A dove flew out of the dark forest and soared into the sky. The dove's goal was to find the Heavenly Dao and inquire about the whereabouts of the Pure Heavenly Lock. He had previously promised to reveal its location. Upon reaching the sky, he found himself amidst an immense flow of Heavenly Dao power. Ordinary cultivators would be annihilated by the Heavenly Dao at this point. His eyes glowed, and he spotted an entrance. His figure then entered.
The dove reacted and found himself before a colossal palace. The white palace was pure and sacred. He headed towards the palace gates and entered. The Heavenly Dao was likely waiting within. Without haste, he approached the slowly opening doors and stepped inside. His footsteps were as light as if he were treading on cotton. Upon entering the palace, he found the Heavenly Dao had been waiting for him for a long time.
"You have arrived."
"I have arrived. So, you can tell me the whereabouts of the Pure Heavenly Lock now."
The dove was anxious. He only had a few days left. If he couldn't find the Pure Heavenly Lock, he would face a life-or-death crisis. The Heavenly Dao spoke calmly, "Do not rush. I can tell you its whereabouts, but the Pure Heavenly Lock is not easily obtained."
"Could it be that there's a trial or a test? I can pass all of those."
His eyes were resolute. The Heavenly Dao sighed, "That is not the issue. The Pure Heavenly Lock is not with me. I only know its location. Whether you can obtain it depends on your abilities."
"The location is in..."
The dove was stunned, and a worried expression crossed his face. He hadn't expected the Pure Heavenly Lock to be there. This would be troublesome.
"I have told you the location. The rest depends on your skill. Leave now."
The Heavenly Dao waved his hand, and the dove found himself above the dark forest the next second. The dove felt troubled. The location of the Pure Heavenly Lock was truly beyond his capabilities. If it were something he could handle, he would have done so already. Little did he know that the Pure Heavenly Lock was within the Nine-Headed Serpent.
Indeed, the Pure Heavenly Lock was inside the Nine-Headed Serpent and could only be obtained by killing it. According to the memories bestowed upon him, the Nine-Headed Serpent had swallowed the Pure Heavenly Lock in the past, trapping it within its body. The Nine-Headed Serpent had relied on the Pure Heavenly Lock's abilities to cultivate to its current state. This explained why the Nine-Headed Serpent's nine heads possessed such incredible power, as the Pure Heavenly Lock was an item on par with the Heavenly Dao.
His current strength was no match for the Nine-Headed Serpent. It was impossible to retrieve the Pure Heavenly Lock from within its body. This was the source of the dove's distress.
"I'll return to the Lin family first to see if there are any clues. If all else fails, I'll have to fight head-on. There isn't enough time. Even if I'm severely injured, I must obtain the Pure Heavenly Lock."
The dove took a step and headed in the opposite direction, returning to where he had come from.
At the Lin family, the dove returned. The Lin family remained as peaceful as ever. There were very few residents in the entire city, as they had all been dispersed by the Lin family. They had moved to a new city to reside, as the Lin family saw no need to drag everyone down with them.
They would bear the consequences alone.
After two days of finding no solution, he stood on the Lin family's grounds and spoke calmly, "Lin family head, today I will help you resolve this impending disaster, but there will be repercussions. Not a single person from the Lin family can remain here."
"Very well."
The Lin family head had no energy left to concern himself with the dove at this point. The Heavenly Dao protected the dove, and he was no match for his opponent. It was better to give up.
As long as the Lin family was saved, their Lin family could continue to flourish. What did face matter?
Soon, the Lin family was deserted. His figure burrowed underground, where the magic array set up by the dove flickered in and out of existence. Even the sealing array began to become illusory. The Nine-Headed Serpent's nine heads emerged from the lava. One of them spat out a fireball, which struck the array, causing it to rumble. The array began to crack. The Nine-Headed Serpent had waited a long time for this day and could finally break free from the accursed seal.
Leaving this place was its wish. The dove stood above the Nine-Headed Serpent, his expression grave. He held the Divine Spirit Sword and Divine Spirit Shield in his hands. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Come on, today it's either you die or I die."
He had made up his mind. The only way he could think of required taking a risk. He raised the Divine Spirit Sword, and sword energy shot out, forming a rotating blade. The Nine-Headed Serpent's heads spat out fireballs, causing continuous explosions.
The two sides clashed. The dove moved like a phantom, leaving behind afterimages in all directions. The Nine-Headed Serpent was not to be outdone. One of its heads opened its eyes. The dove's real body closed his eyes, which allowed the Nine-Headed Serpent to instantly discern its true location.
The Nine-Headed Serpent's heads unleashed flames and ice. The ice and flames intertwined and charged towards the dove. He blocked them with the Divine Spirit Shield, retreating a few steps. He was inwardly shocked, "This fellow has grown. It has actually fused two elemental abilities. Although the fusion is subtle, its power has increased threefold."
He couldn't believe the Nine-Headed Serpent's growth potential was so monstrous. He raised the Divine Spirit Sword high, straightened his arm, and a special rune flowed from his palm, entering the sword body. The sword body then glowed with a flickering white light. As the dove lowered his arm, the sword body transformed into a surging tide, a tsunami that seemed poised to engulf the Nine-Headed Serpent.
Seeing this move from the dove, the Nine-Headed Serpent roared, and the lava responded. The lava formed a sea of flames to counter the pure white tsunami. Red and white surged forward, neither giving way. The dove had to kill the Nine-Headed Serpent to obtain the Pure Heavenly Lock. The Nine-Headed Serpent knew that the human before it was its greatest obstacle. Once it dealt with him, it would be free.
It could be said that neither side hid their killing intent. The dove shouted, "Explode!"
The pure white tsunami detonated, and the resulting shockwaves stirred the sea of lava. With a decisive choice, a beam of light, aimed at the Nine-Headed Serpent's heads, appeared from the side. As this beam approached the Nine-Headed Serpent, it split into nine beams. Since he didn't know which head corresponded to which ability, the dove decided to attack all nine heads simultaneously.
He had considered this before but dared not attempt it due to his insufficient strength. For some reason, a voice deep within him told him this idea was feasible now.
The dove's body had been reforged by Long Yunfei, and his strength was entirely different from before. Coupled with his past memories, the dove would only think of his body as it was before, unaware of the great changes that had truly occurred.
Facing the nine beams of light, his entire body was covered in a silver glow. To his surprise, this attack penetrated his defenses. Seeing an opportunity, the dove swung his long sword rapidly.
The Nine-Headed Serpent was also bewildered. What was happening? This guy couldn't break through its defenses a few days ago. Was he on performance-enhancing drugs or sacrificing his life? He was so powerful, and only a few days had passed.
As it pondered, the attack silently arrived. The silver coverage on its body gradually receded, indicating the attack was effective. Just as it was feeling smug, its body was covered in three colors: red, blue, and silver, tripling its defense. The sword energy of the Divine Spirit Sword was ineffective.
"Troublesome."
The dove and the Nine-Headed Serpent locked eyes. The dove was surprised by the Nine-Headed Serpent's growth and learning ability, speculating it might be due to the Pure Heavenly Lock. Time was short, and the dove did not want to waste it. He decided to finish this quickly and directly initiated his plan.
His body was encased in armor, and the Divine Spirit Sword was placed within the Divine Spirit Shield. Fully armed, he unleashed his energy, his entire power exploding. At this moment, he was like a descending war god. His figure transformed into a beam of light, charging headlessly towards the Nine-Headed Serpent's heads.
Confused by this maneuver, the Nine-Headed Serpent was about to open its mouth when the dove, transformed into light, burrowed inside. The nine heads widened in surprise. It seemed to have fallen into the opponent's trap.
Its body shook violently, lava splattering everywhere. The Nine-Headed Serpent writhed in pain. A crack spread across its belly. With a bang, the dove flew out from within, holding a phantom ring-shaped lock in his hand.
He was not unharmed either, but fortunately, his gamble had paid off. The Nine-Headed Serpent's aura weakened considerably. The dove did not kill it and headed towards the ground above. As he left, he set up over a dozen arrays to provide energy for the seal, which would keep it sealed for thousands of years.