Within the Ancestral Aperture, Qi Xiu entered a state of unity between spirit and flesh. Holding the Black Gold Imperial Seal—formed from Yama's Law Seal—in one hand, he began to operate the Star Absorption Skill.

Streams of vague, human-shaped black qi could be seen screaming and wailing as they were continuously sucked away along his arm, transforming into the purest Divine Soul Force. Qi Xiu used it to enhance his own Divine Soul Realm. With the nourishment of this Divine Soul Force, the once ethereal feet of Qi Xiu's spiritual body gradually began to solidify. A large amount of Divine Soul Force continuously poured in and fused, making Qi Xiu feel as though his soul was submerged in a hot spring—warm, comfortable, and even making him drowsy.

Not long after, over a thousand fierce ghosts were absorbed by Qi Xiu, transforming into Divine Soul Force. At this time, his divine soul was almost completely solidified. From a distance, apart from his skin being somewhat darkened, he was almost indistinguishable from a real person.

Yin Spirit Perfection Stage achieved, Qi Xiu quietly nodded to himself, a slight smile touching his lips as he closely observed the changes in his divine soul. His divine soul had now completely solidified, fully achieving the Yin Spirit Perfection Stage. Now, even if his divine soul left the Ancestral Aperture, it wouldn't fear Yang forces such as the Taiyang. His Divine Sense could also stretch ten miles in all directions, insightful as if watching a blazing fire, missing no detail. Even without entering the state of unity between spirit and flesh, his Soul and Mind Power could manifest a tangible oppressive force, controlling beings whose divine souls were not as strong as his.

I just need to break through the Barrier of Life and Death, unravel the mystery of life and death, and I will be able to achieve the Realm of True Spirit of the Soul. His spirit soaring, Qi Xiu's eyes gleamed with lucid clarity.

While continuously absorbing Divine Soul Force, he had vaguely sensed an invisible barrier. At first glance, this barrier seemed as thin as paper. Yet, when one tried to puncture it and step through, one would suddenly realize the barrier was unimaginably vast, like an endless sea blocking the path—impossible to cross.

The Barrier of Life and Death!

It was the greatest obstacle to the qualitative change of the divine soul. Once crossed, one could gain the privilege of seizing bodies for reincarnation. Unless one's Yin Lifespan was exhausted, they would become undying. Even if the physical body decayed, one could seize another and resurrect. Even when switching bodies, the divine soul would gradually harmonize, becoming indistinguishable from one's own flesh and blood.

My divine soul is perfected, solidified as one. By crude estimates, it should withstand at least thirty Sword Gourd Talismans. If I use the unity of spirit and flesh, perhaps it could handle eighty!

As the Divine Soul Realm improved, the most visible change was the capacity for Sword Gourd Talismans. The Sword Gourd Talisman, Qi Xiu's most formidable Cloud Seal Talisman currently in his possession, had immense power, and its backlash was equally strong. Before reaching the Yin Spirit Perfection Stage, he could only use up to ten a day. Exceeding that number, his divine soul could not suppress the Talisman Scripts, making them uncontrollable. Now that he had perfected his divine soul, he could command even more Sword Gourd Talismans.

The Sword Dao's proud temperament is similar to the Thunder Path; it's difficult for it to align with other Dharma Gates. To construct a Rune Array, one must use only the same type of Talisman Scripts. And to deduce a Rune Array, at least a hundred Talisman Scripts are needed. It seems if I wish to set up a grand Sword Rune Array, I'll have to wait until I break through the Barrier of Life and Death and advance to the True Spirit Realm.

Within the Black Gold Imperial Seal, over six thousand remnant souls of fierce ghosts still lingered. However, Qi Xiu no longer had a shortage of Divine Soul Force. Without breaking through to the True Spirit Phase, the divine soul couldn't contain any more power; even if absorbed, it would quickly dissipate.

After suppressing the remnant souls of fierce ghosts within the Black Gold Imperial Seal, Qi Xiu exited the Ancestral Aperture between his brows and disengaged the Hunyuan Palace. He hadn't used much time to absorb these remnant souls. In the outside world, barely a quarter of an hour had passed.

The other envoys I dispatched seem to have no news either. Seated cross-legged atop the waves, Qi Xiu quietly sensed the messages transmitted back from the small white figures. The entire shattered land seemed boundless. Some of the dispersed small white figures had already run a thousand miles, yet they had not discovered anything else. It was as if everything in this Dragon Prison was buried within this vast expanse of land...

Hm? That's right. A thought flashed in his mind as Qi Xiu suddenly considered another possibility. If not on the surface, could it be... underground? As soon as this idea emerged, Qi Xiu felt it was highly plausible.

With a flick of his hand, the ancient and simple Qing Bell materialized in his palm. It was accompanied by a light, clear ringing, as if piercing through endless Cosmic Bi, echoing through myriad realms. One by one, faceless figures appeared. They were dressed in long-sleeved, wide robes and wore tall hats inscribed with four large characters: Unparalleled in Earth Walking.

The Earth Burrower Tribe! They were a race of beings with an innate Earth Walking Skill, like fish in water when underground, as quick as wild horses. Summoning a full hundred members of the Earth Burrower Tribe, Qi Xiu gestured for them to search beneath this region and report back immediately with any findings. Nodding in acknowledgment, the Earth Burrower Tribe members dispersed. A faint yellow light illuminated their bodies as the soil around them parted on its own. In the blink of an eye, they had disappeared from view.

Qi Xiu remained silently in place, slowly rotating the Golden Cry Jade Beads in his hand, waiting for feedback from the Earth Burrower Tribe.

「One day.」

「Two days.」

Midway through the third day, just as he was doubting his own logic, Qi Xiu received a response from one of the Earth Burrower Tribe.

A discovery!

He immediately summoned one of the Earth Burrower Tribe and hurried towards the location of the anomaly.

「Moments later.」

Qi Xiu arrived at the location of the responding Earth Burrower Tribe member, but the once clear connection had suddenly disappeared just minutes before.

Strange. With furrowed brows, deep in thought, Qi Xiu gently shook the Qing Bell and summoned several more Earth Burrower Tribe members, ordering them to search the surroundings for any unusual locations.

And just as one of the Earth Burrower Tribe members continued to dive deeper, a dazzling, blinding purple-black light suddenly pierced through the hole it had made, abruptly illuminating the area.

A strong sense of danger surged in his heart. Before Qi Xiu could react, that strange and heavy purple-black light already shone upon him.

WHOOSH—

In an instant, every object touched by the purple-black light was swept into it, with no chance to struggle or resist. They vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.

「...」

"I wondered why it looked so familiar. Turns out it's an old friend," Nie Biao said, tearing apart a paper ghost that had a sinister smile etched across its face. Nie Biao's own expression was dark as he hummed a few cold laughs. Upon seeing this paper ghost, he immediately remembered the person Fang Bai had described—someone he'd always found vaguely familiar. Years ago, by the Dragon King's command, he had gone to the Nu River Palace to capture two Human Cultivators. Unexpectedly, those two had managed to escape through a back door. Afterward, he was severely reprimanded by the Dragon King and was sidelined for ten years, not utilized at all. His losses were tremendous.

"The heavens haven't been too unfair to me! I was worried I might never get the chance to meet those two again, but to think I'd encounter them so soon! This time… I'll definitely devour you alive!!!"

He suddenly roared up to the sky. Terrifying sound waves formed a column that rose from the earth, sweeping gusts in all directions and making the whole land tremble faintly!

Having vented the rage and resentment in his heart, Nie Biao took out a copper pellet engraved with dragon patterns from the armor around his waist.

CRACK!

He opened his mouth, and a breath of true essence sprayed onto the copper pellet. The copper pellet suddenly turned into a beacon of Spiritual Light that leaped into the air. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into the image of the Flood Dragon King.

Surveying the vast, shattered landscape, the Flood Dragon King's face suddenly darkened. He turned to Nie Biao, who appeared nonchalant, and fiercely slapped him across the face!

SMACK!

Nie Biao's head was outright exploded by the Flood Dragon King's blow. The splattering black and red blood turned into twisting tendrils that, in an instant, reformed into a baffled Nie Biao.

"You fool! Didn't I tell you the copper pellet was for critical moments?!"

Choked by the Flood Dragon King, Nie Biao spread his hands. "But I thought now *is* a critical moment."

"Continue!" Veins pulsed on the Flood Dragon King's forehead, and the corners of his mouth twitched. If he had any other options, he most certainly would not have sent this idiot.

Nie Biao then reported everything: that the person assigned by Elder Shui was indeed Qi Xiu, that Qi Xiu had advanced to the Blood-Stained Realm, and that he possessed the strength to completely dominate someone at Bloodstained Layer Five. Nie Biao pointed to the scraps of the paper ghost on the ground. "Now, the whereabouts of that Daoist are unknown. He might have already penetrated deep into the Dragon Prison. This situation should be considered a critical moment, right?"

Casually tossing Nie Biao aside, the Flood Dragon King's eyes were as deep as an abyss, his presence chillingly menacing.

"Very well! Very well! That whelp seized the Opportunity from my Nu River Palace years ago, and now he comes to ruin my plans. It's clear he aims to oppose me!"

His aura was somber and terrifying. The Flood Dragon King slowly turned, his blood-red eyes like vast oceans, glancing at Nie Biao, who was patting dust off himself as he walked back.

"For today's matter, your report was timely. Tell me, what problems do you need me to solve for you?"

"Your Majesty, currently there's only one problem!"

"Speak!"

"I haven't found the entrance to the Dragon Prison yet."

"That's simple."

Withdrawing his gaze, the Flood Dragon King's eyes slightly narrowed. In the next moment, his immense Divine Sense swept out, instantly spreading across tens of thousands of miles. It sensed the chaotic information within the void, separating the false from the true.

"No wonder you couldn't find it. Turns out it's underground."

Almost instantly, the Flood Dragon King pierced through the secret of the entrance to the Dragon Prison. With just a thought, he transmitted the location of the Dragon Prison's entrance to Nie Biao. The Flood Dragon King's figure then began to fade.

"Nie Biao, pay more attention this time. If you bungle this matter again, I will throw you into the Yin Ruins to feed the fish!"

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will do my utmost!" Nie Biao declared, his mountain-like body dropping to one knee as he made a firm promise to the Flood Dragon King.

HMPH!

With a light snort, the Flood Dragon King's figure vanished completely, leaving only the copper pellet spinning aimlessly, now devoid of all its spiritual charm and brilliance.

PTUI!

Nie Biao spat a black, sticky glob of phlegm onto the ground. His expression changed instantly as he stood up and sneered.

"A little Flood Dragon, pretending to be a True Dragon. Just you wait! Once I, Nie Biao, achieve the Dao Body Realm, I'll skin you and pull out your tendons within a hundred years! I'll make you into braised Flood Dragon and feed you to the dogs!"

After his unrestrained cursing, Nie Biao still felt it wasn't enough to vent his anger. He blew his nose harshly and flung the snot at the spot where the Flood Dragon King had just stood. Following that, he threw a punch. The terrifying Vigor directly broke through the ground, and he headed into the depths.

...

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