272: Chapter 272 Big Brother! Let me explain! (Two chapters combined)

“Brother! Let me explain!” Ao Ming's knees went weak, and he nearly knelt on the sea surface.

That forged Jade Slip image was still playing on a loop in mid-air.

The evidence was as solid as a mountain.

Ao Qian didn't give him a chance to explain at all.

He thrust the Dragon-Slaying Sword forward.

Violent dark gold Sword Qi tore through the void, slashing directly at Ao Ming's face.

With no way to retreat, Ao Ming could only forcibly circulate his Purple Mansion mana.

The purple True Dragon Protective Aura transformed into a giant shield to block his front.

Bang.

The Sword Qi shattered the Protective Aura; a mist of blood exploded from Ao Ming's chest, and he was sent flying backward.

Seeing the situation was grim, Hui Kong formed a hand seal with one hand.

Five-colored brilliant light soared into the sky, transforming into a giant Buddhist hand in an attempt to catch Ao Ming.

Ao Ming was his only bargaining chip in the East Sea; he absolutely could not die.

“Bald donkey from the Western Desert, you dare to interfere in the family affairs of my Dragon Palace.”

Ao Qian flicked his wrist.

The Fifth Divine Ability, [Imperial Wave Sovereign], erupted with a boom.

The seawater within a hundred-mile radius instantly lost gravity, surging upward toward the sky.

Billions of tons of seawater transformed into a transparent water giant, which threw a punch at the golden Buddhist hand.

Crack.

The Buddhist hand shattered inch by inch, dissipating into a sky full of golden light.

Hui Kong's chest heaved violently as he spat out a mouthful of golden blood.

“First Prince, wait!”

The old monk held one hand vertically before his chest, forcibly stabilizing his body.

“This poor monk is a Personal Disciple of a Bodhisattva from the Western Desert. If you kill me, you will be making an enemy of the entire Western Desert!”

He was using a Golden Core powerhouse to pressure him.

Ao Qian's face twitched as a cold sneer escaped him.

“The reach of the Western Desert does not extend to the East Sea.”

He took a step forward, his figure instantly appearing above Hui Kong's head.

The Dragon-Slaying Sword, carrying the heavy pressure of the entire sea region, slashed down upon his head.

Hui Kong's features were completely distorted as he ripped off the Bodhi Prayer Beads from his neck.

The one hundred and eight prayer beads exploded simultaneously, transforming into one hundred and eight Golden-Armored Arhats.

Attempting to block this fatal blow.

But in the face of the absolute power of the five Purple Mansion Divine Abilities, all flashy Spells were in vain.

The sword's edge crushed the Golden-Armored Arhats and sliced into Hui Kong's bald head without any resistance.

It went all the way down from the top of his head, splitting his entire body in half.

The corpse exploded, and the five-colored Power Of Will scattered to escape.

With a wave of Ao Qian's large sleeve, the water giant opened its massive mouth and swallowed the Power Of Will, grinding it all to pieces.

He didn't let even a sliver of that old bald donkey's Divine Soul escape.

Ao Ming slumped on the sea surface; watching Hui Kong's miserable death, his sanity completely collapsed.

That wisp of viscous black gas instantly devoured his mind.

“You forced my hand!”

Ao Ming roared at the sky, his body expanding rapidly until he transformed into a thousand-foot-long purple True Dragon.

However, his dragon scales were covered in eerie black demonic patterns.

The Heart Demon had entered his body; he had completely fallen.

The black dragon opened its bloody maw and spat out a blast of black dragon breath that could corrode anything, heading straight for Ao Qian.

Ao Qian stood his ground, not even bothering to dodge.

The Dragon-Slaying Sword pointed diagonally toward the sea.

“Scum of the Dragon Clan.”

He swung his sword upward with a backhand stroke.

A thousand-foot-long dark gold Sword Qi sliced through the sea surface, splitting that black dragon breath right down the middle.

The Sword Qi's momentum didn't falter, accurately piercing the black dragon's Inverse Scale.

The black dragon let out a shrill scream, its massive body tumbling violently in mid-air.

Ao Qian raised his left hand and suddenly clenched his fingers.

The water giant reached out with both hands, firmly gripping the black dragon's head and tail.

He pulled with force.

Rippp.

Dragon blood sprayed across the sky as the black dragon was torn into two pieces by sheer force.

The mangled corpse crashed into the seawater, kicking up a monstrous wave.

The entire scene was deathly silent.

Tens of thousands of Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals knelt on the sea surface, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Ao Qian sheathed his sword, his cold gaze sweeping across the surroundings.

“Bring the remains of the Sixth back to the Dragon Palace and hang them on the Dragon-Slaying Platform.”

“Order the entire army to purge all Buddhist Cultivator strongholds in the Chaotic Star Sea. Leave none alive.”

Thousand Reef Sea Region, underground karst cave.

The image in the water mirror came to an abrupt halt.

Gu Changsheng leaned back in his armchair, his knuckles lightly tapping on the armrest.

This First Prince is ruthless enough.

He didn't even blink when killing his own younger brother.

Using the purge of Buddhist Cultivators as a pretext, he logically took over all of the Sixth Prince's forces and territory.

That Old Dragon King in secluded meditation in the deep sea probably also tacitly approved of this 'gu-rearing' style of elimination.

The situation in the East Sea has undergone a complete reshuffle.

Those bald donkeys of the Buddhist Cultivators have suffered such a huge silent loss; they definitely won't be able to swallow this insult.

But with Ao Qian taking the lead, the Longevity Tower can completely continue to lay low in the background and make a fortune.

Gu Changsheng picked up the coarse ceramic teapot and poured himself a cup of cold tea.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the golden system panel buzzed and vibrated without warning.

The characters scrolled down like a waterfall.

【daily intelligence Refresh】

【Intelligence 1: East Sea First Prince Ao Qian has slain the Buddhist Cultivator Hui Kong and the Sixth Prince Ao Ming, taking full control of the Chaotic Star Sea.】

【Intelligence 2: A Western Desert powerhouse sensed the severance of the Power Of Will and has assigned two Purple Mansion Guardian Vajras to the edge of the Eastern Wilds to wait for an Opportunity to infiltrate.】

【Intelligence 3: Han Yi has slain three Loose Cultivators in the 'Meteor Swamp' of the southern Eastern Wilds, successfully collecting three fragments of an anonymous ancient Cultivator's Immortal Cave map.】

Gu Changsheng's movement of holding the teacup paused.

His gaze was deathly locked onto the third piece of intelligence.

Han Yi.

This name hadn't appeared for a long time.

Back then at the Green Vine Water Mansion, this kid escaped death by relying on a special wood-element Cultivation Technique.

Unexpectedly, he actually fled to the southern part of the Eastern Wilds.

And he even collected three map fragments.

Gu Changsheng flipped his hand over.

A fragment of a beast skin map of unknown material appeared in his palm.

It was precisely the one he had looted years ago in the Floating Island Secret Realm from the corpse of that unlucky Formation Genius of the Wang family.

At that time, the System's evaluation was that a great Opportunity was accompanied by great terror, suggesting he wait until the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.

Now, he was already a monster with four Purple Mansion Divine Abilities.

The timing for this Opportunity is just right.

There are four map fragments in total.

Han Yi has three fragments in his hand, and he has one.

Without this core array eye map in his hand, even if Han Yi finds the place, he won't even be able to enter the front gate.

This kid Han Yi, being able to survive the Green Vine Water Mansion, fight his way out of the Chaotic Star Sea, and collect three map fragments, is definitely a Child of Luck.

The Karma entwined around such a person is too heavy.

Direct contact makes it easy to be targeted by the rules of the Heavenly Dao, creating variables in one's life.

The safest way is to let this kid open the door, step on the mines, and scout the way himself.

I only need to hide behind the scenes and wait for him to dig out the Opportunity, then harvest it all with interest.

But how to deliver this last fragment into Han Yi's hands is a technical task.

Just drop it on the road? Too fake.

Han Yi is suspicious by nature; he definitely wouldn't dare take something he got for free.

I must make him feel that he 'snatched' this map through his own strength and Luck, surviving a narrow escape.

Only then will he go to open the Immortal Cave without the slightest doubt.

Gu Changsheng exerted force with his fingers, clutching that beast skin map fragment in his palm.

The mana of his four Purple Mansion Divine Abilities circulated with a roar.

He raised his right hand, pressed his index and middle fingers together, and made a sudden slash at the void in front of him.

Rippp.

The sturdy Great Void Barrier was brutally sliced open, creating a three-inch-long crack.

Violent spatial turbulence poured in.

Gu Changsheng didn't hesitate at all and flicked his finger.

The beast skin map fragment turned into a streak of light and accurately dived into the crack.

The crack instantly sealed shut.

Cross-domain transmission.

Such methods consume a great deal, but for the current Gu Changsheng, it was just a drop in the bucket.

He leaned back into the armchair, picked up the coarse ceramic teapot, and refilled his cup of cold tea.

The trap has been set.

Next, it's up to the Clone in the Eastern Wilds to see how to perform this play to Perfection.

Southern Eastern Wilds, edge of the Meteor Swamp.

Black River City.

This was a Loose Cultivator market built on the edge of the marsh, a chaotic place where dragons and snakes mingled.

The top floor of the tallest restaurant in the city.

Gu Changfeng sat cross-legged on a prayer mat.

He was clad in a plain cyan Daoist robe without any markings; his face was handsome and clear, exuding an ethereal air that was completely out of place with his surroundings.

A ripple appeared in the void before him.

A fragment of a beast skin map of unknown material fell silently into his palm.

Gu Changfeng rested his chin on one hand, his knuckles lightly tapping his knee.

His will was already completely synchronized.

I need to find a lucky fool to give this map to, and I must make it logical for Han Yi to snatch it.

Gu Changfeng's massive Purple Mansion Divine Sense poured out without reservation.

It instantly enveloped the entire Black River City.

The conversations, transactions, and even the secret dealings of the tens of thousands of Loose Cultivators in the city all flooded into his Sea of Consciousness.

Soon, an extremely arrogant voice caught his attention.

“This piece of scrap cloth, this young master offers three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Who dares to compete with me!”

In the underground black market in the south of the city.

A youth wearing a brocade ritual robe with an exaggerated expression was stepping one foot onto a trading stall.

He held a folding fan in his hand, pointing at a pile of junk on the stall.

The youth was named Zhao Kuo, the legitimate second son of the Black River City Lord.

He had an Early Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, which was entirely piled up with Medicinal Pills.

Usually arrogant and overbearing, he loved to force buys and sells in the black market, yet he had no discernment whatsoever, often spending high prices on piles of scrap metal.

Gu Changfeng's face twitched as a light chuckle escaped him.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Isn't this the perfect bait?

Stupid, greedy, and with a bit of a background.

Perfectly suited to serve as a stepping stone for the Child of Destiny.

Gu Changfeng flicked his finger.

The scrap of animal skin map in his palm instantly vanished from where it was.

In the black market.

Zhao Kuo was glaring at the stall owner with an arrogant air.

The stall owner, a gaunt old man at the Qi Refinement Stage, was so frightened he waved his hands repeatedly.

"Young Master Zhao, this whole pile of things belongs to you. Three hundred Spirit Stones it is."

Zhao Kuo snorted coldly and tossed out a money pouch.

With a wave of his large sleeve, he swept all the miscellaneous items from the stall into his Storage Pouch.

Just at this moment.

A faint ripple appeared in the void.

That scrap of animal skin map silently mixed in with the pile of miscellaneous items and fell into Zhao Kuo's Storage Pouch together.

The entire process was so subtle that even the few Foundation Establishment Stage guards standing right beside him didn't notice a thing.

Zhao Kuo shook his folding fan with satisfaction and swaggered out of the black market with his guards.

Gu Changfeng stood on the top floor of the restaurant, his gaze piercing through layers of buildings, locking firmly onto Zhao Kuo.

The bait has been set.

Next, it is time to lure the fish over.

He formed a seal with one hand, and a strand of extremely obscure Azure Wood Spiritual Qi flickered from his fingertip.

This strand of Spiritual Qi silently drilled into the bodies of several big-mouthed Loose Cultivators in the black market.

Those Loose Cultivators shuddered all over.

A thought popped into their minds without any warning.

"Have you heard? That spendthrift from the City Lord's mansion just bought a scrap of an ancient Immortal Cave map in the black market!"

"Really? Can that brat have such damn good Luck?"

"It's absolutely true! I saw it with my own eyes. The material of that map scrap is special, impervious to water and fire—it's definitely a good item!"

Rumors spread rapidly throughout Black Rock City at a terrifying speed.

On the east side of Black River City, in a simple guest room of an inn.

Han Yi sat cross-legged on the hardwood bed.

Azure spiritual threads moved around his body, rapidly absorbing the dense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi of the Eastern Wasteland.

The exhaustion from his flight across the sea was fading bit by bit.

Inside his Dantian, the Heart-Capturing Balance immortal foundation remained as stable as before.

He opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

The Spiritual Qi in the Eastern Wasteland was indeed much purer than in the Chaotic Star Sea.

But the rules here were also much stricter.

Han Yi touched the Storage Pouch at his waist.

Inside lay three scraps of animal skin maps of unknown material.

When the three maps were pieced together, one could vaguely make out a massive underground palace complex.

But it was missing the most crucial array eye location.

Without the map of the array eye, even if he found the place, he wouldn't be able to break the outer Restriction.

Han Yi stood up and pushed open the wooden window.

Outside the inn was a bustling street.

A few Loose Cultivators were gathered at the street corner, whispering about something.

Han Yi circulated his magic power, pushing his hearing to the limit.

"That brat Zhao Kuo really has damn good Luck; he can dig up an ancient map just by buying a pile of junk."

"I heard that the map scrap depicts some kind of palace, and the material is neither metal nor wood; even the magic fire of a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator can't burn it."

Han Yi's movements came to a sudden halt.

Neither metal nor wood.

Impervious to magic fire.

Depicting a palace.

These three characteristics struck his Sea of Consciousness like a heavy hammer.

Could it be the final map scrap?

Han Yi's chest heaved violently, and his breathing instantly became a bit heavier.

He slammed the wooden window shut and paced back and forth in the room.

Calm down.

Must stay calm.

How could there be such a coincidence in this world?

He had just arrived in Black River City, and news of the final map scrap appeared.

Could it be a trap?

Han Yi frantically deduced various possibilities in his mind.

But the temptation of those three map scraps was simply too great.

As long as he gathered all four, he could find that ancient Immortal Cave.

Inside, there must be a peerless Opportunity that could allow him to break through to the Purple Mansion!

Cultivating immortality is inherently about fighting against the heavens for one's life.

If one is timid and hesitant, one can only wallow at the bottom for a lifetime.

Han Yi clenched his fists tightly, his finger bones cracking.

Do it!

Even if it is a trap, with his Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivation and the bizarre means of the Soft Silk Entwining Heart Canon...

...killing a Foundation Establishment Early Stage playboy who relied on Medicinal Pills to stack his cultivation would be as easy as flipping his hand.

Han Yi put on a wide black cloak, completely obscuring his face.

He pushed open the door and silently merged into the flow of people on the street.

Outside the City Lord's mansion.

Han Yi hid in a dark alley.

Azure Wood spiritual threads climbed rapidly along the wall cracks, transmitting all the movements outside the City Lord's mansion gate back to his Sea of Consciousness.

He waited for a full three hours.

The City Lord's mansion gate opened slowly.

Zhao Kuo shook his folding fan and swaggered out.

Behind him followed two Middle Foundation Establishment Stage guards.

"Young Master, where are we going?" one of the guards asked respectfully.

Zhao Kuo snorted coldly.

"To Spring Breeze Tower! This young master found a treasure today, and I'm in a good mood, so I'm going to listen to some music."

The three of them walked along the street towards the city center.

Han Yi stood in the shadows, like a lone wolf eyeing its prey.

He did not rush to act.

There were patrol teams in the city; once a battle broke out, it would be easy to be surrounded and attacked.

He had to wait until they reached a secluded place.

Half an incense stick's time later.

The three of them turned into a relatively quiet street.

Now is the time!

Han Yi exerted force with his feet.

The bluestone slabs cracked and shattered inch by inch.

He transformed into a black lightning bolt, forcefully breaking through the void as he charged straight at Zhao Kuo.

"Who goes there!"

The two Middle Foundation Establishment Stage guards reacted extremely quickly.

They simultaneously drew their long sabers, and the violent saber aura intertwined into a dense web, blocking Han Yi's path.

Han Yi did not dodge or evade at all.

Inside his Dantian, the Heart-Capturing Balance shook violently.

Boom!

A dull heartbeat sound struck directly into the two guards' Sea of Consciousness.

Their Divine Souls trembled, and the saber web instantly developed a flaw.

Han Yi reached out one hand.

A sky full of azure spiritual threads erupted from his fingertips, transforming into two incomparably sharp wooden swords.

Pfft!

There were no fancy Moves.

The wooden swords precisely followed the flaw in the saber web and pierced through the guards' throats.

Blood spurted wildly.

The two corpses fell straight to the ground.

From the attack to the kill, it took only two breaths of time.

Zhao Kuo was completely stunned.

He stared blankly at the corpses on the ground, his folding fan dropped to the floor, and his legs trembled violently.

"You~don't come over!"

"I am the Second Young Master of the City Lord's mansion! If you dare to touch me, my father will definitely flay you alive and pull out your tendons!"

Zhao Kuo backed away while frantically circulating his magic power, attempting to activate the protective jade pendant on his body.

Han Yi twitched his face, revealing an extremely chilling sneer.

"Too much nonsense."

He took a step forward, and his figure instantly appeared in front of Zhao Kuo.

His right hand's five fingers transformed into sharp claws, fiercely gripping Zhao Kuo's crown.

The violent Azure Wood magic power instantly destroyed Zhao Kuo's Meridians.

Soul Search!

Han Yi closed his eyes, forcibly reading Zhao Kuo's memories.

A moment later.

He opened his eyes abruptly, extreme ecstasy exploding in his gaze.

It really exists!

This idiot actually bought a map scrap in the black market!

Han Yi exerted force with his wrist.

Snap.

Zhao Kuo's neck bone snapped in response, and his head hung down limply.

Han Yi snatched the Storage Pouch from Zhao Kuo's waist.

He forcefully wiped away the Restriction on it with his Divine Sense.

Among a pile of junk, he dug out a scrap of animal skin of unknown material.

Han Yi's hands trembled violently.

He quickly took out the other three map scraps from his own Storage Pouch.

He pieced the four maps together.

They fit together perfectly.

An ancient and vast aura erupted from the complete map.

The patterns on the map's surface seemed to come alive, transforming into a miniature light curtain that flowed rapidly in mid-air.

Deep in the Meteor Swamp.

An extremely hidden underground fissure entrance was clearly marked in the center of the light curtain.

"Found it~"

A beast-like low growl rolled out of Han Yi's throat.

He stuffed the complete map into his chest.

He flicked a ball of azure flame from his fingertip, burning the three corpses on the ground to ashes.

Then he transformed into a black shadow and fled Black Rock City at high speed.

Heading straight in the direction of the Meteor Swamp.

The top floor of the highest restaurant in Black Rock City.

Gu Changfeng stood by the window, the night breeze blowing his azure Daoist robe.

He watched the direction Han Yi left in, his finger bones tapping lightly on the window lattice.

Emitting a dull tapping sound.

The plan went exceptionally smoothly.

Not only was he decisive and ruthless, but his ability to take action was also extremely strong.

On that map, a strand of extremely obscure aura from the taiyin submerging spirit jade was attached.

As long as Han Yi carried the map, no matter where he fled, he would absolutely not be able to escape Gu Changsheng's perception.

"Go."

Gu Changfeng's voice was calm, revealing absolute control.

"Push the door open for me."

"Smooth out the path inside."

He turned around, his figure transforming into specks of azure light, dissipating into the night breeze.