Main Text - Volume 3, Chapter 143: The Origin of the Dragon Seal

Shadow spirits are purely ethereal entities and cannot touch physical objects. Wraith energy bodies, however, are much denser and are already capable of exerting physical force. Opening a window was effortless for it.

The window was directly at Jiang Jialang’s back, facing the woman instead.

Upon seeing the ghostly manifestation appear out of thin air, the woman immediately let out a piercing scream.

With a hiccup, she was actually scared right out of her wits and passed out.

This woman was far too timid! But it certainly saved Yu Mu a lot of trouble.

Yu Mu had already cast a barrier, so the woman’s cry did not travel outside, but it rudely awakened Jiang Jialang, who had been in the middle of his romantic endeavors.

"Ah—it's you!"

Yu Mu's sudden appearance out of thin air completely took him by surprise. Ever since their parting at Rongbao Studio, he had continuously sent people to track their whereabouts, never expecting that Yu Mu would deliver himself right to his doorstep.

"It's me, didn't expect that, did you?" Yu Mu looked at him coldly and said.

Who would have thought that under such circumstances, Jiang Jialang's gaze would not be on Yu Mu, as if he felt no threat from him whatsoever. Instead, he looked around in a circle as if he had seen a ghost, and cried out in shock: "The Azure Dragon Seal!?"

He rubbed his eyes, confirmed it once more, and with an expression of disbelief, said: "How do you know the Nine Dragons Heaven-Overturning Seal? Could it be that you are also a member of the Jiang family?"

Before Yu Mu could answer, he shook his head and muttered to himself: "Yet it doesn't quite look right? Why is this sealing technique somewhat different? Could it be—"

Jiang Jialang suddenly opened his eyes wide, stared fixedly at Yu Mu, and demanded: "Speak—where did you learn this technique?"

Yu Mu quietly watched his one-man lunatic show, finding it both exasperating and amusing. Had this fellow lost his mind? He couldn't even figure out his own current predicament, yet he was trying to turn the tables and interrogate him.

However, he knew he had come to the right place today; the answers he wanted were right here with this person.

"You're already on the verge of death, yet you still have the leisure to care about such matters. I think you'd better worry about how to save your own life first, that's what matters." As he spoke, he already had his staff in hand, preparing to capture this person first.

Jiang Jialang looked like someone who had indulged too much in wine and women, and his cultivation level was even inferior to his own. This was by far the weakest enemy Yu Mu had ever faced. Such an opponent should be easy to take down without any effort, right? Thus, Yu Mu was full of confidence.

Who would have thought that before he could even make a move, Jiang Jialang moved first.

A pair of foot rings—the only external items on his body—suddenly burst with a cyan light. Instantly, his figure became as fast as a phantom, and he waved his hand to cast a set of incantations.

The incantation was not aimed at Yu Mu, but it caused Yu Mu to change countenance in alarm: "How do you know this too? Huh—yet it doesn't look quite right!"

The incantation cast by Jiang Jialang was almost identical to the sealing technique he had practiced in the ancient kingdom's palace. Yet it seemed to lack a certain essence and spiritual charm, resembling a simplified version.

However, when Jiang Jialang's incantation struck the barrier, it was like a key meeting a lock, instantly dissolving the restrictions Yu Mu had set up.

Moreover, the foot rings on Jiang Jialang's legs were clearly high-grade magical artifacts, granting him extreme speed. Even with Yu Mu's movement techniques, he failed to intercept him, and could only watch helplessly as Jiang Jialang calmly rushed out of the door.

Yu Mu was greatly shocked. No wonder this fellow had been so bold and unconcerned—he possessed such a method!

It was already too late to pursue him now; the one who urgently needed to escape for his life right now was none other than himself.

Yu Mu did not hesitate and was about to leap through the window to escape for his life when he saw a ball of water rolling in from outside the door. Trapped within the water ball was none other than Jiang Jialang, who had just escaped.

"An Shu!" Joy appeared on Yu Mu's face.

Sure enough, a graceful figure appeared outside the door.

"Why are you here?" Yu Mu re-established the barrier and asked in astonishment.

An Shu glared at him and said, "You don't sleep in the middle of the night, sneaking around and leaving without a word—I knew you were up to no good. Hmph—"

Actually, An Shu was ice-cold and intelligent. When he had been conversing with Xiao Min, she had long since discerned Yu Mu's intentions, only choosing not to expose it at the time.

She simply waited for Yu Mu to slip away secretly, and secretly followed him all the way here.

Observing from the shadows, she discovered that Yu Mu was being overly arrogant and underestimated Jiang Jialang.

The girl was meticulous in her thoughts and had long since noticed that Jiang Jialang's behavior was highly unusual; he must have had a life-saving trump card. Therefore, she had slipped into the small building and ambushed him by the door just in case.

She never expected her premonition to prove true, and her precaution had yielded miraculous results.

During their exchange, Jiang Jialang had already been spun dizzy and passed out.

Clap—

Withdrawing the vortex, Jiang Jialang tumbled to the ground.

An Shu had no wish to look at his disgraceful state, nor could she bear the pungent stench of alcohol filling the room. After dumping Jiang Jialang, she turned and walked out the door.

Yu Mu hurriedly pulled a bedsheet from the bed and covered the naked Jiang Jialang. Yet he did not call An Shu back; she could serve as a lookout outside.

He laid down restrictions, then slowly channeled a small amount of rejuvenating spiritual energy into Jiang Jialang's body to revive him. Afterward, he sat cross-legged beside Jiang Jialang and said coldly, "You know what I want to ask. If you want to live, speak for yourself."

Jiang Jialang turned out to be quite straightforward: "Very well, as long as you guarantee my safety and promise not to cripple me or turn me into an idiot, I will tell you everything I know."

Jiang Jialang's performance startled Yu Mu slightly.

He hadn't expected this fellow, who looked like a good-for-nothing playboy, to actually possess some scheming capability.

Yu Mu pondered slightly, then nodded and said, "Fine—deal!"

Jiang Jialang's expression relaxed, and he immediately said, "Is the news regarding the Nine Dragons Heaven-Overturning Seal what you wish to know?"

"Mhm—"

"Then this must begin with my ancestors," Jiang Jialang slowly recounted. "It is said that my Jiang family's ancestors were once the chancellor of a state, holding the state's dragon seal. This dragon seal was the suppression artifact of the Nine Dragons Heaven-Overturning Seal, which is why this technique has been passed down in my family as a secret heritage to this day."

"Oh—!" Yu Mu was secretly startled: "Could that dragon seal be in the hands of your Jiang family?"

"Of course not. The dragon seal is a vessel of state importance; how could it fall into the hands of a subject?"

Yu Mu recalled the imprint on the crystal coffin lid and thought to himself: 'I suppose not. If that imprint was indeed the seal, it was clearly taken away not long ago. Even if it had been acquired by the Jiang family, it would be a recent event.'

Thinking of this, he asked, "Then what artifact do you use to replace the dragon seal in order to wield the Nine Dragons Seal technique?"

"A replica, of course."

"Oh—! Do you possess such a replica?"

Jiang Jialang was quite generous at the moment and immediately said, "There—it's in my spatial pouch, go get it yourself."

Following the direction he indicated, Yu Mu found a spatial pouch pressed beneath the clothes he had cast off. Taking the spatial pouch and opening it, he indeed found a jade seal inside.

This seal looked about the same size as the imprint on the coffin lid and was carved from a piece of white jade. Turning it over to look, the pattern on it was indeed identical to the design on the coffin lid.

Seeing the physical object, Yu Mu finally confirmed that the marks on the coffin lid were indeed Dao-script left by that dragon seal. This jade seal was a Dao artifact, though perhaps affected by the material or insufficiently delicate carving, it was merely a middle-grade Dao artifact.

At this, Yu Mu finally confirmed that the imprint on the coffin lid had been left by that dragon seal.

With a flick of his wrist, Yu Mu consecrated the jade seal in the air. Immediately executing the Nine Dragons Seal technique he had cultivated, he shouted: "Seal!"

The jade seal flashed with light, and a faint azure dragon phantom materialized, which then swam in all directions to form an indestructible sealing barrier.

'What a seal!' Yu Mu was overjoyed: 'With the assistance of this jade seal, the power of the Nine Dragons Seal has increased by at least twofold.'

Overjoyed, he recalled the jade seal and unceremoniously stowed it directly into his robes.

Jiang Jialang didn't mind. When he mentioned this item, he had long mentally prepared himself; this jade seal was only a middle-grade Dao artifact, which meant little to his family—at worst, they could simply forge another one.

However, watching Yu Mu wield the Nine Dragons Seal technique, the look in his eyes flickered incessantly.

"Observing the Nine Dragons Seal technique you just used, it differs somewhat from what I have practiced. I imagine this Dao technique must be the orthodox version. Can you tell me where you learned this Dao technique?"

Yu Mu smiled and said, "I can tell you, but you would have to trade your life for it. Are you willing?"

Obviously, this secret could never be allowed to be known by him while he lived. Jiang Jialang immediately shook his head and said, "Then forget it, then forget it."

Curious nonetheless, Yu Mu asked, "How do you know that what I used is the orthodox version and yours is not?"

Jiang Jialang smiled bitterly and said, "This secret technique experienced a tribulation within my Jiang family; in the hands of a certain generation of clan head, a portion was lost, causing its power to be greatly reduced."

'No wonder when I saw him use this technique earlier, it seemed to be missing something. So that was it!'