Chapter 846: Outside Panlong City

He Chunhua immediately retorted, "You are merely a vengeful spirit trapped in a jar! Why should I feel any guilt sacrificing you?" That's right! Chuan'er was long gone; what he sacrificed was an evil spirit wearing human skin. He had no regrets.

He Lingchuan let out a cynical laugh. "The divine mark of Naraka Heaven was placed many years ago, even before you last entered the Dragon Coil Ruins. How do you intend to explain that? — Father!" The last two words were squeezed out from between his teeth, laced with deep-seated bitterness.

He Chunhua was momentarily speechless. It was a fatal weakness, easily exposed and impossible to refute.

Qiu Hu spat on the ground. "Self-deception!" He had largely understood. General He had personally admitted to appeasing a deity, sacrificing his own child, and even claiming his eldest son was an evil spirit. Was he going insane?

He Lingchuan let out a long laugh. "Fine, fine, after all, we are father and son. Today, I'll grant your wish, Father! Just tell me where Naraka Heaven's avatar is, and I'll summon it!"

Qiu Hu was greatly alarmed. "No! Absolutely not!" This young master was usually shrewd, decisive, and resourceful, appearing to be a wise leader. Could he be about to make a monumental mistake at such a crucial moment?

He Chunhua was also struck with a sudden fright. The spell on He Lingchuan's wrist was still glowing; it should have taken effect by now. He had conversed with the vengeful spirit for quite some time, so why hadn't Naraka Heaven descended?

Suddenly, several bolts of startling lightning flashed across the sky. Normally, lightning is a brilliant white, sometimes tinged with red or purple. Yet, these bolts were peculiar, glowing with an eerie, sickly green light. The entire Dragon Coil City—its buildings, streets, and sculptures—was momentarily bathed in green light, creating an especially eerie atmosphere. Both the light and the aura belonged to Naraka Heaven, a presence He Chunhua knew well. Furthermore, the statue in his palm began to tremble, emitting a faint green glow from its entire form, as if in response.

The deity was finally about to descend. He secretly let out a sigh of relief. Looking at his eldest son before him, a flood of mixed emotions washed over him. The absurdity that began over a decade ago would, at last, conclude today. He finally no longer had to agonize over it.

The Dragon Coil Desert.

The disciples of Jianyanggong had long since left Dragon Coil City and were now camping in the desert. One disciple pointed back and exclaimed, "Uncle, look!" Ling Jinbao turned, just in time to see a pillar of red light shoot up from Dragon Coil City! Indeed, the red light originated from within the ruins.

The disciples were itching with anticipation. "Should we go back?" "Even if they couldn't get the first pick, returning to the city now would at least allow them to witness the spectacle, wouldn't it?" Ling Jinbao, however, gazed at the pillar of light, lost in thought. The disciples asked twice before he snapped back to attention. "Stay right here!" Hadn't they come out this time for treasure and for a thrilling battle? Everyone felt utterly bored, but orders were not to be defied. They took out several white tarpaulins, laid them on the sand and rocks, and settled down on the dune. Ling Jinbao simply lay down, resting his head on his hands. This desolate place was scorching hot by day and bitterly cold by night, yet the night view was truly magnificent, with stars hanging low over the vast plains.

Much later, as he stifled his fourth yawn, the disciples couldn't help but ask, "Uncle, what are you looking at?" "And you're watching so casually."

"I'm observing something," Ling Jinbao said, taking out his water skin and drinking some water. "The red light appeared earlier tonight than on previous occasions. Why?" Previously, the red light always appeared closer to the latter half of the night; tonight, it emerged as early as the *xushi* hour (7-9 PM). Why? What makes tonight different from previous nights? Is it because explorers have arrived? What does the Grand Cask intend to do to the explorers entering the Dragon Coil Ruins? He couldn't fathom this, which was why he dared not remain in the city rashly. Naturally, his disciples couldn't answer such a question, and Ling Jinbao didn't expect them to.

As he watched and pondered, the red light's range suddenly changed. From a single, straight pillar, it abruptly expanded to encompass the entire Dragon Coil Ruins! "Whoa!" the disciples of Jianyanggong exclaimed in unison. Before their eyes, the entire Dragon Coil Ruins became engulfed in the red light! However, this expansion lasted for only two or three breaths before the red light vanished!

"What just happened?" The Jianyanggong group was only about two hundred *zhang* away from the south gate of the Dragon Coil Ruins, giving them a perfect view of the red light's transformation. Suddenly, someone jumped up. "Look at the city gate! The Baling people on top of it are gone!" It wasn't just the Jianyanggong disciples who considered gaining a higher vantage point; the Baling people had already done so. Bao Guanjie had assigned three or four individuals to patrol the city's movements from atop the south gate. From their position on the dune, Ling Jinbao and his group could admire the majestic south gate and also observe the figures of the Baling people moving back and forth. But after the red light, the city gate was utterly deserted. Where were those Baling people? Even highly skilled and daring cultivators felt their scalps tingle at that moment. Had everyone in the city been swallowed by the red light? The disciples swallowed hard. "Uncle Ling, you are truly wise!" "Otherwise, they too would have met the same fate as those in the city!" Ling Jinbao remained silent, his expression grim. The red light within the city, by all appearances, seemed like a trap. Yet, even if people knew, they would still rush into it like moths to a flame.

Just then, Ling Jinbao noticed people on an adjacent dune. The group of sixteen or seventeen people had arrived unnoticed and were also watching the towering red light from Dragon Coil City, just like the Jianyanggong disciples. There had been many adventurers in the Dragon Coil Desert lately, so Ling Jinbao didn't pay them much mind. However, the other group sent one person over. He clambered over the uneven dunes and asked the Jianyanggong members, "Judging by the direction you came from, did you emerge from Dragon Coil City?" The Jianyanggong disciples frowned at him. "Who are you?" he asked. The man had approached without even a greeting, immediately adopting an aggressive tone. How rude.

"We are from the Heavenly Palace, here on business in the Dragon Coil Desert," the man replied. He didn't speak with malice, but there was an unmistakable air of "I'm too lazy to waste words on you" arrogance about him. "Oh," Ling Jinbao nodded. "That's right." Then he clamped his mouth shut.

The other man paused, then realized Ling Jinbao had answered his previous question. He promptly pressed on, "What happened in the city?" Ling Jinbao turned his head and told his disciples, "Let's go." They started walking away, ignoring the man. The man pursued them, his tone softening considerably. "Gentlemen, please wait... If you're willing to share what you witnessed in the city, we will compensate you generously!" Ling Jinbao ignored him and kept walking. The man tried to speak a few more words, but seeing no reaction from any of them, his face hardened. "You..."

"Tell your superior to come speak with me," Ling Jinbao interrupted him. "You're not qualified." Even if he wasn't at his best, he was still a Grand Elder of Jianyanggong. What did it matter if the other party was from the Heavenly Palace? Could they just send any random person to ask for information? The man opened his mouth, but seeing Ling Jinbao about to walk away again, he had no choice but to turn and hurry back. It was unclear how the other group communicated, but the man was seen talking and pointing at the Jianyanggong members, seemingly not saying anything pleasant. Soon after, the other group's leader approached.

The man was around fifty years old, slender, with a meticulously trimmed beard that gave him a particularly refined and energetic appearance. "My apologies, my attendant has only recently joined us and is still unfamiliar with proper etiquette," he said, cupping his fists as he arrived. "May I ask your name, honored sir?" "Ling Jinbao, from Jianyanggong."

"Mr. Ling," the man smiled. "I am He Jing, a Doyun Envoy from the Stargazing Pavilion. I have been dispatched by the Heavenly Palace to the Dragon Coil Desert on a mission." Ling Jinbao's expression changed. A Doyun Envoy? This man, with his insincere smile, was actually a Doyun Envoy? The Heavenly Palace of Lingxu City was renowned throughout the world. Below the Chief Doyun Envoy were four Doyun (Deputy) Envoys, whose status was noble and position transcendent. Even the Demon Emperor of Beijia treated them with utmost courtesy. How could a figure of such high standing suddenly appear in Dragon Coil City, tens of thousands of miles from Mount Xu? Had he come for the Grand Cask? That would imply an exceptionally fast arrival. Beijia's territory was vast. News of the Dragon Coil Desert's anomaly would take time to travel from the great western region of the Yuan Kingdom to Lingxu City. For this Doyun Envoy to then learn of it and depart from Lingxu City to reach this location would also require considerable time. How had he arrived so precisely, just in time for the Grand Cask's emergence?

"So, it is Doyun Envoy He," Ling Jinbao said. Facing such a figure, he decided to retreat gracefully. "We circled the city a few times, found it utterly dilapidated with no new developments, so we came out." In a few words, he recounted his earlier observations within the city. He Jing pressed on, "Just now, a red light suddenly appeared. Perhaps it signified the emergence of a rare treasure. Mr. Ling, why did you not return to the city?" Ling Jinbao looked back at the red pillar of light and shook his head. "I had an ominous feeling; I didn't want to go back."

At that moment, one of He Jing's subordinates suddenly rushed over, clutching a mirror. "Lord Doyun Envoy, there's an image in the Vast Square Mirror!" "An image?" Curiosity piqued, Ling Jinbao paused to watch. What he saw reflected in the mirror was not He Jing's face, but a series of rapidly changing scenes. Crumbling buildings, uniform streets, and a glimpse of a dragon's head emblem on a half-collapsed mud wall flashed by. Oh, he had seen that emblem before, in Dragon Coil City. So, what was appearing in the mirror was a view from inside Dragon Coil City? Moreover, the way the images were displayed suggested the mirror was borrowing someone's perspective; whatever that person saw, He Jing could see too. Ling Jinbao leaned in, peering intently. He Jing subtly frowned but then pointed at the image and asked him:

"Mr. Ling, who are these people on this path?" "These?" Ling Jinbao, quite familiar with the current factions in Dragon Coil City, replied, "They appear to be from Andong." "Andong people?" Ling Jinbao pointed north. "They jointly govern the Dragon Coil Desert with the Yuan Kingdom. I heard they recently launched a surprise attack on Blackwater City a few days ago and suffered a crushing defeat." He Jing uttered an "Oh." Ling Jinbao simply identified each faction that appeared in the mirror's view for him. Upon learning that Grand Marshal, the sworn enemy of the Yuan army, had also sent people, He Jing's brows furrowed. "Is this merely a coincidence? Dragon Coil City tonight has actually drawn so many different groups, and they even have existing grievances with each other."

"The anomalies in Dragon Coil City intensified a few days ago, and a phantom city even appeared in the sky above it. Who wouldn't want to investigate?" Ling Jinbao remarked, glancing at He Jing. "I suspect Doyun Envoy He is also here for this. Why didn't you enter earlier?" The Heavenly Palace clearly dispatched two teams. Why did Zhang Lianhai enter Dragon Coil City while this person, He, remained outside? Ling Jinbao had a premonition that He Jing had arrived much earlier but had simply chosen not to enter. Regarding the major news from Beijia recently, he had only heard about Mount Xu's rebellion and the chaos at the Stargazing Pavilion and Lingxu City. However, he was unaware that the Stargazing Pavilion had lost a divine artifact, and that it was connected to the Grand Cask.