<h4>Chapter 531: The Ingrained Curse</h4>
"Senior, do you have any methods of handling this superior draconic vein?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.
The ck lotus replied, "This superior draconic vein has the might of a Golden Immortal, but not the body of one. Dealing with it is possible, though somewhat dangerous. Ao Zhou''s cooperation will be necessary."
"Ao Zhou? Can he suppress the superior draconic vein?" Xiao Nanfeng eximed.
"Naturally not, but his blood can."
"Ao Zhou''s blood? Within the Eastern Sea Draconic Pce, Ao Zhou''s blood waspletely reced with that of his ancestral dragon. Does that blood have the ability of suppressing superior draconic veins?!"
"Ancestral dragon''s blood? No wonder he seems extraordinary. That must be why. Ancestral dragon''s blood contains the essence of draconic might, but he doesn''t know how to use it yet. He should be able to suppress the superior draconic vein for some time."
"Only for a period of time?"
"Of course. Do you think a superior draconic vein would be dealt with so easily? Both of us will have to strike simultaneously as well."
"Oh?"
"However, there will be a certain amount of risk we take by doing so. If we''re careless, we might end up in danger."
"What do you need me to do?" Xiao Nanfeng asked directly.
"Absorb the curse with your physical body. I''ll magnify it," the ck lotus replied."
"With my physical body?" Xiao Nanfeng eximed.
"That''s right. The curse is powerful, but you cultivate the Jade Emperor''s Frame. The path of the Jade Emperor is one brimming with justice and righteousness. It is immune to all manner of techniques, of tribtions. The innate divinity of your Immortal bones can cleanse all curses."
Xiao Nanfeng nodded. "I''ll listen to you, Senior. Please guide me when ites to the details."
"Very well."
The ck lotus and Xiao Nanfeng discussed ns for some time.
Xiao Nanfeng, having fleshed out his strategy, gathered his subordinates and discussed the n.
"What? I''m supposed to suppress it? I don''t want to die!" Ao Zhou cried out.
"If we don''t do so, I''m confident I''ll still be able to escape, but you''re surely done for," Xiao Nanfeng replied.
Ao Zhou: ...
"Will you do it, or will you not?"
"Damn it, I will! It won''t be able to eat me. I''m going to stay alive and conquer the four seas!" Ao Zhou cursed.
"Very good. Everyone has a role to y. Let''s prepare to get started, then!"
Just then, the golden dragon thundered, "Are you all ready?"
The golden dragon''s authority dispelled the fog surrounding the cultivators.
"We are," Xiao Nanfeng replied.
"Then destroy the ck chain surrounding my body!" the golden dragon boomed, eyes shing. At the same time, it murmured to itself, "And after that, I''ll swallow you all whole."
Xiao Nanfeng stepped forward. The chain gave off a ck aura that he knew would surround him the moment he touched it. Even so, he didn''t hesitate. He held his palm up like a de and struck at the ck chain.
The ck chain resonated. ck smoke gushed out and surrounded Xiao Nanfeng. A small, thin chain manifested from the smoke and looped around him, while the giant chain that tethered the golden dragon seemed to grow dim.
The golden dragon''s eyes lit up. It thought to itself, "Good! The curse is about to attach to him. I''m going to be freed!"
Just then, the ck lotus emerged from Xiao Nanfeng''s mindscape, shining with ck light. It attacked the ck smoke all around; the next moment, the ck smoke suddenly expanded to ten times its usual size, then a hundred, then a thousand.
"No, what are you doing?! You''re stimting the curse!" the golden dragon cried out.
The ck smoke billowed to thousands of times its original volume, manifesting more and more chains that bound Xiao Nanfeng as well as the golden dragon.
There had only been a single giant ck chain around the golden dragon''s body, but it had multiplied to ten, then a hundred, then a thousand chains.
The dense forest of chains bound the golden dragon.
"Are you crazy? Why did you do that? The power of the curse has only grown stronger, and you''ll suffer its bacsh as well! Do you intend to perish alongside me? No!" the golden dragon howled.
Just then, death chants could be heard all around them. The golden dragon''s struggles turned sluggish, but it didn''t realize what danger the chanting heralded.
Simultaneously, on the Immortal''s Destruction, You Jiu shouted, "Imbue me with spiritual qi, quickly!"
Croak, Warble, the gathered dragons, and the spectral guards all channeled their strength into You Jiu, who activated the Immortal''s Destruction at full strength. Thick Immortal-binding chains bound the golden dragon tightly and even forced it to contort.
The golden dragon, overwhelmed by the sudden intensity of the cursed chain, was caught off-guard by the Immortal''s Destruction. It shouted in anger, "You fools! How dare you attempt to attack me? I''ll eat you all!"
"Ao Zhou, make a move!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.
"I''ming!" Ao Zhou replied, morphing into a ck dragon as he charged into the golden dragon''s mindscape.
With the hypnosis of the death chants, the golden dragon''s mind nked. The suppression of the ck and golden chains diminished its ability to think. Theirbined effects meant that the golden dragon didn''t even notice when Ao Zhou charged into its mindscape.
Then, Ao Zhou released a burst of draconic aura as he channeled energy into his blood, intending to suppress the golden dragon and control it mentally.
The golden dragon suddenly felt that something was amiss, that a draconic aura superior to even its own was attempting to take over its body. It was starting to find its limbs hard to control.
"Impossible. Whose draconic aura could eclipse mine in strength? Who''s trying to possess me? Get out of my body, now!" the golden dragon shouted.
However, it could feel its consciousness slowly being eroded away. Its control over its limbs grew weaker and weaker.
"No. No! I won''t ept this!" the golden dragon howled in fear.
As it struggled violently, the entire Thousand-Spirit Ind began to shake. Huge waves formed across the sea.
Far away, high above the clouds, Ao Shuai had turned back and was now observing the ind.
"Xiao Nanfeng really did know that a superior draconic vein was present!" Ao Shuai eximed.
"They''re trying to subdue the superior draconic vein now. Ah, that Ao Zhou''s in its mindscape now!" one of his subordinates added.
"The superior draconic vein is mine. It''s key to my advancement into a Golden Immortal. Those bastards—I''ll have them return my superior draconic vein to me!" Ao Shuai cursed.
"What do we do now, Master?" one of his subordinates asked.
"Steal it! It''s mine. All of you, snatch it back for me!" Ao Shuaimanded.
"Understood!" his subordinates replied.
Suddenly, a huge rumble came from Thousand-Spirit Ind as it exploded. The golden dragon broke free of the ck and gold chains and soared into the air.
"The superior draconic vein ran off! Chase after it!" Ao Shuaimanded.
"Understood!" His subordinates immediately gave chase.
The golden dragon continued to struggle furiously high above the Thousand-Spirit Ind.
It knew that it would bepletely possessed if it allowed the situation to proceed as nned—and that wasn''t an oue it could ept.
"How dare you bugs scheme against me—all of you should die! You wanted to stimte the curse, didn''t you? I''ll help you. All of you must perish!" the golden dragon howled.
It released a tremendous burst of energy straight at the pit from which the ck chain extended. The ck smoke magnified in intensity tenfold.
"The smoke''s going to head to the other cultivators, none of whom are protected," the ck lotus warned.
"Senior, channel the curse into our body, quickly!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.
The ck lotus began to revolve. Tremendous suction attracted the ck smoke toward Xiao Nanfeng, surrounding his body in countless chains.
By then, the curse hadpletely been freed from the golden dragon''s body and had transferred to Xiao Nanfeng''s instead.
The golden dragon shook as the ck chains vanished from its body. Then, with a snap, the Immortal-binding chains were flung off as well. It soared into the air.
It did want to seek revenge, but with Ao Zhou''s possession over its body, it was finding it more and more difficult to maneuver. Ao Zhou controlled the greater part of its body, and he possessed an absolute advantage.
"Scram!" the golden dragon howled.
Ao Zhou understood what was going on now. His smile widened in ravenous greed. "I''m rich, haha! This superior draconic vein is wholly mine. I''ll have it all to myself!"
He quickly steered the golden dragon away from the ind, intending to monopolize it for himself. The golden dragon, worried about the cursed chain and the ominous chanting, cooperated.
The two minds steered the huge body away from the scene, not realizing that Ao Shuai and his subordinates were chasing after them.
As all the Immortal-binding chains exploded, those cultivators responsible for manipting the Immortal''s Destruction suffered tremendous bacsh. Theyy strewn across the ground, vomiting out blood.
"Your Majesty!" You Jiu cried out.
"Xiao Nanfeng!" Croak and Warble shouted.
Xiao Nanfeng, surrounded by countless ck chains, was dragged into the huge pit.
The cultivators ran up to the pit, only to see that it was filled with ck smoke. They couldn''t see whaty within.
"His Majesty''s in there now. What do we do?" a spectral guard fretted.
"Your avatar is in Yongding. Quick, go ask His Majesty''s avatar what to do," You Jiumanded one of his subordinates.
"Understood!" Very quickly, the subordinate replied, "His Majesty said not to worry. Leave with the Immortal''s Destruction immediately!"
You Jiu was taken aback, but nodded firmly. He immediately began to pack up the Immortal''s Destruction. "Let''s go!"
"Understood!" everyone chorused.
They dove into the sea and vanished underwater.
Meanwhile, Ao Shuai''s subordinates quickly descended onto the ind, wanting to figure out what had happened.