Madam, please ascend.

Chapter 407 Slaying the Dragon
The shepherd, covered in blood, ran extremely fast. Only after he was completely out of the gaze of the Heavenly Dao did he finally stop and let out a sigh of relief.

Strangely, it seems that its temperament changes every time it interacts with the Heavenly Dao.

Sometimes it's like an institution that only knows how to follow the rules; when it discovers someone breaking the rules, it will lower the chains of heaven to arrest that person.

Sometimes it acts like a tyrant, destroying a place without explanation or clarification, leaving no trace and offering no explanation whatsoever.

Now it's become more like a living person, and Mulang can even feel its disgust and contempt for him.

Recalling the scene at Lake Yixian, where Heaven had merely sent down a single red bean, yet it had left him in such a sorry state, Mu Lang, though resentful, could only force himself to suppress his thoughts.

It's alright. The Overturning Heaven Pavilion deals with the Heavenly Dao by having a plan against someone who is not.

As long as Heaven cannot act recklessly, it is destined to passively wait for the "ending" to arrive.

Just like everything that happened in Xijing City, even if I am not in charge there, the Heavenly Puppet Dragon will turn the palace into a hellish underworld!
Thinking of this, although Mu Lang was wary of the Heavenly Dao and could only temporarily sever his connection with the Heavenly Puppet Dragon, he still felt confident of victory and that the advantage was in his hands.

When Yun Yi and the others arrived deep within the palace, the Eye of the Sky had already quietly closed, but Song Xinci was still watching down from afar.

The golden phantom mocked, "Look at him, he's never short of female confidantes."

Song Xinci's expression was aloof and sacred. She unconsciously rubbed her fingertips with her hands, as if she were imitating the puppet secretly sketching Yun Yi's appearance.

"The heavens are so desolate, yet he is incredibly happy on earth."

Song Xinci interrupted, "You're talking more and more nonsense."

The golden phantom was taken aback upon hearing this, and sighed, "I can no longer tell whether I am guiding you or you are assimilating me."

"What's the difference?" Song Xinci said casually, but there was one thing she had to admit: the moment she saw Su Qing, she immediately noticed how close she was to Yun Yi.

As a woman, Su Qing's ability to lead Yun Yi by half a body length when facing a formidable enemy demonstrates her trust in him, even at the cost of her life.

A faint feeling of jealousy suddenly spread through my heart.

Although he had long since come to terms with the fact that ascension meant abandoning their past, given his personality, he couldn't possibly live a quiet and solitary life in the mortal realm.

But even now that I'm in front of it, I still feel a little uncomfortable.

The most crucial question is about Lu Ziwei. When did this person suddenly appear?
I had never heard of him having any connection with the junior sister of Tian Shu Academy before, so why does it seem so unclear now?

The golden phantom remarked, "You two, one detached from love and the other passionate, should be either lovers or enemies."

"Or rather, they were both husband and wife, and also enemies." Song Xinci recalled their entangled past. She had already remembered everything, but the memories had become insignificant to her.

Because compared to the memories of everyone in the Three Realms, and the weight of all love, hate, and grudges, one's own romantic feelings are just a tiny, insignificant glimpse.

Therefore, she forcefully calmed the ripples in her heart, her eyes regained their clarity, and she felt neither joy nor sorrow.

The more she acted this way, the more lonely she appeared.

The golden phantom also shared the same sentiment, even feeling that Song Xinci was secretly hoping that the Overturning Heaven Pavilion would break all the Heavenly Pillars, and that when the Heavenly Realm descended to the mortal world, her future would face a different kind of change.

In the past, he would have definitely tried to persuade Song Xinci, but now he no longer had the mind or the ability to do so.

Because Song Xinci has already refined nearly half of the Great Dao of the Heavenly Realm, she is now on par with the golden phantom.

The Heavenly Dao is getting closer and closer to its peak!

……

The dome of the underground palace exploded with a deafening roar, and the stark white skeleton, enveloped in eerie blue flames, burst forth from the earth.

The bronze scales gleamed with an eerie, cold light under the blazing sun. With its head raised high, the dragon let out a long roar, accompanied by a pillar of eerie blue fire that swept across the palace, burning everything in its path to ashes.

Those palace servants and guards who came upon hearing the commotion were torn apart like scraps of paper by the dragon's claws; their severed limbs were vaporized into a dark blue mist before they could even shed blood.

The celestial dragon hovered atop the palace, crouching high on the corner tower, gradually tinting the blazing sun behind it with a bluish hue.

It was as if the entire city of Xijing was shrouded in an atmosphere of the underworld, which sent chills down one's spine and caused one's life force to involuntarily drain away.

The crimson dragon eyes glared at the three people in front of it, its expression unfriendly.

Those who come here are also hostile!
Lu Ziwei had anticipated this scene. She tore off a page of the Book of Eternity, which transformed into countless snow-white butterflies in her hand. These butterflies flew to all sides of the palace, forming walls that wrapped the place up layer by layer.

Su Qing walked with lotus-like steps, her robes fluttering, and her fingertips continuously flowed with the essence of longevity, nourishing the land beneath her feet that had been ravaged by flames.

Wherever she passed, the flames were extinguished, and the flowers, plants, and trees appeared vibrant with life, invisibly resisting the ferocious aura of the Heavenly Puppet Dragon.

However, neither side could suppress the other for the time being.

Lu Ziwei was most concerned about Mu Lang. She glanced around but did not find him. She asked in confusion, "Strange, how could he bear to leave the Heavenly Puppet True Dragon here alone?"

Yun Yi looked up at the sky, where there was a residual aura of the Heavenly Dao. Ordinary people could not detect it, but he could sense that his wife had been there.

He said, "My wife has seen, or rather noticed, this place, and it must have scared the shepherd away."

"Are the people from Futian Pavilion really that cowardly?"

“Xin Ci had given him some trouble before. Simply put, even someone at the Ascension Realm could only run away in fear when faced with the power of the Heavenly Dao.”

Lu Ziwei exclaimed, "What amazing skills! No wonder you're henpecked."

Yun Yi was immediately displeased: "When did I become henpecked?"

I could tell the first time we met.

Yun Yi recalled that their first meeting was at Fusheng Temple. At that time, he and Song Xinci were far from getting married, but Lu Ziwei had already seen this step.

He was powerless to refute, "Say what you will."

Su Qing said, "He is not afraid of his wife, but because he is often filled with guilt due to his affections."

Lu Ziwei smiled and said, "I see. At least you still know remorse, so you're not beyond redemption."

Su Qing: "A man like him is destined to face this kind of dilemma. As long as he walks in the human world, he will be entangled in karma and love. It's difficult to not let any of them down!"

Lu Ziwei: "Then he'll be afraid of his wife for the rest of his life."

The two women chatted idly, making Yun Yi feel quite helpless. However, their banter significantly eased the tense atmosphere. Even the Heavenly Puppet Dragon no longer inspired fear, its aura seemingly weakening by a third.

Hearing a commotion nearby, Yun Yi turned his head and saw that the person was none other than the extremely disheveled Helian Haihai.

"Something's wrong!"

The Heavenly Puppet Dragon looked at Helian Haihai, and a beam of ghostly fire suddenly shot out, landing on his body and instantly burning through the imperial crown, enveloping the nearly insane emperor.

Strangely, the flames did not burn him to ashes directly, but instead triggered the mechanisms in his chest to start moving violently.

Both Helian Haihai and the Heavenly Puppet True Dragon were related to the "Heavenly Puppet Path" and felt a sense of closeness to each other. Therefore, not only was he not harmed by the True Dragon, but he was also drawn to the dragon's head by the Netherfire.

His eyes gleamed crimson as he proclaimed in a loud voice, "Conquer the Great Xia, and reign supreme over the world!"

With this decree, the Heavenly Puppet Dragon immediately circled above the Qingyun Palace, roaring incessantly, its eerie blue flames illuminating the entire imperial city as a hellish inferno.

Lu Ziwei calmly concluded, "There's no cure. The two have already merged into one. It seems we'll have to deal with them together."

As a prized disciple of the Tian Shu Academy, Lu Ziwei's greatest skill lies in formations. At this moment, she revealed her Insightful Eyes, and golden scriptures appeared out of thin air, floating upright in mid-air.

Up close, it looks like words from a book have materialized; from a distance, it resembles a golden ocean of words.

Within this area, Yun Yi and Su Qing both felt refreshed and were able to maintain a state of "enlightenment" for once. In contrast, the Heavenly Puppet True Dragon seemed restrained, and was burned with a mark whenever it touched the golden scriptures.

This is the noble spirit that only scholars possess, naturally making it the most effective counter to sinister things like the Heavenly Puppet Path.

"My will is like floating clouds, my spirit is like a vast ocean, my heart is in the heavens and earth, upright and righteous!" At this moment, Lu Ziwei unleashed all her cultivation, and the "Dao of Vastness" instantly became all-pervasive, allowing no evil spirits to remain!
Yun Yi was astonished to see this, never expecting that Lu Ziwei's cultivation path was passed down from the second teacher of Tian Shu Academy.

Back then, that person, with his righteous spirit, cleansed the world and created a peaceful and prosperous era.

Compared to Lu Ziwei in her previous life, she is even more remarkable now!

However, the Heavenly Puppet Dragon would not sit idly by and wait for its death. Its flames transformed into clouds and mist, concealing its figure within them.

Then it suddenly crashed into the "Vast Dao Domain". Its body was so hard that it actually managed to create several cracks.

The golden text swayed like a storm, its brilliance suddenly dimmed, and it seemed that the deep blue color was about to regain its dominance.

After all, Lu Ziwei had only just entered the Dao Integration Realm, while the Heavenly Puppet True Dragon possessed the aura of the late Dao Integration Realm.

Just as Lu Ziwei was about to tear off a page from the Book of Eternity to complete the formation, unexpectedly, streaks of cyan energy flew towards the gap, restoring it to its original state with the power of immortality.

Moreover, after some mending and patching, it became even stronger than before.

Lu Ziwei and Su Qing looked at each other across the distance and nodded slightly, thinking that as long as the two of them joined forces, this Dao Domain would definitely not be destroyed.

This way, the Western Capital City won't be affected. Otherwise, when the battle reaches its climax and the Dao Integration Realm experts unleash their full power, the Western Capital City might also be implicated.

Yun Yi was responsible for facing the Heavenly Puppet Dragon that was entrenched in the clouds, his sword-like eyebrows slightly furrowed.

This evil dragon has dyed half the sky a dark, ghostly color. Helian Haihai stands on the dragon's head, roaring madly, while his lower body gradually merges with the dragon's skeleton.

Since he began cultivating, he had killed members of the Demonic Sect and slain demons, but this was the first time he had faced the "Five-Clawed Golden Dragon" directly.

The dragon's body was so enormous and its aura so astonishing that the square sword in his hand trembled with excitement, and he could hardly contain himself.

"What's so special about dragons? It's not like I haven't killed them before!" Fang Yuan's sword spirit transmitted his thoughts.

Yun Yi's brows relaxed, and he smiled, "How do we slay the dragon?"

After saying that, he answered his own question: "First, sever the dragon vein."

Yun Yi let out a low shout, and with his three-foot-long sword in hand, he soared into the sky. Upon seeing this, Lu Ziwei immediately understood, and countless butterflies made of Xuan paper gathered at his feet, paving a road to heaven for him.

The Heavenly Puppet Dragon aimed at the tiny figure and spat out a mouthful of ghostly fire. A willow leaf fluttered down and flew right next to Yun Yi, creating a barrier full of vitality that blocked all the attacks.

With the help of the two women, Yun Yi was able to concentrate and focus all his attention on sharpening the sword's edge.

As the man and sword drew ever closer, the Heavenly Puppet Dragon sensed a strong threat emanating from the sword and immediately swept across with immense force, dragging its heavy dragon tail behind it.

This seemingly ordinary strike had reached the pinnacle of "power," and the space itself could be faintly seen being torn apart by it.

Yun Yi was not afraid at all. He turned around and used the dragon's tail to cling to it. He shook his clothes to dissipate the force and easily neutralized the attack.

Helian Haihai roared, "You traitors truly deserve to die!"

Yun Yi: "I am not a citizen of the Great Yan Dynasty."

"Under the heavens, all is the land of Great Yan! Tens of thousands of puppet soldiers fight for me, sweeping across the nine continents!" Although he had lost his mind, he still remembered his long-cherished wish to destroy Great Xia.

Upon hearing this, Su Qing looked at the spider-shaped mechanism on the old emperor's chest and quickly diverted his attention to the "spies" left in the valley where the troops were stationed. He discovered that the puppet soldiers had indeed awakened and were surging towards the territory of the Great Xia like a tide.

Although she had warned her father beforehand, the Great Xia would undoubtedly have to pay an extremely heavy price in the face of these immortal soldiers.

Just as she was panicking, Yun Yi's voice suddenly came: "Since that's the case, why don't I kill you now and let you be your puppet emperor in your dreams!"

That's right, Helian Haihai is the core of the thousands of puppets. As long as he is killed, those puppet soldiers will become ownerless.

After saying that, Yun Yi plunged his sword into the dragon's body, penetrating deep into its spine, and tearing upwards from the dragon's tail, leaving a long mark on the blade.

The Heavenly Puppet Dragon was furious, and jets of dark blue fire spewed from the cracks in its skeleton. Yun Yi dodged left and right, but a corner of his clothes was still burned off.

The flames were extraordinary; they burned away life force to become fuel, and everything they touched turned into fluorescent light and disappeared.

That's a bit much. Although the clothes are a bit ugly, they were sewn by Zhuque herself, stitch by stitch.

"Attack its Achilles' heel!" Yun Yi's killing intent was already aroused. He dragged his sword along the way, and the sword light was about to split the bloodless and fleshless puppet dragon body in two.

But this was far from enough to kill it. The seemingly serious injury was healed in an instant. The products of the Heavenly Puppet Path were immortal and indestructible, which was indeed very troublesome.

In just a short while, Yun Yi finally climbed to the dragon's neck.

At this moment, Lu Ziwei transformed golden characters into flowing chains of light, tightly binding the body of the Heavenly Puppet Dragon. Su Qing, meanwhile, transformed his sleeves into a gust of green wind that swept away and wrapped around the four dragon claws.

For a time, they managed to immobilize the Heavenly Puppet Dragon.

Yun Yi's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his sword suddenly became incomparably sharp, piercing directly into the back of the dragon's neck, into a piece of bronze dragon scales that grew against the grain!
(End of this chapter)