CHAPTER 574: CHAPTER 117: SUB-SAINT ZHAN LONG (PART 2)

"No!"

From within the infant fist-sized relic golden core, a cry of utter despair echoed through the heavens.

The relic golden core fled once again, its cracked surface beginning to seep strands of golden powder.

That was Po Suo’s lifebound Primordial Spirit, shattered by the sculpted dragon seal that Zhan Long spat out, leaking from the fissures on the surface of the relic golden core, continuously being lost.

Where could the sculpted dragon seal allow Po Suo to escape again? A mysterious force even overflowed, sealing the void, leaving the relic golden core dodging from side to side within an area of just two zhang square, with no place to hide.

"Boom!"

With no room for delay, the small seal pressed down on the relic golden core again. The relic golden core barely held on before it was thoroughly smashed, turning into gold dust, melting away as if snow met fire.

A Late Sub-Saint, a Great Elder of the Endless Buddha Domain Venerable Temple, a disciple of the First Epoch Saint Amitabha Buddha... A personage bearing so many auras was killed by a Sub-Saint just like that, like something from a dream!

If news of this spread to other Central Heaven Worlds, it would be extremely hard to believe!

"Hahaha, dead, finally dead! I have finally avenged the arrow of yesteryear!" Watching the golden powder fluttering in the sky, Zhan Long burst into hearty laughter. Slowly, his eyes brimmed with tears of laughter, his state verging on madness.

All this happened in the blink of an eye, and the onlookers nearby all stared blankly at Zhan Long, who was laughing uproariously towards the sky, taking a long while to come back to their senses.

Swallowing hard, Long Xuhu frantically shook Yang Jian’s shoulder, saying, "Erlang... am I seeing things, tell me I’m seeing things! Old Zhan, did Old Zhan actually kill Po Suo?"

Yang Jian, who was being shaken back and forth, said painstakingly, "Master Uncle, yes, you’re not seeing things! Stop shaking, or I’ll throw up..."

Yin Xi, standing next to Yang Jian and observing the increasingly discomposed Zhan Long, a flash of light crossed his eyes, saying, "It seems Zhan Long has turned misfortune into a blessing! Who knows how many realms he’ll break through this time!"

Li Qingming smiled and shook his head, saying, "Zhan Long already possesses outstanding talent. If it weren’t for his cultivation being bound by this heart knot, and the lack of sufficient Spiritual Energy in Buddha Prison, I’m afraid he would have broken through to the Sub-Saint Realm long ago!"

Suddenly, Shakyamuni pointed at Zhan Long not far away and said, "Master Li, look, it’s starting..."

"Omm!"

A bizarre fluctuation descended, thunder roared above Zhan Long, and a rich water aura surged to the heavens.

Below that fluctuation, Zhan Long looked up at the sky nervously, the earlier arrogance completely gone.

"Ha, Zhan Long is good at bullying the sick, but he’s just as fearful in the face of Heavenly might!" Long Xuhu burst into laughter upon seeing this.

"Boom!"

Thunder raged in the distant sky, and a thick Kui Water Yin Thunder, its source unknown, streaked directly towards Zhan Long.

Zhan Long’s entire body tensed, all True Yuan mobilized, attempting to confront this Kui Water Yin Thunder with his formidable physical strength.

His eyes emitted Divine Radiance, madly twisting the dragon driving in the sky, striking at the thick Kui Water Yin Thunder with his dragon tail.

"Boom!"

The Yin Thunder struck, rending the Void with its brilliant light, while scales on Zhan Long’s tail flickered with an illusory grandeur, extinguishing the thunder and lightning.

"Howl!" Zhan Long roared towards the sky, staring fixedly at the other Yin Thunders that had suddenly appeared.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of Yin Thunders smashed onto the body of War Dragon.

These Yin Thunders seemed different from the previous one, melding into his scale armor rather than dissipating entirely, remodeling his dragon body.

"Aoh..." Zhan Long howled. The Yin Thunder numbed his entire body, and the last trace of pain was completely wiped away.

"Boom!"

The Yin Thunder continued to fall like rain, Zhan Long’s body flickering in and out of visibility among the lightning, his mighty presence shaking the heavens, and his ferocious roar unceasing.

Eventually, his body, struck by the Yin Thunder, split open and nearly passed out from the pain.

The bystanders nearby all held their breath for Zhan Long.

It was good that he was thick-skinned and fleshed, with a firm Primordial Spirit and an extra Epoch’s accumulation. Otherwise, he would have long been struck by thunder into demonic chaos, his Dao Heart unstable and gone mad.

"Omm..."

The terrifying Kui Water Yin Thunder finally ceased, but the patches of Yin Thunder lightning had not entirely faded away, quietly dissipating as an aftereffect.

Finally, the last wisp of blue Kui Water Yin Thunder vanished, and peace was restored between heaven and earth.

Above the sky, amidst a pile of black, charred ashes exuding a burnt scent, a hundred-zhang long piece of charcoal spanned the Void.

He appeared to be a dead thing, at least from the outside, no fur, no flesh, no vitality. There was only a long stretch of ashes and a long enough piece of charcoal.

Zhan Long’s flesh was scorched, lifeless, completely in deathly stillness.

"Darn, isn’t this too tragic?" Long Xuhu looked at the charred remains in the distance with some pity, yelling loudly.

"Big brother, why would Old Zhan get struck by lightning out of the blue?" Li Qingquan asked with some confusion.

I’ve never heard that breaking through a realm also requires enduring a tribulation; isn’t that asking for one’s life?

"Hehe... Zhan Long, as an old monster who survived from the First Epoch, is not in sync with the time-space of the Third Epoch. Therefore, when he breaks through, the Great Dao sends down Heavenly Thunder to test him! If he overcomes it, he is free to roam the Universe Chaos World; if not, his soul will scatter, never to reincarnate!" Yin Xi cheerfully explained, having finished his flowery speech.

"But, but you..." Li Qingming was somewhat perplexed and asked.

"My situation is different from his. Firstly, my realm has long been reached, and secondly, ’Yin Xi’ was not born in this Third Epoch. My appearance has replaced his existence. Do you understand now?" Yin Xi stroked his beard, earnestly clarifying for everyone.

"Then, Elder Zhan Long should not be dead, right?" Yang Jian poked his head out, pointing to the long charred remains, hardly believing his own words.

"It’s fine, he survived that last bolt of thunder and lightning, he won’t die!" Xuan Tian, who had not spoken before, said.

Previously, when he saw everyone’s attention focused on Zhan Long, his Primordial Spirit inadvertently swept over that piece of charcoal. To his surprise, he discovered that it was nurturing an immensely powerful life force, and inside it, a faint Kui Water Law Power was slowly growing stronger.

"Ugh..."

A deep murmur sounded, and Zhan Long began to struggle slowly within the ashes. Finally, there appeared some signs of life upon the charred piece, discernible to those sensing its vitality.

"Oh, Old Zhan really isn’t dead!" Li Qingquan excitedly exclaimed.

To tell the truth, he quite liked this hot-tempered old fella who was crude yet attentive to detail during the short few days of their acquaintance, and genuinely hoped he wouldn’t just perish in the Heavenly Thunder.

"Crack!"

A clear crackling sound was heard as the pitch-black charcoal suddenly split open, revealing layers upon layers of extremely azure dragon scales.

As time passed, the charcoal quickly disintegrated.

The Zhan Long that re-emerged before everyone’s eyes had not only grown larger in size, but the endlessly blue scales also emanated eerie fluctuations of Laws.

He crawled out from the charred remains, but did not open his eyes. Instead, he coiled up and began to solidify his cultivation on the spot.

"Rumble rumble..."

Sounds like the surging tide centered around Zhan Long, rippling outwards.

That was the essence of the Heavenly Tribulation still lingering within his body, now mingling with his True Yuan and resonating as it flowed through his bloodstream, toughening his sinews and strengthening his flesh.

"Swish!"

After a full quarter of an hour, Zhan Long’s eyes suddenly flashed open, shooting out two brilliant beams of light piercing the sky.

He transformed back into human form, and compared to his original Innate Taoist Body, his current self seemed more restrained and unadorned.

"Peak of Early Sub-Saint Stage!" Li Qingming’s eyes shone, his heart filled with emotion.

"Hahaha, congrats, Old Zhan!" Long Xuhu grinned and gave a laugh, proceeding with a bear hug for the War Dragon.

Zhan Long smiled broadly, pushing Long Xuhu away gently and walking up to Li Qingming. He knelt on one knee and said, "Thank you, my lord, for offering Zhan Long a chance for revenge!"

Li Qingming helped Zhan Long up and said, "This is your own fortune; it has nothing to do with me!"

Zhan Long opened his mouth, continuing, "But my lord, if it weren’t for you, Zhan Long would surely still be in Buddha Prison..."

"Amitabha Buddha, everything in the world hinges on fate! Benefactor, you are too attached!" Shakyamuni clasped his hands together and spoke a Buddha’s name.

Li Qingming and Zhan Long exchanged looks and burst out laughing.

...

"Fellow Daoist, Fellow Daoist Qingming?" At this moment, Xuan Tian interjected from the side: "Fellow Daoist, now that matters here have concluded, please use the Soul Searching Technique without delay to deal with Demon Night!"

Li Qingming was stunned, then slapped his forehead and said, "Ah, Fellow Daoist, forgive my excitement! I forgot about this; I’ll use the Soul Searching Technique right now."

He was indeed very interested in the memories within Demon Night’s soul.

Li Qingming asked everyone to step back. He maneuvered his hands in quick succession, flicking through hand signs like dancing butterflies, and swiftly cast the Soul Searching Technique towards the azure orb in midair.

"Hum!"

The invisible Power of Primordial Spirit turned into specks of starlight, beginning to penetrate Demon Night’s fading Primordial Spirit.

In fact, the speck of Power of Primordial Spirit that invaded Demon Night’s soul could be completely blocked by him with just a thought, as his strength far surpassed that of Li Qingming, who had not activated his Lifebound Primordial Spirit. It was not something Li Qingming could forcibly search.

Sadly, now with Demon Night’s Primordial Spirit damaged and his soul about to perish, he had no way to stop the invasion of Li Qingming’s Power of Primordial Spirit and could only allow Li Qingming to probe at will.

As the soul was gradually permeated, a mass of memories started to be sifted through by Li Qingming.

Demon Night’s numerous experiences since birth...

The mystery and might of the Chasing Daoist...

Everything unfolded before Li Qingming! (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)