Family Rise: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 584 Surprises Abound, the Power of the True Dragon Eliminates Future Trouble
Shuiyun Cave Heaven.

Fu Changsheng and his six companions formed a simple exploration formation and slowly stepped into this space that had been sealed for countless years.

The outer hall was extremely spacious, with a soft white light emanating from the dome and the warm, smooth jade tiles on the floor, yet it was eerily quiet. Only the sound of footsteps echoed through the enormous hall.

“There’s something there.” The taciturn Fu Molan suddenly stopped, her voice cold. She pointed to the wall of a deep corridor, where several strange metal structures were embedded, clashing with the surrounding ancient style. “Not decoration, it looks like a mechanism or ruins.”

Fu Changsheng's eyes narrowed: "Be careful, Mo Lan. You are an expert in this field. Go forward and investigate. We will protect you."

Fu Molan nodded, her figure approaching with the lightness of a cat. A spiritual light emanated from her fingertips as she gently brushed across the metal surface, sensing the almost dissipated energy circuits within. A moment later, she abruptly took a step back!
Snap...creak...

A sickening sound rang out, and the wall suddenly cracked open, releasing three incomplete metal puppets with crimson eyes! Their movements were stiff but their strength was astonishing, wielding broken weapons and creating gusts of evil wind!

"Be on guard!" Fu Changsheng shouted, and an earth-yellow spiritual light instantly protected his body.

But Fu Molan moved even faster! Far from being panicked, her eyes gleamed with a predatory gleam. "An ancient war puppet? So broken and battered, yet it dares to act so arrogantly?"

With a flick of her jade-like hand, several thin threads shimmering with silver light shot out, precisely binding the exposed energy nodes at the joints and vital points of the three puppets.

"Sever!" she shouted, releasing a slight burst of magical power.

The red light in the eyes of the three puppets went out instantly, and they scattered on the ground as if their bones had been removed, turning back into a pile of scrap metal.

The whole process happened in the blink of an eye!

Before anyone could even make a move.

Fu Molan bent down and retrieved a dark red crystal core, riddled with cracks yet still brimming with terrifying energy, from the chest cavity of a puppet. Her tone carried a barely perceptible hint of excitement: "The core still retains some energy. Its structure far surpasses current puppetry techniques, containing a violent fighting spirit, making it priceless." She seemed to have solved the problem easily, but in reality, it was through her unparalleled talent and calm judgment that she instantly found the weakness of these ancient creations.

This scene invigorated everyone and completely dispelled the silence of the place.

Exit through the passage.

"It smells so good..." Fu Changli suddenly sniffed, drawn by a strange fragrance. Following the scent, the group passed through a messy side hall and arrived at a garden that was nearly half collapsed.

In the garden, a small, silver tree, about half a person's height, gleamed brightly, its several glass-like fruits emitting a unique fragrance. Even more magical, several jade-like butterflies fluttered beneath the tree, scattering specks of light.

“Ancient Jade Marrow Butterfly! And this is… Silver Pattern Daoist Tree?” Fu Changli’s beautiful eyes widened, revealing an incredulous surprise. “It is said that the fruit of this tree can help spirit beasts awaken their spiritual wisdom, and the scales of the Jade Marrow Butterfly are a treasure for refining high-grade Beast Taming Pills! They actually still exist!”

However, just as she tried to get closer, the chrysoprase butterflies were startled and suddenly took flight, their wings fluttering and scattering a cloud of shimmering powder that made people drowsy!

"Watch out!" Fu Changli exclaimed. He was standing closest and felt a wave of dizziness.

But Fu Changli reacted extremely quickly!

She did not retreat, but instead formed a hand seal, emanating an incomparably natural and approachable aura, and uttered soft and strange syllables—the soothing incantation of the Beast King's Decree.

The shimmering powder dissipated slowly before her, as if encountering an invisible barrier. The jade butterflies seemed to sense her kindness and shared aura; they were no longer afraid, but instead curiously fluttered around her, one even landing on her fingertip!

Fu Changli smiled sweetly, her beauty captivating: "Little ones, don't be afraid, we won't hurt you."

at the same time.

A familiar mechanical voice echoed in Fu Changsheng's mind:
"Ding"

"You and your clansmen have found a jellyfish, an ancient jade butterfly, and a silver-patterned Daoist tree. Your clan contribution points have been increased to 40,000."

……

The outer hall area was far larger than they had imagined, with winding corridors and numerous side halls. Many places bore the marks of battle or the erosion of time, but also contained some unexpected discoveries.

In a relatively secluded corner, Fu Changli suddenly stopped, his nostrils twitching slightly: "Huh? Such a faint aroma of wine, mixed with... a stale medicinal scent?"

Upon hearing this, everyone focused their attention to sense it. Sure enough, a faint, almost completely masked by the overwhelming vitality of the Tree of Life, a rich aroma of wine mixed with the smell of decaying medicinal dregs wafted out from behind a half-open, inconspicuous stone door.

“It looks like an abandoned cellar,” Liu Meizhen judged.

Fu Changsheng signaled everyone to be on guard. Fu Molan stepped forward, carefully inspected the stone door, and only after confirming that there were no traps or mechanisms did she slowly push it open.

The stone door opened, and a richer, more complex aroma, a blend of wine, herbs, and musty dust, wafted out. Behind the door was a small stone chamber, haphazardly filled with dozens of large jade jars and pottery pots, some overturned, some cracked. Most were broken, and the floor was covered with dark, dried stains. Clearly, this had once been a wine cellar, but had long been abandoned.

"What a pity, it seems these spirit wines have all lost their medicinal power and spoiled," Fu Changli said regretfully. The intact jars were cold to the touch, and when probed with divine sense, they were already stagnant water devoid of any spiritual energy.

Yao Yao's gaze, however, fell on a relatively intact wall on the inside of the stone chamber. There were some faint traces of runes carved there; though dim, they vaguely formed a dilapidated protective array. "There's a small restriction here. Although its energy is almost depleted, its structure is peculiar, as if it were designed to protect what's behind it..."

She stepped forward, the Qingqiu Yitian Disc floating in her palm, its faint light sweeping across the wall. A moment later, she gathered spiritual light at her fingertips and precisely placed it on several almost obliterated rune nodes.

hum...

With a soft sound, the runes on the stone wall flickered one last time before vanishing completely. Then, the surface of the wall rippled like water, slowly becoming transparent, eventually revealing a hidden niche inside. Inside the niche lay nothing but a simple, ancient-colored piece of paper, neither gold nor jade.

"There's something here!" Fu Changli, who was closest, carefully took out the small piece of paper. He immersed his consciousness into it, and after a moment, a huge look of surprise and shock appeared on his face!

"This...this is a pill recipe! No, to be more precise, it's a wine recipe!" Fu Changli's voice trembled with excitement. "The method for refining a mid-grade fourth-tier [Hundred Rivers Converging into the Sea Pill]! But the refining method is not to form a pill, but to brew a spiritual wine!"

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to it.

Fu Changli quickly deciphered the simplified Chinese information, his eyes growing brighter with each reading: "Wonderful! Truly wonderful! The essence of this pill formula... no, this wine formula lies in its ability to embrace all things, fusing the essence of various spiritual herbs with different attributes. The resulting spiritual wine has a balanced and mild medicinal power, which can greatly nourish and enhance the power of the Golden Core cultivator. Moreover, it can be consumed and absorbed by all cultivators regardless of their cultivation method!"

This characteristic was already astonishing enough, because most pills that enhance magical power have a preference for the attributes of cultivation techniques. But what Fu Changli found even more incredible was yet to come.

“The most amazing thing is this!” He pointed to a core inscription in the video, his tone full of amazement. “According to the records here, using this method to brew spirit wine, with the help of its unique medicinal power fusion and fermentation secrets, can greatly shorten the winemaking time! It doesn’t need the decades or hundreds of years of aging and settling that traditional spirit wines often require!”

"As long as the medicinal materials are sufficient and the refining method is correct, it can be opened and consumed in just a few months, and its medicinal effect is comparable to that of a top-grade pill of the same level! This... this is simply defying common sense!"

These words moved even Fu Changsheng and Liu Meizhen!

No need for a long wait; you can obtain fourth-tier spirit wine that can enhance Golden Core cultivation power within a few months? This is a strategic resource for any force! It means that with sufficient resources, Golden Core cultivators can be trained relatively quickly, and mid-level combat power can be improved!
"May Heaven bless the Fu family!" Fu Changsheng took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and looked intently at the simple fragment. "Third brother, are you capable of comprehending this formula? Is it difficult to refine?"

Fu Changli once again immersed himself in thought, pondering carefully for a long time before solemnly raising his head: "Patriarch, this recipe is ingeniously conceived, requiring extremely high standards in terms of heat control, ingredient compatibility, and spiritual array assistance, making it indeed extremely difficult. However, its core principle lies in a unique transformation of medicinal power and resonance array patterns, rather than pure time sedimentation. As long as I have time to study it carefully and combine it with my own understanding of the art of wine, I will surely be able to reproduce it!"

"Good!" Fu Changsheng clapped his hands. "Changli, this matter is now in your full responsibility. Prioritize the allocation of family resources and make sure to refine this [Hundred Rivers Converging into the Sea Wine] as soon as possible!"

"Yes, Master! Changli will certainly live up to your expectations!"

...

...

The outer palace area was vast. They passed through several collapsed side halls and corridors marked with signs of battle, gradually approaching a relatively intact area. The architectural style here changed abruptly, no longer the magnificence of a palace, but instead exuding a simple and practical atmosphere.

Ahead, the view suddenly opened up, with a huge, semi-circular, transparent light barrier blocking their path. The barrier shimmered with iridescent light, and runes appeared and disappeared, emanating a powerful force of isolation and protection, far exceeding any restriction they had encountered before.

"What a powerful barrier!" Fu Changli exclaimed. "It feels even more complex than the Five Directions Mountain-Suppressing Spirit-Locking Array at the entrance of the main hall!"

Fu Changsheng's gaze was solemn. He could sense that the power level of this barrier was extremely high. If it weren't for its age and the loss of some energy, it would probably be something that they would not be able to shake.

"Yaoyao, is it possible to break this?" Fu Changsheng looked at his daughter, who had the highest level of skill in formations among the team.

Yao Yao had already been intently observing. Silver array patterns swirled rapidly in her eyes, and the Qingqiu Yitian Disc floated before her, emitting a hazy, clear light, slowly scanning the massive light barrier in front of her. Her brows furrowed slightly, clearly indicating that she had encountered a problem.

“Father, this barrier is no ordinary thing.” Yao Yao’s tone was more serious than ever before. “Its structure is extremely complex, with layers nested within each other. The spatial and protective laws it contains are extremely advanced, far surpassing the Small Heavenly Star Barrier. The person who set up this barrier is probably far beyond the Nascent Soul stage… Moreover, this barrier seems to be faintly connected to the earth veins of the entire Water Cloud Cave Heaven. If we attack it forcefully, it may trigger a counterattack from the entire cave heaven.”

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts sank.

Even Yao Yao found it troublesome; it seems this path is difficult to pass.

Fu Changsheng stared at the enormous, shimmering barrier in front of him, which emitted a heart-pounding aura. He then looked at Yao Yao, who was completely focused and whose forehead was slightly sweaty. He knew that forcibly breaking this barrier would not be easy. Even if it could be done, it would take a long time and the risks would be unpredictable.

The crucial piece of information flashed through his mind again—[Three feet beneath the floor tiles in the northeast corner of the side hall of the Merit Hall in Shuiyun Cave, there is a fragment of the Qingqiu Yitian Plate].

"Instead of launching a direct attack here, we should search for that fragment first. If we can enhance Yao Yao's Yi Tian Disc, breaking this barrier might be much easier." Fu Changsheng's mind raced, and he made a decision in an instant.

He turned to the crowd and said in a deep voice, "This barrier is exceptionally strong, and a direct attack is not the best strategy. I have a method that may allow us to find a way to break it more quickly."

Having said that, he flicked his sleeve!
In an instant, a thick, ink-black "cloud" surged out from his sleeve, accompanied by a chilling, extremely subtle yet incredibly dense "rustling" sound!

Those were not dark clouds, but tens of thousands of strange beetles, each the size of a fingernail, entirely black, with ferocious mouthparts and naturally bizarre patterns on their carapaces—the very army of [Spirit-Devouring Insects] that he had meticulously cultivated with his life essence and resources!
The cloud of insects swirled in the sky, then, as if receiving an invisible command, it suddenly dispersed, transforming into countless tiny black streaks of light that sped toward every direction of the outer hall, every passage, and every collapsed palace ruin!

They disregard physical barriers, can penetrate the smallest gaps, and have an extraordinary ability to perceive spiritual energy fluctuations, especially the traces of formations remaining in specific functional areas such as "hall," "palace," and "pavilion."

With tens of thousands of Soul-Devouring Insects moving simultaneously, their efficiency far surpasses that of human search.

All that could be seen was a flash of black light, and the chilling swarm of insects vanished into the depths of the various passages, leaving only the ubiquitous, subtle gnawing and probing sounds echoing in the empty outer hall, sounding exceptionally eerie.

Fu Changsheng closed his eyes and concentrated, sharing the perceptions of all the Spirit Devouring Insects through mental connection. Countless fragmented images, chaotic auras, and faint energy fluctuations flooded into his sea of ​​consciousness like a tide, only to be quickly filtered and analyzed by his powerful divine sense.

Time passed little by little.

About an incense stick later, Fu Changsheng suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes, a glint of light flashing in them!
"found it!"

He moved swiftly, transforming into a streak of light and hurtling towards a secluded corridor in the northwest direction of the outer hall. "Follow me!"

Everyone perked up and immediately followed.

After passing through several abandoned passages and a few half-collapsed side halls, the group arrived at a relatively intact palace complex. Although it was also covered in dust, the architectural style here was clearly superior. Above the hall's entrance hung a plaque that had long lost its luster, but whose ancient seal script was still legible—[Hall of Merit]!
"This is it!" Fu Changsheng was the first to step into the hall.

The hall was spacious but extremely messy, with overturned jade shelves and rotten prayer cushions, clearly indicating that it had been through a period of chaos. Fu Changsheng did not linger; relying on the precise senses transmitted by the Spirit-Devouring Insects, he went straight through the main hall and arrived at a more secluded side hall.

In the northeast corner of the side hall, the jade floor tiles were no different from those elsewhere. But Fu Changsheng precisely walked to a seemingly ordinary tile, pointed his finger like a sword, and lightly drew a line across it!
laugh!
The floor tiles silently crumbled into dust, revealing soil three feet below. And within that soil lay a fragment, roughly the size of a palm, with irregular edges, a dark gold color, and engraved with star patterns even more ancient and complex than the replica in Yao Yao's hand!

Although the fragment was broken, it naturally exuded a vast and mysterious aura, as if it could deduce the movement of the stars in the heavens!
"A fragment of the Yitian Disc!" Yao Yao's beautiful eyes lit up instantly, and she exclaimed in surprise. The replica of the Qingqiu Yitian Disc in her arms even emitted a slight buzzing sound, resonating strongly with it!
Fu Changsheng reached out and the fragment fell into his hand. It was warm to the touch, yet as heavy as a mountain.

"Yaoyao, catch!" He tossed the fragment directly to his daughter.

Yao Yao excitedly took the fragment and poured her own magic power into it without hesitation, while simultaneously activating the Qingqiu Yitian Disc replica in her arms.

Om-!
The moment the two came into contact, they burst forth with dazzling starlight! The star trails on the replica of the Yi Tian Plate seemed to come alive, frantically intertwining, merging, and completing with the ancient patterns on the fragment!
A far more powerful, precise, and profound deductive force than before suddenly spread out!
Yao Yao closed her eyes and concentrated, fully absorbing this power. Her aura rose steadily, and her understanding of the Dao of Formations seemed to have undergone a qualitative leap at this moment!

A moment later, the light faded.

The Qingqiu Yitian Compass in Yaoyao's hand underwent a dramatic change! Although the main body was still a replica, the dark gold fragment inlaid on it made the entire compass more ancient and profound, and the clear light it emitted became more refined and pure, increasing its deductive power by more than several times!
She opened her eyes, which seemed to hold the rise and fall of billions of stars, radiating confidence.

"Father, behold Yaoyao's skills!"

Holding the newly refurbished Yitian Disc, she once again faced the enormous ancient barrier.

This time, she didn't even need to do much deduction. As the clear light of the Yi Tian Pan shone down, the originally incredibly complex and incomprehensible rune trajectories on the barrier instantly became much clearer in her eyes. Even the tiny energy stagnation point caused by the passage of time was magnified several times and became clearly visible!

"Dispel Illusions, Unleash the Celestial Stars, Activate!"

With a sharp cry, Yao Yao formed even more profound hand seals. The brand-new Yi Tian Disc erupted with unprecedentedly brilliant starlight, and a starlight needle, as condensed as a solid substance and as thin as a hair, yet containing unparalleled power to break through magic, shot out and pierced the energy stagnation point with perfect precision!
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a soft "crack" sound, like glass shattering. The barrier had broken!
at the same time.

A familiar mechanical voice echoed in Fu Changsheng's mind:
"Ding"

"You and your clansmen have found a fourth-tier mid-level wine recipe and repaired the Qingqiu Yitian Disc; your clan contribution points have been increased to 50,000."

...

...

Eastern Wilderness, at the edge of Dragonfall Abyss.

The black, malevolent mist churned and surged like a living thing in the abyss's crevice, while a mournful wind howled from the depths of the abyss, as if countless vengeful spirits were wailing.

Two powerful beams of light ignored the suffocatingly fierce aura of the place and landed fiercely on a relatively stable giant rock.

As the light faded, the figures of Ao Qing and Ao Cang were revealed.

Ao Qing was still wearing a dark red and gold elder's robe, his expression was cold and stern, and his lava-like eyes swept over the bottomless abyss below, where the evil aura was churning. The spiritual pressure of the mid-stage Nascent Soul naturally formed a barrier around him, pushing away all the evil aura and resentment that were invading him.

Ao Cang appeared much more nervous. He circulated his cultivation technique with all his might, his body flashing with azure light as he resisted the omnipresent oppressive feeling. His eyes were both excited and wary as he observed his surroundings.

"Are you sure it's in this area?" Ao Qing's voice was icy cold, devoid of any emotion.

“Absolutely right, Great-Grandma!” Ao Cang quickly pointed to a certain spot in the abyss. “According to the descriptions of those mercenaries and my nephew’s investigation, the anomalies and dragon roars first came from below this area!”

Ao Qing said no more, his divine sense probing downwards like a tide.

However, the environment of the Fallen Dragon Abyss is extremely special. The evil mist and chaotic spatial power severely hindered the exploration of divine sense. Even her nascent soul divine sense could only barely penetrate about a thousand feet before it could not continue. Moreover, the scene she perceived was blurry and full of distortion and interference.

“The environment here is indeed strange.” Ao Qing frowned, then snorted coldly, “Very well, let my ‘Fire-Eyed Spirit-Seeking Rat’ give it a try.”

With a flick of her sleeve, a beam of red light shot out, landing on the ground and transforming into a tiny mouse, no bigger than a palm, its body as red as flame, its eyes like two burning charcoal crystals. After appearing, the mouse glanced at Ao Qing fearfully, then its nostrils twitched wildly, its eyes blazing red light, and it began to discern the extremely faint flow of energy in the air.

This is one of Ao Qing's sources of confidence. This exotic spirit rat has an extraordinary ability to perceive the aura of spiritual objects and powerful creatures in the world, and is especially sensitive to dragon aura.

The little fire mouse circled around a few times, then suddenly started squeaking urgently in one direction, appearing unusually excited, or even... frightened?
"I've made a discovery!" A glint flashed in Ao Qing's eyes.

Ao Cang was overjoyed: "Grandmother, it must be the aura of a true dragon!"

"Go!" Ao Qing grabbed the fire rat, his figure transforming into a streak of red light, and without hesitation, rushed into the churning evil mist in the direction the little fire rat had pointed. Ao Cang quickly gritted his teeth and followed.

As the two humans and the rat continued to descend deeper, the surrounding light rapidly dimmed, and the malevolent energy grew increasingly intense, even beginning to condense into various twisted and ferocious phantoms of malevolent spirits, emitting silent howls as they lunged forward. However, before they could get close, they were scorched into wisps of smoke by the intense spiritual pressure emanating from Ao Qing's body.

The walls of the abyss were steep, riddled with huge cracks and caves, from which a cold, decaying wind blew out from time to time.

As it continued to descend, when it reached a depth of about five thousand feet, the little fire rat suddenly became restless, letting out shrill cries as it desperately tried to crawl into Ao Qing's sleeve.

"Hmm? It's nearby?" Ao Qing stopped his escape and hovered in front of a relatively open, recessed area. The evil mist seemed to be thinner here, but the chilling pressure in the air had suddenly intensified!

She carefully sensed it and indeed detected a faint, yet exceptionally noble, ancient, and pure yang dragon aura emanating from a crack in the massive mountain wall ahead! Although faint, its quality far surpassed any dragon she had ever seen!
"It really does contain dragon energy! And it's so pure!" A hint of joy finally appeared on Ao Qing's face. "It seems you weren't lying!"

Ao Cang was so excited he could hardly contain himself: "Grandmother! It must be the real dragon! It must be deep within this crevice!"

"Be careful, stay close to me." Ao Qing suppressed his excitement, his expression turning serious. He summoned a small shield engulfed in flames and flew towards the crack first. Ao Cang also quickly summoned his magic weapon for protection and followed closely behind.

The inside of the crack was winding and deep. The deeper one went, the clearer the pure dragon's might became. Although it still seemed somewhat "weak," it carried a sense of oppression originating from the level of life itself.

Finally, after walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the view suddenly opened up before us!
At the end of the crack was a huge underground cave!

In the center of the cave, there is a dried-up lakebed, and right in the center of the lakebed, there lies an enormous golden skeleton!

Even without flesh and blood, the skeleton still exuded an awe-inspiring majesty! Each bone was as if cast from pure gold, shimmering with an immortal light. Its head was ferocious, its spine meandered like a mountain range, and its limbs had sharp claws deeply embedded in the rock... Its form was exactly the same as the legendary five-clawed golden dragon!
What's even more alarming is...

On the chest and abdomen of this enormous dragon skeleton, there are large areas of fractures and charred marks on the bones, as if some terrifying force had instantly destroyed its life force!
Above the dragon's remains, wisps of incredibly pure golden dragon energy continuously emanated, merging into the air and forming the faint source of that oppressive aura.

“This…this is…” Ao Cang stared dumbfounded at the huge dragon skeleton, his heart pounding. He was shocked, but also felt a strange sense of loss—it wasn’t a living dragon, but a skeleton.
But Elder Ao Qing's knowledge far surpassed his. She was slightly taken aback at first, then her eyes suddenly flashed with a light even more fervent and greedy than before!

"Dragon remains! And such well-preserved remains of a five-clawed golden dragon, its dragon aura not yet completely dissipated!!" Her voice became shrill with extreme excitement. "My God! This might be even more valuable than a living, severely injured true dragon!"

Her body trembled slightly with excitement: "Live dragons are wonderful, but difficult to tame; the slightest carelessness can lead to them turning on you or even self-destruction. This remains, though most of their dragon essence and energy have dissipated, are much gentler and easier to collect and refine! Their dragon bones, scales, horns… are all irreplaceable treasures! Especially this dragon pearl…"

Her burning gaze was fixed on the direction of the dragon's skull, where a faint, fist-sized, dim, yet still terrifyingly powerful golden orb-like phantom was floating.

"As long as I obtain this dragon pearl and the remains, what worries do I have about not breaking through to the late Nascent Soul stage?! I might even be able to hope for the Deity Transformation stage!"

Overwhelmed with joy, Ao Qing's last shred of vigilance vanished instantly! She could no longer contain herself, transforming into a streak of red light as she lunged toward the dragon skeleton, her target the faintly visible dragon pearl!

Just as Ao Qing's fingertips were about to touch the Dragon Ball, a sudden change occurred!

The enormous golden dragon remains and the dim dragon pearl suddenly twisted and vanished like a dream bubble, as if they had never existed.

Instead, countless strange runes suddenly lit up around the dried-up lakebed beneath their feet! These runes were incredibly complex, instantly connecting to form a massive light array. Dark golden light walls shot into the sky, completely sealing off the entire cave. A powerful sealing force suddenly pressed down, as if even space itself was frozen!

"A trap?!" Although Ao Qing was in a predicament, as an elder of the Hunting Temple, he was experienced and did not panic.

With a flick of her wrist, a silver-gray bead the size of a longan, its surface covered with spiral patterns, appeared in her palm, emitting a strong spatial fluctuation.

"Ao Cang, wield my 'Breaking Restriction Bead' and bombard that rune node in the southeast corner with all your might! This bead can temporarily tear apart most restrictions below the fifth rank!"

Ao Cang hurriedly caught the barrier-breaking bead. Feeling the immense power contained within it, he felt somewhat relieved. Not daring to be negligent, he immediately mobilized all his nascent soul power and frantically poured it into the bead.

"Break!" Ao Cang roared, slamming the silver-gray pearl fiercely into the light barrier in the southeast corner.

Om-!
The Breaking Restriction Pearl erupted with a blinding silver light, and a twisting, tearing force burst forth, violently colliding with the dark gold light barrier, producing a teeth-grinding cracking sound! Sure enough, the light barrier there began to fluctuate violently, and cracks appeared on its surface!
At the very moment the barrier was violently attacked—

"Roar!!!"

A dragon's roar, seemingly from the ancient primordial era, suddenly erupted from the depths of the earth! This dragon's roar was no longer weak; it was filled with majesty, anger, and a hint of weakness that was hard to conceal. However, the pure dragon's might contained within it made Ao Qing tremble all over, and his eyes were instantly replaced by endless greed and excitement!

"He's still alive! And in poor condition!" Ao Qing was more pleased than surprised.

Without hesitation, she rapidly formed hand seals, her body surging with fiery red spiritual energy that transformed into a massive, crimson claw-like shadow behind her, resembling a dragon's claw but covered in flame runes—the Hunting Temple's secret technique, a treasure specifically designed to counter dragon bloodlines: [Burning Dragon Claw]!
Simultaneously.

She opened her mouth and spat out a beam of red light, which grew longer in the wind and transformed into a ferocious giant axe that was entirely crimson and wrapped with phantoms of fire dragons—a fifth-tier spiritual treasure, the [Flame Dragon Mountain-Splitting Axe]!
As the axe blade trembled, a scorching wave of air swept out, even slightly distorting the space around it.

"You beast! Come out and face your death!" Ao Qing roared, his Burning Dragon Claw carrying a terrifying aura that tore through dragon scales, and he first grabbed towards the direction from the underground where the dragon's roar came from!
Boom!

The ground exploded, and amidst the flying debris, an enormous dragon head with dazzling golden scales suddenly emerged from the ground!
One of its dragon horns was broken off, and there was a terrible scar around its eye. Its golden dragon eyes were filled with exhaustion, anger, and the madness of being driven to the brink! Although its aura was powerful, it fluctuated, indeed only between the early and middle stages of the Nascent Soul realm!
"Insects! How dare you covet the might of the dragon race!"

Faced with the approaching dragon claw, it suddenly opened its mouth and spewed out a golden dragon breath that was condensed to the extreme! This dragon breath was not fire, but the primordial power of metal containing endless sharpness and destructive aura!

laugh--!
The golden dragon breath and the crimson dragon claws clashed violently, producing a deafening explosion! Due to their opposing attributes and clashing forces, the flame runes on the dragon claws flickered violently, and were actually torn apart and melted by the incomparably sharp dragon breath! However, the power of the dragon breath was greatly reduced as a result.

Ao Qing's pupils contracted, and he formed an axe hand seal: "Slash!"

The Fiery Dragon Mountain-Splitting Axe hanging overhead let out a deafening dragon roar, transforming into a hundred-meter-long fiery dragon. With terrifying power to split mountains, it fiercely slashed at the head of the true dragon!

A look of solemnity and heartache flashed in the dragon's eyes. The intact horn atop its head suddenly erupted with dazzling golden light, from which a thin golden lightning bolt shot forth, meeting the flaming giant axe head-on. This was actually a divine power transformed from its natal spiritual treasure—the [Universe-Splitting Horn]—forged with its own life essence!
boom! ! !
A second, even more violent collision erupted!

The entire cave trembled violently, countless fragments of rock falling as if it were about to collapse at any moment. Flames and golden light intertwined and annihilated each other wildly, and the shockwave violently blew Ao Cang away, who had just broken through the barrier and was about to rush out!
Ao Cang spat out a mouthful of blood, but dared not linger for a moment. Using the impact, he transformed into a streak of azure light and desperately fled towards the outside of the crack!
He needs to call for reinforcements!
However, just as he burst out of the crevice and hadn't flown far, a dark figure appeared silently in front of him like a ghost. It was a "person" covered in black scales, with a vacant look in his eyes, yet exuding the aura of a peak Golden Core cultivator.

"Dragon Slave!" Ao Cang felt a chill in his heart.

……

Inside the cave, the battle between Ao Qing and the true dragon had reached a fever pitch.

The Flaming Dragon Axe and the Rending Universe Horn clashed repeatedly, their magical techniques exchanging blows and the roars of dragons echoing through the air. Although the True Dragon was not in good condition, its bloodline was powerful, its magical abilities were exquisite, and its physical body was formidable. It was able to fight Ao Qing, who was better equipped and had a higher level of cultivation, to a standstill, and even subtly suppressed Ao Qing with its innate talent and instincts.

Ao Qing became increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed. The true dragon's magical power seemed inexhaustible, and its recovery speed was astonishing!

He wielded various dragon bloodline magical techniques with effortless skill, displaying unparalleled artistry that left her struggling to keep up. After a prolonged battle, she felt her own magical power being greatly depleted, and she gradually found herself at a disadvantage!
"We can't drag this out any longer!" A chill ran through Ao Qing's heart. If this continued, he might really perish here!
She gritted her teeth and, in the instant she controlled the Flame Dragon Axe to parry the True Dragon's tail strike, she discreetly crushed a dark red jade talisman in her sleeve—a communication talisman to the Third Elder of the Hunting Temple!
A barely perceptible spatial fluctuation vanished into the void in an instant.

"Roar! You're summoning your companions?!" The true dragon's senses were incredibly sharp, and it immediately noticed. A hint of anxiety and rage flashed in its enormous dragon eyes. "I was planning to slowly grind you down, but since you've chosen to die, don't blame me!"

It knew that if it attracted more people, its last hope of escaping would be completely shattered, and it might even be suppressed and imprisoned again!

The true dragon roared to the sky, its golden scales standing on end, its immense bloodline power burning wildly, condensing into a dark golden sphere the size of a walnut in its mouth, radiating a destructive aura! The space around the sphere was slightly collapsing! This was its primordial bloodline divine power, which it was willing to use even at the cost of severe damage to its vital energy—[Roar of Annihilation]!
Ao Qing felt the terrifying power contained in the ball of light, her scalp tingling and her soul trembling! She screamed, no longer caring about anything else, and slammed her hand on the top of her head. A tattered, ancient shield that looked like it was pieced together from countless fragments of tortoise shell flew out, instantly enlarged, and blocked her way.

The runes on the shield were ancient and simple, flowing with a faint trace of innate energy—it was actually a replica of the acquired spiritual treasure [Xuan Turtle Shell]. Although it was damaged, it was still her trump card for saving her life!
"Die!!" The true dragon roared, and the dark golden orb transformed into a destructive torrent that tore everything apart, shooting out with a deafening roar!
"Black Tortoise Soars to the Heavens!" Ao Qing roared, pouring all his magical power into the broken shield without reservation!

Rumble——! ! !
An indescribable, terrifying explosion erupted in the cave! The dark golden torrent of destruction collided violently with the thick yellow light emanating from the Xuan Turtle Shield!
Click... click...

It only lasted for a few breaths before the light on the Xuan Turtle Shield dimmed rapidly, more cracks appeared on its surface, and finally let out a mournful cry, shrinking and flying back into Ao Qing's body.

Ao Qing was struck as if by a heavy blow, spitting out blood. He flew backward like a rag doll and crashed heavily into the rock wall. Countless bones in his body were broken, and his aura instantly weakened to the extreme. He was seriously injured!
After unleashing that attack, the dragon swayed slightly, its golden light dimming, clearly indicating a significant energy expenditure.

But just as it was about to deliver the final blow, the massive dragon head suddenly rose up, gazing upwards into the abyss, its eyes filled with extreme resentment and rage!
"Late Nascent Soul stage?! Damn ant! You ruined my plans!!" It clearly sensed an incomparably powerful and terrifying aura, far surpassing Ao Qing's, rushing towards it at an astonishing speed from the direction of the royal court!
This is hopeless! If we get entangled, we will surely be doomed!

The dragon let out a furious roar of extreme frustration. Its massive head glared fiercely at the dying Ao Qing, then with a sudden flick of its tail, it rapidly retreated into the complex underground passage.

As it retreated, the complex runes on the ground quickly dimmed and disappeared, along with the oppressive dragon aura, vanishing without a trace, as if it had all been an illusion. It retreated once more into the incredibly powerful ancient seal at the bottom of the abyss, hiding itself deep within once more.

This seal is incredibly profound; it not only imprisons but also distorts spacetime and obscures heavenly secrets. It took hundreds of thousands of years of painstaking effort to barely pry open a crack, allowing the illusion and faint aura to escape. Now, in order to protect itself, it has to completely seal itself again. All its efforts have been in vain, and the anger and resentment in its heart almost devour it.

Almost the instant the true dragon disappeared, a terrifying beam of light descended upon the cave, transforming into an old man dressed in the robes of a hunting temple elder, with a withered face but eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

He was the Third Elder who had rushed over after receiving the message.

Seeing the mess inside the cave, and Ao Qing lying weakly with severe injuries and coughing up blood against the rock wall, the Third Elder's eyes flashed with surprise: "Elder Ao Qing? Who could have injured you to such an extent? Where is the true dragon?"

Ao Qing raised his hand with difficulty, pointing to the ground where the true dragon had disappeared, his voice hoarse: "Escape... escaped back to the seal... hurry and chase after it..."

The Third Elder frowned deeply, his powerful divine sense meticulously probing every inch of the land like mercury spilling across the ground, even using a secret technique to sense fluctuations in space and time.

After a long pause, he shook his head, his expression grave: "What a brilliant seal! It's almost integrated with the earth's veins, distorting spacetime and disappearing without a trace. Unless it reappears on its own, otherwise... judging from its reappearance cycle, it will probably be many years before we can find any trace of it again."

Upon hearing the Third Elder's words, Ao Qing suddenly spat out another mouthful of blood.

Had she known this true dragon was so cunning and difficult to deal with, and possessed such bizarre sealing techniques, she shouldn't have been so greedy as to claim all the credit for herself! If she had contacted several temple elders to come together and set up an inescapable trap, how could this incredible opportunity have slipped through her fingers?!

Unfortunately, there's no going back in this world.

She was not only critically injured and on the verge of death, but also completely lost this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

(End of this chapter)