······

Above the Cangming Soul River, within the Spirit Hall, inside Lu Jin'an's Sea of Consciousness.

Lu Jin'an, Lu Yunzhu, and Pei Wanyu's Divine Souls watched the scene that had vanished from their sight—what they had just seen through the eyes of Songzhu Immortal Monarch—with very different expressions.

"That black giant Dragon Soul…"

Pei Wanyu mused, "Is it the Dragon Clan that's so rare it went extinct, the kind born to command darkness?"

"Doesn't look like it." Lu Yunzhu's face was expressionless. "That kind of dragon might—not every dragon has it. Even Zhu Tianqi would find it hard to reach this level." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Then it can't possibly be the Candle Dragon, right?" Pei Wanyu looked at Lu Yunzhu. "The Candle Dragon isn't that color, and if the Candle Dragon really descended, it wouldn't need such a roundabout method."

"Maybe it has something to do with Dark Matter." Lu Yunzhu looked at Lu Jin'an and said, "The Candle Dragon that vanished for so long was captured, then corroded by Dark Matter, and finally turned into that thing…

It's possible Yunkong Mountain wants to use this to restrain Zhu Tianqi. What do you think?"

Before Lu Jin'an could speak, she continued, "I went to Outer Heaven and ran into Huang Ningshang. She asked me to be careful of a dragon."

Hearing her voice, Lu Jin'an couldn't help turning his head to look at Lu Yunzhu.

So Huang Ningshang really is in Outer Heaven…

He just didn't know how she was hiding her tracks, or where in Outer Heaven she was concealed…

Thinking back to the secret Huang Ningshang had told him at Two Realms Pass, Lu Jin'an thought of all the questions he wanted to ask her.

But now that he knew where this woman roughly was, there was no need to overthink it. He would see her sooner or later anyway.

Looking into Lu Yunzhu's eyes, Lu Jin'an calmly said, "She should be referring to that dragon. As for what exactly it is, once Yunkong Mountain truly summons it down, Sis, you'll definitely find out via Xuanri Mountain as well."

Lu Yunzhu stared at Lu Jin'an for a while, then suddenly asked, "Did you find out?"

"Find out what?" Pei Wanyu asked on reflex, her gaze sweeping back and forth between her good disciple and Lu Yunzhu.

Looking at Lu Yunzhu, Lu Jin'an knew very well she was asking about his relationship with Huang Ningshang… so this is a woman's intuition?

"No idea. Once Yunkong Mountain fully summons that Dragon Soul, we'll definitely know. Yunkong Mountain has most likely teamed up with Zhu Tianqi, and now that this accident happened, Zhu Tianqi will surely make a move."

Lu Jin'an said lightly, "As for now, we just wait. Once we're strong enough, any problem can be solved easily."

"You answering like that—are you feeling guilty?"

"Heh…" Lu Jin'an laughed noncommittally. "You really can imagine things. On what you're thinking of, I'm perfectly aboveboard. It's definitely not what you think."

'Anyway, I don't know anything. The only one not aboveboard is Huang Ningshang.'

Lu Jin'an was very calm. Lu Yunzhu gave him another couple of looks and didn't ask further.

As she took stock of Lu Jin'an's Sea of Consciousness, Lu Yunzhu shifted the topic. "Cultivate. You don't mind sharing a portion of the Cangming Soul River with me, do you?"

"Of course I don't mind." Lu Jin'an said with a cheerful smile. "Even if you didn't ask, would I not give it to you? I really respect you, you know."

Though she knew this bratty little brother was deliberately flattering her, Lu Yunzhu just happened to enjoy hearing this sort of thing, so she merely snorted softly and said no more.

Pei Wanyu covertly glared at her smelly disciple. So sneaky and mysterious with Lu Yunzhu… so annoying～

But the next second, her eyes swiveled. What would Lu Yunzhu's expression look like when her composure collapsed?

With that thought, she leaned over beside Lu Yunzhu and egged her on. "Since you're already here, aren't you going to do something?"

"No!"

Lu Yunzhu refused without hesitation. If it were in private that would be one thing, but right now, she had absolutely no intention of showing that kind of broken image in front of this roast-chicken Pei Wanyu.

How embarrassing!

Done speaking, Lu Yunzhu shut her eyes directly and began drawing on the power of the Cangming Soul River that had flowed into Lu Jin'an's Sea of Consciousness.

"Tsk."

Clicking her tongue, Pei Wanyu looked back at Lu Jin'an. She naturally wouldn't incite her good disciple—he was busy breaking through.

But… there would be an opportunity sooner or later!

Once her good disciple steps into Divine Concealment and can easily play Lu Yunzhu in the palm of his hand, she would egg him on to mess with Lu Yunzhu like that!

Pei Wanyu began working out a detailed plan, but she still didn't leave Lu Jin'an's Sea of Consciousness, in case Lu Yunzhu tried anything fishy toward her good disciple.

The Sea of Consciousness settled into calm; each did their own thing.

At the same time, far away in the Demon World's Dragon Clan Dragon Hall, Zhu Tianqi was staring darkly at the several-zhang-long pitch-black dragon body lying sprawled across the table.

"Useless trash, all of them!"

Originally, when that dragon body appeared, the Candle Dragon had 'come to life' as well. But now it lay on the table motionless like a corpse. It went without saying that something had gone wrong on Yunkong Mountain's side.

But what had gone wrong was, for the moment, unknown.

Zhu Tianqi wasn't worried that those Soul Cultivators from Yunkong Mountain coveted the Candle Dragon Dragon Soul, because he had left a backhand. So the current problem most likely came from outside.

Did Li Chengshi make a move?

Zhu Tianqi pondered for a while, then said to the several Dragon Saints behind him, "Keep a close watch on Him, and on the most perfect 'Fragment' we prepared."

As he spoke, he patted the side of the figure sitting cross-legged on the floor, eyes dull and lifeless. "If anything goes wrong, I will not let it slide."

As his words fell, he took a single step and silently slipped into the void.

When he appeared again, he was already back in the Upper Realm Dragon Palace, his expression indifferent as he looked at a Dragon Saint whose four limbs were pinned to the wall.

"Something went wrong on Yunkong Mountain's side." Zhu Tianqi clasped his hands behind his back. "Do we keep waiting, or is there another way?"

The Dragon Saint, face mottled with blood, looked up at Zhu Tianqi. "Wait. It's only a matter of time…

Let me tell you something: Zheng Dongliu has begun the Heavenly Human Five Declines."

At that, Zhu Tianqi frowned slightly. "That fast?"

"What, you feel regret?"

"That's right." Zhu Tianqi sighed lightly. "I even wanted to personally send him on his way. Since he's already entered the Heavenly Human Five Declines, I suppose that's off the table."

"You still want to challenge him? Aren't you afraid you'll die?"

"I am. But the benefits of defeating him are greater." Zhu Tianqi smiled. "Enough about that. I want to ask something else."

"Let's hear it."

"How did my esteemed grandfather agree to cooperate with you in the first place?"

"You people didn't have a choice." The Dragon Saint spoke with deep meaning. "Even the Candle Dragon ended up like that—do you still have a choice?

Follow us, and you won't just gain true immortality. You'll also get to see a far vaster world."

Zhu Tianqi made no comment on that. "It's just cooperation, nothing more."

"Yes, the fact that we can cooperate at all is a good thing." The Dragon Saint let out a dry laugh. "Back then, the Candle Dragon opening its eyes was day, closing its eyes was night. What's so bad about darkness, don't you think?"

"That depends on what kind of darkness it is."

Zhu Tianqi walked step by step up to the Dragon Saint, raised his hand, and directly pierced through the latter's glabella. "Cooperation may not be to your advantage. But as for your current goodwill, I don't mind making full use of it."

"As you wish."

The Dragon Saint's blood and Qi were sucked away at an astonishing speed by Zhu Tianqi. His body gradually reverted to its true dragon form, shriveling and turning hideous, and with a clench of Zhu Tianqi's right hand, it collapsed into a pile of powder.

"Haa…"

Zhu Tianqi exhaled lightly, then walked out of the Dragon Palace and headed toward Hidden Life Mountain.

He dared to go to Hidden Life Mountain alone, but he would never go to Yunkong Mountain alone.

Because he knew his weak point was his Divine Soul. So even though Yunkong Mountain wasn't especially strong, he had no wish to get injured there.

"Dark Matter…"

Looking at the wisp of black Qi in his hand that was devouring his own Qi, Zhu Tianqi couldn't help recalling the words passed down by his great-grandfather to the direct Bloodline.

No ascension allowed! No ascension allowed! No ascension allowed!

Most of the Bloodline didn't take it too seriously at first, but as they dug deeper, they gradually came to understand the indescribable fear hidden in those words.

But…

Zhu Tianqi clenched his right hand, surging demon Qi annihilating that wisp of black Qi in his palm completely.

"You're scared. I'm not!"

······