Chapter 29

After transforming into Phoenix Fang, Xiao Sheng possessed the strength equivalent to that of a Grand Master. Theoretically, he should be able to reach the peak of the Grand Master level, the ninth stage. However, it was his first time using Phoenix Fang in actual combat, so he was still somewhat unfamiliar with it. Therefore, he had not yet been able to fully unleash the full power of Phoenix Fang.

In the previous battle, the strength Xiao Sheng displayed was merely on par with a Grand Master at the Mystic Realm level, which is sixty-four tons. However, the Thunderfall Star Kick could concentrate all sixty-four tons of force into a single point.

This was the ultimate application of skill in channeling power. As is well known, the more concentrated the energy, the greater the destructive power. With the same sixty-four tons of force, the difference between an ordinary punch and the Thunderfall Star Kick was like comparing an ordinary kitchen knife to a divine weapon like Ganjiang or Moye.

This was not all. In the future, as Xiao Sheng's strength grew and his mastery of Phoenix Fang improved, the power of the Thunderfall Star Kick would increase exponentially. Truly, it would be a force that could slay gods and destroy Buddhas!

However, this superlative power was not without its source. It relied on the massive consumption of life force and mental energy, which was then concentrated and unleashed in a short period of time. For this reason, the Golden Knight Phoenix Fang could only exist for ninety-nine moments. After the transformation ended, Xiao Sheng would enter a period of weakness, requiring rest and nourishment to replenish his energy.

Moreover, although the crematorium was the most remote place in the palace, far from all the main halls, the commotion of the battle was still quite loud. It had certainly attracted the attention of many people.

This was the core of the Da Hao Dynasty, a place where dragons and tigers lay in wait. No one knew how many experts were hidden here. Xiao Sheng did not want to have any misunderstandings or conflicts with these hidden experts. He was even more unwilling to reveal the existence of Phoenix Fang. Therefore, it was best to leave quickly.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, Xiao Sheng's gaze suddenly sharpened, as if he had noticed something. He immediately raised his right arm and reached out into the air.

In an instant, several specks of blood rose from the ground, drawn to Xiao Sheng's palm like iron to a magnet. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be two sharp fangs as long as a human hand, a red rope, and a round, translucent, luminous bead.

Xiao Sheng had seen many records of rare treasures in the Garuda Temple, though no actual items were available for exchange. Nevertheless, his horizons had been broadened. At this moment, by comparing the items in his hand with the records in the temple and sensing their properties, he immediately understood. These were the treasures left behind by Jiao Weichen after his defeat.

Martial cultivation is a process of constantly transforming one's body. Therefore, a great martial cultivator is a treasure from head to toe. When a Martial Saint reaches the end of their life or falls, it often triggers a frenzy of competition among various factions. This is because even a small piece of a Martial Saint's remains can be refined into an extraordinary magical artifact, greatly enhancing one's strength and making one a superior being.

Jiao Weichen was only at the Grand Master level, far from the level of a Martial Saint. However, the secret techniques of the Blood Sect he practiced were indeed extraordinary. After activating his ancestral bloodline, his strength increased exponentially, and his physical constitution underwent a tremendous transformation. Therefore, when he was defeated, his cultivation did not dissipate but remained condensed in his remains.

Even if it could not compare to the remains of a Martial Saint, the items left behind by Jiao Weichen were still extremely valuable. If they appeared on the market, they would immediately trigger a frenzy of competition, with people willing to spend vast sums of money to obtain them.

The two fangs, as their origin suggests, could be used in medicine to calm the mind and dispel toxins. They were particularly effective in resisting the appearance of mental demons during cultivation. If used to forge weapons, they would have various magical properties.

The red rope was actually the sinew of a giant bat, impervious to blades, fire, and even lightning. With a little refinement, it could become the legendary Immortal Binding Rope, capable of restraining people invisibly.

As for the bead, it was even more extraordinary. It contained Jiao Weichen's lifetime cultivation, the essence of his blood and qi, and even his soul and will. In many parallel universes, this bead is known as the Golden Pill.

The saying goes, "Swallow one Golden Pill, and your fate is in your hands, not heaven's." If someone obtained this Golden Pill and absorbed it, even if they had never practiced martial arts before, they could skip countless years of hard training and instantly become a Grand Master at the Chaotic Spirit Realm.

Alternatively, in the hands of advanced cultivators from certain sects, the Golden Pill could be refined into an external body or a second spirit. Its magical properties were beyond imagination. For those with great power, it was equivalent to gaining a second life, and its value could not be overstated.

Not all Grand Masters left behind a Golden Pill after death. This was because Grand Masters had their own dignity. Once they realized they could not win, they often chose to self-destruct their Golden Pill, taking their enemies down with them, rather than leaving it behind to benefit an unknown lucky person.

However, some Grand Masters attempted to steal a chance at survival from a certain death. They would extract a bit of their consciousness and infuse it into the Golden Pill.

In this way, when someone obtained and refined the Golden Pill, they would also absorb that bit of consciousness. Over time, this consciousness could grow and gradually assimilate the consciousness of the lucky person, eventually taking control or merging with it. In a sense, this was equivalent to the original owner of the Golden Pill being reborn in a new body.

Unfortunately, the person who obtained this Golden Pill was Xiao Sheng. And by Xiao Sheng's side was the Celestial Star Yu Xuanji. Even a world-defining figure like Genghis Khan could not escape the fate of having his life force refined. Jiao Weichen's consciousness had even less chance of escaping.

In the future, when Yu Xuanji refined the residual consciousness in the Golden Pill, Xiao Sheng could choose to grant the Golden Pill to someone else, gaining a capable assistant, or directly absorb the Golden Pill himself. The latter would be a great boon, allowing Xiao Sheng's strength to rapidly improve. Even without summoning the Golden Armor, he could reach the level of a Grand Master at the Restrained Spirit Realm.

With the Ripple Immortal Dao, his own royal potential, and the Extreme Star Phoenix Fist, Xiao Sheng, at the Chaotic Spirit Realm Grand Master level, could already fight on equal terms with a Grand Master at the Restrained Spirit Realm. Once he reached the Restrained Spirit Realm, his life force and mental energy would increase dramatically. At that time, he could even contend with Grand Masters at the Divine Realm or the peak of the Marvelous Spirit Realm, without any disadvantage.

This fierce battle tonight not only foiled Empress Ning's plot to harm him but also unexpectedly yielded several precious spoils. Xiao Sheng was thoroughly satisfied. He smiled slightly, then turned and left the crematorium. In the blink of an eye, he merged into the deep night, disappearing without a trace.

Not long after Xiao Sheng left, heavy footsteps approached the crematorium from a distance. From the ground's tremors, it was evident that the approaching group was not just a few individuals but at least a hundred people.

The ground continued to shake as a large group of people, holding torches high, surged into the crematorium like a fiery dragon. Each member of this group was clearly armored and exuded a fierce aura, indicating they were a well-trained and formidable force.

Indeed, this group was the Emperor's personal guard, the "Dragon Vanguard." Each member of this unit was a warrior capable of delivering a punch with a thousand pounds of force.

In a parallel universe, there was a Buddhist expert skilled in using five golden wheels. After being defeated by his archenemy, he secluded himself for sixteen years of intense training, claiming that his punch could deliver the power of ten dragons and ten elephants. In reality, it was only a thousand pounds of force. Even so, he was one of the strongest experts in that world, revered and admired by millions.

This means that any soldier from the Dragon Vanguard, if transported to that parallel universe, could match the Buddhist expert. Moreover, the Dragon Vanguard had a total of three thousand soldiers, equivalent to three thousand of that Buddhist expert. In the Da Hao Dynasty, they were a formidable force of significant influence.

It was said that within the Dragon Vanguard, there was a secret technique that could connect the strength of martial cultivators and stack it. This meant that two Dragon Vanguard soldiers working together could match a Grand Master at the Chaotic Spirit Realm in pure physical strength. Thirty-two soldiers working together could match a Grand Master at the Restrained Spirit Realm.

Although the stacking only applied to physical strength, not mental energy, in actual combat, thirty-two soldiers working together would not be able to defeat a true Grand Master at the Restrained Spirit Realm. The more people worked together, the less mobile they became, and the more vulnerabilities they exposed. Nevertheless, it was still a formidable force, sufficient to ensure that Grand Masters and Grand Masters respected the authority of the court and did not act recklessly.

As the Dragon Vanguard entered the crematorium, the scene before them immediately sent a shock through everyone. The ground was pitted and cratered, and dozens of trees had been toppled. The area looked as if it had been ravaged by a wild hurricane, completely devastated.

To cause such a scene inside the palace was simply unacceptable. The audacity of the perpetrators was truly astounding.

In an instant, a man stepped forward from the crowd. He was about eight feet tall, around thirty years old, with a commanding presence. His features were sharp, and his eyes were bright. He wore a set of crimson armor and a silver fish bag at his waist. From his attire, it was clear he was a Dragon Vanguard Commander, a fourth-rank official.

The Commander stopped, let out a cold snort, and ordered sternly, "Investigate! Turn the ground over if you have to, but find clues. How dare anyone cause such chaos inside the palace? They are treating the laws of the court as if they do not exist. We must catch these scoundrels and bring them to justice!"