo King did not; he just kept making small errors.

If there were no Ji Mengjun, a First Rank Realm Soul Dancer, in the team, then Bone Thirteen would have died quickly, but unfortunately, Ji Mengjun could still help stabilize his life soul.

Encountering a team like this, wasn't that incredibly unlucky?

"Kill, kill me, I beg you—"

"Give me a quick death, ah—"

Hearing him shout like this, Ye Yukong became somewhat impatient.

"What are you yelling about? Your voice sounds like a pig being slaughtered; it's terrible to listen to."

"You've cultivated to the Third Rank, yet you lack even a shred of a strong person's willpower?"

Bone Thirteen:

Are you speaking human? It's like this, and you still complain that I'm not tough enough?!

A bamboo flute appeared in Xiao Huang's hand: "I can play a Soul-Calming Song. Perhaps it can quiet him down, allowing him to endure longer and giving the Shenluo King more time to remove the nail."

Bone Thirteen completely collapsed.

Two hours later, Bone Thirteen was finally relieved.

The nail in his life soul was truly pulled out through the combined efforts of Zhao Xing, the Shenluo King, Ji Mengjun, and Xiao Huang.

After spilling all the intelligence, Zhao Xing gave him a quick death.

Just as he had advised Long Xiao, he would not torture enemies for the sake of torture. Once he got what he wanted, he naturally gave the enemy a quick death; his mindset could not be flawed.

Speaking of mindset, aside from Bone Thirteen, everyone present was relatively happy.

The Shenluo King learned a technique; knowing the intelligence, the upcoming battles would be much easier for everyone.

"We will enter the Ascending Dragon Platform from the south, guarded by the Baigu Sect."

"I will need about half an hour of uninterrupted time to complete the unsealing of the Divine Artifact."

In the twelfth month of the third year of Dazhi, with the location of the Dragon King Yin Xiu revealed, plus the reason for this operation.

The rest of the team also learned that Zhao Xing's purpose for this journey was to unseal the Dragon Clan's Divine Artifact.

In the subsequent official records, Ji Si would write the mission objective this way; she would not foolishly say that Zhao Xing acted unilaterally with the purpose of saving Long Xiao.

"The Purple Bone Heavenly Venerable and Red Bone Heavenly Venerable of the Baigu Sect are both First Rank Realm, without Divine Artifacts on their persons, but they have many Second Rank and Third Rank cultivators."

"Is half an hour the minimum time limit?" Tong Jin asked.

"It might be faster, but I cannot be sure," Zhao Xing said. "However, if it is not resolved within two hours, that proves there is a problem, and everyone can retreat."

Zhao Xing needed to find the corresponding Ascending Dragon Platform to unlock the fragment of the Dragon Emperor's Code in his hand.

"Understood." Tong Jin nodded.

"No problem." Ji Mengjun nodded. "Although I possess no treasures, everything I use is Ninth Grade Supreme Quality." Tong Jin was a Qi Sect cultivator, so he did not need any weapons or armor.

Zhao Xing thought for a moment, pushed a box toward Ye Yukong, and pointed to a large door on the dragon boat for the Shenluo King: "Maintain vigilance on the boat; avoiding combat is best. If there are many powerful enemies, the Lord of the Bright Moon Mansion may open this box, and the Shenluo King may open this door."

Although they did not understand why, the two still nodded. They believed this was a contingency left by Ji Si; in reality, Ji Si knew nothing about it. Even Ji Mengjun and Tong Jin did not know that inside the box was the 【Limitless Sword Embryo】 and behind that door was the 【Giant Divine Soldier】.

The operation began. Zhao Xing and the six others boarded the boat and sailed into the Ascending Dragon Platform from the due south.

The Rising Dragon Platform area was vast; since they had previously captured Gu Shisan and learned the Baigu Sect's defensive deployments, their entry proceeded smoothly without alerting anyone or the Dragon Clan.

Zhao Xing gazed forward from the flying boat, swiftly searching for the exclusive Rising Dragon Platform needed to unseal the 【Fragment of the Dragon Court Codex】.

He possessed two Purple-Gold Ancient Coins and one Luck Coin, which had already been activated.

He had temporarily entered the Yan Qi state.

Besides him, Ji Mengjun and Tong Jin each held a Luck Coin as well.

Thus, they pushed all the way into the inner area of the Rising Dragon Platform completely unharmed.

Time passed, and it was soon a quarter-hour after entering the Rising Dragon Platform.

Everyone on the boat fell silent; the atmosphere had grown tense to the extreme.

For during that time, they had twice brushed past groups of Dragon Clan Lords without being discovered,

yet it was thrilling enough.

A quarter-hour and a half later, Zhao Xing's voice broke the stifling atmosphere.

"Found it. Southeast, approximately eight thousand meters."

The Shenluo King immediately steered the Dragon Boat toward the predetermined direction.

Below lay many ruins of Dragon City buildings, yet every towering Rising Dragon Platform remained perfectly intact.

Upon approaching the destination, they could no longer conceal their movements by flying at high altitude.

For they had to go down.

And surrounding this particular Rising Dragon Platform were a group of Dragon Clan Lords and City Lords.

"Swish~"

Ji Mengjun instantly flew out of the Dragon Boat.

Below, there were roughly thirty to forty Second and Third Rank Dragons of various kinds.

As Ji Mengjun leaped down, the ribbons, silk skirts, and even her shoes around her all changed color.

Originally, she was a gentle, harmless beauty, but now her aura had shifted; the presence radiating from her was majestic and inviolable.

Her figure spun three times in the air before descending.

"Crack~ Crack~ Crack~ Crack~"

The sound of bones snapping, grating on the teeth, rang out.

A bizarre scene unfolded: the heads of the Dragon Clan Lords and Dragon City Lords below also rotated three times.

In that instant, they collectively twisted their own heads off.

"Aaaah~"

"Roar!"

Though their physical bodies died, their life souls remained alive; streams of Dragon Spirits emerged, roaring toward the sky.

However, the life souls' roars produced no actual sound.

Even the sound of snapping was drowned out by a flute melody.

Zhao Xing could clearly see that the sound waves emanating from Xiao Huang's flute were twisted into a naturally formed sound barrier.

It completely enveloped the Rising Dragon Platform within a twenty-li radius.

"Ding-ling~"

Ji Mengjun flicked her wrist; Zhao Xing watched as if she were shaking a flower hand, and the emerging Dragon Spirits exploded and scattered in the next instant.

The entire battle concluded in less than a single breath.

No one was alerted.

Swish~

Zhao Xing's true body immediately flew up onto the Rising Dragon Platform.

He slammed the half-man-high carved block into the center of the Rising Dragon Platform.

"Thud~"

Dust was shaken apart, and sand grains leaped joyfully, as if welcoming an old friend long unseen.

"Fire Transformation!"

Zhao Xing instantly turned into fire.

"Pfft~"

A slash was cut beneath his abdomen, and blood from his heart flowed out, dripping onto the carved block.

Although the blood fell drop by drop, Zhao Xing's current form exceeded a thousand meters in size, so each drop was enormous.

Soon, it gathered on the ground into a small stream, flowing along the patterns on the Rising Dragon Platform.

"Boom~~"

Dark clouds, like ink, pressed heavily upon the horizon.

Wild winds howled, as if sounding the horn of battle.

Xiao Huang's expression changed slightly; this phenomenon had arisen in an instant, and the 【Flowing Sound Domain】 created by his flute could barely suppress it.

"My lord, I can no longer hold it back."

"Aaaah~"

The phenomenon in the sky shifted; suddenly, a pillar of light descended from above, enveloping the entire Rising Dragon Platform.

Xiao Huang's domain was completely shattered.

Ji Mengjun shook her head slightly; she too could no longer alter the laws of heaven and earth.

Above the Rising Dragon Platform at this moment, a terrifying set of heavenly and earthly laws descended.

At first, they could still hear Zhao Xing's Dragon Tongue chanting, but soon he was completely submerged within the pillar of light.

"He has already begun the sealing ritual." Ji Mengjun scanned the surroundings. "Prepare for battle."

No further words were needed; the six immediately took up their respective posts to guard the Ascending Dragon Platform.

Such a disturbance could certainly no longer be suppressed.

They could feel that the experts of the Baigu Sect and many dragons were rushing toward this location.

"Crack, crack, crack, crack~"

On the Ascending Stone Platform, cracks appeared on the carved slab, and shell fragments slowly fell away.

Zhao Xing looked down; a piece of the gray-black shell on the carved slab was missing, revealing a golden light within,

with a vague dragon-shaped shadow flickering into view.

"At the current rate of bloodletting, it will take just over a quarter of an hour to unseal." After calculating the time,

the true body continued chanting the spell, while simultaneously dispatching a clone to step out from the boat and inform Ji Mengjun and the others.