Chapter 435: You Should Seriously Consider It

When Lu Ye entered the hall, Ye Yang from Qingyu Mountain had already arrived and was waiting.

Seeing him arrive, Ye Yang chuckled, "You move very fast, young friend."

"You flatter me."

Walking into the hall, Lu Ye followed his memory from the last time he entered the Dragon Spring for body tempering, heading to a corner of the hall. There should have been an entrance leading underground, but now, it was completely hidden. Clearly, some method or restriction was concealing its presence.

Lu Ye observed for a moment, unable to discern anything, so he activated his Insight Spirit Mark to enhance his vision.

He wasn't sure if members from Tailuo Sect and the Qin Clan would arrive. If these two factions were too timid to show up, then he would have to personally open the Dragon Spring.

He had some experience with breaking formations and restrictions.

However, after observing for a moment, he realized he had underestimated the restrictions here. Even with his Insight Spirit Mark activated, he couldn't make much sense of them, let alone attempt to break them.

"Elder Ye, were the restrictions concealing the entrance here originally?" Lu Ye suddenly asked.

Ye Yang replied, "That's right."

"Then how did your sect and those two factions learn the method to open it?"

Ye Yang chuckled and said, "Actually, we don't know the method to open it either; we just use a jade token. According to our sect's ancient texts, a natural phenomenon occurred here long ago, attracting the attention of cultivators from Qingyu Mountain and Tailuo Sect. After a great battle, a jade token was discovered here. At that time, our sect and Tailuo Sect were roughly equal in strength, so the jade token was split into two, with Qingyu Mountain and Tailuo Sect each holding one half. When needed, combining the two halves would open the passage to the Dragon Spring. Later, Tailuo Sect felt they couldn't contend with Qingyu Mountain alone, so they allied with the Qin Clan. This alliance allowed them to resist our sect, and it has continued to this day. Because they needed to win over the Qin Clan, the half of the jade token held by Tailuo Sect was further divided into two. So now, to open the Dragon Spring, all three jade tokens held by the three factions must be combined."

"I see," Lu Ye said.

"Did you notice anything, young friend?" Ye Yang asked. Qingyu Mountain had also conducted much research on the Dragon Spring, but unfortunately, with little success.

Lu Ye shook his head. "I didn't notice anything, but I sense that these restrictions are not something an ordinary person could have set up."

As the two spoke, Lu Ye suddenly turned his head and looked outside.

Outside the hall, two figures walked in side-by-side. They didn't look young and were likely powerful cultivators from Tailuo Sect and the Qin Clan.

Ye Yang raised an eyebrow, chuckling and cursing, "You two old fogies are still alive?"

The person on the left said in a deep voice, "If you, Ye Yang, are still alive, how could we die?"

In their youth, they had all crossed paths on the Spirit Stream Battlefield. However, because their respective sects were far apart, they rarely met after advancing to the Cloud River Realm.

A hundred years had passed in a flash, and upon seeing each other again, their youthful vigor was gone, leading to a sigh of nostalgia in their hearts.

"Is this young friend Lu Yiye?" the speaking elder asked, looking at Lu Ye.

Ye Yang said, "Young friend Yiye, let me introduce you. This one, who likes to spout nonsense, is Zhao Xin from Tailuo Sect, and that silent one over there is Qin Ming from the Qin Clan."

Qin Ming snorted coldly, indicating that he was no mute.

Zhao Xin from Tailuo Sect looked at Lu Ye. "Young friend, you certainly have a grand presence. The dignified top cultivator of the Spirit Stream Ranking, instead of staying in the inner core, has come to the outer periphery to break our sect's and the Qin Clan's protective arrays. What is your intention?"

Both Zhao Xin and Qin Ming displayed cultivation at the Heavenly Eight level, but neither showed any fear when facing Lu Ye. They knew that if something was destined to happen, it couldn't be avoided. If Lu Yiye truly intended to harm them, fear would be useless.

The prestige of being the top cultivator on the Spirit Stream Ranking was earned through countless battles.

Moreover, when Lu Ye first became the top cultivator on the Spirit Stream Ranking, he was only at Heavenly Eight cultivation. Now that he was at Heavenly Nine, no one in the entire Spirit Stream Battlefield was his match.

Although both of them were at the True Lake Realm, they probably couldn't even withstand a single strike from Lu Ye in the Spirit Stream Battlefield.

"Open the Dragon Spring!"

Zhao Xin understood upon hearing this. "As expected."

When he received word from his disciples, he suspected Lu Ye was here for the Dragon Spring. Otherwise, why would the top cultivator of the Spirit Stream Ranking bother coming to this remote place? Only the Dragon Spring here could attract the attention of powerful cultivators.

Qin Ming, who had been silent, finally spoke, "May I ask, young friend, what do you intend to do by entering the Dragon Spring? With your current strength, even entering the Dragon Spring for body tempering wouldn't offer much benefit, perhaps even no effect at all."

This was also what Zhao Xin wanted to understand.

Lu Ye pondered for a moment before speaking, "There was a mortal who lived to be a hundred years old, yet remained full of vigor and in good health. Do you two know why?"

Zhao Xin frowned. "A mortal reaching a hundred years old is already in their twilight years, very old, unless they have practiced some health-preserving technique."

Lu Ye shook his head.

Qin Ming said, "Then it must be because they consumed some spirit medicine that extends life."

Lu Ye shook his head again.

"Then why?"

"Because the old man never meddled in others' affairs."

Zhao Xin and Qin Ming were stunned for a moment, finally understanding the implication of Lu Ye's words. Zhao Xin said, "The Dragon Spring is related to the body tempering of disciples from all three families. How can this be 'meddling in others' affairs'? If you don't explain yourself clearly, old man, I cannot cooperate."

Lu Ye's fingers rubbed the hilt of his saber. "If my saber descends, I wonder how many of your sect's disciples would survive. You'd best consider carefully."

Zhao Xin waved his hand. "No need to consider. If anyone else wanted to enter the Dragon Spring, our Tailuo Sect would certainly not agree. But since it's you, young friend, go ahead. Brother Qin, what do you think?"

Qin Ming nodded. "I have no objection!"

Ye Yang stepped forward, chuckling, "Shall we open it then?"

"Open it!"

The three of them each took out their respective jade tokens, channeling spiritual power into them. The three tokens glowed brightly, attracting each other, and quickly pieced together.

It was clearly a dragon-shaped jade token!

The jade token vibrated, as if an invisible force resonated with it. Accompanied by a humming sound from deep within the mountain, a dark, gaping hole suddenly opened in a corner of the hall, leading directly underground.

The three of them each raised a hand, and the three jade tokens were retrieved.

"Our business here is done. Farewell!" Zhao Xin said, cupping his fist before turning to leave.

Lu Ye looked at Ye Yang with an inquiring expression.

Ye Yang said, "Once the Dragon Spring is open, their part is done. It will close automatically in a few days."

Lu Ye nodded.

Zhao Xin and Qin Ming immediately darted out of the hall, summoned their flying spiritual artifacts, and soared into the sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Despite appearing calm in front of Lu Ye, they were actually very nervous. If not for fear of angering "Sect Destroyer Lu Yiye," they wouldn't have dared to make this trip.

"Go in, young friend. I'll keep watch for you outside."

"Thank you for your trouble!"

Lu Ye followed the entrance, descending deeper.

Just like his previous visit, there was a spiral staircase leading down. As he descended, hollow footsteps echoed. After walking for a long time, he reached the very bottom, arriving before a bronze gate.

The bronze gate was thick and ancient, exuding a sense of antiquity. Carved onto its surface was the vivid image of a colossal dragon, appearing almost alive.

The gate was already open, and faint red mist swirled within.

Lu Ye stepped inside, immediately feeling a sense of weightlessness. When he looked around again, he found himself in a chamber about three zhang on each side.

The chamber was filled with faint red mist, and in the center was a spring, with its water churning.

Lu Ye attempted to absorb the mist for body tempering, but he found that the blood energy contained within it was extremely sparse, providing negligible benefit to a Heavenly Nine cultivator like himself.

This was why cultivators with slightly higher cultivation levels didn't gain much benefit from body tempering in the Dragon Spring. The mist contained too few beneficial elements for cultivators. While cultivators at lower levels saw significant improvements, those above the sixth or seventh layer found it almost useless.

Yiyi flashed out from within Amber, looking around curiously. "Lu Ye, what are you doing here?"

"Meeting an old friend," Lu Ye replied casually.

"An old friend?" Yiyi was puzzled.

The last time Lu Ye underwent body tempering in the Dragon Spring, Amber hadn't followed him in, and naturally, neither had Yiyi. So, she wasn't aware of what Lu Ye had encountered in the Dragon Spring.

As he spoke, Lu Ye sat down cross-legged.

Recalling his previous experience, during his body tempering in the Dragon Spring, it seemed as if a pair of colossal, blood-red eyes had been watching him. At the time, and for a long period afterward, he had thought it might be an illusion.

However, as his cultivation grew and his understanding of the cultivation world of Kyushu deepened, Lu Ye gradually realized that it was likely not an illusion.

Furthermore, he had obtained a scale from the Dragon Spring!

It should have been a genuine dragon scale!

After obtaining the Phoenix True Flame, Lu Ye had specifically messaged his second senior sister to inquire, and thus learned about the so-called Four Mythical Beasts.

The Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise!

These were the four mythical beasts said to exist in the legends of the Kyushu cultivation world.

The Vermilion Bird truly existed; the Phoenix True Flame Lu Ye obtained was the best proof.

And according to his second senior sister's speculation, Amber likely possessed the White Tiger's bloodline, because no other type of tiger demon beast had ever been able to transform a spiritual entity into a changling, yet Amber possessed this ability.

Furthermore, Amber possessed many divine abilities that other tiger demon beasts did not.

If the Vermilion Bird and White Tiger existed, then the Azure Dragon and Black Tortoise must also exist.

Only then did Lu Ye confirm that what he had obtained in the Dragon Spring was a genuine dragon scale, and that the dragon's blood stored within it was why it had such potent effects on body tempering.

And since this was the Dragon Spring, the dragon scale must have come from here.

Therefore, Lu Ye speculated that a true dragon might be suppressed beneath this Dragon Spring.

He had traveled thousands of miles for no other reason than to acquire more dragon scales. This item was too potent for body tempering, and he, Amber, and Ju Jia all needed it.

How to obtain more dragon scales was the question.

Last time, the dragon scale had suddenly appeared before him. In other words, it had been given to him by the true dragon suppressed here. The colossal, blood-red eyes he had sensed must have been the dragon's eyes.

Such unsolicited generosity usually hid an ulterior motive. A true dragon suppressed here would not give him a dragon scale for no reason; it must have a request. So, Lu Ye felt he could start from this angle.