It was similarly a dark palace without any lights lit, within it similarly heavy curtains that weren’t used to hide human figures, but rather to isolate the vital energy of heaven and earth.

The instant Di Choufei’s figure approached this palace front entrance, a withered aged palm suddenly pushed open the golden main entrance. Powerful soul force that had been polished for who knew how many years condensed into a fist, smashing towards Di Choufei.

When the soul force gathered around this fist, it condensed into a crystal-like substance, releasing a paper ripping sound.

Just this sound alone made this seemingly calm and gentle fist seem exceptionally fierce and domineering.

Di Choufei’s pupils contracted slightly.

The power of this strength was about the same as the strength he could display, but the speed at which the soul force erupted from the body and the speed at which he displayed this fist was clearly far above him.

This meant that there was only one possibility; the one who released this fist was previously a Sacred Expert level cultivator, but because of some reason, he fell out of that level, his soul force declining to a level no different from his current level. However, combat experience, perception, the strength of the body and soul force were unrelated. This type of opponent was naturally much more terrifying than any other opponents at the same level.

However, his body didn’t cower back. Soul force poured out from his body, instantly entering the longsword in his hands.

The longsword extended out, the sword striking against the fist, but there were no noises released, only forcibly sticking to this fist.

A cry of alarm sounded within this dark and secluded palace. In that instant, following a fierce shake of his sword, he cut into this palace with even greater speed.

However, at this time, there was another withered hand that reached out.

Di Choufei’s breathing suddenly stopped, inwardly filled with horror and alarm.

There was actually not a trace of aura before this hand reached out. Not only did the body’s soul force not surge, even the heat released by his entire body’s skin seemed to be completely restrained within his body… The owner of this fist and the owner of the previous fist were clearly not the same person, but the key laid in that before this hand reached out, Di Choufei couldn’t sense that there was this type of opponent so close to him at all.

The owner of this hand was like a shadow of that individual who directly delivered him a strike.

Chi!

However, the instant this hand reached out, its forefinger and middle finger formed a sword. The power restrained within his body gathered into a sword, hacking fiercely at Di Choufei.

The high ranking officers of Yunqin’s three border armies would forever be cultivators who excelled at fighting.

In this instant, all of the soul force within the body of Di Choufei who completely couldn’t evade gathered in his left hand, blocking this formless sword.

A huge explosion sounded.

Di Choufei’s entire left arm sleeves completely exploded, exposing the dark green flexible armor he wore underneath. His entire left arm hung down limply, unknown if it was because it was dislocated from that strike or if all of his bones were fractured. His complexion was deathly pale, blood visible around the corners of his lips. The longsword in his right hand flew out, his entire body also blasted flying backwards.

Powerful soul force surged. With a creak noise, this hall’s golden entrance was completely pushed open.

The heavy black curtains inside fluttered about, surging like black waves. Sunlight scattered through the gate. Di Choufei saw that it wasn’t just two, but rather three tall and sturdy, outwardly extremely aged elders standing in front of these heavy curtains.

Moreover, these three elders were only turbid eyed, not blind.

With a crash noise, Di Choufei’s back smashed through a jade fence.

These three elders whose fighting style and cultivation methods were clearly a bit different from modern times coldly looked at Di Choufei with astonishment. They didn’t know just what kind of changes were taking place in Central Contient City, to the extent where there were actually people who broke into this place.

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The instant his back smashed through the jade fence, Di Choufei spat out another mouthful of extravasated blood. However, what these elders didn’t expect was that he didn’t borrow this momentum to fly outwards, the soul force within his body instead rushing out from beneath his feet. His entire figure became like a boulder flung out from a Stone Catapult Cart.

A huge noise suddenly sounded from this hall’s side wall!

Bricks flew everywhere, a hole suddenly appearing. Di Choufei’s figure flew in from this hole, continuously passing over several curtains, directly entering into this main hall.

The three elders released stern and angry shouts at the same time.

The elder who threw out a fist released another fist, aiming at Di Choufei’s lower back. However, the fist wind just blasted apart several curtains, only a small amount landing on Di Choufei.

Di Choufei staggered, but his figure instead rushed forward with even greater speed.

The second elder’s hand used his fingers as a sword again, hacking into the air. It cut through the sturdy armor on Di Choufei’s back, to the extent where white bones could vaguely be seen. Blood poured out like a waterfall, drenching half his body with a blood-colored glow.

The third elder was about to make contact with Di Choufei’s back. However, at this moment, he forcibly stopped.

It was because Di Choufei already reached the very center of this hall.

Di Choufei only gave it a look, and then obtained the answer he wanted to know. He knew why these elders didn’t dare crazily release soul force at this time, forcibly restraining their power. He learned this secret of True Dragon Mountain.

The moment he wanted to trample downwards, the third elder’s turbid eyes suddenly contracting, Di Choufei instead released a light cough, spitting out another mouthful of blood.

When this mouthful of blood sprayed across a black curtain that blocked wind and vital energy, his entire body already jumped onto another palace wall, once again smashing out a hole, rushing out.

…

At the same time, the expressions of these three elders changed greatly again.

A wave of faint, but exceptionally concentrated noises and vital energy fluctuations produced a strange wind flow, transmitting from the distance, the three of them clearly sensing this.

This wave of extremely concentrated sounds came from the ancient stone palace in the rear mountain which was exceptionally distant and remote. It was as if the stone palace was deep to an unimaginable degree.

A wave of crazy wind suddenly rushed out from this stone palace’s gates, sweeping through the countless yellow leaves by the entrance’s stone steps.

Under the tearing of powerful winds, some green vines that reached down from the top of the stone palace appeared incredibly brittle. They split into countless pieces, scattering outwards.

Inside the stone palace’s entrance, there seemed to be pieces of crushed green vines that rushed out. It was as if this stone palace might be too ancient, to the extent where some of the green vines even grew into the stone palace through its cracks.

Di Choufei who had just learned of one of True Dragon Mountain’s secrets and smashed his way out of a palace also sensed the tremendous collision of power. His eyes began to flow with an expression of extreme fear. While forcibly suppressing his injuries, he frantically began to flee along the escape path he previously prepared. At this time, he knew that what he hoped for didn’t come to fruition at all, that this True Dragon Mountain wasn’t like what he predicted, with Sacred Experts all transferred to other parts of Central Continent City. There were still Sacred Experts overseeing this mountain.

Only, this Sacred Expert might have also encountered someone who had infiltrated True Dragon Mountain just like him, and that person was also a Sacred Expert.

…

There were over a hundred fluctuations within the dozen or so breaths of time the crazy winds shot out from the Stone Temple,

Nangong Weiyang’s body appeared first from the entrance of the stone palace. Her expression was still extremely calm, just that her green clothes had a few more fine cuts.

Only when her figure completely withdrew from the stone steps, did that ice-cold sword radiance of hers fly out from the Stone Temple, floating at her side.

A stooped and short, shriveled elder dressed in golden great coiled dragon ancient robes then appeared at the entrance of the stone palace, stepping on the stone steps that had been blown clean by the powerful winds.

Right now, in Yunqin Empire, only Yunqin Emperor and the imperial princess could wear this type of great golden coiled dragon patterned clothing. However, during the late emperor’s era, there was another group of people who the late emperor awarded with the dragon clothes. These people were precisely the late emperor’s deathsword knights, the True Dragon Guards.[1]

“You must die.”

It seemed like only at this moment did this True Dragon Guard, someone who now already only appeared in the late emperor’s legends, see Nangong Weiyang’s appearance clearly. His face appeared to contain shock and amazement because of her age and strength. However, he quickly spoke out with an exceptionally forceful and stern voice that carried a trace of regret.

“You are the genius with the greatest cultivation aptitude I have ever seen in Yunqin Empire… Only, child, True Dragon Mountain isn’t a place you can enter just because you want to, a place you can just come and go from at will.”

When facing this stooped elder’s words, Nangong Weiyang shook her head seriously, instead for some reason saying, “You don’t have fingers.”

This stooped and short figure’s hands and other body parts were completely hidden within the dignified dragon robes, only his head exposed. When he heard this, he didn’t reveal any surprise. A streak of golden light flew out from his sleeves, a small golden sword with coiling dragon runes. “Even without fingers, soul force can still be released extremely quickly.” He looked at Nangong Weiyang and said, “Moreover, I also have a sword.”

“But you are scared of my sword.”

Nangong Weiyang shook her head seriously again. She looked at this calm expressioned elder. “I still haven’t understood why, but you are indeed scared of my sword… That is why even though your cultivation is higher than mine, you cannot make me stay behind.”

The stooped and short elder’s body staggered, his calm lips twitching a bit.

“You don’t even have toes.” At this time, Nangong Weiyang then seriously gave his feet a look. “I still don’t know why, but without toes, while fleeing, you aren’t as nimble as me. That is why there is no chance of you making me stay behind.”

After saying this, this Sacred Expert who might have the most unique personality under the sky turned around to leave.

Her figure moved in the front, but her flying sword seemed to have life, always following a few feet behind her.

The stooped elder’s body staggered again. The golden flying sword continuously flickered with radiance, but he still didn’t take a single step out.

“I am not scared of your sword, it is just that its ice-cold aura makes this one recall some things of the past.”

“You’ve already brought away one and a half secrets from True Dragon Mountain, I only wonder if you’ve realized this or not.” When Nangong Weiyang’s aura completely disappeared from his world of perception, this stooped elder’s figure trembled slightly, releasing a helpless sigh.

1. The guards who disappeared at around the same time as Principal Zhang. They were the late emperor's most powerful force.