Chapter 8, Soul Seal

After experiencing several life-and-death battles, Kang Mingyu's various martial arts skills became increasingly refined. Not only did he gradually grasp the operational principles of the gatekeeper's divine skill, but he also developed numerous clever variations in combat. With a rise and fall, Kang Mingyu gradually turned the tide of battle, with dark clouds swirling beneath his feet and emerald flames soaring in his palms, reaching a stalemate with the unicorn serpent.

With a firm gritting of her teeth, Kang Mingyu urgently channeled her internal energy, and the azure flames and dark thunder surged forth violently, sixty-nine, seventy, ... seventy-two ...

"Wuna, the young Taoist, unite your strength with ours and penetrate to the seven zhang beneath the great serpent's head to seize that black iron plate. Only then can we defeat the great serpent. Do not hesitate, go quickly! Go quickly!"

As the seven individuals exchanged glances, the three great scattered immortals—Dong Yizi, Bo Ezi, and Xiqiuzi—slightly nodded in agreement, deciding to stay behind to guard the Hundred Bones Daoist, while the remaining four pursued the Great Sun Dharma King with their qi.

After fighting for so long, Kang Mingyu finally realized that the giant snake was not a physical entity, but rather a virtual form composed of countless shadowy souls. If it hadn't been for a fortunate strike that hit the giant snake just now, Kang Mingyu would have remained oblivious to this fact.

As Kang Mingyu took a breath with his sword in hand, he suddenly heard a buzzing sound from within his embrace. In fact, he had previously faintly heard the tinkling sound from his bosom but had not thought much of it. Now, with a moment to catch his breath, Kang Mingyu suddenly recalled the pouch that his son had gifted him.

What Baigudao did not expect was that the "Taiyin Shuxing Formation" indeed temporarily trapped the seven great masters of the Daoist sect. However, his battle spirit, the one-horned snake demon, attracted Kang Mingyu, who was being controlled by Lü Bu and absorbing eighty thousand ghost soldiers, resulting in the formation's power not being fully realized

Suddenly witnessing this strange change, Kang Mingyu was momentarily stunned. Just as he was about to rush forward to strike the unicorn snake demon a few more times, he abruptly felt the two strongest forces suddenly merge into one, and a thought penetrated his mind

After successfully striking, Kang Mingyu waved to retract the Lingzhuang Town Sha Nail and rapidly descended to the ground. Just before the giant serpent's mouth could swallow him, he shouted loudly and forcefully crashed into the ground. Although Kang Mingyu had no means of earth escape, his Heavenly Eye divine ability allowed him to see several feet underground, revealing a hidden river. Relying on the water-repelling ability of his Water Cloud Daoist robe, Kang Mingyu devised this method to escape.

The battle raged on both sides, yet the situation for Kang Mingyu was quite dire.

Yuwen Xingchen, relying on the unparalleled body technique of "Mountains in the Ethereal Mist," continuously positioned himself ahead of the Great Sun Dharma King, setting up obstructive formations. However, this old monk's abilities were truly remarkable, repeatedly breaking through Yuwen Xingchen's defensive formations. As they made their way south, the five of them engaged in a fierce chase and battle, creating a tumultuous scene that gradually receded into the distance

Kang Mingyu was in a state of turmoil, feeling flustered and confused, and was not even fully aware of his own situation. As a result, he did not pay attention to what was happening around him, let alone notice the extraordinary sight of water flooding the ground.

The Sea-Submerging Bag, when turned over, resembles the vast expanse of the Yangtze River, overturning the Yellow River, revealing the Milky Way beneath, and causing the ocean to surge in reverse. In an instant, the floodwaters engulfed the surrounding area for several miles. The treasures of the Daoist sect are ultimately not ordinary; the water flow from this Sea-Submerging Bag can be controlled at will, and upon leaving the surface of this ancient tomb, it does not flow elsewhere.

His cultivation was damaged, and he believed that without a few days of rest, he could not return to peak condition. The Great Sun Purple Flame was greatly restricted underwater, which significantly hindered his ability to exert his power. At this moment, the wisest choice was to withdraw.

The flow route of the internal demon general, if coinciding with a certain martial arts pathway of Kang Mingyu, would suddenly amplify his might, repelling the advance of the unicorn snake demon. Conversely, if it happened to clash with his true energy, a move that was originally imposing would often become weak and ineffective midway, leading to a failure. This left Kang Mingyu in a dire predicament, barely escaping with his life.

However, what puzzled Kang Mingyu was that although this unicorn serpent appeared to be heavy and large, it was actually extremely agile, even quicker and more nimble than Kang Mingyu's own movements. It kept forcing Kang Mingyu to engage in a direct confrontation. This occasional oversight, however, seemed highly suspicious

After fighting with the great serpent for such a long time, Kang Mingyu's fear gradually diminished, and his courage grew stronger. Additionally, the Yin spirits within him were gradually brought under his control, and the various ghost generals seemed to share a common will, fully assisting him in the battle. Not only did they cease their previous turmoil, but they also provided him with an endless supply of true power.

The sound of whistling echoed incessantly. Kang Mingyu watched as countless beams of blue light shot forth from the small leather pouch, which in an instant transformed into hundreds of azure-scaled dragons, each as thick as an arm and several zhang long, entwined with faint blue lightning. They swirled through the air, entangled with the unicorn serpent demon.

Kang Mingyu was unaware of the changes that had occurred in the ancient underground tomb at that moment

Various crises, hanging by a thread

The unicorn serpent demon exudes a terrifying aura, spewing forth black clouds from its mouth, incinerating anything it touches. This malevolent energy not only contains the toxic essence cultivated over a thousand years by the unicorn serpent demon but is also mixed with the grievances of countless restless souls. If it were not for the water cloud robe worn by Kang Mingyu, which possesses the ability to ward off evil and dispel toxins, it is likely that he would have already been swallowed whole by this great serpent.

With the release of the sea bag and the diagram book, Zhong Chonghong's East Sea Dragon Control Technique can harness the power of the magical artifact, increasing its effectiveness by more than double. The surrounding water currents are gathered by Zhong Chonghong into dozens of water dragons, forming an intricate net.

The Spirit-Subduing Nail of Lingzhuang Town possesses great spirituality and has already sensed the malevolent energy surrounding Kang Mingyu. However, the Spirit-Subduing Nail is sealed within a pouch, allowing it only to jump in place to alert its master, but it cannot emerge to confront the enemy. As soon as Kang Mingyu opened the pouch, the Spirit-Subduing Nail transformed and rushed directly towards the Celestial Serpent.

After successfully landing a blow, Kang Mingyu took the opportunity to glance back in a panic while the giant snake was recovering. The direction of the ancient tomb, which was once clear, was now engulfed in dark energy, with flashes of purple lightning and green light, and countless red clouds. It was evident that the battle there was even more intense than the one he was experiencing.

From a strategic perspective, this arrangement is impeccable

The Great Sun Dharma King possesses immense wisdom. Although he is fully confident that he will not be defeated by the Hundred Bones Daoist, he is unable to contend with the siege of the seven great masters of the Daoist sect. The Hundred Bones Daoist has his own spells to perceive the surrounding situation, while the Great Sun Dharma King’s heavenly eye, one of the six supernatural powers of the Buddhist school, can also observe objects a thousand miles away.

The unicorn serpent demon, entangled by three hundred sixty-five spirit-suppressing nails, was caught off guard by Kang Mingyu's self-sacrificial act. With a single strike, Kang Mingyu plunged a knife into its lower abdomen, piercing straight through to its spine. As he passed through the massive serpent's body, Kang Mingyu's eyes blazed with green flames, effortlessly locating the black iron plate.

Kang Mingyu now unleashed the Red Flame Sword Light Technique, the Green Flame Yin Thunder Blade, the Spirit Capturing and Ghost Controlling Great Method, and the Ghost God Limiting Technique... He applied every skill he could think of in a haphazard manner, like a headless fly. He only hoped that the enormous mouth of the snake demon, which was several times larger than the city gate, would move slightly farther away from him

The Great Sun Dharma King made a decisive move, letting out a thunderous roar as a brilliant golden light erupted around him. The Hundred Bones Daoist was caught off guard and was forcefully knocked back by the Great Sun Dharma King, creating a breach. Having already prepared an escape route, the Great Sun Dharma King pressed his palm against the southern wall of the tomb, unleashing a tremendous force that could topple mountains and seas. He created an opening, and with the rushing torrent of water flowing in continuously, the majestic figure of the Great Sun Dharma King vanished in an instant.

The three great scattered immortals remained to deal with the Hundred Bones Daoist, aiming for a swift resolution, whether by expulsion or defeat, to eliminate this unpredictable variable. They would then regroup with the other four and focus all their efforts on killing the Great Sun Dharma King

Moreover, although the Great Sun Dharma King had never met the seven masters of the Daoist sect, he felt a peculiar insight in his heart that these seven individuals must have come for him. This feeling was akin to a fleeting moment of enlightenment experienced by those who have approached the realm of celestial beings through the practice of diagrams and texts. While the Great Sun Dharma King did not yet possess the ability to predict the future, his supernatural powers were remarkable, and he had a strong intuition regarding fortune and misfortune.

Kang Mingyu, who was struggling for survival, swung the Azure Flame Shadow Thunder Blade in his hand and struck fiercely at the head of the giant serpent. Countless black gases erupted, and with one blow, he actually cleaved the serpent demon in half. Slightly taken aback, Kang Mingyu quickly noticed the black gas dispersing and then reassembling, as the giant serpent launched another ferocious attack.

Masters of the caliber of the Hundred Bones Daoist or the Great Sun Dharma King are already very difficult to kill. Therefore, the seven great masters of the Daoist sect have chosen to leave the three strongest loose immortals to deal with the Hundred Bones Daoist. If the goal is merely to defeat him and escape his entanglement, only they possess the necessary strength to do so

The giant serpent opened its massive mouth and charged down from the sky, stirring up countless clouds of dust. After a moment, the serpent, which had already burrowed a significant portion of its body into the ground, seemed to respond to a call and finally broke through the earth. Its enormous body twisted in mid-air as it flew towards the battlefield where the Bone Daoist was summoning it.

Continuously observing the ground's anomalies, a flash of blue light illuminated my hand, revealing a faint golden light beneath the surface moving southwest. This golden light exuded an aura that was peaceful yet tinged with a hint of ferocity, clearly indicating that the Great Sun King was fleeing underground.

The gifts that Xiqiuzi presented to Kang Mingyu were three hundred sixty-five pieces crafted by his own hands using fine copper and cold iron, refined with the true fire of the five elements and the Great Transformation Divine Talisman; the Spirit Dragon Suppression Nails, specifically designed to ward off evil spirits

The Hundred Bones Daoist has been operating in this place for many years, and in order to cultivate his spells, he has naturally made numerous arrangements, which cannot be compared to the hastily arrived Seven Disciples of the Dao.

Moreover, the Bone Daoist released the battle soul refined from the giant serpent, enhancing the power of the formation

The seven masters of the Daoist sect have not yet encountered the Bone Daoist or the Great Sun Dharma King, yet they have already been trapped by the formation set up by the Bone Daoist.

The thunderstorm in mid-air grew increasingly intense

The Great Sun Dharma King was locked in a fierce battle with the Hundred Bones Daoist underground. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed, as if the ancient tomb had been pierced at the riverbed, and a torrent cascaded down from the broken tomb's ceiling. Originally, he was intensifying his assault, aiming to eliminate the Great Sun Dharma King, this old bald donkey, first. However, with the interference from the Seven Sons of the Daoist Sect, the Hundred Bones Daoist could not afford to be careless and hurriedly activated the ambush formation known as the "Yin Guard Formation".

The Hundred Bones Daoist's Qingchi Cold Light Whip swiftly pursued, but was deflected by the Vajra Staff of the Great Sun Dharma King. The seven top experts of the Daoist sect on the ground are particularly skilled at dealing with demons and monsters. Although the Hundred Bones Daoist utilized the formidable "Taiyin Guardian Formation" formed by countless yin souls and gathered texts, it was still unable to overcome these seven individuals

Not long after the fight began, Kang Mingyu noticed that the giant snake turned slowly. Seizing the opportunity, he rushed forward and struck down with his blade, severing half of the snake's body.

The main body of this unicorn serpent demon had long been refined by the Hundred Bones Daoist, and its original spirit had devoured countless yin souls, resulting in its growth. Although its power has increased, its intelligence and spirituality have significantly diminished. After Kang Mingyu broke free, the enormous body of the serpent seemed to have suffered no damage at all, quickly returning to its original state.

Outside, a giant snake pursues and bites, while within Kang Mingyu, true energy rolls violently, rendering him inexpressibly tormented. More than ten formidable ghost generals refuse to remain subdued, crashing around inside him. The countless malevolent souls that he had barely managed to suppress moments ago swirl in and out of Kang Mingyu's seven orifices. The ghastly green ghostly flames and the dark, oppressive ghostly aura resemble dozens of ribbons, wandering around his exterior. Coupled with the azure flames of yin thunder and the misty clouds, Kang Mingyu's current appearance is even more terrifying than that of the giant snake. The ghastly green ghostly flames and the dark, oppressive ghostly aura resemble dozens of ribbons, wandering around his exterior. Coupled with the azure flames of yin thunder and the misty clouds, Kang Mingyu's current appearance is even more terrifying than that of the giant snake. It is as if he has transformed into a thousand-year-old malevolent spirit or a reincarnated hellish demon, exuding a fierce and savage demeanor.

Although Kang Mingyu possesses the flying sword Qingya, the Dongyi master has not yet imparted to him the incantations for wielding the flying sword, and he has not practiced it either. Therefore, he is fundamentally unable to utilize it

Not good, that fellow has run away

The child then said: "This small object can be used for self-defense." At that moment, Kang Mingyu thought of it as timely assistance in a snowstorm. She hurriedly took it out, and as soon as she opened the leather pouch, dozens of beams of blue light surged out in succession, all shooting towards the unicorn snake demon.

Kang Mingyu and the Unicorn Serpent Demon clashed dozens of miles away, surrounded by dark clouds and howling winds. The ominous clouds in the sky seemed to be fixated on the two of them, unleashing thunder and lightning, crackling and rumbling, swirling above Kang Mingyu's head. Fortunately, the Unicorn Serpent Demon was millions of times larger than Kang Mingyu and hovered above him, absorbing ninety percent of the thunder and lightning. Without the interference of this thunder and lightning, Kang Mingyu would have long since been unable to hold on.

Kang Mingyu could barely perceive that it was the spirit of the deity Lü Bu speaking, while another force was the Overlord Xiang Yu, who had merged with his own primordial spirit. With the assistance of these two powers, Kang Mingyu's vital energy surged dramatically, quickly stabilizing the turmoil within his body

The master of the Nightless Island, Zhang Qingye, though a woman, wields an exceptionally fierce icy sword energy. Waves of icy sword energy burst forth from the ground, vowing to slay the Great Sun Dharma King beneath the earth. The Great Sun Dharma King, enveloped in a golden light and purple flames of protection, appears even more dazzling and resplendent against the backdrop of the darkened sky, with the flames swirling.

Although the world was in chaos at that time, the Yuan-Mongol court still commanded an army of over one million, and the situation had not yet deteriorated. Given the status of the Great Sun Dharma King, any future counterattack would undoubtedly be extremely fierce, posing a grave threat to the existence of all Daoist sects in the world.

Conversely, even if the Three Great Loose Immortals were to face the Great Sun Dharma King, a battle of life and death would not be easily resolved. The remaining four do not have absolute confidence in defeating the Hundred Bones Daoist. The situation of the battle is bound to become stalemated

In a swift motion, Kang Mingyu had already grasped the "Soul Seal Book" in his hand. In order to prevent the loss of this precious book, the Baigu Daoist had hidden it within the battle soul, only to inadvertently benefit Kang Mingyu.

This conflict involves the life and death of the Buddhist Esoteric School and the Daoist sect. Should the attempt to pursue and kill the Great Sun King fail, the consequences would be unimaginable

Although the magical arts of the seven individuals are profound and mysterious, engaging in combat with underground beings and the likes of the Bone Daoist inevitably diminishes their own strength. Among the seven, only Bo Ezi is proficient in the art of evasion, while the others are not skilled in burrowing through the earth. Therefore, Zhong Chonghong intends to flood this area to force the two major evildoers to emerge and engage in battle.

With the assistance of two great masters, the Ghost God Limit Technique merged with the Azure Flame Yin Thunder Blade. Kang Mingyu pushed the true energy within his body to the limit, once again surpassing the previous power. Seventy-two clusters of Azure Flame Yin Thunder connected to form an unprecedented fierce blade light. Kang Mingyu soared through the air, transforming into a ghastly green lightning that pierced directly beneath the giant serpent's jaw at a distance of seven zhang.

Yuwen Xingchen's movement technique is the fastest, transforming his entire being into a faint white shadow, swiftly darting around in search of signs of someone emerging from the ground. The Lord of the Evernight Island advocates for the Qingye Ice Soul Sword Qi to be poised and ready. Although the other four have not yet taken action, they are all channeling their magical powers to drive away numerous malevolent spirits, rendering them no threat.

It turned out that a conflict had erupted over there, which affected this unicorn serpent. It was only then that Kang Mingyu realized why he had succeeded in his attacks twice.

The three great scattered immortals of the Daoist sect, Dong Yizi, Bo Ezi, and Xi Qiuzi, are not inferior in terms of Daoist techniques and martial prowess to the likes of the Great Sun Dharma King and the Hundred Bones Daoist, who are renowned for their formidable power. However, they have long extinguished their desire for conflict. This time, they were personally invited by the Grand Master Zhang Qianyao, the head of the Daoist sect, which demonstrates the significance placed on this operation.

As soon as Kang Mingyu left, Zhong Chonghong took out the Daohai Bag, one of the seven extraordinary treasures of the Penglai Sect.

In the sky above, the rolling unicorn serpent demon was ignored by everyone. These seven individuals were aware that this serpent demon was ultimately under the control of the Bone-Collecting Daoist; as long as they killed the Bone-Collecting Daoist, subduing this serpent demon would be a simple task.