Chapter 813: Side Story 4: 50

Even though it had come to this point, the giant poisonous snake in the blood water still dared not show its head to oppose Xiao Jiu.

It's not that it doesn't want to, but that it cannot.

Because it had not yet waited for the Thunder-Struck Wood Formation Array on the mountain ridge to subdue the true dragon, nor for the true dragon's qi to be drawn into the stone coffin and then fully absorbed by it.

How many years has it lain dormant here?

It must have been there since the very beginning when this stone tomb was built.

That passage, which resembles a grave robber's entrance but is not one, was left behind at its instruction.

Perhaps all of this was originally an agreement between the poisonous snake and the tomb's owner.

It guards the tomb chamber, controls everything, and helps the tomb owner 'be reborn'.

But in fact, this 'rebirth' was not prepared for the tomb owner, but for the poisonous snake's ascension.

Xiao Jiu's gaze finally fell upon the coffin.

Only then did she discover that beneath these layers of coffin lay another world.

The bottom of the coffin is carved with a dragon.

Yes, it is a carving, not a pattern or engraving.

The outer shape of those coffin layers is one nested inside another, but the bottom is a single solid piece.

This thick, solid coffin bottom has been carved into a three‑dimensional, lifelike dragon!

The dragon's body coils outward to inward in concentric circles, its head at the center, mouth open as if biting something.

But at this moment, the dragon's mouth is empty, yet inexplicably a faint trace of spiritual qi lingers within.

Xiao Jiu's heart gave a jolt, and she finally understood completely.

The golden compass in her hand was originally held within the dragon's mouth.

In those early years, as the golden compass turned, all of the earth vein spiritual qi of Print Army Mountain, together with the noble aura of that man just now, were gathered through the compass and then absorbed by the poisonous snake.

But as time passed, the earth vein spiritual qi and the noble aura gradually dwindled, and the snake realized that without taking some measures it could not sustain itself.

At that moment, the Meng family on the opposite bank began to rise gradually.

The Meng family was, naturally, targeted.

Where the little white tiger came from is unknown.

But Xiao Jiu can be certain of one thing: the little white tiger is also a victim.

The golden compass controls the little white tiger's fate, and through it the snake seizes the Meng family's fortune.

Although the little white tiger is now gone, the dragon's mouth still contains a trace of spiritual qi.

This spiritual qi should belong to the little white tiger.

Then the little white tiger must have been drawn into the Meng family ancestral tomb, which was part of the snake's original plan.

With the little white tiger in the Meng family ancestral tomb, Xiao Jiu is no longer so worried.

Now what she must do is send the golden compass into the dragon's mouth.

The function of the golden compass is to gather the earth vein spiritual qi of Print Army Mountain, and now also the Meng family's fortune.

Of course, if the Thunder-Struck Wood Formation Array succeeds, the golden compass will also continuously draw in the true dragon's qi to aid the snake's ascension.

Xiao Jiu gave a cold smile.

The poisonous snake is still too idealistic.

It has lingered in this ancient tomb for too many years, believing its formations and schemes flawless, yet it overlooked the opponent's ability.

What it faces is the Earth Vein Dragon God!

Is Liu Junyan's true dragon's qi something it can just suck up?

Outside, thunder rumbled repeatedly, but the dragon's roar vanished—this shows that Liu Junyan was indeed probing just now.

After obtaining the information he wanted, the remaining thunder‑struck wood obviously could not harm him at all.

Since the snake wants to absorb true dragon's qi, let it try.

Let's see whether this 'local snake' has the ability, or whether the Earth Vein Dragon God is superior.

Just as Xiao Jiu prepared to descend to the coffin bottom and thrust the golden compass into the dragon's mouth, the man had already rushed back.

The man had long been possessed by the poisonous snake, launching successive attacks, each aimed at Xiao Jiu's vital points.

After blocking several strikes, Xiao Jiu realized the man was actually preventing her from returning the golden compass.

So the poisonous snake also knows fear, huh?

Does it no longer want true dragon's qi?

Xiao Jiu glanced again at the blood water.

Just that glance, she discovered the poisonous snake in the blood water had actually begun to move.

It coiled around the coffin, slowly swimming in the blood water, and as it moved, the water level gradually fell.

And the dragon carved on the coffin bottom was rapidly turning red.

The man kept attacking Xiao Jiu, his mandarin-duck eyes flashing with a bewitching light; she knew he was trying to hold her back, prevent the golden compass from returning to its place, and buy time for the blood‑water snake to shed its shell like a golden cicada.

Xiao Jiu swiftly unleashed two powerful moves, repelling the man.

Then, in the opening when the man attacked again, she bit her finger, drew a talisman with her bloody fingertip in mid‑air, and pushed forward with a reverse palm.

At the moment the blood talisman struck the man, Xiao Jiu heard the poisonous snake's painful hiss.

The man froze there.

The mandarin‑duck‑colored pupils quickly faded, returning to a deep white.

The poisonous snake was driven back from the man's body.

As Xiao Jiu was about to turn and continue sending the golden compass, she saw the man's deep‑white pupils flash a golden glint; then he let out a loud shout, breaking through the blood talisman and charging at her again.

At the instant the golden light fell, the vertical pupils turned once more into a red‑and‑green mandarin‑duck hue.

Xiao Jiu fought while thinking, what just happened?

What was the golden flash that flickered in the man's pupil?

Is it the power of merit? Or the legendary imperial dragon qi?

If this golden burst truly came from the man himself, then we're doomed.

Inside the stone coffin, the poisonous snake's movements grew faster and faster, its tongue constantly flicking, emitting a hissing sound.

If we don't deal with this man soon, it might really be too late.

Thinking this, Xiao Jiu repeatedly struck at all possible points of the man's life gate, but to no effect.

Suddenly, Xiao Jiu thought of something.

She instantly clenched her right hand into a fist, found the right moment, and punched toward the man's chest.

The blow landed, but Xiao Jiu's fist did not retract immediately; instead, she added another tenth of true qi, pressing her fist upward against the man's body.

From the chest to the neck, then to the throat, and then she thrust forward forcefully again.

A guttural sound came from the man's throat, and immediately his mouth was forced open; Xiao Jiu saw a golden bead slip out of his mouth, hovering before him.

Xiao Jiu suddenly released the man and tucked that bead into her pouch.

This is no ordinary bead, but an inner elixir!

This man was originally of true dragon fate, but failed to overcome that great hurdle in life; after death he was refined, and his inner elixir is not only that of a high-grade stiff corpse, but also contains a strand of true dragon qi.

The poisonous snake likely chose him because its fate resembles his, making them well matched.

The golden flash that flickered in the man's eyes just now was a bump of true dragon qi emanating from this inner elixir.

Now that the inner elixir has been taken, the man's corpse collapsed with a bang, its originally delicate and supple skin quickly drying out, soon becoming a desiccated corpse reduced to skin and bone.

The entire desiccated corpse is dark brown, wrinkled, and devoid of vitality.

Exactly, this is how he ought to look……