266: Chapter 265 Mirror

When Jiang Hanzhou returned to Hanzhou Residence, the night was already deep.

The stone door of the Immortal Cave slowly closed behind him, isolating him from the clamor of the outside world. He stood in the center of the cultivation room, taking out the heavenly secret mirror from his sumeru pouch and holding it in his palm.

The jade talisman was translucent white all over, its surface carved with fine silver patterns that wound like dragons, flickering slightly in the gloom. On the front of the jade talisman were two ancient characters: Heavenly Mystery. On the back, a star map was engraved, with stars dotting a profound and vast expanse.

"The East Sea calamity rises; only you can hold it."

Grand Elder Xuanjizi's words still echoed in his ears, his aged voice containing an inexpressible solemnity. Jiang Hanzhou gripped the heavenly secret mirror, feeling an indescribable power contained within the jade talisman. That power was not Spiritual Essence, not True Intent, and not the Divine Soul, but something deeper, like a secret sealed for a thousand years, waiting for a certain Opportunity to break free.

He sat cross-legged on a prayer mat and placed the heavenly secret mirror in front of him.

"It needs to be activated with the power of the Divine Soul," he murmured to himself, closing his eyes.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the lake of divine soul was as calm as a mirror, its surface covered by a thick layer of Divine Soul Armor that flowed with four-colored brilliance. The Heart Blade hung above the Sea of Consciousness, the dark gold dragon patterns on its blade winding like dragons, breathing out translucent white light.

With a slight thought, a strand of Divine Soul power was drawn from his Sea of Consciousness, flowing through his Meridians into his palm and injecting into the heavenly secret mirror.

The jade talisman trembled slightly.

Those silver patterns began to flow faster, changing from slow to rapid, forming a mysterious vortex on the surface of the jade talisman. In the center of the vortex, the star map suddenly lit up, and countless stars flickered, flowed, and intertwined within the jade talisman.

But soon, the light dimmed again.

"Not enough." Jiang Hanzhou frowned slightly and increased the output of his Divine Soul power.

More translucent white light surged from his palm into the heavenly secret mirror, and the jade talisman's trembling became increasingly violent as the silver patterns flowed faster and faster. The stars in the star map lit up one by one, forming a vast scroll of the starry sky within the jade talisman.

But the Seal still did not unlock.

Jiang Hanzhou took a deep breath and injected all four types of True Intent into it simultaneously.

The Tidal True Intent was long and continuous, surging in like a tide; the Pure Yang True Intent was blazing and overbearing, shining like a fierce sun; the Metal Sharpness True Intent was incomparably sharp, cutting like a keen blade; and the Heavenly Fire True Intent was unpredictable, burning like flames. The four powers intertwined and wound together within the heavenly secret mirror, merging with the Divine Soul power to form a force capable of prying open the Seal.

The silver patterns on the jade talisman suddenly flared up, extending from the surface to intertwine in the air into a complex Formation diagram. That diagram was mysterious and profound, with every line containing the inexpressible Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, like some ancient Legacy sealing Formation.

"Break."

Jiang Hanzhou gave a low shout, pouring all his Divine Soul power and the four True Intents into the Formation diagram at once.

Boom!

The heavenly secret mirror erupted in brilliant silver light, illuminating the entire cultivation room as if it were broad daylight. The light condensed in the air, transforming into a silver light screen about ten feet in diameter. Within the light screen, images slowly began to emerge.

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils suddenly constricted.

In the light screen, a young man dressed in a green Daoist robe stood with his hands behind his back in the Void Realm. His face was lean and elegant, his eyes like lightning, and his body was surrounded by five-colored brilliance—the sign of the perfect Fusion of the Five Elements True Intent. Beneath his feet, a pitch-black dragon was struggling, its body wrapped in layers of five-colored chains, its dragon blood gushing like a fountain and staining a large area of the sea black.

Dragon Slaying True Person.

And that black dragon was the Ancestral Dragon.

"This is..." Jiang Hanzhou's voice trembled slightly.

The images shifted.

Dragon Slaying True Person stood atop the Ancestral Dragon's head, his right hand holding a long, greenish-white sword that flowed with five-colored brilliance. His expression was calm, but his deep eyes contained an inexpressible determination.

The Ancestral Dragon opened its massive mouth, its voice like Nine Heavens thunder: "dragon slaying, do you think that by killing me, you can save this world? Using a Dragon Clan Secret Technique, I have planted the 'Daoist Destruction Curse' in your dao foundation. From now on, your Dao laws will crumble every moment, and your Lifespan will drain away every second. You will watch yourself turn from a generation's Dao Lord into a useless person."

Dragon Slaying True Person did not speak, simply swinging his sword down.

The Ancestral Dragon's head rolled off, and dragon blood sprayed like a waterfall, dyeing the entire sea region red.

But at the moment of the Ancestral Dragon's death, a pitch-black light shot out from its body and vanished into the brow of Dragon Slaying True Person. Dragon Slaying True Person's body suddenly stiffened, the five-colored brilliance around him began to flicker, and cracks appeared in the previously perfectly fused Five Elements True Intent.

The Daoist Destruction Curse.

The images shifted once more.

Dragon Slaying True Person sat cross-legged inside an Immortal Cave, his face as pale as paper, the five-colored brilliance around him dim and lusterless. Beside him knelt three Disciples, their faces filled with grief and indignation.

"Master," the leading Disciple looked up, his eyes bloodshot, "is there really no other way?"

Dragon Slaying True Person opened his eyes, which were once like lightning but were now covered in fine cracks. This was a precursor to the crumbling of his dao foundation, a sign that his Dao laws were perishing.

"There is." His voice was calm yet contained an inexpressible determination. "The Daoist Destruction Curse is guided by my Dao laws and centered on the Ancestral Dragon's resentment, inextricably bound to my dao foundation. If I continue to live, the curse will keep crumbling my dao foundation until I become a useless person. But if I actively undergo Transcendence through Death and use my own Dao laws as a guide to set up the 'Severing the Dao for Rebirth' grand scheme, I can Seal the curse and wait a thousand years to use the power of 'dao seeds' to reshape my dao foundation and achieve Nirvana Rebirth."

The expressions of the three Disciples changed drastically.

"Master, you are going to undergo Transcendence through Death?"

"Correct." Dragon Slaying True Person nodded. "I need you to do three things for me. First, Seal the fragments of my Dao laws after my transcendence in seven places, suppressed by the Seven Star Dragon-Locking Array. Second, find nine infants with an 'Innate Dao Body' and Cultivate them into 'dao seeds' so that a thousand years later, their dao foundations can be used as a guide to help me achieve Rebirth. Third, establish a Sect named 'Dragon Abyss' to guard these dao seeds for generations, waiting for the day of my Rebirth."

He paused, his gaze like a torch. "Can you do it?"

The three Disciples knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily. "Your Disciples obey your command."

The images shifted for the last time.

Dragon Slaying True Person sat cross-legged in the center of the Immortal Cave, the five-colored brilliance around him growing dimmer as the fine cracks became more numerous and deeper. He closed his eyes, and at that moment, the Dao laws within his body crumbled simultaneously, turning into countless fine golden spots of light that dissipated from his body.

Those golden spots of light condensed in the air, transforming into a golden bead the size of a fist. The bead contained Dragon Slaying True Person's lifelong Dao law fragments as well as the Daoist Destruction Curse.

He raised his right hand and gave it a gentle push.

The golden bead flew toward the ceiling of the Immortal Cave, turning into seven streaks of light that vanished into the void.

At the same time, his body slowly dissipated, turning into bits of starlight that merged into heaven and earth.

Transcendence through Death.

A generation's Dao Lord had used such a method to win himself a chance a thousand years in the future.

The images ended here, and the silver light screen slowly dissipated.

In the cultivation room, there was a dead silence.

Jiang Hanzhou sat on the prayer mat, his face pale and his hands trembling slightly. In his mind, those images kept replaying, every frame like a thousand-pound hammer smashing against his Dao Heart.

Dragon Slaying True Person was not an ancient mighty figure who had fallen.

He was the last Dao Lord of the Innate One Qi Sect. Back then, he had slain the Ancestral Dragon that was terrorizing the East Sea, but the Ancestral Dragon had planted the 'Daoist Destruction Curse' in him before dying, causing his dao foundation to crumble and his Lifespan to reach its end. He did not sit and wait for death but instead used his own Dao laws as a guide to actively undergo Transcendence through Death, setting up a 'Severing the Dao for Rebirth' grand scheme that spanned a thousand years.

And the Sect Founding Ancestor of Dragon Abyss Palace was actually a Named Disciple of Dragon Slaying True Person back then.

The entire Dragon Abyss Palace, from its inception, was a garden for Dragon Slaying True Person to raise 'dao seeds'.

"dao seeds..." Jiang Hanzhou murmured to himself, his voice raspy. "Nine infants with Innate Dao Bodies were cultivated into dao seeds so that a thousand years later, their dao foundations could be used as a guide to help Dragon Slaying True Person achieve Rebirth."

He thought of Grand Elder Xuanjizi's words: "The East Sea calamity rises; only you can hold it."

He thought of those four large characters in the heavenly secret mirror: The East Sea Calamity Rises.

He thought of the thousand-year history of the Dragon Abyss Palace, of those Disciples the Sect regarded as prodigies, and of those talents who had mysteriously fallen during their cultivation.

Among them, how many were dao seeds?

How many people had their fates decided from the moment they were born, becoming sacrifices for Dragon Slaying True Person's Rebirth?

Jiang Hanzhou closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down.

He needed to think, to analyze, and to find a way to break the situation.

Dragon Slaying True Person's 'Severing the Dao for Rebirth' grand scheme used the Seven Star Dragon-Locking Array to Seal the Dao law fragments, the nine dao seeds as a guide, and the Dragon Abyss Palace as a guardian. The thousand-year period was approaching, and Dragon Slaying True Person was about to be reborn. At that time, the dao foundations of all the dao seeds would be extracted to serve as nourishment for him to reshape his own.

And he, Jiang Hanzhou—was he a dao seed?

He thought of his fate, [Late Bloomer], Rank Six.

Was this fate innate, or was it implanted?

He remembered the day he transmigrated to this world, the blurred memories, and the inexplicable sense of dissonance.

Who was he?

Why did he transmigrate?

Where did his fate come from?

Question after question flooded his mind, each like a sharp blade cutting into his Dao Heart. But he did not panic; he only took a deep breath and suppressed all distracting thoughts.

"Now is not the time to think about this," he murmured. "I need more information."

He opened his eyes and stored the heavenly secret mirror into his sumeru pouch.

Only the first layer of the Seal in the jade talisman had been unlocked; even deeper secrets remained sealed. He needed stronger Divine Soul power and stronger True Intent to unlock the subsequent Seals and see more of the truth.

But at the very least, he knew one thing now.

Dragon Abyss Palace was not his home.

Dragon Slaying True Person was not his Ancestral Master.

He was merely a pawn, trapped in a chess game spanning a thousand years. And the player was that Dao Lord who had undergone weapon-release a thousand years ago, waiting for Rebirth.

"But I will not sit and wait for death."

Jiang Hanzhou's voice was calm, yet it contained an indescribable determination.

He stood up, walked to the stone window of the Immortal Cave, and looked at the night outside. The lights of Red Fire Peak flickered in the night wind, while the direction of Heavenly Sword Peak was pitch black. In the distance, the surface of the East Sea shimmered, and the faint sound of waves crashing against the reefs could be heard.

That sound was like the Tide, endless and never-ceasing.

Just like his path of martial arts.

Never-ceasing.

"Dragon Slaying True Person," he murmured, "if you want to use my Dao base to be reborn, then let's see if you have the ability."

He clenched his fists, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

"My life can only be decided by myself."

Jiang Hanzhou sat cross-legged in the cultivation room, the heavenly secret mirror floating before him, emitting a faint silver light.

Three days had passed since he unlocked the first layer of the Seal. During these three days, he had not left Hanzhou Residence for a single step, only using his Divine Soul power and four types of True Intent day and night to nourish the heavenly secret mirror, attempting to break through the second layer of the Seal.

The silver patterns on the jade talisman were brighter than before, and the speed of their flow was getting faster and faster. One by one, the stars in the star map lit up, forming a vast starscape within the jade talisman. However, the second layer of the Seal was several times stronger than the first, like an invisible barrier firmly locking away the deeper secrets.

"Just a little bit more."

Jiang Hanzhou murmured to himself. Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the lake of divine soul suddenly boiled. The thick layer of Divine Soul Armor on the lake's surface erupted with a brilliant, translucent white light that pierced through his Sea of Consciousness and Physical Body, flowing along his Meridians into the heavenly secret mirror.

At the same time, the four types of True Intent within his body operated simultaneously. Tide as the foundation, Pure Yang as the fire, Metal Sharpness as the edge, and Heavenly Fire as the variation; the four were perfectly harmonized and under his complete control. The four powers intertwined within the heavenly secret mirror, merging with the Divine Soul power to form a force sufficient to tear through the Seal.

Crack.

A soft sound rang out, like an eggshell cracking.

The silver patterns on the heavenly secret mirror suddenly flared, extending from the surface of the jade talisman and weaving into a more complex and profound Formation diagram in the air. That Formation was several times larger than the first layer, and every line contained the indescribable Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, like the core Formation of some ancient Legacy.

The silver light condensed into a light screen once more, and images slowly emerged.

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils suddenly contracted.

In the light screen, Dragon Slaying True Person sat cross-legged within an Immortal Cave, the five-colored radiance around him dim and lusterless. Before him floated that golden bead which sealed the Dao Principle Fragments and the Daoist Destruction Curse.

"A thousand years from now, I will be reborn," Dragon Slaying True Person's voice was calm, yet it contained an indescribable resolve. "But the prerequisite for Rebirth is having enough 'dao seeds'."

He raised his right hand and gave a light tap.

Nine fine golden threads flew out from the golden bead, piercing through the void and disappearing into the unknown distance.

"The Nine Great Innate Dao Bodies are the 'dao seeds' I have carefully selected. They will be sent to Dragon Abyss Palace and cultivated into the top Geniuses. They will Cultivate the techniques I left behind, comprehend my True Intent, and absorb my Dao Principle Fragments. And all of this is for only one purpose: to make their Dao bases the nourishment for my Rebirth."

Dragon Slaying True Person paused, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"But the nine dao seeds are far from enough. I need more 'nutrients', more 'Dao bases', and more 'Divine Soul power'. Therefore, I left behind the Immortal Cave, the memory fragments, and those so-called 'Legacies'."

The images shifted.

The Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion slowly emerged deep beneath the sea, the two words 'dragon slaying' on the palace gate emitting a chilling Sword Intent. Countless Cultivators flocked from all directions, scrambling to rush into the Immortal Cave to fight for those memory fragments.

They thought they were the recipients of an Opportunity, that they were the chosen ones.

But they did not know they were merely prey.

"Every Cultivator who enters the Immortal Cave and absorbs a memory fragment will be quietly planted with a 'dao seed'," Dragon Slaying True Person's voice echoed in the light screen. "The dao seed will grow along with their comprehension of the Dragon-Slaying True Intent, merging deeper and deeper into their Dao base, Divine Soul, and blood and Qi. When I initiate the final ceremony, the Divine Souls, Dao principles, and lifelong cultivation of all Cultivators planted with dao seeds will be completely drained to become the nourishment for my Rebirth."

Jiang Hanzhou's face was as pale as paper.

He remembered those memory beads he had absorbed in that Small World. Those pale golden beads, each containing a memory fragment of Dragon Slaying True Person, each making his comprehension of Dragon-Slaying True Intent go one level deeper.

But he only now realized that those so-called "Opportunities" were nothing more than traps set by Dragon Slaying True Person.

"dao seed..." he murmured to himself, his voice hoarse, "Do I have a dao seed in my body too?"

The images shifted again.

In the East Sea region, on a remote island, a middle-aged Cultivator was cultivating in an Immortal Cave. A faint golden light lingered around him, which was the power he had obtained after absorbing memory fragments in the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion.

But at that moment, his body suddenly froze.

His eyes became hollow, and his face turned as pale as paper. The blood and Qi, True Intent, and Divine Soul within his body all rioted at this moment, as if being gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand and crazily extracted.

"No, don't..."

He opened his mouth, wanting to shout, but could not make any sound. His body rapidly shriveled, his skin clinging to his bones, and his eyes deeply sunken. Within a mere three breaths, a Cultivator at the Peak of the Primal Form Realm had turned into a dried corpse.

His Divine Soul, Dao principles, and lifelong cultivation were all taken away by an invisible force, disappearing into the void.

The image jumped again.

On another island, a young Cultivator was practicing swordplay by the sea. His sword techniques were sharp, each strike containing thirty percent Metal Sharpness True Intent. But at the moment he swung his sword, his body suddenly froze, and the power within him was frantically extracted.

Three breaths later, he too became a dried corpse.

The image jumped again and again, each time showing the fall of a Cultivator. There were men and women, old and young, those in the Primal Form Realm, the Dragon Fetus Realm, and even experts in the Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm.

They came from different Sects, different factions, and different regions.

But they all had one thing in common: they had all entered the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion and absorbed Dragon Slaying True Person's memory fragments.

"This is a Trial Run," Dragon Slaying True Person's voice was as calm as water. "The pulling force of the dao seed needs continuous Trial Runs to ensure that nothing goes wrong during the final ceremony. These Cultivators are my test subjects. Their fall has let me know the limits of the dao seed's power and taught me how to extract Divine Souls, Dao principles, and cultivation more precisely."

The images stopped.

Lines of blood-red text emerged on the light screen, each word like a sharp blade piercing into Jiang Hanzhou's eyes:

"The Grand Plan of Slaying the Dao for Rebirth: sealing Dao Principle Fragments with the Seven Star Dragon-Locking Array, using the Nine Great Innate Dao Bodies as the core dao seeds, the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion as the Bait Formation, and memory fragments as the medium. All Cultivators who enter the Immortal Cave and absorb memory fragments are dao seeds. When the final ceremony is initiated, the Divine Souls, Dao principles, and lifelong cultivation of all dao seeds will be completely drained to become the nourishment for Dragon Slaying True Person's Rebirth."

"The growth of the dao seed depends on the comprehension of the Dragon-Slaying True Intent. The deeper the comprehension, the deeper the dao seed takes root, and the stronger the power extracted during the final ceremony."

"The pulling force of the dao seed has undergone multiple Trial Runs in the East Sea. Those Cultivators who fell strangely with their Divine Souls withered were all victims of the Trial Runs. Their deaths provided valuable experience for Dragon Slaying True Person, making the final ceremony more perfect."

The blood-red text slowly dissipated, and the silver light screen also gradually dimmed.

Within the cultivation room, there was a deathly silence.