Chapter 172: The Dragon-Slaying Arc

“Primordial Ancestral Qi?”

Qi Wuhuo noticed the four ancient, unadorned characters written above.

Taibai Star Lord took a sip of wine and said, “Yes. It is the direct transmission cultivation method of the Yuqing Great Heavenly Venerable. In the legends, among the Twelve Sacred Saints, a few cultivated this Qi-refining method—but not many. After all, most of the Yuqing Great Heavenly Venerable’s disciples were beings born as innate beings. Before they were even born into form, they had already been nurtured by the essence of Heaven and Earth for countless years.”

“The moment they emerged into the world, they had already reached the state of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.”

“A cultivation method like this—one meant to be practiced at the stage of Innate One Qi—has scarcely been cultivated by anyone.”

“The Yuanshi Great Heavenly Venerable didn’t care much either. After the Tian Peng Great True Lord requested instructions, permission was granted to place this item in the Northern Pole Exorcism Court, stating that anyone who has rendered merit to the order of Heaven and Earth may cultivate this method to transform Yuan Qi into Ancestral Qi. As for what profound mysteries it contains? Ha! Who could possibly know?”

“Back then, I threw in three to five hundred years’ worth of merit from slaying demons and eliminating evil.”

“And gained nothing.”

“Just had a good sleep.”

Taibai Star Lord sighed deeply. It was clear that the reason he had earlier advised Qi Wuhuo not to exchange for this scripture was because he himself had already suffered from it—resentful enough to grind his teeth. With a sweep of his sleeve, the streams of light dispersed. “Still, that’s only my suggestion. You must choose carefully.”

“Because you fought without regard for your life and risked everything to resolve this calamity, you’ve obtained this opportunity.”

“Don’t choose wrongly.”

“Ha—though, all this must wait until after the matter is concluded and reported to the Heavenly Firmament. Only then will the merit be granted. For now, I’ll just let you take a look.”

The young Daoist asked, “After the matter is concluded?”

“Yes.”

Taibai Star Lord lowered his gaze and said calmly: “After rewards are granted and punishments carried out.”

He reached out, pressed a hand on Qi Wuhuo’s shoulder, and patted it. “The time is about up. Let’s go.”

The greatest source of this calamity had already been executed. The remaining traces of baleful qi and miasma were swiftly eradicated. And because Tianyou was present here, the other members of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court all arrived at the location of the Central Plains. Among them, there were thirty-four war generals who had set out for battle—four had fallen, their bodies all retrieved and preserved with profound ice.

“An official of the Five Thunders Direct Talismans from the Thunder Department.”

“The Fire Bell Mighty Heavenly Duke of the Fire Department.”

“A Sunlight Taiji Official of the Dipper Department.”

“And the Right Minister of the Southern Palace, Siming, of the Shangqing lineage.”

The young Daoist saw that the armor and bodies of these war generals were all broken in places. Even in death, the baleful qi on their bodies still lingered, and had to be sealed within a thousand-year profound ice to prevent it from leaking out and harming other living beings. They were the war generals of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court responsible for several other core nodes beyond the Central Plains.

What Qi Wuhuo had faced was Jidu.

What they had faced were the other arrangements left behind by Rahu and the other Star Lords.

As well as other powerful experts of similarly high realms.

The situation had been brought under control, but a price had ultimately been paid. Among them, Shangqing Siming’s eyes were wide open in fury, one arm already severed. Taibai Star Lord held a wine gourd and poured out immortal brew—obtained from the South Pole Longevity Great Emperor—before the blocks of profound ice. His expression was free and unrestrained as he said: “Do you see this? Dangmo—this may well be the end that awaits you and me.”

“The name of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court will ultimately be stained with blood.”

“The enemy’s—or our own.”

“Siming—he is a disciple of the Shangqing Lingbao Great Heavenly Venerable, my junior brother.”

“He may prefix his Daoist title with ‘Shangqing’. He is of the true transmission—stronger than I.”

“After all, his innate talent surpasses mine. From the moment of his birth, he possessed the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown. A thousand years ago, he entered the sect, and in less than seven hundred years, he cultivated to the stage of Five Qi Returning to the Origin. He was also exceptionally skilled in the sword path and killing arts. After entering the Northern Pole Exorcism Court, this was the fourth calamity he had taken part in.”

“And this time, he ultimately fell here.”

“Come, Dangmo—pour them a cup of wine.”

Taibai Star Lord tossed the object in his hand to Qi Wuhuo, his tone cool and indifferent:

“To fall upon the path through killing—this is the destiny of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court.”

“Whether Star Lords born of the Primordial Chaos under the Northern Emperor… or direct disciples of the Three Pure Ones Dao Ancestors…”

“None can escape this death.”

“The masters will not intervene. Even the Shangqing Great Heavenly Venerable is the same. He may draw his sword for certain special reasons—but only not when a disciple has chosen their path, walked it uprightly, and fallen upon that very path. No matter which Great Heavenly Venerable it is, they will only calmly watch the final journey of their disciple.”

“Only by understanding the weight of death can one understand the weight of life.”

“Between the disciples of the Three Pure Ones and their master, there is only the relationship of transmitting the Dao, imparting teachings, and resolving doubts.”

“That is the only bond of this lifetime.”

“When the body dies, the bond is extinguished.”

“And thus… this too is the compassion of a Heavenly Venerable.”

Tianyou Great True Lord calmly looked at his subordinates and comrades-in-arms. He closed his eyes briefly, then turned around. Over these tens of thousands of years, he had watched them—like the young Daoist behind him—enter the Northern Pole Exorcism Court in their youth, and in the end, personally sent them off. The weight behind the name “Northern Pole Exorcism Court” had only become cold and imposing through generations of slaughter and blood.

His palm rested upon the ice coffin, his voice steady:

“All Earth Deities, step forward.”

The many war generals of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court had already been introduced to one another earlier; now they parted to either side. Qi Wuhuo had intended to step aside, but Tianyou Great True Lord’s gaze fell upon him, making him stand at his side. A Thunder General beside him reached out and pressed his shoulder, and so Qi Wuhuo already had some expectation in his heart.

He saw Lingmiao Gong, Ao Liu, and that white-robed youth were all present.

Beyond them, there were also the Land Gods of the Central Plains, spirits born of the mountains, the roaming deities of the Eight Directions from the Heavenly Court—

Even the local City God of the underworld.

All beings of the Three Realms—demons, spirits, ghosts, and gods—who had been present when this calamity occurred had come to this place.

When Ao Liu and Lingmiao Gong saw Qi Wuhuo standing to one side, they were first slightly startled, yet did not show surprise. But the white-robed youth was visibly shaken—his eyes widened, revealing utter disbelief. He seemed entirely unable to believe that the young man who had been playing chess with him earlier now stood among these Northern Pole Exorcism Court divine generals, all exuding a chilling aura of killing intent.

Tianyou True Lord lifted his gaze slightly. Led by Lingmiao Gong and Ao Liu, the various mountain and land deities all paid their respects.

Among the Heavenly Court’s Earth Officials, there was no direct hierarchical relationship, but only the Northern Pole Exorcism Court possessed the authority to directly oversee the Heavenly, Earth, and Water Officials. They only executed, never delivered salvation, and were directly subordinate to the Northern Emperor. 

Tianyou True Lord spoke slowly: “In this calamity, we have relied upon all of you. When I return to the heavens, I will personally report truthfully before the Northern Emperor. Those who fought to the death, those who strove in battle—all shall receive the Northern Emperor’s reward.”

“Lingmiao Gong, Ao Liu—you shall be granted merit from the Northern Pole Exorcism Court. You may enter the Northern Emperor’s Central Heaven Northern Pole Purple Tenuity Palace and choose from various cultivation methods and spiritual treasures. Whatever exists within the Heavenly Court—so long as it falls within your merit—you may select.”

Lingmiao Gong and Ao Liu both cupped their hands in thanks.

Tianyou True Lord then called out names one by one. All who had fought bravely were granted rewards.

The crowd was filled with joy and excitement.

Afterward, most of the Earth Deities left their names and withdrew.

The True Lord lowered his gaze and said indifferently, “The merits have been dispensed. It is time to discuss punishment.”

The moment these words fell, the previously eased atmosphere turned instantly cold.

Ao Wulie lowered his head deeply, feeling fear seize him so strongly that his body stiffened. The many war generals of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court held their weapons; among them, one held a judge’s scroll and read aloud the charges:

“The Heavenly Court’s three-thousand-six-hundred-year exorcism array—due to the selfishness of the Jing River Dragon King—resulted in an imbalance of rainfall, and the formation was broken.”

“The Central Plains fell, and all living things nearly perished.”

“This is the first crime.”

“Do you have anything to add in your defense?”

The divine general holding the scroll raised his eyes, his expression incomparably cold. In the void, it seemed as though the sound of blades already rang out, the killing intent so dense it was almost tangible.

All fell silent. Everyone had already guessed what fate awaited this Dragon King before them.

Ao Liu’s expression remained calm, yet there was still pain and regret in his eyes—heavy and profound.

In the midst of that deathly silence, the young Daoist standing beside Tianyou remained silent for a long time, then stepped forward and said:  “I do!”

One after another, gazes turned toward him—some from the Northern Pole Exorcism Court, others from the Earth Deities.

Ao Liu looked at the young Daoist standing before him, seemingly surprised that he would step forward.

The young Daoist said: “Regarding the matter of the Jing River Dragon King Ao Liu, there are still underlying causes. Seven years ago, during the calamity in Jinzhou, Dragon King Ao Liu brought water and rain…”

He recounted what Jidu Star Lord had previously said. It was precisely because Ao Liu had once brought rain to save the common people that he incurred Jidu’s retaliation. Jidu had then taken on the identity of Yue Lianqing, gone to the Central Plains, and bewitched the young Ao Wulie into disrupting the balance of rainfall—leading to everything that followed.

All of it… had ultimately been set in motion because of that act of saving others.

Thus, the expressions of the various Earth Deities shifted slightly, and even the war generals of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court raised their eyes.

“…He was targeted because he saved the common people…”

“In that case, it is indeed tragic. He can also be considered a victim.”

“His son is only a young dragon of the Dragon Clan. Not to mention him—even if one’s cultivation were higher, without a sufficient state of mind, it would still be difficult to resist Jidu’s methods of bewitchment. With a single thought, to go astray… that is something understandable.”

Lingmiao Gong fell silent for a moment, then stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying: “…Ao Liu has been diligent and conscientious for a thousand years, never once making a mistake. Even if he has no great merits, he has labored with effort. I earnestly ask the Tianyou Great True Lord to show some leniency… let his merits offset his crimes.”

“I am willing to hand over my previously earned merit to offset a small portion of Ao Liu’s guilt.”

Another Great Land God of the Central Plains let out a deep sigh and said: “I, too, am willing.”

“Ao Liu acted for the sake of the common people and was later framed by others. He should not end up like this.”

The many Earth Deities fell silent for a moment. They were willing to give up their own merits in exchange for a slight reduction in the punishment Ao Liu was about to face. Toward this old Dragon King’s fate, they felt deep sympathy. The young Daoist, his temples already streaked with white, remained silent, stepping back to return to his original position.

Ao Liu looked at him and only gave a slight cupped-hand salute.

At this moment, the other war generals of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court had already drawn upon the power of the Dragon-Slaying Platform, manifesting here weapons identical to those of the Heavenly Court’s Dragon-Slaying Platform. Clearly, the punishments of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court were not as simple as merely killing—only after severing the three souls and carving away the seven spirits would it be considered complete. Upon the Dragon-Slaying Platform, countless demon dragons had been executed; the blood fiendish resentment entwined upon it surged skyward.

Tianyou spoke in a calm tone: “Offset merits against crimes?”

“What you mean is…”

“So long as one has rendered merit before, then even if one later commits calamity, there is no need for punishment?”

“Is that your meaning?”

“Because one once saved tens of thousands, and now nearly destroyed all living beings and disrupted the balance of Heaven and Earth, it may be disregarded?”

“If one once saved a single person, and now kills a single person—can the two cancel each other out?”

The gathered Earth Deities fell silent. Lingmiao Gong let out a long sigh and said: “But True Lord, you must also understand—they too are victims.”

“And for a thousand years, he has never made a mistake… it is only—only that he was schemed against by an enemy.”

Ao Liu shook his head, signaling with his gaze that Lingmiao Gong need not say anything more. Lingmiao Gong opened his mouth, but could only sigh helplessly, his expression complicated, as he watched the old Dragon King—his body covered in wounds from the earlier battle—rise calmly. He spread his arms, ready to let the chains of the Dragon-Slaying Platform extend out and bind him.

But at that moment, as the chains manifested, they instead directly locked onto Ao Wulie, who lay on the ground. This sudden change left both Ao Liu and Lingmiao Gong stunned. The former froze—within his eyes flickered disbelief, a fleeting joy that his son seemed to have finally awakened, and in the same instant, despair. As for Lingmiao Gong, only complexity remained in his gaze, along with a quiet sigh.

Ao Wulie slowly raised his eyes. He closed them briefly, then spoke, word by word:

“Jing River Dragon King—”

“Ao Wulie—”

“Accepts punishment and death.”

Ao Liu reacted in an instant. One hand shot out, grabbing Ao Wulie by the collar, causing the chains around him to resound with a sharp, chilling clang. In the Dragon King’s eyes surged sorrow and despair, shattering the trace of relief that had been there. He unconsciously tightened his grip, glaring fiercely at his son: “You—!!!”

Ao Wulie said, “Father, you know…”

His face was pale, yet he forced a smile. “I have never listened to your arrangements…”

“This time, let me defy you one last time.”

“You—!!!”

Ao Liu’s blood surged. He had just fought a desperate battle, his entire body stained with blood, his scales cracked and shattered. At this moment, he suddenly released his son, then turned and dropped to his knees with a heavy thud. This proud dragon knelt upon the ground, cupping his hands as he said: “Tianyou True Lord can investigate—these past seven years, the Jing River Dragon King has always been me! It was my son who wished to take control of the Jing River ahead of time, and thus in these past days went to the Penglai Office to bribe a True Lord and alter the name!”

“True Lord, please see clearly—the one who should be punished is me!”

“Old man, what are you doing? The Jing River Dragon King is me!”

“Do not put on this false display here—you are of the Dragon Clan, you must not beg others!”

Many of the Earth Deities could not bear to watch.

In Tianyou’s hand was the Judge’s Command Tally. He pointed it at Ao Liu, then at Ao Wulie. The moment this command fell, whoever it pointed to would be sent directly to the Dragon-Slaying Platform—their three souls and seven spirits scattered cleanly and completely.

Amid the dead silence, Tianyou Great True Lord suddenly flicked his wrist, and the command flew straight into Qi Wuhuo’s hands.

“Dangmo—you previously held the position of Five Thunders Judge here.”

“This case—”

“You will judge it. Decide—who is to be beheaded.”

Tianyou Great True Lord’s gaze was calm and cold.

The young Daoist held the talisman, feeling countless gazes fall upon him—Ao Wulie’s relief, Ao Liu’s struggle and pleading, the eyes of the Exorcism Court’s members, the eyes of the Earth Deities, and even the gaze of his past self.

He stood here, standing at a high place, looking down at the blood-soaked Dragon King kneeling on the ground.

What came to mind was the youth who had once collapsed to the ground seven years ago—and the true dragon that had soared into the sky.

Back then, his life had been in that Dragon King’s hands—the rain had given him life.

And today, that being’s life was in his hands.

Rain had fallen upon the Central Plains, saving over seven million lives.

The bright laughter from their first meeting, that joy toward the world…

The young Daoist looked at the old man’s pleading. Scene after scene from the past flashed before his eyes. In the end, in his memory, the flames of Jinzhou burned from before his eyes all the way to the Central Plains.

Everything he had seen, everything he had known, all he had walked through in the mortal world—

What happened in Jinzhou back then was true.

And now, this dereliction was also true.

The people who had died along the way were real.

The fallen Earth Deities were real.

The desolation of the Central Plains caused by this failure was also real.

The young Daoist closed his eyes and said softly: “Jidu has already died beneath my sword.”

“What happened back then—I will investigate it clearly. Whoever harmed you, I will also uncover the truth.”

“From the highest heavens to the deepest netherworld—even if I die along the way, I will see it done.”

“Elder Ao Liu, thank you…I’m sorry.”

The young Daoist turned around, cupped his hands toward Tianyou Great True Lord. His Daoist robes swayed—there was no more hesitation as he answered:

“One bears dereliction of duty—failure of oversight!”

“One bears willfulness—reckless misuse of divine authority!”

“Both—”

“Be executed!”

Both… be executed.

The four words were steady, yet carried a cold, killing intent—yet also an upright and righteous bearing.

Lingmiao Gong felt as though he could not breathe, yet also found himself unable to say anything against such a judgment.

Tianyou suddenly burst into loud laughter: “Good! It should indeed be that both are executed!”

“What a display of deep father-son affection—what a display of old friends covering for one another!”

“Then what of the countless living beings who died when the order of Heaven and Earth was overturned?! Only you have feelings, and others do not?! Ridiculous!”

“A one-sided sentiment—do you not know that the Northern Pole Exorcism Court only kills and does not grant salvation?!”

“The primary offender—be executed and annihilated! The three souls destroyed, the seven spirits shredded—never to be reborn for all eternity!”

“The secondary offender—be executed and annihilated! The dragon soul flayed, cast into the underworld to reincarnate for a hundred lifetimes!”

The Dragon-Slaying Platform had already been activated. Killing intent surged, faintly revealing countless streaks of bloodlight. As the one who had personally caused the rain—and the current Jing River Dragon King—Ao Wulie opened his eyes and stood, stepping forward to meet his death.

Yet from beside him came a faint laugh.

The old Dragon King Ao Liu looked at the young Daoist over there. There was no hatred in his eyes—only a sigh:

“I was blinded by father-son affection… you are the one who is clear-minded…”

“Yet, the great impartiality of Heaven and Earth, the striving of all living beings to survive… who can say that the bond between father and son is wrong?”

Suddenly, Ao Wulie felt a sharp pain in his neck. His pupils contracted—he could not speak.

Ao Liu abruptly revealed his true dragon form.

With a single sweep of his tail, he struck Ao Wulie—who should have had his three souls and seven spirits completely shattered—sending him flying heavily into the wall.

Amid a long dragon’s roar, the many war generals of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court were forced back for a moment, staring in disbelief as Ao Liu charged straight toward the Dragon-Slaying Platform.

Tianyou Great True Lord did not stop him.

He allowed this true dragon—who had saved countless lives—to, amidst a long cry, hurl himself onto that killing divine weapon.

Facing that great terror—

He severed himself upon the Dragon-Slaying Platform.

Ao Wulie struggled to his feet from where he knelt, opening his mouth as if to say something—but after staggering twice, he could only collapse back onto his knees. His body trembled. He could not utter a single word.

It was as though he had even forgotten how to cry.

He could only crawl forward in disbelief, tears streaming uncontrollably.

Ao Liu’s soul was extinguished. His true body crashed heavily to the ground. The light had faded from his eyes, which happened to be fixed upon Qi Wuhuo. He only murmured with a sigh: “What a pity… spring was just about to arrive.”

“I won’t be able… to finish that game of chess with you.”

Ao Liu—

His body perished.

His soul extinguished.