"This is the true Dragon Prison?"

Caught by the sudden emergence of purple-black light, Qi Xiu gathered his focus and looked around. Towering, thick walls, firm and smooth ground, and a deep, dense breath of desolation permeated the air. Compared to the broken earth above, this was undoubtedly the place where the True Dragon Clan imprisoned malevolent dragons and fierce Flood Dragons!

Qi Xiu pressed his hand against one of the adjacent walls, exerting a bit of strength, and his eyes suddenly changed.

Cold!

Hard!

The force he had just applied was fifty percent of his power. Augmented by the strong physique of the Innate Mixed Yuan Holy Body, this force was enough to knock down a hundred-foot-thick city wall, yet now, not even a single mark had been left.

Afterward, Qi Xiu took out a Talisman Script. But whether it was Thunder Magic, Sword Light, or any other Dharma Gate, none, without exception, could leave the slightest scratch on this wall.

"As expected of a prison designed to confine malevolent dragons, it really is tough!"

Having confirmed that with his current strength he could cause no damage to the Dragon Prison, Qi Xiu rolled up his sleeves and surveyed his surroundings.

The no-fly rule was still in place, forbidding ascent. Moreover, the walls were incredibly smooth, offering no purchase, and the ground was imbued with a traction force. Not only would it impede walking and running, but even actions like jumping were greatly compromised.

Unfurling his Divine Sense, Qi Xiu slowly moved forward, silently exploring the approximate scale of the Dragon Prison.

Walls, nothing but walls! As he continued forward, the feedback from his Divine Sense revealed almost exclusively thick, impervious walls.

After walking for over an hour, Qi Xiu halted, a rough idea forming in his mind.

So this Dragon Prison is actually a maze!

In his mind's eye, he pictured a massive maze stretching beyond sight, its lofty walls dividing countless passageways. However, the vast majority were dead ends. Combined with the anti-flight rule and the ground's traction, once someone fell into this maze, it would be extremely difficult to find their way out.

It seems I'm on the right track; this is indeed the core of the Dragon Prison. But where exactly is the Dragon-Slaying Banner that Elder Shui mentioned?

Stroking the Golden Cry Jade Beads, Qi Xiu slowly furrowed his brow. Normally, he could explore at a leisurely pace. But now, with the Nu River's great tide imminent, and considering the time he had already lost, only six and a half days remained before the Flood Dragon King would use the Water Monarch Seal to unleash the tide. Thus, he had to find the Dragon-Slaying Banner within six and a half days and give it to Elder Shui. This was to reclaim the Water Monarch Seal from the Flood Dragon King's hands and prevent the impending disaster of a massive flood extending tens of thousands of miles.

Squeezing a Golden Cry Jade Bead, a myriad of white minions cascaded like a waterfall, pouring out ceaselessly from Qi Xiu's sleeve. These white minions were all evolved from Painted Talismans. Though possessing no significant combat power, they were perfect for scouting at this moment.

As soon as the white minions hit the ground, they sensed Qi Xiu's command and darted away, their speed so swift they turned into countless afterimages before vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Hmm? Qi Xiu's eyebrows rose, noticing that the white minions' speed seemed hardly obstructed.

Could it be that the numerous restrictions in this maze are actually categorized?

He silently noted this peculiar detail and was about to bend down for a closer look when a beam of light suddenly pierced through the semi-circular dome above him. Through a gap dozens of feet wide, a pair of arms covered in golden armor slowly reached in.

"Finally found... HUH!"

Just as Golden Armored Corpse Demon Nie Biao poked his head through, before he could finish his sentence, he was immediately swept down by the force within the Dragon Prison, crashing heavily into the maze.

He actually found his way here?

Qi Xiu hadn't expected this Corpse Demon to react so swiftly, following right behind him to this place.

As Nie Biao approached, Qi Xiu, surprised, suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders.

This Corpse Demon is incredibly powerful. If I get entangled with him, it'll be hard to break free quickly. I'd better use the old trick.

With a flick of the Shangqing Bell, a line of paper ghosts with sly smiles and wobbly gaits was summoned. Qi Xiu flicked his fingers, splattering droplets of blood on the foreheads of the paper ghosts. These paper ghosts, originally with smiling faces, immediately transformed into Qi Xiu's likeness. Apart from their rigid and unnerving expressions, even their aura was exactly the same.

"Go. The more time you can buy, the better."

Having sent away the paper ghosts, Qi Xiu simply sat on the ground, patiently waiting for news from the white minions.

This maze is unlike any other place. Wandering aimlessly only wastes time and drains energy. With Golden Armored Corpse Demon Nie Biao around, I need to ensure I stay at my peak to handle any unforeseen situations.

「Within the vast expanse of the Dragon Prison maze.」

Numerous white minions, half a meter tall, sped through the passageways with incredible celerity. Agile and nimble, these minions seemed utterly unaffected by the traction force in the Dragon Palace, running at high speed. They broadened Qi Xiu's understanding of the maze's layout at a visible rate.

「Meanwhile.」

Nie Biao, guided by the Flood Dragon King to the Dragon Prison maze, scrutinized the "Qi Xiu" that passed by him with a puzzled look.

"This damned thing again?"

Seeing the signature smile of the paper ghost, Nie Biao's expression darkened.

Clearly, that young Daoist knows I'm after him. These wretched things are just to distract me and cause trouble.

"You'd better hope I don't catch you."

Crushing the air with his bare hands, he produced a thunderous BOOM. Nie Biao snorted coldly, ignoring the constantly swaying paper ghosts before him. Bending his knees, he erupted with tremendous force, instantly transforming into a terrifying black and red afterimage and darting away.

So heavy! There are other restrictions here!

Almost the moment he moved, Nie Biao felt an extremely troublesome dragging and adhesive force from underneath his feet, as if countless small hands were grasping at his ankles. Though not enough to completely immobilize him, it added an undue burden.

「...」

"Found it."

Qi Xiu, who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed to conserve energy, suddenly opened them—one of the dispatched white minions had sent feedback.

It seems to have found the maze's exit. But in just an instant, the connection was lost.

Leaping to his feet, Qi Xiu dashed off, sticking close to the ground. His entire figure was like an arrow loosed from a bow, so fast the naked eye could hardly follow. A dual cultivator of Dharma and Martial paths who had reached the Initiate Realm, he also possessed the Innate Mixed Yuan Holy Body. In a situation where Escape Skill couldn't be used, Qi Xiu had instead reverted to the Qinggong and body techniques he had long neglected.

Following a faint sense deep within his mind, Qi Xiu hurried along, swiftly turning and galloping. In the blink of an eye, he crossed more than a dozen complex passageways, drawing near to the location where the white minion had detected the anomaly. The minion had already turned to ash, destroyed by some unknown force.

"What is this...?"

His figure came to a sharp halt. Qi Xiu lightly stroked his sleeve, his eyes narrowing.

Before him lay an extremely expansive circular clearing. And right at the center of this space stood a Dragon Head Hall, a grisly monument piled high with dragon heads! Each lifelike dragon head had its eyes tightly shut. At the severed necks, flesh was a mangled ruin of blood and muscle, so fresh it seemed as if blood were still dripping downwards.

The instant Qi Xiu saw the Dragon Head Hall, a deep chill rose in his heart. At the same time, his Human Path Merit and a premonition from his soul frantically signaled him.

Danger!

Run!

BANG!

Without a moment's hesitation, as that chilling sensation surged through him, Qi Xiu exploded with all his physical strength, turned, and fled.

But just as Qi Xiu disappeared, the previously stable Dragon Head Hall suddenly trembled slightly, emitting a faint CLICK!

BOOM!

In a mere moment, the towering Dragon Head Hall, which resembled a majestic mountain, collapsed thunderously. Countless dragon heads rolled down, scattering across the ground.

The hall collapsed!

Yin fire surged!

The dragon heads on the ground suddenly snapped open their eyes. In their hollow, vacant pupils, clusters of dark green, flickering yin fire ignited. These dragon heads levitated, their jaws clacking open and shut, and let out a bizarre, bone-chilling roar:

"Give me back my life!"

「...」

Escape!

The feeling of needles on his spine not only failed to diminish as he moved away from the Dragon Head Hall but instead intensified, as if countless small knives were stabbing his back.

I've caused big trouble.

The thought surfaced in Qi Xiu's mind. Reflecting on his earlier actions, he felt they had been somewhat rash.

This Dragon Prison was where the True Dragon Clan imprisoned malevolent dragons. Rashly sending out a deluge of white figurines in all directions was like dancing with a torch in a powder keg; how could it not lead to disaster? But upon reflection, it was unavoidable. Without using Dharma Gates for a large-scale search, relying solely on himself to find the way slowly, not only would six and a half days be insufficient, but even six months might not be enough to escape this Dragon Prison maze. By then, it'd be too late for anything; even the wild grass would have regrown several times over.

BOOM!

As Qi Xiu was still reflecting, the terrifying aura behind him abruptly closed in. Turning sideways to look back, Qi Xiu's pupils suddenly shrank. He saw a dragon head, eyes blazing with inky green yin fire, roaring, "Give me back my life!" as it fiercely gave chase. And behind it, an innumerable army of dragon heads followed.

I really lit the powder keg! I didn't expect the Dragon Head Hall to catch up so quickly...

Qi Xiu's eyes flickered as he rapidly pondered a countermeasure.

Got it! The old method! Redirect the disaster!

Instantly thinking of Golden Armored Corpse Demon Nie Biao, who was also in the Dragon Prison maze, Qi Xiu's lips curved into a slight smile.

We're old acquaintances, after all. Good things must be shared.

Sensing Nie Biao's location through the scattered white minions and paper ghosts, Qi Xiu made a sharp turn, leading the terrifying horde of dragon heads roaring towards Nie Biao's position.

At this moment, Nie Biao, still blissfully unaware, suddenly felt a prickling sensation in his heart, an uneasy premonition washing over him.

The next instant, a mountainous, ocean-like roar erupted from behind. Nie Biao frowned and turned, only to see Qi Xiu charging towards him.

"It's you!"

A delighted expression spread across Nie Biao's face, but before his smile could fully form, the terrifying, horrifying army of dragon heads crashed into his field of vision.

His face fell instantly, his features twisting uncontrollably as he spat out a single word:

"FUCK!"

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