Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Nine: Disappearance

As Qin Yuan’s aura continued to surge, plumes of black demonic energy began to gather around him. They coalesced without dissipating, taking on a tangible, sinister form, much like a giant, ghastly python, as if ready to strike and devour anyone at any moment.

"So, Fellow Daoist Qin has already stepped into the Essence Gathering Realm. Why bother playing the pig to eat the tiger and toying with us before?" The sickly scholar, Li Zheng, looked at the billowing demonic energy before him, a wry smile touching the corners of his mouth.

"That’s not right! He hasn't advanced to Essence Gathering; he is using a secret technique of the Demon Sect to force his power up," Meng Qi frowned and said.

"Even so, he himself already had one foot across the threshold of the Essence Gathering Realm. Otherwise, it would be impossible to achieve this feat through mere demonic secret arts alone. On the path to the Essence Gathering Realm, Brother Qin has indeed taken a step ahead of us," Yun Xuzi sighed, shaking his head.

With Qin Yuan’s cultivation having made such a great leap, Yun Xuzi naturally abandoned any thoughts of competing for the Galaxy Sand.

"Hehe, this Galaxy Sand will be mine today! Boy, no one can protect you!" Qin Yuan stared at Liang Yan, his eyes brimming with chilling murderous intent.

Liang Yan’s heart was in turmoil. He had calculated every possibility, but he had never accounted for Qin Yuan possessing a secret method to forcibly elevate his strength to the temporary level of the Essence Gathering Realm. Even with the assistance of his four peak Foundation Establishment puppet statues, he was no longer certain he could survive the wrath of this empowered Qin Yuan.

Qin Yuan let out a loud laugh and suddenly reached out into the void. The billowing demonic energy around him instantly transformed into a giant claw, identical to his right hand but magnified countless times. This demonic claw radiated a heaven-shaking pressure as it whistled toward the golden stone platform. The terrifying power contained within it was enough to make even peak Foundation Establishment cultivators like Yun Xuzi and Li Zheng tremble with dread.

Liang Yan’s mind raced, but in the face of such a vast gap in strength, no amount of wit could conjure a way to escape. He sighed inwardly. He had launched a preemptive strike from a desperate situation, hoping to find a path to survival, only to fall short at the final moment.

"Is this the end? Is it true that man proposes, but Heaven disposes..."

Just as despair took hold, his peripheral vision caught something, and a strange expression crossed his face. For a fleeting instant, the eyes of the giant golden dragon head beside him seemed to shift ever so slightly.

Before Liang Yan could react, everyone in the hall heard a faint, ethereal dragon roar. The crowd widened their eyes in shock, turning toward the golden dragon head beside Liang Yan. Though the sound was soft, those with their level of cultivation quickly pinpointed its source.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the golden dragon head slowly turned and opened its maw toward Qin Yuan.

*Puff! Puff! Puff!*

A series of faint, piercing sounds echoed through the air as three black blades of energy shot out from the dragon's gaping mouth, hurtling toward Qin Yuan.

"It’s sword energy!" Li Zheng shouted, rapidly retreating away from Qin Yuan, fearing he might be caught in the crossfire. The other two Foundation Establishment cultivators also looked on with wariness, distancing themselves as quickly as possible.

The black sword energy whistled through the air, directly colliding with the towering demonic claw Qin Yuan had summoned.

The formidable demonic claw, upon being struck by the three streaks of black sword energy, let out a series of hissing sounds. It was shredded into pieces instantly, as if the energy were a blade slicing through tofu.

Qin Yuan gasped in shock. Ignoring Liang Yan, he frantically formed hand seals, summoning the large purple seal above his head to defend his body while he leaped backward.

After tearing through the demonic claw, the three streaks of black sword energy continued their relentless pursuit toward him.

*Bang!*

The sword energy struck the purple seal. The ancient artifact, which had appeared to be of extremely high quality, could not even block the attack for a fraction of a second. It shattered into dust, completely vanishing from existence.

Qin Yuan’s face changed drastically. He changed direction while frantically forming more hand seals, seemingly attempting another demonic secret technique. However, the black sword energy was far too fast and had locked onto him firmly, denying him any chance to escape. In the blink of an eye, it tore through his demonic defenses and left three bloody holes in his body.

Qin Yuan’s eyes bulged, a look of utter disbelief frozen on his face even in death.

It all happened so suddenly. From the moment Qin Yuan erupted with the power of the Essence Gathering Realm to the moment the golden dragon head shot out the sword energy to kill him, only a few breaths had passed. Qin Yuan had been a prodigy of the Demon Sect, a man who had dominated the Zhao Kingdom for half his life and even established his own sect, yet he died here in such an obscure fashion, without leaving behind a single last word.

The others in the hall finally regained their senses, looking at the golden dragon head beside Liang Yan with lingering fear. The vast golden palace fell into a heavy silence.

After a long while, someone asked softly, "Did any of you discern the origins of that black sword energy?"

The speaker was Li Zheng, and he was addressing the remaining two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Yun Xuzi frowned, "The path of the Sword Cultivator is a closely guarded secret in our human cultivation world, a radical practice left over from ancient times. With my limited knowledge and experience, I do not recognize the origin of this black sword energy."

Meng Qi, however, wore a thoughtful expression. She spoke slowly, "I, too, am unaware of the origin of this sword energy. But I noticed that besides the flight restriction, there is another formation at play here!"

"Oh? What other formation? Please enlighten us, Fairy Meng!" Li Zheng asked with great interest.

"A cultivation-level restriction!"

"A cultivation-level restriction?"

Yun Xuzi fell into deep thought, then nodded in agreement. "That is correct! The golden dragon head struck at the precise moment Qin Yuan revealed his Essence Gathering strength. It is clear that there is a restriction on cultivation levels here."

"Actually, it is easy to understand from another perspective," Meng Qi looked at the others and said calmly. "Having passed through the Trial Path, you must know that the master of this tomb is seeking a successor to inherit his legacy. The tomb master’s cultivation was unfathomable; naturally, he seeks a successor with immense talent, not one who relies on brute force to crush others. Therefore, anyone whose power exceeds the Foundation Establishment stage is ruthlessly erased by the formation."

"Fairy Meng’s words make sense!" Li Zheng nodded in agreement, looking deeply convinced.

...

While the three Foundation Establishment sect leaders were discussing, Liang Yan, standing on the stone platform, was covered in a cold sweat. The reason was simple: ever since the golden dragon head had killed Qin Yuan, it had been glaring at him!

The sensation was bizarre. In the eyes of the others, the golden statue had not changed, but Liang Yan could feel the eerie dragon head staring directly at him. He was in agony; his energy was completely locked, and he could not move his feet an inch. An immense pressure weighed upon him, leaving him afraid to even breathe.

But the ordeal did not last long.

*ROAR!*

Another faint dragon cry echoed!

The others turned in panic, only to see that the dragon head was now aimed directly at Liang Yan, who stood on the stone platform. Black light swirled within the dragon's gaping maw, clearly brewing another round of sword energy.

"That boy is dead!" This was the thought that simultaneously crossed the minds of the three Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Yet, the person standing before the dragon head did not seem to realize this. He stared blankly into the dragon's open mouth, looking slightly puzzled. The next moment, as if he had realized something, he raised his hand and tossed the white jade bottle he was holding directly into the dragon's mouth.

*ROAR!*

Accompanied by a high-pitched dragon cry, a blinding white light erupted from the stone platform. Even with their cultivation, experts like Yun Xuzi did not dare to look directly at it, covering their faces with their sleeves.

When the white light dissipated and the dragon cry faded, the crowd opened their eyes to see that the stone platform was completely empty.

Both the giant golden dragon statue and Liang Yan had vanished without a trace.