Chapter 254

Li arrived sooner than expected, which Zhao Yi found a little disappointing. He had specifically saved Li's story for last, intending to arrange it carefully, but now there was no chance.

He stood up and glanced around, but Xu Ming and Sun Yan were nowhere to be seen. Zhao Yi's eyes narrowed slightly. His first thought was, "Could Li have killed them?" He had previously given orders to his team: when he was absent, everyone was to follow Li's instructions. Even when he was present, unless he specifically objected, everyone would implicitly obey Li's commands. By all accounts, Li shouldn't have acted so unethically. He shifted his gaze to the Liang sisters. Seeing their normal expressions, Zhao Yi breathed a sigh of relief, concluding that nothing serious had happened.

Li Zhuiyuan spoke first: "Xu Ming was injured, but he'll recover."

Zhao Yi waved his hand. "Don't be polite. As long as you find him useful, that's what matters. What's between us? There's no need to specially mention it; it makes you sound like a stranger."

Li Zhuiyuan said, "I arranged for Sun Yan to stay above, controlling animals to set up surveillance in the nearby area for support."

Zhao Yi replied, "As it should be." Sun Yan's role was that of a standard team support. Her value in frontline combat was already minimal, and with the two teams now merged, there was an excess of personnel. Most importantly, based on past experiences, it was crucial to have a healthy person outside to handle support and logistics.

Chen Jing's gaze scanned the people behind Li Zhuiyuan one by one. Deep in the boy's eyes, brutality still flickered, yet a hint of softness and sympathy also flowed. This state pleased Li Zhuiyuan greatly. He had initially expected Chen Jing to be bound and controlled, but Zhao Yi had indeed handled the matter quite well.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Run Sheng."

"Yes." Run Sheng unfastened Shen Huaiyang's head from his waist. Although the skull had been pried open and the inside corroded clean, fortunately, the face was intact, still appearing "lifelike." Chen Jing reached out, took the head, held it, and placed it before him.

Everything had happened too quickly and abruptly. Just days ago, he had chosen to leave alone after a philosophical disagreement with his master. He never imagined that in a mere few days, his former master, who was also his biological father, would become his greatest enemy in this life. What was even more unexpected was how swiftly this revenge had been exacted. This left him, the person directly involved, unable to adjust and process his emotions in time. He wanted to lament, but found he had no right to. He wanted to recall memories, but these memories, constructed from falsehoods, sickened the boy.

Zhao Yi said, "No matter what, your maternal grandparents genuinely cared for you, and that's enough. Even if your past life was mixed with some falsehoods, you can at least be sure that every step you take on your future path will be firm and steady."

Chen Jing nodded. "Thank you, Brother Yi."

Zhao Yi smiled and ruffled the boy's hair, the two of them looking like their relationship had progressed remarkably fast.

Lin Shuyou, who was pushing Tan Wenbin's wheelchair, felt a bit sorry for his Bin Ge, muttering softly: "Oh no, 'Three Eyes' has taken advantage of the situation!" Regular companionship often couldn't compare to a sudden intrusion after a period of hysteria.

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at Zhao Yi, discerning Zhao Yi's unusual interest in the boy. Logically, Zhao Yi's task was complete, and there was no need for him to still be "gazing affectionately." However, since he was maintaining this demeanor, it indicated that he had another unfulfilled objective. Could Zhao Yi be trying to recruit the boy into his 'river-walking' team? Was it the demonic bloodline the boy had already revealed that piqued Zhao Yi's interest and made him see potential?

Chen Jing, holding the head, walked to the water's edge, squatted down, scooped a ladle of water with the head, and then prepared to bring it to his mouth to drink. He was going to use his biological father's head as a drinking vessel. Perhaps this was the most direct and absolute way of revenge and severance the boy could conceive.

Run Sheng reached out and grabbed the head, stopping Chen Jing's action. Chen Jing looked at Run Sheng, puzzled.

Run Sheng said, "You can't drink that; it's poisonous."

Tan Wenbin explained, "There are remnants of a curse inside; drinking it would be bad for your health."

Zhao Yi said, "Keep it with you for now. When we go back, I'll help you preserve and polish it, turning it into a real work of art. You can then display it in the living room, on your bedside table, or even put it in the bathroom to use as a waste paper bin."

Chen Jing asked, "Why a waste paper bin in the bathroom?"

Zhao Yi replied, "You'll understand when you start using a toilet later."

Li Zhuiyuan was now certain that Zhao Yi was trying to entice the boy into his team. Chen Jing, imitating Run Sheng's earlier action, tied the head to his waist.

Li Zhuiyuan began examining the barrier within the waterfall. The barrier wasn't difficult to break because it was already fragmented. This meant that without a special guide, they would still be intermittently threatened by internal restrictions after entering.

Zhao Yi said, "I checked it earlier. This place, or even this entire area, should have been a complete barrier before. Now that it's broken, it's actually harder to deal with."

"I can lead you inside," Chen Jing said, looking around. "But there's a very terrifying entity in there, about to awaken from its slumber. My master... Shen Huaiyang was always guided by him."

Lin Shuyou asked, "How terrifying is it?"

Chen Jing replied, "The Dragon King."

Instantly, everyone's gaze, including Zhao Yi's, focused on Chen Jing. He had just been preoccupied with psychological counseling and hadn't had time to ask about the real matter.

Zhao Yi asked, "The Dragon King? You mean the mastermind behind all this is a Dragon King?"

Chen Jing replied, "That's what Shen Huaiyang told me. He said the one he always worshipped was Lord Dragon King."

Zhao Yi and Li Zhuiyuan exchanged glances. It was clear they both saw suspicion in each other's eyes. Li Zhuiyuan had encountered many Dragon King ruins: those of the Qin family, the Liu family, and even the Zhao family. So far, not a single Dragon King had disappointed him; all had displayed broad-mindedness and magnanimity. If what Chen Jing said was true, then this would be the first degenerate Dragon King Li Zhuiyuan had ever encountered.

Zhao Yi scoffed, "Shen Huaiyang himself is a fool, easily manipulated. Just because he said it's a Dragon King, does that make it true?"

Everyone nodded. Even disregarding any sentiment towards Dragon Kings, no one wanted the next opponent they faced to have such a terrifying origin.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Whatever is at play here, we'll know once we go in and see. Chen Jing, please lead the way."

"Okay."

Chen Jing stepped into the water. As soon as he entered, Li Zhuiyuan noticed the internal barrier actively avoiding him.

Zhao Yi waved his hand, saying, "Everyone, stick close and don't spread out too much."

The environment inside resembled a karst cave, with one waterfall after another. As they moved through, everyone was drenched countless times. Chen Jing stopped and said, "We'll have to swim through the next part." With that, he plunged forward and began to swim.

The others followed. The area below wasn't truly bottomless; it was simply shrouded in an eerie, concentrated darkness. Li Zhuiyuan pointed downwards. Run Sheng, at his side, understood and plunged the Yellow River Spade down, stirring the darkness. The darkness dispersed, revealing the scene at the very bottom. It resembled an underwater cage, holding about three dozen skeletons, some with their feet shackled, others with their hands bound.

Li Zhuiyuan had seen larger pits of corpses before, but this one was different. Most of the clothes on the skeletons were still intact despite being submerged for so long, indicating they were not ordinary garments. Furthermore, the majority of the bones retained a crystalline, translucent quality, implying that the deceased were extraordinary individuals in life.

Zhao Yi made a throat-slitting gesture to Li Zhuiyuan, signaling that these people had likely "committed suicide." Li Zhuiyuan agreed with this assessment, as there were no signs of struggle or combat below. Moreover, two skeletons wearing Buddhist robes and eight wearing Taoist robes were in meditative postures, strongly suggesting they had willingly entered nirvana or achieved immortality through self-sacrifice. Not everyone could face death so calmly. Thus, it was reasonable to suspect that these individuals might have broken through the barrier years ago to eliminate demons, but then suffered memory loss. Fearing they would lose control and wreak havoc on the world if they left, they chose to end their lives here. A similar scene had occurred beneath the General's Tomb in Zhangjiajie, where the ancestors of the four old Heaven's Gate families had proactively assisted the Qin family's Dragon King when he came to seal the General.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Lin Shuyou and pointed downwards again. Perhaps accustomed to their telepathic understanding when connected by the red thread, and finding it hard to downgrade from luxury to austerity, Lin Shuyou didn't immediately grasp the meaning of Li Zhuiyuan's gesture. However, his eyes bulged, and the child's voice resonated: "He wants you to try going down and see if you can retrieve anything!"

Li Zhuiyuan indeed meant that. There was no other way; walking the river empty-handed meant he had to scavenge for his resources. Zhao Yi, standing nearby, couldn't help but twitch his lips at the sight. A person who carried the burden of two Dragon King houses actually had to scavenge from corpses; no one would believe it if word got out. But this also served as a reminder to Zhao Yi: Li was already at this point, so he absolutely couldn't joke about things like the Zhao family's treasury again, not giving him any excuse. If he just stole one or two items, that would be fine, but judging by his "desperately poor" demeanor, Zhao Yi genuinely worried that if Li were given even a slight opportunity, he would empty the entire treasury.

Lin Shuyou went down. He had already spotted numerous weapons and magical artifacts at the bottom, all appearing valuable. If they could retrieve them, they could share them, or at worst, melt them down for reuse. He also had to check the clothes on the skeletons; there might be some good stuff hidden inside. However, just as he descended to a certain depth, Lin Shuyou's vertical pupils suddenly opened. Below, all the skeletons began to tremble. The situation changed too rapidly. The child directly took over the body, and True Monarch White Crane swiftly ascended. The trembling skeletons all returned to stillness, without triggering any further changes.

Li Zhuiyuan pointed forward, indicating not to retrieve anything and to continue swimming ahead. Li Zhuiyuan felt no guilt about taking these items; after all, he would use them for a greater cause—exterminating demons. But since they seemed to object, there was nothing he could do. If they had still been in a state of suspended animation or possessed lingering consciousness, he probably could have obtained their belongings through communication, but they didn't. While they had died completely in their concentrated group, the unique environmental conditions here had also created a special miasma among their bodies. Exceeding a certain level of stimulus might turn them collectively into 'living dead.' Since they were all Xuanmen cultivators in life, if they became the living dead, it would be a major problem.

"Splash..." They emerged from the water and stepped onto the bank. Underfoot was a marble-like surface, and ahead, a dense array of honeycomb-like holes stretched out. The geomantic energy here was utterly chaotic; even vital energy would be torn apart and scattered. If Chen Jing hadn't been able to lead the way, even Li Zhuiyuan would have had a very difficult time finding a path forward from this point.

After Yin Meng reached the bank, she swung her demon-expelling whip, entangled Tan Wenbin, who was floating on the water, and hoisted him up. Tan Wenbin quite enjoyed the aquatic environment, as he only needed to lie there, and his two adopted sons would emerge to push him around. Lin Shuyou was the last to emerge, casting a helpless glance behind him. He then pulled out a sealing talisman, affixed it to Bin Ge, and carried him on his back.

Zhao Yi walked up to the Liang sisters, opening his hand. "Some antidote, please."

Liang Yan asked, "What antidote?"

Zhao Yi replied, "The one I gave you."

Liang Li asked, "You're asking for something back that you already gave us?"

Zhao Yi said, "I'll just replenish it later."

Liang Yan asked, "Are you sure you can replenish it?"

Liang Li added, "You yourself said Old Man Tian's pestle at home was almost sparking from all the pounding." Old Man Tian, who had just returned home paralyzed, was deeply saddened, believing he could no longer help his young master. However, he soon realized he had worried unnecessarily. After Zhao Yi began his frenzied, high-frequency 'river-walking,' Old Man Tian found himself incomparably more exhausted than when he had accompanied his young master on 'river-walking' trips before!

Zhao Yi said, "I gave you two bottles. As shared marital property, I can claim half. So, give me one bottle."

Liang Yan took out a small jade bottle and handed it to Zhao Yi. Zhao Yi took it, walked over to Chen Jing, handed it to him, and gestured for him to drink it.

"Brother Yi, I'm not tired..."

"No, you are tired." Having just awakened his bloodline and run at such speed for so long, Chen Jing was now on the verge of exhaustion.

Chen Jing had no choice but to drink the liquid from the jade bottle. Immediately, he felt a warm current emerge in his lower abdomen, which then spread throughout his body, significantly reducing his fatigue.

Lin Shuyou clicked his tongue. Tan Wenbin, on his back, chuckled faintly. "What are you dissatisfied with?"

Lin Shuyou replied, "Team assets are being lost."

Tan Wenbin just chuckled. The Zhao family's medicine was recognized by everyone there; after all, they had all benefited from it, and more than once.

Tan Wenbin whispered something into Lin Shuyou's ear. Lin Shuyou's eyes lit up. He stepped forward and said to the Liang sisters, "He can only take half a bottle of shared marital property. The fact that he took one bottle proves both of you are his wives. So, he's agreed to be adopted into your family."

Liang Yan said, "That makes sense."

Liang Li added, "Boss, once this 'wave' is over, I'll have our family elders go to Jiujiang Zhao to formally propose to you."

Zhao Yi said, "I'm telling you, if our guide passes out from exhaustion, what good would 'river-walking' do us? And also, Lili, stop saying such inauspicious things. You know we're 'river-walking,' and karma is profound. See, your sister knows how to be discreet."

Liang Yan interjected, "Sowing discord."

Liang Li scoffed, "As if we're fools."

Li Zhuiyuan rather envied Zhao Yi's supply of medicine, or more accurately, his comprehensive logistical support. If he had commenced his 'river-walking' normally, Granny Liu would certainly have prepared all these items for him in advance, essentially setting up his independent household before he began his journey. For instance, for this medicinal garden, Granny Liu would probably have had Uncle Qin cultivate it years in advance, then Aunt Liu transplant rare herbs and treasures from both old family residences. Once everything was mature, she would then make him sign a ten-year contract to manage it.

Zhao Yi originally intended to retort to Lin Shuyou, who had dared to publicly discredit him. But then he caught Li Zhuiyuan's gaze and quickly said: "The Yu family, the Yu family, they must have plenty of good things. We definitely won't lack anything then."

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Chen Jing. "Please continue leading the way; we've rested enough."

"Okay, please follow me."

As they continued their journey, Zhao Yi purposefully walked up beside Li Zhuiyuan and whispered, "There's a potential risk I need to discuss with you beforehand."

"Afraid of memory alteration?"

"Yes. I'm worried about situations where someone's memory is altered, and they don't even realize it. Such an extreme possibility exists. For example, if a memory were altered in your Lin Shuyou's mind, making you his enemy, he'd raise his twin maces and strike your head."

Lin Shuyou interjected, "Hey..." Instantly, Lin Shuyou's eyes bulged, and a chill ran down his spine. The child and Tan Wenbin simultaneously reminded him that even if he knew the "Three Eyes" was being sarcastic, he couldn't interrupt.

Li Zhuiyuan stated, "This won't happen to my people."

Zhao Yi asked, puzzled, "Did you invent something new again?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "Yes."

Zhao Yi asked, "What could have such an effect?"

At that moment, Liang Yan and Liang Li, who were walking ahead, both looked back simultaneously. "Their team seems able to..."

Zhao Yi snapped, "Shut up!" Was he asking about *that* thing? He was asking if such a defense mechanism could also include the three of them.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "It cannot." The red thread could only connect those who absolutely trusted him and would unconditionally obey his will. Therefore, not only the Liang sisters, but even Zhao Yi could not be connected. If the connection succeeded, it would mean Zhao Yi completely believed in him, losing his drive entirely, and could go back to admit defeat.

Zhao Yi asked, "Then what do we do?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "My people won't have problems. If an extreme-of-extremes situation genuinely occurs, then I'll be the first whose memory is altered and who is manipulated. You can pay close attention to any sudden changes in me." Should the situation change, Li Zhuiyuan could release the red threads, connect with all his companions, and then actively draw any targeting methods intended for them onto himself. Thus, if the team were to encounter trouble, Li Zhuiyuan would be the first to be affected.

However, there was one thing Li Zhuiyuan didn't tell Zhao Yi: he himself wasn't sure if his own memories could truly be altered. After all, his true self still resided within him. Their inner thoughts and spiritual worlds were independent, but his true self could perceive what this body experienced. Otherwise, it wouldn't criticize his actions every time he went to dispose of trash. This essentially meant he had an extra backup of his memories. Between an ordinary inner demon and its true self, encountering such an event would almost certainly lead to them openly fighting for control. But his true self had recently been studying the "River-Walking Code of Conduct." Until it could deduce a method to gain control without suffering further suppression from the Heavenly Dao, it had no time to cause trouble.

Zhao Yi cursed, "Damn it, does this mean tragedy can only happen to me?"

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Let's keep an eye on each other."

Zhao Yi pleaded, "You'll have to go easy on me and try your best to save me."

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "I will."

After traveling a bit further, the path ahead clearly began to narrow, closing in from its previous semi-open state.

Chen Jing said, "It's just ahead, almost there."

Yin Meng commented, "Even though we had a short swim, it actually felt quite close." Compared to previous trips to secret realms, this journey was indeed short.

Suddenly, Chen Jing stopped and looked at the slanted rock wall. "What's that?" Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi, who were behind him, also looked but saw nothing. The two immediately stepped forward, aligning themselves with Chen Jing. When they looked at the rock wall again, a mural had appeared on it.

"Last time I came here, there wasn't anything hazy and white."

Zhao Yi said, "That's because when you were here last time, you were just a novice Taoist acolyte. It must have always been here; your past self simply couldn't perceive it." Although it was somewhat obscured, what Zhao Yi saw was a clear mural, not just a hazy white mass. This indicated that even the current Chen Jing couldn't fully discern it.

The rest of the group also came closer and looked at the rock wall. Run Sheng glanced, saw nothing but darkness, and calmly looked away without a struggle. He pulled out a compression biscuit from his backpack and began to replenish his energy.

Yin Meng asked, "Why is it foggy? Does it get foggy here?"

Lin Shuyou's vertical pupils opened. He asked, puzzled, "A landscape painting?"

Yin Meng quietly lowered her head, extended her hand, and Run Sheng placed a compression biscuit in her palm.

Run Sheng: "You shouldn't have said anything."

Yin Meng: "You're right." Her blurted question had effectively relegated her to the "children's table."

Tan Wenbin also saw a landscape painting, but the composition wasn't large, and the mountain outlines weren't included, so it was impossible to tell if it depicted Mount Qingcheng.

Lin Shuyou exclaimed, "It's moving! The weather is changing from cloudy to clear, and then it's raining again."

Tan Wenbin said, "Here, it's showing the changes from morning to noon to evening."

Liang Yan commented, "A cycle from dawn to dusk, quite atmospheric."

Liang Li added, "Unpredictable weather."

The sisters exchanged a look, each extended a hand to grasp the other's, closed their eyes, and then opened them simultaneously. Immediately, the sisters exclaimed in unison: "There are people in the painting!"

Run Sheng swallowed the compression biscuit in his mouth. As he reached for a second piece, he whispered to Yin Meng beside him: "There's a fog."

Yin Meng glared at him, then reached out to pinch the flesh at Run Sheng's waist. After pinching, she gave a twist. "Hiss... you dead man!" The moment her fingertips applied pressure, a needle-like stinging pain shot through her hand. This was an after-effect of Run Sheng's last recovery; his skin would release malevolent energy whenever it was subjected to external pressure. This meant that now, even if Run Sheng stood still and allowed himself to be hit, the attacker would gradually absorb malevolent energy, damaging their vitality.

Liang Yan asked, "Where are the dead people?"

Liang Li added, "We only saw living people. Where are the dead ones?" The two women turned their gaze to Yin Meng. In their opinion, Yin Meng must have perceived a higher level than they did. Yin Meng unscrewed her water bottle and began to drink.

The two children on Tan Wenbin's shoulders were already straining their eyes to see but could only perceive the changes in time. However, with the Liang sisters' demonstration, Tan Wenbin suggested the two children hold hands. As soon as their small hands connected, when Tan Wenbin looked at the mural again, not only were the time changes and weather shifts visible, but he also saw a figure walking on a mountain path. Beneath the figure's feet... there seemed to be a four-legged creature with a wagging tail.

Lin Shuyou turned to look at Bin Ge, found him engrossed, and grumbled inwardly: "Dead eyes, look quickly!" He couldn't believe that as True Monarch White Crane, his vertical pupils would be inferior to Bin Ge's two adopted sons.

The child's voice: "This is a Divine Perception Map."

Lin Shuyou: "You can't see it?"

The child: "I can see it, but there's no need. You can see it, but you can't enter."

Lin Shuyou: "Enter?"

"Yes, this isn't just a mural."

"Everyone else is looking..."

"I might be able to enter, but since I'm one with you now, I can't take you in. Save your strength; you'll be needed for protection."

"Protection?" At that moment, Lin Shuyou saw Li Zhuiyuan looking at him. Without waiting for Li Zhuiyuan's signal, Ayou immediately ran over and stood by his side.

Li Zhuiyuan again focused his gaze on the mural ahead. Beside him, Zhao Yi had long been standing there, eyes open and motionless. This Divine Perception Map could only reveal its true form to those whose spiritual perception reached a certain level.

Li Zhuiyuan's consciousness entered the map. Soon, he felt the cold mountain wind and persistent drizzle. Looking around, he realized he had appeared inside the painting. Ahead, Zhao Yi, who had entered earlier, stood waiting.

Zhao Yi said, "Why did it take you so long to get in? Do you know how long I've been waiting for you?"

Actually, Li Zhuiyuan had entered first, then exited to arrange for Lin Shuyou to stand guard.

"Since you're already in, why are you waiting for me here?"

"Of course I had to wait for you. This Divine Perception Map is solidified in a rather frightening way. If anything goes wrong in here, our minds in reality will also be damaged."

"Oh, you're scared."

"I was afraid something might happen to you alone, so I stayed to look out for you." Zhao Yi was still explaining when he turned and saw two black dots, one large and one small, approaching them on the mountain path below. "One is a person, the other is a dog?"

From such a distance, it was impossible to discern what the small dot was, so Li Zhuiyuan asked directly: "Have you seen whose demonic bloodline Chen Jing's is?"

Zhao Yi said, "Either a wolf or a dog. Anyway, its sense of smell is very keen."

The mountain wind blew fiercely, and the people in the mountains also walked swiftly. As the distance closed, the two black dots, one large and one small, gradually transformed into a black-robed man accompanied by a wolfdog.

Zhao Yi said, "Guess who he is?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "Let's just bet directly on whether his surname is Yu."

The man and the dog arrived before them. The black-robed man's face was covered by his hood, concealing his true features, but his exposed hands and forearms were covered in dreadful scars. Each scar seemed alive, emanating a chilling pressure, and subtly narrating an epic story. Knowing a leaf can tell the autumn, such scars indicated that he undoubtedly bore many more all over his body. This was certainly a burden beyond the imagination of ordinary people, yet he had shouldered it all. The black-robed man gave the impression of a mountain; he wasn't tall, yet he was majestic. Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi instinctively stepped aside, clearing the path for him to continue up the mountain.

Earlier, the two had been discussing the man's identity. Now, one aspect of his identity could be confirmed. Only by truly witnessing it firsthand, even indirectly through residual divine consciousness, could one realize that the legend and mark of an era were not mere rhetorical exaggerations. Indeed, if he stood before you, you would instantly know who he was, without him needing to state his identity, because a being like him could single-handedly support an entire lineage.

Li Zhuiyuan past曾让Tan Wenbin had asked Tan Wenbin to issue a Dragon King's Edict on his behalf to the Bai family, but that edict referred to the Dragon King lineage, not the Dragon King himself. The boy finally understood the meaning of a true "Dragon King's Edict" and why, throughout history, successive Dragon Kings could effortlessly rally local Xuanmen cultivators to their side to jointly suppress evil and eliminate chaos. This sense of oppression, this profound presence, this immediate resonance—he only needed to stand there and wave his hand, and those who responded would instantly gather.

Zhao Yi took a deep breath, his expression somewhat agitated. He knew the black-robed man wasn't his own ancestor, but today, through this experience, he truly felt a trace of Zhao Wuyang's past demeanor. It was important to note that this was the result of the man desperately suppressing his aura. If a Dragon King unleashed himself without any restraint, how terrifying would that be?

A yellow mongrel followed beside the black-robed man. A small red string was tied around the dog's neck, with a silver dollar fastened at its end. This mongrel appeared unremarkable, its appearance nowhere near as impressive as Li Zhuiyuan's family dog, Little Black. However, how could a dog accompanying such a figure be ordinary? It was merely as low-key as its owner, not revealing its true form.

At this moment, the black-robed man, who had already walked past them, suddenly stopped. Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi's eyelids immediately lifted. Had he... perceived them? No matter how profound the Divine Perception Map was, it was ultimately just a painting from the past. Yet now, the figure within the painting was creating a peculiar resonance with those observing it.

The black-robed man turned around and pushed back his hood, revealing a face deeply etched with the marks of time. He wasn't very old, but the wrinkles on his face were like knife carvings, and the spots resembled terrible curses, making him appear far, far older than his actual age, almost at the end of his life's candle. His eyes were very clouded, yet this did not hinder his consciousness from emanating through them, clearly focusing on the two individuals before him. The mongrel wagged its tail, also turned around, and curiously yet blankly surveyed its surroundings.

The black-robed man spoke, "With my lifespan nearing its end, should I continue to cling to life?" Every word was like a hammer blow, striking Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi's minds, shaking their consciousness.

Zhao Yi's lips trembled as he opened them and replied, "It... it seems... it shouldn't be... right?" His ancestor, Zhao Wuyang, was confirmed to have died at a normal human age. The Jiujiang Zhao family never produced another Dragon King afterward. Even the best management strategies couldn't compare to having a Dragon King presiding over them. Because of this, later generations, even the family elders, had more than once lamented how much better it would have been if their ancestor had lived longer. For such beings, there were simply too many ways to continue existing in the world. Zhao Yi was essentially using his ancestor's choice to answer the man before them.

The black-robed man looked at Zhao Yi and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He approved of the answer. Zhao Yi's heart eased. If he hadn't deliberately maintained his composure, he would have almost detached from the Divine Perception Map and returned to reality while answering the question. Under such pressure, there was little room for lies or concealment, especially in front of this being.

Li Zhuiyuan spoke: "To live on would no longer be beautiful."

Upon hearing this, the black-robed man first parted his lips, then broke into a hearty laugh: "Hahahaha..." Clearly, he was very pleased with this answer.

The black-robed man turned and continued forward, walking faster and faster, almost running, while the mongrel struggled to keep pace. "Indeed! My life, Yu Tiannan's life, has been grand and full of upheaval. I should die openly and honorably!"

At the mountaintop, a heavy black cloud appeared. Within the cloud, a giant, twisted, monstrous face emerged, facing the black-robed man who was steadily ascending the mountain and approaching it, letting out an angry and terrified roar! "The Heavenly Dao is manifest, the world of martial arts vast! Today, I, Yu Tiannan, with my broken body and nearing end of life, offer myself as a sacrifice to suppress and slay you for three hundred years!"

"Boom!" Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi's bodies trembled simultaneously, and their consciousness returned to reality.

The Divine Perception Map on the rock wall depicted how the Yu family's Dragon King, at the moment of his death, chose to use his final remnants of life to suppress another malevolent entity. Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi bowed together towards the rock wall.

After paying their respects, Zhao Yi asked curiously, "'Beautiful,' how did you think of that word?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "What I thought in my heart."

Zhao Yi said, "Are you thinking so far ahead now?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "I'm used to it." Wei Zhengdao's continuous attempts at suicide, and those who interacted with him, all wished he would succeed in his suicide. This also had Li Zhuiyuan's approval. Being cured and living a full life was already satisfying enough. There was no need to pursue immortality and turn into something neither human nor ghost; it was simply too ugly.

The others nearby didn't know what the two "bosses" were talking about, but no one spoke up to ask.

Zhao Yi said to Chen Jing, "Please continue leading the way."

Chen Jing pointed ahead and said, "It's that black pool up front."

They reached the edge of the black pool. The water was almost entirely thawed, with only a few remnants of ice floating on the surface. A stone tablet emerged from the water, inscribed with: "Suppressed by Yu Tiannan."

Li Zhuiyuan noticed a constant black mist rising from the pool. Following its direction upwards, he could see a thick, flowing concentration gathered at the top of the rock wall above. This seemed to be a source, branching into numerous small streams that spread outwards. It appeared that the incident at the construction site occurred because they had unearthed one of these small streams, allowing the dark energy from here to escape.

Zhao Yi wondered, "There's no residual sealing aura. Could the Dragon King's seal have failed?" After all, it was a final strike before death, not at the peak of his power. A failure wouldn't be entirely incomprehensible.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "He spoke of 'suppressing and slaying,' and 'three hundred years' was just a rough estimate. I believe he was confident that he could completely destroy this malevolent entity within three centuries when he made his move. Moreover, do you remember the silver dollar around the mongrel's neck? The present time is nowhere near three hundred years from then."

Zhao Yi said, "So, you think something went wrong midway through the sealing process?"

At that moment, the water level in the black pool rapidly receded, as if an invisible force was draining it. At the bottom of the pool was a platform, and on it lay the enormous corpse of a wolfdog. Just by looking at its body, it was hard to imagine how terrifying it must have been in life.

Zhao Yi asked, "Is this that little mongrel?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "Yes. Now look below, at those eight chains."

All eight chains were now broken. One had been deliberately snapped, while the other seven had decayed over time. When all eight chains were intact, the formation was complete. Losing even one chain would reduce the formation's power by more than half, and the remaining chains decaying was only a matter of time.

Zhao Yi said, "Someone, at the deepest part of this pool, broke one of the chains."

Li Zhuiyuan added, "Because this chain also trapped him."

Zhao Yi licked his chapped lips. He had already guessed something, pointing downwards as he asked, "Xiao Yuan... Brother, don't you think something is missing down here?"

Li Zhuiyuan said, "His demonic beast is buried here, and this was his chosen burial place. How could his remains be missing?"

Zhao Yi asked, "Is there a possibility..."

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "Yes, I witnessed and even treated those three patients in the hospital whose memories were swapped."

Zhao Yi said, "So, Yu Tiannan quickly perished after defeating and suppressing this malevolent entity. Then, his dog betrayed him, bowing to the entity Yu Tiannan had sealed, or perhaps striking some kind of deal."

"That malevolent entity used its unique abilities to transfer the dog's memories into Yu Tiannan's body. He then broke one of the chains, left this place, and finally..."

Li Zhuiyuan finished: "The dog, in Yu Tiannan's guise, returned to the Yu family."