"Hmph!" Chen Zheng sneered. "Want to kill me? Wait for your next life!"

SWISH!

With a flick of his sleeves, a scroll-like jade tablet hovered in midair. Its surface was densely covered with runes, exuding an ancient and profound aura. The moment the jade tablet opened, the Yinsha Old Demon felt a sharp, needle-like pain in his head and howled in agony.

ARGH—

A second later, he clutched his head and knelt on the ground.

"Yinsha Old Demon, it's not too late to surrender. Otherwise, your soul will immediately shatter into pieces!" Chen Zheng was supremely arrogant, a hint of joy on his brow, for he had sensed a wisp of a Saint's aura. This was the aura of a Saint, the life-saving ace his master had left for him.

"Hahaha!" The Yinsha Old Demon endured the pain, laughing wildly at the sky. "Surrender? You think this broken jade tablet can trap me? Chen Zheng, you underestimate me! I have roamed the Netherworld for twenty years. I've encountered countless dangers, yet I've survived every single one unscathed!"

"Do you really think this jade tablet is just an ordinary magical artifact? Hmph! If this jade tablet were just a simple magical artifact, it wouldn't be worthy of being called a gift from a Saint!" Chen Zheng mocked.

"You..."

The Yinsha Old Demon hesitated, a puzzled look on his face. Something is wrong! This jade tablet is definitely not a magical artifact; the might it emits exceeds my comprehension!

"I'll test the power of your jade tablet myself!" he roared, gritting his teeth and thrusting out a hand to attack.

WHOOSH!

A gray sword beam condensed and stabbed toward the jade tablet.

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion erupted.

The gray sword beam shattered. Not only did the beam itself shatter, but the Sword Intent contained within it also completely dissipated. The Yinsha Old Demon screamed tragically as a hole was pierced through his chest. He crashed heavily into the dirt, unable to rise for some time.

"Hehehe! Yinsha Old Demon, you can't dodge this move!" Chen Zheng was extremely pleased, commanding the Dragon Lizard to rush forward and bite straight into the Yinsha Old Demon's neck.

"No!" the Yinsha Old Demon shrieked piercingly.

SQUELCH!

It swallowed him in one gulp.

CRACK! CRUNCH! The Dragon Lizard began to chew.

"He's dead just like that?" Chen Zheng was astonished.

"Hehe! This Dragon Lizard is a king among the Dragon Clan, no weaker than a peak Immortal Emperor Realm demonic beast!" the remnant soul of the Underworld Puppet cackled. It knew that by devouring the Yinsha Old Demon's soul, the Dragon Lizard could enhance its cultivation. It wouldn't be long before its power was restored, and by then, it would undoubtedly be stronger, possibly even transforming into a truly formidable demonic beast.

"A dragon from the Dragon Clan?" Chen Zheng's eyes narrowed slightly. He whispered an incantation, activating the Yinsha Bell.

WHIR!

The Dragon Lizard's devouring speed suddenly increased. The Yinsha Old Demon's soul began to disintegrate, and as it dispersed, the Dragon Lizard's body began to swell. It grew larger and larger, and in a quarter of an hour, it reached a height of ten thousand feet. By now, it had evolved into a true member of the Dragon Clan, its scales turning from their original pitch-black to a bronze color.

ROAR!

It roared furiously, shaking the entire valley. As it bellowed, a formidable aura was released, repelling both the Yinsha Bell and the Yinsha Soul-locking Chain.

"What!" The remnant soul of the Underworld Puppet's eyes widened. This... This Dragon Lizard has completely transformed into a True Dragon?! No! To be precise, it transformed into a True Dragon and is only a single step away from entering the True Immortal Realm. If this Dragon Lizard succeeds, then even if it isn't a True Immortal, it won't be far off!

The Yinsha Old Demon's soul was shattered by the Dragon Lizard's roar; he was completely annihilated.

"Haha! Hahaha! My Chen Family is finally going to rise! The Chen Family doesn't need trash like the Yinsha Old Demon!" Chen Zheng trembled with excitement. He brought out a short dagger, cut his wrist, and hot blood immediately surged out. He caught the blood in his hand and smeared it on the Dragon Lizard's forehead.

SWISH!

In an instant, the ferocity vanished from the Dragon Lizard's eyes, replaced by respect and adoration. When Chen Zheng withdrew his hand, the Dragon Lizard actually knelt. "Master!"

"Dragon Lizard," Chen Zheng raised an eyebrow, suppressing his inner ecstasy and adopting a composed, serious expression. "You should go into seclusion first. After you have trained properly, you can fight by my side. Remember, do not be impatient."

The Dragon Lizard nodded obediently and prostrated on the ground. After a moment of silence, it let out a low hum and then turned into a streak of light that disappeared into Chen Zheng's right arm.

Chen Zheng glanced at his left shoulder, his frown deepening slightly, because the wound had already healed. To allow the Dragon Lizard to smoothly devour the Yinsha Old Demon's soul, he had expended some of his life essence using a secret technique. But it was fine—the wound was already healed. Should he encounter another enemy like the Yinsha Old Demon, he would have a way to heal his injuries, even if his body suffered another catastrophic blow.

SWOOSH!

Suddenly, he looked up towards the east. "Hm? Why has the Yinsha Soul Locking Bell flown away?"

He huffed lightly and gave chase, but his brows soon furrowed again. Although the Yinsha Soul Locking Bell had stopped fleeing, it remained suspended in mid-air, not falling.

RATTLE!

Suddenly, the Yinsha Soul Locking Bell shook violently, and an illusory figure emerged from it.

"You must be Chen Zheng. Want to know why the Yinsha Soul Locking Bell suddenly fled? Your injuries are too severe. In your current condition, you're completely unable to expel the Yinsha Old Demon's soul!" the illusory figure stared at Chen Zheng with cold detachment.

"Oh?" Chen Zheng glanced at the Yinsha Soul Locking Bell, a scornful smirk on his lips. "The Yinsha Old Demon's soul must have been drained by the Yinsha Soul Locking Bell, right? His divine consciousness must have been devoured and refined by you. Tsk, tsk. After devouring the Yinsha Old Demon's divine consciousness, your strength must have improved significantly. You must now be in the Tribulation Realm!"

"You actually guessed it! That's right, I have passed three heavenly tribulations and am now at the mid-stage of the Tribulation Realm! I've devoured the Yinsha Old Demon's soul! What's more, I've plundered your life essence. You haven't even entered the Nascent Soul Stage, have you? I could crush your head with one palm!" the illusory figure said with chilling coldness, glancing at Chen Zheng before continuing, "Are you wondering why, if I'm in the Tribulation Realm, I don't just kill you myself? Why I'm using the Yinsha Soul Locking Bell to seal you away, plunging you into a deep slumber to be slowly tortured to death?"

"Why is that?" Chen Zheng asked with a smile.

"Why... You'll understand soon enough!" The illusory figure was taken aback for a moment before revealing a ferocious grin. He spat out a purple-gold Spirit Talisman, which flashed and coalesced into an ethereal rope that instantly looped around Chen Zheng.

SWISH!

The purple-gold rope quivered, and Chen Zheng was sent falling from the mountaintop.

BOOM!

He crashed into the depths of the gorge.

"Ha!" With a cold shout, the illusory figure descended on the ethereal rope to the edge of the deep pit. He looked down at Chen Zheng and declared, "Chen Zheng, this time I'm going to flay you into a thousand pieces. I will peel your skin and pull your tendons, leaving you in a state where you can neither live nor die! The Yin Sha Soul Locking Rope is a sect-guarding treasure of the Yinsha Sect, specially designed to counter the soul. Now that you are trapped, you have no way to escape! Your strongest backer, the Yinsha Ancestor, has fallen, and his remains are inside the Yinsha Soul Locking Bell, completely out of your reach! You are now a fish on my chopping block! Today, I shall peel your skin and eat you like dried fish!"

ROAR!

The illusory rope whipped out!

BOOM! A violent disturbance came from within the deep pit.

"Heh! You vile beast only dare to ambush me. Do you have the courage to fight me fairly and squarely?" a voice as cold as ice rang out.

WHOOSH!

From the depths of the pit, a figure soared into the sky.

"What!" The illusory figure, seeing the soaring figure, retreated in abject terror. With a loud explosion, the illusory body shattered into dust.

WHOOSH!

The figure landed. It was a youth, his face filled with a sinister smile.

"You... Weren't you supposed to be in a deep slumber?" a vast and ancient voice thundered from the void.

"Asleep? Who told you I had fallen into slumber? Yinsha Old Demon, I have only been awake for a few months, and you dared to betray me!" The youth grinned wickedly, his malevolent gaze sweeping across the area before settling on the Yinsha Soul Locking Bell. He stepped forward, reaching into the air toward it. "Yinsha Soul Locking Bell, a gift I gave you upon my awakening!"

CRACK

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