274: Chapter 273: Lock Long Well

He looked at Jiang Hanzhou, then at the bottomless Dragon-Locking Abyss behind him, and remained silent for a long time.

Then, he spoke slowly, his voice hoarse: "Nephew Jiang, do you think jumping into the Dragon-Locking Abyss will save your life? The power of the Sect Guardian Formation is something even experts in the Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm cannot withstand. If you jump, there is only a path to death."

Jiang Hanzhou shook his head: "Dying by your hand is death. Jumping into the Dragon-Locking Abyss is also death. Since both lead to death, why should I let you have the Thousand Tribulations Nirvana Gu Mother?"

He took out the grayish-brown leather pouch from his sumeru pouch. Inside, the Thousand Tribulations Nirvana Gu Mother was sleeping quietly. Its body was only the size of a fingernail, dark gold in color, with fine blood-colored patterns flowing on its surface.

"You want this Gu insect," Jiang Hanzhou's voice was calm, "then jump down with me. Let's see if you get it first, or if it is crushed by the Sect Guardian Formation first."

Wei Wuya's expression changed completely.

He had not expected Jiang Hanzhou to be so resolute, preferring to die rather than let the Dragon Slaying True Person obtain the Thousand Tribulations Nirvana Gu Mother.

"Nephew Jiang," his voice softened slightly, carrying a hint of persuasion, "why must you do this? Hand over the Gu Mother, and I can spare your life. My master's Rebirth does not require your life. You only need to hand over the Gu Mother, and I can let you go."

Jiang Hanzhou looked at him and was silent for three breaths.

Then, he smiled, a smile full of mockery: "Attendant Wei, do you think I would believe that?"

He turned and leaped down into the Dragon-Locking Abyss.

Wei Wuya's expression shifted drastically as he lunged forward, reaching out to grab Jiang Hanzhou. But when his fingers were only an inch from the hem of Jiang Hanzhou's clothes, Jiang Hanzhou had already fallen into the abyss.

In the abyss, those golden Formation patterns suddenly lit up, erupting with a blinding light. That light contained the thousand-year power of the Sect Guardian Formation, repelling Wei Wuya's palm.

Wei Wuya stood at the edge of the stone bridge, looking at the figure receding into the abyss, his expression terrifyingly dark.

"Jiang Hanzhou," he muttered to himself, his voice hoarse, "do you think jumping into the Dragon-Locking Abyss will allow you to escape my grasp?"

...

At the bottom of the Dragon-Locking Abyss, there was a deathly silence.

Jiang Hanzhou's body slammed heavily onto the cold rocks. Intense pain spread from his back to his entire body, nearly tearing his consciousness apart. Those golden Formation patterns swirled madly around him, erupting with blinding light that scorched his skin into charred marks. The power of the Sect Guardian Formation was tearing at his Meridians, crushing his bones, and devouring his Qi and blood.

But he did not die.

It wasn't because his Physical Body was strong enough, but because the Dragon Qi at the bottom of the Dragon-Locking Abyss was too dense, dense enough to almost become substantial. That Dragon Qi acted like a thick curtain, weakening and blocking the power of the Sect Guardian Formation layer by layer, allowing him to narrowly survive the fall.

He struggled to sit up, gasping for breath. The tiger soul saber lay across his knees, the four-colored radiance on the blade so dim it was almost invisible. A faint message came from the intelligence within the saber, as if asking, "Master, are you alright?" He soothed the intelligence with his Divine Soul, telling it, "I'm fine."

But he knew this was only temporary.

He looked up toward the top of the Dragon-Locking Abyss.

There, a figure was slowly descending.

Wei Wuya.

He was surrounded by five-colored radiance. The Dragon Slaying True Person's Five Elements True Intent formed a Small World around him that was independent of the heavens and earth. When those golden Formation patterns came within three feet of him, they would automatically dissipate—not blocked, but erased by some power.

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils constricted suddenly.

He saw the token Wei Wuya held in his left hand. The token was entirely gold, its surface engraved with intricate dragon patterns, and in the center were two ancient characters: Dragon Abyss. That was the token of the Dragon Abyss Palace Master. Holding this token allowed one to freely enter and exit any place within the Dragon Abyss Palace, including the forbidden Dragon-Locking Abyss.

The Sect Guardian Formation was ineffective against Wei Wuya.

Wei Wuya landed at the bottom of the abyss, ten zhang away from Jiang Hanzhou. His expression was calm, but his eyes, swirling with five-colored radiance, contained an unspeakable killing intent.

"Nephew Jiang," his voice was as calm as water, "do you think jumping into the Dragon-Locking Abyss would allow you to escape?"

Jiang Hanzhou did not speak; he simply gripped the tiger soul saber and struggled to stand. His left leg had been injured in the fall, and every step brought piercing pain. But he did not retreat, because he knew there was nowhere to go.

At the bottom of the Dragon-Locking Abyss, there were rock walls on all sides, with only that narrow exit overhead. Wei Wuya had blocked the exit; he had no way out.

"This is the Dragon-Locking Abyss," Wei Wuya continued, "the place where the third-generation Palace Master of the Dragon Abyss Palace slew an ancient flood dragon and suppressed the Luck of the Eastern Sea. The bottom of the abyss contains the ancient flood dragon remains' Dragon Qi, as well as the ancient Restrictions laid down by the Sect Founding Ancestor. Do you think using the Dragon Qi to weaken the Sect Guardian Formation will allow you to contend with me?"

He shook his head, a mocking smile curling his lips: "Naive."

He raised his right hand, and in his palm, that black jade token slowly emerged. The blood-colored patterns on the token swirled madly, emitting a sharp hiss. The hiss wasn't loud, but it pierced straight into the Divine Soul, making the entire Dragon-Locking Abyss tremble.

The remnant soul of the Dragon Slaying True Person had awakened within Wei Wuya's Sea of Consciousness.

Five-colored radiance erupted from his body—red, gold, blue, green, and yellow colors intertwined, forming a Domain about a zhang wide around him. Within the Domain, the Five Elements generated each other in an endless cycle. That was the crystallization of the Dragon Slaying True Person's thousand years of cultivation, the mark of the perfect Fusion of the Five Elements True Intent.

At this moment, Wei Wuya's aura surged again. Peak Dragon Fetus Realm, half-step Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm, Early Stage Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm.

It rose and ascended all the way.

Finally, his aura stabilized at the Middle Stage of the Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm.

Jiang Hanzhou's face was as pale as paper.

Middle Stage Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm. That was the level of cultivation held by Master Xue Mu and Great Elder Xuanjizi, the top combat power in the Eastern Sea cultivation world. Meanwhile, he was only a Cultivator at the Early Stage of the Dragon Fetus Realm, heavily injured, with unstable True Intent and a damaged Divine Soul.

How could he fight?

Wei Wuya looked at Jiang Hanzhou, a trace of pity flashing in his eyes: "Nephew Jiang, you are not my match. Hand over the Thousand Tribulations Nirvana Gu Mother, and I can give you a quick death."

Jiang Hanzhou took a deep breath, suppressing all fear, all hesitation, and all unease.

He gripped the tiger soul saber and poured all four remaining True Intents into the blade. Tide as the foundation, Pure Yang as the fire, Metal Sharpness as the edge, and Heavenly Fire as the change—the four blended seamlessly, as easy to use as his own arm. Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the Heart Blade suddenly vibrated, and the dark gold dragon patterns on the blade erupted with brilliant golden light. That light pierced through the Sea of Consciousness, surged through his Meridians into the tiger soul saber, and perfectly fused with the four True Intents and the Dao-Slaying Blade Intent.

"No."

A single word, spoken casually, yet containing an unspeakable resolve.

A cold glint flashed in Wei Wuya's eyes: "You seek death."

He raised his right hand and pressed it toward Jiang Hanzhou from a distance.

A five-colored sword light shot out from his palm at extreme speed, leaving a five-colored afterimage in the air. That sword light contained the Dragon Slaying True Person's Sword Intent, specifically designed to slay the Divine Soul, devour True Intent, and break the dao foundation.

Jiang Hanzhou did not retreat.

He swung his saber, the Tidal Heaven-Burning Slash.

The moment the saber light and sword light collided, the entire Dragon-Locking Abyss trembled. Fine cracks appeared on the rock walls at the bottom, stones flew, and dust filled the air. Those golden Formation patterns vibrated violently under the impact of the energy wave, and some even shattered directly.

Jiang Hanzhou's body was sent flying, slamming heavily into the rock wall. A mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth, staining the front of his robe. The four-colored radiance on the tiger soul saber dimmed again, and a painful emotion came from the intelligence within the blade.

Wei Wuya stood where he was, unmoving.

"I told you," his voice was calm, "you are not my match."

He took a step forward and raised his right hand again. This time, he did not use sword light but used his palm as a sword, stabbing toward Jiang Hanzhou. That stab seemed simple, yet it contained the essence of the Dragon Slaying True Person's lifelong sword Dao. Before the Sword Intent even arrived, the Sword Qi had already locked onto Jiang Hanzhou's Divine Soul.

Jiang Hanzhou gritted his teeth and used the Wave-Treading Step, his figure darting rapidly across the bottom of the abyss. His speed was at its limit, leaving afterimages among the rocks. But Wei Wuya's sword was faster, every stab pointing at his vitals, forcing him to retreat.

Retreat, retreat, retreat.

He retreated to the rock wall on the west side of the abyss, with no further way back.

Wei Wuya's sword stabbed forward, aimed straight at his heart.

Just as the sword tip was only three inches from his heart, Jiang Hanzhou suddenly twisted his body, taking the blow with his left shoulder.

Puchi.

The sword tip pierced his left shoulder, and blood gushed out. The intense pain made him almost unable to hold the tiger soul saber, but he did not let go. He just stared fixedly at Wei Wuya, a flash of madness in his eyes.

He raised his right hand and slapped it against the rock wall.

Samadhi True Fire, full eruption.

Blazing flames spewed from his palm, not attacking Wei Wuya, but the rock wall. The thousand-year-old black ice covering the rock wall began to melt under the scorching of the Samadhi True Fire, making a sizzling sound.

Wei Wuya's brow furrowed slightly: "What are you doing?"

Jiang Hanzhou did not answer, only pushing the Samadhi True Fire to its limit. The heat of the Pure Yang True Intent, the transformation of the Heavenly Fire True Intent, plus the ice and fire power remaining from the Ice-Fire Black Tortoise Inner Core—the three intertwined on the rock wall, forming a force sufficient to melt the black ice.

The black ice grew thinner and more brittle.

Finally, with a crack, the black ice shattered.

Fragments of black ice fell from the rock wall, revealing what was behind it.

It was a Formation Plate.

The Formation Plate was about a zhang wide, entirely dark gold, and its surface was engraved with dense ancient runes. Those runes were not the Formation runes of the Dragon Abyss Palace, but characters that were even more ancient, profound, and mysterious. They were the Legacy runes of the Innate One Qi Sect, a fallback left by the Dragon Slaying True Person before his meditation-dissolution.

In the center of the Formation Plate was a fist-sized indentation. The indentation was empty, but the runes around it were slowly lighting up, emitting a faint golden light.

Wei Wuya's pupils constricted suddenly.

He recognized that Formation Plate. In the memories of the Dragon Slaying True Person, he had seen an identical one. It was a cross-realm teleportation formation laid down by the Dragon Slaying True Person with the Innate One Qi Sect Legacy before his meditation-dissolution. The function of this Formation was not to teleport items or power, but to teleport the Divine Soul.

cross-realm possession.

If the Dragon Slaying True Person's Rebirth failed and his remnant soul could not condense a dao foundation, he would activate this teleportation Formation to send his remnant soul across realms to possess a pre-prepared Physical Body. That was his final move, the ultimate insurance of his thousand-year plan.

For a thousand years, this Formation Plate had been sealed by the Dragon Qi of the ancient flood dragon remains. After the third-generation Palace Master of the Dragon Abyss Palace killed the ancient flood dragon, he suppressed the jiaolong remains at the bottom of the Dragon-Locking Abyss, using the Dragon Qi as a Seal to lock this teleportation Formation. No one knew of its existence, and no one could awaken it.

But today, Wei Wuya's dragon slaying Sword Intent had struck the rock wall, shattering the black ice and also breaking the Dragon Qi Seal. The power of the same source awakened the Formation Plate that had slept for a thousand years, and the Formation eye began to slowly light up.

Wei Wuya's face changed drastically: "No, it cannot be allowed to start!"

He let go of Jiang Hanzhou and lunged toward the Formation Plate. He wanted to destroy the plate and prevent the teleportation Formation from starting. Because if the teleportation Formation started, the Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul would be forcibly teleported away to possess a pre-prepared Physical Body. At that time, the remnant soul inside Wei Wuya would dissipate, and he would lose all his power, becoming a cripple.

He could not let that happen.

Jiang Hanzhou looked at Wei Wuya's back, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

He didn't know what that Formation Plate was or what it was for. But he knew one thing: Wei Wuya was afraid of it. Wei Wuya didn't want it to start.

Then he would make it start.

He gritted his teeth and poured all the power in his body into the tiger soul saber. Tide, Pure Yang, Metal Sharpness, and Heavenly Fire—the four True Intents perfectly fused at this moment, turning into a simple and unadorned saber light.

He swung his saber, not at Wei Wuya, but at the Formation Plate.

The moment the saber light struck the Formation Plate, the plate trembled violently. Those ancient runes erupted with blinding golden light, illuminating the entire Dragon-Locking Abyss as if it were broad daylight.

At the bottom of the Dragon-Locking Abyss, the moment the Formation Plate exploded, five-colored light and dark gold fragments intertwined into a curtain of death.

Wei Wuya's face was as pale as paper, his body swaying. The dao seed inside him completely spiraled out of control the moment the teleportation Formation was activated. Those golden threads surged madly from his Dantian, entangling his Meridians, his heart, and his Sea of Consciousness. After the Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul was forcibly extracted, his cultivation began to plummet rapidly: Middle Stage Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm, Early Stage Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm, Peak Dragon Fetus Realm.

It fell and dropped all the way.

He felt his power draining away, his life slipping away, and his consciousness blurring. But he felt no fear, only an unspeakable anger and unwillingness.

He looked up at Jiang Hanzhou. The youth stood among the rubble, the tiger soul saber thrust into the ground to support his swaying body. His body was covered in wounds, his aura was weak, and his face was pale. But his eyes were as bright as the stars in the sky.

A flash of madness appeared in Wei Wuya's eyes.

The teleportation Formation was destroyed, and the Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul had lost the channel for Possession, returning to the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion. And he, Wei Wuya, had lost the empowerment of the remnant soul and the power of the dao seed, becoming a cripple. He could no longer stay in the Dragon Abyss Palace or the Eastern Sea; he had to escape.

He turned and rushed toward the top of the Dragon-Locking Abyss.

Jiang Hanzhou saw Wei Wuya's movement and saw that he wanted to flee.