The Black Dragon Pearl

Yet, this time, it happened faster than before.

“You possess such tremendous power! Yet, in the end, you lack the courage to face a direct confrontation?!” the burly man bellowed, his face growing even paler. “What sort of prodigy are you? Even if you kill me, your martial arts accomplishments will remain limited.”

Despite the burly man’s taunts, Qin Huai did not react. He reappeared and looked at the burly man, now resembling a cornered animal. His gaze was indifferent, filled with the black dragon crafted by the nine dragons true qi technique, the blood heart technique’s devouring method, and the sharp killing intent and vigorous blood and qi brought by the four-directional tiger-wolf technique.

The poison king technique swarmed with poisonous creatures, while the wind breath technique and the ancient azure illusion scripture allowed silent mobility. Earlier, his incomplete form seemed like the power of these cultivation techniques merely manifesting on his body surface.

And now… All the power was contained, becoming part of the black dragon world.

“I just want to test if my emperor’s force can drain your life away,” Qin Huai declared calmly.

The next moment, the burly man suddenly powered his legs, not to attack Qin Huai, but to escape from the black dragon world. He moved as fast as lightning, gliding across the ground. However, the feeling of separation clung to him like a shadow, an element he couldn’t shake off.

“This is too much! This is far too much!” The burly man’s eyes turned bloodshot.

He spun around abruptly and launched himself back at Qin Huai. The black dragon orb in Qin Huai’s hand seemed to have solidified, resembling a black pearl housing a black dragon.

Qin Huai stood still, watching the burly man rushing towards him. The burly man from the Sacred Heart sect let out a roar, his massive fist hurtling straight for Qin Huai’s face. And then…

It was as if a stone statue had been weathered by a sandstorm over thousands of years. The moment his fist met Qin Huai’s face, the visceral prefecture realm body began to disintegrate. It turned into grayish-white powder from the fist’s edge, scattering in all directions like a stone tossed into a pond.

The burly man watched helplessly as his body lost balance due to the collapse of his fists and arms.

“I…” the burly man began, only to realize that his body had started to fall. He lifted his gaze to the face that was once at his level but was now looking down at him. A bitter smile crept onto his face.

“Monster…” His lips moved, and Qin Huai understood the implied meaning.

Bang!

With a thunderous crash, the burly man’s entire body crumbled, hitting the ground as a pile of ashes. As the black veil drew close, the black light in Qin Huai’s eyes shifted to white. His shoulder-length spiky hair fell to the ground, reverting to its original length.

Qin Huai gazed at the black dragon pearl in his hand. “This thing actually didn’t collapse?” he murmured.

Qin Huai sensed the immense energy enveloped within the black dragon pearl. He speculated that should this pearl detonate, it would unleash a devastating power.

“Perhaps even a visceral prefecture realm expert might be gravely wounded after consuming this black dragon pearl,” Qin Huai mused. After all, this pearl held the life’s work of a visceral prefecture realm expert.

“Ding! You have collected a [Blood Heart Technique Essence]…” “Ding! You have collected a [Sacred Sovereign Totem (Fragment)], [Sacred Sovereign Totem (1/3)]!”

Qin Huai sensed an additional stone pillar fragment within his dantian world. The peculiar power it offered sparked a strange feeling within him, which felt slightly mismatched with the sacred heart technique he had cultivated.

Buzz…

Qin Huai’s figure gradually solidified, seemingly rising from the ground.

“Your emperor’s force possesses an unusual killing power,” the voice of the emperor of Qingzhou echoed in his ears.

“Plunder, insidious poison, wind breath technique, and the ancient azure illusion scripture are used for concealing your presence… Impressive…” The emperor couldn’t help but express his admiration. “Moreover, your body is so resilient. If you pull an enemy into your black dragon world, aren’t they simply marching to their doom?

“In truth, no matter how much energy I exert, it would only serve to empower you… How revolting,” the emperor bluntly stated. “If I wish to defeat you, I must rely on absolute strength to kill you before you drain me, or I must use my emperor’s force to shatter your emperor’s force. Either way, it’s going to be tough~”

While the Emperor of Qingzhou spoke, he did not focus on Qin Huai. He continued observing the female martial artist in front of the water. Speaking to Qin Huai was just a small part of his multitasking efforts.

“As expected of the emperor of Qingzhou. Even when multitasking, your attention to detail is unparalleled,” Qin Huai complimented.

“When you reach my level of strength, you’ll be capable of this as well.” The emperor casually glanced at the black dragon pearl in Qin Huai’s hand.

“Hmm? This bead is quite interesting. It represents the life and energy of the Sacred Heart sect disciple, and it didn’t vanish with your emperor’s force. An ordinary visceral prefecture realm expert would surely struggle against this bead.” The emperor clicked his tongue in wonder, then redirected his gaze to the water.

“You should refine the bronze mountain and river diagram. If my hunch is correct, the days ahead might not be so smooth.”

“Junior will comply!” Qin Huai cupped his fists.

Qin Huai speculated that the emperor’s ‘difficult times ahead’ might be related to the Great You.

“However, Senior, the present Great You is on the brink of collapse,” Qin Huai began, pausing for a moment before explaining to the emperor, “Almost all the sixteen states of Great You have declared their independence. I’m afraid the problem you’re concerned about…”action