This could no longer be considered merely a demonic beast; in the past, when the Yellow Emperor unified the Central Plains, he adopted the Divine Dragon as his totem—a creature of auspicious omen.
Of course, whether demonic beast or divine beast, life is finite; there is always an end. This skeleton of a Divine Dragon had long since turned to dust ages ago, and yet the ancestors of the Mohist school had refined it into a mechanical construct.
Only a wisp of dragon soul remained, unextinguished, serving as the consciousness driving this automaton.
“If it is a Divine Dragon, how can it harbor such potent, world-destroying malevolence?”
Huo Zhongguang remained perplexed. He could distinctly sense that this mechanical beast possessed none of the benevolent gentleness attributed to auspicious divine beasts; instead, it radiated nothing but untamed killing intent and the fiery rage of destruction.
Feng Zikang merely shook his head; such questions held no value for him. With a sweeping gesture, he summoned the golden dragon soul seed into his hand, intending to crush it immediately.
The mechanical beast panicked, crying out incessantly. Huo Zhongguang was startled and quickly intervened.
“Junior Brother, this automaton is exceptionally powerful. Since you have already subdued it, why destroy it? In the future, when conquering the world, it might prove useful!”
Huo Zhongguang, having endured several days of hardship and reflecting on past events while witnessing Feng Zikang’s might, was utterly convinced and dared not disobey further. Now, his thoughts were entirely focused on his Junior Brother’s benefit.
To destroy such a formidable mechanical construct seemed a dreadful waste.
“What is there to regret?”
Feng Zikang gave a cold sneer. “What use is power that cannot be controlled?”
Huo Zhongguang’s heart trembled; he took a silent warning.
The mechanical beast whined mournfully, seemingly indicating its submission. Feng Zikang ignored this and moved to obliterate the dragon soul. Terrified, the speck of golden light darted about wildly, suddenly remembering something, and began circling the storage pouch at Feng Zikang’s waist.
“Oh?” Feng Zikang suddenly understood. He retrieved the Natal Bamboo Tablet gifted to him by Mo Li from his storage pouch. The dragon soul rejoiced immensely and immediately plunged into it.
Where the tablet had once been a pure, crystalline green, there now appeared a vivid, lifelike Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, emanating golden light, its posture full of dynamic energy.
Huo Zhongguang clapped his hands and laughed heartily. “Junior Brother, it worked! The dragon soul is now housed within the Natal Tablet. From now on, the life and death of this mechanical beast rests upon your thought. I never expected this dead dragon to be so intelligent…”
Storing the soul of a mechanical beast within the Natal Tablet was an extreme measure employed by Mohist disciples for control. Generally, a mechanical beast crafted by its master possessed a spiritual connection and required no such constraint.
However, for certain sentient constructs with aberrant dispositions, Mohist Elders would forcibly extract the beast’s soul and confine it within the Natal Tablet to ensure obedience. Should the tablet be destroyed, the construct would automatically deactivate. This method rendered the construct slower and duller in reaction, but eliminated any concern over unforeseen deviation.
This Dragon Soul Automaton comprehended the situation clearly: rather than letting Feng Zikang shatter its soul and end its existence, it was far better to submit obediently to the Tablet’s command. The principle of a miserable existence being preferable to swift death was understood by the dragon, even if it had once been a celestial being.
Feng Zikang had not anticipated the automaton’s intelligence. He smiled and waved his hand. “Since that is the case, all you Divine Demons, tidy up the remains of this mechanical beast and stow them in my storage pouch…”
The Eight Treasures Storage Pouch, crafted from the hide of the East Sea’s Barbed Fish, was genuinely beginning to feel inadequate. The body of the automaton consumed over half the available space. Feng Zikang sighed inwardly, longing for the day he could reach the Foundation Establishment stage and acquire a Qiankun Bag, which would allow him to store far more.
Still, once this Dragon Soul Automaton recovered and could employ its divine art of form transformation and rebirth, the issue would resolve itself; it could then shrink its body for easier carriage.
With the Natal Bamboo Tablet capable of capturing the dragon soul in his hand, Feng Zikang could roughly ascertain the capabilities and functions of this Dragon Soul Automaton.
This construct was indeed fashioned from dragon bone and dragon soul, but it lacked a head, making it incomplete—named “Dragon’s Flaw.” Even so, when it was first created 4,800 years ago, it possessed divine might, second only to the full power of a Five-Clawed Divine Dragon.
For unknown reasons, however, this dragon soul was exceptionally wicked and unparalleled in slaughter. At its peak, even a combined effort by all the Mohist Masters could not subdue it, let alone extract and control its soul. They were forced to establish a grand array in this desolate region simply to suppress it.
Now, with its soul fractured and its body incomplete, its power severely diminished, Feng Zikang had certainly stumbled upon a windfall. By seizing the dragon soul, he compelled its compliance. With gradual nurturing, its strength could return to its former level, making it a tremendous asset!
Feng Zikang was overjoyed. As he put away the tablet and prepared to recall his four Divine Demons, he saw Huo Zhongguang standing solemnly, bowing deeply to him from a distance.
“Senior Brother Huo, is something the matter?”
Huo Zhongguang was, in fact, quite pragmatic. However, after inheriting the lineage of the East Sea Demon Manor, his intentions had gradually shifted. Feng Zikang had subdued him, never intending to keep him alive; once they reached the Demon Manor, he planned to eliminate him without hesitation to prevent future trouble.
Yet, Huo Zhongguang’s spectral blood image bowed three times. A thread of brilliant light shot out from his skull, circling for a long moment before settling into Feng Zikang’s palm.
“Junior Brother, this is my Primordial Spirit Heart Core. I entrust it to you today!”
Huo Zhongguang’s spectral blood image suddenly thinned and weakened significantly, and even his voice lacked vigor.
“From this day forward, my life rests entirely in your hands. Should you ever be displeased, destroy my Heart Core, and I shall surely perish utterly, suffering eternal damnation!”
Huo Zhongguang was making a grand declaration of loyalty.
Feng Zikang had just stated that he could not tolerate power beyond his control—the stronger it was, the more imperative its destruction.
He could discard the soul of a Five-Clawed Divine Dragon, an ancient Mohist construct, on a whim. What resolve! Why would he keep a mere nominal Senior Brother like himself? Could it be lingering affection?
Impossible!
Huo Zhongguang reasoned that Feng Zikang only needed him as a guide to the East Sea Demon Manor. Once that task was complete, his Junior Brother would surely grant him a swift end.
He certainly did not desire that swift end.
The concept that a miserable existence is preferable to swift death—a concept he grasped even more thoroughly than the dragon—governed his actions.
“From this day forward, Big Brother is but your dog. Tell me whom to bite, and I shall bite them. I only beg you, spare my life, so that I too may partake in the long life promised by the demonic path!”
Huo Zhongguang kowtowed repeatedly, his demeanor utterly submissive, bordering on supplication.
Feng Zikang was momentarily stunned, then erupted into hearty laughter.
He toyed with the Primordial Spirit Heart Core in his hand. The object resembled a single, crystalline drop of dew, easily crushed with a slight pinch, yet it held the dominion over the spirit, without which life was forfeit.
“Do not worry. I promised to find you a vessel for reincarnation through possession, and I always keep my word. We are brothers; why the need for such displays?”
Feng Zikang spoke honeyed words, yet he made no ceremony in tucking the Heart Core away.
Huo Zhongguang’s anxiety finally eased, and he offered profuse thanks.