Chapter 93: Dungeon: The Strongest Man (3)
A ninth-level Foundation Establishment Stage Magic Corpse—this is the enemy with the highest level of cultivation that Su Chen has encountered after Yu Tianqi and the Black Rock King.
If he were to encounter such an enemy outside the dungeon, he would turn around and leave without a second thought.
But sorry, he is in a dungeon where he can be resurrected infinitely.
Therefore, even though he knew that he was most likely no match for Pang Xiao, he still approached him without changing his expression.
Being able to resurrect infinitely is just so willful.
Looking at Su Chen, who was walking toward him, Pang Xiao sighed helplessly.
The body carrying the golden cauldron was already like a candle in the wind and could not hold on for long.
Finally, when he was about to give up, someone unexpectedly broke in here.
There is a way to survive; why choose to go down the road of death?
Isn't it good to be alive...
Thinking of this, Pang Xiao finally decided to persuade Su Chen not to get any closer.
"Fellow Daoist, please stop here."
Hearing this, Su Chen finally chose to stop at the location of the many mithril cauldrons.
He looked up at Pang Xiao, who was carrying the golden cauldron with difficulty on a high platform not far away, and asked, "Daoist, do you know where this is? And why are there so many magic cauldrons placed here?"
Pang Xiao looked at Su Chen in astonishment, noticing he was wearing the uniform of a Danyang Peak disciple. Only then did he realize that Su Chen was not a disciple of Kangding Peak.
Maybe he knew that he didn't have much time left.
Therefore, in response to Su Chen's question, Pang Xiao directly answered, "My friend, this place is the forbidden area of our Kangding Peak... the Nine Dragons Cave."
"The spiritual cauldrons around you are the formation set up by our sect's founder, Ancestor Qingyun; it is called Locking Dragon."
"This formation can suppress the golden dragon of luck, seize the power of the golden dragon, and protect the sect for eternity."
"However, the golden dragon is unruly. It turns over every hundred years and rolls on the ground every thousand years. Therefore, we, the cultivators of Kangding Peak, need to replace the locked cauldron from time to time to prevent the golden dragon from escaping."
"And what I am carrying right now is one of the nine points in the Dragon Locking Formation, called the Dragon Locking Golden Cauldron."
"Although I don't know the situation of the other formations, I can feel that the activities of this evil dragon are becoming more and more frequent."
"Perhaps once this golden cauldron falls, the golden dragon of luck under Kangding Peak... will be able to break out of the cauldron soon."
After hearing what Pang Xiao said, Su Chen finally understood where the word "Ding" in Kangding Peak came from.
And what was the purpose of the huge chain that ran through the entire cave?
Just like Danyang Peak can suppress the raging earth fire and use it to assist the alchemists at the peak in refining pills, the special feature of Kangding Peak is that it can lock the golden dragon of luck.
Then, it continues to absorb the golden dragon's luck to make the sect more prosperous.
Is this the legendary method used by Immortals?
In a trance, Su Chen seemed to see a man standing on the blue clouds and carrying divine light on his back.
An incomparably huge square cauldron descended from the ninth heaven, suppressing the golden dragon of destiny hidden deep underground, making it unable to move.
Then he set up nine massive chains that reached the sky, completely trapping the golden dragon of luck and preventing its escape.
Finally, he passed on the Dharma to the people at Kangding Peak, telling them how to maintain the Dragon Locking Formation and how to make good use of the golden dragon's luck.
Cruel; this Immortal is so cruel.
Just to enhance the fortune of the sect, he locked away a golden dragon of fortune for thousands of years.
Absorbing its luck day and night...
To the Golden Dragon of Luck, what was the difference between this and being held captive and drained dry by others?
As soon as Su Chen put himself in the perspective of the Golden Dragon of Luck, his heart was inexplicably filled with resentment.
And this resentment grew stronger and stronger, causing his expression to gradually become ferocious.
But just when Su Chen was about to get lost in these thoughts, the Black Dragon Sword in his hand suddenly vibrated, making a crisp sound.
The sudden noise brought him back to his senses instantly.
Su Chen looked at the Black Dragon Sword in his hand, and a hint of doubt flashed across his clear eyes.
It was strange. He was a human cultivator, so why did he have to empathize with a golden dragon of destiny?
And why was the scene of the god locking the dragon so vivid, as if it had happened right in front of him?
This was his first time learning about Kangding Peak's situation.
Could it be that something was affecting him?
Thinking of this, Su Chen immediately looked at the Dragon Locking Golden Cauldron on Pang Xiao's shoulder.
He saw a golden dragon carving on the golden cauldron, which had stood up at some point as if trying to break free from the cauldron and fly out.
And it was still watching him intently.
"Let me out, let me out..."
"Damn Qingyun! When I escape, I will wipe out your entire Qingyun Sect, your entire clan!!!"
"Young man of my clan, stop standing there like an idiot. Help me kill this evil obstacle in the Qingyun Sect and help me escape."
Not long after Su Chen looked at the golden dragon, a voice filled with boundless resentment sounded in his ears.
At this point, how could Su Chen not know that the scene of the Dragon Locking Golden Dragon that he had just seen was the Golden Dragon of Luck using its power to show him?
Su Chen quickly figured out why it had come to him.
It must be due to the Dragon Transformation Sword Intent within him.
Luck is an illusory concept, and so is sword intent.
Therefore, there is not much difference in essence between the Golden Dragon of Destiny and the Dragon of Sword Intent.
So even though he was a human—still an inner disciple of the Qingyun Sect—in the eyes of the Golden Dragon of Luck, he was one of its own!
But... did he want to help it escape?
Recalling the twisted and crazy tone of the Golden Dragon of Luck just now, coupled with the boundless hatred toward the Qingyun Sect in its words, Su Chen felt that if he chose to help the Golden Dragon of Fortune, it might not turn out well for him.
But judging from the current situation, even if he didn't help, the Golden Dragon of Luck seemed to be about to escape.
Does it matter whether he helps or not?
Perhaps he heard what the Golden Dragon of Luck said to Su Chen, or maybe Pang Xiao guessed that the Golden Dragon of Luck might be up to something.
So he spoke with difficulty, "Daoist, please don't be deceived by that evil dragon."
"This evil dragon was once the dragon vein of a dynasty in the mortal world. After being enlightened by a master, it fortunately gained intelligence."
"However, the expert never expected that after this evil dragon first awakened its spiritual wisdom, it would not only stop protecting the dynasty but also turn against it, devouring other dragon veins to strengthen itself."
"If this continues, the fortune of the dynasty to which this evil dragon belongs will continue to decline, causing the people within it to suffer; countless people will be displaced, and eventually, it will lead to a tragedy in the world."
"After hearing about this, our sect's ancestor Qingyun chased this evil dragon for hundreds of years before finally suppressing it here."
"However, Ancestor Qingyun believed that it was not easy for the dragon to be born, so he only punished it to repent for ten thousand years under the golden cauldron to cleanse its sins of killing."
"But not only was this evil dragon ungrateful, but it also took advantage of the chaos when the heretic demons invaded our sect to break the mountain vein, allowing the demons to easily enter our sect and becoming one of the reasons for our sect's destruction."
"I don't know why those heretic demons didn't fulfill their promise to release this evil dragon."
"But if you help it escape now, it will surely plunder the dragon veins of heaven and earth in the future, causing chaos in the world and great suffering for all living beings."
"Bullshit!"
Just when Pang Xiao wanted to say something, the golden dragon carving on the golden cauldron immediately started cursing.
And this time, it no longer chose to transmit its voice through telepathy but instead spoke directly.
"I was young and ignorant, so I greedily consumed those dragon veins, but now I know I was wrong."
"I swear that after I leave this time, I will never act greedily again. I will follow the glorious path, assist the mortal dynasty, and build a righteous dragon body."
"Believe me, I have changed!"
"And didn't Pang Xiao say that your ancestor intended to suppress me for ten thousand years?"
"The time is long enough now. If you keep me locked up, it will not only go against your ancestors' words but also make outsiders think your Qingyun Sect is treacherous and devoid of qualities befitting a righteous leader."
"Listen to me; it's time to let me out. You really should let me out. I already know I was wrong."
As the golden dragon spoke, it began crying in front of Su Chen and Pang Xiao.
That tearful expression was deceptive.
If Su Chen had not been attentive to its subtle actions, he might have believed its lies.
"You say you've reformed; then why do you continue to devour Pang Xiao's body?"
"Also, you just let him see the scene of you being suppressed back then."
"If I let you out, you might very well eat him directly."
Thinking of this, Su Chen silently raised his sword and walked toward Pang Xiao and the little golden dragon on the golden cauldron.
His actions seemed to suggest he wanted to attack Pang Xiao and aid the little golden dragon in escaping.
And Pang Xiao seemed to have mistakenly thought that Su Chen was going to do just that, making his already tired eyes dimmer.
But just when Su Chen approached within five steps of the two, he swung his sword fiercely and chopped at the little golden dragon on the golden cauldron.
"Roar!"
Seeing this, the little golden dragon on the Dragon Locking Golden Cauldron roared angrily.
The dragon's roar was so powerful that it not only knocked away the Black Dragon Sword that Su Chen was slashing at it with but also sent Su Chen's body flying backward.
After Su Chen flipped several times in the air, he finally landed steadily on a mithril cauldron.
The little golden dragon looked at Su Chen and changed its original timid demeanor, saying in a dark tone, "Boy, I advised you with good intentions, but who knew you would not appreciate it?"
"Okay, okay, I initially considered using your body as a vessel to walk in the mortal realm after I escaped, but since you dared to attack me, I've changed my mind."
"Once I'm out of this, I'll devour you!"
"If it weren't for the fact that Pang Xiao somehow connected with my soul, making it impossible for me to harbor any ill thoughts toward him and forcing me to gnaw at his remaining soul bit by bit, would I still need you to help me out? What a joke!"
Facing the little golden dragon that had completely dropped its facade, Su Chen turned around and asked, "Fellow Daoist Pang, if I kill the golden dragon's demonic body and then straighten the golden cauldron, can I suppress this evil dragon again?"
Pang Xiao's eyes lit up, and he nodded, saying, "Yes, but you need to hurry; I can't hold on for long."
Hearing the conversation between the two, the little golden dragon laughed.
"No, with his Qi Gathering Stage cultivation, do you think he can kill me? Pang Xiao, are you crazy?"
"Even if he is lucky enough to comprehend some of the meaning of the dragon, the Qi Gathering Stage is still just that. Even if I can only use a strand of my outer incarnation now, I can still suppress him at will."
As he spoke, Su Chen saw the four limbs of the Dragon-Locking Golden Cauldron, which he initially thought were flesh-and-blood limbs like those of the other cauldron people, swelling in an instant.
They quickly transformed into rotten corpse dragons that exceeded ten meters in length.
With the little golden dragon already standing on the golden cauldron, a bizarre scene unfolded before Su Chen.
On the massive golden cauldron that was as tall as two people, four half-body corpse dragons and a special golden dragon suddenly manifested.
Like the tentacles of an octopus, they kept swaying.
---
[Golden Cauldron: Magic Corpse Dragon (4/4)]
[Cultivation: First Level of Foundation Establishment Stage]
[Features: The Golden Dragon of Luck condenses the flesh and blood of the corpses it devours to form a special magic corpse dragon, which is extremely dangerous.]
---
After these magic corpse dragons appeared, the Golden Dragon of Luck seemed to sense a danger.
It began to hasten the process of consuming Pang Xiao's body.
As a result, Pang Xiao's cultivation began to decline at an alarming rate, and his aura weakened significantly.
The tilt of the Dragon Locking Golden Cauldron slowly changed from 80 degrees to 79 degrees, and then to 78 degrees...
Su Chen speculated that once the golden cauldron fell completely, the golden dragon of luck that was suppressed under Kangding Peak might be able to escape entirely.
Thinking of this, Su Chen decided not to waste any more time.
"Roar!"
The sword intent in Su Chen's body poured out, and a phantom of a dragon immediately appeared behind him.
Then he took a step forward and transformed into a sword-like dragon, flying toward a corpse dragon extending from the Dragon-Locking Golden Cauldron.
In response, a hint of disdain flashed in the corpse dragon's eyes.
Without dodging, it raised its claws and slapped Su Chen's sword dragon.
Boom!
When the corpse dragon's claws collided with Su Chen's sword energy dragon, not only was Su Chen's sword dragon shattered on the spot, but he was also sent flying by the magic corpse dragon's claw.
Finally, he stopped after crashing into several mithril cauldrons in a row.
"Puff!"
Leaning against a mithril cauldron, Su Chen couldn't suppress the surging blood and energy in his body and spat out a mouthful of blood.
In his blood, some organ fragments were visible, revealing how much damage the magic corpse dragon's claw had inflicted on Su Chen.
Seeing his miserable state, the four magic corpse dragons controlled by the little golden dragon said in unison, "You are daydreaming if you think you can use the power of a dragon to deal with a real dragon."
"That is to say, I only have this one soul fragment to drive now. Otherwise, an ant like you could easily be crushed to death with just a breath of my breath."
"Kill me? Try beating me!"
Hearing the words of the golden dragon, Su Chen wiped the blood from his mouth and stood up silently.
Then he activated the Green Lotus Pupil and looked carefully at the little golden dragon and the four magic corpse dragons it commanded.
The vibrant magic corpse dragons were only a facade.
The only being with a true soul was the little golden dragon coiled on the golden cauldron.
Additionally, 60% of the little golden dragon's body had already emerged from the golden cauldron.
If Su Chen guessed correctly, when the little golden dragon's entire body fully emerged from the golden cauldron, it would mean that the golden dragon of luck under the mountain had completely escaped.
Pressure, huge pressure.
This was the second time Su Chen felt terrifying pressure after facing the Black Rock King.
In reality, the cultivation of the four corpse dragons was not high.
They were transformed from the parts of Pang Xiao's body that the little golden dragon devoured, and due to special reasons, they only reached the first level of the Foundation Establishment Stage.
This level of cultivation is not high among the enemies Su Chen has defeated.
But the troubling fact was that the enemy this time was especially unique; it was a golden dragon imbued with luck and intelligence.
Even though its true body was currently being suppressed, it could only be confronted through the transformed magic corpse dragons.
But a real dragon is still a real dragon.
After all, his Dragon Transformation Sword Intent was only at the stage of "transforming into a dragon," not that of a real dragon.
So everything was just as the little golden dragon claimed.
Using the Dragon Transformation Sword Intent to deal with this genuine dragon felt akin to displaying one's talents before a master.
And if he did not utilize the Dragon Transformation Sword Intent, Su Chen would ultimately be merely a cultivator at the Qi Gathering Stage.
To use his Qi Gathering Stage cultivation to confront four magic corpse dragons at the Foundation Establishment Stage was, even if they were only stationary and unable to move freely, still beyond the capabilities of a mere Qi Gathering Stage cultivator like him.
This was also the first time Su Chen had suffered a significant setback since mastering the Dragon Transformation Sword Intent.
However, Su Chen did not rely solely on the Dragon Sword Intent as his weapon!
Su Chen took a deep breath, then steeled his gaze.
The next second, a figure that looked exactly like him appeared beside Su Chen.
Seeing this scene, the Golden Dragon of Luck was stunned at first.
Then it discovered something and suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, I thought you were a cultivator of the righteous way, but how ironic! You ended up joining the heretic sect!"
"Retribution! Your Qingyun Sect has indeed suffered retribution! The disciples of your sect have either transformed into magic corpses or turned into heretics. Even so, do you still have the courage to call yourselves the leaders of the righteous path? This is so funny!"
Facing the little golden dragon's ridicule, Su Chen remained silent.
Because it soon stopped being humorous.
The twelve-petal green lotus in Su Chen's heretic path incarnation began to rotate continuously.
Then, when it placed its hand on the illusory long sword at its waist, the temperament of the heretic path incarnation suddenly transformed.
After sensing the strange aura emanating from the heretic path incarnation, the Golden Dragon of Luck seemed to realize something terrible, and its pupils shrank in fear.
"No! What is your relationship with...? Why do you know His swordsmanship?"
Su Chen couldn't hear who the "He" was that the Golden Dragon of Luck was referring to.
Or perhaps he did hear it, but for some reason, the name of that existence turned into incomprehensible notes.
But none of that mattered anymore.
Kill!
Su Chen's heretic path incarnation suddenly swung his sword.
The two sides were more than ten meters apart, and the sword appeared quite ordinary, lacking any formidable sword energy.
Yet a line of blood appeared on the neck of the Golden Dragon of Luck.
Then, with a loud crash, a dragon's head fell to the ground.
But what fell to the ground... was the head of a magic corpse dragon.
A moment later, the little golden dragon poked its head out from the golden cauldron and said hesitantly, "It was close. Fortunately, I transferred my soul in time; otherwise, I might have been killed by your sword."
"Come on, kid! Let me see how many swords you have left. I still have four lives remaining!"
Su Chen looked at the three remaining magic corpse dragons on the golden cauldron, as well as the smug little golden dragon.
A bitter smile appeared on his face, which had paled due to the painful memories absorbed by the dissolution of his clone.
Since the Dragon Transformation Sword Intent proved ineffective, he could just use his real body to unleash the heretic path sword.
It could effectively kill this Golden Dragon of Luck once more.
This was a high-stakes game...
Just as Su Chen was sighing, the Golden Dragon of Luck commanded the remaining three magic corpse dragons to attack him again.
Seeing this, Su Chen immediately put away his Black Dragon Sword and opted to respond with boxing.
However, his Mountain-Collapsing Fist, lacking any real understanding of its essence, could only tickle the magic corpse dragons at best.
Soon, he was overwhelmed by the magic corpse dragons' assault and disappeared completely...
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(End of this chapter)