Chapter 93 – Bearing Cauldron Peak's Forbidden Zone: Nine Dragon Cavern—This High-End Match

A Foundation Establishment Stage ninth-level Corpse Fiend—this was the highest cultivation level enemy Lu Chen had encountered since Yu Tianqi and the Black Rock King.

Had he encountered such an opponent outside an instance, he would have turned and fled without a second thought.

But unfortunately, he was in an instance where he could revive infinitely.

Therefore, even though he knew full well that he was likely no match for Pang Xiao at present, he still approached him without changing his expression.

Being able to revive infinitely made one this willful.

Watching Lu Chen continuously approach him, Pang Xiao sighed helplessly.

His body, currently bearing the Golden Cauldron, was already like a flickering candle in the wind and could not hold on much longer.

Just as he was about to reach his limit, someone had unexpectedly barged in here.

Why choose the path of death when there is a way to live?

Is life not worth cherishing?

Thinking this, Pang Xiao ultimately decided to advise Lu Chen to come no closer.

“Fellow Daoist… please stop there…”

Hearing this, Lu Chen finally chose to halt at the location of the many Mithril Cauldrons.

He looked up at Pang Xiao, who was struggling to bear the Golden Cauldron on the high platform not far away, and asked, “Fellow Daoist, do you know what this place is? And why are so many ritual cauldrons placed here?”

Pang Xiao stared in astonishment at Lu Chen, who was wearing the uniform of a Danyang Peak disciple, only then realizing that Lu Chen was not a disciple of Kangding Peak.

Perhaps knowing that his time was short, Pang Xiao directly answered Lu Chen’s question.

“Fellow Daoist, this place is the Forbidden Land of our Kangding Peak… the Nine Dragon Cave.”

“The spirit cauldrons around you are part of a grand formation laid down by our Sect’s founding Ancestral Master, the Azure Cloud Immortal. It is called the Dragon-Locking Formation.”

“This formation can suppress the Aura Golden Dragon, seize the power of the Golden Dragon, and protect the Sect for eternity.”

“However, the Golden Dragon is unruly. It stirs every hundred years and thrashes every thousand years. Thus, we cultivators of Kangding Peak must periodically replace the cauldrons that suppress the locks to prevent the Golden Dragon from breaking free.”

“The cauldron I am currently bearing is one of the nine formation eyes in the Dragon-Locking Formation, known as the Dragon-Locking Golden Cauldron.”

“Though I do not know the state of the other formations, I can sense that this cursed dragon is becoming increasingly active.”

“Perhaps once this Golden Cauldron falls, the Aura Golden Dragon beneath our Peak… will soon break free from the cauldron.”

Hearing Pang Xiao’s words, Lu Chen finally understood where the “Cauldron” in Kangding Peak’s name came from, as well as the purpose of the massive chains running through the entire cave.

Just as Danyang Peak could suppress the violent earth fire and use it to assist the Peak’s alchemists in Alchemy, Kangding Peak’s unique trait was its ability to lock down the Aura Golden Dragon.

Then, by continuously absorbing the Golden Dragon’s Luck, it could make the Sect more prosperous.

Was this the legendary means of an Immortal?

In a daze, Lu Chen seemed to see a man treading on azure clouds, with divine light radiating from his back.

Descending from the Nine Heavens, he lowered an enormous square cauldron, firmly suppressing the Aura Golden Dragon hidden deep underground and rendering it immobile.

He then laid down nine colossal chains reaching to the heavens, completely trapping the Aura Golden Dragon and preventing its escape.

Finally, he passed down techniques to the people of Kangding Peak, teaching them how to maintain the Dragon-Locking Formation and how to utilize the Luck of this Golden Dragon.

Ruthless. This Immortal was truly ruthless.Just to enhance the Sect’s Luck, they directly imprisoned an Aura Golden Dragon for tens of thousands of years, day and night siphoning the Luck from it.

From the perspective of the Aura Golden Dragon, how was this any different from being raised like livestock, only to be exploited to the bone?

As soon as Lu Chen put himself in the shoes of the Aura Golden Dragon, an inexplicable resentment welled up in his heart. And this resentment grew heavier and heavier, to the point that his expression gradually twisted into a grimace.

But just as Lu Chen was on the verge of losing himself, the Ink Dragon Sword in his hand suddenly trembled, emitting a clear, crisp sound. This abrupt noise instantly snapped him back to his senses.

Looking at the Ink Dragon Sword in his hand, a flicker of confusion passed through his now-clear eyes. Strange, I am clearly a human Cultivator, so why would I empathize with an Aura Golden Dragon? And why was the vision of the Immortal locking the Dragon so vivid, as if it had truly happened before my eyes? After all, this is the first time I’ve learned about the situation at Kangding Peak.

Could it be… that something is influencing me?!

At this thought, Lu Chen immediately turned his gaze to the Dragon-Locking Golden Cauldron on Pang Xiao’s shoulder. He saw that the golden Dragon carved on the cauldron had, at some point, risen up as if struggling to break free and fly away. Moreover, it was staring directly at him.

‘Let me out, let me out…’

‘Damnable Azure Cloud Immortal, once I break free, I will annihilate your entire Azure Cloud Sect, every last one of you!!!’

‘My descendant, stop standing there foolishly. Quickly help me slay this Azure Cloud scourge and assist me in breaking free…’

Shortly after Lu Chen looked at the golden Dragon, a voice filled with boundless resentment echoed in his ears. At this point, Lu Chen fully understood that the vision of the Immortal locking the Dragon he had just seen was deliberately shown to him by the Aura Golden Dragon using its methods.

As for why it had chosen him, Lu Chen quickly realized the reason: it must be because of the Dragon Transformation Sword Intent he possessed.

Luck is inherently elusive and intangible, much like Sword Intent. Thus, there is no fundamental difference between an Aura Golden Dragon and a Sword Intent Flood Dragon. So, even though he is actually human and wearing the attire of an Inner Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect, in the eyes of the Aura Golden Dragon at this moment, he is unmistakably one of its own!

But… should I really help it break free?

Recalling the twisted, frenzied tone of the Aura Golden Dragon and its boundless hatred toward the Azure Cloud Sect, Lu Chen felt that choosing to assist it might not bode well for him. However, given the current situation, it seemed the Aura Golden Dragon was on the verge of breaking free regardless of whether he helped or not.

Does my help—or lack thereof—even matter?

Perhaps having heard the Aura Golden Dragon’s words to Lu Chen, or perhaps Pang Xiao had guessed that the Aura Golden Dragon might be up to something, he spoke with difficulty, “Fellow Daoist, do not be deceived by that wicked Dragon.”

“This wicked Dragon was originally the Dragon Vein of a mortal Imperial Dynasty. After being enlightened by a master, it fortunately gained sentience.”

“However, that master never expected that, upon gaining sentience, this wicked Dragon would not only fail to protect the Dynasty but would even turn against its benefactor, continuously devouring the other Dragon Veins of the Dynasty to strengthen itself.”

“Over time, the Dynastic Luck of that Dynasty steadily declined because of this, leading to widespread suffering among the people, countless displaced, and ultimately culminating in a human tragedy.””After our Azure Cloud Sect’s Ancestral Master Qingyun learned of this matter, he pursued this wicked dragon for centuries before finally subduing it here.”

“However, Ancestral Master Qingyun considered that this dragon was born of heaven and earth, and gaining sentience was no easy feat. Thus, he only sentenced it to repent beneath the Golden Cauldron for ten thousand years, to cleanse itself of its accumulated karma.”

“Yet not only did this wicked dragon show no gratitude, it colluded with external forces during the invasion of our sect. Taking advantage of the chaos, it shattered one of our mountain-protecting earth veins, allowing the external demons to easily infiltrate our sect. This became one of the reasons for our sect’s downfall.”

“Though I don’t know why those external demons never fulfilled their promise to come release this wicked dragon…”

“If you, Fellow Daoist, help it escape now, it will surely roam the lands devouring dragon veins, plunging the world into chaos and bringing suffering to all living beings…”

“Bullshit!”

Just as Pang Xiao was about to say more, the golden dragon carving on the cauldron burst out swearing.

This time, it didn’t choose to communicate through spiritual sense but spoke directly.

“I was young and foolish back then, that’s why I greedily consumed those dragon veins. But now I’ve realized my mistakes.”

“I swear that once I get out this time, I’ll never be greedy again. I’ll follow the righteous path and properly assist the mortal dynasty to cultivate a righteous dragon form.”

“Believe me, I’ve truly reformed.”

“Besides, didn’t Pang Xiao here just say that your Ancestral Master only intended to suppress me for ten thousand years?”

“The time has long passed. If you keep imprisoning me, not only would you violate your Ancestral Master’s words, but it would make outsiders think your Azure Cloud Sect is untrustworthy, completely unbecoming of a righteous path leader.”

“Listen to me, you should release me now. You really should let me out… I’ve already learned my lesson…”

As it spoke, the golden dragon actually began crying right before Lu Chen and Pang Xiao.

The tearful performance was truly deceptive.

Had Lu Chen not been observing its subtle movements all along, he might have actually believed its lies.

You claim to have reformed, so why do you keep consuming Pang Xiao’s physical body?

Moreover, you just showed me the scene of your suppression from back then.

If I release you, you might just seize my physical body directly.

Thinking this, Lu Chen silently gripped his sword and approached Pang Xiao and the Little Gold Dragon on the golden cauldron.

His movements made it seem like he was about to attack Pang Xiao to help the Little Gold Dragon escape.

Pang Xiao also seemed to misunderstand Lu Chen’s intentions.

His already weary eyes grew even dimmer.

But just as Lu Chen came within five steps of them, he suddenly swung his sword toward the Little Gold Dragon on the golden cauldron.

“ROAR!”

The Little Gold Dragon on the Dragon-Locking Golden Cauldron roared furiously.

The power of its dragon roar not only sent Lu Chen’s Ink Dragon Sword flying, but also threw Lu Chen’s body backward through the air.

After tumbling several times in the air, Lu Chen landed steadily on a Mithril Cauldron.

The Little Gold Dragon stared at Lu Chen, its previously submissive demeanor completely gone, now speaking in a sinister tone: “Kid, I was trying to reason with you nicely, but you just wouldn’t appreciate it.”

“Fine, fine. I was planning to use your physical body as my vessel when I walk the mortal world after escaping, but you actually dared to attack me.””I’ve changed my mind. Once I break free, I’ll devour you right away!”

“If it weren’t for Pang Xiao somehow inexplicably connecting with this wisp of my divided soul, preventing me from harboring malicious intent toward him and forcing me to slowly consume his remaining Divine Soul, would I even need your help to escape? What a joke!”

Facing the Little Gold Dragon who had completely shed all pretense, Lu Chen turned to Pang Xiao and asked, “Fellow Daoist Pang, if I destroy this golden dragon’s Heretical Avatar and right this Golden Cauldron, can we suppress this wicked dragon once more?”

Pang Xiao’s eyes lit up, and he nodded. “Yes, but Fellow Daoist, you must act quickly. I cannot hold on much longer.”

Hearing their conversation, the Little Gold Dragon laughed.

“Are you serious? With his mere Qi Condensation Stage cultivation, you actually think he can destroy me? Pang Xiao, have you lost your mind from bearing that cauldron for so long?”

“Even if he’s somehow grasped a trace of Flood Dragon’s essence, Qi Condensation Stage is still Qi Condensation Stage. Though I can only mobilize a wisp of my Heretical Avatar now, it’s still beyond his ability to casually suppress!”

As he spoke, the four limbs on the Dragon-Locking Golden Cauldron—which Lu Chen had initially mistaken for flesh-and-blood appendages like those of other Cauldron Men—suddenly swelled and transformed into putrid Corpse Dragons, each over ten meters long.

Combined with the Little Gold Dragon already standing atop the cauldron, a bizarre scene unfolded before Lu Chen’s eyes.

The massive golden cauldron, standing twice a man’s height, now bore four half-bodied Corpse Dragons and one peculiar golden dragon, swaying like octopus tentacles.

[Golden Cauldron · Heretical Corpse Dragons (4/4)]

[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Stage, First Layer]

[Characteristics: Special Corpse Dragons formed from the Aura Golden Dragon consuming magical corpse flesh, extremely dangerous]

As these Corpse Dragons emerged, the Aura Golden Dragon seemed to sense some urgency and accelerated its consumption of Pang Xiao’s Physical Body.

Pang Xiao’s cultivation began plummeting at an alarming rate, his aura growing increasingly faint.

The Dragon-Locking Golden Cauldron’s tilt gradually shifted from eighty degrees to seventy-nine, then seventy-eight…

Lu Chen deduced that once the cauldron completely toppled, the Aura Golden Dragon suppressed beneath Kangding Peak would break free entirely.

Realizing this, Lu Chen decided to waste no more time.

“Roar!”

Sword Intent surged from within Lu Chen, materializing a phantom Flood Dragon behind him. He then lunged forward, transforming into a Sword Qi Flood Dragon that shot toward one of the Corpse Dragons extending from the Golden Cauldron.

The Corpse Dragon responded with a disdainful glance, not even bothering to dodge, and simply swiped its claw at Lu Chen’s Sword Qi Flood Dragon.

Boom!

Upon impact, Lu Chen’s Sword Qi Flood Dragon shattered instantly, and he himself was sent flying by the Corpse Dragon’s strike.

He only came to a stop after crashing through several Mithril Cauldrons.

“Pfft!”

Leaning against a Mithril Cauldron, Lu Chen couldn’t suppress the churning Qi and blood within him, violently coughing up a mouthful of fresh blood. Amid the blood, fragments of internal organs were visible—evidence of the severe damage inflicted by the Corpse Dragon’s single blow.

Witnessing his pitiful state, the four Corpse Dragons controlled by the Little Gold Dragon spoke in unison: “Using Flood Dragon’s essence to confront a true Dragon? You’re truly delusional, kid.””If I had more than just this wisp of a split soul at my disposal, an ant like you would be crushed with a mere breath from me.”

“Slay me? Just try it!”

Hearing the Aura Golden Dragon’s words, Lu Chen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and silently stood up.

He then activated his Azure Lotus Eyes, carefully observing the Little Gold Dragon and the four Corpse Dragons it controlled.

Though the Corpse Dragons appeared vivid and lifelike, they were merely hollow shells.

The only one with a true soul had always been the Little Gold Dragon coiled atop the Golden Cauldron.

Moreover, the Little Gold Dragon had already extended sixty percent of its body out of the Golden Cauldron.

If Lu Chen’s guess was correct, once the Little Gold Dragon fully emerged from the Golden Cauldron, it would signify that the Aura Golden Dragon beneath the mountain peak had completely broken free.

Pressure—immense pressure.

This was the second time Lu Chen had felt such terrifying pressure, after facing the Black Rock King.

In terms of cultivation, the four Corpse Dragons weren’t particularly strong.

They were conjured from parts of Pang Xiao’s Physical Body devoured by the Little Gold Dragon, and due to certain special reasons, their cultivation only reached the first layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Among the enemies Lu Chen had defeated, this level of cultivation was far from high.

The problem lay in the unique nature of this foe—an Aura Golden Dragon that had developed sentience.

Even though its true form was still suppressed, forcing it to battle using external Corpse Dragons, a true dragon was still a true dragon.

Lu Chen’s Dragon Transformation Sword Intent was, after all, only at the “Dragon Transformation” stage, not a genuine metamorphosis into a dragon.

Thus, just as the Little Gold Dragon had said, using Dragon Transformation Sword Intent against a real dragon was somewhat like showing off one’s meager skills in the presence of a master.

Without employing Dragon Transformation Sword Intent, Lu Chen was merely a cultivator at the Qi Condensation Stage.

Facing four Corpse Dragons at the Foundation Establishment Stage with Qi Condensation cultivation—even if they were stationary and unable to move freely—was still an insurmountable challenge for someone of his level.

This marked the first true setback Lu Chen had experienced since mastering Dragon Transformation Sword Intent.

However… Lu Chen wasn’t limited to just Dragon Transformation Sword Intent!

Taking a deep breath, Lu Chen’s eyes sharpened.

In the next moment, an identical figure appeared beside him.

Witnessing this, the Aura Golden Dragon was initially stunned.

Then, as if realizing something, it burst into laughter.

“Hahaha, and here I thought you were some righteous cultivator! So you’ve ended up embracing heresy too!”

“Karma! This is truly karma for your Azure Cloud Sect! Your disciples either turn into Corpse Mages or transform into heretical avatars, yet you still have the audacity to call yourselves the leaders of the righteous path? You’re killing me with laughter!”

Lu Chen remained silent in the face of the Little Gold Dragon’s mockery.

Because it wouldn’t be laughing for long.

The twelve-petaled azure lotus in the pupils of Lu Chen’s Heretical Avatar began to spin rapidly.

As the avatar placed its hand on the illusory sword at its waist, its Aura underwent a drastic transformation.

Sensing the eerie presence emanating from the Heretical Avatar, the Aura Golden Dragon seemed to recall something terrifying, its pupils contracting sharply.

In a voice filled with shock and fear, it exclaimed, “No… what is your connection to…?!”

“How do you know His swordsmanship?!”

Lu Chen couldn’t discern who the “He” referred to by the Aura Golden Dragon.Or perhaps he actually heard it, but for some reason, the name of that existence turned into a series of notes he couldn’t comprehend.

But none of that mattered anymore.

Slash!

Lu Chen’s Heretical Avatar abruptly swung its sword.

Even though they were over ten meters apart, even though this sword strike appeared utterly ordinary—without even a trace of Sword Qi—a bloody line appeared on the Aura Golden Dragon’s neck.

Then, a dragon head crashed to the ground.

Only… the fallen head was unmistakably that of a Corpse Dragon.

Moments later, the Little Gold Dragon poked its head out from the Golden Cauldron, cautiously saying, “So close, so close! Good thing I transferred my split soul in time, or I might’ve really been chopped by your sword, kid.”

“Come on, kid! Let’s see how many more sword strikes you have left. I still have a full four lives to spare!”

Lu Chen looked at the three remaining Corpse Dragons on the Golden Cauldron and the smug-faced Little Gold Dragon.

A bitter smile appeared on his pale face—a pallor caused by absorbing the painful memories from his dissipated Clone.

With the Dragon Transformation Sword Intent rendered ineffective, even if he used his true body to execute the Heretical Sword now, he could only take one more life from this Aura Golden Dragon at most.

This round was truly a high-stakes game…

As Lu Chen lamented, the Aura Golden Dragon controlled the remaining three Corpse Dragons and launched another assault toward him.

Seeing this, Lu Chen immediately sheathed the Ink Dragon Sword and chose to respond with his fist technique.

However, his Mountain-Crushing Fist—which hadn’t even grasped Fist Intent—could do little more than tickle the Corpse Dragons.

Before long, he was completely submerged under the Corpse Dragons’ attacks, vanishing entirely…

(End of Chapter)