At the end of the golden corridor lay a vast hollow chamber.
The stone walls were cold and forbidding. In midair, storms howled, coalescing into a massive shadow, a giant formed from countless razor-edged blades of wind.
"The dungeon BOSS—Warden of the Wind Prison, the Rift-Splitter!" Su Wanci's breath caught, her face graver than ever. "It can slice through all matter—souls cannot even escape. Be on guard!"
Her array disk shrieked, numbers skyrocketing.
The cultivators turned pale, some collapsing on the spot.
But Luo Xingyun trembled with fanatical ecstasy. "The Heavenly Emperor has descended with the ultimate trial! The Sacred Beast, Rift-Splitter! Surely this is but the Heavenly Emperor's pastime!"
"Sacred Words! Sacred Words!" the chants rose like waves.
Su Wanci's temple throbbed with veins. "This is a killing monster, not a pastime! Listen to me—its weak point is the wind-eye at its core. You must strike it with resonant spirit energy to shatter it!"
She threw dozens of flags, frantically weaving an array to restrain it.
Meanwhile, Ji Canglan crouched by the stone wall, gazing up at the storm-giant with a grin. "This wind creature… it's just a giant kite. When I was a kid fishing, windy days were the worst—you couldn't even see the float."
With that, he lifted his fishing rod and flicked the line.
Snap!
The hook latched directly into the Warden's wind-eye. Ji Canglan gave it the slightest tug.
BOOM!!!
In an instant, the countless wind blades collapsed. The colossal figure let out a dying wail before disintegrating completely. The cavern's raging storm vanished without a trace!
The chamber was silent for three breaths.
Every cultivator gaped, dumbstruck.
Su Wanci's array disk went off the scale, then blanked out before shattering into pieces with a sharp crack.
She stood frozen, lips drained of color. "…This… cannot be…"
Luo Xingyun was already bawling, brush and ink flying: "Sacred Word Thirty-Nine—The Dao is as a kite, one line to control the heart!"
"Sacred Words! Sacred Words supreme!" the crowd howled themselves hoarse.
…
Ji Canglan dangled his hook, still dripping with faint spiritual wind, and smacked his lips in disdain. "Tch, figures. With wind this strong, the fish have no flavor. Even grilled, it'd be dry as bone."
He gave the gust a flick and tossed it into a nearby crack in the stone.
BOOM!
The fissure blazed with light, etching fresh script upon its surface:
[Native Authority: Unlock Progress 20%]
The chamber erupted in fresh uproar.
"The authority has risen again!"
"Indeed! Every move the Heavenly Emperor makes deepens his bond with the dungeon!"
"He is the sole native!"
Su Wanci's face drained, her chest heaving violently. She whispered through clenched teeth, "…Why… why do his careless whims outweigh all my calculations…"
Her fists clenched tight, eyes locked on Ji Canglan's back. "I will uncover it… the truth of what he really is!"
But Ji Canglan only rubbed his stomach, grumbling, "Man, that fight made me hungry. Come on, let's see if there's fish ahead I can roast."
BOOM!
The stone gate ahead swung open on its own, radiating dazzling light, as though answering his wish.