Sign In at Dragon Locking Well

Mo Yuan's sword qi was razor-sharp, his offensive a relentless tide. The injured evil cultivator was beaten back step by step, while the ghostly creatures controlled by his black banner scattered like paper before the Geng Metal Sword Qi.

Though the Black-Furred Zombie beside him was ferocious, it too was left covered in wounds under the cutting sword qi Mo Yuan had fused with True Dragon Evil Qi. Its movements grew slower and slower.

"Kid, don't push me too far!" Seeing that he was no match, the evil cultivator's eyes flashed with viciousness and pain. He suddenly bit through his tongue and sprayed a mouthful of blood essence onto the black banner!

"Hundred Ghosts Devour Souls—explode for me!"

The black banner instantly blazed with dark light as a shrieking yin wind rose. Dozens of incomparably solid ghost phantoms charged out, letting out piercing wails as they surged toward Mo Yuan like a flood! This was a desperate strike fueled by the evil cultivator's life essence, and its power was terrifying!

Faced with the ghastly encirclement, Mo Yuan remained calm. His Primordial Comprehension allowed him to instantly see that the black banner was the core supplying those fierce ghosts with power.

"To capture bandits, first capture their leader. I'll destroy your artifact!" Mo Yuan's thoughts raced. Ignoring the ghosts rushing at him, he frantically poured spiritual power into his fingertips. That thread of dark-gold sword qi abruptly swelled!

"Geng Metal Sword Qi, shatter evil!"

He held two fingers together like a sword, his body moving in unison with the momentum of his blade. He became a streak of dark-gold light, piercing through the surface at a single point and thrusting straight at the black banner shining with dark radiance!

This strike contained all of his understanding of the Gengjin Sword Qi Secret Arts. It also carried the supreme sharpness of a thread of Innate Spiritual Energy and the domineering will of True Dragon Evil Qi!

Squelch!

Like a hot knife through butter, the dark-gold streak easily tore through layer after layer of ghostly qi and struck the core of the black banner with perfect precision!

"No—!" the evil cultivator howled in despair.

Crack! The black banner shattered at once, its dark light instantly dimming. The dozens of ghost phantoms, like duckweed without roots, let out a shriek before vanishing into smoke. The evil cultivator suffered a violent backlash as well, spraying blood and collapsing limply to the ground.

Mo Yuan landed, his face slightly pale. That strike had consumed a tremendous amount of power. Yet he did not stop moving. The Lightning Struck Wood Sword Embryo shot forth, piercing through the brow of the Black-Furred Zombie that had gone sluggish after its master was injured, finishing it off completely.

Having dealt with his own opponent, Mo Yuan immediately looked toward Uncle Nine. Uncle Nine was wielding sword seals to summon lightning, talismans flying through the air as he fought two stronger evil cultivators and an especially tall Black-Furred Zombie. They were locked in a fierce stalemate, but the Eight Trigrams Yin Locking Formation was already on the verge of collapse beneath the assault of countless walking corpses and skeletons, its barrier covered in cracks.

"Master, I'm coming to help!" Mo Yuan shouted, gathering sword qi once more as he joined the battle.

He did not choose to confront the tall Black-Furred Zombie head-on. Instead, he circled the outskirts, using Geng Metal Sword Qi to precisely kill the low-ranking evil creatures attacking the formation. At the same time, he occasionally used sword qi to harass the two evil cultivators and disrupt their rhythm.

Mo Yuan's arrival immediately eased Uncle Nine's pressure. Seizing the chance, Uncle Nine fiercely attacked one of the evil cultivators, forcing him into a frantic scramble.

"Senior Brother, the formation won't hold!" Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng watched from the outskirts, terrified. They desperately threw out talismans, but the results were minimal.

At the critical moment, just as the Eight Trigrams Formation's barrier was about to shatter, Uncle Nine's eyes flashed. He suddenly thrust the Peach Wood Sword into the ground, formed hand seals, and began chanting an obscure incantation:

"Five stars suppress the radiant colors, their light shines upon the dark abyss! A thousand gods and ten thousand saints, protect my true spirit! Mighty celestial beasts, subdue the five weapons! Demons and evils of the five heavens, perish in body and form! Wherever I stand, ten thousand gods shall welcome me! By the law, swiftly obey!"

"Maoshan Secret Transmission—Five Thunder Incantation!"

Rumble—!

The sky suddenly darkened. Five silver bolts as thick as a child's arm appeared from nowhere, carrying majestic heavenly might as they struck precisely at the two evil cultivators and the largest Black-Furred Zombie!

This was Uncle Nine's trump-card divine ability. Its power was immense, but it also consumed an enormous amount of mental strength and spiritual power!

"Not good! Retreat!" The two evil cultivators were scared out of their wits. They tried to dodge, but it was already too late!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Lightning exploded, and evil qi dispersed! The evil cultivator Uncle Nine had focused on was immediately blasted into charred remains! The other was grievously wounded and fell to the ground, unable to rise. The tall Black-Furred Zombie was even more heavily restrained by the lightning arts. Smoke rose from its entire body as it stood frozen in place, its aura weak and listless.

With the leader slain, the remaining low-ranking evil creatures lost control and immediately scattered like headless flies. Uncle Nine and Mo Yuan quickly cleaned them up.

The battle ended, leaving the area in ruins. Uncle Nine's face was pale as he leaned on the Peach Wood Sword and caught his breath. Clearly, using the Five Thunder Incantation had drained him severely. Mo Yuan's spiritual power was nearly exhausted as well, but his gaze remained bright.

"Master, are you all right?" Mo Yuan stepped forward to support him.

Uncle Nine waved a hand. Looking over the wreckage, the subdued evil cultivators, and the zombies, he turned a complicated gaze toward Mo Yuan. "I'm fine. If not for you holding one of them back and coming to assist in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Mo Yuan, you... did very well."

He had no choice but to admit that this disciple's growth rate and combat ability had far exceeded his expectations. Even he felt alarmed by that strange and powerful sword qi.

Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng ran over, their eyes filled with admiration and lingering fear as they looked at Mo Yuan. "Junior Brother, you were incredible! That sword qi just now—whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—it was like you were a sword immortal!"

Mo Yuan smiled modestly and looked toward the grievously wounded evil cultivator and Ren Weiyong's zombie. "Master, how should we deal with them next?"

Uncle Nine's expression turned solemn. "Detain this evil cultivator first and see whether we can force out the mastermind behind him. As for Ren Weiyong's zombie, it must be cremated immediately!"

Everyone immediately got to work, cleaning up the aftermath. Uncle Nine personally interrogated the evil cultivator. After using a few methods, he finally pried open his mouth.

Sure enough, they belonged to an evil cultivator organization called the Black Fiend Sect. They specialized in gathering all sorts of sinister objects and powerful zombies, seemingly plotting something enormous. Because of its special Yin Corpse constitution, Ren Weiyong's zombie was one of their important targets.

Having obtained the information he wanted, Uncle Nine dealt with the evil cultivator according to the law and thoroughly cremated Ren Weiyong's zombie. The crisis in Ren Family Town was finally resolved for the time being.

After this battle, Mo Yuan's reputation soared. Not only within and around the funeral home, but throughout Ren Family Town and even the surrounding areas, word began to spread that Uncle Nine had a very young disciple with profound Daoist arts and astonishing sword qi.

As for Mo Yuan, after this life-and-death battle, his state of mind, combat experience, and control over his own strength all underwent a qualitative leap. He could feel that the bottleneck at the fourth level of Qi Refinement had begun to loosen.

That night, he returned to his room and sat cross-legged, reviewing the day's battle and digesting his gains. At the same time, he realized that the Dragon Locking Well seemed to conceal a deeper secret, one that might be closely connected to that thread of True Dragon Evil Qi.

"System, sign in at the depths of the Dragon Locking Well!" He tried a more precise location-based sign-in.

[ Ding! Sign-in successful! Congratulations, host, for obtaining: <Divine Dragon Body Refining Art (Incomplete Volume · Beginner)> x1, Dragon Blood Grass x1, Low-Grade Spirit Crystal x1, residual aura of the Primordial World: faint Progenitor Dragon Will (a trace)! ]

[<Divine Dragon Body Refining Art (Incomplete Volume · Beginner)>]: An ancient dragon clan foundational body-refining method. It tempers the body with dragon qi or evil qi, allowing one to forge a supreme dragon body. (The incomplete volume only reaches the Foundation Establishment Realm.)

[Faint Progenitor Dragon Will (a trace)]: A minute imprint of will left behind when the Progenitor Dragon of the Primordial World dissipated between heaven and earth. It contains the dragon clan's supreme majesty and insights into power. It can aid comprehension of dragon clan divine abilities and intimidate all living beings. (Refining it requires immense willpower and carries a risk of backlash.)

Mo Yuan's heart shook violently! This sign-in had actually touched upon a dragon clan inheritance! The Divine Dragon Body Refining Art perfectly solved the problem of his physical body being relatively weaker than his spiritual power! As for that faint trace of Progenitor Dragon Will, it was an invaluable treasure. Though dangerous, if he could successfully refine it, it would bring immeasurable benefits to his future cultivation of the Gengjin Sword Qi Secret Arts with dragon evil qi enhancement, as well as his exploration of the mysteries of the Primordial World!