Section 183

Li Chengping stood inside Grand Tutor Kong's study, looking at the several assassin corpses on the ground, his expression as gloomy as water.

At his feet, Grand Tutor Kong's lifeless corpse was particularly striking. The spot where the black iron caltrop had pierced his chest had turned a terrifying, pitch-black color, and this blackness was slowly spreading outward, as if carrying some kind of evil poison.

"Your Majesty, the martial arts style of these assassins is very familiar," Yu Huatian said in a low voice. "It is identical to those who attacked the Mo Family workshop that day, but their cultivation is purer. They are clearly elites from the same organization."

Li Chengping nodded and crouched down to examine Grand Tutor Kong's corpse. He reached out to pull out the iron caltrop, but was stopped by Ximen Chuixue.

"Your Majesty, be careful. This object is poisonous," Ximen Chuixue said, his tone flat but his gaze exceptionally sharp. "This toxicity is similar to evil Qi; ordinary people will be poisoned if they touch it."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengping immediately withdrew his hand. He wrapped the iron caltrop in a handkerchief he carried with him and pulled it out with a sharp tug.

As soon as the iron caltrop left the body, Grand Tutor Kong's corpse rapidly decayed. The black veins that had been spreading across his skin surface spread to his entire body at a speed visible to the naked eye. Within a few breaths, the corpse of a living person turned into dried bones, emitting a nauseating, putrid stench.

"This is..."

"A Heart-Punishing Nail," Ximen Chuixue said, taking the handkerchief containing the iron caltrop from Li Chengping's hand to examine it closely. "A unique hidden weapon of the Evil Path in the Jianghu. Besides killing, it can destroy the corpse and erase all clues."

A flash of shock crossed Li Chengping's eyes. These people behind the scenes acted so ruthlessly, eliminating their own accomplices without mercy, just to ensure that not a single trace that could be tracked was left behind.

"Investigate! Investigate this! No matter what means you use, you must find out the background of these people!" Li Chengping ordered, suppressing his rage.

Yu Huatian nodded in acknowledgment and immediately began directing the Luo Wang Disciples to clean up the scene and collect all possible clues.

"Your Majesty, there may be danger on the Crown Prince's side," Ximen Chuixue said, his gaze calm but his words revealing a trace of worry. "Since Grand Tutor Kong mentioned that the xuepo orchid has a special use for the Crown Prince, it is likely that a trap has already been laid in the Eastern Palace."

Li Chengping's heart jolted. He immediately turned and walked quickly toward the outside. "You are right. Go to the Eastern Palace immediately!"

Inside the Eastern Palace, the situation was already in chaos. The Crown Prince was leaning half-propped against the bed, his clothes disheveled. His face was as pale as paper, his eyes were tightly shut, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Several imperial physicians were gathered around the bed, treating him in a flustered state, but there seemed to be no progress. Several eunuchs and palace maids were hurriedly preparing hot water and medicine nearby, some already frightened to the point of sobbing.

"When did the Crown Prince start feeling unwell?" Li Chengping walked quickly to the bedside, looking at his unconscious son with heartache.

"Re-replying to Your Majesty," an elderly eunuch said with a trembling voice. "About an hour ago, His Highness suddenly said his head was splitting with pain, and then he fell into a coma. The imperial physicians have been treating him for half an hour, but His Highness's condition is still worsening!"

Li Chengping reached out to touch the Crown Prince's forehead, only to feel a chill radiating from his palm. That sensation was so similar to the evil Qi emitted by the Heart-Punishing Nail on Grand Tutor Kong's body!

"Who gave the Crown Prince medicine? Or lit any incense?" Li Chengping asked in a deep voice.

The palace maids looked at each other, and finally, a young palace maid stood out timidly. "Replying to Your Majesty, before the Crown Prince went to sleep tonight, Grand Tutor Kong sent someone to deliver a box of calming incense, saying it was newly made and could help the Crown Prince sleep peacefully. After the Crown Prince smelled it, he did indeed fall asleep quickly, but not long after, he began to moan in pain..."

Li Chengping's pupils contracted. "Where is that incense?"

The palace maid hurriedly retrieved an exquisite sandalwood incense box from the side. Li Chengping took it and opened it carefully, only to see half a piece of dark green incense cake remaining inside, with some golden powder faintly visible on it.

"xuepo orchid!" Ximen Chuixue's eyes sharpened. "xuepo orchid mixed with other drugs is no longer a simple calming agent."

Li Chengping's expression became extremely ugly. Grand Tutor Kong actually dared to make a Move against the Crown Prince!

Just then, the Crown Prince's body suddenly began to convulse violently, and he let out pained moans from his mouth. Even more horrifying was that fine, black veins began to appear on the surface of his skin, spreading like a spiderweb, identical to those black veins on Grand Tutor Kong's corpse!

"The Crown Prince has been invaded by evil Qi!" Ximen Chuixue suddenly said. "He needs to be purified immediately, otherwise, once the evil Qi penetrates deep into his bone marrow, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Without a word, Li Chengping immediately circulated the Tian Ge Heart Method, and a burst of extremely yang and rigid True Qi within his body surged toward his palm. He gently pressed his palm against the Crown Prince's forehead, attempting to dispel the evil Qi inside the Crown Prince with the righteous Qi of the Tian Ge Heart Method.

However, the moment his True Qi touched the inside of the Crown Prince's body, an evil Qi far more powerful than imagined surged back, actually impacting his True Qi so that it could not advance even an inch for a moment!

"This... how is this possible!" Li Chengping was shocked. "How could a mere piece of incense have such powerful evil Qi?"

Ximen Chuixue's expression was grave. "I fear it is not just a problem with the incense. The Dragon-Locking Array may have already been activated, and is using the Crown Prince's body to draw upon the evil Qi deep within the earth's veins!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince is the key!" Yu Huatian suddenly spoke up. "Since Grand Tutor Kong chose the Crown Prince as a vessel, it must be because the Crown Prince's status is special and he has some connection to the Dragon Vein. After all, the Crown Prince is the future Son of Heaven, and the Dragon Vein Legacy is closely related to him!"

Upon hearing this, a flash of insight crossed Li Chengping's eyes. He recalled the "Dragon-Locking Array" that Grand Tutor Kong had mentioned, as well as the Formation Eyes buried beneath the Eastern Palace. Everything seemed to be connected!

"Go search underground in the Eastern Palace immediately! You must find those Formation Eyes!" Li Chengping ordered Yu Huatian.

Yu Huatian went to carry out the order, while Li Chengping continued to circulate the Tian Ge Heart Method, attempting to resist that evil Qi. Ximen Chuixue stood to the side, his gaze vigilantly scanning everything within the Eastern Palace, guarding against any enemies that might appear.

Just then, a harsh sound of something piercing the air suddenly came from outside the main hall. Ximen Chuixue reacted extremely quickly, pulling Li Chengping back while simultaneously drawing his long sword, carving a bright, snowy arc in the air.

"Clang!" Several ink-black throwing darts were struck down to the ground by the long sword, making a crisp sound as they collided with the floor.

"Guards! Assassins!" Ximen Chuixue shouted sternly, pointing his sword tip toward the outside of the hall, filled with Killing Intent.

The guards outside the hall immediately became tense, raising their weapons and vigilantly looking around. However, there was no longer any trace of the enemy in the darkness.

Just at this critical moment, the floor of the Eastern Palace suddenly began to vibrate slightly. Following that, an even denser black Qi seeped out from the cracks in the floor, filling the entire main hall. Wherever the black Qi passed, the candlelight flickered, as if it would be extinguished at any moment.

"Oh no, the Formation has been activated!" Li Chengping's expression changed drastically.

He knew that he had to take action immediately, otherwise the Crown Prince and the entire Great Xia Dynasty would face total annihilation!

"Ximen! I will take the Crown Prince away from here. You coordinate with Yu Huatian to find those Formation Eyes and make sure to destroy them!" Li Chengping said while carefully picking up the Crown Prince.

Ximen Chuixue nodded slightly, his figure flashing and disappearing outside the hall.

Li Chengping carried the Crown Prince and walked quickly toward the exit. However, just as he reached the palace doorway, a black shadow suddenly leaped down from the roof, blocking his path.

"Hehe, Emperor of Great Xia, where do you think you can escape to with His Highness the Crown Prince?" A cold, gloomy voice rang out, sounding exceptionally familiar.

Li Chengping's pupils contracted, and he looked at the person in front of him in disbelief. "Ghost Doctor?! Didn't you already flee?"

Standing before him was none other than the Ghost Doctor who had escaped in the valley earlier! Only now, the Ghost Doctor seemed even more bizarre and powerful than before. His skin glowed with an unhealthy blue-gray color, his eyes were blood-red, and wisps of black Qi swirled around his body, as if he were an evil spirit returned from Hell.

"Hahaha, Li Chengping, did you think this seat would be so easily defeated?" The Ghost Doctor sneered. "Today, this seat will take the Crown Prince's vital blood to help Lord Evil God descend!"

Li Chengping was burning with rage. "Ghost Doctor! So the 'they' that Grand Tutor Kong spoke of were you and that so-called Evil God?"

The Ghost Doctor laughed triumphantly. "Grand Tutor Kong was merely a chess piece. The foolish old man thought he was using us to take revenge for his Family, not knowing that he was the one being used. However, thanks to his Dragon-Locking Array, this seat was able to infiltrate the Imperial Palace and approach the Crown Prince so easily!"

Li Chengping was furious, but he could not act rashly; he was still holding the Crown Prince, who was deeply afflicted by evil Qi.

Just as he was in a dilemma, a beam of sword light descended from the sky, striking directly at the Ghost Doctor's crown!

"Ximen Chuixue!" The Ghost Doctor sneered, advancing instead of retreating, and met the sword light with one palm.

Shockingly, the Ghost Doctor's palm had transformed into a hard substance resembling scales, forcibly catching Ximen Chuixue's sword strike!

"Clang!" Sword collided with scales, sparks flying everywhere.

Ximen Chuixue's expression shifted slightly; he clearly hadn't expected the Ghost Doctor's defense to be so formidable.

"How about it, Swordsman Ximen? Are you surprised by my new ability?" the Ghost Doctor laughed wildly. "Ever since obtaining the power of the Evil God's fragments, I am no longer the Mortal I once was!"

Ximen Chuixue remained unmoved, swinging his longsword once more. Golden light flickered on the blade, clearly utilizing the power of the Tian Ge Heart Method.

Seeing this, the Ghost Doctor's expression changed. Daring not to take it head-on, he flickered, dodging the sword strike.

Seeing that Ximen Chuixue had pinned down the Ghost Doctor, Li Chengping immediately carried the Crown Prince and retreated toward the outside of the palace.

However, having only taken a few steps, he discovered that the black Qi all around was growing thicker, appearing to restrict his movements.

"Your Majesty! The Formation eyes have been found!" Yu Huatian's voice came from not far away. "They are right beneath the Crown Prince's bedchamber. There were seven Formation eyes; six have already been destroyed. One remains, but it is protected by a strange barrier that we cannot break through for the moment!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengping's heart stirred. If the last Formation eye were destroyed, this "Dragon-Locking Array" would no longer be able to function, and the evil Qi would dissipate along with it!

"Ximen, hold off the Ghost Doctor! I will go solve the final Formation eye!" Li Chengping shouted to Ximen Chuixue, who was in the midst of a fierce battle with the Ghost Doctor.

Ximen Chuixue forced the Ghost Doctor back with a sword strike and nodded. The sword light in his hand grew brighter, his Moves becoming increasingly fierce, completely entangling the Ghost Doctor so he could not spare the focus to pursue Li Chengping.

Chapter 163: Luo Wang Disciples! Tunnel Entrance!

Li Chengping carried the Crown Prince and quickly arrived at the Crown Prince's bedchamber. Yu Huatian and several Luo Wang Disciples were busy in front of a section of flooring that had been pried open. Beneath the floor, a pitch-black tunnel entrance was revealed, from which a dense evil Qi emanated.

"Your Majesty, be careful. That barrier is extremely strange; our weapons cannot break it at all, and even Talismans are being bounced back!" Yu Huatian said with a grave expression.

Li Chengping gently placed the Crown Prince on a nearby couch, then went to the tunnel entrance and peered down.

The light inside the tunnel was dim, but one could vaguely see complex runes carved into the ground. In the very center was a Formation eye emitting a ghostly green light, surrounded by a faint green barrier.

"This barrier..." Li Chengping frowned in thought, "seems related to that Evil God from the Chu State; it is clearly a manifestation of the Evil God's power."

Just as he was contemplating a countermeasure, the Crown Prince suddenly let out a painful groan, and the black markings on his body became increasingly distinct, even beginning to spread toward his face.

"I cannot wait any longer!" Li Chengping gritted his teeth and leapt into the tunnel.

He landed on the ground, carefully avoiding those eerie runes, and arrived before the Formation eye.

Observing it from close range, he discovered that a strangely shaped bone fragment was embedded in the center of the Formation eye, bearing a striking resemblance to the "Cang You Ming Claw" fragment Li Chengping had seen before!

"So that's it! Grand Tutor Kong used the remains of an Evil God to set up the Dragon-Locking Array!" Li Chengping realized in his heart.

He hesitated no longer, channeling the Tian Ge Heart Method, his entire body enveloped in a layer of golden light.

He formed hand seals, his internal True Qi circulating wildly, and then slammed his palm toward the barrier!

"Boom!" With a loud crash, the barrier shook violently, but it remained as sturdy as before.

Li Chengping refused to believe it. He gathered his True Qi once again. This time, he pushed the Tian Ge Heart Method to its limit, condensing a ball of dazzling golden light in his palm.

"Break!" With a low shout, the golden light shot like an arrow directly toward the center of the barrier!

The barrier shook again. This time, fine cracks appeared on its surface. Seeing this, Li Chengping felt a surge of joy and increased the output of his True Qi.

As he attacked continuously, the cracks on the barrier grew more numerous. Finally, with a thunderous roar, the barrier shattered completely!

Li Chengping did not hesitate, slamming a palm toward the bone fragment in the center of the Formation eye!

"Boom!" A massive explosion erupted from within the tunnel, causing the entire Eastern Palace to shake.

The shockwave of the explosion sent Li Chengping flying several yards. He barely managed to steady himself, only to see that the Formation eye had been completely destroyed, and the bone fragment had turned into a pile of ash under the purification of the golden light.

For a moment, the evil Qi inside the tunnel receded like the tide, and those eerie runes lost their luster, turning into ordinary carvings.

Li Chengping breathed a sigh of relief and was about to leave the tunnel when a strong sense of crisis suddenly surged into his heart.

He instinctively dodged to the side. With a "crack," a pitch-black sharp claw lunged out from beneath the ground, grazing his sleeve!

"What is that?!" Li Chengping was greatly alarmed and hurriedly retreated a few steps.

The cracks in the ground grew larger, and a monster that was pitch-black all over, resembling an ape but covered in scales, crawled out.

It radiated a dense evil Qi, its eyes were blood-red, and its fangs were ferocious. The gaze it fixed on Li Chengping was filled with bloodthirsty desire.

"Is this... an Evil God's minion?" Li Chengping was shocked.

He had not expected that destroying the Formation eye would not only fail to solve the problem completely, but instead awaken some terrifying existence sleeping underground!

The monster let out a low growl and lunged at Li Chengping again. Li Chengping dared not be slow, immediately channeling the Tian Ge Heart Method, his palms like swords as he met the attack.

The battle inside the tunnel was exceptionally intense. Every palm strike from Li Chengping contained the supreme Yang power of the Tian Ge Heart Method, leaving smoking scorch marks on the monster's body.

However, this monster's vitality was extremely tenacious; after being injured, it became even more berserk, its attacks growing increasingly fierce.

"Roar!" The monster let out a long howl toward the sky, and the temperature inside the tunnel plummeted, a decaying and cold aura permeating the air.

Just as Li Chengping was entangled with the monster, the battle on the surface had also entered a white-hot stage.

The fierce battle between Ximen Chuixue and the Ghost Doctor had spread from the Eastern Palace to the Imperial Garden. Wherever the two passed, flowers and trees were broken, rockeries collapsed, and everything was in a mess.

The Ghost Doctor's strength was much greater than it had been last time in the valley; his body seemed to have undergone some strange mutation, his arms could extend at will, and his skin was incomparably tough. Ximen Chuixue's Sword Qi had struck it many times, but it could only leave shallow white marks.

"Hahaha, Ximen Chuixue, you will surely die today!" The Ghost Doctor laughed wildly, his hands turning into sharp claws as he attacked frantically.

Ximen Chuixue was as calm as ever, his sword Moves becoming increasingly fierce. He had perfectly fused the Tian Ge Heart Method with his own sword path. On the blade, golden light and snowy brilliance intertwined, every strike carrying the power to break through anything.

"Boom!" A loud sound came from the direction of the Eastern Palace. The Ghost Doctor's movements clearly stalled, a flicker of astonishment flashing across his face: "Impossible! How could the last Formation eye be destroyed?!"

Ximen Chuixue seized this opportunity and thrust his sword straight at the Ghost Doctor's throat. The Ghost Doctor dodged in a panic, and the sword blade grazed past his neck, drawing a trail of blood.

"Ah!" The Ghost Doctor screamed, staggering back while clutching his neck. Wisps of black smoke rose from his wound; clearly, the power of the Tian Ge Heart Method was purifying the evil Qi.

Just at this moment, an inhuman howl came from underground, shaking the entire Imperial Palace slightly. Hearing this, the Ghost Doctor actually revealed a strange smile on his face: "It's here! It has finally arrived!"

Ximen Chuixue furrowed his brows and was about to pursue when he suddenly sensed a gust of strong wind attacking from behind. He turned swiftly, blocking with his longsword. With a crisp "clang," a pitch-black bone spear was blocked by him.

"Luo Wang?" Ximen Chuixue's gaze tightened. He saw that Hei Yue and Shen Jian were in the midst of a fierce battle with several men in black, and that bone spear had flown from that direction.

Seeing this, the Ghost Doctor sneered: "It seems you all have trouble now. Farewell!"

Having said this, his body actually dissipated like smoke, drilling into the cracks in the ground, and in the blink of an eye, he had vanished without a trace.

Ximen Chuixue had no time to pursue and immediately turned to join the battle of Hei Yue and Shen Jian. Those men in black were quite skilled, their footwork eerie, and the weapons in their hands all shimmered with a strange cold light, clearly having been specially treated.

"Be careful, their weapons are poisonous!" Yue Shen warned. Her sleeve had already been slashed open, revealing the slightly blackened skin underneath.