Under the Dragon Locking Well

The Back Mountain Stele Forest was nothing like the tranquil place in Li Pingsheng's memories.

The thick, pitch-black miasma had turned into a viscous fog, smothering everything in its path.

The fog was filled with roars. After being corrupted, the Azure Cloud Martial Hall disciples and mutated insects had all turned into mindless monsters, lunging to bite anything living they saw.

Li Pingsheng's left arm was rock-hard, every punch imbued with blood energy, smashing the lunging monsters into pulp.

But his right arm was stiff and numb, completely immobile.

The cold poison and thunder energy were forcibly sealed within his arm by his talent, leaving the entire limb a terrifying shade of blue-purple.

Every time he moved his blood energy, his meridians throbbed with agony, yet his gaze remained unchanged as he plunged headlong in one direction.

Ignoring the exhaustion and pain, he had only one thought in his mind: the light point in the Wealthy District that was about to flicker out.

That was his home.

Finally, the black fog ahead thinned, and the shadow of a massive stone stele swayed within the mist.

That was the Thunder Stele, suppressing the second array eye.

However, in front of the Thunder Stele, a pitch-black light curtain sealed off the entire core area.

On the light curtain, a cluster of twisting runes rotated slowly, exuding an aura of death.

Without a second thought, Li Pingsheng pulled the scorching Well-Guarding Bronze Talisman from his tunic with his left hand and pressed it against the light curtain with all his might.

"Sizzle—"

The golden thunder patterns on the bronze talisman flared to life, emitting a piercing screech where they met the black light curtain.

Black smoke and golden light clashed violently.

The talisman's light was initially suppressed by the dark curtain, but it seemed to connect with something deep underground, growing brighter and brighter.

In the end, the black light curtain silently melted, opening a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

Li Pingsheng squeezed through sideways, his pupils shrinking at the sight before him.

Beneath the Thunder Stele, at the mouth of the Dragon Locking Well, a red blood array was spinning.

The array consisted of strange, blood-colored lines that were still moving, drawing strands of ley line blood energy from the well to feed itself.

A wave of fishy stench hit him, making him want to retch.

In the center of the array, Old Qi hung suspended above the well mouth, legs crossed.

Three blood chains as thick as arms extended from the array eye, binding him tightly and pinning him in mid-air.

Old Qi's hair and beard stood on end, thunder light flickering wildly over his body; every time he struggled, the blood chains hummed.

But it was clear he dared not use his full strength; every time the thunder light threatened to erupt, he forcibly suppressed it.

"Heh heh heh... You old man, still holding on, are you? I advise you not to waste your breath! Do you understand?"

Beside the blood array, a black-robed figure let out a grating, dry laugh, his hands moving rapidly to form seals as he manipulated the entire blood array.

"Ha ha... This Blood-Transforming Dragon-Imprisoning Array was prepared by my sect specifically for someone like you who practices thunder arts."

"The more you struggle, the faster your thunder cultivation will turn into blood, helping to break the seal at the bottom of the well."

"Do you dare move?! If you move, this century of miasma will strike your precious martial hall first."

Old Qi kept his eyes closed, ignoring the taunts, focusing entirely on stalemating the miasma beneath the well.

Seeing this, the Black-Robed Gu Master seemed to find it boring and switched to a boastful tone, muttering to himself.

"You probably don't know, but I've endured humiliation for so long—I've prepared quite a few good things for today."

"That pair of fools from the Zhao Family, and that Zhao Ming who thought he'd struck gold, were just pieces of trash I tossed out."

"I only intended to use them to stall Gu Zhenyue and Pei Guang, ha ha... I really didn't expect the results to be even better than that."

"A single wave of miasma turned the entire Azure Cloud Martial Hall into a mess; what a bunch of losers."

The Gu Master's voice was filled with unconcealable smugness.

"But, what does killing a few martial hall disciples matter?"

"I have only one goal—to destroy the second array eye beneath your Dragon Locking Well and release the Demon Dragon that has been suppressed for a hundred years."

"By then, the entire Outer City will become the Demon Dragon's dining hall. Ha ha ha ha... Just imagine that scene; it makes me so excited."

"Ha ha..."

Just as the Gu Master was daydreaming, preparing to finalize the last step.

A figure dragging a half-useless right arm stepped through the sticky black water and walked silently into the blood array.

The Gu Master's laughter ceased, and he whipped his head around.

Seeing that the intruder was just a newcomer struggling to catch his breath, with half his body stiffened, his eyes filled with disdain.

"Damn it! Where did this ant come from? How dare you ruin This Seat's plans with that pathetic look?"

Too lazy to stand, he waved his hand casually, and a blood blade tore through the air, shrieking as it shot toward Li Pingsheng's throat.

Before the blood blade could even draw near, a streak of purple lightning, faster still, flicked from Old Qi's fingertip and shattered the blade in mid-air.

The backlash from forcing the formation caused Old Qi to grunt, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Yet, he paid it no mind, bellowing at Li Pingsheng.

"Kid, don't worry about me! Get down into the well and reinforce the formation right now! Go!"

The Black-Robed Gu Master froze for a moment, then burst into raucous laughter.

"You old fool, have you lost your mind? That seal at the wellhead was forged over a hundred years by the earth vein's miasma and lightning techniques. Touch it and you die—you're sending him down there to throw his life away?"

"What would you know? Shut your mouth!"

Old Qi roared, his eyes locked firmly onto Li Pingsheng.

"Listen well, kid. This seal at the wellhead repels all external forces, but it does not reject its own power."

"Your bone structure is superior, your life force is pure yang, and you practice lightning techniques; you are of the same path as the formation here."

"But most importantly, you hold the Well-Guarding Bronze Talisman. You are the one recognized by the earth vein."

"Right now, you are the only one who can safely pass through this seal and reach the bottom of the well."

"Only you can do it!"

Old Qi's words sent a jolt through the Black-Robed Gu Master.

The mockery on the Black-Robed Gu Master's face stiffened instantly, and he stared daggers at Li Pingsheng.

What?

Superior bone structure?

Lightning techniques?

Well-Guardian?

These words made his heart skip a beat; he sensed something was wrong.

"No, you're courting death!"

The Black-Robed Gu Master realized the situation and, abandoning any pretense of ceremony, lunged forward, his fingers curled into claws dripping with blood-red light as he struck at Li Pingsheng.

Yet, from start to finish, Li Pingsheng hadn't even glanced at him.

The moment Old Qi finished speaking, his decision was made.

Not a word of nonsense, not a hint of hesitation.

Ignoring the threat from the Black-Robed Gu Master, he leaped straight into the lethal aura of the wellhead.

He plunged headlong into the Dragon Locking Well.

As he jumped, the Well-Guarding Bronze Talisman on his chest ignited with a soft golden glow, wrapping around his entire body.

The moment the lethal seal at the wellhead touched the golden light, it parted of its own accord, clearing a path for him.

Behind him came the frantic, enraged roar of the Black-Robed Gu Master.

But in Li Pingsheng's ears, there was only the sound of the wind as he fell.

Before him lay nothing but an endless, pitch-black abyss.