Chapter 86: Taiping Dragon Vein, A World-Shaking Scene!

As the words fell, the Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons was struck with a mix of shock and fury, and then...

It turned and ran!

Although the Earth Serpent had been suppressed by it for many years and had its nutrients heavily drained, it was not in a weakened state. On the contrary, it had retained most of its strength.

Coupled with the Dragon-Pacifying Nail, this secret treasure against dragons could make up for all deficiencies and create an overwhelming force.

Never in its wildest dreams did it expect that this human could reverse the situation in such a way.

Had it known, it should have devoured him in one bite, giving him no chance whatsoever.

"Running? That’s part of the timing too!"

Jiang Yan's voice rang out behind, like the tolling of a funeral bell.

At the same time came the sweeping sword aura of the Dragon-Pacifying Nail. Accompanied by a thunderous roar, it sliced through a large section of the mountain as if cutting tofu.

Rumble rumble rumble!

A great mass of boulders tumbled into the floodwaters, splashing waves into the air.

"Such powerful strength... truly mesmerizing."

Jiang Yan murmured softly. Then, he manipulated the Earth Serpent to slash wildly, sword aura sweeping forth, chasing the once-proud Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons all over the place—from mountaintop down to the foot.

It had clearly started out as a gatekeeping BOSS, but now had become nothing more than a straggler in a battle royale.

In the end,

The Chains of the Nine Dragons plunged headfirst into the mountain flood, trying to conceal its form amidst the turbid current, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

In this murky deluge, surely Jiang Yan couldn't find it now?

Boom!

Instead, a streak of sword aura from the Dragon-Pacifying Nail swept across, Jiang Yan once again pinpointed its location, slicing off half of its chain body, terrifying it into fleeing further, its heart choked with frustration.

"Damn it, does this guy have infinite spiritual energy?"

The Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons couldn't comprehend it. Clearly, Jiang Yan was just at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and had used a special method to link with the Earth Serpent, achieving a temporary fusion of man and serpent, thereby gaining a brief moment of Law Seed peak combat power.

Logically, after unleashing so many sword strikes, his spiritual energy should have been depleted, right?

Could this human’s spiritual energy truly be inexhaustible?

Yet at this moment, atop the Earth Serpent, Jiang Yan was devouring endless Cataclysmic Qi, pouring it endlessly into the Cataclysmic Sea of the Return Ruins.

Though he lacked Elemental Qi and could at most rise to beginner-level Law Seed power—

Even so, why waste free Cataclysmic Qi?

It would disperse afterward anyway. Better to directly convert it into inexhaustible spiritual energy through the Cataclysmic Sea of the Return Ruins.

It was as if he had an entire Diseased Domain world serving as an external energy tank.

As long as the catastrophe persisted, the energy would keep coming!

It couldn’t run out. It simply couldn’t!

"......"

This scene left everyone in the Real World utterly stunned.

"Chasing down the Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons with peak Law Seed strength—and you’re telling me he’s just Foundation Establishment? Why doesn’t he go open up a new realm stage of his own? I’m also Foundation Establishment and I’m offended by this."

"I yield, seriously. This guy's trump card is actually the Earth Serpent? Isn’t he afraid it wouldn't cooperate?"

"Utterly fearless... but more importantly, he succeeded. No wonder he received an A+ rating. I thought that was his limit, but now I see—the Historical Long River only goes up to A+."

"Didn’t expect Jiang Yan to be such a nice guy. He held back during the arena match. Otherwise, even if we all ganged up, it wouldn’t have been enough to beat him."

"......"

Many geniuses, while fleeing from the pursuit of the snake-headed Longbo giants, were already thoroughly convinced. Even Di Shengyi no longer harbored any thoughts of comparison.

As a dignified genius of the human race, there was no need to compete with monsters.

This time, no matter who entered the Dragon-Transforming Diseased Domain, it would have been certain death.

Only Jiang Yan saw through all calculations and carved out a path of survival by sheer force—while casually chasing the final boss like a stray dog.

Even with the help of the Dragon-Pacifying Nail...

It wasn’t something just anyone could accomplish.

As for Ge Xianyao, after falling unconscious, he had been carried on Shi Ju's back, and was awakened by the cacophony, groggily opening his eyes to the scene of everyone dodging the snake-headed Longbo giants, and softly asked:

"Jiang Yan... did he stop the transformation into a dragon?"

Shi Ju looked oddly at him. "Uh, you can see for yourself."

Ge Xianyao frowned. Why the strange expression? Could it be...

Jiang Yan failed?

He looked up and saw, amidst the pouring rain, the Earth Serpent was hunting the Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons, its head glowing with golden radiance.

"Why are there only two strange flood dragons? One even has a sun on its head. Where’s Jiang Yan? In the flood?"

Ge Xianyao looked utterly bewildered. But soon, he spotted the figure sitting as if on a throne within the glow, his expression indifferent as he dominated the battlefield.

"Hiss hiss!"

Within the Diseased Domain, the Earth Serpent had gone from resisting the manipulation of its body to obeying perfectly—wherever pointed, it struck.

Being controlled? So what?

All it cared about was whether it could vent the fury of being imprisoned for so many years.

I slash, slash, slash!

"Roar—"

Though the Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons tried its best to dodge, Jiang Yan still seized an opportunity to thrust the Dragon-Pacifying Nail straight through its core chain, suppressing the boiling dragon energy.

Within the Diseased Domain, the torrential downpour gradually subsided, and the raging floodwaters began to ease.

This sight rendered Ge Xianyao silent. He muttered to himself:

"Looks like I’ve lost too much blood and am seriously injured... to be dreaming such a bizarre dream. Guess I really am about to die..."

Before he could finish, Shi Ju tossed him to the ground and snapped:

"Die my ass! You’ve still got breath—go help the other teammates. If Jiang Yan is going on a killing spree inside, and we’re getting massacred out here, that’s just disgraceful!"

The pain in his rear snapped Ge Xianyao back to reality—this wasn’t a hallucination.

He had truly returned to the Real World.

But he was even more confused now.

So that... that was all real?

Was Jiang Yan... really human?

"Well done!"

Zhou Li and the others, trapped within the Unceasing Banquet, looked on with delight. As long as the Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons was slain, this Catastrophe of Transforming into a Dragon would come to an end.

The mountain flood disaster would also be resolved accordingly.

Jiang Yan had almost single-handedly turned the tide!

"There's still one last factor."

Zhou Li and the others looked toward the Xiang Nu. This one had been scheming for this Ancient Talisman ritual for a long time and definitely would not sit idly by as Jiang Yan slew the Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Thus, they chose to unleash their full power to break through the cage.

"Owoo——"

The Mouth of the Feast King let out a pained wail, but clenched its teeth tightly, keeping them firmly bound within the cage.

The Xiang Nu rose, giving up on recalling the Mouth of the Feast King. With a single step, her figure flickered dozens of meters and landed atop a tributary of the Historical Long River.

"Go!"

Zhao Yinman, who had still been toying with the snake-headed giant, saw this and decisively returned to the Real World with the Coffin Spirit.

Jiang Yan had told her—once the Xiang Nu appeared, do not hesitate, just leave.

There was no need to worry about him.

Zhao Yinman didn’t even ask what trump card he had because...

She believed in Jiang Yan.

"Interesting."

The Xiang Nu glanced at the departing Zhao Yinman but did not act. She came to the outside of the Dragon-Transforming Diseased Domain.

A snake-headed Longbo giant approached, but in the next second, crack, its body was half-bitten off by an invisible mouth, flesh and blood flying.

The remaining half of the body fell limply, swept away like garbage by the tributary of the Historical Long River.

The Xiang Nu approached the Dragon-Transforming Diseased Domain. Due to the interference of the Earth Serpent, the domain resisted her approach, emitting a continuous hum and trembling violently.

"You're here?"

Jiang Yan narrowed his eyes, standing atop the Earth Serpent’s head, locking eyes with her.

The Xiang Nu looked at him and chuckled softly, "Seems you've figured it out."

Jiang Yan spoke meaningfully, "After all, who would’ve thought you’d embed a real Diseased Domain within a false one? If I’m not mistaken, the Earth Serpent should be related to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, right?"

As old rivals, Jiang Yan instantly recognized the Sanskrit script on the Dragon-Pacifying Nail, along with the familiar aura of death—it was undoubtedly the handiwork of the Corpse-Dissolution Court.

To be targeted this precisely—whether or not it was the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, its origin was by no means trivial.

"Heehee, Brother Jiang Yan, you’re really smart!"

The Xiang Nu tilted her head, appearing playfully adorable. Though wearing a mask, her posture and form alone gave off the impression of great beauty.

Beneath the mask was an even more beautiful mask.

If not for the greedy, hungry gaze that regarded him as food, it would’ve been perfect.

Having received confirmation, Jiang Yan understood.

Zhou Li had said that the Wild History Diseased Domain, without an anchoring point from official history, was essentially illusory—like rootless duckweed, it could disappear in days or months.

Even if anchored by the faith of millions of beings, it would only undergo rebirth, repeating cycles until it either perished completely or mutated further.

To remain stable for several years, there likely must be an Official History Diseased Domain as a foundation, carrying the Wild History Diseased Domain upon it.

Jiang Yan asked curiously, "I feel like you don't actually care about the promotion ritual. Rather, you seem to have a deeper plan. What exactly are you plotting?"

The Xiang Nu giggled, "Wanna know? Compliment me, and I’ll tell you."

"Xiang Nu-jie, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen." Jiang Yan didn’t hesitate to flatter her insincerely.

"Prettier than her?" The Xiang Nu pointed at Zhao Yinman, who had returned to the Real World.

Without hesitation, Jiang Yan nodded firmly, "Yes."

Because she wasn’t human—she was a zombie.

"Brother Jiang Yan, your tongue is really sweet! We truly get along. How about you join the Wild History Club? It’s way more fun than the Bureau of Historical Revision. Plus, with the grace of the Great King of Desire, you can awaken amazing historical powers."

To this, Jiang Yan maintained a smile and remained unmoved.

What a joke. With a few sweet words, she wanted him to abandon a bright future in one of the top forces and go join the sewer rats?

Only an idiot would do that!

If the Wild History Club were as powerful as she claimed, it wouldn’t be a dark force—it would be official.

The Xiang Nu received no response, but wasn’t disappointed. She said, "I’m sure you’ve guessed it. The rumor that the Great Qing suppressed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s Dragon Vein is actually true."

Jiang Yan said, "The Earth Serpent—is the Dragon Vein?"

"It is, and it isn’t." The Xiang Nu replied with layered meaning, "Because the one who nailed the Dragon Vein wasn’t the Great Qing, but rather the Grand Shaman of the Corpse-Dissolution Court, who altered a small part of history... which then affected the Real World."

"Rewriting the past..." Jiang Yan frowned.

"Don’t worry. Grand tides can’t be reversed. Resurrecting the Great Qing is practically impossible—at least for mortals. Even altering minor tides demands enormous cost and comes with karmic punishment.

However, using this as a medium, they succeeded in locking onto the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s Fate Dragon Vein, which holds the fortune of the Heavenly Throne.

They used phalanges born from a Corpse-Dissolution of a Dragon Species natural enemy to forge a special Dragon-Pacifying Nail to suppress it. They tried to use this to trace the coordinates of the Old Tianjing, but they attracted an unknown terror and were entirely erased.

But the Tianjing Dragon Vein didn’t vanish—only shattered. A small core segment remains, scattered within the historical coordinates of Wuzhou in Jiangnan Province.

I got this information from the ancient Great King of Desire. If you joined the club and secured a seat, you could also ask Him questions and study knowledge of Immortals and Gods for free."

Jiang Yan reminded, "If you’re going to tell a story, just tell it properly. Don’t mix in personal ads."

Everything has a price. What’s free is often the most costly.

The Xiang Nu snorted softly and continued, "With the help of the Great King of Desire, I successfully located this segment of the Dragon Vein. Unfortunately, it’s protected by Heavenly Kingdom power, making it hard to swallow and digest.

So I used the Wild History nurtured by the faith of millions to defile it, demoting the Fate Dragon Vein of the Heavenly Kingdom into the Earth Mother Serpent. The so-called Nine Dragons Transforming into Chains is actually it shedding its Dragon status, turning into chains. But over the long years, it gained sentience and now has a chance to transform into a dragon."

"So that’s how it is."

Jiang Yan suddenly understood.

No wonder the Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons devoured the Earth Serpent's power without worrying about instability—their auras were so similar.

Because the Earth Serpent and the Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons were originally one.

He had thought the Xiang Nu’s goal was simply to evolve a True Dragon and cause chaos in Jiangnan Province to please the Great King of Desire and receive blessings.

Now it seemed to be linked to...

Heavenly King’s Treasure!

Jiang Yan suddenly asked, "Are you the one supporting Lord Gaoshan in the Real World?"

The Lady of the Mountain had mentioned that someone went to meet Lord Gaoshan, which led to the pursuit of the treasure.

Could it have been the Xiang Nu?

"Lord Gaoshan? Doesn’t sound like a Real World name... but it rings a bell, feels like I’ve seen it somewhere..."

However, the Xiang Nu tilted her head in thought. Her tone carried contemplation, but she caught the implication in Jiang Yan’s words and curiously asked:

"So he’s related to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom or the treasure?"

"It’s nothing, just a passing comment."

Jiang Yan wasn’t sure whether the Xiang Nu was lying, so he changed the subject:

"Since no matter whether the Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons or the Earth Serpent devours the other, it will trigger the Dragon-Transforming ritual and become a dish on the Banquet table—why would someone like you, always seated steadily in the fisher’s position, personally enter the field?"

From the beginning,

The Xiang Nu had been observing them with the perspective of a victor, watching their futile struggles in search of amusement.

The Xiang Nu smiled and said, "Indeed, my original script was to have that guy with the Natural Medicine Physique kill the Earth Serpent with the Dragon-Pacifying Nail, triggering the Corpse-Dissolution curse within, fusing the three into one to form a special Human-Faced Earth Dragon, then cook it into a medicinal delicacy..."

Ge Xianyao’s face turned dark. Nicknames like 'Foodie Bro' were one thing, but now he wasn’t even worthy of a name?

"Just thinking about it makes me hungry. I might have even gotten a taste of some Divine Path power. But now I’ve changed my mind..."

The Xiang Nu cupped her face in her hands, gazing tenderly at Jiang Yan:

"Because Brother Jiang Yan is the finest ingredient I’ve ever seen. The flavor of your bloodline and soul rivals even a True Dragon."

"Perfect for a dessert before the main course!"

"I refuse," said Jiang Yan.

The Xiang Nu giggled, "But I like forced love."

"Law Domain—Unceasing Banquet!"

Countless scarlet mouths emerged from the void like innumerable diners arriving. Mysterious bianzhong bells played music, forming a grand, resplendent Banquet Hall, primarily styled in ancient Chinese fashion, radiating a primal, archaic aura.

It seemed to be a sacred, ancient dining table—but extremely illusory—overturned above the Dragon-Transforming Diseased Domain.

Chopsticks, forks, stone tools, and various eating utensils from multiple civilizations appeared around the edges of the massive, mysterious dining table. Countless formless figures seemed present, having already regarded the Diseased Domain as a feast.

Ready to divide and devour it!

"Prototype Law Domain!"

Bo Rui murmured and gave a bitter smile.

When someone surpassed the limit of path comprehension—achieving mastery-level proficiency—or used certain rare secret treasures, they could preemptively condense a prototype Law Domain, akin to a miniature domain, just lacking the Ancient Talisman suppression.

Equivalent to a transitional period before reaching Ancient Talisman level.

It was sure to ascend to an Ancient Talisman!

Once she successfully condensed an Ancient Talisman, this Law Domain would expand by several times, rising to a top-tier domain of the same grade.

It could easily crush domains of the same realm!

Anyone who could reach this stage was undoubtedly a top-tier genius.

The Wild History Club truly lived up to its name as a premier dark force—its foundation was terrifying.

Facing a pseudo-Ancient Talisman, Jiang Yan’s odds were nearly zero.

Master Fale softly chanted a Buddhist name, lost in thought.

Zhou Li looked to the sky, eyes deep and expression calm.

"What a shame."

Many geniuses witnessing this scene shook their heads. There was no sorrow or despair—only calm and regret.

Di Shengyi felt unwilling. If he had more time to grow, how could a mere Xiang Nu be so arrogant?

As for Jiang Yan, he had already done everything he possibly could.

Alas, fate was beyond one’s control!

"Hope in the next life, we’ll still be rivals."

Di Shengyi and the others silently recited, ready to embrace death.

Yet at that moment, Jiang Yan’s voice rang out:

"You think you’ve got me cornered?"

The Xiang Nu smiled, "Yes, I want to eat you, merge with you. Then we’ll be together forever."

Jiang Yan shook his head, "Still refusing."

The Xiang Nu acted as if she hadn’t heard, and her Law Domain lightly touched the Dragon-Transforming Diseased Domain.

Boom!

In an instant, enormous net-like cracks spread for thousands of meters as if the world were about to shatter. The fractures extended and dragged toward the edge of the Real World.

The Xiang Nu summoned a massive scarlet hand, piercing through the worlds and grabbing toward Jiang Yan.

The strong must ruthlessly dominate the weak!

In such a desperate situation, Jiang Yan commanded the Earth Serpent to lift the Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons held in its mouth.

The Xiang Nu looked on with anticipation, "Brother Jiang Yan, are you threatening me with the Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons? Or planning to have the Earth Serpent kill me?"

"Neither."

Jiang Yan shook his head and chuckled, "Since neither of you are transforming into a dragon—why don’t I do it myself!"

As he finished speaking, determination flashed in the Earth Serpent’s eyes. It spat out most of its essence blood, drenching the Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons. Since they were originally one, the latter quickly absorbed it, then bit down to prevent escape.

Hiss hiss!

The Spirit of the Chains of the Nine Dragons stared wide-eyed as it activated the long-desired Dragon Transformation. The previously dwindling torrential rain surged again as if the sky had burst, unleashing an overwhelming flood.

Rumble rumble rumble!

The mountain flood fully erupted, becoming a roaring natural disaster that crashed against the already fragile Diseased Domain Barrier.

Crack!

The Diseased Domain Barrier shattered, and a sky-high deluge surged forth.

"Damn!"

The Xiang Nu’s expression changed. She raised her prototype Law Domain to block the front.

Boom!

But in just one instant, the terrifying flood swallowed the Xiang Nu and her prototype Law Domain, drowning them in mud and water without stirring even a ripple.

"In my presence, all beings are equal!"

Jiang Yan sat upon the golden serpent-horn throne atop the Earth Serpent’s head, gripping the dark-golden Chains of the Nine Dragons and yanking it tight, riding atop the flood that destroyed everything.

He had actively triggered the final step of the Catastrophe of Transforming into a Dragon!

Jiang Yan looked at the approaching edge of the Real World, his gaze blazing like the sun, and calmly declared:

"If you want to imprison a dragon from soaring to the heavens, then you must give this world... a little shock!"

"Roar across the earth!"

……

……

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