Chapter 191: Dragon Vein of the Shuo Founding Emperor

After Qi Qianshan died, Chu Danqing searched his body, but the most crucial magical mechanical insect bloodline had already been taken; the remaining body parts were nothing but scrap metal.

This left Chu Danqing only with regret—the man hadn't undergone normal bloodline transplantation, but rather had been controlled by the bloodline.

Otherwise, with only one point of durability after transplantation, the body would've been useless—how could Guo Ming have possibly removed it?

"Of course they've taken precautions," Chu Danqing said, gazing at the imperial tomb ahead, his expression showing no surprise.

At first he hadn't known where the Nine Tripods Map was guiding him, but later realized he was steadily moving toward Shuo Capital.

Only upon arrival did he discover it was the imperial tomb of the founding emperor of Da Shuo.

It made sense for the dragon vein to be on him—he had founded the Da Shuo Dynasty himself.

After death, the dragon vein being buried with him was logical.

But Chu Danqing hadn't entered the capital; imperial tombs were never inside city walls—they were always outside.

Yet outside the Shuo Founding Emperor's tomb, countless soldiers clad in iron armor guarded and patrolled.

"No, they're not people—they stink," Da Bao warned Chu Danqing.

Da Bao could sense that the men beneath the armor weren't normal humans; they emitted a repulsive aura.

"Very sinister—stranger than the Fallen Flower Woman we encountered before," Gui Yuanmu added.

Hearing this, Chu Danqing narrowed his eyes—this was almost certainly the Empress Dowager's doing.

He was the weakest among them and hadn't sensed anything amiss.

"Should we call for backup?" Chu Danqing asked.

What else could he do? His skills, besides passive ones, were only Bodyguard and the Mountain-River Pact.

Bodyguard was useless now—he could only use the Mountain-River Pact.

If the Son of Heaven's Child and the others couldn't win, the only option was to get Guo Ming to act.

"Let the Son of Heaven's Child lead the way; we'll support from the sides," Gui Yuanmu said.

She was the only one here who could speak—the Son of Heaven's Child wasn't complete, and Yue Lan Wu Ying resembled nothing more than a battle shadow.

Though their eleven points of spiritual essence granted them far beyond ordinary self-awareness, speaking was still problematic.

Spiritual essence made these temporary summons less rigid, more like true living beings—with stronger selfhood and intelligence.

"How confident are you?" Chu Danqing asked the Son of Heaven's Child.

The Son of Heaven's Child nodded—ninety percent.

The bond from Domination allowed the Son of Heaven's Child's intent to convey clearly to Chu Danqing.

Communication didn't require words—mutual understanding sufficed.

"Then I'll help too," Chu Danqing continued.

He could certainly help—once he activated the Five Elements Spirit Array, he could grant them another buff.

This was one of the few ways he could contribute.

No sooner had he spoken than the Son of Heaven's Child summoned the Imperial Edict of the Supreme Heaven, unleashing overwhelming power to bestow a buff upon all.

This act naturally radiated golden light, drawing immediate attention from the enemy.

The iron-armored soldiers slowly turned, and from the seams of their armor, strange tendrils began to creep out.

Beneath the armor was nothing but a massive mass of flesh—no trace of human features remained.

After bestowing the buff, the Son of Heaven's Child hurled a golden spear, which instantly exploded among the iron-armored soldiers.

Any soldier touched by the golden light emitted a sizzling sound, releasing black mist.

Yet these soldiers showed no pain—they charged straight toward them.

Yue Lan Wu Ying immediately planted her totem pole onto the war chariot, creating a mobile aura, then charged ahead into the iron-armored soldiers.

With the four elements and the golden light from the Son of Heaven's Child, one punch shattered a nearby soldier; the splattered flesh and blood instantly turned to black smoke under the combined effects.

Behind her came the Yellow Turban Warriors—though fewer than the Gui Yuan Infants, each was towering and muscular, forcibly carving a path wide enough for the chariot.

The strongest, the Son of Heaven's Child and Gui Yuanmu, transformed into mobile artillery platforms, their Taiping and Ghost Dao spells forming the primary offensive force.

As for Da Bao, his strength was insufficient—he could only lead the Gui Yuan Infants in the second line.

Chu Danqing sat atop the chariot, activated the Five Elements Spirit Array, then casually cast a Spirit Eye spell to examine these monsters.

—

【Corrupted Imperial Tomb Guard】

【Attributes】

【Health: 100%】

【Mana: 10】

【Strength: 10】

【Agility: 10】

【Constitution: 10】

【Spirit: 10】

【Perception: 10】

【Talents】

【Corrupted Lifeform】

【Witch-Modified Body】

【Puppet Mind】

【Skills】

【Corrupted Screech (Active) LV. 0】

【Bloodthirsty Tendrils (Passive) LV. AX】

【Mana Frenzy (Passive) LV. AX】

【Guardian Instinct (Passive) LV. AX】

【Pack Tactics (Passive) LV. AX】

—

Their stats weren't impressive, but their talents and skills were top-tier.

They granted massive damage reduction, control immunity, and even resisted mental and spiritual effects like charm and fear.

Had they not been demonic heretics, inherently suppressed by the Son of Heaven's Child—a celestial spirit of Taiping—they'd have been nearly impossible to kill.

It made sense that Paradise assigned him the Nine Tripods Map.

Of everyone else, only the Fallen Lord, possessed by the Cave God's consciousness fragment, stood a chance.

The others would've simply been meat for the grinder.

But given the Fallen Lord's situation, he suspected his final trial would merge with Lian Yun—both facing the Empress Dowager together.

With the summons' coordination, they successfully pushed to the tomb's entrance, where Yue Lan Wu Ying and the Yellow Turban Warriors smashed open a passage wide enough for the chariot.

Then they turned back, letting the chariot carry Chu Danqing inside while they held off the incoming Corrupted Imperial Tomb Guards.

Upon Chu Danqing's arrival, the Son of Heaven's Child instantly created a golden barrier, forcibly sealing off the tomb's interior from the outside.

But it wasn't fast enough—many Corrupted Imperial Tomb Guards had already surged in.

Before they could close in, Yue Lan Wu Ying and the Yellow Turban Warriors arrived and eliminated them one by one.

The golden radiance emitted by the Son of Heaven's Child dispelled the darkness within the tomb.

It also blocked an invisible, corrupting force attempting to seep in.

With no enemies left, Chu Danqing retracted the Five Elements Spirit Array.

Yue Lan Wu Ying and the Yellow Turban Warriors returned, gathering beside Chu Danqing.

Not for any other reason—the tomb corridor ahead had begun narrowing, making the chariot impassable.

They could've smashed through with force, but Chu Danqing feared collapsing the tomb.

"Judging by the layout, the dragon vein must be inside the Da Shuo Founding Emperor's coffin," Chu Danqing said, dismissing the magical energy sustaining the Beast-Mask Warriors, causing them and their horses and chariot to vanish.

Chu Danqing needed to conserve mana—he didn't lack the combat power of three men and four horses; too many would hinder maneuverability.

Not only the Beast-Mask Warriors, but even the Gui Yuan Infants and Yellow Turban Warriors were recalled by Gui Yuanmu and the Son of Heaven's Child.

Yue Lan Wu Ying, the pure melee summon, led the way—capable of handling most situations while using her carried totem pole as a shield.

Behind her came Gui Yuanmu, Chu Danqing, Da Bao, and the Son of Heaven's Child.

Fortunately, the journey to the Founding Emperor's coffin passed without incident—no terrifying monsters appeared.

The previously cramped space suddenly opened into a vast underground plaza.

But the coffin had already been opened—empty inside.

The Shuo Founding Emperor's corpse was gone, but the Nine Tripods Map's guidance hadn't failed.

That meant the dragon vein he needed was still inside the tomb.

"Send a Gui Yuan Infant to investigate," Chu Danqing said.

Among the temporary summons, the Gui Yuan Infant was the cheapest to summon.

Especially since he could summon one or two individually—it was the highest cost-to-benefit ratio.

One Gui Yuan Infant crawled out from Gui Yuanmu's arms and darted toward the empty coffin with blinding speed.

Soon, it climbed inside and dragged out everything within.

Before the Gui Yuan Infant could return with its haul, long, slender tendrils shot out from the coffin.

They seized the Gui Yuan Infant instantly—the Son of Heaven's Child reacted at once, but was too late to save it.

Before the golden spear pierced the coffin, the Gui Yuan Infant had been drained into a shriveled husk, then dissolved into dust.

The coffin pierced through began to shed its outer layer, revealing the squirming flesh within.

At its center lay a corpse, long decayed into unrecognizable bones.

Yet Chu Danqing was instantly drawn to it—the spine of the skeleton coiled like a coiled dragon, radiating a jade-like glow.

The Nine Cauldrons Diagram equipped on his person erupted with intense resonance the moment he saw the coiled dragon.

This was the dragon vein he needed; with the barrier gone, their connection surged to full strength, and in Chu Danqing's mind, the dragon vein's weak cry for help exploded.

It longed to return to the Nine Cauldrons Diagram, to restore itself and regain its vitality.

"So all this commotion you caused—your target was the dragon vein too," the fleshy coffin writhed open a massive eye, recognizing Chu Danqing's identity upon seeing Da Bao beside him.

"You're the Holy Mother Empress Dowager, aren't you? Wash your neck clean—I'm coming to cut it off," Chu Danqing said coldly.

At the same time, the Son of Heaven's Mandate charged forward, using the reverse-force technique Guo Ming had taught it, burning his life to trigger self-explosion.

Though lacking Guo Ming's coordination reduced its power, how could this fleshy coffin compare to a fragment of the Cave God's consciousness?

Before the Holy Mother Empress Dowager could even remotely command anything, the fleshy coffin dissolved into black smoke within the golden light.

The bones of Emperor Shuo's ancestor also shattered in the golden light, and with a metallic "clang," the dragon vein fell to the ground.

(End of Chapter)