Longevity starts with choosing Hextech enhancement

Chapter 280 Why do you think you're the only one with a trump card?
"how dare you?"

"how dare you!"

"How dare you, a lowly commoner, insult a member of the royal family like this!"

After catching its breath, the enormous dragon body stood up again and let out three angry roars in succession.

Suddenly, crimson-gold flames rose from its body, igniting its entire flesh.

The flames looked completely real; those around could even hear the crackling sound of fat splattering as the flesh burned.

"Damn lowly commoner, even if it costs me my life, I will make you know what I'm talking about."

The dragon stared intently at Xiao Chen, uttering four words: "The king cannot be insulted!"

His eyes were wide open, completely unconcerned even though they were bloodshot and cracked.

His chest heaved violently as he spoke, his tone filled with barely suppressed rage.

Despite possessing a mutated bloodline and being a powerful demon capable of transforming into human form and possessing sentience, he was forced to kowtow on the ground by a mere mortal.

This is an absolute disgrace!

What a shame!
Since the day it was born, the dragon had never experienced such humiliation.

This is absolutely unforgivable! This kind of thing must be punished immediately, no matter the cost!
Therefore, he did not hesitate to activate his innate secret technique, igniting the dragon blood flowing within his body.

They sacrifice their flesh, cultivation, and lifespan in exchange for temporary, powerful strength.

He wanted to kill Xiao Chen to wash away the humiliation he had just suffered, even if the consequences were mutual destruction.

Under the influence of the secret technique, the pressure emanating from him suddenly increased once again.

It created an almost tangible sense of oppression.

All the cultivators present felt that the air seemed to become thick and viscous, as if it were gradually solidifying.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, run!"

Arhat Fazhao immediately warned: "This is the supreme secret technique of the Dragon Clan, sacrificing everything in exchange for an attack containing a trace of the Great Dao."

"Even if a Nascent Soul True Monarch were to arrive in person, we must be extremely careful!"

However, just as he opened his mouth...

The reverse scale on the dragon's chest fell off on its own, and then a large number of golden runes flew out.

Even the Arhat Fazhao was dumbfounded by this scene, not knowing what was going on.

The runes appeared slowly, but in reality, they were distributed in this area according to some mysterious pattern the moment they appeared.

The dragon, Xiao Chen, and the space within a radius of thirty-three feet were directly separated.

At this point, unless one has the ability to teleport, no one can enter or leave.

"Crack! Boom!"

Suddenly, a large number of dark blue runes appeared around them, which were the restrictive power of the ruins.

The reason it suddenly appeared is that this power that cuts through space has reached the fourth level, completely exceeding the limits that the ruins can tolerate.

However, those golden runes shone brightly, and for a short time, even the restrictions of the ruins could not do anything about them.

"It's over!"

Arhat Fazhao immediately clenched his fists, but then helplessly loosened them.

He would spare no expense to help in any way he could.

But these golden runes in front of them did not belong to the power of that dragon at all.

Rather, it was a method used by a fourth-tier demon to implant itself into its body before entering the ruins, or even earlier.

After such a restricted space.

Even a life-saving treasure like the substitute straw doll couldn't safely carry the cultivator inside away.

In other words, if Xiao Chen couldn't move himself out, he would have to stay inside and endure the extremely violent sacrificial power.

It should be understood that this life-for-life fighting style is enough to erase the original gap in strength between the two.

Upon realizing this, Arhat Fazhao turned his head away in grief and indignation, unable to bear to look any longer.

The result is already quite clear.

Many cultivators couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

Even a prodigy as strong as Fellow Daoist Xiao must encounter such a calamity?

He did not lose to his opponent, but in the end he could not escape the methods provided by his opponent's powerful background.

"Okay, okay, let's play like this!"

Xiao Chen smiled, showing no sign of nervousness: "I originally thought that although you, this long worm, were a bit arrogant, you still had some backbone."

"Now it seems I completely overestimated you."

He shook his head as he spoke, his contempt evident in his expression.

"You keep talking even when you are about to die!"

The dragon had almost completely burned away its flesh and blood, leaving only its head and skeleton: "I said I would devour you alive, and I will!"

Having said that, he suddenly pounced on him.

The movement wasn't fast, but it immediately drew upon the raging flames that enveloped him.

For a moment, it was almost equivalent to a Nascent Soul True Monarch going all out.

"Sigh, so why do you think you're the only one with a trump card?"

Xiao Chen feigned a sigh and formed a hand seal: "Secret Escape Technique - Front Wheel Turns, Back Wheel Doesn't!"

These hand gestures and incantations are of little use; he only has two trump cards that he can truly use to deal with this wave of attacks.

They can either use the newly acquired teleportation charm to escape the blockade, or use the Night's Edge to withstand the attack.

Given the current situation, Night's Edge is the obvious first choice.

After all, apart from the variable of the dragon, the other cultivators in the ruins could not threaten Xiao Chen's safety at all.

The reason he had to wear an extra disguise this time was because the situation was rather special.

If this had happened outside the ruins, he would have had no qualms and could have left directly.

The problem is, it's not time for the ruins to close yet.

Therefore, Xiao Chen will reappear in the ruins after the effect of Night's Edge ends.

Keep in mind that there was a large group of cultivators watching the battle from not far away.

He didn't want to reveal his true intentions, nor did he want to kill someone to cover up the news, so he just made up an excuse.

To make the performance more convincing.

Xiao Chen even deliberately activated his true essence to form a layer of exceptionally dazzling spiritual light on his body surface, but in reality, it had no practical effect.

"Boom!"

The sky exploded with flames, instantly shattering the remaining spiritual light on the spot.

The entire sealed-off space was engulfed in flames, completely obscuring the view from the outside.

"Boom!"

Upon realizing that Xiao Chen had disappeared, the dragon went berserk and began to urge its spiritual fire to burn the entire space with increasing effort.

Although he had lost his sight, he could sense that the golden runes around him had not been destroyed.

So that damn guy is definitely still inside, just hiding.

It's most likely some kind of advanced concealment technique.

Therefore, the dragon desperately activated its area-of-effect attack, attempting to injure Xiao Chen in this way.

Of course, all his efforts were in vain.

Xiao Chen did indeed hide, but it was as if he had hidden himself in another space.

No matter how angry or embarrassed the other party is, they cannot harm you in the slightest.

It was quite relaxing and enjoyable.

In fact, this was the first time Xiao Chen didn't need to rush to escape after triggering the Night's Edge.

Instead, they have the leisure to stay where they are and quietly watch the show.

After all, the opponent had almost burned away all his flesh and blood and lifespan, and could only last for no more than half a quarter of an hour at most.

"Damn it, where are you? Where have you been hiding?"

The dragon, feeling its life slipping away, finally panicked.

He attacked desperately, but still couldn't find the other person. It was as if such a big living person had vanished into thin air.

"Come out! Come out now!"

"You coward, you wimp, you...!"

In his rage, the dragon used up the last bit of power he had gained through sacrifice.

Immediately, he felt all life had vanished, and his remaining head became incredibly heavy, so heavy that he couldn't even open his mouth.

"Wow!"

The surrounding golden runes were also broken through by the blue ruins' restrictions.

This space was reconnected.

Until all the golden runes had exhausted their power and shattered.

Suddenly, something in mid-air distorted, revealing a tall, slender figure.

Everyone immediately looked over and saw that it was Xiao Chen, who had a calm expression, showed no signs of injury, and didn't even need to breathe.

They have experienced such a terrible attack.

He acted as if nothing had happened, a smile on his lips, as if he were standing by watching a farcical spectacle.

The cultivators present were all stunned and stood there in an unusual silence.

After a long while, everyone came to their senses.

They stared at Xiao Chen in disbelief, gasping for breath.

However, this time, everyone felt they had run out of words.

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with surprise, confusion, and curiosity, so much so that they didn't know how to start a conversation.

However, due to Xiao Chen's intentional misleading statement and the numerous rumors circulating about him coming from a hidden sect, the situation remained unchanged.

Everyone immediately filled in the blanks in their minds.

Just now, Xiao Chen must have activated a protective treasure or secret technique bestowed by his family to dismantle the dragon's attack.

Many people even made a point of recalling that mnemonic.

Although I didn't understand what it meant, I secretly memorized it and regarded it as important information.

I plan to report this as a clue to the sect after I return, so that it can be used to investigate and deduce what Xiao Chen's background really is.

However, such efforts are of course futile; no matter how much they investigate, they will not be able to find out the truth.

"No...this can't be real, how could this be?"

The round-stele Arhat trembled and immediately knelt on the ground: "How did it turn out like this?"

His Highness is dead, but he has not yet obtained the relics.

"Crack~!"

Suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped himself hard.

"Boom~!"

Then, he kowtowed loudly to the rest of the monks, saying, "Fellow monks, I was confused just now!"

"They suddenly came to my door before, trying to lure me with the promise of breaking through my cultivation level."

"I don't know what happened, I was bewitched and believed their nonsense."

"Actually, I had already regretted it. I was ready to abandon the darkness and embrace the light, but Fellow Daoist Xiao suddenly appeared, which prevented me from speaking."

"Moreover, the Buddha himself said, 'The sea of ​​suffering is boundless, but turning back is the shore.'"

"Fellow disciples, please give me a chance to turn back, give me a chance to get back on track!" The Round Stele Arhat said, slapping himself hard in the face as he spoke, adding a loud thud after each sentence.

Because no true essence was used for protection.

He quickly slapped himself so hard that his cheeks swelled up and his forehead was covered in bruises.

She didn't even know if it was from the pain or from regret, but she actually managed to squeeze out a string of tears.

"presumptuous!"

Arhat Fazhao glared angrily: "Yuanbei, you colluded with the sea creatures to commit the crime of betraying your master and destroying your ancestors, and you still dare to argue!"

"They even dared to use Fellow Daoist Xiao as a scapegoat to try and exonerate themselves; it's utterly shameless!"

"Men, seize him and gag him!"

As they were speaking, four Arhats pounced on him and instantly subdued the Round Stele Arhat.

Although he tried to struggle, not everyone can take on four opponents alone.

Therefore, he was pinned to the ground and unable to move on the spot, and a stone was picked up and stuffed into his mouth to stop him from crying out.

“Benefactor Xiao, I will never forget your life-saving grace today.”

Arhat Fazhao turned to look at Xiao Chen: "This traitor just now was talking nonsense, please don't take it to heart, fellow Daoist."

As he spoke, he bowed deeply, almost touching the ground.

"It's okay, I don't care about these things."

Xiao Chen waved his hand, not wanting to bother arguing with a fool: "He just mentioned the turmoil outside..."

"Ok?"

As he spoke, he turned his head to look.

On the other side, three monks wearing bronze masks were seen trying to escape.

"Hmph, where do you think you're going!"

Xiao Chen immediately rushed forward.

"You two watch the round monument, the rest of you quickly follow Benefactor Xiao, don't let a single evil cultivator escape!"

Arhat Fazhao immediately called out and rushed forward after him.

What followed was less of a battle and more of a cat-and-mouse game.

If the remaining heretical cultivators were taken out of the public eye, they would actually be considered masters capable of dominating a region among rogue cultivators.

However, he was almost invincible in front of Xiao Chen.

With the help and restraint of the crowd, it only took a quarter of an hour for all ten evil cultivators to have their limbs broken.

Then he was grabbed by the back of the neck and dragged back by the crowd.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, these are their storage rings and spiritual artifacts. Please accept them."

After a quick body search, a cultivator immediately took all the spoils of war.

Xiao Chen shook his head: "Why give it all to me? Why don't we split it equally?"

However, everyone said they were too embarrassed to take the spoils.

Many cultivators even took out spirit stones or third-tier spirit fruits or pills they carried with them as a token of gratitude for being saved.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, I only brought 20,000 spirit stones with me this time. Please don't think it's too little."

One of the monks patted his chest and assured him, "When I return, I will present you with an even more generous gift."

The other cultivators immediately echoed, indicating that there would be a reward upon their return.

"Ahem, fellow Daoists, please hear me out."

Xiao Chen coughed forcefully: "I appreciate everyone's kindness, but there's really no need to give me these things anymore."

"The reason I slay demons and monsters is not because I covet everyone's rewards."

He doesn't really need these things anymore.

However, despite Xiao Chen's words, he couldn't stop everyone from surrounding him and stuffing things into his arms.

The key point is that these people meant well, so we can't just take action because of this.

In the back-and-forth pushing and shoving, they truly demonstrated what it means for two fists to be no match for four hands.

It even made Xiao Chen feel that it was more difficult than dealing with those evil cultivators.

"Alright, alright, if everyone insists on giving, then I thank you all for your kindness."

Two quarters of an hour later, looking at the huge pile of things in his arms and at his feet, Xiao Chen could no longer tell which cultivator they came from.

Even if he wanted to return them all, he couldn't.

Forget it, there's no need to keep making excuses. Anyway, these are things they gave us willingly, not things we stole.

To be honest, there were more than twenty Buddhist and Taoist practitioners present.

With 20,000 here and 50,000 there, they actually managed to gather 765,400 spirit stones.

Xiao Chen was stunned for a moment when he was packing up; there was still some change left.

I wonder who it was that took out all the spirit stones they carried with them.

As for some spiritual fruits and pills, they can be worth about 400,000 spirit stones.

In other words, the total value of these gifts given to him alone exceeded one million spirit stones.

It's true that even if you spend all your money, it will come back again.

It's just that when you're weak, you can't save up money no matter how hard you try.

But when it becomes strong enough, it will come to you on its own.

"Um, is there any fellow cultivator who is particularly skilled in interrogation?"

Xiao Chen brought up the important matter, pointing to the burly men: "Ask them which faction they belong to? And what's going on outside?"

With so many cultivators around, there's no need for him to do this himself.

“Fellow Daoist Xiao, I have dealt with the Punishment Hall of the sect many times in the past, and I know a few tricks up my sleeve. You can leave this matter to me.”

A true disciple of Yuntao Sword Pavilion volunteered.

His master is actually the current elder of the Punishment Hall of the Sword Pavilion, and their lineage has been passed down for thousands of years, making them absolute experts in interrogation.

"Fellow Daoists, please take a moment to adjust your breathing. It shouldn't be too strenuous."

After obtaining permission, he smiled and clasped his hands in a friendly gesture towards the crowd.

Then he took out seven different instruments of torture directly from his storage bag.

Without saying a word, he then gave all the heretical practitioners a thorough service from head to toe.

After giving them a strong initial impression, they began to question each person individually and verify their claims repeatedly.

Since there are quite a few heretical practitioners, this process will inevitably take a while.

Xiao Chen wasn't particularly interested in the interrogation process or the miserable state of those people.

So he stepped away a few paces and began refining the newly acquired storage ring on the spot.

We just captured ten evil cultivators, which, together with the previous seven, makes a total of seventeen storage rings.

The ten coins that came from those burly men were all of the same shape, with waves drawn in the center.

The other seven are all different, and they look like the rings used by rogue cultivators.

Among them was even a special storage ring. Upon inspection, one could discover that its restrictions were layered and exceptionally powerful.

It was almost as complicated as the storage ring that Xiao Chen had obtained from the 'Copper King' before.

It seems they are the same group.

No wonder 'Copper King' had a map of giant sea beasts; it was very likely that the dragon, or something similar, was given to him by a sea creature.

But if we look at it this way, the credibility of the parchment scrolls should not be low.

In other words, Pudu Temple must have really been targeted by the sea creatures.

After all, it is the largest power in the Compassionate Sea, and it is likely to be the first to stand out and be targeted.

Based on this, it can be inferred that Zen Master Jingchen may indeed be in trouble.

When he first heard the news, Xiao Chen thought the same as many other cultivators: very few forces could target a fourth-tier cultivator.

But if the enemy is from the sea, then it's really hard to say.

Heaven knows how many fourth-tier demons lurk in the vast, endless sea, and more importantly, how many of them have actually come to the Sea of ​​Compassion.

If it's a single digit or a dozen or so, that's fine, as Pudu Temple has a wide circle of friends.

Although it's a vegetarian, it's still not someone to mess with.

But if more than twenty fourth-tier demons arrive, we'll probably have to ask the major powers of the Compassionate Sea for help.

If there were any more, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Now that things have come to this, the Ocean of Compassion is destined to descend into chaos.

Fortunately, according to the intelligence Xiao Chen has obtained so far, the main danger should still come from the east.

He decided that after leaving the ruins this time, he would go to Ankylosaurus Island to hunt dragon turtles.

Then, they deliberately stayed away from the east side, waiting for the breakthrough elixir to be produced while avoiding danger.

"Alas, it's a pity we're still missing two kinds of malevolent energy. Where exactly are they?"

Xiao Chen frowned slightly: "And the Nine-Aperture Jade, we didn't find any clues about it in the ruins this time either."

If we can't gather this last material, then the 127 kinds of spiritual materials we've accumulated before will also be useless.

But this last item, unfortunately, is nowhere to be found.

"Could there be a Nine-Aperture Jade hidden inside these seventeen storage rings?"

Xiao Chen carefully examined the storage ring in his hand, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes.

But his reason told him that this hope was not great, even slim.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, they have all confessed!"

The Sword Pavilion cultivator ran over with a smile. He had only taken six hours, which was the time it took to break through two storage rings, to finish the interrogation.

"Oh, so fast."

Xiao Chen put away his storage ring and asked curiously, "Who are they?"

The Sword Pavilion cultivator replied, "Those wearing bronze masks are all traitors who were either bribed by the sea tribe or actively defected to them."

"They all seem to be a bunch of despicable people who would do anything for profit and are willing to be lackeys of the sea creatures."

"According to their confessions, there are many accomplices with similar identities."

"They are distinguished by gold, silver, and bronze masks, but this does not represent their cultivation level; they are simply responsible for carrying out different types of tasks."

"Bronze masks are mostly used for tasks that require frequent movement."

"For example, treasure hunting, assassination, defection, transporting spiritual objects, etc."

"The silver masks are mostly inside agents, like the round-stele arhats, responsible for lurking in the shadows and working with the bronze masks from the inside, and turning against them when necessary."

"As for the last type of golden mask, it is more mysterious."

"Those guys know very little, but the one in charge of their operations is a man in a golden mask."

This structure perfectly matches what Xiao Chen had learned from the 'Copper King' storage ring.

In other words, the results of this interrogation should be relatively reliable.

He nodded and pressed on, "And what about those body cultivators?"

Upon hearing this, the cultivator from the Sword Pavilion shook his head: "Those people are not body cultivators."

"They are all human-demon hybrids specially bred by the sea race, and each of them has the blood of the demon race flowing through their veins."

"In order to increase the concentration of qi and blood, he also cultivated forbidden secret techniques, at the cost of severing his future path to cultivation, and gained strength far beyond that of ordinary people."

"In terms of function, they are almost like specially trained assassins."

(End of this chapter)