I Can Upgrade Everything Infinitely - Chapter 346 - 298: Cruel and Without Dao, Blood Sacrifice of the Common People
“What’s going on? Why has the Emperor Dragon Qi appeared again? Hasn’t it already vanished? Wasn’t it drowned out by the endless grievances of the people?”
“This…”
“That power just now… it was definitely Emperor Dragon Qi. There’s no mistaking it…”
“What in the world is happening?”
“…”
All around the battlefield, the civil and military ministers who witnessed this scene looked stunned, their faces filled with bewildered disbelief.
“Hahahaha…”
At that moment, Zhou Di was laughing maniacally. “Worthy of the name Emperor Dragon Qi. It truly is supremely domineering. My efforts were not in vain. I deliberately drained the blood of the entire Royal Family to refine the slivers of Emperor Dragon Qi contained within.”
With Zhou Di’s words, the truth came to light.
In the Great Zhou Martial Country, any descendant of the Great Zhou Royal Family’s bloodline would contain a trace of Emperor Dragon Qi. This was what made the royal bloodline so noble.
But now, although the endless grievances of the people had drowned out and seemingly erased the Emperor Dragon Qi of the Great Zhou Martial Country, slivers of it still remained hidden deep within the bloodlines of its many royal members.
Therefore, Zhou Di had taken every member of the Royal Family—his own beloved relatives, friends, and even his own children, the Crown Prince and other Princes—and personally acted. He drew out their royal blood and used a special method to extract the slivers of Emperor Dragon Qi contained within.
In the end, he had refined this final wisp of Emperor Dragon Qi.
Just moments ago, Zhou Di had used this last wisp of Emperor Dragon Qi, transforming it into an incredibly powerful Five-Clawed True Dragon to block Xu Qing’s Level 10 Cangzhou Dao Bell.
In other words, the Emperor Dragon Qi had not manifested on its own to protect Zhou Di. Instead, Zhou Di had used a cruel and wicked method, extracting the Emperor Dragon Qi from all members of the Royal Family to create this final strand.
One could only say that Zhou Di had completely transformed into a Demon Fiend. He had lost all humanity. For his own sake, he would sacrifice anything in a blood ritual; all of existence was merely fuel for his advancement.
Even his most beloved friends and family were, in his eyes, nothing more than assets to be sacrificed.
“Some… something’s happened…”
“The Crown Prince is dead! The Princes are all dead, too!”
“And all the other royal relatives and lords… they’re all dead!”
“…”
「In the depths of the Imperial Palace.」
Several Chief Eunuchs came running out in a panic, their faces masks of sheer terror. They had discovered a hidden chamber deep within the Imperial Palace.
After entering this chamber, they found it filled with bodies—all of them completely desiccated, like mummies.
These desiccated corpses were none other than the Crown Prince, the other Princes, the various lords, and countless other relatives of the royal court. All of them were dead, turned into withered husks.
“What?”
“The Princes and the Crown Prince…”
“…”
Shock. Everyone was utterly shocked.
RUMBLE!!!
The next moment, someone took action, tearing open the ground to reveal the hidden chamber. At the sight of the rows of bodies, their faces filled with horror.
“I understand now.”
“It was His Majesty…”
“That wisp of Emperor Dragon Qi from before…”
“So that’s how it was.”
“His Majesty… he has…”
“…”
At this moment, everyone finally understood. They all turned to look at Emperor Yuanwu, Zhou Di, who stood tall in the Void. Their expressions were utterly grim.
“The Zhou Di before us is no longer His Majesty. He has become a Demon Fiend through and through. Even the Crown Prince and the other Princes died by his hand.”
“…”
Killing intent now laced everyone’s voices.
“Hahahaha…”
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
Zhou Di threw his head back and laughed wildly. At some point, his eyes had turned blood-red, and the aura around him grew increasingly sinister.
“You’ve found out too late.”
Zhou Di shook his head, his tone dripping with contempt. “I have long since finished setting up the Sacrificial Dao Array. The entire Great Zhou Martial Country is already in the palm of my hand.”
“I am the Venerable Emperor; the world is mine to command. Since that is the case, I will offer the entire world as a blood sacrifice to help me step into the Fifth Realm.”
“This is your supreme glory.”
At this very moment, Zhou Di fully activated the Sacrificial Dao Array. Centered on the Imperial Palace, countless glowing patterns surged up from deep underground, spreading to every corner of the Nine Provinces Land.
RUMBLE!!!
The Nine Provinces Land began to tremble, wracked by a series of terrifying earthquakes. It was as if countless earth dragons were turning over deep below—a horrifying sight, like the continent itself was collapsing and being destroyed.
BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!!!
Above in the heavens, countless Magic Patterns spread across the sky. From every corner of the Nine Provinces Land, pillars of light shot upward. Each pillar was immensely thick and black as ink, yet a stream of snow-white light flowed through its center, creating a stark image of black and white merging together.
ROAR!!!
Xu Qing heard the roar of a dragon. Looking down, he saw the entire Great Zhou Imperial City shaking violently as buildings collapsed one after another.
CRACK!
BOOM!
The next moment, the ground of the Imperial City split apart, revealing an enormous fissure. From within this chasm, a towering True Dragon slowly emerged.
This majestic True Dragon seemed to have been slumbering in the deepest part of the earth and had now been awakened. Its entire body was like colored glass, as if formed from countless crystals.
Then, the crystal-like True Dragon raised its colossal and majestic head. It was terrifyingly, immensely powerful, its draconic might sweeping over and suppressing the entire area.
Even Xu Qing felt a trace of pressure.
Most importantly, Xu Qing discovered that the crystals forming this True Dragon were actually blocks of Law Stones. There were Lower-grade, Middle-grade, and Upper-grade Law Stones, but no Top-grade Law Stones.
“A Law Stone Ore Vein?”
Xu Qing was stunned for a moment. ’Or is this… the Dragon Vein of the Great Zhou Martial Country?’
BOOM!
ROAR!
In an instant, the Crystal True Dragon burst from the depths of the earth, soaring into the sky. It coiled in the heavens above, majestic and enormous, its winding body like a continuous mountain range stretching one hundred thousand meters long.
In fact, Xu Qing was not wrong at all. This was the Dragon Vein of the Great Zhou Martial Country, and it was also the “Law Stone Ore Vein” he had been searching for—his target.
What Xu Qing did not know was that a “Law Stone Ore Vein” could not form naturally in the universe. Only when the Human Race established a Dynasty and condensed a Dragon Vein could that Imperial Dragon Vein, over the passage of time, absorb the Power of Laws from the world and slowly condense “Stones of Law” within itself.
Depending on the age of the Human Race Dynasty and its overall power, Dragon Veins could be classified as Lower-grade, Middle-grade, Upper-grade, Top-grade, or Perfect Dragon Veins.
There were five grades in total.
The Great Zhou Martial Country had only existed for a thousand years. Its foundation was not deep, and its strongest expert was only at the Extreme of the Fourth Realm.
Therefore, the Dragon Vein of the Great Zhou Martial Country was a Lower-grade Dragon Vein.
It was important to know that a Lower-grade Dragon Vein could not produce Top-grade Law Stones.
A Middle-grade Dragon Vein could produce Top-grade Law Stones.
Upper-grade and Top-grade Dragon Veins could even produce “Rule Gemstones.”
As for a Perfect Dragon Vein…
Between heaven and earth…
Across the entire Profound Yellow Realm…
And even across the entire Sea of Chaos…
Across countless worlds…
Countless universes…
Countless dimensions…
Only the Dragon Vein of the Central Tang Dynasty had achieved the Perfect grade.
Aside from that, even the most powerful Human Race Dynasties had only ever managed to nurture Top-grade Dragon Veins; none had ever produced a truly Perfect Dragon Vein.
“The Celestial Dao is vast, the Human Dao is faint, a blood sacrifice to the Celestial Dao…”
Zhou Di muttered, reciting the “Sacrificial Dao Scripture.” His hands formed seals, creating countless Dharma Seals that gradually merged with the Sacrificial Dao Array.
ROAR!!!
The hundred-thousand-meter Crystal True Dragon roared again and again.
“AHHH!!!”
“No…”
“Help! Help!!!”
“…”
At this moment, the Sacrificial Dao Array began to operate. The invisible Sacrificial Dao Power spread out, and the screams of countless commoners could be heard. The first to be sacrificed were the many citizens of the Great Zhou Imperial City.
Xu Qing looked down.
One by one, the people of the Great Zhou Imperial City let out bloodcurdling screams. Their mouths fell open involuntarily as wisps of blood-red mist poured out from their seven orifices.
BUZZ! BUZZ!
This blood-red mist slowly rose into the air, drifting into the Sacrificial Dao Array. It merged with the array and was gradually refined and condensed.
Before long, the countless citizens had been reduced to withered skeletons. When a gentle breeze blew past, even the skeletons turned to dust and scattered, leaving only piles of clothes on the ground.
Of course, it was not just the people of the Great Zhou Imperial City.
Across the Nine Provinces Land…
In every Prefecture Mansion, Prefecture City, Capital City, and village…
The invisible Sacrificial Dao Power had already enveloped the entire Great Zhou Martial Country. No one was spared. The living beings throughout the Nine Provinces Land were sacrificed one after another. Blood-red mist poured from their seven orifices, spreading rapidly and flowing into the Sacrificial Dao Array to be absorbed.
For example, in the Cangzhou Prefecture, the Ten Thousand Spirits Four Symbols Array was providing protection. It was temporarily able to resist the Sacrificial Dao Power of the Sacrificial Dao Array, and for now, the people of Cangzhou Prefecture were safe.
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!
The Four Symbols Guardian Divine Beasts had fully awakened and were letting out a series of roars. The Level 50 Wooden Buddha Bell was also vibrating, emitting waves of chimes.
Clearly, the Ten Thousand Spirits Four Symbols Guardian Array would not be able to hold out for long.
“Suppress!”
BOOM!
Xu Qing took a deep breath. He could feel the terror of the Sacrificial Dao Array, a feeling so intense it made his scalp tingle. Without hesitation, he unleashed the Level 10 Cangzhou Dao Bell once more, sending it to suppress Zhou Di.
“Hahahaha…”
Zhou Di laughed, manipulating the Sacrificial Dao Array. The invisible Sacrificial Dao Power spread and covered his body, causing his aura to grow even stronger.
ROAR!!!
The Crystal True Dragon, formed from the Dragon Vein of the Great Zhou Martial Country, roared. Under Zhou Di’s control, it charged directly toward Xu Qing’s Level 10 Cangzhou Dao Bell.
