Brother Who Determines the Fate of the Nation: My Great Emperor's Cultivation Level Exposed by

The severed torso, enveloped in golden blood mist, hurtled towards them at an absurd speed.

Su Xuan dodged to the side, but the Samadhi True Fire protecting his body was instantly shattered by the shockwave of the opponent's Golden Core spiritual power, causing a dull pain in his chest.

There was no lingering in the fight.

There was only one thought in my mind: this old man had gone even crazier after losing his leg, and continuing to pester him would only lead to his death.

The fiery spiritual energy beneath Su Xuan's feet exploded, and his entire body transformed into a streak of fiery red light, plunging into the black mist deeper into the swamp.

Behind them, the Lin family head, dragging his half-crippled body, kept chasing after them!

The wound on his severed leg was sealed by the spiritual power of the Golden Core. He braced his two arms on the ground and rocks, moving at high speed in an extremely bizarre manner, like a venomous snake with half of its tail cut off.

Su Xuan flew away at full speed, his toes leaping between the rocks, each step consuming his already meager spiritual energy reserves.

He ignored the excruciating pain from the three broken ribs and continued drilling deeper.

Weird.

The deeper you go into the swamp, the weaker the nauseating stench in the air becomes.

The black poisonous miasma that permeated the surroundings gradually dissipated, replaced by an extremely pure spiritual energy, cool and moist, seeping into the body through the pores.

Water-based spiritual energy.

The concentration was frighteningly high, completely the opposite of the toxic swamps outside.

Su Xuan's speed suddenly slowed down, not because he was exhausted, but because the terrain ahead had suddenly changed.

The mud beneath their feet disappeared, and the black reefs transformed into smooth, bluish-gray rock walls. A naturally formed crack appeared directly ahead, with a faint blue light emanating from its depths.

The pursuing aura behind them had already closed to within thirty feet.

no choice.

Su Xuan squeezed into the crevice, his body scraping against the rough stone wall as he crawled in, the loose rocks tearing the skin on his arms.

The crevice in the rock grew narrower and then wider, until finally it opened up into a bright and open space.

A huge underground cavern came into view.

Countless crystal-clear stalactites hang from the cave ceiling, each emitting a pale blue fluorescent light, illuminating the entire cave with a clear and bright glow.

In the very center of the cave is a pool of water several tens of feet in diameter. The water is crystal clear and free of any impurities.

Above the very center of the pool, a bead the size of a baby's fist floated in mid-air, emitting an extremely soft blue glow.

A sacred object associated with water.

Su Xuan stopped at the cave entrance, and the Samadhi True Fire around him flickered slightly under the influence of this water-based spiritual power.

He understood instantly.

The dark, poisonous swamp outside, the eerie power that can corrode the protective spiritual light of a Golden Core cultivator, and the quicksand pools that devour everything are all natural restrictions formed by the leakage of the power of this sacred object and its fusion with the surrounding dead land.

The sacred object suppresses this place, and this place protects the sacred object.

A heavy thud came from behind, and half of the Lin family head's body squeezed through the crevice in the rock.

He fell to the ground and rolled twice, leaving a long trail of blood on the smooth rock surface.

He propped himself up, his crimson eyes scanning the cavern before landing on the blue-glowing bead above the central pool.

He froze completely.

In those bloodshot eyes filled with murderous intent, hatred receded at a visible speed, replaced by an almost insane greed.

"Water-based... sacred artifact... This is! The legendary water-repelling pearl!"

His voice was hoarse and cracked, with an uncontrollable tremor.

Su Xuan stood ten feet away and saw the whole scene clearly.

The Lin family head's reaction was entirely expected.

A single water-based sacred artifact is enough for a Golden Core cultivator to reshape their physical body and even attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

For a cripple who had just severed both his legs, this thing was ten thousand times more important than Su Xuan's life.

"Su Xuan".

The head of the Lin family suddenly spoke, his killing intent largely subdued, replaced by a forced calm tone.

"Let's put aside our past grievances for now."

Su Xuan remained silent.

"The Lin family head continued."

"There's a natural barrier around this pool that I can't break alone, and neither can you. You need fire-attribute spiritual energy, and I need metal-attribute spiritual power; only by working together can we possibly break the barrier."

He paused.

"We'll each take half of the water-repelling pearl. You take what you want, and I'll take what I want. We'll each go our own way and have nothing to do with each other."

Su Xuan stared at the old man who was dragging his half-crippled body and talking to him about cooperation, and sneered inwardly.

Half for each person?

Do you really think he's a three-year-old?

The moment the water-repelling pearl was in his hands, the first thing that old dog did was turn around and kill him.

But Su Xuan's face showed no unusual expression.

"OK."

In short, it was decisive and efficient.

The Lin family head narrowed his crimson eyes slightly, seemingly surprised that the other party agreed so readily.

But greed overcame his doubts, and he didn't ask any further questions. He dragged his half-body toward the pool.

The two stood on opposite sides of the pool.

A transparent light curtain surrounds the pool, a natural barrier formed by the water-repelling pearl over hundreds of years. Spiritual energy that touches it will be repelled; it is gentle yet terrifyingly tough.

"Let's attack together," the Lin family head said in a deep voice.

Su Xuan raised his right palm, and the Samadhi True Fire condensed into a crimson torrent of spiritual energy.

The Lin family head unleashed a stream of dark blue golden elixir spiritual energy with both palms.

Two completely different forces, one fire and one metal, simultaneously bombarded the transparent light barrier.

hum.

The light curtain vibrated violently, and numerous cracks appeared on its surface.

Both players increased their output simultaneously.

Click.

The restriction was broken.

The aura of the water-elemental artifact erupted completely the moment the restriction shattered, and an extremely powerful water-elemental spiritual force soared into the sky, engulfing the entire cavern in blue light.

Su Xuan's body had already been launched forward, and his right hand reached towards the floating bead.

Almost simultaneously, the Lin family head moved, his half-body splintered up, and he unleashed his golden core spiritual power with all his might, reaching out one hand towards the direction of the water-repelling pearl.

Neither of them had touched the bead yet.

The bottom of the pool exploded.

A deafening roar erupted from beneath the water's surface, accompanied by a tangible shockwave!

It stirred up a water wall several meters high in the pool, and Su Xuan and the Lin family head were both forced back by that force.

The entire cave was shaking violently, stalactites from the ceiling were crashing down, and the water at the bottom of the pool was spinning rapidly in a strange vortex.

Then, a massive figure shot into the sky from the center of the vortex.

Its entire body was covered in ice-blue scales, and it was over ten zhang long. Its head was raised high, and its vertical pupils burned with murderous intent that was extremely violent.

The overwhelming pressure of the Golden Core demon beast poured down, several times more intense than when the Lin family head was at his peak.

The water is cold and the dragon is cold.

Su Xuan's body was pressed down by that oppressive force, causing his knees to bend slightly. The Samadhi True Fire pulsed wildly under the impact of the Cold Dragon's ice-type spiritual power.

It is protecting the water-repelling pearl.

It had been dormant for hundreds of years, all in preparation for devouring this sacred object and completing its transformation!

Now two humans have broken in, shattered the barrier, and touched its Achilles' heel.

The dragon turned its head, its vertical pupils sweeping over Su Xuan and the Lin family head, without any intention of distinguishing between friend and foe.

Blue Star, Dragon Kingdom Live Stream Room.

The live chat went wild instantly.

"Holy crap! A Golden Core demon beast! And Su Shen also has a Golden Core old monster with a broken leg, how are we going to fight this three-way brawl?!"

"It's over, it's over, it's over! A Golden Core Flood Dragon, and Su Shen is only at the Foundation Establishment stage!"

"Wait, the Lin family head is also its target. A three-way battle might offer some room for maneuver!"

"Su Shen hasn't died in three months, I choose to believe him!"

Inside the forbidden area, Su Ruo stood motionless, her ten fingers clasped together, her knuckles taut and turning blue.

Alice leaned against the stone wall, slowly lowering her crossed legs, and for the first time, a serious look appeared in her emerald green eyes.

"A Golden Core demon beast, or a dragon bloodline," she muttered to herself, "This time it's really in jeopardy."

The Netherwater Cold Dragon raised its head, and a stream of icy blue breath gushed out from its throat.

The extremely cold air was ten times more terrifying than real ice. Wherever it passed, the air condensed into white frost crystals. The cave walls were quickly covered with a layer of ice half an inch thick. Even the stalactites that had been hanging for countless years shattered and collapsed under this cold.

The escape route is completely blocked.

The only entrance to the cave, that narrow crevice in the rock, was completely blocked by ice the moment the icy dragon's breath swept across it.

The oppressive aura of the Golden Core demon beast pressed down from all directions, and Su Xuan's knees bore the weight of a thousand pounds, with a faint creaking sound coming from the gaps in his bones.

fast.

The Samadhi True Fire surged within his body, and his spiritual energy poured out without reservation, condensing into a thick, crimson wall of fire around him.

The extreme heat collided head-on with the frigid air currents that filled the space, creating a hissing sound so piercing it made your teeth ache.

The cold dragon's vertical pupils narrowed slightly.

Those icy blue beast eyes locked onto Su Xuan for two breaths before finally shifting away.

Fire overcomes ice; this is an unchanging law of nature!

Even though this dragon possessed the cultivation level of a Golden Core cultivator, the instinctive fear etched deep within its bloodline prevented it from being the first to confront that raging flame head-on.

It chose the one that was easier to bite.

Lin family head.

The Lin family patriarch lay paralyzed in a pool of blood, his body half-destroyed.

The ten-zhang-long body of the cold dragon suddenly curled up, its muscles taut to the limit beneath its icy blue scales!

The next instant, it shot out, its giant tail sweeping across, carrying a bone-chilling cold as it headed straight for the cripple who had lost both legs.

The Lin family head tumbled off the reef, the dragon's tail grazing his scalp, the icy wind causing half his face to go numb instantly.

"brute!"

The Lin family head bit his tongue, forcing out a mouthful of blood essence which he spat onto his right palm. A small, dark blue sword flew out from between his eyebrows—his natal magic weapon.

The small sword expanded several times in the air, transforming into a three-foot-long azure rainbow, carrying the sharpness of a Golden Core cultivator's life's cultivation, and slashed straight at the dragon's head.

Clang!

The sword's edge struck the cold dragon's forehead scales, scattering a burst of icy blue sparks.

The scales weren't broken.

The cold dragon merely tilted its head slightly, leaving not even a white mark.

Su Xuan retreated to a corner of the cave, where the Samadhi True Fire protected his body, consuming his spiritual energy, but it was far more cost-effective than a direct confrontation.

He crouched behind a huge boulder, coldly watching the one-sided massacre.

Let them fight.

The worse the beating, the better.

In the center of the cave, the battle took a sharp turn for the worse. The Frost Dragon's attacks were completely unpredictable, purely driven by the primal ferocity of a demon beast, but its peak Golden Core physique and abundant spiritual energy gave it the ability to crush everything in its path.

The dragon's tail swept across, shattering the protective aura around the Lin family head.

The dragon's claws slammed down, shattering the reef, and fragments embedded themselves in the Lin family head's shoulder blade.

Waves of icy blue breath compressed the Lin family head's activity area to less than three zhang.

"puff!"

With a dull thud, the frost dragon's front claws shattered the protective aura of the Lin family head's natal magic treasure. Five icy claws pierced deep into his chest, breaking three ribs on the spot, and blood mixed with bone fragments gushed from the wounds.

The head of the Lin family was sent flying through the air, his back slamming through a stalactite pillar, and he became embedded in the rock wall.

He fell from the rock face, his half-body hitting the ground, blood gushing from his mouth and chest.

It’s over.

Without legs, his Golden Core spiritual power had been largely depleted during the three months of pursuit, and the loss of his own legs had severely damaged his vitality. Faced with a Golden Core peak-stage dragon in its prime, he couldn't even escape.

The icy dragon slowly swam over, its vertical pupils revealing a cruelty that toyed with its prey.

Blue Star, Dragon Kingdom Live Stream Room.

"The Lin family head is getting completely humiliated! This Golden Core cultivator who chased Su Shen for three months is now being toyed with by a dragon!"

"Hilarious! She was so cool chasing after Su Shen back then, and look at her now! Karma's finally caught up with her!"

"Su Shen is sitting calmly on the sidelines, watching the show with great satisfaction. That's true strategic thinking!"

Deep inside the cave.

The cold dragon attacked again, and the Lin family head's half-dead body rolled on the ground in a sorry state, leaving a long trail of blood.

His natal magic weapon developed a crack during the collision, and its spiritual light dimmed.

Another claw strike.

The Lin family head's left arm was broken by the dragon's claws, the bone protruding from the flesh, white and bony.

"what!"

Screams echoed through the cave.

The frost dragon's tail lashed out again, sending him flying into the air, before its head slammed into him, slamming him back to the ground.

boom.

The ground shattered, and blood splattered everywhere.

The head of the Lin family lay sprawled among the rubble, not a single patch of his skin intact.

Half of his chest had collapsed, his left arm was twisted at an odd angle, and blood was gushing out again from his severed leg.

The murderous intent in his crimson eyes finally dissipated completely, replaced by a pure madness.

I'm doomed today.

They couldn't escape, they couldn't win, Wang Zhenhe was blocking the outside, and Su Xuan was watching them from the inside.

Since we're going to die anyway, let's take someone down with us.

The Lin family head raised his head, his mouth full of blood and foam, and let out a heart-wrenching, maniacal laugh at the swooping cold dragon.

"I'll die with you!"

Within his dantian, the golden core that had already developed cracks suddenly began to spin faster. Its spiritual energy no longer released outwards, but instead was frantically compressed inwards, compressed, and compressed again.

The Golden Core self-destructed.

Su Xuan moved the instant the spiritual energy began to run rampant. He gathered all the Samadhi True Fire back into his body, frantically poured his spiritual energy into his legs, and launched himself to the farthest corner of the cave, his back pressed against the rock wall, layers of fire stacked upon each other.

Then, a white light appeared.

boom!

The power of the Golden Core cultivator's self-destruction turned the entire cavern into a hellish place.

A terrifying energy storm exploded from the center of the Lin family head's dantian, tearing everything within a radius of dozens of feet apart. A thick layer of the bluish-gray rock wall was sheared away, and the clear pool of water was lifted several feet high by the shockwave.

The cold dragon was the first to be attacked.

It was swooping down to within three zhang of the Lin family head when the devastating energy storm engulfed it head-on.

Large shards of ice-blue scales shattered and peeled off, flesh tore apart from bones, and the dragon's body was thrown out in the explosion, crashing heavily onto the dome of the cave.

The entire cave was shaking violently, and rocks were falling like rain.

Su Xuan's fire wall was torn apart by the shockwave, with two layers broken. The third layer barely held up, but the aftershocks pressed him into the rock wall, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

But it was only a trace.

The protective power of the Samadhi True Fire was fully demonstrated at this moment. The residual energy waves that were enough to tear apart a Foundation Establishment cultivator were completely dissolved when they touched the crimson flames.

The dust has settled.

Su Xuan emerged from the rock wall and patted the rubble off his shoulders.

Looking around, the cave was completely unrecognizable. Stalactites were scattered everywhere, the rock walls were covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and the air was filled with a mixture of burnt and bloody smells.