“Life-bound Dao Seal…”

How could this be possible…

After unleashing the “Two Mechanisms” attack, Tang Buye’s spiritual power was already depleted. How could he have imagined that Jian Chou, who should have been in a weakened state after tribulation, would burst forth with such tremendous attack power?

He couldn’t even think to dodge, nor could he dodge at all.

In that instant, the phantom rode the endless waves and crashed toward him, directly penetrating his body. “Puff, puff,” several tearing sounds—the noise of several meridians in Tang Buye’s body shattering…

The shock and incomprehension in his eyes hadn’t even had time to fade before he completely disappeared from the Void Sea!

Northern Domain Yin Sect, Tang Buye, eliminated!

On the sea surface, the wind stopped and the rain ceased.

Not a single cloud could be found in the clear sky.

Jiang Wenchao, Left Liu, Little Jin, and Young Master Ruhua were all forced down to the sea surface by the pressure of that single wing strike, and even the lightly injured Left Liu already had half his body submerged in seawater, his face bearing an indescribable dejection.

All four of them looked up at Jian Chou at this moment.

That golden wing phantom gradually disappeared behind Jian Chou.

But the lingering ancient aura still shook their hearts and minds.

Young Master Ruhua stared somewhat dazedly, his mind continuously echoing the words Tang Buye had left before being defeated and eliminated.

“Life-bound Dao Seal…”

He murmured.

Wasn’t that something that only existed in legends?

Standing in the void, Jian Chou withdrew her gaze from the sky and looked back, feeling that the entire Void Sea was somehow different from before.

Whether it was the seawater, the fish at the bottom of the sea, or the birds scattered and frightened into flight, under her gaze, everything appeared crystal clear and extremely distinct.

Her spiritual consciousness, which previously could barely extend beyond her immediate vicinity, could now cover ten zhang around her.

Within this range, everything seemed to be under her control.

Moreover…

Golden Core cultivators could fly without artifacts.

Previously, Jian Chou’s flight without artifact riding relied entirely on the “Ride the Wind” Dao Seal she had comprehended in Black Wind Cave—an alternative path. But her current flight was genuine Golden Core ability, requiring no wind assistance, allowing her to float easily in mid-air with just her Golden Core.

Though it was an ability she understood instinctively without knowing the deeper principles, it was qualitatively different from before.

The refined power in her body gave her an impulse to shatter anything with a single punch, and her mind was clearer than ever.

Golden Core…

Having entered cultivation for over two years, she had finally formed a Golden Core. As for the battle disc…

Jian Chou looked down and saw that the battle disc, which had stopped expanding during Golden Core formation, had actually broken through its limits after experiencing the third tribulation thunder and expanded outward by a full foot!

Early Golden Core stage, battle disc two zhang and four chi!

Jian Chou only remembered that her master, whose cultivation continued to decline, had a battle disc of about three zhang for unknown reasons, while Qu Zhengfeng, being a Nascent Soul cultivator, also had a battle disc around three zhang.

Many factors influenced battle disc size: first, natural talent—battle discs had inherent size differences; second, the number of Kunxian lines lit during Foundation Establishment would affect future battle disc development—the more Kunxian lines lit, the naturally larger the battle disc would be at the same cultivation level; third, the timing of Golden Core formation and one’s accumulated spiritual power would also have an impact.

Jian Chou didn’t know exactly which Soul Departure stage Fudao Shanren’s cultivation had fallen to, only that his battle disc was three zhang.

She also didn’t know the natural size of Qu Zhengfeng’s talent battle disc, only that he had maintained peak Nascent Soul cultivation for over three hundred years, an insurmountable peak for countless Nascent Soul cultivators, with a battle disc also three zhang.

And herself…

Early Golden Core stage, two zhang and four chi.

Jian Chou frowned and pondered for a moment, roughly assessing her Golden Core formation level, feeling it was somewhat terrifying compared to ordinary people.

However, battle disc size…

Still had no great relation to combat strength, at most serving as a standard for evaluation.

She quickly set aside the complicated thoughts in her mind and looked down at the four people below, then flew down as a moon-white afterimage to the sea surface, before everyone.

The four people looked at her with indescribably strange expressions.

Actually, when Tang Buye had shot the “Two Mechanisms” earlier, none of them had acted to help. Perhaps the spectators didn’t know why, but only they knew clearly: the moment Tang Buye released the bowstring, a voice had simultaneously sounded in their minds—

I can handle this.

That was Jian Chou’s voice from within the water column—clear, calm, carrying a confidence that everything was under control.

After receiving this spiritual message, the four had exchanged glances and stopped in their tracks.

Thus…

Everyone witnessed that earth-shaking scene.

Seeing Jian Chou approach, Jiang Wenchao was the first to react: “Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Jian Chou on forming your Golden Core.”

“Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Jian Chou.”

“Congratulations, Senior Sister Jian Chou!”

The other three also offered their congratulations.

While Left Liu and Little Jin were excited, Young Master Ruhua’s eyes held a trace of something different.

Jian Chou took all this in but didn’t mind, smiling and cupping her hands in return, still appearing as kind as always: “That the Golden Core could be formed was thanks to all fellow daoists’ righteous assistance. Jian Chou thanks you here.”

She showed no trace of arrogance, and her smile still gave people a feeling of spring breeze.

But…

Something was indeed different.

Young Master Ruhua and Jiang Wenchao, both perceptive people, almost simultaneously noticed the change in the “aura” around Jian Chou after her Golden Core breakthrough.

Foundation Establishment and Golden Core ultimately had their differences.

If Foundation Establishment stage Jian Chou had been like a piece of jade, now she was like a beautiful jade with subtle sharpness revealed.

She still carried goodwill toward others, but no longer gave the impression of being able to blend peacefully among the crowd. Instead, she radiated an inner brilliance from within, as if the entire person had been polished, possessing a radiance she herself could hardly conceal.

Composed bearing, hidden divine light.

Her gentle features concealed a hint of sharpness. While still inspiring closeness, she now commanded a measure of reverence.

They didn’t know whether this was the lingering effect of that “Dijiang Wind Thunder Wing” or if Jian Chou herself had undergone such changes.

But thinking about it, investigating this was meaningless.

In their eyes, Jian Chou had already become extraordinary. Whether this extraordinariness came from changes in her bearing or the intimidation left by battle was completely unimportant.

They only needed to know that this female cultivator standing before them with such composure was, at this moment, the strongest person in the entire Void Sea!

That was all.

Jian Chou didn’t know what others thought of her. She simply looked around and asked: “I wonder about Fellow Daoist Xiangleng from Baiyue Valley…”

Lu Xiangleng?

Presumably Jian Chou hadn’t known the external situation during her Golden Core formation. Young Master Ruhua and the more reliable Jiang Wenchao exchanged glances, finally explaining the previous situation in detail. But when it came to the suddenly appearing giant python, they didn’t know how to express it, only saying: “That’s roughly the situation. As for the details… we’ll probably only know clearly after leaving this Void Sea.”

Even those who had fought alongside her felt extremely surprised, even experiencing a nearly impression-overturning effect. Heaven knew what Lu Xiangleng, who had always been regarded as a “medicine maiden,” would face after going out.

Others couldn’t and wouldn’t say such things.

They only said half, hinting to Jian Chou.

Jian Chou frowned, knowing something was strange. She looked at everyone hesitantly but ultimately knew that the second trial’s Void Sea dragon hunting came first. Since they said they would know after going out, it was better to fight quickly and decisively.

With a thought, Jian Chou directly asked: “May I ask Young Master Ruhua, where are Xia Houshe and those two black dragons now?”

Young Master Ruhua flipped his sea disc and pointed: “Now the two black dragons have separated. Xia Houshe went in the direction of one of them, here… what…”

Halfway through his words, he suddenly froze.

Everyone was looking in the direction Young Master Ruhua pointed, just in time to see a shocking scene!

Two black dragons, one east and one west. Xia Houshe had gone east, and the light point representing him had already met the eastern black dragon. But the moment they looked over, the long line representing the black dragon directly disappeared!

Moments later, the light point representing Xia Houshe also vanished from the sea disc.

“Fengmo Sword Sect’s Xia Houshe, having slain the black dragon and extracted dragon sinew, is permitted to pass!”

“So fast!”

Left Liu was completely dumbfounded, unable to believe his ears.

“Did you all hear that?”

Could he have heard wrong?

He turned to look at everyone else, only to find each person’s expression similar to his own.

So…

This should be real.

Jiang Wenchao’s brow immediately furrowed tight. Little Jin had somehow started gnawing on his watermelon again, casually saying: “He’s so powerful, killing a dragon transformed from an earthworm should be quite simple, right?”

“…”

At this moment, Jian Chou and Young Master Ruhua exchanged glances and fell silent together.

Simple?

In this Void Sea, except for the already-passed Xia Houshe, only Jian Chou and Young Master Ruhua had seen the true form of that black dragon. The transformation of one black dragon into two was their doing—how could they not know the key points?

Xia Houshe had actually dealt with the black dragon in such a short time?

What method had he used?

Curious yet unable to know, both Jian Chou and Young Master Ruhua’s expressions grew strange.

The meticulous Jiang Wenchao had already noticed something seemed wrong.

“Previously, only one earthworm was thrown into the Void Sea by Elder Fudao. How are there now two black dragons? Seeing the expressions of Fellow Daoist Jian Chou and Young Master Ruhua, you seem to know some secrets?”

“We know a bit.”

Jian Chou didn’t know where to begin. She calmed her mind and looked west: “That black dragon won’t be easy to deal with. We five might as well travel together. We can discuss the black dragon matter on the way. What do you all think?”

This suggestion was expected yet beyond reason.

Young Master Ruhua looked at her meaningfully and smiled: “Fellow Daoist Jian Chou is now the strongest among us all, capable of sending us out with a single strike, yet still willing to cooperate and take us along. This young master is truly moved…”

“Without Young Master’s sea disc, how could we know the black dragon’s location?”

Others might think Young Master Ruhua’s words held deeper meaning, but Jian Chou only heard a kind of indescribable “self-importance.”

She unhesitatingly smiled and clarified the relationship.

Young Master Ruhua’s face immediately showed a somewhat embarrassed expression.

With a sleeve wave, he snorted, held up the sea disc, and flew directly west through the air: “Let’s go!”

He had the sea disc and led the way ahead. The others naturally had no objections and followed.

Five streams of light swept directly across the sky above the Void Sea, soon disappearing into the distance.

At the foot of Kunwu Mountain, everyone who saw this scene showed expressions of disbelief: this was the Left Three Thousand gathering, yet these remaining few had actually formed a team like companions through adversity!

In the eyes of those who had heard about the life-and-death struggles of previous gatherings, this was simply unimaginable and wouldn’t happen.

Yet they had all witnessed it personally.

“Master Uncle from Yashan has such impressive abilities…”

“Worthy of being from Yashan.”

“What exactly was that Dao Seal just now?”

“What is a life-bound Dao Seal?”

“Too impressive. At this rate, who could be her opponent?”

“What Zhilin Sou said was indeed true. With just this one Dao Seal, she could sweep through everyone. Why continue the competition? Just let her ascend the One Person Platform!”

“What exactly was that?”

…

While countless people marveled at Jian Chou’s strength, they also developed infinite curiosity about that terrifying Dao Seal.

Life-bound Dao Seals were little known nowadays, so even though Tang Buye had said “life-bound Dao Seal” before elimination, few could understand what those four words truly meant.

“Scrape, scrape, scrape…”

Countless crystalline jade shavings scattered with the waving carving knife!

Zhilin Sou’s somewhat chubby fingers gripped the carving knife, rapidly carving something on the tablet.

Shenling disciple Wei Lin, utterly defeated by Northern Domain Yin Sect disciple Tang Buye, missed the One Person Platform;

Baiyue Valley medicine maiden Lu Xiangleng, shrouded in mystery, severely injured and ambushed by Fengmo Sword Sect’s Xia Houshe, regrettably eliminated, now taken away by suddenly appearing sect elders from Baiyue Valley;

Northern Domain Yin Sect late-stage Golden Core cultivator Tang Buye, after two shots from Nine Mechanisms, at his limits, defeated by Yashan’s Jian Chou, eliminated;

…

Jianzhu Sect disciple Xu Lan’er, severely wounded near death in one battle, meridians completely destroyed, Jianzhu Sect extremely enraged…

Another storm was brewing.

Having carved all the latest news into the tablet, Zhilin Sou looked up to see a dark red robed figure appearing in mid-air—Fengmo Sword Sect’s Xia Houshe!

He held a coil of deep purple dragon sinew, landing directly on the Heaven-Reaching Platform.

Before entering the Void Sea, he had thirteen Heaven-Reaching Platforms.

After leaving the Void Sea, he had twenty-four Heaven-Reaching Platforms!

The eleven Heaven-Reaching Platforms that had belonged to Lu Xiangleng had automatically connected to his feet, carrying him upward.

Zhilin Sou immediately gasped.

Fudao Shanren and Real Person Hengxu, observing from above, exchanged glances.

Real Person Hengxu said: “Fengmo Sword Sect has indeed produced a capable person these past two years.”

“Hmph…”

Fudao Shanren rolled his eyes, not because he was biased against Xia Houshe, but…

“No matter how impressive, can he compare to my Jian Chou?”

Real Person Hengxu immediately fell silent.

He looked at Jian Chou in the Void Sea, who had clearly become the leader of the group, nodded slightly, his eyes full of appreciation: “Your Yashan will also produce a great figure. But can ordinary people think of a method to hunt the dragon?”

“That boy from Fengmo Sword Sect was too ruthless, using fire to burn, ultimately taking the earthworm’s life…”

Fudao Shanren shook his head, apparently recalling Xia Houshe’s method of hunting the dragon and extracting sinew.

“Though the little earthworm isn’t completely dead—there’s still one left—this wasn’t our intention. As for how my Jian Chou girl will pass, that’s not for you, old monster Hengxu, to worry about.”

He believed that with Jian Chou’s wisdom, she would soon discover the key points.

This wasn’t actually a trial won by “force”—what was being tested was merely the human heart.

Real Person Hengxu heard the implications in his words.

Though his tone seemed relaxed, it carried a hint of distance.

He glanced at Fudao, ultimately saying nothing. From the corner of his eye, he saw the many female cultivators from Baiyue Valley gathered at the edge of Kunwu Mountain’s foot seemed to have received some news and finally left together.

Medicine maiden and snake.

Still that same snake…

It seemed that like Fengmo Sword Sect, Baiyue Valley also had unknown secrets.

But…

Among these Upper Five sects, how many were without secrets?

A wise light that seemed to see through everything flashed in his eyes. Real Person Hengxu ultimately set aside these thoughts and looked toward the Void Sea.

Outside Kunwu, on the surface of Nine-Head River.

A small black-canopied boat broke the calm, slowly moving upstream.

It looked like the most ordinary fishing boat, with a fishing net spread at the stern, lit by the sun overhead, giving a lazy feeling.

At the bow sat a simple bamboo fish basket with a somewhat aged color, as if well-used, containing not a single fish.

Beside the fish basket sat a cross-legged angler wearing a bamboo hat and straw raincoat, steady hands holding a thin fishing rod, slender fingers bearing a sickly pale color.

The river water flowed slowly, with cool breezes blowing across the river.

This angler, with lowered eyelids, gazed calmly at the hook beneath the river surface, somewhat lost in thought.

If someone were nearby and looked carefully, they would discover that the hook used for fishing was actually perfectly straight, swaying slightly in the water as the black-canopied boat moved forward.

A palm-sized black fish swam from ahead, approaching the hook and actually biting it in one gulp.

The angler noticed the fishing line move, eyes flashing, finally coming back to attention. Looking at the palm-sized black fish, the corner of the mouth curved slightly with a faint smile: “Is this Nine-Head River too small for Brother Kun’s liking?”

“The water is clear enough, but it lacks the nine heads…”

The black fish bit the straight hook, hanging steady as it moved forward with the current.

Nine-Head River, nine-headed birds.

Probably old acquaintances too.

Thinking this, the angler gently placed a hand on the bamboo hat, then looked up at the Void Sea suspended in the firmament above, smiling and asking: “What about the waters of the Western Sea?”

The black fish remained unmoved, its voice carrying mocking disdain: “A bounded sea, a small world—how could it contain my boundless form? Not going.”

“Heh.”

The angler immediately laughed, but the gaze directed at the Void Sea didn’t withdraw.

“Zhou Eye…”

In her hands, what would be the result of this trial?

One hand held the fishing rod steady, while the other hand swept, and the dim, lusterless fish eye appeared in the palm, gently shaking…

***

“Hm?”

Jian Chou suddenly paused, vaguely feeling something in her Qiankun bag had moved, but when she focused her spiritual consciousness to investigate carefully, there was no trace at all.

They were still traveling through the Void Sea, and the distance to the black dragon ahead was getting closer and closer.

At this moment, when Jian Chou suddenly made an “eh” sound, everyone thought she had made some major discovery and couldn’t help but stop to look at her.

Young Master Ruhua glanced at the sea disc, then at Jian Chou, and asked: “Fellow Daoist Jian Chou?”

“…”

Strange.

Jian Chou felt somewhat uncertain in her heart. Hearing Young Master Ruhua’s question, she only shook her head: “I felt like something moved just now, but when I tried to investigate, there was no trace to be found. Perhaps… it was just an illusion.”

An illusion?

Young Master Ruhua automatically ignored the watermelon-eating Little Jin and the tag-along Left Liu, exchanging glances with Jiang Wenchao: with Jian Chou’s current strength, she didn’t seem like someone who would have illusions.

“It’s better to be careful.”

Looking at the sea disc, Young Master Ruhua said: “We’re only about forty li away from the black dragon. Everyone… do you have any ideas?”

Along the way, Young Master Ruhua and Jian Chou had already shared everything they knew.

The “black dragon” transformed from an earthworm possessed nearly immortal characteristics. After being cut into two pieces, it would become two black dragons, and even their strength would be replicated under the same conditions.

But perhaps because they had just become black dragons and weren’t yet adapted to their size, what they feared most was actually themselves.

After Young Master Ruhua finished asking, he looked at the others.

“I don’t have any ideas.”

“Crunch.”

Taking a bite of the big watermelon, Little Jin blinked and spoke.

Well, this was someone who only cared about eating and fighting—no point expecting him to use his brain.

Young Master Ruhua naturally looked at the next person.

“What about Fellow Daoist Left Liu?”

“Ah?”

Left Liu’s heart immediately skipped a beat, almost choking to death from fright.

This, this wasn’t what he had expected!

Wasn’t it supposed to be that by following Senior Sister Jian Chou and this group, they could sightsee and eat and drink, and this trial would be automatically passed?

Why were they now asking him for his opinion?

Damn it…

What kind of ideas could he have?!

Trembling, Left Liu looked at Jian Chou, then at Jiang Wenchao, and finally timidly returned his gaze to Young Master Ruhua, stammering: “Well, I, I don’t have any ideas either. I, I thought you all had ideas…”

Jian Chou: “…”

Young Master Ruhua: “…”

Jiang Wenchao: “…”

The three fell silent together, looking at each other, all feeling their heads ache: one only knew how to eat watermelon, and the other had nothing in his brain except worship for his seniors. Why exactly had they brought along these two guys who were so pure it was infuriating?!

Little Jin was completely oblivious to the current strange atmosphere, still buried in eating his watermelon.

Left Liu sensed the chill in the air, shrinking his neck but not daring to say more.

Finally, Jian Chou sighed, looked into the distance, and said: “The black dragon matter has quite strange aspects. Since Xia Houshe was able to hunt the dragon and extract dragon sinew to pass, we must also be able to think of a method. Based on the earthworm’s characteristics, I do have some methods… but…”

“But what?”

Young Master Ruhua raised an eyebrow and asked.

Jian Chou’s smile faded somewhat: “But the methods are too cruel. I always feel they’re not the righteous path.”