Everyone reacted differently upon hearing this.
Luo Tangyin's beautiful eyes went wide, her lips parting slightly. It was clearly her first time hearing of such secrets.
Ji Ning's expression remained reserved, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Shen Xiuhan was expressionless and completely unfazed, as if he were listening to a fantasy tale.
Lin Sheng's eyes were filled with profound shock, and his gaze toward Wang Xuanyang carried a faint hint of sycophancy and flattery.
Only Xiao Wu...
His eyes flickered slightly as if he were hesitating. Ultimately, he adopted an air of casual indifference and said, “『Nanxiang Swamp』... That name is quite similar to Nanxiang Prefecture.”
“Haha, Brother Xiao, you might not know this,” Wang Xuanyang replied with a smile, his expression perfectly normal.
“In ancient times, the area known as Nanxiang Swamp encompassed today's Nanxiang Prefecture along with the eight-hundred-mile Cloudwater Lake! Back then, this region was a vast watery realm where the sky and water merged into one, spanning several dozen times its current size.”
Pausing briefly, he continued, “The reason it shrank to its current size is that after the 『Sea-Overturning Daoist Monarch』 passed away, his other core disciple, 'Xiao Ting,' perished while seeking the Dao... From then on, the swamp began to recede day by day...”
Xiao Ting!
Hearing these two words, Shen Xiuhan felt a massive jolt in his heart.
He remembered very clearly that the founding ancestor of 『Diaohai Pavilion』 was named Xiao Ting.
It was precisely the ritual vessel crafted by that ancestor, the 『Diaohai Pure Heart Bell』, combined with the status of the 『Diaohai Blessed Land』, that continuously gave rise to the 『Child of Destiny』!
Shen Xiuhan had once suspected whether Xiao Wu, being a Child of Destiny, had some connection to Xiao Ting, the founding ancestor of 『Diaohai Pavilion』.
At this thought, Shen Xiuhan's mind raced, and he glanced sideways at Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu's expression was completely normal, as though the name 'Xiao Ting' was nothing more than a stranger's name to him.
At the head of the hall, Wang Zhidao also casually swept his gaze over Xiao Wu.
Seeing no reaction from him—neither shock nor evasion—Wang Zhidao felt a secret wave of disappointment. He then looked toward Zhao Zheng and gave a slight nod.
Zhao Zheng understood immediately. He set down his wine cup and stood up, his armor plates clattering softly.
“Everyone!” The moment he spoke, he instantly drew everyone's attention. “It is getting late. Let us begin!”
With that, Zhao Zheng solemnly opened a long wooden box on the table.
The box was made of red sandalwood with copper-bound corners, its surface carved with cloud patterns and a beast head. It was clearly no ordinary item.
When the lid was flipped open, it revealed a dark red velvet lining inside. Zhao Zheng reached inside and retrieved an object.
It was a pitch-black chain about three feet long and as thick as a forearm. Every single link was engraved with intricate, complex patterns resembling clouds, thunder, and dragon scales. Layer upon layer, a faint, dark glow flowed through the carvings, making it look almost alive.
“This is the 『Taidi Dragon-Binding Lock』.” Zhao Zheng held the chain with both hands, looked around at everyone, and said in a deep voice,
“This treasure is a top-grade ancient spiritual artifact of an extremely high tier. It places heavy demands on the user's cultivation. Even as a Colonel, I cannot send all of you in at once.”
At this point, Zhao Zheng's fingertips trembled slightly, and a wisp of condensed, gas-like force surged from his palm, wrapping around the chain like threads.
The chain immediately buzzed and vibrated. The patterns on the links lit up one after another, shimmering with an eerie light like opening and closing dragon scales.
“Line up. One by one, step forward and grasp this lock. I will activate the spiritual artifact to send you into the secret realm to cultivate.”
Zhao Zheng took a deep breath. His force suddenly surged, and a brilliant black light erupted, illuminating the entire hall.
“Keep this in mind! Three days from now will be the time you exit your seclusion. At that time, I will activate the spiritual artifact again to bring you back.”
He swept his gaze across the crowd, his voice deepening. “Step forward!”
Xiao Wu did not hesitate and was the first to stand. Striding forward, he opened his hand and gripped the chain.
Zhao Zheng's force violently flooded into the chain as he growled, “Go!”
Swish!
A flash of black light erupted, and Xiao Wu's figure vanished instantly, as if he had never existed.
Ji Ning, Wang Xuanyang, Luo Tangyin, and Shen Xiuhan followed in turn.
When it was Lin Sheng's turn, Wang Zhidao waved his hand, and the black light instantly dimmed.
“Patriarch...” Lin Sheng bowed his head and knelt on both knees, a trace of anxiety on his face. “I have already asked about the 'Dragon Blood Essence-Infusing Pool' as the steward instructed...”
Wang Zhidao stared at him coldly, remaining silent.
The hall fell into a terrifying silence, broken only by the occasional crackle of the candlelight.
Lin Sheng's forehead began to sweat. The perspiration rolled down his skin and seeped into the corners of his eyes, but he did not dare to wipe it away. He remained bowed on the ground, his back arched like a snail retracting into its shell.
Drip, drip, drip...
The sweat pooled and slid down the bridge of his nose, dripping onto the blue bricks.
After a long while, Wang Zhidao finally spoke, his tone completely devoid of warmth. “You did well.”
Whew!
Lin Sheng exhaled a long sigh of relief, his tense back relaxing slightly.
But before he could completely ease his mind, Wang Zhidao spoke again. “I heard... you have an elderly mother and a young sister living in Changshui County?”
Lin Sheng's face twitched, and his teeth began to chatter. “...Yes.”
“I will send men to bring them to Changyun County. You will do the same. From this day forth, you shall work for my Wang family.”
“But remember this... if a single word of what transpired here is leaked to anyone else, none of your family of three will live.”
“...Yes, yes, this subordinate understands!”
...
A wave of dizziness washed over him, and the light and shadows before his eyes twisted like a whirlpool.
By the time Shen Xiuhan recovered his senses, he was already standing inside a dark cavern.
A dense mist swirled all around him.
The mist was no ordinary water vapor; it was a thick, syrup-like blood mist. With just a single breath, his pores expanded, and his blood surged with increased speed.
Shen Xiuhan narrowed his eyes and slowly scanned his surroundings.
The cavern was exceptionally vast, with a ceiling so high it was invisible. The surrounding stone walls were damp, dripping with dark red water droplets that made a soft tapping sound as they hit the ground.
There were no furnishings in the cave, only a stone staircase that sloped downward into a deep pit in the depths.
Inside the pit lay a massive pool of blood, roughly a hundred feet wide.
The liquid in the pool was dark red and viscous, like molten red jade. Occasional bubbles rose to the surface, releasing a majestic wave of blood qi as they popped.
'So this is... the Dragon Blood Essence-Infusing Pool.'
Shen Xiuhan took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart. In a place of such miraculous creation, every breath was exceptionally precious and could not be wasted.
He glanced left and right.
Xiao Wu, Ji Ning, Wang Xuanyang, and Luo Tangyin had already found their own stone steps to sit cross-legged. They were spaced several yards apart, completely undisturbed by one another.
Some sat with closed eyes, focusing their minds; others formed hand seals, while some muttered under their breath. All of them had already entered a meditative state.
Seeing this, Shen Xiuhan also chose a spot near the center of the blood pool, brushed his robes, and sat down cross-legged.
Closing his eyes to regulate his breathing, he activated the 『Golden Eagle Soaring Technique』, causing the blood qi inside him to slowly awaken like a slumbering flood dragon.
His pores opened all across his body, hungrily absorbing the incredibly dense blood qi.
“What incredibly dense blood qi...” Shen Xiuhan was secretly astonished.
The Dragon Blood Essence-Infusing Pool truly lived up to its reputation. A month of bitter cultivation outside could not compare to a single day here!
If he could cultivate here for half a year, wouldn't he break straight through to the Huajin Rank?
Putting aside his stray thoughts, he sank his mind into his body, guiding the torrent of blood qi to surge toward the final meridian he had yet to clear!
The Yangqiao meridian!
More than two hours later,
Crack!
A crisp sound rang out, like a frozen river thawing or an iron lock shattering.
Under the infusion of the majestic blood qi, the Yangqiao meridian—which would normally require over twenty days of bitter cultivation to clear—was instantly blown wide open!
“Great Perfection of the Mingjin Rank... I did it!”
Shen Xiuhan clenched his fists. With all five main tendons fully cleared, his blood qi flowed like a mighty river, entirely unobstructed.
His overall force was more than twice as strong as it had been before entering the pool!
His eyes burning with intensity, Shen Xiuhan took a deep breath and said, “Again!”
“Breaking through to the Anjin Rank starts today!”
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