Chapter 221: Pearl of the Flood Dragon!

A strange sound.

The fifth hidden sword appeared from behind Peng Qianjiao's head, in the blind spot of his line of sight, as if穿越 space, sinking soundlessly into his brain!

"Ugh~"

Peng Qianjiao's forward-charging motion abruptly froze; the ferocity, madness, and that trace of post-disaster relief on his face instantly solidified, and his crimson vertical pupils rapidly dimmed and unfocused.

He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to utter a final curse or a question of unwillingness, yet not a single sound came out.

In front of his brow, a wisp of fine sword qi quietly pierced through, drawing out a thread of red-and-white pulp.

"Thud!"

Peng Qianjiao, whose body had not yet fully healed, pitched forward rigidly, slamming into the rubble at the bottom of the pit and kicking up a bit of dust.

Those crimson vertical pupils, gradually losing their luster, still stared fixedly ahead, filled with endless venom and disbelief.

He died with eyes unclosed!

【Corpse discovered. Loot?】

"Yes!"

Card obtained.

Chen Mu endured the stabbing pain, took out two equipment cards, unsealed them to obtain three drops of Awakening Liquid, and swallowed them.

Immediately, he sheathed the Frost Chill Blade, his figure slowly descending to the edge of the pit. He looked at Peng Qianjiao's corpse, especially that crimson pearl that had stopped spinning and dimmed because of Peng Qianjiao's death, his gaze turning Solemn.

"This thing... it can't be a 'Jiao Pearl,' can it?"

Chen Mu rubbed his temple, a flash of astonishment in his eyes.

The Awakening Liquid's efficacy was taking hold, nourishing the soul, soothing the stabbing pain in his brain, and imperceptibly elevating his spirit.

In just a few breaths, the spiritual-attack trauma Peng Qianjiao had inflicted was erased, the stabbing pain dissipated, and his mind cleared.

Chen Mu's gaze remained fixed on the crimson pearl.

While staring, he reached out and grabbed, drawing the pearl through the air, suspending it above his palm with true qi released outward.

Up close, he grew more certain that this crimson pearl was indeed a "Jiao Pearl."

Crimson Jiao Pearl!

The pearl's surface was inscribed with wisps of nearly invisible, fine, dense patterns. The moment one's eyes fixed on it, a violent, fierce, scorching aura came rushing toward him.

Sensing with spiritual force...

"Roar~!"

A vicious bellow suddenly rang in his ears, as if a crimson flood dragon, claws bared and fangs brandished, were lunging ferociously straight at him.

Chen Mu's heartbeat instinctively accelerated, and his cultivation art automatically circulated.

He moved the pearl away and exhaled slightly.

This thing was undoubtedly a "Crimson Jiao Pearl."

Though a Jiao Pearl is not a dragon pearl, it is still immensely powerful.

From Peng Qianjiao's performance just now, one could see that using the "Crimson Jiao Pearl" granted several abilities.

Control over fire and water!

Superb self-healing!

Spiritual attacks!

And others he hadn't had time to display.

A single "Crimson Jiao Pearl" could absolutely let an ordinary person slay an Innate martial artist.

But every advantage has its drawback.

The side effects of using the "Crimson Jiao Pearl" were even greater.

Peng Qianjiao's eyes turning into beast-like vertical pupils just now was only one of them.

Chen Mu had only just now used his spirit to sense the "Crimson Jiao Pearl," and his qi and blood had already surged, goading him to want to wreak havoc, to kill and kill again!

Clearly, using the "Crimson Jiao Pearl" for too long would drive a person mad, stripping away their self and reducing them to a puppet-monster that knew only slaughter.

Unless one possessed a will as firm as a Heavenly Being's, forcibly suppressing it!

The problem was, anyone truly possessing such willpower probably wouldn't even care for a "Crimson Jiao Pearl."

After a moment of reflection, Chen Mu took out an empty wooden box, placed the pearl inside, and stored it in his palm-space.

This "Crimson Jiao Pearl" must not be used, short of the very last resort!

……

Having safely stored the "Crimson Jiao Pearl,"

Chen Mu rummaged through Peng Qianjiao's corpse once more, taking anything of value.

Then, he released flame true qi, burning the corpse to ash.

With everything handled, his figure rose into the air, and he activated the "Wild Goose Plume Garment" to fly back to Great Longshan.

Halfway there, he took out the card looted from Peng Qianjiao's corpse and opened it to inspect.

A skill card!

Recorded within was an ultimate art called "Crimson Water Dragon Killing Dao"!

"Crimson Water Dragon Killing Dao" centered on the mastery of water and fire power, divided into nine layers in total.

Peng Qianjiao had only cultivated to the third layer, yet even so, he had achieved the fusion of water and fire and could unleash killing moves.

But his control over the two fundamental moves of "Crimson Water Dragon Killing Dao" was merely average.

Because to bring out the true might of "Crimson Water Dragon Killing Dao," one had to comprehend Fire and Water Intent.

Only after Comprehended Intent could one condense a "Blazing Flame Dragon Claw" in the right hand to melt metal and sever iron!

And unleash an "Abyssal Dragon Breath" from the left hand to pulverize all things!

Blazing Flame Dragon Claw! Dark Abyss Dragon Breath!

These two foundational moves, empowered by Fire and Water Intent, could in theory scale their power without limit.

Chen Mu used the card.

In an instant, information about the "Red Water Dragon Killing Dao" flooded his mind; his body trembled, his limbs strengthening as if seized by cramps.

The profound mysteries of the first three layers were inscribed into his soul, memorized by heart, made thoroughly familiar.

Chen Mu had self-created the "Ninefold Wave Surge Art" and had initially grasped Water Intent; at this moment, he could just try out his newly acquired ultimate technique.

"Dark Abyss Dragon Breath!"

With a low cry, the moisture in the night sky was suddenly drawn by an invisible force, gathering around Chen Mu, then transforming into a faintly visible flood dragon that coiled and darted, soaring across the heavens. A soft yet tenacious binding-and-stirring force spun with the faintly visible flood dragon, slicing space and emitting a clear, strange sound.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss~

……

……

Great Longshan.

The southern ravine.

Lu Minghao, in a robe of white, stood amid corpses strewn across the ground, his expression Solemn, his heart uneasy.

Especially when he looked at Yu Chenghe's corpse, a flash of dread crossed his eyes.

Who was it!

Who on earth was targeting them?

Hou Ping, Zhu Li, Yu Chenghe—three Elders, all dead at the hands of an unknown enemy.

The other side had also killed every member of the squads led by Hou Ping and Zhu Li.

Had the Guild Leader not arrived in time, the men Yu Chenghe led would clearly have been wiped out as well.

The key point was, it seemed only one person had struck!

A single person had destroyed the greater part of their "Red Jiao Guild's" strength.

Earth Altar!

The enemy was absolutely an Earth Altar realm expert.

Lu Minghao carefully recalled, trying to think of which Earth Altar realm expert their "Red Jiao Guild" had offended that could be so fearsome.

Yet, after thinking for a long while, he still could not figure out who it was.

"I hope the Guild Leader, my lord, can take care of this person! Otherwise…"

Big trouble!

Lu Minghao thought to himself.

"Reporting to the Elder, all the wounded have been carried out." A member of the "Red Jiao Guild" came over to report.

"Mm."

Lu Minghao nodded. "You all withdraw from the mountain first as well; put the 'Baihuo Sect' matter aside for now."

"Yes!"

The reporting man answered in a low, steady voice.

In his heart, he too breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Minghao, an Elder at the Innate Perfection stage, had been overawed by the unknown enemy and did not dare act rashly.

Let alone subordinates like them?

The man had heard that the members of the other two squads had already been completely annihilated!

No one wanted to run into such a terrifying enemy.

Relieved in his heart, the man turned to leave.

Suddenly…

An unusual current of air drifted through, somewhat soft, and tinged with warmth.

'What…'

Hiss!