Chapter Ninety-Two: Silver Hair, Golden Eyes—The Patriarch Appears

A flash of the blade—brilliant white, dazzling the eyes, like a meteor tearing across the heavens, simple as a brushstroke, yet capable of dividing the entire sky in two. The black knife unleashed a white radiance.

Azure Dragon’s whole body trembled. He, who knew not fear, found terror welling up within him once more. Clearly, his injections of anti-fear serum had not been enough. He could have taken more—but now, it was too late. Everything was too late.

Du Fang’s blade descended.

It was effortless, as if a master painter splashed ink across a landscape, free and easy, painting the world as he pleased. That streak of blade-light grew ever larger in Azure Dragon’s pupils—expanding, expanding—until it seemed a crescent moon had descended from the sky.

One shield, two shields, three… In an instant, Azure Dragon stacked hundreds of ice shields before himself, yet they gave him no sense of security. This cut from Du Fang was utterly unlike the martial arts he had used before. This was as if someone else entirely was wielding the blade.

Shatter!

The ice shields broke one after another. Azure Dragon was struck, blood gushing from every inch of his body. Above his head, the miniature divine core whirled at furious speed, the spectral blue dragon roaring as if howling at the mortal world. Yet Du Fang’s slash was unstoppable, cleaving through all resistance.

A muffled crack—Azure Dragon felt release, as if the chains binding his body snapped at that moment. His form was split in two by the slanted cut; blood spilled onto the ground, viscera scattered. He gazed at his halved body as the world spun, his upper torso collapsing onto the earth.

He was bewildered, confused, reviewing the course of his life. This hunt had seemed sure, the outcome guaranteed—why had it ended like this?

Tears welled at Azure Dragon’s eyes. He had limitless potential, bearing the miniature divine core of “Azure Dragon.” His destiny was to reach the level of a nation-destroyer, to stand atop the world’s summit. Yet today, he died.

“Vermilion Bird!” Azure Dragon’s eyes blazed with fury, fixing on the distant rooftop of a skyscraper. There, Lin Liuli was locked in fierce combat with Old Chang, the driver. Azure Dragon stared at Lin Liuli—she knew, she definitely knew, she had all this information from the start but had chosen not to share it, sending him to his death.

“Wretched woman!” He coughed blood incessantly.

But then, a broken blade swept across his neck like a scythe through grass, severing his head.

Du Fang’s red trench coat burned like scarlet flame. Knife in right hand, black shadows wrapped around his arm like dark ribbons. In that moment, the will of the strange blade quivered in terror, on the verge of tears.

Zhang Changlin… damn you! You’ve doomed me again! This isn’t cowardice—the things it encounters are simply too terrifying!

Rain fell from the sky, the black curtain of light torn open by a single slash, blade energy surging from the gash, shining in the night like moonlight, like aurora.

Azure Dragon’s body lay in three pieces, blood pooling beneath him. In the blood, a small dwarf doll shivered uncontrollably.

This was Sequence Forbidden Artifact 091: The Dwarf and the Seven Princesses.

Among them, the dwarf doll held the main controlling position.

Du Fang prepared to pick up the doll, intending to give it to Luoluo as a toy, since he had crushed the head of her Barbie doll—this little dwarf was, for now, intact. Its only flaw was its ugliness.

Yet as Du Fang reached for the doll, above Azure Dragon’s corpse, a blue hexagonal crystal emitted wave after wave of energy. With Azure Dragon’s death, this symbol of the miniature divine core seemed to lose control, like a terrifying nuclear device on the brink of detonation.

From afar, Zhang Changlin’s eyes became instantly alert. “This is the ‘miniature divine core’ of the Divine Core Organization—now unclaimed, very likely to self-destruct!”

“The divine core is the ultimate goal of the organization—they aim to create a true divine core, a nuclear bomb on the spiritual plane…”

“If it detonates, it will annihilate everything on the spiritual level!”

“The Divine Core Organization’s purpose is to create a true divine core, release it, cleanse the world, and bring nuclear peace to humanity!”

Zhang Changlin’s expression grew grave and grim.

Though not a true divine core, the miniature version was equally formidable. Azure Dragon had borrowed its power to attain city-destroying strength. If mishandled, and it exploded, every soul in Jinling City would be wiped out.

A miniature divine core might not reach national extinction levels—but that depends on the nation. For some small states, a single one could suffice.

“Du Fang! Be careful!” Zhang Changlin’s heart leapt to his throat.

Du Fang raised his head, staring at the hexagonal core. Azure Dragon’s spirit coiled upon it, roaring as waves of dream energy rippled and surged like winds upon the sea.

Suddenly, atop the hexagonal crystal, blurred energy formed a face—a visage masked in white jade.

A hum… Dream sense radiated from the white jade mask.

“You killed Azure Dragon…” The mask spoke, calm and aloof, as if conversing with Du Fang from thousands of miles away.

Undoubtedly, the speaker possessed immense dream sense.

“This is a strand of dream sense stored within the miniature divine core,” Zhang Changlin said gravely.

The owner of the white jade mask was surely a high-ranking member of the Divine Core Organization.

The mask’s tone was ice-cold: “By killing Azure Dragon, you have invited disaster.”

“No matter who you are, the Divine Core will send someone to claim your life. You will be added to our wanted list—wait in despair for the terror of death.”

As the words fell, the miniature divine core began to tremble, transforming into a streak of light and shooting toward Du Fang at high speed!

The Azure Dragon spirit roared, charging straight for Du Fang’s brow, as if to merge with his spiritual will.

Du Fang’s expression shifted. He intended to evade, to block—but a strange emotion welled up inside him. Instead of dodging, he stood unmoving, hands open, calmly awaiting the core’s impact.

The white jade mask’s owner was stunned, his control over the divine core’s will faltering.

Is this man an idiot? Or does he underestimate the miniature divine core?

This is a core capable of plunging an entire city’s population into spiritual death!

The organization had painstakingly extracted the Four Symbols’ Fallen God Will to cultivate this miniature core—who would dare to receive it barehanded?

Only select individuals like Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger—those chosen through countless trials and loss of life, with unique constitutions—could attempt fusion with the help of special serums.

Others, with unsuitable constitutions, would have their souls devoured by the Fallen God Will within the core, ultimately annihilated, reduced to dust, faded from existence!

“Seeking death!” The masked figure sneered.

If the constitution is unfit, even a city-level Dreamwalker would be instantly obliterated by the core’s energy.

Du Fang felt some tension, but a latent will seemed to urge him to relax. He closed his eyes, and as the world spun, it seemed he returned to that mirrored lake, his image reflected on its surface.

Meanwhile, atop the hospital, the storm had ceased. Zhang Changlin’s eyes narrowed, his whole body suppressed by the terrifying energy. He watched Du Fang, watched the miniature divine core drawing ever closer.

This was a spiritual nuclear bomb—how could human strength contend with it?

The oppressive energy seemed to warp space itself. It was a spiritual force, drifting along, finally hovering before Du Fang’s brow as his eyes remained shut.

Roar!

On the hexagonal crystal, the spectral Azure Dragon materialized, jaws open in a furious bellow at Du Fang.

The will behind the white jade mask sneered, already envisioning Du Fang’s fate—overwhelmed by the core, annihilated utterly.

It appeared revenge for Azure Dragon’s death would not be necessary.

Suddenly, the masked will paused—the Azure Dragon’s spectral form, conjured by the core, seemed caught by the throat, unable to issue any roar.

Du Fang slowly opened his eyes. In that instant, it was as if the entire world was bathed in golden light—liquid gold, resplendent.

His black hair began to turn silver, strand by strand cascading to his waist. Three thousand strands of silver floated in the void.

In the distance, Luoluo and Piggy Qiqi, joyfully playing with Oxhead and Horseface, grew respectful and excited.

The patriarch… has come out for a stroll again!

Du Fang, silver-haired and golden-eyed, gazed at the crystal hovering before his brow, slowly raising his hand as if to grasp it.

The masked will watched Du Fang’s movements with surprise, then with endless sneers and disdain.

“A transformation-type special ability? Useless!”

“The miniature divine core is power born of the spiritual plane, intangible—it cannot be seized in reality. The core will gradually crush your body, annihilate your soul!”

“Prepare for death!”

The masked will brimmed with confidence—confidence in the miniature divine core.

But that confidence lasted less than three seconds.

His eyes under the mask suddenly widened, filled with disbelief!

Du Fang, silver-haired to his waist, did not hesitate—carefully, slowly, he pinched the core between thumb and forefinger.

Yet, in the act, it seemed… he used too much force.

The hexagonal crystal—crack!—shattered.

The divine core was broken.

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