290: Chapter 290: Instantly Killing the Hydra King

In the Stone Chamber, the purple-gold light slowly receded.

The law seed lay quietly in Xiao Ran's palm, like a docile cat.

The dark red patterns had completely vanished, replaced by a pure purple-gold, warm and peaceful.

On the surface of the bead, runes faintly flowed; those were the Laws of the Mahayana Stage.

It was also the core of the entire ruin.

Xiao Ran gripped the seed, feeling a gentle power surge from his palm into his body.

That power was not as violent as before, but as soft as a docile river.

Pure energy flowed slowly along his Meridians, gathering in his Dantian.

The Guixu Vortex in his Dantian spun, devouring, transforming, and absorbing that power for his own use.

His cultivation began to climb once more.

The Bottleneck of the half-step Body Integration Stage was like a layer of thin ice, quietly shattering under the impact of the Law's power.

His Aura soared suddenly, leaping from half-step Body Integration to the Early Stage of the Integration Stage.

The air in the Stone Chamber was twisted by his Aura; rubble rose from the ground and then fell back down.

Integration Stage Early Stage.

Feeling the surging power within his body, Xiao Ran curled his lips into a smile.

He clenched his fist, feeling as though he could shatter a mountain with a single punch.

Not only that, Xiao Ran felt his Divine Soul growing stronger in his Sea of Consciousness, like a sun radiating gray-black light.

His Guixu Body had completely transformed under the tempering of the Law's power.

Faint purple-gold patterns flowed on his skin; those were the imprints of the Law.

"Integration Stage... I've finally reached it." Xiao Ran whispered to himself.

The law seed was truly an Opportunity of the Mahayana Stage; in just a moment, he had climbed from the Early Stage of the Void Refining stage all the way to the Early Stage of the Integration Stage.

And this Realm was still climbing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He believed it wouldn't be long before he ascended to the Mahayana Stage.

Xiao Ran suppressed the excitement in his heart and swept his gaze across the Stone Chamber.

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's five heads hung low, its vertical pupils filled with anger and unwillingness.

Its body was trembling, and black blood was still flowing.

At this moment, its core had been seized, its remnant soul devoured, and its power was draining away.

The once arrogant Nine-Headed Snake Emperor was now old and crippled.

On the other side.

Supreme Elder Jian Cangqiong knelt on one knee, supporting his body with his broken sword; his white clothes were stained with blood, and his Aura was weak.

His Sword Intent remained, but it was so weak it was almost imperceptible.

Lion Cangqiong lay on the ground, his left arm severed, and he couldn't even lift his right claw.

His mane was dull, like a clump of withered grass. His vertical pupils were filled with exhaustion, but there was still a trace of unwillingness.

Feng Tian leaned against the stone wall, her left wing drooping, the Nirvana Fire completely extinguished.

Her colorful feathers were scorched black, and in some places, they were still smoking.

Sparrow Emperor lay on the ground, the Heaven-Swallowing Vortex having long since stopped.

His wings were disheveled, and the dark gold patterns were dull.

The Snake Emperor lay in the distance, its five heads hanging low, its vertical pupils filled with despair.

Its body was curled up, like an injured snake.

City Lord Li Qingge held the unconscious Old City Lord Li Cang, standing at the entrance of the Stone Chamber, not daring to approach, nor daring to leave.

His eyes were filled with vigilance, along with an indescribable fear.

Xiao Ran withdrew his gaze and looked at the law seed in his hand.

The bead felt slightly warm in his palm, as if it were breathing.

He could feel that a connection had been established between himself and the bead.

"River of Law, disperse." Xiao Ran said softly.

In the next second.

The River of Law surrounding him slowly dissipated, the river water turning into specks of starlight that merged into the bead in his hand.

The pressure in the Stone Chamber suddenly decreased, and the air began to flow again.

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's five heads lifted simultaneously, its vertical pupils staring fixedly at Xiao Ran.

Its voice was hoarse and harsh, carrying irrepressible fury.

"Little thief! You stole this Emperor's core! This Emperor waited for ten thousand years, and you have taken everything from this Emperor!"

Xiao Ran looked at it and smiled coldly.

At this moment, the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's scales stood on end.

"What do you mean 'your core'? If you call out to it, will it answer you?"

"Besides, your remnant soul has been devoured by me; this bead is already mine."

Upon hearing this, the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor roared, its five heads simultaneously opening their massive mouths as dark red beams of light gathered within them.

It wanted to kill Xiao Ran and take back the core.

"Go to hell!"

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor roared, just about to unleash the beams of light.

Xiao Ran looked at it and calmly spat out one word: "Freeze."

The next moment.

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's body suddenly stiffened.

Its five heads stopped simultaneously, the dark red beams of light congealing in its mouths but unable to be released.

At this moment, the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's body felt as if it were being pressed down by an invisible giant hand, unable to move.

Its vertical pupils were filled with terror.

"W-what is going on? This Emperor's body... why won't it obey me?"

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's voice was trembling.

Xiao Ran toyed with the law seed in his hand and said slowly.

"I forgot to tell you, your remnant soul was devoured by me."

"So, from now on, your body is under my control as well."

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's vertical pupils contracted violently.

It struggled desperately, wanting to break free from that invisible restraint.

But its body remained motionless, as if nailed to the spot.

"Impossible! This Emperor is a Demon Emperor from ten thousand years ago! How could this Emperor be controlled by a mere Cultivator like you!"

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor roared, frantically driving the Demonic Qi within its body.

Dark red Demonic Qi erupted from within its body, shattering several of its scales.

But its body still remained motionless.

Xiao Ran shook his head: "Don't waste your effort. Your remnant soul is in my Sea of Consciousness; your body hasn't listened to you for a long time."

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor did not believe it.

It struggled again, and this time, it used all its strength.

Dark red Demonic Qi erupted from within its body, shattering several of its scales.

But its body still remained motionless.

"Im... impossible..." The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's voice was filled with despair.

In its vertical pupils, for the first time, fear appeared.

Xiao Ran walked up to it and looked up at its five massive heads.

His height was less than one of the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's scales, but his Aura was like a great mountain pressing down on the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor.

"Nine-Headed Snake Emperor, your era has ended."

Xiao Ran reached out and touched one of the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's heads with his fingertip.

The law seed lit up with a purple-gold light, which flowed along his finger and surged into the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's head.

"No—!"

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor shrieked.

Inside its head, the dark red runes were devoured by the purple-gold light.

At this moment, the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's Divine Soul was collapsing, and its consciousness was blurring.

It wanted to struggle, but its body would not obey.

It wanted to beg for mercy, but its throat could not make a sound.

"S-spare... me..."

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's last head hung low, its vertical pupils filled with pleading.

Xiao Ran looked at it and said coldly: "It's too late."

His Divine Sense transformed into a sharp sword and charged into the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's Sea of Consciousness.

Inside the Sea of Consciousness.

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's Divine Soul was a massive Nine-Headed Snake, pitch-black all over, with blood-red eyes glaring at him.

But its Divine Soul was already riddled with holes, weakened to the extreme by the erosion of the Law's power.

Xiao Ran's Divine Soul transformed into a gray-black longsword and slashed down.

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's Divine Soul was cut in two, turning into black smoke and dissipating.

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's body trembled violently and then stiffened.

Its five heads hung down simultaneously, and its vertical pupils lost their luster.

At this moment, the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor was completely dead.

However, it was not its body that had died, but its Divine Soul.

Its body was still alive, but it no longer had any consciousness.

It had become an empty shell, an empty shell possessing Peak Integration Stage strength.

Xiao Ran withdrew his Divine Sense and let out a long breath of stale air.

In his Sea of Consciousness, the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's remnant soul was completely refined, turning into pure Divine Soul power that nourished his own Divine Soul.

"From now on, you are mine."

Xiao Ran patted the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor's head and put the law seed into his Storage Ring.