Chapter 430: The Secluded Realm, the Poison Dragon God

Woooo— black fog churned, and there seemed to be the sound of dragon-scale blade armor grinding against itself.

Wan Wan Zhuliu kept his eyes closed, as if catching some information from within the black fog, and only opened them after a moment.

"It's not that old ghost."

His finger brushed across the blade's edge, producing the sound of metal scraping metal. Wan Wan Zhuliu's gaze was dark and deep: "A Thousand-Ages-grade talent, the master of the Sea-Splitting Mysterious Whale Hammer… the previous master of the Sea-Splitting Mysterious Whale Hammer, seems to have been a thousand years ago?"

The Black Dragon being slain—he had been prepared for that in his heart. What he hadn't expected was that the one who slew the Black Dragon was not the old ghost he had anticipated, but the master of the Mysterious Whale Hammer.

"Long Yingchán's reliance?"

Wan Wan Zhuliu's heart stirred slightly. Even if it were merely the first wielder of the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing, it was different from the kind of cross-generational urging used by the Wudadao Sect.

The master of the Mysterious Whale Hammer, the Dragon-Tiger Longevity Furnace, Long Xi Xiang who had broken through the Heavenly Gang, and in addition the cunning and far-seeing Long Yingchán…

"Dragon-Tiger Temple…"

He murmured to himself. Behind him the fog churned, threads of true gang interweaving into a dragon-shaped phantom—this was the reconstruction of the Demon-Subduing Dragon God Aspect.

The Mi Fa he had obtained, "Spirit Body Walk," could allow the spirit aspect to be cut out and refined into an incarnation to walk abroad, but this spirit body's cultivation was fixed from the moment of its forging and could not be added to or reduced.

Over forty years had passed, his cultivation had advanced greatly, and this spirit body had indeed reached the time for reconstruction.

Wan Wan Zhuliu's gaze shifted slightly, only to see that the Great Sun Monitoring Heaven Mirror once again shimmered with a flash of Jin Guang, streams of light spilling forth and weaving into a figure before him.

"Your Majesty."

Wan Wan Zhuliu rose and cupped his fists in greeting.

"The Black Dragon is dead."

Within the light and shadow was the figure of the Qian Emperor.

"Your subject already knows."

Wan Wan Zhuliu's expression did not change.

"How many tenths of your cultivation did the Black Dragon possess?"

The Qian Emperor inquired.

"Fifteen years ago, it should have been nine tenths."

Wan Wan Zhuliu answered.

"And now?"

"Now…"

Wan Wan Zhuliu thought for a moment: "It should be one tenth."

"Three tenths?"

The Qian Emperor's brow eased: "In your view, how should we deal with Dragon-Tiger Temple, and that lord of the Mysterious Whale?"

"That is for Your Majesty alone to decide with firm resolve."

Wan Wan Zhuliu had no opinion.

"We are both sovereign and subject, and brothers as well—there is no need for such formality between us."

The Qian Emperor shook his head slightly and asked again.

"Although there is discord among the Wudadao Sect, once we make a move, they will surely rise up together to attack. In your subject's view, if we do not strike, we do not strike; but if we do, we must kill."

Wan Wan Zhuliu answered: "Your subject will not need long to break through that final move. Your Majesty may as well restrain yourself for a time."

As he spoke, he paused slightly: "As for that lord of the Mysterious Whale, Your Majesty need not mind him—leave it to your subject."

"If we strike, we must kill?"

The Qian Emperor nodded.

"Your subject knows Your Majesty wishes to cut himself down and recultivate, but it may not necessarily require the Longevity Furnace. On this journey through the Gang Wind Heaven, your subject had a feeling—perhaps I can cut it for Your Majesty."

"Mm?"

The Qian Emperor's heart stirred slightly: "You are certain?"

"I do not yet have absolute certainty."

Wan Wan Zhuliu's expression grew solemn, and he said: "However, once your subject breaks through that final move, there will be no problem."

"How much longer before you have what you need?"

The Qian Emperor inquired.

"At the least, a year; at most, no more than ten."

Wan Wan Zhuliu measured his tone: "As for what is needed, your subject may have to make use of a great deal of incense and fire merit."

"A great deal?"

The Qian Emperor's eyelid twitched.

"A thousand years of incense and fire merit from the Heng Dragon Dao."

Wan Wan Zhuliu spoke.

"That much?"

The Qian Emperor frowned slightly, but still agreed, and only then said: "Wan Zhuliu, return to the Divine Capital first—there is someone you need to meet."

"What person?"

Wan Wan Zhuliu raised his brow.

"A person from beyond the heavens."

."

Crack!

The dim study suddenly blazed with light.

Wan Wan Zhuliu's gaze burned like fire: "That old turtle has been found?"

"It is related, but…"

Emperor Qian did not finish the thought: "Return to the Divine Capital at once. You'll know once you're back."

"This subject obeys the decree."

Wan Wan Zhuliu cupped his hands in assent. Only after the light-image conjured by the Great Sun Monitoring Heaven Mirror faded did he pick up the bronze mirror and tuck it back into his robes.

"Beyond the heavens…"

The study fell silent. Wan Wan Zhuliu slowly closed his eyes; his drifting thoughts settled on the Dragon-God Demon-Subduing Saber resting across his knees.

On the divine blade's edge, ripples like water stirred, and strands of black patterns flowed and shifted.

Beckoning back the Great Sun Monitoring Heaven Mirror, Emperor Qian looked up. Outside the Piandian, Wu Wu Yingxing strode quickly toward them.

"Your Majesty."

Wu Wu Yingxing cupped his hands slightly.

"Where is that person?"

Emperor Qian asked.

"Ci Ren Wu Gong… is a bit strange."

Wu Wu Yingxing frowned; regarding the matter of beyond the heavens, he had always harbored doubts.

"What do you mean?"

As Emperor Qian asked, he also lifted his foot to walk outside.

"Hard to say. Your Majesty may as well see for yourself. This Ren Wu Gong is not particularly high…"

Wu Wu Yingxing followed closely behind. Soon, the two had reached a high platform, and from there, Emperor Qian caught sight of the visitor.

The first thing to meet his eyes was a great black umbrella, large as a canopy, shielding the visitor completely. Only when the visitor raised the umbrella could one see he was a tall, middle-aged man.

His face was black as iron, he sported a stiff beard, between his brows a baleful aura seemed to lurk, and combined with those emerald pupils, he looked exceedingly uncanny.

"This person calls himself 'Huang Huang Longzi,' claims to come from the Poison Dragon Academy beyond the heavens, and has come to capture that spirit-turtle that toppled the hall!"

"Poison Dragon Academy."

Emperor Qian's gaze subtly sharpened.

"Your Majesty knows of it?"

Wu Wu Yingxing's heart stirred slightly.

"Does Master Wu still remember that book of mine, 'Bafang Miao Ji Shen Jin Lin Pian'?"

Emperor Qian's expression was somewhat subtle.

"That register records the Poison Dragon Academy?"

"Not exactly."

Emperor Qian transmitted his voice in a low tone: "In that Ji Shen Pian, the outer god mentioned is named the Poison Dragon God. Legend has it he is a deity of the You Jing…"

"Your Majesty believes it?"

Wu Wu Yingxing's brow furrowed deeply.

"Believe it or not, it does not prevent us from meeting this person."

Emperor Qian's words paused slightly. In the plaza, the middle-aged man surrounded by armored soldiers seemed to sense something and looked over as well.

In the next instant, the man had already arrived atop the high platform.

This lightness skill…

Wu Wu Yingxing's pupils contracted. Speaking of speed, this was nothing remarkable, but before and after this man's shift, there was not the slightest trace of worldly effort.

Natural, as if wind blew and clouds drifted.

"Fine lightness skill."

Raising a hand to press down on Wu Wu Yingxing, Emperor Qian's expression did not change. The middle-aged man, meanwhile, looked Emperor Qian up and down, his gaze lingering briefly on the dragon mark between his brows and his silver hair.

The baleful aura between his brows dissipated, a subtle shift in his eyes. Only after a moment did he say: "Poison Dragon Academy, Huang Huang Longzi, pays respects to the Lord of Dayun."

"Huang Huang Longzi."

Emperor Qian's expression was subtle: "You come from the Poison Dragon Academy. I wonder if you've heard of the 'Poison Dragon God'?"

"Hmm?"

The strange color in Huang Huang Longzi's eyes deepened: "A noble one actually knows of the 'Poison Dragon God'?"

"I've heard a little."

Emperor Qian said casually: "May I ask, where exactly is 'beyond the heavens'?"

"Your Majesty does not know?"

Glancing at the dragon mark between Emperor Qian's brows, Huang Huang Longzi's expression grew somewhat odd: "Since the noble one does not know, then… it is perhaps better not to know."

"Hmm?"

Emperor Qian frowned.

"Beyond the heavens is no good place. It may not be a bad thing that the noble one does not know."

Huang Huang Longzi gathered his thoughts and said calmly: "This poor Daoist has come to borrow some incense offerings from the noble one, to be used in arranging a 'Grand Rite,' and to capture a great enemy. As a return gift, this poor Daoist can pass on a Wu Gong to the noble one."

"I've come to borrow some incense offerings from you, Noble One, to set up the 'Grand Ritual,' and to capture a great enemy as a return gift. In exchange, this humble Daoist can pass on to you a martial art."

"Incense offerings, a Grand Rite?"

Wu Wu Yingxing's brow was tightly locked. Separated by no more than ten-odd zhang, he still could not quite see through the man before him.

In his perception, this person was not necessarily that strong, but his aura was very strange, utterly unlike any person or beast he had seen in his life.

The only familiar aura was, on the contrary, that faint, elusive scent of incense offerings.

"Wu Gong?"

Emperor Qian scoffed with a smile.

"This poor Daoist's Wu Gong is quite unlike what the noble one has learned."

Yellow Dragon Zi was not annoyed either.

"Incense and offerings, this One can lend you, but Wu Gong is unnecessary."

The Qian Emperor also did not beat around the bush: "This One needs everything you know, all intelligence concerning the Beyond the Heavens, as well as your Poison Dragon Academy."

Yellow Dragon Zi raised his head to look at the great umbrella overhead, then shook his head: "I'm afraid that won't do."

"Hmm?"

The Qian Emperor's expression darkened slightly, but Wu Wu Yingxing instinctively raised his head. At this moment the sun was near dusk, yet four great suns could still be seen hanging high in the sky.

What did he want to see?

Wu Wu Yingxing seemed to have caught on to something in his heart.

"This poor Daoist is merely passing through and does not wish to invite trouble."

"Trouble."

The Qian Emperor frowned. Yellow Dragon Zi merely shook his head. He wanted to persuade the Qian Emperor, but alas this lord of Great Fortune was truly generous to a fault — to persuade him was easier said than done.

After a round of conversation, the Qian Emperor grew somewhat impatient.

"Does Your Excellency truly come from Beyond the Heavens?"

Wu Wu Yingxing spoke: "You want the incense and offerings, yet show no sincerity. If that is so, then you had best be on your way."

"Sincerity…"

Yellow Dragon Zi frowned. Before coming to the imperial city he had made no preparations at all — where would sincerity come from on the spur of the moment?

"Poison Dragon Academy — sounds like a book academy? Or rather, a sect?"

Wu Wu Yingxing watched coldly: "If Your Excellency has some unspeakable difficulty and dares not reveal matters of Beyond the Heavens, then — I wonder if your esteemed academy still takes disciples?"

"Takes disciples."

Yellow Dragon Zi was first stunned, then Yu Yu Xuanji gave the two a serious look, lingering on the Qian Emperor for a moment, before frowning and shaking his head: "Even if this poor Daoist agreed to recommend you, the two of you lack the affinity — far, far too lacking…"

As he spoke, he paused slightly, the great umbrella tilting up a fraction, and looked toward a golden bell hanging high on the Star-Gazing Platform: "Unless…"

Before the memorial archway of the Mi Jing of the Longevity Sect, strands of light wove together into a curtain of radiance, tall enough to reach a person.

In the image, it was precisely Long Long Yingchan and the others, conversing with one another.

"Quite the tool for peeping."

With a casual flick, the scene in the curtain of light shifted accordingly. Li Yuan's teeth ached a little — he had still underestimated the Dragon Tiger Longevity Furnace.

This freaking thing can even replay footage?

"No wonder those few evil gods were ambushed the moment they came in, with nowhere to hide…"

With this furnace in hand, within Dragon Tiger Temple there was no secret whatsoever from him. Li Yuan only felt a chill run down his spine — where was this peeping? It was outright surveillance!

Watching the somewhat wary Dragon Dao Lord in the image, Li Yuan muttered inwardly — so this old bastard also knows fear of being spied upon?

Insight, alchemy, longevity.

The Longevity Furnace had three great uses. Apart from the third, which required complete mastery, Li Yuan had pondered the other two slightly and already grasped them thoroughly.

To be precise, three and a half.

Though the Longevity Furnace had no means of killing, it possessed the power of suppression. A full-force strike could even knock a Grandmaster down a realm!

"Alchemy with the Longevity Furnace, eighty or ninety percent… that high?"

Before the memorial archway of the Longevity Sect, Li Yuan savored the wondrous uses of the Longevity Furnace. After quite a while, he finally perceived the four conditions for controlling the furnace.