Chen Yi charged into this battlefield with a single sword strike. The Taoist ritual conducted by the two Taichua Goddesses was highly successful, radiating an immortal golden light.

A colossal golden dragon twisted and turned, coiling around the surging waters of the Huangquan River. Its massive mouth gathered roaring purple energy, unleashing yet another towering column of raging purple lightning.

The arcs of lightning exploded outward, resembling blossoms of fire and silver, while the tumultuous clouds roiled violently. The purple lightning surged forward like mountains, shattering houses along its path. Looking down from above, Yin Capital had already descended into utter chaos.

However, because the All-Souls Banner on the Heaven-and-Earth Altar had absorbed the spirits from the ghost city, the chaos was just that—simply chaos without malevolent souls adding to the danger.

The majestic purple thunder bore down, but Chen Yi's body emitted a radiant and holy light that naturally suppressed filthy and dark entities. The sinister energy within the mighty purple thunder began to fracture, weakening significantly before it reached him.

Chen Yi swung his sword sharply, his Sword Intent surging with dazzling radiance, instantly shattering the purple lightning.

An ordinary strike might not have vanquished the overwhelming thunder, but the ritual performed by the Taichua Goddesses—one of whom was the half-step Immortal Yu Zhen Primordial Sovereign—was executed on an altar derived from True Martial Mountain's "Northern True Martial Demon-Suppressing Ritual." Even Yin Weiyin, at the Core Formation Realm, could withstand attacks and exchange blows upon receiving its protective blessing.

As for why Taihua Mountain possessed True Martial Mountain's Taoist techniques—it was simply the nature of cultivators to pursue eternal life and unfettered freedom. What is freedom? It is acting according to one's desires. Whether one's intent was to ascend Mount Tai or anything else, it would be realized. Hence, except for matters fundamental to their sects, Taoist skills were often shared among factions without significant rivalries.

The fully powered purple lightning was cut away by Chen Yi's sword. The golden dragon grew increasingly enraged, lifting its head and roaring furiously, its deafening cries whipping up storm winds and torrential rain, further amplifying the ghostly aura.

Yet, at the precise moment of its roar, Zhou Yitang's blade descended.

The ghostly aura in the heavens and earth lost its color in an instant, parting completely as though making way for the strike.

The former emperor attempted to block the sword but saw Chen Yi already riding the wind and rushing over.

This once-reigning Emperor of Great Yu unleashed his murderous aura in defense, wielding the colossal Netherworld Sword as it tried to intercept the incoming attack. The murderous aura transformed into countless blades and sword shadows, lunging toward Chen Yi.

Chen Yi formed a hand seal for a spell. In midair, flickers of electricity coalesced.

Soon, they unified into a brilliant thunderbolt.

The massive lightning column, accompanied by vats of magical molten brew and golden battle axes invoked by the ritual, pulverized the myriad blades and shadows into dust.

With oppressive gusts raging, the former emperor's expression shifted to one of terror. Chen Yi's mastery of lightning was impeccable, exploiting the weak point—just as the murderous aura coagulated but had not yet solidified its form.

It was as though Chen Yi had foreseen this moment.

The Living Blades of Yin Sword Mountain surged toward the emperor with an unrelenting brilliance. Faced with the assault, he was left with two choices: either meet the sword head-on and try to block the armored sword strike directly, or recall the Netherworld Sword to protect himself.

In the fraction of a second he hesitated, the Netherworld Sword withdrew.

Boom!

Sword edge met sword edge, and the titanic blade erupted with waves of suffocating murderous aura. Chen Yi's figure was struck by the force, sent tumbling backward as the energy reverberated.

Yet the ritual's summoned Sun-Moon Big Dipper Formation remained active. Chen Yi only spun a few times through the air before steadying himself and rising again amidst the roaring winds.

Meanwhile, the golden dragon—

The Sword Armor's devastating strike landed squarely on its lower jaw, causing dragon blood to spurt forth like a fountain, as an immense gash several meters long burst open.

"Roar—roar—roar!"

The golden dragon raised its head, letting out piercing howls of anguish. The Sword Qi burrowed deep into its body, wreaking havoc within, shredding flesh and sinew; it seemed to suffer pain as if it had its tendons ripped out and bones flayed.

The former emperor momentarily dazed, a fleeting thought crossed his mind: if he were to make a sacrifice and personally block that sword from the Imperial Guardsman, while the Netherworld Sword continued intercepting the Sword Armor's strike—what would the outcome be?

But in the end, his sword remained withdrawn, guarding himself.

Perhaps it was the selfish nature fostered by slaying one's "Three Corpses" that dictated survival above all; or perhaps it was the soul of a paper man, born into this precarious world, always calculating each move with utmost caution...

In the end, that strike was retracted, leaving the former emperor untouched.

The only consequence was the golden dragon's anguished cries as its blood cascaded down.

Chen Yi steadied himself, his sword pointing directly at the one-time ruler of Great Yu.

The former emperor's face darkened ominously, sinister aura pouring forth. Skeletal apparitions emerged behind him—a swirling mass of human bones forming chains surged outward from his body in a circular radius, rushing toward the golden dragon.

The chains of bones entangled the dragon, gripping its struggling five claws and tightening around its trembling horns, binding its maw as if taming a wild steed. Under the chains' oppressive restraint, the golden dragon's fierce gaze gradually lost its defiance, and its mighty body quivered as the former emperor ascended and planted himself firmly atop its head.

Although these countless chains were condensed from murderous energy, the bizarre inscriptions upon them indicated their source...

"The Demon Cult's Five Venoms Soul-Binding Chains?"

Yu Zhen Primordial Sovereign gasped in astonishment.

As a half-step Immortal, she was no reclusive cultivator unaware of worldly affairs; with a single glance, she discerned the origin of these chains.

The Demon Cult, notorious for treating the physical body as a shackle, would even kill merely to liberate souls from their earthly bindings and awaken true clarity. A technique like using human bones to forge chains was far from surprising.

The golden dragon quickly fell under the chains' dominion, its consciousness erased in an instant, the shackles coiling around its enormous frame.

Its mournful cries now seemed like chants reciting the Demon Cult's scriptures.

The chains of human bones completely subdued the golden dragon. The former emperor's dominance soared higher and higher, reaching its zenith. At that moment, his imposing figure appeared inseparable from the dragon beneath his feet—grand and unmatched!

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