Chapter 313: Chapter 311: Slaying the Hornless Dragon
Countless peaks vied for splendor, while myriad ravines carved their way through the land.
This was already the very heart of Black Mountain, a place where the peaks had no names and where human Cultivators had almost never set foot.
In the files of the Spirit Beast Hall’s spies, this place was referred to by the codename "Jia-3" and had only a few scant records.
For Qi Refining spies who had only a single Concealing Magical Artifact and some rudimentary Hidden Escape Techniques, entering a core region where Tier Three Demon Kings roamed and Tier Two Demon Beasts were commonplace was tantamount to suicide.
Every piece of intelligence they sent back was a gamble with their lives.
However, in addition to their fixed stipend, spies also received generous rewards of Contribution Points based on the value of their intelligence.
Many disciples, whether they were nearing an age limit for their cultivation or simply desperate to change their circumstances, were willing to take the risk.
For the White Ape that had appeared near Cyan Bull Valley, the Spirit Beast Hall had issued a bounty: three thousand Contribution Points just for confirming a single sighting of its location.
Furthermore, the earner would have the same priority as a True Disciple when exchanging points for High-Tier items.
Great rewards attract brave souls. After several spies had paid with their lives, someone finally heard a heaven-shaking roar near Jia-3.
A White Ape and a Dragon-Kind Demon Beast had engaged in a great battle. Blood rained from the sky, and several mountaintops were destroyed in the clash.
The spy had to fight back his terror, slamming his hands against a stone wall and letting the sharp rocks pierce his palms just to snap out of the paralyzing pressure exuded by the Tier Three Demon Beasts.
He took out a Memory Capturing Magical Artifact, snapped two images, and then staggered away from the peak of Jia-3.
It was impossible to know if the spy was just incredibly lucky or if the battle between the Tier Three Demon Kings had frightened away all other Demon Beasts.
In any case, he made it back to the Mountain Gate, handed over the images from his Memory Capturing Magical Artifact, and successfully collected his three thousand Contribution Points.
’To fight so fiercely with the White Ape, that Dragon-Kind Demon Beast must also be at the Tier Three Peak... Once things settle down, the depths of Black Mountain will be an excellent place for me to test my sword.’
Broken stone pillars littered the ravaged peak, which looked as if it had been hit by a storm.
There were also large patches of dried, brown blood. A light touch with his hand revealed the immense Qi Blood Power still contained within.
Just by witnessing these traces, Bai Zichen could imagine the ferocious battle that had taken place between two powerful Demon Beasts, both at the apex of power in the depths of Black Mountain.
’The disciple recruitment ceremony just ended, so no one should suspect that I’m already in Black Mountain... According to Brother Ge, cultivating the *Daoist Classic Cantongqi* is highly dependent on karma. Even he had to stop after reaching the fourth volume and decided not to invest any more time in it.’
Master Ge Cang was currently in seclusion, making the final adjustments before his attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul realm.
Bai Zichen had briefly spoken with him across the Cloud Platform.
The difficulty of cultivating the *Daoist Classic Cantongqi* was different from that of the Five Crystal Glaze Body.
The latter plainly announced its high barrier to entry, as if to say, ’Don’t even try unless you’re supremely confident.’
The difficulty of the *Daoist Classic Cantongqi*, on the other hand, felt as though a part of the Cultivation Technique was missing, causing what should have been a difficulty of ten to skyrocket to one hundred.
Even someone with Master Ge Cang’s outstanding talent found cultivating it to be an immense struggle.
The effort required was completely disproportionate to the results; the return on investment was simply too low.
’It seems there’s no hope for a qualitative breakthrough in the *Daoist Classic Cantongqi* anytime soon, which means no significant reduction in my Lifebound Magical Treasure’s Refinement time... I’ll have to find another way to awaken the Nine Yang Divine Fire Mirror and sublimate its Spiritual nature.’
Bai Zichen descended the mountain. As expected, he found no trace of the two Tier Three Peak Demon Kings; after all, the intelligence was more than ten days old.
But having come this deep into Black Mountain, he couldn’t possibly return empty-handed.
’Two thousand li to the east, there’s a Tier Three Low Grade Purple-Eyed Dream Butterfly. I’ll start with that... A Tier Three Insect Beast should have a Demon Pill, so the trip won’t be a total waste.’
The Purple-Eyed Dream Butterfly was a Tier Three Low Grade Insect Beast. Its direct combat abilities were average, but its Illusion Techniques were powerful.
It was also a social creature, commanding hundreds of Cyan-Eyed Dream Butterflies. With their Illusion Techniques stacked, even a Late-Stage Core Formation Cultivator could suffer a minor setback.
Although Bai Zichen possessed no Magical Treasure for dispelling illusions and had not cultivated any Illusion-Breaking Techniques himself, his Divine Sense surpassed even that of a Perfect Core Formation Cultivator. It was pure fantasy to think a mere Tier Three Insect Beast’s illusions could affect him.
With the Qingfeng Sect’s current strength, it was no exaggeration to say they could sweep across Black Mountain, as long as they didn’t disturb the slumbering Tier Four Cyan Simurgh.
Of course, this referred specifically to the combined might of Master Ge Cang and Bai Zichen.
If the Sect were to dispatch a pioneering army, it would most likely be bogged down and overwhelmed by the endless hordes of Demon Beasts.
A battlefront stretching for tens of thousands of li, with Demon Beasts emerging from every unknown corner, would pose a devastating logistical nightmare for any sect.
On his way here, he had sensed at least ten groups of Tier Two Demon Beasts, each numbering between twenty and thirty.
There were Demon Earthworms burrowing deep underground, and ten-foot-long lizards that could change their color to perfectly blend in with their surroundings.
He had even seen a small, rainbow-feathered bird, faster than a Golden-Winged Thunder Roc, that could obliterate a Tier Two Four-Tusked Fierce Boar into a bloody mist with a single dive.
He couldn’t imagine how Qingfeng Sect disciples would cope with such ferocious Demon Beasts without the protection of a Core Formation Ancestor.
The Sect would have to upgrade their few Wind Shuttles into war machines on par with the Celestial Principle Sect’s Floating Battleships to have any hope of truly turning the Black Mountain Range into their own backyard.
’Such a heavy stench of blood. Did someone beat me to it?’
Bai Zichen sensed something was wrong even before he reached Illusion Butterfly Valley, the habitat of the Purple-Eyed Dream Butterfly.
’Could a Perfect Core Formation Cultivator have infiltrated Black Mountain?’
Bai Zichen stopped, took out the Mystical Immortal Gauze, and draped it over himself before proceeding cautiously into the valley.
The bodies of Cyan-Eyed Dream Butterflies were strewn across the ground, some torn to pieces, others smashed into a pulp.
The intruder was clearly immensely powerful; the Cyan-Eyed Dream Butterflies had failed to pose any obstacle whatsoever.
As Bai Zichen observed the scene in Illusion Butterfly Valley, he already had a guess as to the intruder’s identity, even though he couldn’t extend his Divine Sense while maintaining the effect of the Mystical Immortal Gauze.
After advancing a hundred paces and rounding a cliff face, a colossal creature appeared before his eyes.
Whirlwinds formed with every breath from its mouth and nose.
Its heartbeat sounded like the pounding of war drums.
It was a Black Flood Dragon, its body over thirty zhang long and dark as ink. It had no horns on its head, but its feet bore five claws, and its draconic form radiated an overwhelming sense of power.
It was currently lying on the ground, one of its foreclaws pinning down a butterfly whose wings were covered in purple eyes.
This was the Illusion Butterfly Insect Beast, and it was as large as a water buffalo.
But before the Black Flood Dragon, it was utterly powerless, torn in two by a single Dragon Claw.
With a flick of its claw, it tossed half the body into its mouth, chewed twice, and swallowed.
’It’s so heavily injured, yet it still easily wiped out all the Insect Beasts in Illusion Butterfly Valley? This Black Flood Dragon is that powerful?’
Bai Zichen was startled. The Black Flood Dragon had a gaping wound on its head that exposed the Dragon Bone beneath.
Its body also had three or four wounds, each wide enough for a person to wrap their arms around, that pierced straight through its draconic torso.
Only after it swallowed the Tier Three Demon Beast and received an external boost of energy did the wounds begin to show signs of healing.
That the Black Flood Dragon, with half a foot in the grave, could still easily annihilate the entire Illusion Butterfly Valley made its power at full strength simply unimaginable.
’No, that’s not right. I’ve seen that White Ape before. Even with a special bloodline, it shouldn’t be that much stronger than an ordinary Perfect Core Formation Cultivator... A few decades are but an instant to a Tier Three Demon Beast; its strength couldn’t have changed so drastically.’
After his initial surprise, Bai Zichen quickly came to a realization.
’If the Black Flood Dragon were truly that powerful, there’s no way the White Ape could have beaten it into this state. More than half a month has passed, and it’s still half-dead... It’s more likely that its Dragon Race bloodline granted it immunity to illusions, making the Purple-Eyed Dream Butterfly a sitting duck. In terms of pure physical strength, it’s not much stronger than some Tier Two Peak Demon Beasts.’
He had worn out his iron shoes searching, as the saying goes. His original target had been the White Ape, but by a strange twist of fate, he had found another Tier Three Peak Demon Beast—and a heavily injured one at that.
Both were Tier Three Peak Demon Beasts, but in some ways, the Black Flood Dragon was even more useful.
Every part of a Dragon-Kind Demon Beast was a treasure.
’Good thing I picked up a blank Soul-Catching Banner from the Artifact Refining Hall last time. It’s more than enough for temporarily storing a Dragon Soul, since I’m not refining it into a full-fledged Magical Treasure.’
He also possessed the Sword Refining Secret Technique for the Cyan Dragon Sea Roaring Sword. He had all the necessary Sword Refining Materials; all he lacked was the Essence of a Tier Three Dragon Beast.
The Black Flood Dragon before him was a Tier Three Peak Dragon Beast. Its Essence was bound to be powerful—more than enough for his Sword Refinement.
’For such a massive Dragon Beast, its heart might not even be its vital point... The only way is to capture its Dragon Soul with a single sword strike, severing its connection to its Demon Pill. Otherwise, I’ll have to flee and be left with nothing but a pile of mangled remains.’
Bai Zichen slowly raised his hand. Moonlight gathered in his palm, gradually coalescing into the shadow of a sword.
This was a Tier Three Peak Demon Beast with a draconic bloodline. Its life force would be tenacious, and he absolutely could not treat it like any of his previous opponents.
If he failed to defeat it in one strike, he had to be prepared for the Black Flood Dragon to self-destruct its Demon Pill rather than let its body fall into enemy hands.
In that event, forget about the Dragon Soul and its flesh; he himself would be caught in the blast, emerging battered and possibly even injured.
Bai Zichen stood motionless, observing the Black Flood Dragon for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Only then did he slowly close his eyes, becoming as still as a clay statue.
His Sword Heart Clarity allowed him to perceive the Black Flood Dragon in the depths of Illusion Butterfly Valley with perfect detail, imprinted upon his mind without need for his eyes or Divine Sense.
’Now! Extreme Concealed Intent, a sword strike of no-self!’
Concealed by the Mystical Immortal Gauze, Bai Zichen gathered his power. With conditions similar to those on the Sword Testing Platform and the mentality of facing a powerful foe, he unleashed his strongest sword strike.
Infinite Taiyin Star Power erupted in a Moonlight Crystal Burst. The entire Illusion Butterfly Valley seemed to be coated in a layer of Moonlight, frozen for a single, silent moment.
The Black Flood Dragon abruptly raised its head. A speck of moonlight appeared in its pale yellow pupils. Just as it was about to channel its Demon Power and use a draconic innate ability, a bone-deep chill made it shudder.
The effect lasted for only a moment. By the time it unleashed its Secret Technique, an ancient dragon’s cry echoed forth, as if an Ancient True Dragon were roaring through the Black Flood Dragon’s body.
The horrific wounds on its draconic body began to heal at a visible rate. At the same time, its aura surged, faintly revealing the presence of a Tier Four Great Demon as its black Dragon Scales began to glow with a golden light.
This kind of Dragon Race Secret Technique consumed several hundred years of lifespan with each use.
Even for a Tier Three Dragon Beast, whose lifespan was several times that of a Core Formation True Man, this was an unsustainable rate of consumption.
As it felt an unprecedented power surge back into its body, a flash of human-like despair crossed the Black Flood Dragon’s eyes. It swiped its claws forward, striking nothing but empty air.
The Milky Way seemed to hang inverted as Moonlight washed over everything. A silk-thin Sword Light had left a wound no bigger than the tip of a grain of wheat on the dragon’s skull.
A five-foot sword in its scabbard; in a flash, the dragon’s head fell.