Immortal of the Ages

Chapter 627: 22!

"When you discard it as trash, I treasure it as a jewel."

Yun Xiao watched with a faint smile as the nine-headed dragon began to open its draconic maw, devouring the watery Runes swirling around it.

Those Runes, once swallowed, were meticulously arranged within the Prison Warden Sigil, forming new, smaller arrays that melded into the dragon's body, becoming part of its scales. Each scale held an array!e

"The potential of these Runes is truly boundless," Yun Xiao mused. "Their utility far surpasses the mere destructive power of the Sword Soul and Sword Aura."

The celestial formations and flying talismans were merely offshoots of the Inscription Dao.

With a deep hum, the dragon accelerated its efforts, voraciously consuming and transforming the Runes, discarding over ninety percent of each as waste. Still, even retaining merely ten percent, when amassed in the Rune Lake, amounted to a staggering figure.

BOOM! Soon, a colorful vortex appeared over the Rune Lake, like a blossoming flower made of water, drawing the gaze of several Jiangshi children.

"How beautiful," one remarked.

"Indeed," another agreed, nodding.

"Alright."

They did not interfere, allowing Yun Xiao to breathe a sigh of relief.

The number of Runes on his Life Sigil grew exponentially, rapidly approaching the critical count of 10,000,000. Just as Yun Xiao worried he might need a Sigil Suppression Gate, he saw those 10,000,000 Runes mimic the Rune Prison beside him, compressing and transforming swiftly into a new, tiny world of Runes!

"Two Rune Prisons now."

With this auspicious start, the proliferation of Rune Prisons was merely a matter of time.

"Even if the Rune Lake is made up of unwanted Runes, I'm still an uninvited guest. The master of this place will still be displeased or even angry," Yun Xiao said.

"So?" Blue Star asked.

"We have to hurry," Yun Xiao replied, "and aim to clean it all in one go, without even charging for the cleanup."

"Heh," Blue Star chuckled, aware that this young one was driven by greed, wrath, and foolishness—with greed leading the way.

"He might not be a good man, but he's not entirely bad either," Blue Star reflected, knowing such distinctions held little meaning for him. He was merely following Yun Xiao's life and offering his musings.

On the white hade bridge above, Nine Kites had already noticed the changes in the Rune Lake.

"Seems the lake has cleared up a bit? This kid isn't down there guzzling the wash water, is he?"

She toyed with the idea of descending for a closer look, but the thought of the Taisui Sage's footbath deterred her. "Let him be. When the time comes, I'll drag him back myself."

Nine Kites found a pavilion to continue her meditation, no longer concerned with the affairs below.

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After a while, three figures descended from the sky and arrived in front of the Taisui Sigil Palace.

Leading them was an ancient Immortal, his hair and beard snow-white, his body stooped. He rode a celestial crane, his face rosy and cheerful, radiating a carefree and affable aura.

This elder was the master of the Taisui Sigil Palace, known as the Taisui Sage himself.

Behind him were two others. One was Zhao Yuanbao, always smiling, dressed in fine celestial robes.

The other was also a figure of no small significance! A tall, middle-aged man in a long robe of gold and black, his eyes blazing like torches, his presence commanding as he strode with the might of a dragon and the grace of a tiger.

Around him swirled a mist of immortality, a crown of dragons and tigers atop his head, his naturally inverted eyebrows giving him an aura of authority without anger.

"Sovereign Zhao, please," the Taisui Sage said, dismounting from his crane.

"You're too courteous," the man replied. He was the head of the Imperial Treasury, Zhao Xuantan known as the Dragon Tiger Sovereign.

Zhao Yuanbao was his son.

Upon landing, the Dragon Tiger Sovereign treated the Taisui Sage with great deference, respectfully saying, "As the next round approaches, I came to request a Rune Heart for my son. Your generosity, Taisui Sage, puts me to shame."

The Taisui Sage responded, "You tirelessly manage the myriad affairs of the Celestial Court. Your dedication serves as an example for us aged ones. There is no place for shame here. Please, come in."

With polite laughter, they entered the Taisui Sigil Palace.

Pointing ahead, the Taisui Sage mentioned, "That Sigil Heart, I have hidden it within the Rune Lake. It has been nurtured day and night and should now be ripe."

"Your wisdom is profound, Taisui Sagel!" the Dragon Tiger Sovereign replied.

"With a Rune Heart, the integration of my 12 Rune Prisons will be enhanced, significantly boosting my combat strength in the short term." Zhao Yuanbao, following along, felt a burning impatience in his heart.

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Within the Rune Lake, unbeknownst to him, the water around Yun Xiao had cleared.

"Not much time left now," Yun Xiao murmured, opening his eyes to gaze at the Prison Warden Sigil floating on the rippling waters, a smile playing at his lips.

"Fortunately, the efficiency is high, and the entire lake is nearly purified!"

On the Prison Warden Sigil, 22 Rune Prisons had formed, each like its own world, lending immense weight and grandeur to the sigil.

The transformation from 1 to 22 was monumental, to say the least.

Yun Xiao had hoped to push a bit further, perhaps to forge one additional Rune Prison, but he hadn't expected such a substantial gain.

"What is this?"

After Yun Xiao absorbed the last of the watery Runes, a pearl-like white jade sphere floated before him, pulsing like a heart and composed entirely of Runes.

"A Rune Heart, vital for integrating Rune Prisons, ensuring a seamless bond with your Life Sigil. With your sudden surge in Rune Prisons, it's crucial," Blue Star explained.

"Consider it mine." Yun Xiao reached out and pressed the Rune Heart into his Prison Warden Sigil. The Runes dissolved, weaving together like thousands of threads, binding the Rune Prisons and Life Sigil into one.

And so, the newly empowered Prison Warden Sigil's short-term lethality would undoubtedly surpass that of the four Sword Prisons of the Heaven Burial Sword Soul.

"Done, let's go." Yun Xiao stood up, ready to leave.

Just then, the Taisui Sage, Dragon Tiger Sovereign, and Zhao Yuanbao appeared on top of clouds, their eyes catching Nine Kites meditating in the pavilion.

"Little Nine, what brings you here? The Sixth Prince is still at the fighting platform." The Taisui Sage chuckled, slightly surprised.

"Huh?!" Nine Kites jumped, her face tensing.

Glancing back at the white hade bridge, she stammered nervously, "After losing, I felt a bit troubled and came here for some peace and quiet."

"It's alright." The Taisui Sage smiled, then pointed behind her. "Is there someone in the Rune Lake?"

Nine Kites, realizing she couldn't hide the truth, especially with others present, reluctantly admitted, "It's Lu Yao from the Thunder Department. I thought he might need a break from the pressure... He slipped and fell into the Rune Lake. I was just about to fish him out!"

In her mind, since Lu Yao hadn't taken anything and was merely soaking in the lake, it wasn't a big deal, and the Taisui Sage likely wouldn't mind.

She ran up the white hade bridge, about to call for Yun Xiao, when she looked down and froze.

The Rune Lake was crystal clear!

In the clear, emerald waters, a young man slowly rose from the depths!

"Could someone have stolen the Rune Heart?!" Zhao Yuanbao suddenly called out, his voice tinged with suspicion.

The Taisui Sage and Dragon Tiger Sovereign stepped forward, peering into the lake, their expressions most intrigued.

Nine Kites felt a sinking feeling. "It's over..."