"Then it shouldn't be called a soul bone. Calling it a divine bone would be more appropriate."
Jiang Jue spoke softly, his eyes incomparably deep.
This Purple Radiant World-Destroying Dragon had been born together with the Dragon God. It was more like the Dragon God's dark side—its temperament violent and twisted, and its attribute the most destructive of all: destruction itself.
As for how it ultimately perished, the information did not mention it.
But Jiang Jue felt a trace of excitement.
This information had been passed to him through the imprint left behind by the Destruction God King. That meant the Destruction God King was standing on his side and helping him.
Since there was now a god backing him in the Divine Realm, he no longer needed to act so cautiously in the future.
The true power of the Soul-Refining Banner could finally begin to show its worth…
With a single thought, yin winds would rise everywhere, and hundreds of millions of undead would submit.
However, the number of souls inside his Soul-Refining Banner was still far too small.
"Purple Radiant World-Destroying Dragon… If you could be called the Ancestor of Sub-Dragons, just how powerful were you back then?"
Jiang Jue pondered silently.
Even the Golden Dragon King, who possessed only half the Dragon God's power, had once thrown the Divine Realm into chaos. If so, the Ancestor of Sub-Dragons should not be much weaker.
"Wait! If the Sun Moon imperial family possesses this dragon claw… then does the corpse of the Purple Radiant World-Destroying Dragon still exist?"
Suddenly, Jiang Jue realized something.
After the great war in the Divine Realm, the Dragon God's side had been defeated. However, many dragon clansmen had their corpses and dragon souls brought into the Dragon Valley pocket dimension.
Could it be that the Sun Moon imperial family also controlled a similar small dimension?
"It seems the Sun Moon imperial family and I are quite fated after all."
"I'll find an opportunity to borrow a few things."
Jiang Jue sighed softly, a look of compassion appearing on his face.
Clearly, the Sun Moon imperial family could not handle such treasures properly. It would be better for him to shoulder the burden instead.
Jiang Jue refocused his gaze on the Purple Radiant World-Destroying Dragon's claw in his hand. Using his spiritual power, he carefully inspected it once more.
To his surprise, he discovered that the destructive power contained within the soul bone had been completely sealed.
The terrifying destructive energy no longer leaked out at all.
With a thought, Jiang Jue wrapped it in soul power.
A god-level soul bone—there was no reason for him not to absorb it. This was clearly assistance from the Destruction God King.
What he wondered was whether, after absorbing this claw, it would be stronger or weaker than Di Tian's Dragon God Claw.
Jiang Jue pressed the Purple Radiant World-Destroying Dragon's claw against his left palm.
Under the guidance of his soul power, the silent dragon claw transformed into a pool of dark-purple crystalline liquid, wrapping around Jiang Jue's left hand.
"Hiss!"
Jiang Jue frowned and clenched his teeth.
Fusing with this dragon claw was far more painful than when he absorbed the Titan Snow Demon's right palm bone previously.
In an instant, his entire left palm swelled up.
The Eye of Destiny in the center of Jiang Jue's brow lit up, and emerald light slowly spread over his left hand, soothing the pain while also assisting with the fusion of the dragon claw.
"Divinity… It's not something I, Jiang Jue, cannot control!"
Time passed bit by bit as the fusion continued.
Ten days later.
Mingdu was unsealed.
After more than half a month of investigations and inspections, the restrictions were lifted. As the political and economic center of the Sun Moon Empire, Mingdu could not keep the linked soul-tool systems activated indefinitely. A prolonged lockdown was simply not feasible.
The disciples of the Body Sect blended into the crowd and easily slipped out of the city.
On a stretch of wilderness far from Mingdu, a group of people gathered.
"Elder Xu, you really don't plan to bring Jiang Jue back to the sect? What if he doesn't return… the Sect Master might—"
The one who spoke was Little Chen, the same person who had previously been on lookout duty.
"It's not that this old man doesn't want to bring him back," Elder Xu stroked his long beard, a flash of sharp light appearing in his eyes as he spoke calmly.
"It's that young friend Jiang has matters he must attend to. There's no need to worry too much. Before we left, the Sect Master already instructed us not to interfere with his actions."
"Don't worry. There are still a few months before Jiang Jue's bet with Ao Tian begins. I believe he will return to the sect…"
Before Little Chen could speak again, a burly man with an enormous right arm asked displeasedly:
"Hm? What did you say about the young—… Jiang Jue? What did you say about Jiang Jue?!"
The burly man quickly approached Little Chen.
"Enough, Yutao. Go count the numbers. If everything's correct, we'll head back to the sect."
The burly man was Yutao.
He glared fiercely at Little Chen and snorted coldly.
"You'd better stop gossiping behind people's backs, or you won't like the consequences!"
After pointing at him, Yutao returned to Lang Ya's side to count the group.
"It seems young friend Jiang has quite extraordinary methods of controlling people."
Elder Xu narrowed his eyes slightly.
He could tell that in just a year and a half, Yutao had already completely changed.
"Sect Master… this really is a huge gamble. One careless move and everything could come to nothing. In the end, it all depends on young friend Jiang…"
Elder Xu shook his head slightly.
Back then, he had asked Du Busi the same question.
But Du Busi had replied firmly:
"Going all-in is a kind of wisdom. Trust this Sect Master's ability to judge people."
Once everyone was accounted for, Elder Xu waved his hand, and the group flew into the sky.
However, this time one person was missing.
Whether that person would ever return to the sect—no one knew.
"Sect Master Du… will you watch my decision?"
"I believe it will surprise you."
High in the sky, Jiang Jue flapped his Wings of the Evil God, flying continuously northward as he murmured inwardly.
This time, he did not plan to return to the Body Sect with Elder Xu's group.
Instead, he intended to save time by crossing the northern region of the Sun Moon Empire and heading straight for Jialing Pass, which was controlled by the Dou Ling Empire, to search for fragments of the Angel God's divine position.
When he told Elder Xu that he had matters to attend to outside, Elder Xu had simply replied:
"The Sect Master said everything is up to you."
It was as if he had already expected it.
"It seems the records from back then weren't entirely successful… or perhaps there was a mistake on Elder Long's side when the Body Sect took me away back then. But it doesn't matter anymore. Sect Master Du, you won't be disappointed."
Jiang Jue smiled slightly, a meaningful look in his eyes.
Du Busi clearly knew something already.
Yet he had still handed the decision to Jiang Jue.
If Jiang Jue was still part of the Body Sect, he would return before the bet with Long Aotian.
If he did not return, then everything from before would be erased, and he would no longer be a member of the Body Sect.
To be honest, Jiang Jue admired Du Busi's broad-mindedness.
After investing so much in him, the man still allowed Jiang Jue to make the choice himself.
And Jiang Jue's answer was naturally to return.
After all, he still hadn't obtained Leiming, the future hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
Moreover, the Body Sect was destined to become one of the forces under his command.
"The next time I return… I'll have to reveal a few of my cards to Sect Master Du."
Regarding the Body Sect's support for the Heaven Soul Empire, he would have to clarify matters once he returned to the sect.
Time was running out.
"Hm?"
While Jiang Jue continued flying north, a series of booming sounds suddenly came from ahead.
Faintly, rolling thunder echoed in the distance, and even the ground trembled slightly.
"Soul-tool artillery… and an army."
Jiang Jue frowned slightly and looked toward the sky in that direction.
On his forehead, a point of golden light appeared, stretching into a line before slowly opening.
The Eye of Destiny activated.
The Eye of Destiny gazed toward the distant horizon. A layer of gentle golden light spread out from it, forming a faint, nearly invisible beam that swept across all things and shot toward the distance.
In an instant it reached ten thousand meters away.
This was the limit of Jiang Jue's spiritual detection after his spiritual power had evolved into a tangible-yet-formless state.
Dense clusters—more than ten thousand soldiers—appeared within his vision.
Like ants, they were continuously swarming toward a hill.
From time to time, lightning-type soul-tool shells were fired from the hilltop, blasting open patches of the battlefield.
But soon afterward, more soldiers filled the gaps and continued charging up the slope without fear of death.
"Soldiers under the command of Duke Huihuang, listen to my order!"
"I am Zhao Yang, eldest son of Duke Huihuang, first heir to the title, and general of the duchy!"
"On that hillside is the fiancée of the Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Empire. As long as we capture her, the enemy will fear harming us!"
"This is our only chance! Follow me! Charge up! Kill! Kill!"
With that furious roar, thousands upon thousands of soldiers were instantly stirred into excitement, their eyes turning red as they rushed forward.
Meanwhile, Jiang Jue's spiritual power froze on one particular spot.
On the hilltop stood two girls.
One wore a white combat outfit.
The other carried an enormous cannon barrel, dressed in a blue combat suit.
(End of Chapter)