"My Lord! The Dragon Talisman is here!"
The Xia Emperor took out a golden dragon talisman from his bosom and respectfully handed it to Ling Xiao.
"Mm. Take me to the location of Great Xia's dragon vein. I will use this spirit vein to set up the ancient Nine Dragons Heaven-Locking Grand Formation!"
Ling Xiao's expression was indifferent, but the eyes of the Xia Emperor and the others constricted sharply.
What a ruthless formation!
Just by its name, this grand formation sounded incredibly badass!
If it could even imprison the heavens, why fear some measly demon?
"My Lord, please follow me!"
The Xia Emperor hurriedly led the way, guiding Ling Xiao towards a steep, high mountain deep within the palace grounds.
"My Lord, this vein is the location of our Great Xia's dragon vein. Within it, there is a Dragon Trapping Array set up by our Great Xia's ancestor."
The Xia Emperor stood at the foot of the mountain, looking with awe at a golden spirit talisman on the summit.
"Oh, how narrow-minded! The foundation of a dynasty lies in its people. When the people prosper, the dynasty flourishes. How can a dragon trapped here protect the world?"
Ling Xiao's calm words instantly caused the Xia Emperor's expression to change.
What the Lord said made perfect sense!
Since childhood, his elders and ancestors had taught him that water can carry a boat but also capsize it.
If one becomes emperor one day, the people must be the priority!
This dragon vein, locked away, only considering the immediate, how could it play its true role?
No wonder!
No wonder the Xia Yong lineage was exterminated by me—it was because they lacked the protection of the dragon's fortune!!
"My Lord… then what should we do?"
"Don't worry. This vein has been trapped for too long. It has no spirit energy left, only vicious energy. I will capture this vein, then place the ancient dragon vein left by your ancestor Xia Chen here. However… reviving the ancient vein will be a lengthy process."
Ling Xiao waved his hand lightly, and the two dragon talismans instantly appeared in his hand.
At the same time, a terrifying dragon aura surged between heaven and earth, actually pressuring the Great Xia dragon vein to the point of nearly dispersing.
"It's the Ancient Dragon Saint's Aura!!!"
The Xia Emperor's face changed dramatically, his eyes blazing with excitement.
He had felt this aura once before in the Xia family's ancestral land.
It was a ceremony held when the Xia family's prodigies reached adulthood.
The Ancient Dragon Saint Vein Baptism!!
So that was it!!!
The Great Xia's inherited Dragon Talisman actually contained the Ancient Dragon Saint Vein!!!
"Hmph! Later, I will tear off the golden talisman and take control of this ancient dragon vein. You capture that Great Xia dragon vein for me."
With Ling Xiao's Divine Marquis realm, he might not necessarily capture the dragon vein easily.
If any mistakes occurred, it might arouse the Xia Emperor's suspicion.
This idiot was now completely in awe of him. The reason Ling Xiao hadn't planted a Soul Seal on him was that… this thief had stolen the country; his nature must be sinister.
Who knew if there were any defensive artifacts in his Sea of Consciousness?
Moreover, that eldest prince still hadn't appeared. And from Jiang Yu's memories, Ling Xiao had roughly guessed that Xia Feng's template should be… one of the extremely powerful types!
This… meant he couldn't afford to be careless!
If he were from this realm, it might be manageable, but if he were from the Upper Realm… his methods would surely be terrifying.
The Soul-Snatching Ancient Art was a forbidden technique, but who the hell knew if there were similar techniques in the Upper Realm?
As a villain, of course, one must be cautious, then more cautious!
"Alright!"
The Xia Emperor, suspecting nothing, summoned his imperial might, which surged around him, transforming into golden radiance that seemed to manifest as a dragon silhouette above his head.
At that moment, Ling Xiao waved his hand, forming a seal in the air, and with one palm, tore off the golden talisman on the dragon vein.
"Boom!!"
In an instant, the previously dead mountain shattered, emitting a piercing dragon roar.
Then, Ling Xiao saw a golden dragon silhouette soaring into the sky, as if trying to escape.
"Get down!!"
The Xia Emperor stepped forward, his figure soaring into the air. The spiritual power around him converged into one palm, which he fiercely stamped down towards the dragon vein's phantom.
"Boom!!"
The full-force strike of a fifth-grade Divine Emperor naturally carried the majestic power of heaven and earth.
Especially in front of this Upper Realm Lord, the Xia Emperor pushed his bloodline spiritual power to the extreme.
"Buzz!"
The spirit seal transformed into a dragon—precisely the Xia clan's famous technique, the True Dragon Divine Seal.
In mid-air, the two dragon phantoms collided violently!
Heaven and earth shattered like a mirror at that moment, spatial ripples extending for thousands of miles without end.
In Dragon Fortune City, everyone watched the dragon figure falling from the sky, their eyes filled with intense shock.
"Boom!"
The Great Xia dragon vein fell from the sky, its hundred-zhang-long body instantly dimming.
The Xia Emperor stood with his hands behind his back, his golden robes fluttering, majestic and peerless.
"Not bad. Now step back. This sovereign will place the dragon talisman here to evolve the Ancient Dragon Saint Vein and protect your Great Xia's national fortune."
Ling Xiao spoke indifferently. Taking advantage of the dragon vein's weakness, he directly stored it into his Domain World.
The Xia Emperor merely bowed without a word. But the moment he turned around, a glaring trace of blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth.
Dammit!
Showing off was indeed satisfying, but it was easy to die doing it!!
If he weren't wearing the Great Xia's heavy artifact, the True Dragon Dao Armor, that dragon vein's strike would have surely injured his organs!
Watching the Xia Emperor hastily leave the place, a smile finally curled on Ling Xiao's lips. His figure flashed and instantly disappeared from the spot.
"Buzz!"
Within the Domain World, Ling Xiao stood in the void, watching the third dragon vein fall into the mountain range, his expression always calm.
Three of the nine veins had been gathered, and the aura of the Dao had begun to evolve between heaven and earth.
The originally barren land was now lush with green grass.
Rivers teemed with fish playing in the water and shrimp floating about, presenting a scene full of vitality.
The only slight disappointment for Ling Xiao was that after Hua Hua fused with that drop of Sacred Dragon Essence Blood, her cultivation had broken through to the fifth grade of the Divine General realm, but she still hadn't taken human form or spoken.
Of course, the more terrifying the demon beast's bloodline, the harder it was to transform. Ling Xiao understood this principle.
So, that was probably why Hua Hua was still a dragon and not a hot pot meal.
"Buzz."
With a thought, Ling Xiao's figure appeared on the third level of the Demon Suppressing Tower.
But now, with Die Ying responsible for training the death warriors, and Wu Nie and Mi Yong化身 treasure-hunting team wandering around the Eastern Frontier, the tower seemed much emptier.
But… it seemed the fourth level could be opened now?
Ling Xiao's eyes narrowed as he summoned the Golden Demon Puppet and walked towards the entrance to the fourth level.
With his current Divine Marquis realm, ordinary Divine King experts weren't much of a concern.
But this tower's origins were mysterious, and it sealed ancient fiendish demons. Who knew what was on the fourth level?
As the spirit array rippled with countless waves, Ling Xiao stepped forward and instantly appeared on the fourth level.
A thunder sun hung overhead, illuminating the entire space as bright as day.
However!!
What slightly puzzled him was that the fourth level was actually empty, devoid of any demonic aura or even a single demonic figure.
"An illusion again?"
Ling Xiao's eyes narrowed. One eye turned into a blood moon, the other into darkness.
But even so, the fourth level remained empty.
"Could the demonic entity in this tower have been completely refined?"
"The thing on the fourth level was taken by someone."
Just then, a familiar, clear voice came from behind him.
Ling Xiao turned around, somewhat puzzled, to look at Feng Ling. "Thing? What thing? Who took it?"
"I don't know. At that time, I still couldn't move freely between the nine levels. I only remember a strange aura breaking into the tower and taking the thing from the fourth level."
Feng Ling's face showed some confusion, but Ling Xiao fell into thought.
Could it be Ye Fan?
That shouldn't be!
That guy was nothing but an ant until his death; he couldn't possibly have reached the fourth level.
Moreover, although Feng Ling looked like a child, she had said herself that she was already a hundred years old.
A hundred years ago?
Could it be… that eldest princess of the Nine-Tailed Clan who sealed this tower inside Ye Fan?