"Four words..."

Slowly turning his head towards Qi Xiu, Taiyang Daoist said, his calm and serene eyes shimmering slightly, "Let go of yourself."

The Forest Sea swayed, its rustling sound like layers of ocean waves, echoing incessantly and melodiously.

After gazing deeply at Taiyang Daoist for a long time, Qi Xiu turned his body aside, remaining silent.

After a long while, he stood up, gathered his sleeves, and gazed at the Sky Dome.

"I will consider your suggestion."

"There's no need to tell me; judge for yourself. Nothing is perfect. There are advantages as well as disadvantages. If, one day, this world gains another demon lord who sweeps through everything, don't blame me."

With a gentle sweep of his wide sleeve across the stone table, a brand new chessboard emerged. Taiyang Daoist pushed a black piece towards Qi Xiu.

"A game?"

Looking at the white piece Taiyang Daoist twirled in his fingers, then at the black piece before him, Qi Xiu raised his eyebrows thoughtfully.

"Not today. We'll play another day."

After speaking, Qi Xiu's figure slowly dissipated, his consciousness returning to his original body.

Lightly laughing, Taiyang Daoist picked up a black piece from the opposite side and placed it on the chessboard. He then began to play against himself, musing, A demon lord? A saintly lord? Demon or saint, isn't it ultimately decided by whoever has the bigger fist? Original body, original body, must you truly lose something to gain enlightenment?

Within the silent Ancestral Aperture, the sound of chess pieces being placed echoed continuously.

Until finally, one piece settled.

All was silent.

「Outside.」

Qi Xiu slowly opened his eyes. The surging black flames that had once filled the sky had already burned out.

I wonder what material the floor of this Dragon Prison maze is made of, Qi Xiu thought. There isn't a single sign of damage or scorching. Truly a place worthy of imprisoning evil dragons. If it could be easily destroyed, those evil dragons would have burst through the ground and escaped long ago.

With Nie Biao dead, Qi Xiu felt a noticeable weight lift from his shoulders.

With a flip of his palm, a sinister-looking peeling knife, covered in fresh red rust, suddenly appeared in his hand.

This small knife can break the boundary between flesh and soul, forcibly entering the Ancestral Aperture between the eyebrows of someone of the same Realm. It's truly bizarre. Moreover, this aura... it seems connected to the Hell Dao.

Staring at the peeling knife in his hand, Qi Xiu's gaze was contemplative. He had once witnessed his Senior Brother Wei Wujie use a secret technique of the Hell Dao, Hungry Ghost Entanglement, in actual combat. The aura on this knife wasn't exactly the same, but it shared a sixty to seventy percent similarity. Years ago, the Shenxiao Sect launched a surprise attack, annihilating the Hell Dao in one fell swoop. Even their sect's ancestral grounds were moved back into the Shenxiao Sect Gate and suppressed for eternity. Nevertheless, some Hell Dao cultivators who were scattered outside were fortunate enough to escape. This peeling knife could very well have been left behind by such people.

Putting away the peeling knife, Qi Xiu temporarily set this matter aside and turned to look at the Riding Dragon Great Formation beneath his feet.

Two-thirds of this ancient Great Formation's nodes had already been activated, but due to Nie Biao's interference, its power gradually leaked and dissipated, reverting to about half.

Massaging his temples, Qi Xiu bent down and continued to activate the Hunyuan Apertures, drawing in myriad qi to penetrate the formation's nodes and revive the Great Formation.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

Infinite colors surged behind him like immense tidal waves. The myriad qi from the All Heavens poured ferociously into Qi Xiu's body, then transformed into a massive surge of Hunyuan True Origin, pouring into the Riding Dragon Great Formation beneath him.

Such a vast amount of True Origin already far surpassed what a Blood-Stained Peak cultivator could possess.

His robes billowed, and Qi Xiu's eyes were filled with vibrant colors. As the Hunyuan Apertures continued to operate, his long, ink-black hair began to shimmer with infinite colors from the roots, exuding an ancient and extraordinary aura.

CRACK—

Fortunately, this strange transformation had only just begun when all one hundred and eight nodes of the Riding Dragon Great Formation were fully activated.

Qi Xiu then calmed the operation of his Hunyuan Apertures, and the strange sensation in his body abruptly ceased.

"Hm?"

Touching the top of his head, which felt slightly warm, Qi Xiu showed a hint of confusion. After briefly inspecting his body with narrowed eyes, he found nothing abnormal or amiss.

Was it due to overexertion from channeling my energy? Frowning slightly and re-examining himself thoroughly, Qi Xiu could only attribute the recent sensation to overexertion.

All nodes of the formation had been activated.

The Riding Dragon Great Formation beneath his feet seemed to awaken from a deep slumber. From the unseen realm, a melodious, echoing dragon's roar vibrated throughout the entire Dragon Prison maze.

An incomparably pure and spiritual aura rose from within this Great Formation. It transformed and condensed into the ancient body of a dragon enveloped in layers of cloud-mist, its length immeasurable, each scale seeming to reflect an entire world.

Its long whiskers drifted slightly. The ancient dragon slowly lowered its gaze, its eyes, holding the history of countless ages, falling upon Qi Xiu.

It seemed to be undergoing some sort of qualification assessment.

The Dragon Binding Rope reappeared behind Qi Xiu. A golden dragon shadow materialized in the void, its eyes meeting those of the ancient dragon.

The two dragon images seemed to be engaged in some form of communication, which felt like a long time, yet also seemed to last only a moment.

Before Qi Xiu could clearly see the full appearance of this ancient True Dragon, dense plumes of cloud-mist suddenly lifted him, carrying him straight up and onto the ancient dragon's back.

RUMBLE—

The next instant!

The void trembled violently. The ancient True Dragon, its length immeasurable, suddenly executed a deep dive, plunging headfirst into the Riding Dragon Great Formation beneath it. Countless rays of light burst forth as its seemingly endless body drilled entirely beneath the Great Formation.

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