404: Chapter 404 Tu Lie's Scheme Fails: Before Absolute Prestige, All Are Ants

The platform was not large, measuring about twenty zhang in circumference.

In the exact center of the platform was a circular depression, about five zhang in diameter and one zhang deep, and at the bottom—

formation patterns.

Densely packed formation patterns covered the entire bottom and side walls of the depression. The color of the formation patterns was no longer dark red, but a deep purple-black. Every line was flowing extremely slowly, like breathing.

At the exact center of that circular depression, there was a point.

That point was glowing.

The light was extremely weak and golden in color. Surrounded by the purple-black formation patterns, it looked like the last spark in the darkness.

Su Changge stood on the platform, looking at that golden point.

At this moment, all the information from the Great Dao Scripture Pavilion matched up.

That was the ultimate core of the Nine-Lock Dragon Suppressing Array—the 'Dragon Vein Heart-Suppressing Nail.'

Nine chains extended from this core point in all directions, suppressing some existence below. Currently, six of the nine chains had already broken, with only three still functioning.

The thing being suppressed—

The information finally came out.

There was a record of the ancient era of the Dragon Vein Ancient Continent in Old Ancestor Xuantian's memories. Combining this with the current Formation structure and aura characteristics, the Scripture Pavilion provided the answer.

What was being suppressed was an ancient Vicious Beast.

To be precise, it was an Abyssal Rift Nether Dragon sealed by an ancient powerhouse.

Abyssal Rift Nether Dragon—an ancient Vicious Beast that had once ravaged the entire Dragon Vein Ancient Continent before being sealed. It was eventually suppressed here by the joint efforts of three Great Emperors.

Su Changge digested this information.

[Something that took three Great Emperors working together to suppress.]

[I'm at the Qi Refining First Layer.]

[What was I thinking? Why did I come down here?]

His heart rate quickened.

But on the surface, his expression remained calm.

He walked to the edge of the circular depression and leaned over to look at the golden point of light.

The point of light was trembling slightly, like the final pulse of a dying heart.

He straightened his body.

Ye Qingyao stood beside him, also looking at the circular depression, her expression turning solemn.

"Revered Master, this Seal... only has three chains remaining."

She had seen it too.

Su Changge nodded slightly.

"Three chains. It is already at the end of its tether."

Ye Qingyao did not speak.

Su Changge continued.

"The Seal needs to be repaired, but restoring it to its original state is no longer possible. The optimal plan is to reinforce the remaining three chains to slow the rate of decay and buy more time."

[This is the plan analyzed by the Great Dao Scripture Pavilion.]

[It's not something I came up with.]

[But they don't need to know that.]

"Reinforcing the Seal requires a massive amount of Dragon Vein spiritual energy, and the source of that energy—" He looked up toward the direction of the rift above.

"Is up there."

He meant that the rock walls on both sides of the rift contained natural Dragon Vein spiritual energy, which could be extracted to reinforce the Seal.

Ye Qingyao nodded.

"This Disciple understands."

The two of them locked eyes for a breath.

Su Changge sent a sound transmission.

"Go up."

Ye Qingyao's spiritual energy light membrane enveloped the two of them again as they rose upward.

The speed of the ascent this time was a bit faster than the descent.

During the ascent, Su Changge mentally organized the subsequent plan.

Reinforcing the Seal required a large amount of manpower and spiritual energy. Combined, the people from the four major forces included three Cultivators at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage—Tu Lie, Liu Can, and the Halberd Demon Elder. There was one Mahayana Stage Cultivator—Ye Qingyao. Additionally, there were over a dozen at the Soul Transformation and Body Integration levels.

This manpower was sufficient.

But he needed them to collaborate in the correct way.

And only he knew the 'correct way' because all the information was in the Great Dao Scripture Pavilion.

This was his core value.

He was the only person who knew what to do.

As long as this information gap existed, his status would be unshakable.

Floating up to the top of the rift, the two of them emerged from the crevice.

The people above were all still there.

No one had left.

Zhao Tian was the first to approach.

"Junior Martial Uncle! Are you alright?"

Su Changge glanced at him.

"I'm fine."

Zhao Tian breathed a sigh of relief.

Tu Lie walked forward.

"Mr. Su, the situation below—"

Su Changge raised his hand, stopping him.

He looked around at everyone.

Then he spoke.

"The thing suppressed beneath the Seal is an ancient Vicious Beast, the Abyssal Rift Nether Dragon."

After this name was thrown out.

The White-Robed Old Woman's face turned pale.

She knew that name.

The Halberd Demon Elder's cane dropped again. The sound of the cane hitting the ground echoed through the space.

Tu Lie's expression was ashen, as gray as iron.

Liu Can leaned against the wall and opened his closed eyes.

Su Changge's figure was reflected in his grayish-white pupils.

"Abyssal Rift Nether Dragon," he repeated the name in a raspy voice.

"The thing that three Great Emperors joined forces to suppress back then."

Su Changge did not respond to him.

He continued speaking.

"The Seal can be reinforced, but it requires the cooperation of everyone present."

He paused for a breath.

"I already have the specific plan."

Everyone's gaze converged on him.

Tu Lie was the first to speak.

"Mr. Su, please give your orders."

There was no more hesitation in his voice.

Before, his relationship with Su Changge was that of a 'partner.'

Not anymore.

Now, he was a 'subordinate.'

Because in the face of a threat at the level of the Abyssal Rift Nether Dragon, no one present was qualified to stand on equal footing with Su Changge.

Only Su Changge knew what to do.

The Halberd Demon Elder bent over to pick up his cane, straightened his body, and looked at Su Changge.

"This old man awaits your orders."

The White-Robed Old Woman nodded.

Liu Can straightened up from the wall.

He didn't speak, but his actions said everything—he took a step forward, walking to Tu Lie's side and standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

The Late Tribulation Transcendence Stage Immortal Elder Ku Mai, Liu Can, and the Late Tribulation Transcendence Stage Tu Lie stood on the same line, facing Su Changge.

Awaiting his command.

Su Changge scanned the group and exhaled inwardly.

[Good, everyone is listening to me now.]

[Now the most critical problem is—during the process of reinforcing the Seal, I can't personally take action. Because I'm at the Qi Refining First Layer, I can't even perform the most basic spiritual energy manipulations.]

[So I need to stand to the side and direct.]

[Like a director.]

[Right, I'm the director. They are the actors.]

[And this scene cannot have any outtakes.]

He suppressed the nervousness in his heart and began assigning tasks.

"Tu Lie, you take six people to the north wall of the rift and extract the Dragon Vein spiritual energy."

"Liu Can, you take your people to the south wall of the rift."

"Senior Halberd Demon, Seal off the spatial entrance. No outside auras are allowed to interfere."

"Senior White-Robed..." He glanced at the old woman.

The White-Robed Old Woman cupped her fists.

Su Changge gave her a simple task.

"You and your Disciples will handle the spiritual energy transmission at the central hub."

His gaze finally landed on Ye Qingyao.

"You stay with me."

Ye Qingyao nodded.

Finally, Su Changge looked at Zhao Tian.

"You—"

Zhao Tian looked at him nervously.

"You keep watch on the outer perimeter."

Zhao Tian blanked for a moment, then nodded.

Su Changge finished arranging everyone's positions.

He stood at the edge of the rift, his back to everyone, facing the darkness below.

At this moment, he was the center for everyone in this underground space.

A high schooler at the Qi Refining First Layer, standing among three Tribulation Transcendence Stage Cultivators and one Mahayana Stage Cultivator, directing them to reinforce a Seal that only three Great Emperors could set up.

If someone had told him a month ago that he would be standing in this position, he would have definitely thought that person was insane.

But here he was.

He had been faking it for too long.

So long that sometimes he himself couldn't distinguish what was an act and what was real.

He cast that thought aside and turned around.

"Begin."