Covering the Sky: Fairy, I really need to control you properly.

Dragon energy surged in, filling the void left by the Immortal-Slaying Gourd.

The Immortal-Slaying Gourd continues its work, its suction power undiminished.

With each step Xu Jinhuan took, the newly generated dragon energy was torn apart and swept into the gourd's mouth, and the golden flow was annihilated before it could even take shape.

He was like a golden scale swimming upstream, forcefully cleaving a narrow path to the sky amidst the torrent of dragon energy.

"Going against the dragon vein's flow only increases the pressure as you ascend. Even if this Dao treasure is a sacred artifact, you won't be able to reach the top!"

Yao Xi was still trying to persuade her, unaware of the true quality of the black gourd.

In fact, after being nurtured by the soul of the Primordial Imperial Weapon, the deity inside the Immortal-Slaying Gourd had been awakened, and its grade had been restored to most of its original value.

Although it is not as powerful as a complete Supreme Emperor Weapon, it can still be considered to be on the same level.

Facing the dragon-patterned black gold cauldron that had not yet fully recovered, Xu Jinhuan was confident that he could escape unscathed.

Xu Jinhuan quickened his pace, traversing the sky, ascending to the highest heavens, and piercing the clouds.

All around him, golden dragon energy swept across the sky and roared past him like a stampede of ten thousand horses or the long roar of a true dragon, shaking his very soul.

As the dragon's energy surged, golden lightning occasionally erupted, tearing through the sky.

However, the Immortal-Slaying Gourd revived further, as if a deep abyss had suddenly appeared, unleashing a power that could devour the heavens, with golden dragon energy flowing into the sea.

Outside, on Xuanji Peak, disciples had already noticed this figure.

"Look, who is that?"

One of the disciples pointed to the sky, his eyes wide.

Within the golden dragon vein, a figure was seen swimming upstream at an astonishing speed, as if it were about to soar straight into the sky.

"Is that the direction of Her Highness the Holy Maiden?"

"Impossible! How could Her Highness possibly possess such power? To go against the dragon veins—even the Holy Lord couldn't do that!"

The news spread quickly.

Half an hour later, the elders and disciples of the various peaks of the Yao Guang Holy Land all looked up at the figure that was going against the flow in the dragon vein.

"Quickly, find out who owns that dragon vein!"

"It's Xuanji Peak, the exclusive dragon vein of Saintess Yao Xi!"

"Yao Xi? Wasn't she participating in a Dao discussion in the Purple Mansion? Why did she suddenly come back?"

At the foot of Xuanji Peak, more and more disciples of the Yaoguang Holy Land gathered, all eyes focused on the figure that was rising higher and higher.

……

The dragon's aura intensified, like an ancient divine mountain pressing down on the heavens, so heavy that even the divine soul was on the verge of collapse.

How much further?

Xu Jinhuan was panting heavily, his voice mostly swallowed by Long Xiao.

"They've gone more than halfway." Yao Xi's voice came from the Moon Palace, already somewhat numb. "You're truly astonishing. This gourd, is it a sacred artifact? Otherwise, how could it have achieved such a feat?"

The Immortal-Slaying Gourd hovered above Xu Jinhuan's head, its mouth constantly spewing out golden ripples that shook apart the layers of dragon energy in front of it, revealing a narrow passage.

Xu Jinhuan didn't even turn her head, casually replying, "Fairy, your vision is too narrow. These days, who doesn't have an ultimate imperial weapon?"

Yao Xi: "?"

Ultimate Imperial Weapon?

You, a Dao Tree of unknown origin, are telling me you possess an ultimate Dao Emperor Weapon?

There's only one of those things in the entire Yao Guang Holy Land, and it's placed right above people's heads to keep them in check!

"Say it again?"

Xu Jinhuan had no time to argue with her. He suddenly accelerated and rushed dozens of feet away in one breath.

At the edge of the sky, the massive black and gold cauldron drew ever closer.

The cauldron, as large as a mountain, lies at the source of the ninety-nine dragon energies. It is ridiculously large, like a black star suspended in the sky, with no end in sight.

The cauldron is covered with countless traces of ancestors and mythical beasts. There are human beings kneeling to the heavens, true dragons circling the nine heavens, and phoenixes rising from the ashes. They are like living things, slowly flowing, and can suppress the ages.

"Contact the cauldron's surface, and the Immortal-Slaying Gourd will aid me!"

The Immortal-Slaying Gourd suddenly revived, spewing out a stream of Yin Divine Water from its mouth. It was as black as ink and icy cold, enveloping his entire body.

The Taiyin Divine Water isolated the dragon's energy from its erosion. Xu Jinhuan gritted his teeth, reached out, and pressed his hand against the cauldron wall.

A cool sensation travels through my fingertips.

On the surface of the cauldron, the Dao marks glowed faintly, as if they had been touched by something, but then quickly fell silent.

Nothing happened.

There was no mysterious space, no Daoist resonance, no illusory image of the Ruthless Great Emperor, nothing at all.

The scene where he once resonated with Donghuang Taiyi through the Immortal-Slaying Gourd could never be repeated.

Xu Jinhuan frowned.

Logically speaking, the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron became an imperial weapon because it was made by the Ruthless Great Emperor, so the connection between them should be extremely deep.

This cauldron was cast by the Ruthless Great Emperor; the sages of the Yao Guang Holy Land throughout the ages were merely "surrogates."

Could it be... that the contact with the outer wall was insufficient? Did it not meet the triggering standards of the Dao Mark?

Xu Jinhuan actually had a backup plan in mind.

Go to the Northern Region, find the stone village of Master Zhang Wu, a descendant of Master Zishan and Yuantian Master, and then follow the clues to find the Li Huo Sect and seize the Li Huo Divine Furnace.

The Divine Furnace of Departing Fire was a magical artifact forged by Emperor Hengyu in his youth, and it still retains a trace of Emperor Hengyu's Dao.

However, firstly, finding the Fire-Leaving Cult and traveling would take time.

Secondly, he feared that the traces of Dao traces belonging to Emperor Hengyu during his youth within the Fire God Furnace were not of a high enough grade to be successfully reproduced.

Therefore, he first set his sights on the dragon-patterned black gold cauldron.

After all, the Dao traces of an ultimate imperial weapon are definitely of a high enough grade.

But now...

"Am I really going to fail today?" Xu Jinhuan muttered to himself, feeling somewhat unwilling.

Yao Xi's voice shrill with anxiety: "Evil Tree, stop right now! This kind of fluctuation will attract all the elders soon, and then it will be impossible to explain! How am I supposed to maintain my standing in the Holy Land after this?"

Xu Jinhuan did not let go.

He was not reconciled.

Having come this far, the Immortal-Slaying Gourd had almost completely devoured a dragon vein. He was suspended in the heavens, his hand almost touching the imperial weapon, only to be told, "This path is blocked."

"Fairy, don't be afraid."

Xu Jinhuan's tone suddenly became relaxed, "At worst, we'll just wander the world together from now on!"

"At a time like this, you're still in the mood for jokes?!" Yao Xi was somewhat exasperated.

Xu Jinhuan did not reply.

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind, a rather daring one.

The Imperial Laws within the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron were forged by the Ruthless Great Emperor.

The deity inside that cauldron must be carrying the obsession of the Ruthless Great Emperor.

What is the obsession of the Ruthless Great Emperor?

Xu Jinhuan gritted his teeth and used all his divine power to speak.

Fight!

If all else fails, activate the Immortal-Slaying Gourd and escape.

Instead of shouting, Xu Jinhuan channeled his voice into the cauldron's walls, attempting to reach the sleeping deity within through the Dao traces.

His voice was hoarse and tired, trying to simulate a sense of helplessness on the verge of death.

"I'm going to die... but what about my sister?"

"Divine blood, demon blood, and Buddha blood have all been poured on it; soon it will be my turn. Death doesn't matter, but who can take care of my sister? She's still too young; I can't bear to leave her..."