Cultivation Starts from Farming Chapter 954 - 414: Ten Thousand Woods Evergreen Scripture: Perfection (Part 3)

Pfft!

Severed at the body, the serpent was on the brink of death from its near fatal injuries.

Witnessing this, Hongyi’s eyes gleamed, and without delay, he deployed the Dragon Locking Pin.

Buzz!

The pin radiated spiritual light, striking down the now defenseless Nether Serpent.

The colossal serpent’s body twitched a few times before ultimately succumbing to the seabed, its life force completely extinguished.

The ocean’s surface gradually settled, leaving behind only a potent scent of blood and lingering energetic ripples.

Yet, at this very moment, an intensely dense evil qi enveloped Hongyi.

Xu Ping was also affected by the malevolent qi, though to a lesser degree than Hongyi.

With a flick of his wrist, Xu Ping conjured a dark, fist-sized Essence Soul Pill, exuding immense life essence and soul power, which detached from the sinking serpent’s corpse and landed in his palm.

Hongyi, retracting his Dragon Locking Pin whose light had diminished slightly, gazed at the massive serpent’s carcass and chuckled,

"Fellow Daoist Xu, the might of your Sword Array is truly awe-inspiring. I am deeply impressed."

Xu Ping, sensing the formidable energy within the Essence Soul Pill, was equally pleased and replied with a laugh,

"It was all thanks to Fellow Daoist Hong’s incisive secret treasure that its foundation was sealed, allowing me to inflict severe damage. A most excellent collaboration!"

Having secured the Essence Soul Pill, with minimal taint and a convenient scapegoat, the outcome was simply perfect.

The two exchanged satisfied smiles, both content with the result.

Thus, they gathered their spoils, meticulously erased any traces of their presence, and transformed into streaks of escaping light, departing discreetly.

Beneath the abyss, only a pool of blood remained, silently bearing witness to the brief yet ferociously intense hunt.

....

Two years elapsed.

Within a secluded cluster of circular coral reefs.

This locale was characterized by powerful undercurrents, treacherous jagged rocks, and a faint dragon aura permeating the waters, signifying it as the domain of a true dragon descendant.

At this juncture, a thunderous roar, intermingled with a dragon's cry, erupted from the heart of the reef formation.

"Boom!"

Sword light, akin to an inescapable prison, flashed.

A Sword Array, intricately woven from seventy-three Cyan Locust Wood Thunder Swords, functioned like a colossal millstone, ensnaring a true dragon descendant several hundred feet in length at its center. The beast, adorned with dazzling golden scales, bore a single horn upon its head and possessed five talons on each of its forelimbs.

This true dragon, having evidently only recently ascended to the Fourth Rank Upper Grade, possessed a pure bloodline and a potent dragon aura. Its strength was comparable to that of established Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

It thrashed wildly within the Sword Domain, its draconic tail lashing out with violent force, pulverizing countless reefs, while its dragon breath warped the very air around it.

Despite being heavily suppressed by the Sword Array, it had managed to achieve a temporary stalemate.

"Roar! How dare the human race trespass upon the lineage of the True Dragon Hall!"

The true dragon bellowed, its voice echoing through the surroundings. Its golden draconic eyes blazed with fury, yet a flicker of fear underscored its rage.

It had not anticipated that merely after achieving its breakthrough and stabilizing its cultivation, while preparing to embark on a hunt amongst the human populace,

it had been targeted immediately after devouring a human settlement.

Outside the Sword Domain, Xu Ping’s dark robes billowed, his expression impassive as he executed sword techniques, his hands guiding the Sword Array in its relentless compression and annihilation.

Adjacent to him, Hongyi, wielding the Dragon Locking Pin, continuously assaulted the dragon’s form, inflicting deep, bone-revealing wounds. The pervasive evil qi relentlessly corroded the true dragon’s life force.

However, this true dragon’s vitality far surpassed that of ordinary Fourth Rank demonic beasts. Its hide was exceptionally tough, hindering an immediate kill.

Observing this, a glint appeared in Xu Ping’s eyes as he opened his mouth to unleash a devastating blow.

Whoosh!

An almost imperceptible glint traversed spatial distances, instantly piercing the true dragon’s massive cranium.

"Argh!"

The true dragon emitted an excruciating wail, its circulating dragon power abruptly ceasing. Its movements grew markedly sluggish.

"Slash!"

Xu Ping executed another sword technique, channeling the Sword Array’s power. Countless sword lights descended like a torrential downpour, engulfing the majority of the true dragon in an instant.

"Lock!"

Seizing this critical moment, Hongyi uttered a low command.

The Dragon Locking Pin transformed into several obsidian vipers, which swiftly breached the dragon’s scaled defenses, embedding themselves deeply within the true dragon’s vital meridian nodes.

Dragon blood erupted like waterfalls, protective scales shattered, and its heart sustained a fatal strike.

Yet, the actual dragon did not perish until the Dragon Locking Pin tore its body asunder. With a final, unwilling cry, its colossal form surrendered its strength.

It plummeted onto the jagged reefs with a deafening roar, launching waves tens of thousands of feet into the air as its life force rapidly ebbed away.

At this very moment, Hongyi, having just vanquished the true dragon, was enveloped in an almost unbearable concentration of evil qi, appearing like an Asura freshly emerged from the pits of hell.

Conversely, Xu Ping's presence of evil qi was markedly less intense.

Xu Ping gestured, recalling his Sword Array, and swiftly moved forward. With the Canghua Divine Wood Sword, he precisely split open the dragon's head.

Subsequently, he retrieved a pill the size of a fist, radiating golden light. This Essence Soul Pill contained the concentrated essence and soul force of the dragon.

This true dragon was indeed quite formidable. Fortunately, Hongyi's Dragon Locking Pin had subdued it.

Had Xu Ping been forced to battle it alone, it would undoubtedly have presented a significant challenge, perhaps even allowing the beast to escape.

After all, both the Sword Array and the Puppet Array lacked the necessary flexibility, proving more suitable for static engagements.

"We must not tarry here."

Xu Ping carefully secured the Essence Soul Pill and stated in a deep voice, "Having taken the life of a true dragon descendant, the True Dragon Hall must surely be aware of it by now."

"The dense evil qi clinging to us makes us easy targets for tracking. It's time we ceased our activities here."

Hongyi packed the dragon's body and agreed, nodding, "Indeed, this residual evil qi must be purged swiftly."

Though he was affiliated with the Star Palace, the potent evil qi made him an easier target for detection by the True Dragon Hall.

"In that case, let us part ways here. Our combined presence is too conspicuous and increases our danger," Xu Ping proposed.

"That aligns perfectly with my thoughts."

Hongyi chuckled, "Once I have eradicated this evil qi, I shall seek you out, Fellow Daoist Xu, and together we shall hunt demonic beasts!"

"That should be no problem at all," Xu Ping replied with a smile.

Having a ready scapegoat at his disposal would expedite the elevation of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner to a supreme treasure status.

Then, even without considering the Divinity Transformation cultivators, at the Nascent Soul level, he would likely possess few peers.

However, before they separated, Xu Ping produced a pre-prepared jade slip and offered it to Hongyi.

"Fellow Daoist Hong, I have a minor favor to ask of you."

"This jade slip details certain artifact refining materials that are vital to my progress. However, their collection is proving quite arduous. Would you be so kind as to keep an eye out for them on my behalf?"

"For any Spirit Stones or equivalent compensation required, I, Xu Mou, will not be stingy."