Flood Dragon Remnant Soul

The azure light sword arrived with astounding speed, its radiance illuminating the dim tent and illuminating the panic on Chen Yong's face. In the face of imminent peril, Chen Yong nevertheless steadied himself at once. Channeling the power of his viscera and sinews, he drew a deep, sudden breath, letting his chest expand to its limit before expelling it in a thunderous shout. "Break!" A seventh-rank martial artist could not yet condense true qi, and when confronting the shifting forms of dharma arts, the technique most commonly relied upon was the thunder roar. By spurring the power of the viscera to amplify one's voice hundreds or thousands of times, infused with a martial artist's formidable will and vitality, it had proven effective time and again for dispelling spells. Chen Yong's fierce shout cleaved the air like a thunderclap, the expelled sound waves dealing a massive shock to the surrounding space. Beneath the violent surge of sound waves, the front of the tent billowed outward, small items of every sort scattering and flying in all directions. The hurtling light sword bore the brunt of the impact; its flight noticeably slowed, specks of azure luminescence spattering from its blade. Even so, the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword maintained its complete structure and did not shatter under the concussive sound waves. Fifty paces away, Zhou Wuji felt a wave of relief. As expected, with his cultivation advancing to the sixth rank, the potency of the dharma arts he unleashed had multiplied. A thunder roar unleashed with the full force of a seventh-rank martial artist could no longer easily disperse his magic. While martial artists were formidable in direct melee, that was true only relative to peers of the same rank. A difference of a single rank signified a massive gulf between their cultivation levels. Moreover, his Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword had reached the peak realm of perfection, harmonizing flawlessly with the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture. At present, the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword was his most potent dharma art. An orthodox Daoist secret method cultivated to such a state was far beyond anything demonic cultivators of the Yin-Yang Dao could muster; if a martial artist could shatter it with ease, it would have been a farce! Chen Yong had no time for idle thoughts. Knowing that pouring all his vitality into a thunder roar had still failed to break the light sword, he knew he was in dire straits. His thunder roar had clearly failed. He immediately drew his saber and slashed with all his might, intending to shatter the intangible with the tangible. He had practiced his Water-Parting Saber for thirty years, wielding the blade with swiftness and deadly precision. Though his thunder roar had not shattered the light sword, it had hindered its speed. Just as the saber was about to strike the blade of light, the foot-long azure sword suddenly divided into two, flashing high and low toward Chen Yong's throat and chest. Chen Yong was filled with even greater dread. How could this light sword split apart? After thirty years of saber practice, his response to such a change was almost instinctual. Sweeping his saber around, he took a retreating step and shifted his torso, executing a head-wrapping and body-shrouding maneuver. This technique shielded both head and torso with the blade while incorporating a backward step—an exquisitely deft counter. Controlling the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword from a distance, Zhou Wuji could not help but inwardly praise the move. Setting aside the man's character, his martial skill was undeniably refined. Of course, it was still a step below Zhang Xinhu, roughly on par with Wu Di. Considering the man was also a Gu master, it was all the more remarkable. For the Five Dragons Gang to establish themselves as a major power in Yunyang Prefecture, they truly possessed capable talents. Even with such thoughts crossing Zhou Wuji's mind, his control over the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword never wavered for a moment. His opponent's reactions were seasoned, but in the end, it was merely martial skill, constrained by the physical limits of the human body and capable of only so many variations. The Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword, however, was guided by divine sense—akin to being wielded by an invisible hand, possessing myriad permutations. Chen Yong had calculated the light sword's speed when shielding himself, but Zhou Wuji commanded the twin divided swords to pause for a heartbeat. By the time Chen Yong realized something was amiss, it was already too late to adjust his saber. Both light swords thrust forward simultaneously. Chen Yong could only draw in his chest and scramble backward, but he was far too slow to outpace the twin blades. With an azure flash, one light sword plunged into Chen Yong's chest. Though formed of flowing light, it was sharper than steel, piercing clean through Chen Yong's heart. The heart was the wellspring of vitality and blood, the very foundation of a seventh-rank martial artist's power. Chen Yong also harbored the mother Gu of the Black Dragon Gu within his heart, and the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword contained astral demon-slaying variations, which were the natural bane of Gu insects and foul spirits. Taking a direct hit from the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword, the mother Gu shattered in large part. Yet it did not perish immediately; instead, it grew violently frantic. Chen Yong's mind was spiritually linked to the mother Gu. The agony and berserk rage it transmitted on the spiritual plane instantly threw his mind into a daze. Meanwhile, the other light sword had silently slipped into Chen Yong's throat. As the azure blade turned, a ring of blood blossomed across his neck. His face frozen in terror, Chen Yong swayed slightly. His head tumbled to the ground, and blood sprayed violently from the headless corpse. Zhou Wuji paid no heed to the slain Chen Yong; through his Six Yang Dharma Eyes, he could see the life aura of the mother Gu. Chen Yong's chest suddenly burst open, and a four-legged black snake shot out. The black snake moved with blistering speed, darting across the ground with a whoosh. Zhou Wuji was slightly surprised. This mother Gu was unlike the two he had slain before: struck by the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword, it had not died, and its body had even remained intact—an exceedingly bizarre feat. He naturally would not allow the mother Gu to escape. The two light swords whirled and shot forth. Azure streams of light crisscrossed and flared, shredding the scurrying black snake into dust. The spiritual light of the black Gu insect's life dissipated. Yet Zhou Wuji felt something was off. He consulted the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment, but upon it appeared neither the Gu master's destiny pattern nor the Gu insect's. He was thoroughly perplexed. With his head severed, how could the Gu master still be alive? Suddenly, crimson light flared atop the crude altar, flames surging several zhang high. The twisting flames took the shape of a long serpent bearing four legs—the exact likeness of the mother Gu from moments ago. Yet atop this serpent's head grew a single horn. By this point, everyone within the secret realm had been startled awake. Emerging from their tents, they caught sight of the bizarre transformation on the altar. The crimson flood dragon composed of flame twisted and danced in midair, rearing its head in the posture of a long roar. Observing through his Six Yang Dharma Eyes, Zhou Wuji saw that the yin qi gathered within the crimson flood dragon was exceptionally concentrated, yet faintly carried the presence of living spiritual light. He surmised that the Gu master's soul had likely merged with the Gu insect, which had in turn fused with the flood dragon remnant soul. Though the Gu master and Gu insect had been slain by the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword, their deaths had allowed the Gu master to complete the Gu art, truly unifying with the flood dragon remnant soul as one. Fortunately, the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment had alerted him that the Gu master's soul was not extinguished and the Gu insect had not died, enabling him to reach this conclusion swiftly. A flood dragon remnant soul on its own was of little concern, but once wielded by a Gu master, it became extraordinarily dangerous. Zhou Wuji dared not delay. He immediately urged the two blades of the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword to strike straight forward. Yet the flood dragon remnant soul formed of crimson flames suddenly dispersed into a sky full of flowing light, sweeping over the Five Dragons Gang members gathered around the altar. The twenty-odd men of the gang were all burly and robust, and not a few among them were eighth-rank hidden force martial artists. Yet against this crimson stream of light, they were completely powerless to resist. No matter how violently they churned their vitality, the crimson luminescence easily sank into their bodies. Enveloped in the light, the men turned into blazing crimson torches, burning furiously. In the blink of an eye, their bodies detonated with a boom amid the scarlet radiance. Their spattering flesh and blood dissolved entirely into crimson flames, leaving only severed heads rolling across the ground. The crimson fire into which they had transformed blazed with exceptional ferocity, converging once more upon the altar to reconstitute the crimson flood dragon. After slaying so many men, the crimson flood dragon's body had become noticeably more solid. Zhou Wuji instantly understood how the sacrificial victims before the altar had died. The evil spirit formed from the flood dragon remnant soul was indeed demonic and terrifying. Rather than seizing the moment to attack recklessly, he chanted incantations and formed hand seals, preparing a suitable spell. Zhou Wuji felt that against such an evil spirit, the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Yin Thunder would prove far more effective. Naturally, he did not forget to first bestow upon himself the Big Dipper Heavenly Astral Divine Incantation. A robe of azure light draped over him like a cloak, bringing him an added measure of security. The main concern was the bizarre nature of the Gu insect; the Big Dipper Heavenly Astral Divine Incantation could ward off the intrusion of all manner of yin qi and foul evils. The crimson flood dragon's slit pupils turned slowly, fixing Zhou Wuji with a half-real, half-illusory gaze. Zhou Wuji called out in a clear voice, "Are you still human?" The dragon's slit eyes blinked, revealing a distinctly human expression of confusion. Yet because it was entirely formed of condensed flames and lacked a physical body, this human expression only made it appear all the more grotesque. The crimson flood dragon did not hesitate for long. Stretching its body, it lunged straight toward Zhou Wuji. Zhou Wuji did not budge. The crimson flood dragon moved with astounding speed, arriving before him in the blink of an eye. Just as it gaped its maw to bite, Zhou Wuji pointed a finger. Clear water-like luminescence formed of Yin Thunder unfurled like a serpent, engulfing the crimson flood dragon directly. With a muffled boom, the Yin Thunder erupted violently. Amid the stretching aqueous light, the crimson flood dragon warped and shattered. In the next instant, crimson flames flared atop the altar, once again condensing into the form of a flood dragon. However, the flames across its body had grown dim; evidently, the strike from the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Yin Thunder had inflicted grave damage upon it. Zhou Wuji could tell that the foundation of the flood dragon remnant soul lay within the altar itself. Peering through his Six Yang Dharma Eyes, he spotted what seemed to be a jar hidden deep within the altar's core. Zhou Wuji once more chanted incantations and formed seals, preparing to unleash the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Yin Thunder. The crimson flood dragon seemed to sense the danger and threw itself ferociously toward Zhou Wuji once more. Zhou Wuji pointed his finger, first launching three blades of the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword. The three swords of light turned into three rapidly spinning azure wheels, shredding the flames that formed the crimson flood dragon into a shower of sparks. As this rain of light converged toward the altar once again, Zhou Wuji pushed off the ground, following the scattering sparks straight toward the platform. Before the flames could reconstitute, the three swords of light whirled and plunged into the center of the altar. The timbers of the altar were torn to shreds, and the bone china jar hidden beneath the wooden planks was likewise pulverized by the swords of light, sending porcelain shards flying in all directions. Deprived of the nourishment and protection of the soul-nourishing jar, the flood dragon remnant soul was fully revealed. This time, the remnant soul was pitch-black from head to tail. It lacked the soaring grandeur of the dancing flames from before, but carried an even deeper aura of gloom and dread. Before the dark flood dragon remnant soul could react, the three blades of the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword whirled in, grinding it into wisps of black smoke. With his spell ready, Zhou Wuji pointed a finger and once more unleashed the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Yin Thunder. Thunder light flowed like water, sweeping out to envelop and submerge the plumes of black smoke. Amid dull rumbles of thunder, the aqueous light dissipated, and the dark shadow of the flood dragon vanished without a trace. The gloomy, foul qi drifting through the air was swept completely clean. Zhou Wuji glanced at the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment. A new entry had appeared upon it: *Flood Dragon Gu Master, convertible to five liang of primordial profound spirit.* There was no separate Gu master, nor any Gu insect; evidently, all had been tallied together. Perhaps the numerous blood sacrifices had been factored into the reckoning as well, yielding such a hefty sum as five liang! That the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment classified the flood dragon remnant soul as a Gu master was indeed rather surprising to him. Five liang of primordial profound spirit was, by calculation, equivalent to the fifth-rank level—the highest-ranking destiny pattern he had ever acquired. Zhou Wuji looked down at the many severed heads strewn across the ground, his heart growing slightly heavy. Yet he soon composed his thoughts. By slaying the Gu master and his cohorts, he had avenged these fallen souls...