268: Chapter 267 Su Jingchen

"Don't rush," Jiang Hanzhou soothed it with his mind. "Now is not the time."

He brought the Gu Mother into his Dantian, nurturing it with his Natal Heart Furnace.

Deep within his Dantian, the Natal Heart Furnace, forged with Pure Yang True Intent as fire, Tidal True Intent as the furnace, Metal Sharpness True Intent as the hammer, and Heavenly Fire True Intent as transformation, was now burning fiercely. Four-colored flames intertwined within the Heart Furnace, forming a Small World independent of heaven and earth.

The moment the Gu Mother fell into the Heart Furnace, the four-colored flames surged simultaneously, enveloping it layer by layer, nurturing it layer by layer, and refining it layer by layer. The Gu Mother emitted a comfortable hum, the blood-colored patterns on its body grew brighter, and its dark golden shell became deeper.

It was growing.

Under the nourishment of the Heart Furnace and driven by its instinct to feed on Dao principles, the Thousand Tribulations Nirvana Gu Mother was transforming from its larval stage to its growth stage. This process required time, nourishment, and Jiang Hanzhou to continuously provide it with energy through his vital blood and True Intent.

But Jiang Hanzhou couldn't wait that long.

He needed a faster method.

He took out the heavenly secret mirror from his sumeru pouch, and his Divine Sense probed into it. In the star map, the list of the nine Innate Dao Bodies was still clearly visible. Behind each name, there was a faint golden thread, which was the connection between Dragon Slaying True Person's dao seed and the Dao Body.

Those threads were the roots of the dao seed.

And he was going to cut them off.

"The Divine Intent Heavenly Saber slays the Divine Soul," he murmured to himself. "A dao seed takes root in the Foundation, not the Divine Soul. The Divine Intent Heavenly Saber can sever the Divine Soul, but it cannot sever the dao seed. I need a new saber, a saber with Dao-Devouring Power as its edge, Divine Intent as its bone, and the Heart Furnace as its fire."

He closed his eyes and began to deduce.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the Heart Blade hung above the lake of divine soul, its dark golden dragon patterns coiling like a Dragon. He drew the Origin power of the Thousand Tribulations Nirvana Gu from his Dantian, channeling it along his Meridians into his Sea of Consciousness, and into the Heart Blade.

The moment the two forces met, the Heart Blade trembled violently.

The Dao-Devouring Power of the Gu worm and the Divine Soul power of the Heart Blade were fundamentally different. One was devouring, the other was slashing; one was soft and yielding, the other was fierce and unyielding. They collided, tore at each other, and intertwined on the Heart Blade, erupting with astonishing energy fluctuations.

The dark golden dragon patterns on the Heart Blade began to flicker, and fine cracks appeared on the blade body.

A trickle of fresh blood escaped Jiang Hanzhou's lips.

But he did not retreat.

He used the power of his Natal Heart Furnace as a bridge, injecting the scorching heat of Pure Yang True Intent, the enduring nature of Tidal True Intent, the sharpness of Metal Sharpness True Intent, and the variability of Heavenly Fire True Intent—all four powers simultaneously into the Heart Blade, forcefully suppressing the conflict between the Dao-Devouring Power and the Divine Soul power.

The cracks on the Heart Blade grew more numerous and deeper.

The dark golden dragon patterns on the blade body spun wildly, emitting a sharp saber cry. The saber cry echoed, surged, and vibrated in his Sea of Consciousness like a dragon's roar and a tiger's howl.

Just as the Heart Blade was about to shatter, the Thousand Tribulations Nirvana Gu Mother suddenly opened its mouth and spat out a wisp of dark golden light.

Within that light was the most fundamental power of the Gu worm, the Dao-Devouring Core.

The moment the light merged into the Heart Blade, the cracks on the Heart Blade abruptly stopped. These cracks no longer spread but began to heal. On the healed blade body, the dark golden dragon patterns were even deeper than before, and a layer of dark golden halo appeared at the edges of the dragon patterns.

That was the mark of the Fusion of Dao-Devouring Power and Divine Soul power.

The Heart Blade had undergone a transformation.

From a pure Divine Soul artifact, it had evolved into a Dao-Slaying Blade capable of severing Dao principles.

Jiang Hanzhou opened his eyes, a dark golden light flashing within them.

He raised his right hand, and with a slight thought.

The Heart Blade shot out from his Sea of Consciousness, hovering above his palm. The blade body was entirely pure white, flowing with four-colored light. At the blade's edge, a dark golden halo slowly circulated, containing an indescribable power, the Dao-Devouring Power.

He gripped the hilt, feeling the joyful emotions emanating from the blade. Within those emotions were excitement, longing, and an indescribable hunger.

It wanted to devour.

Devour Dao principles, devour True Intent, devour all power rooted in the Dao.

"From today on, you shall be called the Dao-Slaying Blade Intent," Jiang Hanzhou said calmly, looking at the Heart Blade in his hand. "Not to slay Divine Souls, not to slay Physical Bodies, but to slay dao seeds. To sever the Dao principle fragments of Dragon Slaying True Person, to sever the threads he planted in everyone's Foundation, to sever his millennium-long ambition."

The Heart Blade trembled, emitting a clear and resonant saber cry.

That saber cry contained an indescribable killing intent.

Jiang Hanzhou retracted the Heart Blade into his Sea of Consciousness and slowly exhaled a turbid breath.

He succeeded.

During his three days of secluded Cultivation, he not only found a way to counter the dao seed but also perfectly integrated the Origin power of the Thousand Tribulations Nirvana Gu with the Divine Intent Heavenly Saber, refining the Dao-Slaying Blade Intent. From now on, he no longer needed to forcefully devour dao seeds with Gu worms; with just one saber strike, he could sever the connection between the dao seed and Dragon Slaying True Person.

However, this saber strike could not be used casually.

The Dao-Slaying Blade Intent severs Dao principles, not the Physical Body. If the opponent's Foundation did not contain a dao seed, this saber strike would be useless. Moreover, wielding the Dao-Slaying Blade Intent required a massive expenditure of Divine Soul power and Dao-Devouring Power. With his current Cultivation, he could at most unleash three strikes.

After three strikes, his Sea of Consciousness would be unable to gather any Divine Soul power for the duration of an incense stick.

Three strikes, that was enough.

He put the "secret record of blood gu · Incomplete Chapter" into his sumeru pouch, stood up, and walked to the stone window.

Outside the window, the night was profound.

The lights of Red Fire Peak flickered in the night wind, and the direction of Heavenly Sword Peak was shrouded in darkness. In the distance, the surface of the East Sea shimmered, and the sound of waves crashing against the reefs could faintly be heard.

Just then, faint footsteps came from outside the Immortal Cave.

The footsteps were very light, almost inaudible. But Jiang Hanzhou's perception was far beyond ordinary people; he clearly heard the footsteps stop in front of the Immortal Cave door, and then a clear and cold voice came from outside the door:

"Junior Brother Jiang, it's me."

Teng Yuzhi.

Jiang Hanzhou's brow slightly twitched, and he raised his hand to push open the stone door.

Outside the Immortal Cave, Teng Yuzhi was dressed in the green Daoist robe of a Bibo Pool Inner Sect Disciple, her long hair tied up with a jade hairpin, her expression cold, but in her eyes, there was a trace of undisguised fatigue and solemnity.

In her hand, she held a completely cyan Jade Slip.

"Senior Sister Teng," Jiang Hanzhou stepped aside, "Please come in."

Teng Yuzhi nodded and entered the Immortal Cave. Her gaze swept across the Cultivation room, seeing the lingering four-colored light on the ground and sensing the unscattered Divine Soul power fluctuations in the air. Her brows furrowed slightly, but she didn't ask further, merely sitting cross-legged on the meditation cushion.

Jiang Hanzhou sat opposite her, looking at the Jade Slip in her hand: "Senior Sister Teng, what urgent matter brings you here so late at night?"

Teng Yuzhi said nothing, merely placing the cyan Jade Slip on the ground between them.

The Jade Slip was entirely cyan, its surface engraved with intricate ripple patterns, a unique mark of Bibo Pool. At the corner of the Jade Slip, there was a fine crack, as if something had burst it from within.

"This is my Master Master Qingxuan's handwritten note," Teng Yuzhi said, her voice clear and cold. "He asked me to pass it on to you."

Jiang Hanzhou picked up the Jade Slip and his Divine Sense probed into it.

Within the Jade Slip, Master Qingxuan's handwriting was densely recorded, each stroke containing an indescribable solemnity. These words were not ordinary letters, but Master Qingxuan's insights and discoveries from his secret investigation into Dragon Slaying True Person's Immortal Cave over the years.

Among them, a passage marked with cyan characters was particularly striking:

"Before Cold Frost Master was imprisoned, he used a secret technique to communicate with a mysterious will within the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion. That will was not a remnant soul of Dragon Slaying True Person, but a True Intent imprint he left in the Immortal Cave. However, a True Intent imprint would not actively communicate with people unless someone used a dao seed as a guide to activate the consciousness within the imprint."

"Cold Frost Master's Foundation did not contain a dao seed. He could not have actively activated Dragon Slaying True Person's True Intent imprint. This indicates that someone within Dragon Abyss Palace used a dao seed as a medium to complete the communication on behalf of Cold Frost Master."

"That person is the true hidden pawn planted by Dragon Slaying True Person in Dragon Abyss Palace."

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils suddenly contracted.

He withdrew his Divine Sense from the Jade Slip and looked at Teng Yuzhi. Teng Yuzhi's expression was cold, but in her eyes, there was a trace of undisguised worry.

"Senior Sister Teng," Jiang Hanzhou said, his voice calm, "What else did Master Qingxuan say?"

Teng Yuzhi took out a palm-sized jade talisman from her sleeve and placed it on the ground. The talisman was entirely pure white, its surface engraved with intricate silver patterns that coiled like dragons, slowly flowing across the talisman.

"This is a sub-mirror of the heavenly secret mirror," Teng Yuzhi's voice was clear and cold. "Great Elder Xuanjizi gave it to my Master before going into secluded Cultivation. The sub-mirror is connected to the main mirror; any Seal unlocked in the main mirror can also be seen in the sub-mirror."

She paused, her gaze fixed on Jiang Hanzhou: "You unlocked the second layer of the heavenly secret mirror's Seal and saw the list of the nine Innate Dao Bodies. My Master also saw it."

Jiang Hanzhou's brow furrowed slightly.

Teng Yuzhi continued: "My Master said that among the nine Innate Dao Bodies, Han Qing is already dead. Of the remaining eight, you, I, and Ao Zhan are on the list. But there are five others, scattered among the various major forces in the East Sea. My Master is currently investigating their identities, Cultivation, and backgrounds one by one."

She paused, then said word by word: "But my Master said that the greatest threat is not those five people. It's the hidden pawn who activated Dragon Slaying True Person's True Intent imprint for Cold Frost Master. That person must be within Dragon Abyss Palace, and moreover, must be among the nine Innate Dao Bodies."

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils suddenly contracted.

"You mean, within Dragon Abyss Palace, an Innate Dao Body is a hidden pawn of Dragon Slaying True Person?"

"Precisely," Teng Yuzhi nodded. "That person knew the truth of the dao seed from the very beginning. He knew he was a dao seed, he knew Dragon Slaying True Person wanted to harvest him, but he didn't resist; instead, he chose to cooperate with Dragon Slaying True Person. He worked for Dragon Slaying True Person, helped Dragon Slaying True Person activate the True Intent imprint, and helped Dragon Slaying True Person monitor the growth of other dao seeds. In return, after Dragon Slaying True Person's Rebirth, his Divine Soul would be preserved, and his Foundation would not be drained."

Jiang Hanzhou was silent for a long time.

Then, he spoke, his voice calm: "Who is that person?"

Teng Yuzhi shook her head: "I don't know. My Master investigated for three months and found no clues. That person is extremely well-hidden and has never exposed their identity. After Cold Frost Master was imprisoned, my Master tried to pry the identity of the hidden pawn from him, but Cold Frost Master didn't know either. He only knew that the hidden pawn's dao seed was rooted extremely deeply, so deeply that it could directly communicate with Dragon Slaying True Person's True Intent imprint."

She paused, her gaze sharp as a blade: "So, I came."

Jiang Hanzhou looked at her: "You came to me because you want to join forces?"

"Indeed," Teng Yuzhi nodded. "You are the only one among the nine Innate Dao Bodies who can decipher the dao seed. Your Thousand Tribulations Nirvana Gu, your Divine Intent Heavenly Saber, your Dao-Slaying Blade Intent are the key to severing the dao seed. And I have Bibo Pool's intelligence network, the secret support of my Master Master Qingxuan, and the ability to investigate the nine Innate Dao Bodies."

She stood up and looked at Jiang Hanzhou, saying word by word: "Junior Brother Jiang, let's join forces. You are responsible for finding a way to sever the dao seed, and I am responsible for finding the identity of that hidden pawn. When the time is right, together, we will sever all dao seeds, expose that hidden pawn, and destroy Dragon Slaying True Person's millennium-long scheme."

Jiang Hanzhou looked at her, silent for a long time.

Then, he slowly stood up and extended his hand.

"Good."

Teng Yuzhi looked at his outstretched hand, slightly startled. Then, she extended her hand and clasped his.

Two hands, one strong, one cool, clasped tightly together at this moment.

"From today onwards," Jiang Hanzhou's voice was calm, yet contained an indescribable resolve, "we will look out for each other. You help me investigate the hidden pawn, and I'll help you sever the dao seeds. When all this is over, we will both be free."

Teng Yuzhi nodded and released his hand.

She took out a communication talisman from her sleeve and handed it to Jiang Hanzhou: "This is my specially made communication talisman; it can directly contact my Master and me. If you find anything, notify me immediately."

Jiang Hanzhou took the communication talisman and put it into his sumeru pouch.

Teng Yuzhi turned and walked out of the Immortal Cave. As she reached the door, she suddenly stopped and said without turning her head:

"Junior Brother Jiang, there is one thing my Master asked me to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Among the list of the nine Innate Dao Bodies, there is one person with a special identity. That person is not an Outer Sect Disciple, not an Inner Sect Disciple, and not an Elder of any peak."

Teng Yuzhi's voice was clear and cold, yet contained an indescribable solemnity:

"That person is a Core Disciple of Dragon Abyss Palace, the Personal Disciple of Palace Master Longyuan, and the Chief of Tianji Peak."

"His name is Su Jingchen."

With those words, she strode out of the Immortal Cave and disappeared into the night.

Jiang Hanzhou stood at the Immortal Cave entrance, gazing at the gradually receding figure, silent for a long time.

Then, he turned around, walked back to the Cultivation room, and sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion.

"Su Jingchen."

He murmured to himself, his voice terrifyingly calm.

He etched this name into his heart, then closed his eyes and began to regulate his breath.

No matter who that hidden pawn was, no matter how deep Dragon Slaying True Person's scheme ran, and no matter how many secrets in Dragon Abyss Palace he didn't know, he needed to become stronger.

Become even stronger.

Strong enough to sever all dao seeds, strong enough to protect himself and those around him, strong enough to face the Dao Master reborn after a thousand years.

He opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them.

"Dragon Slaying True Person, no matter how deeply your hidden pawn is concealed, I will ferret him out."

"No matter how deeply your dao seeds are planted, I will sever them with one strike."

"Your millennium-long scheme, I will personally destroy it."

He clenched his fists, and the four-colored light within his body surged dramatically, illuminating the entire Cultivation room as if it were daytime.