Chapter 533: Ao Zhou's Despair

Not too long ago, Ao Zhou had steered the superior draconic vein into the clouds, at which point he suppressed the vein using a secret technique and coasted away.

"Haha, Xiao Nanfeng isn't aware that I possess an ancestral dragon's inheritance, is he? I have a specialized technique for dealing with such superior draconic veins. I'm going to drain this one all by myself!" Ao Zhou cackled.

A dark red aura emerged from his body as he fully suppressed the superior draconic vein's consciousness.

"Damn you, what sort of technique is this? Why can it take me on?!" the superior draconic vein howled in pain.

The vein had completely lost any ability to move its body.

"Haha, of course I can suppress you! You're just a superior draconic vein. What could you hope to do against me? Now, let me claim you and grow even stronger! Ancestral Dragon's Integration!" Ao Zhou shouted.

Dark red runes gushed out from Ao Zhou's body and absorbed the superior draconic vein's energy.

Shortly thereafter, a rumble emanated from his body.

"Have I broken through again? Very good. Again! Ancestral Dragon's Integration!" Ao Zhou cried out in excitement.

"No, my spiritual power is dissipating! Return it to me!" the superior draconic vein howled.

"It's useless. Don't bother struggling any longer. You should be honored that you'll be absorbed into my body."

Just then, a lasso of purple rope caught the superior draconic vein by the neck. It glowed in scintillating purple, causing the vein to stop short, unable to progress forward any longer.

"Who is it?" Ao Zhou cried out.

The superior draconic vein turned its head to see Ao Shuai manipulating a purple lasso with a group of subordinates behind him.

"I've caught it. Now, tie it up and bring it back. This superior draconic vein is mine!"

"You'll die for this!" Ao Zhou raged.

He manipulated the superior draconic vein to claw at the gathered cultivators. Just then, another group of cultivators emerged with more lassos, flinging them toward the superior draconic vein from every angle and direction. The lassos combined together to form a huge net that bound the superior draconic vein.

"What sort of treasure is this? Why can't I break out?" Ao Zhou gasped, struggling.

"Ao Zhou, you might have possessed the superior draconic vein, but you only acquired a small portion of its brute strength. You can't activate its Golden Immortal powers. Give up!" Ao Shuai called out.

"Impossible. I'll break free!" Ao Zhou shouted.

The superior draconic vein writhed and struggled, but was unable to free itself.

"Unless the superior draconic vein is controlling its own body, you'd never break free."

"Didn't Xiao Nanfeng chase you away? What are you doing here?!"

"I came back for my superior draconic vein, of course. Why, I have to thank you for helping me extract and suppress it. You've been a great help, haha!"

Ao Zhou struggled again and again, but was unable to break out of the net.

"It's useless. Listen to me and I'll give you a chance to serve me," Ao Shuai said, smirking.

"Dream on!" Ao Zhou thundered.

"If you don't cooperate with me, I'll kill you."

Ao Zhou fumed. He was only a Heaven Immortal. Even if he were to give up on the superior draconic vein and escape, he would instantly be caught and killed.

As for submitting to Ao Shuai—that too was impossible. Ao Shuai's gaze were pools of brutal greed. He suddenly realized that the offer was only a means of controlling it until Ao Shuai managed to absorb the superior draconic vein. After that, he would be killed no matter what.

"Continue subjugating the superior draconic vein with more of these lassos. Make sure it can't escape!" Ao Shuai commanded.

"Understood!"

His subordinates quickly threw out more lassos, making it even harder for Ao Zhou to move.

"Superior draconic vein, I'm going to release your consciousness. Break free now!" Ao Zhou shouted.

"Ao Zhou, if you dare—" Ao Shuai called out, but it was too late. The superior draconic vein radiated with intense golden light, releasing the strength of a Golden Immortal. The lassos broke.

The superior draconic vein emanated an intense aura that sent all the cultivators around it flying, including Ao Shuai. They vomited out blood as they careened through the air.

"I'll kill all of you, all of you!" the superior draconic vein howled. "Ao Zhou, you'll die too!"

"You're going to attack me even though I released you?" Ao Zhou demanded.

"You have to die!" the superior draconic vein shouted ruthlessly.

"It's lucky that I had a safeguard, then. Ancestral dragon's blood, seal it!" Ao Zhou shouted.

Dark red energy gushed out of the superior draconic vein, suppressing its consciousness again. Ao Zhou was once more in control.

The superior draconic vein: ...

It never expected Ao Zhou to possess so many tricks. He had regained control over its body!

"No, hold on, Ao Zhou, let's talk about it, alright? Release me. I won't kill you any longer!" The superior draconic vein quickly backpedaled.

"Ha! Do you think I would trust you any longer? I only have a limited supply of ancestral dragon's blood in my body. If you waste more, I won't be able to suppress you any longer!" Ao Zhou cursed.

He quickly brought the superior draconic vein flying away.

Ao Shuai, who had been sent flying, suddenly rallied. "Ao Zhou's suppressing the superior draconic vein again. Quick, we have to catch up! This time, it won't be able to escape. Continue using the lassos!"

"Understood!" His subordinates immediately gave chase.

Ao Zhou had only suppressed the superior draconic vein's consciousness, and didn't have full control over its body. As a result, he could hardly fly as quickly as a Golden Immortal. He quickly sensed the cultivators behind him gaining ground.

"Stay away! Why are all of you following me?!" Ao Zhou spat out.

At this rate, either Ao Shuai would take him down, or the superior draconic vein would. He wasn't able to escape, so what was he to do?

"Xiao Nanfeng, save me! Elder of black fog, save me!" Ao Zhou cried out.

He remembered how the black lotus had easily finished off the spirit kings just now. If the black lotus were willing to help him deal with Ao Shuai and the others, he would escape unscathed.

As the cultivators to his back drew near, he had no choice but to turn back toward Thousand-Spirit Island.

Thousand-Spirit Island had already become a pile of ruins, but a few of Ao Shuai's subordinates were starting to gather there.

He ignored Ao Shuai's subordinates and headed straight for the cursed pit.

"Don't! Don't go in there!" the superior draconic vein's consciousness roared.

"The more you say that, the more I want to. Xiao Nanfeng's in there, so it has to be alright. Otherwise, why would Croak and Warble have left him there?" Ao Zhou replied.

He knocked aside all the cultivators in his way and rushed into the cursed pit.

Ao Shuai and his subordinates flew down, but stopped right at its surface.

"That damn bastard, Ao Zhou—how dare he disobey me?!" Ao Shuai thundered.

"We can't head in, Master. My avatar entered and lost consciousness immediately," one of his subordinates said.

"What?" Ao Shuai stilled.

"There's incredible danger within. We can't take the risk," that subordinate warned again.

Ao Shuai frowned. In the end, he said, "The superior draconic vein is crucial to my advancement into a Golden Immortal, and I can't give up on it so easily. Your avatar's cultivation is weak, but we may be able to survive. All True Immortals, prepare to follow me in."

"Understood!" everyone replied.

Just then, one of his subordinates called out, "Master, there's a beam of light headed our way at an incredible speed!"

Everyone turned to see a ray of golden light shooting toward them, moving so quickly that it was about to reach the Thousand-Spirit Island within moments.

"Is that Sage Yellowbrow?!" one cultivator exclaimed.

"Flee!" Ao Shuai called out immediately.

He and his subordinates scattered across the sea, but not all got away in time. Ao Shuai and the other True Immortals dove into the sea immediately. His remaining subordinates, all Heaven Immortals and below, couldn't escape from Sage Yellowbrow.

"Do you think I'll let you leave after destroying my Thousand-Spirit Island? All of you are done for!" Sage Yellowbrow howled.

He could see what had happened to the Thousand-Spirit Island from afar. The destruction of his life's work—this was a grudge that could never be dispelled.

His palm smashed down. Those cultivators who were unable to escape were crushed into the ground, bleeding profusely.

The luckier ones fell into the sea; the unluckier ones, back on Thousand-Spirit Island.

Sage Yellowbrow radiated with golden light. Rather than look toward the scattered cultivators, he focused on the giant cursed pit, eyes widening.

Then, he caught a Heaven Immortal and demanded, "What happened here? Tell me immediately!"

The Heaven Immortal's bones were crushed in his grip. Blood trickled down Sage Yellowbrow's palm. The Heaven Immortal didn't dare resist; he concisely recounted what had happened to date.

"Damn that Xiao Nanfeng—he managed to excavate the superior draconic vein? If anything down there goes wrong, all of you will die—no, I'm going to kill all of you now!" Sage Yellowbrow seethed.

Raging in anger, he swiped at the injured cultivators. All those who had failed to flee were smashed into pancakes.

Then, he stepped into the cursed pit and vanished from sight.