The scale between Jiang Zhu's brows suddenly blazed. Surging dragon power poured into him, and his right fist transformed into a dark dragon's head. He punched out, the dragon qi of the earth veins turning into nine tiny dragons that coiled around his fist. His punch pierced the blood-colored cage, and the shock wave blasted the strange bird's remaining half into a mist of blood.
Where his fist swept past, furrows scored Purple Mountain's rocky walls, then slowly healed.
"How did the Primordial Race awaken and break out of their divine source seals?" Jiang Zhu stared at the severed wing on the ground, lost in thought. "What happened inside Purple Mountain?"
Jiang Zhu looked into the depths of Purple Mountain. Some unknown change must have occurred there, causing the Primordial Race to break free of their seals.
"Was it Jiang Taixu? Or did Black Emperor cause it?"
Just then, another figure from the Primordial Race appeared. This Primordial Creature was covered in gleaming silver scales, with wings on its back and a horn between its brows. It stood over two meters tall, its six arms bulging with powerful muscles.
Boom!
A force that could topple mountains and overturn seas slammed toward Jiang Zhu. Its might was tremendous, enough to shatter mountains and rivers with ease.
Jiang Zhu threw a punch, phantom dragon scales covering his fist and his knuckles rising like a dragon's head. As he struck, his entire arm took the shape of a true dragon, its claw curling into a fist while boundless dragon qi erupted between opening and closing scales.
Bang!
Their fists collided, shaking the void. Blood showed on both their knuckles, and the Six-Armed Primordial Creature flew backward the way it had come, crashing through more than a dozen mining tunnels. The rocky walls were pierced as easily as tofu.
Jiang Zhu's cuff shattered, and he was forced back three steps. The wound on his fist healed in the blink of an eye.
The Six-Armed Primordial Creature burst up from the rubble of the rocky wall. Its silver scales erupted with dazzling light, and blood-colored lightning gathered on the horn between its brows.
Its six arms formed ancient hand seals, and a primordial rune appeared in each palm. In an instant, sinister winds howled through Purple Mountain's mining tunnels. The runes turned into six pitch-black chains that snaked toward Jiang Zhu's vital points.
Clang!
Jiang Zhu planted his feet on the nodes of the earth veins. His Spleen Divine Treasury thundered, and dark-yellow dragon qi gushed from his soles, forming phantom images of nine miniature mountains around him.
Sparks flew as the chains struck the mountain phantoms, but they could not get within three feet of him.
Golden light surged in his eyes. With each breath, Purple Mountain's metallic essence poured into him like a celestial river cascading down, coating the dragon scales on his right arm with a cold silver sheen.
Crack!
Jiang Zhu punched, crushing everything with sheer strength. His fist pierced the six-armed creature, and the force passed through its flesh into the mining tunnels behind it. Dozens of tunnels collapsed, leaving only a deep furrow.
Suddenly, he whipped his gaze toward the depths of Purple Mountain. He faintly heard divine source liquid flowing and the sharp snaps of chains breaking-more awakened members of the Primordial Race were following the disturbances of battle toward him.
"I'm afraid I can't stay in Purple Mountain any longer!"
Only some weak Primordial Creatures had awakened so far, and he could still handle them. But if a powerful one came along...
"Since things have come to this, I'd better leave first!"
Jiang Zhu drew the Six-Armed Primordial Creature into the Demon-Refining Pot to refine it, then turned and headed out of Purple Mountain.
A small village near Purple Mountain.
It was a village built of piled stones, with only a few dozen households and a total population of just over two hundred.
"Is this the village left behind by the Source Heavenly Master Descendants?" Jiang Zhu asked.
"Young immortal, this old man is a descendant of the Source Heavenly Master." A gray-haired elder stepped forward, looking nervously at Jiang Zhu.
"There's no need to be nervous. Have you seen a black dog with a bald tail lately? He's as big as an ox, black as ink all over, with a square head and large ears." Jiang Zhu reassured the tense villagers gripping their blades.
Every villager, whether man or woman, young or old, was holding a sharp knife. Only after hearing this did they let out a long breath and relax a little.
The Northern Region's people really are fierce!
"A dog like that did come to our village recently. He's called Black Emperor. Is he the one you're looking for, young immortal?" Fifth Master Zhang said, leaning on his walking stick.
"Yes, Black Emperor. Where did he go?"
"He seems to have gone to Purple Mountain and hasn't come back yet. Why don't you wait for him in the village, young immortal?"
Jiang Zhu thought it over. He was in no hurry, so he stepped into the village.
Since I'm here, I might as well take a look at the treasures the Source Heavenly Master left behind.
"Fifth Master Zhang, do you still have the stone implements the Source Heavenly Master left behind all those years ago?"
"I... my ancestor didn't leave any stone implements, did he? There are only things like stone stools and millstones. Is that what you mean?" Fifth Master Zhang spoke cautiously, afraid he might accidentally anger Jiang Zhu.
"Exactly. Your ancestor was a Source Heavenly Master. How could he have left ordinary stone implements? Bring them all over and let me take a look! I won't take your things for nothing."
As he spoke, Jiang Zhu touched a finger to Fifth Master Zhang's brow and transmitted a fragment of the Source Heaven Book to him.
It was only a fragment because he had not read the earlier sections on using the dragon qi of the earth veins or Source Formations. He had only read the final section on identifying source.
"This is your ancestor's legacy. This is all I've read, so now it can be considered returned to its rightful owner."
Jiang Zhu felt a little embarrassed as he spoke. He could have brought out the Source Heaven Book, but he had left it where it was to give his university classmates a little shock. Now that decision had made things awkward.
Recovering his ancestor's lost legacy, even if it was only a fragment, filled Fifth Master Zhang with wild joy. "Thank you, young immortal! I'll have them bring the stone implements to you right away!"
They worked efficiently. In just one afternoon, every stone implement the Source Heavenly Master had left in the village was brought out.
Jiang Zhu activated his Source Heaven Divine Eye and examined the stones.
Then he picked up a stone and cut it open with a few swift strokes, revealing a strange, petrified plant.
"Woof! What is that? Why does this emperor feel like it's an Immortal Medicine?"
Just then, a black dog the size of a calf appeared beside him.
"That's right. It's an Immortal Medicine. Unfortunately, it's petrified!" Jiang Zhu said, studying the petrified plant before him.
The Fifth-Generation Source Heavenly Master had once left two Immortal Medicines for his descendants. Who would have thought that his descendants would fail to recognize them, allowing Source God and Source Ghost to drain all the essence from the Divine Medicines?
Those were Immortal Medicines, treasures that even some Great Emperors could never find. Yet both of the ones the Source Heavenly Master had found had been wasted.
What a wanton squandering of heaven's treasures!
Divine Medicines had simply been wasted like this.
Jiang Zhu carefully examined the petrified Divine Medicine before him and finally confirmed that it was beyond saving.
The Human-Shaped Immortal Medicine at least still had roots and could be revived. This petrified Immortal Medicine had not the slightest trace of vitality left. No power could bring it back.
Black Emperor stared at the petrified Immortal Medicine. In the end, he could not resist and went up to take a bite.
"Pah, pah, pah! What is this stuff? It's turned completely to stone? Which heaven-damned bastard did this? If they didn't want it, they could have given it to me..."
Listening to Black Emperor's muttering beside him, Jiang Zhu continued cutting stones. He had examined this one beforehand; beneath its stone crust might be another Immortal Medicine.
Before long, Black Emperor stared dumbfounded at yet another petrified Immortal Medicine.
"Woof! This is the second fucking one?! Immortal herbs that some Great Emperors searched desperately for and never found, ruined into stones just like that! This emperor's heart is bleeding... Whoever did this deserves to be struck down by heavenly lightning!"
Heartbroken, Black Emperor sprawled before the two Divine Medicines and cursed furiously.
Before you continue