Chapter 217: 9 Coral Divine Palace, Gloomy Ghost Dragon

“Is that…” Following Luo Yan’s gaze, Miss Shi also found it hard to believe her own eyes, “Gui Xu?”

“No.” Luo Yan shook his head, “It should just be an ancient relic from the same era, which is why it has the same architectural style and exterior silhouette.”

“You mean, the ancient cultivators who once lived at the bottom of the Five Qi Dynasty Yuan Cave…”

“…are very likely the same group of ancient cultivators who built Gui Xu in the Great Gorge,” Luo Yan said.

“I see.” Shi Liuli pondered thoughtfully and suddenly said excitedly, “Why don’t we explore that palace?”

Luo Yan hesitated for a moment, only to hear the Kunlun Mirror suddenly speak:

“The Yuan Qi vein is inside that palace.”

“Are you sure, Ah Jing?”

“We are so close now, of course, I can sense it…” The voice of the Kunlun Mirror paused, “A piece of my essence is also inside.”

“Then it’s a good chance to catch everything in one fell swoop,” Luo Yan sneered.

“Be careful, since it didn’t hesitate to collapse the cave to lead you here, there must be some sort of trap,” the Kunlun Mirror quickly warned.

“Ah Jing, there’s no need to worry. Whatever tricks that piece of your essence is up to, how can it possibly deceive me… fuck!” Luo Yan was speaking disparagingly when he suddenly saw a huge and ferocious head emerge from the dark void ahead.

It was a massive Jiaolong… to be exact, it didn’t look like a living Jiaolong, but more like a sort of undead creature unique to Western fantasy worlds.

Its body was almost translucent, emitting an ominous blue glow, and the bones inside were as bleak as ivory, bright as cold jade, with not a trace of flesh to be seen.

“Such a vicious demonic technique!” the Green Duckweed Sword exclaimed in surprise, “Using the dragon bone as the base of the array, flesh and blood as ink, inscribing a soul-binding array onto it, confining countless souls of the Dragon Clan within to create this stitched-together monster; does the formation setter not fear divine retribution?”

“Never mind that for now,” Luo Yan quickly pulled Shi Liuli behind a pile of rocks and urged, “Is there any way to deal with this creature?”

“My suggestion would be to run,” the Green Duckweed Sword snickered, “Even a living member of the Dragon Clan, no matter the breed, will at least be at the Golden Core Realm. Sword Master, you’re just a minor disciple in the Foundation Establishment Realm, what are you thinking?”

“If we were to reveal Qiu Changtian’s methods, which specialize in defeating the Dragon Clan, such as the Polar Thunderbane, I wonder what the odds of success would be,” Luo Yan gritted his teeth evaluating the situation, when the Ghost Dragon suddenly let out an earth-shaking roar, causing the stone walls around them to tremble.

Next, it pointed the two balls of Nether Ghost Fire leaping in its skull eye sockets straight at Luo Yan hiding behind the rocks.

Suddenly, his vision blurred into obscurity, and his ears filled with a deafening buzz… until the Kunlun Mirror’s scream rang out, jolting Luo Yan from near unconsciousness in an urgent awakening:

“Guan Shui, run!”

Luo Yan jolted, his scattered gaze quickly focused, landing on the Ghost Dragon’s skull approaching rapidly—the latter was already within mere dozens of yards, with the chilling breath of the cold stream punching through the seawater towards his face.

“Shrouded in darkness, Beiming Yin Thunder!” Luo Yan silently recited the spell, his right hand in his sleeve coalescing a pitch-black Thunder Light, the very Polar Thunder known for defeating the Dragon Clan of the four seas.

Then again chanting, “Thunder Light Fire Pattern, Jade Pivot Divine Thunder,” his left hand in his sleeve pulled out a ball of blue Thunder Light, which was the Jade Pivot Thunder that specialized in defeating the souls of Nether Ghosts.

Quickly glancing to confirm that Shi Liuli was caught in a dizzy state, oblivious to her surroundings, he immediately swung his hands, casting both balls of Thunder Light from his sleeves.

The Ghost Dragon was too close to dodge and got hit squarely. The Jade Pivot Thunder, being faster, struck the blue “soul flesh” first, melting through it like a red-hot iron through snow, directly burning a hole through it.

Following half a beat behind, the silent and traceless Polar Thunder penetrated the hole made by the Jade Pivot Thunder, slamming into the runic inscribed dragon bone.

Amidst the earth-shattering noise, Luo Yan had already drawn the Green Duckweed Sword. The sword light wrapped around the unconscious Miss Shi and then he directly activated Man-Sword Unity, charging towards the palace within the distant Coral Forest!

Escape!

Run run run run run run…

He didn’t even dare to look back to confirm the status of the Ghost Dragon; knowing full well that considering he hadn’t even reached the Golden Core Rank, the idea of killing the adversary was foolish daydreaming.

Barely halfway through the distance, a wave of dizziness took over his mind—clearly, the Ghost Dragon was catching up from behind, once again casting a bizarre and eerie Illusion Technique.

At the critical moment, the Kunlun Mirror came to the rescue once more, a shout startling Luo Yan awake.

Regaining his senses, Luo Yan was so frightened he nearly lost his soul. He quickly formed a spell with his hands and unleashed his strongest trump card, the Postnatal Five Elements Great Extermination Divine Light—recklessly sweeping it behind him.

The Divine Light struck the Ghost Dragon head-on. Luo Yan, carrying Miss Shi, rushed into the front entrance of the palace, and only then did he find a moment to look back. He saw that the head of the Ghost Dragon had completely shattered, losing its form, yet it still moved effortlessly through the water, furiously charging towards the palace.

Even with Immortal’s Secret Techniques and unmatched Thunder Methods, constrained by his current Cultivation Realm, his lethality was still insufficient!

He hurriedly picked up Miss Shi again and directed his sword flight straight into the depths of the palace.

Another sound like thunderous roaring resounded as the Ghost Dragon smashed directly into the palace’s main entrance.

Although the entrance was wide open, it was far too small compared to the size of the Ghost Dragon, which couldn’t squeeze through. Instead, it went mad, violently striking the palace, causing the walls on both sides to tremble.

Luo Yan, with Miss Shi in tow, charged deep into the palace. Only when he saw that the Ghost Dragon hadn’t followed did he stop and breathe a sigh of relief.

Shi Liuli made a soft groan, slowly waking up. Noticing Luo Yan by her side, she was about to speak when she suddenly took in her surroundings and let out a terrified scream.

All around the hall where they stood were bones and skeletons scattered in disarray.

Some sat on ornate stone chairs, clutching silver cups with floral carvings in their bony hands; others lay collapsed on the cold stone floor, embracing or holding hands with other skeletons.

“Is this…” Shi Liuli said with a trembling voice, “the Netherworld?”

“There are plenty of ghosts, not corpses, in the Netherworld,” corrected Luo Yan. “This place must be an ancient Dragon Clan’s dwelling that met with some disaster, leaving them all to die here.”

“Dragon Clan?” Shi Liuli asked timidly.

“That’s right,” said Luo Yan. “Look at the foreheads of these skulls.”

Shi Liuli looked closely and indeed noticed that there were slight protrusions on either side of their foreheads, one characteristic of the Dragon Clan’s Transformation.

“How did they die?” she asked, fearfully clinging to Luo Yan’s arm.

“I don’t know,” Luo Yan replied, looking around. He then asked the Kunlun Mirror, “Where is your fragment?”

“It’s in the inner chamber, straight ahead,” answered the Kunlun Mirror.

“You stay here for now. Don’t move,” Luo Yan instructed Shi Liuli as he turned to her. “I’ll be right back.”

“No!” Shi Liuli quickly clung to his arm, “I want to go with you!”

He knew it would be like this… Luo Yan sighed internally. With a flick of his hand, the Heaven-flipping Seal was invoked, smashing towards the inner chamber door ahead!