Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin: I Set Taboos in the Heavens

The land of abundance is experiencing a turbulent period.

Fang Qing continued to stealthily move towards the direction where the fluctuations of the Primordial Heart fragment were strongest.

Deep within the primordial chaos, the ruins stretch endlessly, like a vast and complex labyrinth.

The dilapidated temples, collapsed palaces, eerie altars, and scattered corpses create an ancient and desolate scene.

The chaotic air currents not only obstructed vision and spiritual senses, but also seemed to contain some strange power that could slowly distort one's sense of direction, making it easy for ordinary cultivators to lose their way.

After traveling for a short while, Fang Qing suddenly sensed a strange energy fluctuation coming from a very far distance ahead.

The fluctuation was of a different kind of vast majesty, carrying a faint pressure that was awe-inspiring and inviolable, like a sleeping king awakening, accompanied by a low rumble like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing.

"It's the aura of a Great Saint Weapon."

Fang Qing's heart stirred.

This chaotic secret realm is indeed full of treasures, and a weapon of the Great Sage level is about to be born. Moreover, judging from the commotion, he is clearly not the only one who has noticed it.

Dozens of auras of varying strengths were flying towards the source of the Holy Might from all directions. These people were dressed in different styles, some clearly bearing the style of the Zhen Dan Continent, while others had unfamiliar auras, seemingly from other unknown continents. Some even had a sinister demonic aura, clearly not human.

When Fang Qing saved the dimensional pearl, he also indirectly opened up spacetime wormholes leading to many continents.

Now, all sides are moving in response, and experts are flocking to the scene.

Besides the possible fragments of the Primordial Heart, the legends of the ancient teleportation array in this chaotic realm are equally attractive to them.

Before long, a colossal temple of exceptionally grand scale appeared ahead. A crowd of no fewer than a hundred people had already gathered in the plaza in front of the temple.

These people were divided into several small groups, clearly separated, wary of each other, yet all staring intently into the depths of the temple.

Fang Qing also landed at the edge of the square, his gaze fixed on the interior of the temple.

Deep within the temple's main hall stood an ancient altar constructed from some kind of strange black stone.

Above the altar, the space rippled violently like water, forming a small, independent space about ten feet in diameter, like a transparent bubble floating there. And at the very center of that bubble space, a weapon was clearly suspended.

It was a strangely shaped, dark red weapon, seemingly forged from congealed blood and some mysterious metal.

It is about seven feet long, with a hook body curved like a crescent moon. The blade flashes with a chilling light, and the hook handle is carved with ferocious beast heads and intricate flame patterns.

At this moment, it is quietly suspended, emitting rings of dark red light around it.

Just one glance is enough to stir one's soul, as if facing a lurking ferocious beast.

"A sacred weapon has been unearthed! Who broke the seal just now? And saw the legendary sacred weapon in this small space?"

Some people in the crowd whispered among themselves, their voices filled with excitement and greed.

"It's some people from 'Watson Road'!"

An insider pointed to some still-wet bloodstains and fragments of clothing on the ground near the altar, saying, "They sensed the divine power first, thought their opportunity had arrived, and rashly went to dig and touch it, which triggered the protective array left behind by this temple! Look at those bloodstains and fragments, they were left by the people of Huashengdao. The whole team was wiped out, and there was no trace of their bodies!"

"Hua Sheng Dao? That's a powerful Dao Sect in our Zhen Dan Continent! I heard they even had several legendary ninth-level elders leading the group, and yet... they were all wiped out?"

Some people gasped in shock.

"Just how terrifying is the formation here? Are we just supposed to watch this legendary weapon sit here, with no one daring to take it?"

"Learning from past mistakes, I don't want to die here."

Many people shook their heads, their eyes filled with longing, but their feet seemed rooted to the spot, not daring to cross the line.

The area around the altar appeared calm, but it concealed a deadly formation that would devour anyone it chose.

Finally, a burly man could no longer contain himself. His eyes gleamed with greed, and he roared, "Fortune favors the bold! I'll give it a try!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly took several steps forward, and his palms were suddenly surrounded by lightning, bursting out with dazzling electric light! He had obviously cultivated some kind of lightning-based qigong, and his skill was not low.

"Breaking the Boundary!"

Two thick purple lightning bolts burst forth from his palms, accompanied by a deafening roar, and slammed into the independent spatial bubble above the altar that contained the holy weapon, attempting to blast open the space with brute force and let the holy weapon fly out on its own.

However, just as the lightning in his palm touched the temple's area, before it even touched the spatial bubble, the moment...

Changes occur suddenly.

hum.

The walls, pillars, and even the ground around the temple suddenly lit up with countless fine and ancient runes. These runes intertwined and flickered, instantly condensing into an enormous mirror light array in front of the altar!
The two purple lightning bolts unleashed by the burly man struck the mirror-like light array squarely.

The mirrored light array rippled slightly, and then a chilling scene unfolded.

Inside the mirror-like light array, it seemed to split into hundreds of tiny mirror worlds in an instant. Each mirror world precisely reflected, copied, and even amplified the attack of the purple lightning pillar.

In the next instant, hundreds of purple lightning bolts, their power amplified several times or even ten times, surged back violently from the mirror-like light array like a volcano erupting in reverse, instantly engulfing the burly man completely.

"Do not--!"

The big man only had time to let out a short, desperate scream.

The lightning dissipated.

The place was empty.

Not only were there no remains, but not even a trace of ashes, as if this person had never existed.

Sold out in seconds, not even a trace left.

The square fell silent instantly.

Everyone was terrified by this horrific scene, their faces turned deathly pale, and they retreated in fear, no one daring to make the slightest move.

The power of that mirror array far exceeded our imagination.

"All bystanders, step back!"

Just as everyone was still reeling from the shock, countless cold, hoarse voices, like the hiss of venomous snakes, suddenly came from the depths of the chaotic air currents in the distance.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of figures dressed in black bodysuits, revealing only pairs of cold and ruthless eyes, emerged silently from the chaotic energy like ghosts.

The aura emanating from them was exactly the same as that of the assassin Fang Qing had killed earlier—the Zhen Dan Temple, the Ninja Hall.

As soon as these people appeared, a chilling, murderous aura, seemingly capable of freezing the soul, immediately spread and enveloped the entire square.

Many people felt a tightness in their chests and involuntarily stepped back and made way, their eyes filled with apprehension and fear.

"Hmph, the people from the Temple of Zhen Dan are truly domineering!"

Some people murmured their dissatisfaction.

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Don't talk too much, or you'll get yourself into trouble! The Ninja Hall is one of the most terrifying and unreasonable halls in the Zhen Dan Temple; they kill without blinking an eye!"

“We, the ‘Ancient Path,’ are not necessarily afraid of him! But we are outnumbered right now, so let’s avoid a direct confrontation for the time being… It’s a pity that this legendary sacred weapon is going to fall into their hands.”

"That's not necessarily true! They're trying to break the seal and retrieve the sacred weapon. That sealing formation is so terrifying, they might not succeed easily!"

"Surround this temple! Anyone who approaches will be killed on sight!"

A man in black, who appeared to be the leader, coldly gave the order.

Swish swish!
Dozens of men in black immediately dispersed, surrounding the entire temple in layers, their swords drawn, exuding murderous intent, their eyes scanning everyone around them like hawks.

Then, a thick, swirling black cloud flew rapidly from afar. On the black cloud stood seven or eight figures with exceptionally powerful auras. Two of them were also half-saints, while the rest were all at the peak of the ninth transformation of the legendary realm!

They were clearly the core experts of the Ninja Hall in this operation.

The dark clouds hovered above the temple. The leading demigod's gaze swept across the mirror array below, sharp as lightning, and he coldly snorted, "A mere remnant array dares to obstruct my Ninja Hall? Deploy the 'Black Gold Dragon Refining Array'!" "Yes!"

The experts responded in unison.

With a wave of his hand, the semi-saint leader sent forth a colossal three-legged structure, entirely black, neither gold nor iron, and covered with countless dragon reliefs and strange runes. It swelled in the wind, instantly growing to a hundred feet in size, before crashing down and engulfing the entire temple, altar, and mirror array.

"Black Gold Dragon Refining Cauldron, suppress!"

The half-saint leader, along with two other half-saints and several peak ninth-transformation experts, simultaneously poured their immense true energy into the giant cauldron!
"Boom!"

The giant cauldron trembled violently, and the dragon patterns on its body seemed to come alive, emitting a deep and majestic dragon roar. Thick, ink-like black light spewed down from the cauldron's mouth, cascading down like a waterfall and colliding fiercely with the temple's mirrored light array.

Hiss! Rumble!
The two powerful forces collided violently, producing a screeching friction sound and a muffled explosion.

The mirror array flickered wildly, attempting to reflect the black light, but the power of the Black Gold Dragon Refining Cauldron seemed to be more concentrated and corrosive. Moreover, it used an array formation against an array formation, rather than a single energy attack, making it difficult for the mirror array to fully exert its reflective properties.

The stalemate lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

During this time, several Ninja Hall experts maintaining the formation turned pale and bled from the corners of their mouths, clearly indicating that they had exhausted themselves. However, the light of the mirror formation also began to flicker under the continuous impact of the black light and the vibration of the dragon's roar, and fine cracks appeared on its surface.

"Break it for me!"

The demigod leader's hair and beard bristled, and he suddenly bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood essence that merged into the giant cauldron.

"Crack!"

There was a loud noise!
The enormous mirror-like light array finally gave way and shattered, dissipating into countless points of light!

"receive!"

The half-saint leader's face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly manipulated the Black Gold Dragon Refining Cauldron. The cauldron's mouth generated a suction force, attempting to suppress and collect the hook-shaped holy weapon.

However, just as the mirror array shattered and the sacred weapon was freed from its restraints...

"call out--!"

A hook-shaped beam of dark red light, as fast as lightning, shot into the sky from the shattered spatial bubble like a ferocious dragon breaking free from its confinement. The sacred weapon, seemingly possessing a spirit, was unwilling to be so easily captured and attempted to break through the void and fly away!

"The treasure is out! Grab it quickly!"

"Do it!"

"This thing is destined for me!"

Almost simultaneously, the experts from all sides, who had been hiding in the surrounding chaotic airflow for a long time, could no longer hold back and more than twenty powerful auras suddenly erupted.

Countless hands of true energy, beams of magical artifacts, and chains of supernatural power, each of different colors and attributes, fiercely grabbed at the hook-shaped beam of light that shot into the sky from all directions.

Among them, four or five semi-saint level experts with a vast and powerful aura, carrying a faint holy might, made their move. Some joined forces, while others acted alone, all with the same goal: to seize the legendary holy weapon.

The scene instantly descended into utter chaos.

"You traitors, you're asking for death!"

The demigod leader of the Ninja Hall was furious. He tried his best to control the Black Gold Dragon Refining Cauldron to release a thick black light in an attempt to suppress and entangle the flying holy weapon. At the same time, he swung the giant cauldron horizontally and smashed it into the forces that dared to snatch it.

"Boom!"

Wherever the giant cauldron passed, space collapsed, several powerful hands of true energy were smashed to pieces, and several legendary experts who had made the move were sent flying backward with screams, seriously injured and coughing up blood.

However, the contenders at the semi-saint level were not to be underestimated. They used various methods, either dodging or confronting the attacks head-on, and several attacks still managed to penetrate the giant cauldron's defenses, threatening to reach the sacred weapon.

Just when things were at a critical juncture and the sacred weapon was about to fall into the hands of someone, Fang Qing, who had been observing from the sidelines, made his move.

This was the moment he had been waiting for.

The mantis stalks the cicada, but the oriole follows behind!

Fang Qing took a step, a step that shrank the distance between them, ignoring spatial distance. His body appeared out of thin air in front of the hook-shaped holy weapon that was struggling to break free from the black light in mid-air.

"Five Elements Suppression!"

He stretched out his right hand, fingers spread, and grabbed at the sacred weapon in mid-air.

In an instant, the space within a hundred feet radius of his palm seemed to be instantly infused with ancient ice, becoming viscous, solidified, and almost frozen.

At the same time, five-colored light burst forth from his palm, transforming into five chains of different colors of law, which intertwined into a large net, tightly binding and suppressing the fiercely struggling hook-shaped holy weapon.

The sacred weapon emitted an unwilling hum, its dark red light flashing wildly, yet it could not break free from the powerful suppression that combined the laws of space and the origins of the five elements.

"Got it."

Fang Qing was overjoyed. He grabbed the sacred weapon and, without hesitation, flashed away, preparing to use his Void Escape Technique to escape this chaotic battlefield!
"brute!"

"court death!"

"Stop him!"

Fang Qing's actions instantly enraged everyone.

Especially the demigod leader of the Ninja Hall, seeing that his efforts to break through the great formation had only benefited others, he was furious, his killing intent boiling to the extreme.

"Surround him! Kill him!"

The semi-saint leader's eyes widened in fury as he roared madly. At the same time, disregarding his own energy expenditure, he once again exerted all his strength to activate the Black Gold Dragon Refining Cauldron in his hand, frantically pouring his remaining true energy into it.

"Black Gold Dragon Soul, come out! Refine this fiend!"

"Roar!"

A deafening dragon roar erupted from the giant cauldron, followed by a terrifying dragon-shaped phantom composed entirely of pitch-black energy, roaring as it soared into the sky from the cauldron's mouth, baring its fangs and claws, carrying an aura of annihilation, and lunging fiercely towards Fang Qing.

This is an attack from the spirit of the Black Gold Dragon Refining Cauldron, far more powerful than an ordinary attack from a half-saint!
At the same time, the masters of the surrounding Ninja Hall also reacted, roaring angrily and unleashing their unique skills to launch a fierce and relentless assassination attack on Fang Qing from all directions.

Blades flashed, swords clashed, poisoned darts pierced the air, hidden weapons slammed, curses raged, and mental attacks slammed into Fang Qing's area like a death storm!
"Suppress him! Activate the Black Gold Dragon Refining Cauldron together and refine him! How dare he steal from our Ninja Hall! No one in heaven or on earth can save him!"

The half-saint leader formed hand seals, controlling the Black Gold Dragon Refining Cauldron itself, which, carrying immense power, resembled a black mountain, and crashed down on Fang Qing.

Even before the cauldron arrived, its terrifying pressure had already caused the surrounding space to crumble inch by inch, creating countless spiderweb-like spatial cracks and scattering fragments everywhere.

Faced with the all-out suppression from a furious demigod wielding a holy weapon, the encirclement and killing by dozens of elite assassins, and the deadly attack by the weapon spirit black dragon, Fang Qing's eyes remained as calm as ice.

He simply flicked his sleeve.

The black dragon phantom let out a mournful cry, its massive body splitting in two before dissipating into a cloud of black mist. The giant cauldron that was pressing down was also slightly slowed by these seemingly casual sword strikes, its light dimming and its downward pressure decreasing sharply.

Taking advantage of this gap, Fang Qing moved like lightning, advancing instead of retreating, and charged towards the greatly weakened giant cauldron.

Just before the collision, he grabbed the hook-shaped holy weapon with his left hand, and with his right hand, his five fingers formed a claw. A five-element vortex that devoured everything and a holy white light that purified all evil erupted from his palm. With a fierce grab, he actually grabbed one of the legs of the Black Gold Dragon Refining Cauldron.

Fang Qing unleashed all his strength, forcefully pulling the hundred-foot-tall cauldron until it stumbled and tilted.

At the same time, the Five Elements Vortex in his palm, which had been fused with the power of divine purification, forcibly severed part of the connection between the semi-saint leader and the giant cauldron, and began to frantically devour and refine the remaining energy and artifact spirit imprint in the cauldron.

"What?! You actually dare to... steal my Sacred Cauldron?!"

The semi-saint leader was filled with shock and anger, feeling that his connection with the Black Gold Dragon Refining Cauldron was being forcibly eroded by a higher power.

He attempted to control the giant cauldron to retaliate and self-destruct, but was horrified to discover that his divine sense had struck an invisible barrier that combined the order of the five elements with divine will, making it difficult to penetrate.

The White Emperor and the Golden Emperor were killed!
Fang Qing suddenly unleashed a devastating killing strike.

The demigod died.

Holy weapon, retrieve! (End of Chapter)