Awooo..." The purple-gold dragon let out a strange cry: "Kid, you were so cool just now! You grabbed that little woman, you want her, I want the lotus platform, awooo..."
Meng Ke'er showed no sign of frustration, calmly saying, "I really underestimated you. I thought you had only improved your skills slightly, but I didn't expect you to break through the third rank and enter the fourth rank. However, you still can't defeat me. Today I will definitely take your life!" Her cold words revealed powerful confidence.
Meng Ke'er's body shone brightly, and the nine lotus petals on the jade lotus platform detached from the platform and fluttered up, radiating multicolored light, and a sacred aura permeated the scene.
However, at that moment, an immense pressure surged forth from the depths of the forest, overwhelming everything, with terrifying shockwaves spreading in all directions. Trees in the forest began to explode and shatter, towering trees instantly vanishing like bubbles under the immense pressure, with booming sounds echoing everywhere.
The oppressive aura was pervasive, seemingly forming a massive force field throughout the entire forest, causing energy to surge violently within. However, the most terrifying aspect was the vast, ocean-like mental fluctuations; the immense pressure instilled in everyone an irresistible urge to prostrate themselves in worship!
This is absolutely an incredibly powerful and terrifying existence!
"Awoo..." The purple-gold dragon let out a strange cry, which made Chen Nan, who was struggling to hold on, feel the pressure lessen a bit.
"Loach, what did you sense? What kind of being was it?" Chen Nan asked in a low voice.
The mental pressure was ineffective against the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon, but the intense force field fluctuations made it feel unbearable. It roared repeatedly: "Awoo... A terrifying guy. According to the current ranking of strong people that you gave me, he has reached at least the sixth rank, awoo..."
"What?!" Chen Nan was shocked. What was the concept of the sixth rank? It was practically invincible in the world!
At this moment, Meng Ke'er was also struggling to hold on, and it seemed that the pressure she was under was far greater than that of Chen Nan. Nine crystal-clear lotus petals danced around her, and colorful light shone on the forest, the holy light like fairy mist.
In the distance, it seemed as if countless petals of all kinds were dancing around Meng Ke'er. The void where she stood seemed to be showered with flower rain. Tiny petals fluttered between nine huge lotus petals, and the fragrance of flowers was refreshing and delightful.
The golden dragon was extremely restless. Even with a terrifyingly powerful figure watching it, its eyes still gleamed, and it roared wildly, "Boy, you want a woman? I want the Jade Lotus Platform, awooo..."
"What the hell!" Chen Nan smacked it hard. Now the pressure on him was getting less and less. He was beginning to understand that the terrifyingly powerful figure in the shadows seemed to be targeting the successor of the Tantai Ancient Holy Land.
Meng Ke'er finally couldn't bear it any longer. The nine crystal-clear lotus petals returned to their places, and the jade lotus platform rose with bursts of light, enveloping her as she rushed into the distance, leaving behind showers of petals that slowly dissipated in the air.
The mysterious figure deep in the woods seemed unwilling to make things difficult for Meng Ke'er, and did not stop or pursue her, letting her leave.
The immense mental pressure dissipated in an instant, and the terrifying pressure vanished without a trace. A gentle breeze stirred, carrying the fragrance of flowers and grass, as if nothing had happened at all.
Chen Nan silently gazed into the depths of the forest, waiting for the mysterious figure to appear. He knew the other party hadn't left yet; he had already sensed a faint fluctuation, as if someone was slowly approaching.
A faint light flashed deep within the woods, and a hazy figure emerged, moving through the dense foliage toward Chen Nan.
"Awooo... A ghost!" The purple-gold dragon let out a strange cry.
Chen Nan smacked its head hard and said, "Shut up!"
No wonder the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon roared; the figure indeed exuded a chilling aura. A faint green light enveloped the figure, which moved slowly and steadily toward them. Although the green light was faint, it was impossible to see clearly what was inside; one could only vaguely make out a gaunt figure.
Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the green light was several inches off the ground, and the figure was actually slowly floating! This was truly terrifying. Although it did not achieve flight, it had reached the point of drifting with the wind, which truly shocked Chen Nan.
Chen Nan understood that this mysterious person who could drift with the wind was not a spirit or monster, but a genuine human cultivator who practiced Eastern martial arts, because the green light around his body was a protective aura that was quite difficult to cultivate!
Following the wind, a terrifying sixth-tier martial artist from the East!
He felt a surge of fear; an innate intuition told him that a great danger was slowly approaching!
A faint green light enveloped the gaunt figure, which finally approached Chen Nan. The purple-gold dragon stirred and flew off Chen Nan's shoulder, roaring softly in the air.
Chen Nan stared at the other person quietly, without saying a word or moving.
The figure in the green light gazed at the purple-gold dragon in the sky and exclaimed, "To have actually seen the legendary dragon today is truly an incredible stroke of luck!"
"It really was you!" Chen Nan sighed softly. "Are you going to attack me?"
"Hehe, why do you say that? It seems that ever since we first met, you have never trusted me and have always thought that I have ulterior motives towards you."
Chen Nan said in a deep voice, "Isn't that right? You once said that I possess spiritual roots and that my keen intuition is far stronger than that of ordinary people. My intuition tells me that you have always harbored ulterior motives towards me."
The figure in the green light chuckled, "Hehe, your perception seems to have improved quite a bit. Tell me, did you sense my arrival the moment I appeared?"
Chen Nan nodded and said, "That's right. There may be some invincible sixth-tier experts in the world, but I only know you, the great-grandfather of the Chu Emperor. In the City of Sin, you are probably the only one with such cultivation!"
The newcomer was none other than an incredibly powerful and invincible expert, the old monster from the Chu Kingdom's imperial palace.
The old monster gently shook his head and said, "You're wrong. Never underestimate the City of Sin; it truly is a place where hidden talents abound!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Nan was startled and asked, "Could there be other invincible sixth-tier experts?"
The old monster did not answer. The green light on its head gradually faded, revealing the face of a middle-aged man. He looked very handsome, and the white hair that had grown after his transformation had now turned completely black and shiny.
Chen Nan was shocked. When he first saw the old monster, his face was covered with wrinkles, and he had only a few dozen sparse hairs on his head. He looked frail and old, as if he might collapse at any moment. But ever since he studied the evil book he obtained from the ancient tomb underground in the Chu Kingdom's palace, he had become younger day by day. After arriving in the City of Sin, he had become a white-haired, youthful-looking man, full of energy and spirit.
Chen Nan was surprised that the old monster had become much younger in just a short time, transforming from an old man into a middle-aged man, truly rejuvenating! He felt a pang of self-reproach; if he hadn't translated that evil book for the old monster, he would never have undergone such a transformation and rejuvenated.
"You..." Chen Nan was speechless.
"Hehe, are you surprised to see me like this?" The old monster chuckled, but then sighed softly, "Alas, although I look younger, I only have twenty or thirty years left to live. I have to thank you for translating that evil book for me. Alas, death has been a constant threat to me for decades. I have never been able to escape its shadow. What good are twenty or thirty more years? In the end, I still cannot escape death. Although cultivating the evil book has improved my cultivation a little, the realm of immortal martial arts remains forever out of reach. Alas!"
The old monster sighed deeply, his face filled with worry.
Chen Nan was startled. Recalling the past and connecting it with what the old monster was saying, he vaguely guessed what the other party was planning to do with him. He took several big steps back.
The purple-gold dragon stopped howling and circled in the sky, not daring to approach the old monster.
"The path to immortality is ethereal. There are countless cultivators in the world, but how many can ultimately transcend life and death and enter the realm of longevity? Many exceptionally talented individuals cultivate diligently for a lifetime, spending over a hundred years, only to inevitably meet their end and turn into a handful of dust, all for naught!" The old monster's words were somewhat desolate, as if he were lamenting that he too could not escape his predetermined fate.
Chen Nan calmed himself down and said, "Cultivation itself is a process of defying the heavens, and of course, it is full of dangers. But what matters is the process, not the final result. As for the seniors' realm, they should understand that if you hold onto your obsessions, you will never be able to transcend life and death. Cultivators must be able to 'let go,' otherwise they will probably always be one step away from the dividing line between life and death."
The old monster smiled bitterly, "That's true, and everyone understands the principle, but how many people can truly 'let go'? Besides, I'm far from the realm of life and death. Given my cultivation physique, it would probably take me another thirty years to reach that final step. But by then, I'll be exhausted, how can I take that most arduous step in the cultivation process?"
Chen Nan's gaze was firm, as if he were comforting the old monster, or perhaps reinforcing his own belief. He said loudly, "Don't talk about thirty years, even one year can change a lot. I believe that if you cultivate yourself and refine your mind for thirty years, you will definitely be able to take that crucial step."
"Heh, you're not a good persuader; you can't change my mind. I think you already know what I'm going to do to you, which is why you're trying to persuade me like this. Alas, I didn't want to lay a hand on you, but time waits for no one. If I could live for another forty years, I wouldn't be in such a hurry; I could calmly cultivate my martial arts and comprehend the Dao. But with only twenty or thirty years left, the outcome is already decided. If I don't think of other ways, there's no way to change it!" The old monster smiled and said, "Fortunately, I met you; my fate has finally taken a turn for the better."
Now that things had come to this, Chen Nan knew that the old monster's mind was made up and it would be difficult to change anything. He looked at the old monster quietly without saying a word.
The old monster sighed, "Martial artists, cultivators, magicians—how many have broken through the Death Realm and entered the ranks of immortals over thousands of years? Let's not even mention reclusive cultivators. Among the known cultivators, the last martial artist to shatter the void and enter the Immortal Martial Realm was 150 years ago. How easy is it to achieve immortality!"
Chen Nan knew that this last martial artist to enter the ranks of immortals was none other than the ancestor of his great enemy, Ling Yun.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Ling Xiaowu, the patriarch of the Ling family, broke through the void and ascended to the Immortal Realm, leaving behind endless legends on the Great Continent. It was because of his existence that the Ling family became one of the ten great cultivation families of the Eastern Continent. In the past hundred years, the Ling family has produced many masters, with each generation producing peerless experts. Their strength is beyond the comprehension of outsiders.
A faint green light enveloped the old monster's head once more. He slowly floated in front of Chen Nan and said, "Young man, I'm sorry. I suspect that divine blood flows through your veins. I desperately need your body. I will not forget you after I succeed."
The right hand, which had been hanging down beside the old monster, seemed to shatter space and suddenly appeared on Chen Nan's forehead in an instant. The old monster gently brushed it away, and Chen Nan closed his eyes and lost consciousness.
The old monster gently laid Chen Nan down on the ground, then knelt down towards the sky and sighed, "Ancient gods above, please forgive your sins today. I have successfully possessed your body today, and in the future I will definitely devote myself to diligent cultivation and accumulate merit."
After the old monster finished kneeling and worshipping, he sat cross-legged in front of Chen Nan. His body shone with a bright green light, dazzling and instantly enveloping Chen Nan.
The purple-gold dragon in the sky roared, "Awoo..." Then, its body erupted with a blinding light as it charged straight down, cursing loudly, "You little old man, how dare you act so violently in front of your Dragon Grandpa! I'll smash you to pieces, Awoo..."
The purple-gold dragon crashed solidly into the green light, but it did not achieve the desired effect. The green energy remained completely still, and the dragon itself was instead bounced back by a powerful force, tumbling and being tossed into the air.
"I already sensed that you seemed to have lost your original power. Although you are a dragon, in this state you can hardly do anything to me," the old monster shook his head and ignored it.
Chen Nan's body slowly floated up, then stood upright, crossed his legs, and sat in the void. The old monster's body also slowly detached from the ground and sat opposite Chen Nan. All of this relied on the old monster's profound and divine skills; he relaxed his own body while controlling Chen Nan's body.
Chen Nan then opened his eyes, but they were completely lifeless, devoid of any light, as if there were no signs of life at all.
"Possession!" the old monster roared, and two beams of green light, seemingly alive, shot from his eyes, heading straight for Chen Nan's eyes. In an instant, Chen Nan's eyes turned eerie, as the two beams of green light successfully took over them.