The bizarre and mysterious pitch-black vortex put Cheng Junie on high alert!

SSHLA—

With a single slash, he destroyed hundreds of Iron Rakshasas obstructing his path. The Southern Bright Separation Fire swept through, and ashes drifted in the air.

A murderous glint flashed in Cheng Junie's eyes. With one stroke, he aimed to decapitate Daoist Tai Yin!

But just as the cold glint of the blade was about to fall, a large hand suddenly reached out from the vortex.

Its fingers curved like hooks, boldly grabbing the sword's edge.

CRACKLE—

Sparks flew, and the Magic Sword hummed!

His expression changed slightly. Cheng Junie lifted his gaze towards the pitch-black vortex.

He saw a tall, sturdy figure looking down from above, its face obscured by shadows and indistinct.

Yet, a pair of imposing purple pupils in those eyes brimmed with aggression!

A sudden unease rising in his heart, Cheng Junie retracted his sword and retreated rapidly.

The next moment, a young Daoist clad in a wide Taoist Robe, with fair, delicate features and a tranquil expression, stepped out of the vortex.

Making use of the Divine Marvel of the Dual Heart Mirror to directly shatter the Cosmic Bi, he descended from the void.

Qi Xiu glanced down at Daoist Tai Yin, whose body was half-charred, and frowned slightly.

"How did you end up like this?"

There was no time to inspect Daoist Tai Yin's memories.

Suddenly, Qi Xiu struck back with his palm. His right hand turned pitch-black as ink, heavily slapping away the life-threatening sword blade Cheng Junie aimed at him through an opening.

CLANG—

A semi-transparent shockwave exploded outward!

A bare-handed strike capable of suppressing and shattering a Magic Artifact was terrifying.

The seemingly effortless palm Qi Xiu delivered caused the golden-red Magic Sword in Cheng Junie's hand to hum loudly, its surface light dimming significantly.

Using the Star Absorption Skill to drain some of the Magic Sword's power, Qi Xiu twirled his fingertips to extinguish the sparks. His gaze calmly met that of the solemn-faced Cheng Junie across from him.

Two of them? Twins?

Seeing Qi Xiu, who bore an identical face to Daoist Tai Yin, Cheng Junie glanced down at the golden-red Magic Sword in his hand.

The originally vivid and vibrant flame had dimmed by more than half. A crack, barely discernible but truly present on the sword, caused his lip to twitch.

A casual slap cracked my Magic Sword. This white-robed Daoist's physical body is harder than a Magic Artifact?!

Having looked into Daoist Tai Yin's memories, Qi Xiu showed a hint of enlightenment and surveyed his surroundings.

"I never expected such a Crystal Palace to be hidden beneath the source of the Nu River. Are you Cheng Junie?"

Gently rubbing the thumb ring, Qi Xiu observed the middle-aged man opposite him thoughtfully.

Cheng Junie, the original owner of the Wonderful Medicine Pot.

This man possessed incredibly strong fortune.

He had once received the legacies of ancient great sects like the Food Demon Sect, Lianmen, and the Sword Sect. His strength was formidable, and he possessed numerous trump cards.

He was also a member of the affluent Cheng Family.

His cultivation level was considered top-tier even within the Blood-Stained Realm.

"Summoning me in such a rush, only to present me with this mess upon arrival... you really have some nerve."

Glancing at Tai Yin, Qi Xiu shook his head gently.

*I'm* the mess?

Cheng Junie chuckled. He found it unexpected that he, once a Blood-Stained Great Cultivator, would be regarded as a mess. His black hair billowed as a wild and imperious aura swirled about him, and the dim Southern Bright Separation Fire Sword Formation lit up once more with a towering inferno.

"Today, I shall let you witness why the Sword Dao is revered as the King of All Techniques!"

The space between his brows illuminated, and Cheng Junie's aura surged. In the void, streams of Southern Bright Separation Fire Sword Light whirled with ferocious flames and boldly struck!

BOOM!

Thousands of swords resonated. The air compressed violently, bursting with a roar as shockwaves rippled out. The sky tore asunder, akin to mountains crumbling and the earth splitting, with a radiance so brilliant it was blinding.

"The Sword Dao is the King of All Techniques? Then what does that make my Thunder Magic?"

With a raise of his eyebrows, Qi Xiu lifted his left hand. Suddenly, a ring of Thunder Magic runes lit up in his palm.

Bing Fire Divine Thunder—Fifty-Fold!

In the next moment, countless bolts of lightning surged forth like dragons emerging from their nests, overwhelming everything.

The entire Crystal Palace corridor was submerged by this incredibly potent Sea of Thunder.

Flames surged, and lightning crisscrossed!

Two forces, filled with extreme destructive power, collided fiercely.

It was like thousands of soldiers clashing in battle!

In an instant, hundreds of white sonic booms detonated simultaneously.

Visible shockwaves spread relentlessly, sweeping wildly around and threatening to tear open the void itself.

And in the instant of this impact, two figures violently broke through the ensuing chaos, clashing frenetically, their sword lights piercing and their punches and kicks fierce.

In the blink of an eye, they had already exchanged thousands of blows!

POW!

They clashed and separated instantly!

Qi Xiu remained composed, as the abyss-like blackness slowly receded from his hands.

By contrast, Cheng Junie was in a much more miserable state.

The Magic Sword in his hand was dull and lifeless, covered with web-like cracks. Its internal divine essence and Mana had already been completely drained by Qi Xiu's Star Absorption Skill.

This Magic Sword was now useless.

"Thunder Magic! Are you from the Shenxiao Sect? And that technique... was it from the Food Demon Sect?"

His face, shadowed by the flickering lightning, Cheng Junie's voice was much heavier.

His Wonderful Medicine Pot... it had been stolen by a junior from the Shenxiao Sect.

And Qi Xiu's Star Absorption Skill made him tremble with fear.

Even Magic Artifacts are affected like this. What would happen if he touched my physical body?

"What else?"

Knowing that he had already forged a deadly feud with Cheng Junie, Qi Xiu wasted no words. He raised his hand, and a barrage of Thunder Magic, as dense as rain, bombarded his foe.

Today, Cheng Junie will not leave this Crystal Palace alive.

As thousands of thunderbolts rained down, Cheng Junie's expression turned increasingly grim. He instinctively tried to use various Dharma Gates and sword techniques to resist but was instead numbed by the torrential deluge of thunder. The circulation of his True Yuan slowed by more than a hundred times.

What's the deal with this junior? Isn't Thunder Magic supposed to consume a vast amount of energy? Why does it seem so effortless in his hands, as if he were merely splashing water?

The relentless, never-ending barrage caused Cheng Junie's Southern Bright Separation Fire Sword Formation to grow dimmer, teetering on the brink of collapse.

This place is cut off from the world, with no way to restore True Yuan. Continuing this fight is of no benefit to me.

Fully aware that if he kept resisting, he might truly suffer an unexpected defeat and fall into the hands of these juniors, Cheng Junie's mind stirred.

The Southern Bright Separation Fire Sword Formation exploded with a BANG!

Seizing the moment when the endless sea of fire boiled and surged, Cheng Junie transformed into a beam of sword light and sped towards the depths of the Crystal Palace.

Raising both hands, Qi Xiu used the Star Absorption Skill to absorb the sky-filled Southern Bright Separation Fire. He looked down the empty corridors of the Crystal Palace, a flicker in his eyes.

He ran away?

Tai Yin said, "Chase after him! Deep within the Crystal Palace lies a Dragon Pool containing three Dragon Origins that can help you quickly cultivate the remaining Mixed Primordial Beads. Don't let him get there first. Leave the Flood Dragon Pool Ring with me; I'll collect everything here."

Nodding, Qi Xiu took off the Flood Dragon Pool Ring from his thumb and tossed it to Tai Yin.

"Be careful. Let me know immediately if anything happens."

With that, Qi Xiu leaped into the air, riding a bolt of lightning as he rushed into the depths of the Crystal Palace.

「...」

Outside the Crystal Palace, chaos reigned.

His golden, slitted pupils narrowed further. The Flood Dragon King exuded a formidable aura, transforming into his monstrous True Body, thousands of meters long, and unleashed a frenzy of attacks on the old turtle before him!

His body seemed cast from divine metal, each scale radiating an unmatched, formidable aura. A single lash of his tail unleashed terrifying Vigor, distorting the void into a viscous mess.

Yet, this fearsome power, capable of leveling thousands of miles, couldn't leave even the slightest scratch on the old turtle's shell.

"No point trying. If you could actually harm me, I wouldn't need you to do anything; I'd kill myself right now."

Tucked within his shell, the old turtle withstood the Flood Dragon King's apocalyptic onslaught, all the while delivering chilling words in a calm tone.

Anger flared in his eyes like fire. All his efforts had failed to affect the mysterious old turtle. The Flood Dragon King suppressed the flames of rage in his heart and suddenly turned towards the Crystal Palace.

He had no way to handle this stubborn, tough old turtle.

He decided to first deal with the two human livestock who dared to enter the Dragon Palace.

However, as the Flood Dragon King approached the Crystal Palace, he saw the divine, marvelous light flowing within. The corners of his mouth curled into a smile, and he prepared to enter this Dragon Palace—when suddenly, a streak of golden light shot out fiercely from the plaque hanging above the Crystal Palace entrance.

Like a golden whip, it struck violently against the Flood Dragon King.

"AH!"

With an agonizing shriek, the Flood Dragon King, a Dao Body Realm expert, convulsed in unbearable agony, twisting and contorting like a salted eel.

Pain! It was too painful!

The excruciating pain penetrated his bones and soul. The Flood Dragon King wailed non-stop, his scales seeping an ample amount of blood that was half gold and half red.

At the same time, a deep and majestic voice echoed in the Flood Dragon King's mind.

"Impure flood dragonkin, daring to intrude upon the Imperial Residence! A minor punishment this time! If there's a next time, you will be executed!"

Struggling with a body that felt ready to split apart, the Flood Dragon King hastily retreated from the Crystal Palace he considered his private treasure, his face a mixture of shame and resentment.

"Hahaha, you got punished. An impure flood dragonkin dares to intrude upon the Imperial Residence. You didn't heed the old turtle's words and suffered right before your eyes."

Booming laughter echoed from within the shell. The old turtle popped out half his head, shaking it at the sight of the Flood Dragon King drenched in blood.

"Go on, you don't belong here."

"On what grounds? I am a Dao Expert! Those two cultivators from the Blood-Stained Realm, mere Initiates, could enter, why can't I!"

The Flood Dragon King's face contorted with indignation.

He couldn't understand why he, a descendant of Dragon Blood, couldn't enter this Dragon Palace.

"Ignorant child, a Dao Expert? Do you think entrance to the Dragon Palace depends on one's cultivation realm? Wrong! Though you are a Dao Expert, you are of impure flood dragon lineage. Your status is of the lowest grade. And those two children belong to the Human Race. They are the protagonists of Heaven and Earth in this era. You want to compare yourself to them? Are you even worthy?"

After explaining why the Flood Dragon King couldn't enter the Crystal Palace, the old turtle rolled his eyes and added, "However, there is another way for you to enter."

"What way?" the Flood Dragon King instinctively asked.

"Why don't you transform into a True Dragon on the spot? Once you're a True Dragon, you can enter not just this Nu River Imperial Residence, but any of the Dragon Palaces across the Four Seas, HAHAHA!"

Hearing the piercing laughter, the Flood Dragon King nearly choked on his own blood, forcibly suppressing the tempestuous rage in his heart.

"Old turtle, you're saying that members of the Human Race can enter this Dragon Palace, right?"

"Indeed~"

"Good!"

With an angry snort, the Flood Dragon King turned and transformed into a swift shadow, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Watching the Flood Dragon King's hasty retreat, the old turtle shook his head.

Sigh, still not giving up. He really has to have his tendons pulled and skin flayed before he'll learn his lesson. Honestly, why bother suffering so much...

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