lóng jiǔ yuān ， zì rán jiù shì lóng yuè yóu de xiōng zhǎng 。
龙九渊，自然就是龙跃游的兄长。
Dragon Jiyuan was naturally the elder brother of Dragon Leiyou.
tiān fù yì bǐng ， zài lóng jiā nián qīng yí dài zhōng ， nǎi shì zuì wèi chū lèi bá cuì de cún zài 。
天赋异禀，在龙家年轻一代中，乃是最为出类拔萃的存在。
With extraordinary natural talents, he stood out among his peers in the young generation of the Dragon Clan. He advanced from Qi Lian (Nurturing Energy) to Shen Xing Peak (Spirit Transformation Peak) within just over a century.
cóng liàn qì dào huà shén diān fēng ， tā jǐn jǐn yòng le bù guò yì bǎi duō nián de shí jiān 。
从炼气到化神巅峰，他仅仅用了不过一百多年的时间。
Unfortunately, due to the rarity of the Heavenly Essence Soul, such a prodigy was confined to the Shen Xing Realm.
kě xī de shì ， yóu yú tiān dì zhī pò de xī yǒu xìng ， rú cǐ tiān cái ， zhǐ néng bèi kùn dùn yú huà shén jìng jiè 。
可惜的是，由于天地之魄的稀有性，如此天才，只能被困顿于化神境界。
Another century passed before he finally saw hope on the horizon.
zú zú yòu guò le yì bǎi duō nián ， shí zhì jīn rì ， zhè cái zhōng yú yíng lái shǔ guāng 。
足足又过了一百多年，时至今日，这才终于迎来曙光。
"Friend Dragon, may I ask where did you obtain the Heavenly Essence Soul for your Dao Union?" one cultivator inquired curiously after the celebration.
“ lóng dào yǒu ， bù zhī jiǔ yuān xiōng hé dào suǒ jì tiān dì zhī pò ， cóng hé ér lái a ？”
“龙道友，不知九渊兄合道所祭天地之魄，从何而来啊？”
Dragon Leiyou hesitated slightly but then decided that it was among his own people and his brother had already achieved Dao Union. The existence of the Heavenly Essence Soul was no longer a secret.
yī fān rè liè de qìng zhù zhī hòu ， zài chǎng xiū shì què shì rěn bú zhù ， hào qí de wèn dào 。
一番热烈的庆祝之后，在场修士却是忍不住，好奇的问道。
With everyone's curious and hopeful gazes, Dragon Leiyou couldn't resist his pride and said slowly: "It is indeed my brother’s destiny!"
lóng yuè yóu wēi wēi chí yí piàn kè ， bù guò xiǎng dào zhè lǐ dōu shì zì jǐ rén 。
龙跃游微微迟疑片刻，不过想到这里都是自己人。
"He guarded the Celestial Spirit State for over thirty years. During one mission in a remote mountain, he discovered something peculiar."
ér xiōng zhǎng yòu yǐ jīng hé dào chéng gōng ， nà dào tiān dì zhī pò de cún zài ， yě bù zài shì shén me mì mì 。
而兄长又已经合道成功，那道天地之魄的存在，也不再是什么秘密。
"The mountains looked no different from ordinary ones on the outside, but inside, solid rock had transformed into dark, viscous mud."
kàn zhe zhòng rén hào qí 、 qī pàn de yǎn shén ， lóng yuè yóu zhōng jiū méi néng rěn zhù xīn zhōng de dé yì ， huǎn huǎn shuō dào ：“ yě hé gāi shì wǒ xiōng tiān mìng suǒ guī ！”
看着众人好奇、期盼的眼神，龙跃游终究没能忍住心中的得意，缓缓说道：“也合该是我兄天命所归！”
"This mud emitted an ominous aura; any creature that ventured in, even with magical weapons or Dao techniques, would be devoured and assimilated without trace."
“ tā zhèn shǒu tiān líng zhōu sān shí yú zài ， céng zài mǒu cì wài chū zhí xíng rèn wù zhōng ， zài mǒu zuò shēn shān zhōng ， fā xiàn le yī chù qí jǐng 。”
“他镇守天灵州三十余载，曾在某次外出执行任务中，在某座深山中，发现了一处奇景。”
"Normally, creatures with spiritual senses would instinctively avoid such dangerous areas. But my brother found something strange."
“ shān tǐ kàn shàng qù hé xún cháng shān fēng méi yǒu shén me liǎng yàng ， dàn shì nèi bù yuán běn jiān yìng de yán shí ， jìng rán quán dōu biàn chéng le qī hēi 、 nián chóu de ní zhǎo 。”
“山体看上去和寻常山峰没有什么两样，但是内部原本坚硬的岩石，竟然全都变成了漆黑、粘稠的泥沼。”
Dragon Leiyou paused here, seemingly teasing the audience. Seeing their eager looks, he continued: "All life around the black mud swarmed into it like moths to a flame, risking everything."
“ ní zhǎo sàn fà zhe bù xiáng de qì xī ， rèn hé wù rù qí zhōng de shēng wù ， nǎ pà shì fǎ qì 、 dào fǎ gōng jī ， dū huì bèi qí tūn shì 、 tóng huà ， xiāo shī wú zōng 。”
“泥沼散发着不详的气息，任何误入其中的生物，哪怕是法器、道法攻击，都会被其吞噬、同化，消失无踪。”
"Even cultivators couldn't resist. My brother's resolve was unshakable, but after lingering near the black mud for too long, he almost succumbed and entered it himself."
“ àn lǐ shuō zhè me wēi xiǎn de dì yù ， dàn fán yǒu líng jué de shēng wù ， dū huì xīn zhōng yǐn yǐn gǎn dào bù ān ， jìn xíng xià yì shí de duǒ bì 。”
“按理说这么危险的地域，但凡有灵觉的生物，都会心中隐隐感到不安，进行下意识的躲避。”
Some in the crowd instantly understood and gasped: "A致命的诱惑… Could this black mud be the Heavenly Essence Soul?"
“ dàn shì wǒ xiōng zhǎng què fā xiàn le yī jiàn qí guài de shì qíng 。”
“但是我兄长却发现了一件奇怪的事情。”
Dragon Leiyou nodded slightly: "Exactly! My brother had that thought. After being trapped in the Shen Xing Realm for so many years, he was overjoyed."
lóng yuè yóu shuì dào zhè lǐ ， wēi wēi yī dùn 。
龙跃游说道这里，微微一顿。
"But he knew the Heavenly Essence Soul was a manifestation of law and hard to deal with. He endured his urge and retreated out."
sì hū yào diào yī diào zhòng rén wèi kǒu ， kàn zhe zài chǎng xiū shì quán dōu xīn yǎng nán nài de yàng zi ， tā zhè cái yǒu xiē xīn mǎn yì dé de jì xù shuō dào ：“ hēi zhǎo zhōu wéi ， suǒ yǒu de shēng wù ， quán dōu rú tóng fēi é pū huǒ bān ， zhēng xiān kǒng hòu 、 shě shēng wàng sǐ de zǒu jìn hēi zhǎo zhōng 。”
似乎要吊一吊众人胃口，看着在场修士全都心痒难耐的样子，他这才有些心满意得的继续说道：“黑沼周围，所有的生物，全都如同飞蛾扑火般，争先恐后、舍生忘死的走进黑沼中。”
"Using secret techniques, he sealed off the entrance and returned secretly to Celestial Spirit City."
“ nǎ pà shì xiū shì ， yě bù lì wài 。 wǒ xiōng zhǎng dào xīn hé qí jiān rèn ， dàn zài nà hēi zhǎo zhōu wéi dāi de jiǔ le ， què yě jī hū yào rěn nài bú zhù ， zǒu jìn qí zhōng 。”
“哪怕是修士，也不例外。我兄长道心何其坚韧，但在那黑沼周围呆的久了，却也几乎要忍耐不住，走进其中。”
"For days, he prepared alone in silence without disturbing anyone.
zài chǎng xiū shì ， yǒu de shùn jiān fǎn yìng guò lái ， fā chū yī shēng jīng hū ：“ zhì mìng de yòu huò ……”
在场修士，有的瞬间反应过来，发出一声惊呼：“致命的诱惑……”
...
“ nán dào shuō ， zhè hēi zhǎo ， jiù shì nà dào tiān dì zhī pò ？”
“难道说，这黑沼，就是那道天地之魄？”
"After half a month, my brother finally found an excuse to return to the mountains."
lóng yuè yóu wēi wēi diǎn tóu ：“ méi cuò ！ xiōng zhǎng dāng shí yě shì xiǎng dào le zhè diǎn 。 bèi kùn huà shén jìng jiè duō nián de tā ， zì rán shì jīng xǐ ruò kuáng 。”
龙跃游微微点头：“没错！兄长当时也是想到了这点。被困化神境界多年的他，自然是惊喜若狂。”
He used array formations to seal the area, preventing outsiders from noticing. Only then did he attempt to attack the black mud.
“ dàn tā yě zhī dào ， tiān dì zhī pò ， nǎi shì fǎ zé jù xiàn ， shí zài bù hǎo duì fù 。 yú shì tā yìng shì rěn nài zhù le xīn zhōng de zào dòng ， tuì le chū qù 。”
“但他也知道，天地之魄，乃是法则具现，实在不好对付。于是他硬是忍耐住了心中的躁动，退了出去。”
But as before, all attacks were futile and failed to stir any reaction.
“ yǐ mì fǎ jiāng shān de rù kǒu fēng bì hòu ， qiǎo rán huí dào le tiān líng chéng zhōng 。”
“以秘法将山的入口封闭后，悄然回到了天灵城中。”
Dragon Leiyou's eyes narrowed in recollection: "For three days, my brother tried various methods but could not harm the black mud."
“ cǐ hòu méi yǒu jīng dòng rèn hé rén ， zhǐ shì dú zì yī rén ， qiāo qiāo zhǔn bèi 。”
“此后没有惊动任何人，只是独自一人，悄悄准备。”
"At this moment, he recalled his years trapped in the Shen Xing Realm. He made up his mind with a resolve to die if he couldn't succeed."
“ yì zhí yòng le bàn gè yuè de guāng jǐng ， zhǔn bèi tuǒ dàng de xiōng zhǎng ， zhè cái zài cì zhǎo le gè jiè kǒu ， chóng fǎn shēn shān 。”
“一直用了半个月的光景，准备妥当的兄长，这才再次找了个借口，重返深山。”
"Throwing caution to the wind, he leaped into the black mud!"
“ yòng zhèn fǎ jiāng shān zhōu wéi fēng suǒ ， fáng zhǐ wài rén fā jué zhī hòu 。 xiōng zhǎng zhè cái shì zhe duì hēi zhǎo fā dòng gōng jī 。”
“用阵法将山周围封锁，防止外人发觉之后。兄长这才试着对黑沼发动攻击。”
The cultivators gasped at Dragon Leiyou's words.
“ dàn yī rú xiān qián nà bān ， suǒ yǒu de gōng jī ， dōu ní niú rù hǎi 、 méi yǒu jī qǐ sī háo de fǎn yìng 。”
“但一如先前那般，所有的攻击，都泥牛入海、没有激起丝毫的反应。”
If they were in his position, they wouldn't have had the courage to do so. Who knew what was inside that black mud? Jumping in might be a waste of life.
lóng yuè yóu yǎn jīng mī qǐ ， sì hū zài huí yì zhe lóng jiǔ yuān duì tā de jiǎng shù ：“ zú zú sān tiān de shí jiān ， xiōng zhǎng tā cháng shì le gè zhǒng fāng fǎ ， dōu bù néng zuò dào duì hēi zhǎo de rèn hé shāng hài 。”
龙跃游眼睛眯起，似乎在回忆着龙九渊对他的讲述：“足足三天的时间，兄长他尝试了各种方法，都不能做到对黑沼的任何伤害。”
Even if Dao Union failed, his Shen Xing Realm could still suppress and rule over an area.
“ zài zhè ge shí kè ， xiōng zhǎng tā huí xiǎng qǐ zì jǐ bèi kùn yú huà shén jìng jiè de zhè xiē nián de yí mù mù chǎng jǐng ， zhōng jiū shì xià dìng le jué xīn 。”
“在这个时刻，兄长他回想起自己被困于化神境界的这些年的一幕幕场景，终究是下定了决心。”
But once it came down to life or death, nothing else mattered.
“ bào zhe shì bù chéng 、 shēn zé sǐ de jué rán ， tā zòng shēn yuè rù hēi zhǎo zhī zhōng ！”
“抱着事不成、身则死的决然，他纵身跃入黑沼之中！”
Yet Dragon Jiyuan did just that!
chǎng zhōng xiū shì ， wén yán fēn fēn dào xī yī kǒu liáng qì 。
场中修士，闻言纷纷倒吸一口凉气。
The crowd marveled at him, deeply admiring his bravery.
mǐn xīn zì wèn ， ruò shì huàn zuò tā men ， kǒng pà shì méi yǒu yǒng qì zhè me zuò de 。
抿心自问，若是换做他们，恐怕是没有勇气这么做的。
"I've heard that Dragon Jiyuan is exceptionally brave, beyond the reach of ordinary people. It seems the rumors didn't exaggerate but rather underestimated him!"
shuí zhī dào hēi zhǎo zhōng yǒu shén me ， jiù zhè me tiào xià qù ， shì bú shì bái bái sòng sǐ ？
谁知道黑沼中有什么，就这么跳下去，是不是白白送死？
"No wonder he can be on equal footing with many Dao Union Immortals!"
jiù suàn hé dào bù chéng ， huà shén xiū wèi yě néng zhèn yā yī fāng 、 zuò wēi zuò fú 。
就算合道不成，化神修为也能镇压一方、作威作福。
"Hah! To have a brother like Dragon Jiyuan is an honor in itself!"
ér yí dàn shēng sǐ ， kě jiù shén me dōu tán bù shàng le 。
而一旦生死，可就什么都谈不上了。
...
kě lóng jiǔ yuān ， jiù piān piān zhè me zuò le ！
可龙九渊，就偏偏这么做了！
Hearing everyone's praise for Dragon Jiyuan, Dragon Leiyou felt pleased. After all, they were siblings and had a deep bond.
zhòng rén jīng tàn de tóng shí ， yě shì duì tā dǎ xīn lǐ gǎn dào jìng pèi 。
众人惊叹的同时，也是对他打心里感到敬佩。
Praising his elder brother was praising himself!
“ wǒ zǎo jiù tīng shuō ， lóng jiǔ yuān dǎn yǒng guò rén ， fēi cháng rén suǒ néng jí 。 rú jīn kàn lái ， liú yán bù jǐn méi yǒu kuā dà ， fǎn dào shì hái yǒu xiē xiǎo qù le jiǔ yuān xiōng ！”
“我早就听说，龙九渊胆勇过人，非常人所能及。如今看来，流言不仅没有夸大，反倒是还有些小觑了九渊兄！”
After a while, Dragon Leiyou cleared his throat and continued: "As he entered the black mud, the protective magical artifacts on my brother's body were being consumed at an alarming rate."
“ nán guài jiǔ yuān xiōng néng yǐ huà shén xiū wèi ， gēn xǔ duō hé dào xiān zūn chēng xiōng dào dì ！”
“难怪九渊兄能以化神修为，跟许多合道仙尊称兄道弟！”
"He specially commissioned a Dao Union friend skilled in forging to make these. If it had been ordinary protective artifacts from the Celestial Essence Mirror, they would have long been destroyed."
“ hā hā ， wǒ men néng hǎn shàng yī jù jiǔ yuān xiōng ， yě shì róng xìng zhī zhì a ！”
“哈哈，我们能喊上一句九渊兄，也是荣幸之至啊！”
"Time was running short but my brother remained calm and didn't panic. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused on sensing changes within the black mud."
……
……
"The black mud seemed like a vast, dark sea with no signs of life except for my brother. But he could faintly sense that the otherwise silent black mud occasionally rumbled as if something was stirring deep down."
tīng zhe zài chǎng zhū wèi duì lóng jiǔ yuān de chuī pěng ， lóng yuè yóu yě shì miàn yǒu dé sè ， xīn zhōng piāo piāo rán 。
听着在场诸位对龙九渊的吹捧，龙跃游也是面有得色，心中飘飘然。
"So my brother followed this disturbance deeper into the black mud."
bì jìng tā hé lóng jiǔ yuān yī mǔ tóng bāo ， gǎn qíng shēn hòu 、 jī hū bù fēn bǐ cǐ 。
毕竟他和龙九渊一母同胞，感情深厚、几乎不分彼此。
"Without a way out, when his prepared protective artifacts were almost depleted,"
chuī pěng lóng jiǔ yuān ， jiù shì chuī pěng tā lóng yuè yóu ！
吹捧龙九渊，就是吹捧他龙跃游！
"He finally found the source of the disturbance!"
guò le hǎo yī huì ， lóng yuè yóu cái qīng ké le yī shēng ， jì xù jiǎng shù dào ：“ jìn rù hēi zhǎo zhī hòu ， xiōng zhǎng shēn shàng de fáng hù fǎ qì ， zài yǐ yī zhǒng lìng rén xīn jù de sù dù bèi xiāo hào 。”
过了好一会，龙跃游才轻咳了一声，继续讲述道：“进入黑沼之后，兄长身上的防护法器，在以一种令人心惧的速度被消耗。”
At the crucial moment, Dragon Leiyou paused. His eyes flashed with a strange light before he lowered his voice and said: "In the center of the black mud, you could vaguely see a shadowy figure."
“ yào zhī dào zhè hái shì tā tè dì qǐng yī wèi shàn yú liàn qì de hé dào hǎo yǒu ， zhuān mén liàn zhì de 。”
“要知道这还是他特地请一位善于炼器的合道好友，专门炼制的。”
"Not a cultivator but a distorted, murky black mud figure resembling a person."
“ rú guǒ shì tiān xuán jìng zhōng gòu mǎi de xún cháng fáng hù fǎ qì ， pà bú shì zǎo jiù bèi qīn shí dài jìn le 。”
“如果是天玄镜中购买的寻常防护法器，怕不是早就被侵蚀殆尽了。”
"Heavenly Essence Soul!"
“ liú xià de ān quán shí jiān bù duō ， wǒ xiōng zhǎng suī jīng bù luàn 。 méi yǒu gēn wú tóu cāng yíng shì de luàn cuàn ， tā fǎn dào shì bì shàng yǎn 、 jìng xià xīn lái ， gǎn yìng zhe hēi zhǎo zhōng de biàn huà 。”
“留下的安全时间不多，我兄长虽惊不乱。没有跟无头苍蝇似的乱窜，他反倒是闭上眼、静下心来，感应着黑沼中的变化。”
"But this wasn't what shocked my brother most. In front of him, there was another object."
“ zhè hēi zhǎo rú tóng zuì wèi shēn suì 、 qī hēi de hǎi yáng ， chú le xiōng zhǎng zhī wài ， wán quán méi yǒu shēng mìng de jì xiàng 。”
“这黑沼如同最为深邃、漆黑的海洋，除了兄长之外，完全没有生命的迹象。”
Dragon Leiyou took a deep breath and revealed the answer.
“ dàn shì xiōng zhǎng tā què néng yǐn yǐn chá jué dào ， běn gāi yī piàn sǐ jì de hēi zhǎo zhōng ， què shí bù shí 、 chuán lái bō làng shì de zhèn dòng 。”
“但是兄长他却能隐隐察觉到，本该一片死寂的黑沼中，却时不时、传来波浪似的震动。”
"It seemed to be a broken sword. The overwhelming煞气 made even my brother, who had killed countless Five Elders Sect cultivators, feel alarmed."
“ hǎo xiàng zài hēi zhǎo shēn chù ， yǒu shén me dōng xī ， zài juǎn dòng zhe yì bān 。”
“好像在黑沼深处，有什么东西，在卷动着一般。”
"The broken sword wildly struggled while the black mud confined it within its body!"
“ yú shì xiōng zhǎng biàn shùn zhe zhè lǚ bō dòng ， yī lù cháo zhe hēi zhǎo shēn chù jìn xíng tàn suǒ 。”
“于是兄长便顺着这缕波动，一路朝着黑沼深处进行探索。”
...
“ tiān wú jué rén zhī lù ， dāng tā shēn shàng zhǔn bèi de fáng hù fǎ qì ， quán dōu yào xiāo hào dài jìn de shí hòu 。”
“天无绝人之路，当他身上准备的防护法器，全都要消耗殆尽的时候。”
The black mud transformed into an ocean, trapping the sword!
“ tā zhōng yú zhǎo dào le nà gǔ yì dòng de lái yuán ！”
“他终于找到了那股异动的来源！”
Dragon Leiyou's description of this bizarre scene left everyone in awe. They speculated about the origins of the broken sword.
huà dào zuì guān jiàn shí hòu ， lóng yuè yóu què shì tū rán tíng le xià lái 。
话到最关键时候，龙跃游却是突然停了下来。
Meanwhile, Li Yan, flying towards a distant location, suddenly stopped.
tā de yǎn zhōng ， shǎn guò yī sī yì sè ， suí hòu cái yā dī le shēng yīn ， duì zhe zhòng rén shuō dào ：“ zài zhè piàn hēi zhǎo zhōng yāng ， yǐn yǐn kě yǐ kàn dào yí gè mó hú de hēi sè rén yǐng 。”
他的眼中，闪过一丝异色，随后才压低了声音，对着众人说道：“在这片黑沼中央，隐隐可以看到一个模糊的黑色人影。”
"Devil Sword?!"
“ bú shì xiū shì ， ér shì yóu niǔ qū 、 hún zhuó de hēi sè ní zhǎo ， zǔ chéng de lèi rén wù 。”
“不是修士，而是由扭曲、浑浊的黑色泥沼，组成的类人物。”
(End of Chapter)
Dragon Jiyuan was naturally the elder brother of Dragon Leiyou.
With extraordinary natural talents, he stood out among his peers in the young generation of the Dragon Clan. He advanced from Qi Lian (Nurturing Energy) to Shen Xing Peak (Spirit Transformation Peak) within just over a century.
Unfortunately, due to the rarity of the Heavenly Essence Soul, such a prodigy was confined to the Shen Xing Realm.
Another century passed before he finally saw hope on the horizon.
"Friend Dragon, may I ask where did you obtain the Heavenly Essence Soul for your Dao Union?" one cultivator inquired curiously after the celebration.
Dragon Leiyou hesitated slightly but then decided that it was among his own people and his brother had already achieved Dao Union. The existence of the Heavenly Essence Soul was no longer a secret.
With everyone's curious and hopeful gazes, Dragon Leiyou couldn't resist his pride and said slowly: "It is indeed my brother’s destiny!"
"He guarded the Celestial Spirit State for over thirty years. During one mission in a remote mountain, he discovered something peculiar."
"The mountains looked no different from ordinary ones on the outside, but inside, solid rock had transformed into dark, viscous mud."
"This mud emitted an ominous aura; any creature that ventured in, even with magical weapons or Dao techniques, would be devoured and assimilated without trace."
"Normally, creatures with spiritual senses would instinctively avoid such dangerous areas. But my brother found something strange."
Dragon Leiyou paused here, seemingly teasing the audience. Seeing their eager looks, he continued: "All life around the black mud swarmed into it like moths to a flame, risking everything."
"Even cultivators couldn't resist. My brother's resolve was unshakable, but after lingering near the black mud for too long, he almost succumbed and entered it himself."
Some in the crowd instantly understood and gasped: "A致命的诱惑… Could this black mud be the Heavenly Essence Soul?"
Dragon Leiyou nodded slightly: "Exactly! My brother had that thought. After being trapped in the Shen Xing Realm for so many years, he was overjoyed."
"But he knew the Heavenly Essence Soul was a manifestation of law and hard to deal with. He endured his urge and retreated out."
"Using secret techniques, he sealed off the entrance and returned secretly to Celestial Spirit City."
"For days, he prepared alone in silence without disturbing anyone.
...
"After half a month, my brother finally found an excuse to return to the mountains."
He used array formations to seal the area, preventing outsiders from noticing. Only then did he attempt to attack the black mud.
But as before, all attacks were futile and failed to stir any reaction.
Dragon Leiyou's eyes narrowed in recollection: "For three days, my brother tried various methods but could not harm the black mud."
"At this moment, he recalled his years trapped in the Shen Xing Realm. He made up his mind with a resolve to die if he couldn't succeed."
"Throwing caution to the wind, he leaped into the black mud!"
The cultivators gasped at Dragon Leiyou's words.
If they were in his position, they wouldn't have had the courage to do so. Who knew what was inside that black mud? Jumping in might be a waste of life.
Even if Dao Union failed, his Shen Xing Realm could still suppress and rule over an area.
But once it came down to life or death, nothing else mattered.
Yet Dragon Jiyuan did just that!
The crowd marveled at him, deeply admiring his bravery.
"I've heard that Dragon Jiyuan is exceptionally brave, beyond the reach of ordinary people. It seems the rumors didn't exaggerate but rather underestimated him!"
"No wonder he can be on equal footing with many Dao Union Immortals!"
"Hah! To have a brother like Dragon Jiyuan is an honor in itself!"
...
Hearing everyone's praise for Dragon Jiyuan, Dragon Leiyou felt pleased. After all, they were siblings and had a deep bond.
Praising his elder brother was praising himself!
After a while, Dragon Leiyou cleared his throat and continued: "As he entered the black mud, the protective magical artifacts on my brother's body were being consumed at an alarming rate."
"He specially commissioned a Dao Union friend skilled in forging to make these. If it had been ordinary protective artifacts from the Celestial Essence Mirror, they would have long been destroyed."
"Time was running short but my brother remained calm and didn't panic. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused on sensing changes within the black mud."
"The black mud seemed like a vast, dark sea with no signs of life except for my brother. But he could faintly sense that the otherwise silent black mud occasionally rumbled as if something was stirring deep down."
"So my brother followed this disturbance deeper into the black mud."
"Without a way out, when his prepared protective artifacts were almost depleted,"
"He finally found the source of the disturbance!"
At the crucial moment, Dragon Leiyou paused. His eyes flashed with a strange light before he lowered his voice and said: "In the center of the black mud, you could vaguely see a shadowy figure."
"Not a cultivator but a distorted, murky black mud figure resembling a person."
"Heavenly Essence Soul!"
"But this wasn't what shocked my brother most. In front of him, there was another object."
Dragon Leiyou took a deep breath and revealed the answer.
"It seemed to be a broken sword. The overwhelming煞气 made even my brother, who had killed countless Five Elders Sect cultivators, feel alarmed."
"The broken sword wildly struggled while the black mud confined it within its body!"
...
The black mud transformed into an ocean, trapping the sword!
Dragon Leiyou's description of this bizarre scene left everyone in awe. They speculated about the origins of the broken sword.
Meanwhile, Li Yan, flying towards a distant location, suddenly stopped.
"Devil Sword?!"
(End of Chapter)