Under the Nine Nether Dragon Court, in the Bone Burial Ground.
"Swish~~~"
Qi Liandao's figure streaked past, heading straight for the depths of the Bone Burial Ground. After passing through a long corridor, they arrived at an underground hall. In the center of the hall stood a glazed high platform. On the platform lay a corpse – a middle-aged man of exceptional handsomeness, clad in a white robe, with a few golden dragon scales on his neck. This was the remnant body of the last true dragon, Zhaoying, from the mortal world.
Zhaoying had died ten thousand years ago, besieged by the sages of the Sea of Heavens. His physical body had sustained unimaginable damage and pressure from the Heavenly Dao. After falling into the mortal realm, his soul began to dissipate. It was said that Zhaoying's soul lingered in the human world for a long time, constantly searching for a perfect vessel to achieve rebirth. However, when he finally found one, the target was a woman who had already pledged eternal love to a Mountain Lord. Thus, when Zhaoying's soul killed the woman and attempted to possess her, a man carrying an empty sword sheath descended from the heavens. Enraged, he shattered Zhaoying's last vestiges of soul with a single sword strike.
Therefore, the man lying before them now was merely Zhaoying's remnant body, already dead beyond death.
"Finally, finally succeeded..."
Qi Liandao's eyes blazed with fervor. As long as he succeeded in possessing this true dragon remnant body, he would gain at least half of Zhaoying's cultivation from his lifetime. Coupled with his own accumulated foundation, Qi Liandao would become the strongest Fourteenth Realm under heaven. Even if the Saint of the Sword, carrying the silver empty sword sheath, descended upon the mortal world again, he might not be able to deal with him.
In the next moment, Qi Liandao unhesitatingly plunged his sword into his own chest. A sword through the heart. To possess another, one must first abandon their own fleshly body. He had made no plans for a retreat. If possession failed, he would die, for life would be meaningless.
As his body fell, Qi Liandao's soul stood up. His eyes gazed greedily at the true dragon remnant body lying on the glazed stone. He chanted the Soul Refining Art, and his soul drifted down to merge with the true dragon remnant body. The moment the fusion began, the true dragon remnant body trembled violently and spasmed. Qi Liandao's soul, as if being burned by fire, let out continuous wails. To control this true dragon remnant body required unimaginable suffering, yet he did not hesitate. He locked the fleshly body with his soul, preventing any leakage of his soul's power, vowing to claim this remnant body as his own.
For a time, the entire Bone Burial Ground and the Nine Nether Dragon Court trembled wildly.
...
"This is bad!"
Within the Nine Nether Dragon Court, Jing Chu suddenly looked underground and said sternly, "Qi Liandao is merging with the true dragon remnant body. I will hold Tan Xin, and the rest of you go to the Bone Burial Ground to stop Qi Liandao!"
At this moment, Jing Chu had already resolved to die, just like his martial uncle Qin Suihan. With the Great Dao on the verge of collapse, scholars must not flinch!
Sword light erupted as Jing Chu unleashed his ultimate skills, enveloping countless sword intents with dense sword Qi, attacking Tan Xin. Meanwhile, Ning Yuansheng, Fu Sheng, Nan Qingfeng, Long Dongjun, Xie Yiying, Chen Mengjun, Ran Qing, Cao Yan, and others rushed towards the Bone Burial Ground below.
"Hah!"
Tan Xin was already covered in wounds, but she bore the physical body of a Twelfth Realm Wandering Corpse. The body of a Wandering Corpse was even more resilient than that of a Rebirth Realm martial artist. Although half her body was nearly scorched, her vitality remained tenacious. She had survived an attack from a large group of Upper Fifth Realm cultivators, and now her opponent was only Jing Chu. What was there to fear?!
She let out a sinister laugh and unleashed dozens of magical arts, one by one, grinding down Jing Chu's sword Qi. She withstood the attacks of each sword strike with her physical body and raised a finger, once again unleashing a killing blow.
However, just as Tan Xin's attack was delivered, Gu Lingyu continuously threw out dozens of cyan bamboo slips inscribed with Confucian texts. The slips exploded in succession, entangling Tan Xin's killing blow with wisps of golden script, preventing her attack from killing Jing Chu. But Tan Xin's realm and combat power were ultimately far superior. The price Gu Lingyu paid to block Tan Xin was immense, and in an instant, he was overwhelmed by endless ghostly aura, his face turning pale and blood seeping from the corners of his mouth.
"Just the two of you!?"
Tan Xin soared into the air, her fingers dancing wildly, unleashing ghastly killing formations towards Jing Chu and Gu Lingyu. For a time, the two scholars swung their swords and bamboo slips, doing their best to block, but their injuries continued to mount. At this moment, Tan Xin, carrying the destiny of more than half the ghost realm, was truly terrifyingly powerful.
Just then, Lin Zhao galloped in from the southern entrance. He saw the disheveled Jing Chu and Gu Lingyu and exclaimed in alarm, "Ling Yu!"
"Ah!?"
Gu Lingyu was also taken aback, "Junior Martial Uncle, why are you here too..."
"Rustle..."
From the northern entrance, an old Daoist in a grey robe entered, leaning on his walking staff. Upon seeing the pathetic state of Jing Chu and Gu Lingyu being suppressed from afar, he cried out in alarm, "Oh dear, these two must not die... Lord Lin, I trouble you to assist!"
He flicked his sleeve, and a figure clad in pure white appeared – Lin Wanhua, a Thirteenth Realm cultivator. Lin Wanhua had been nurturing her sword within the old Daoist's sleeve for a very long time. The moment she appeared, she unleashed her sword. With a soft "swish," blood splattered. One of Tan Xin's arms, which had been continuously casting spells, was cleanly severed!
"Ah, Miss Lin?!"
Lin Zhao hastily reined in his horse, its hooves skidding along the ground, nearly rearing on its hind legs. Lin Zhao on the horse's back looked back at Lin Wanhua and the old Daoist.
"Damn it!"
He cursed angrily, "Old Dao Wang, so Miss Lin has been held by you all along, and you still pretended to know nothing?! You ate my food, drank my drink, and then lied to me. Have you no shame?!"
"Oh dear..."
Old Dao Wang, exposed on the spot, lost face. He quickly scurried towards the Bone Burial Ground below, carrying his walking staff, and said, "Don't be angry yet, let's resolve the situation of the true dragon's reincarnation first..."
In the air, Lin Wanhua was stunned. She hadn't expected Lin Zhao to become so agitated because of her. A warmth spread through her heart.
...
"Smelly old Dao! Liandao..."
Tan Xin's combat power was affected by the loss of an arm, but she had no intention of killing Lin Wanhua. All her thoughts were focused on Qi Liandao in the Bone Burial Ground. Previously, there had been a whole group of Upper Fifth Realm cultivators from the three tribes, and now there was a Fourteenth Realm Old Dao Wang going down. Qi Liandao was in danger. Thinking of this, she disregarded everything else, enveloped by a sky full of ghostly aura, and transformed into a blood-red light, rushing into the Bone Burial Ground.
"Junior Martial Uncle!"
Gu Lingyu frowned, "This place is dangerous, you should leave quickly!"
Lin Wanhua also frowned, "Lin Zhao, you don't need to be here, hurry and get out."
Jing Chu gritted his teeth, "Junior disciple Lin Zhao, listen to them and leave quickly. this battlefield does not belong to you."
"Don't worry about me!"
Lin Zhao pulled on his reins and said, "You all go about your business, I'm fine, hurry to the Bone Burial Ground!"
The three Upper Fifth Realm cultivators rushed towards the Bone Burial Ground together, while Lin Zhao flipped over and followed on his flying sword, Hongye. With such a grand occasion, was it appropriate for him not to even touch the edge of the final boss?
...
Bone Burial Ground.
A great battle was about to begin. The handsome middle-aged man in white stood suspended in the air, his eyes closed, his body convulsing. Qi Liandao seemed unable to fully control this remnant body in a short time. Moreover, the true dragon remnant body was resisting Qi Liandao's soul. How could a true dragon's body tolerate a human soul?
The attacks of Ning Yuansheng, Fu Sheng, Long Dongjun, and others were all repelled by a protective barrier surrounding the true dragon remnant body, rendering them unable to inflict any damage. Long Dongjun's fists were already bloody and mangled, yet he still couldn't touch Qi Liandao at all.
"Make way!"
Old Dao Wang descended from the sky. Seeing the scene in the distance, he hurriedly unscrewed the stopper of his green gourd, gently patted it, and said sternly, "Fortunately, I'm not too late, still in time!"
"Chichichi—"
With a whistling sound, streaks of flying swords shot out of the green gourd, thirty-six in total. They bombarded Qi Liandao, causing the invisible true dragon barrier to crack continuously and finally break open. At this moment, Old Dao Wang's figure flashed forward, and he placed his fingertip on the center of the true dragon remnant body's brow, slowly dragging out two points of light from between its brows.
Those were Qi Liandao's one soul and one spirit. It could be said that if Qi Liandao had succeeded in possessing the body with his complete three souls and seven spirits, he would have been not far from the true power of a true dragon, and also not far from the legendary Fifteenth Realm. However, if he were to reincarnate as a true dragon with an incomplete soul, his strength would undoubtedly be greatly diminished.
"Liandao!"
Tan Xin roared hoarsely, charging forward desperately, wanting to turn the old Dao into dust with a single palm strike. But a figure blocked her path – Lin Wanhua. She thrust out her sword, Jinghua, the tip of which met Tan Xin's palm. A deafening bang erupted, and sword Qi and ghost Qi surged outwards. Lin Wanhua retreated several steps, while Tan Xin's face was ferocious.
In terms of strength, she was ultimately still far inferior.
...
"Old Dao."
Suddenly, Qi Liandao's eyes finally opened. They were golden eyes, as if capable of seeing through everything in the world. The moment he opened his eyes, Old Dao Wang's heart turned to dread, but there was no turning back. As Qi Liandao raised his hand to grasp his wrist, Old Dao Wang smiled faintly. He lightly crushed his index and middle fingers, and Qi Liandao's soul and spirit were instantly crushed.
"You... damn old Dao!"
Qi Liandao's sea of consciousness ached intensely. He suddenly kicked Old Dao Wang flying, then clutched his head and roared incessantly. His body hunched over, his clothes tearing, revealing dense golden dragon scales beneath. In an instant, his body began to swell, about to reveal his true dragon form in this Bone Burial Ground!
"Not good..."
Lin Zhao, who had just rushed into the Bone Burial Ground and witnessed Qi Liandao's transformation into a true dragon, was stunned. In the next moment, with a courage he didn't know he possessed, he locked onto Qi Liandao with a sword Qi impact. The moment he soared forward, he unleashed a Rising Dragon Slash!
Everyone else was afraid to act, so I'll do it!
As the saying goes.
When in doubt, use Rising Dragon Slash!
...
"..."
Not far away, protected by her master Xie Yiying, Chen Mengjun watched the scene unfolding before her, her heart pounding as if it would stop. The person she had been longing for, reunited after a long separation, was about to... slay a dragon?