Fear

The instant the Corpse Flood Dragon opened its eyes, the terrifying pressure of an ancient Fierce Beast swept through the entire cavern.

"Run... run for your lives!"

Someone shouted first, and the Rogue Cultivators who had been crowding the entrance to watch were instantly scared out of their wits. Wailing for their mothers and fathers, they surged toward the only exit.

A clash between Nascent Soul experts? An unparalleled opportunity? None of it mattered more than staying alive!

"Trying to leave now? Too late."

An icy voice rang out.

Elder Mo's gray-robed figure flickered, and he appeared before the exit in an instant. His withered palm brimmed with the vast spiritual power of the Nascent Soul Realm as he thrust it forward without the slightest flourish!

Boom!

Shattered stone and mangled flesh exploded outward!

The Rogue Cultivators at the front did not even have time to scream. Like crushed insects, they instantly became smears of filth on the rock wall.

Those behind them nearly had their hearts and guts torn apart by terror. They stopped dead, staring in horror at the expressionless Elder Mo blocking the entrance.

"W-why..." A young cultivator's face was deathly pale, his voice trembling.

"Senior, we promise we won't say anything once we're outside! Please spare us!"

Not a ripple stirred in Elder Mo's cloudy eyes. He merely swept his gaze over the desperate crowd.

"Only the dead keep their mouths shut. Everyone, rest peacefully here."

His meaning was clear.

He meant to silence them. Once everyone here was dead, no one would know that his young master had once lost to a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

After leaving and cultivating in seclusion for a while, Fang Heng would still be the Fang Household's favored son of heaven!

What did the lives of a few Rogue Cultivators amount to?

A Rogue Cultivator who had luckily been far enough away to escape the attack collapsed to the ground and pointed at Elder Mo. "You... your Fang Household... you're so... so vicious!"

Fang Heng showed no reaction to the slaughter or the accusation. His attention was entirely focused on controlling the Yin Corpse Banner, his pale face twisted into a crazed smile.

Watching from the side, Lü Ci felt a chill in his heart.

This old bastard is ruthless.

He had been around for centuries and had done his own fair share of killing witnesses and framing others. How could he fail to guess Elder Mo's intentions?

Once Si Chen and these demons were dealt with, would his Flowing Cloud Sword Sect disciples be the next to be silenced?

His expression remained unchanged, but he discreetly shifted half a step backward, already weighing other plans.

"Fuck his grandmother! That old bastard's blocked the way out!"

Black Mountain cursed furiously, but its attention, along with Red Wind's and that of every other demon, was soon dragged back to the Corpse Flood Dragon slowly raising its enormous head.

The pressure that thing gave off was overwhelming!

"Oh, my bear mama..." Black Mountain swallowed.

"That little bastard's taken this way too far! He actually raised a Flood Dragon that was dead as a doornail? How the hell are we supposed to fight it?!"

Thick-skinned and tough as it was, it could still sense that this resurrected dragon corpse's aura had surpassed the Nascent Soul Realm! Even if all that remained was an empty shell, it would be anything but easy to handle!

Every muscle in Red Wind's body tensed as it braced for a formidable enemy.

The other demons were frightened, but not one retreated. Instead, they instinctively gathered around Si Chen, protecting him tightly at their center.

Only Red Bean fluttered back onto Si Chen's shoulder, tilting its little head to look at the enormous Corpse Flood Dragon. There was no fear in its obsidian eyes. Instead... there seemed to be a hint of disdain. It even gently preened the hair beside Si Chen's ear with its little beak.

Si Chen's attention, however, was not on the terrifying Corpse Flood Dragon at all.

His gaze pierced past its massive, coiled body and fixed on the patch beneath it where purple lightning kept flickering.

There lay a perfectly round purple pearl the size of a fist, radiating an aura of utmost yang and unyielding strength!

Almost at the same moment Si Chen spotted the pearl, Fang Heng, Elder Mo, Lü Ci, and the sharp-eyed Black Mountain and Red Wind all noticed it too!

"A Dragon Pearl?!" Black Mountain cried out, its bear eyes filled with shock.

"That sneaky old bastard... actually made it that far?!"

Si Chen turned to look at it, puzzled. "A Dragon Pearl?"

Beside him, Red Wind stared intently at the pearl and explained in a low voice, "It's said that for a Flood Dragon to become a true dragon, it must endure a heavenly tribulation and use the tribulation lightning to condense a Dragon Pearl. If it succeeds, it must swallow the pearl to complete its transformation."

It paused, disbelief coloring its voice. "Looks like it failed..."

Yet even though it had failed and the Dragon Pearl remained incomplete, this nearly formed pearl was already beyond price!

On the other side, Fang Heng and Elder Mo were equally stunned.

They had only suspected that a precious treasure lay beneath the Flood Dragon's remains. They had never imagined it would be something so heaven-defying!

"Haha! Hahahaha! It's a Dragon Pearl! It's actually a Dragon Pearl!!"

Fang Heng had also spotted it. An unnatural flush rose on his pale face as he laughed wildly, his eyes burning.

"Mine! This treasure is destined to be mine! With it, I'll definitely break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, and even glimpse the Spirit Transformation Realm!"

This heaven-drenching windfall instantly swept his earlier defeat and injuries from his mind.

Si Chen ignored his clamoring. His own eyes shone as well.

There's no mistake!

The power within this Dragon Pearl is the purest, most refined yang thunder! It's the body-tempering treasure I've dreamed of finding for the second level of the Nine Tribulations Thunder Body!

Their gazes collided in midair, and each saw the other's determination to claim it at all costs.

"Kill them!" Fang Heng laughed wildly and fiercely activated the Yin Corpse Banner.

Under his control, the massive Corpse Flood Dragon let out a deafening roar and lunged at Si Chen and the demons!

"Watch out, brother!"

"Let's fight it to the death!"

Black Mountain and Red Wind roared, demonic power surging around them as they prepared to withstand the terrifying blow head-on. The other demons bared their teeth, ready to stake their lives on the fight.

But just as the enormous dragon head hurtled toward Si Chen and the others with crushing force-

It abruptly stopped.

Its massive body froze in midair. The black ghost flames dancing in its hollow eye sockets shook violently, as though it had seen something utterly terrifying.

Under everyone's stunned gaze, Si Chen raised his head, calmly looked at the Flood Dragon's remains right before him, and said softly:

"We meet again."

It was just that simple sentence.

The Flood Dragon corpse, controlled by the Yin Corpse Banner and supposedly devoid of any consciousness, actually recoiled!

The ghost flames in its eye sockets danced madly, and its massive body began trembling uncontrollably...

Although Si Chen had already crushed its remnant soul within the consciousness space.

The terror of facing a supreme existence had nevertheless passed unmistakably into this empty shell.

"Rooar-!"

The Corpse Flood Dragon let out a shrill, mournful howl and began struggling wildly, trying to break free of the Yin Corpse Banner's control.

The crazed laughter froze on Fang Heng's face. He discovered that the Corpse Flood Dragon, which had obeyed him as readily as his own limbs, was now resisting his commands!

"What's happening?! Move! Kill him!" he bellowed hoarsely, spraying another mouthful of essence blood onto the banner.

Black light blazed from the banner, but instead of advancing, the Corpse Flood Dragon trembled even more violently.

Its fear overwhelmed everything else. With a sudden twist of its body, it turned around and charged toward Fang Heng and Elder Mo!

It would rather defy the Yin Corpse Banner than face the figure behind it again!

"Young master, watch out!"

Elder Mo's expression changed drastically. Abandoning the exit, he flashed in front of Fang Heng and thrust out both palms, his dense spiritual power forming a shield of light.

Boom-!

The Corpse Flood Dragon's enormous head slammed viciously into the shield, making the entire cavern shake violently.

Elder Mo grunted, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He had actually been overpowered!

Seizing the chance, the trapped Rogue Cultivators snapped awake as if from a dream. Screaming, they swarmed through the exit, no longer caring about watching the battle.

Lü Ci's gaze flickered, and he quietly retreated another few steps, already considering escape. The situation had spiraled completely out of control!

Si Chen looked at the Corpse Flood Dragon struggling wildly in terror, then at the Dragon Pearl wreathed in purple lightning behind it. Suddenly, he stepped forward.

Black Mountain hurriedly shouted, "Brother! It's dangerous!"

As though he had heard nothing, Si Chen walked unhurriedly toward the Dragon Pearl.

Wherever he went, the out-of-control Corpse Flood Dragon desperately shrank back as though confronted by its natural predator, clearing a path for him.

Under everyone's incredulous gaze, Si Chen walked unobstructed to the Dragon Pearl, bent down, and picked it up.

The Dragon Pearl was warm in his hand, as though an entire world of lightning had been sealed inside it. Its aura of utmost yang and unyielding strength caused the Nine Tribulations Thunder Body technique within him to circulate on its own.

This is it.

It took some effort, but at least I got it in the end.

Satisfied, Si Chen put the Dragon Pearl into his Storage Ring, then turned to look at Fang Heng and the others, who were still locked in a bitter struggle with the Corpse Flood Dragon.

Now, it's time to settle the accounts.