Chapter 436: The Truth of the World (Happy New Year)

Shui Yuan knew Lu Ye possessed a dragon scale because she had witnessed him tempering his body with the blood energy from it. At the time, she had asked Lu Ye about its origin, and he naturally did not conceal anything. Shui Yuan then speculated that some secret or opportunity might be hidden beneath the Dragon Spring.

Lu Ye had long decided that once his cultivation reached its limit in the Spirit Creek Realm, he would definitely visit Hundred Peak Mountain to see if he could obtain more dragon scales. Although Qingyu Mountain, Tailuo Sect, and the Qin family had occupied the Dragon Spring for many years, they likely did not know what lay beneath it; otherwise, they would have started exploring long ago. In other words, the dragon scale Lu Ye obtained might be the only one.

If his speculation was true, and a real dragon was indeed suppressed under the Dragon Spring, why would it inexplicably give him a dragon scale? This certainly wasn't due to luck or being favored; there had to be a deeper reason. He probably possessed something other cultivators did not. Recalling his previous experiences in the Dragon Spring, Lu Ye had a faint suspicion.

In the secret chamber, he activated his spiritual power and began to construct spiritual patterns one by one. He meticulously created: Sharpness, Defense, Spirit Gathering, Bloodstain, Sunlight, Foundation Strengthening, Windwalk, Heavy Pressure, Barbs, Stealth, Insight, Sound Recording, Image Recording, Spirit Storage, Water Lung, Explosion, Concealment, Golden Arc, Lightning Summoning, and Flight.

Excluding the Fire Phoenix spiritual pattern, he constructed every spiritual pattern he had mastered so far, one by one. He repeated this process a full three times. Spiritual power surged, and the spiritual patterns shifted, connecting with extreme fluidity. Even a spiritual pattern master like Madam Yun would likely be astonished to witness it. This was because even with her mastery of the spiritual pattern dao, it would be impossible to construct such a diverse array of spiritual patterns in such a short time, let alone seamlessly connect the various pattern transformations without error. But with the help of the Talent Tree, Lu Ye accomplished it effortlessly.

No movement… Lu Ye couldn't help but frown. Had he made a mistake? If he truly had, then this trip would probably be in vain. He felt little regret; everything here was, after all, just his speculation. His understanding of the cultivation world of Kyushu was not deep yet, so some mistakes were inevitable. He stood up and started walking out.

His body suddenly froze. A powerful perception made him aware of a pair of eyes staring at him from behind. Instantly, his skin tightened, and his entire body felt as if countless needles were pricking him, causing an indescribable stinging pain. Amber, perched on his shoulder, immediately bristled, then suddenly flattened itself, emitting a low growl from its throat. Lu Ye raised his hand and gripped his Panshan Blade. Beads of sweat slid down his forehead!

He slowly turned his leaden body, immediately coming face to face with a pair of enormous, blood-red pupils! Those pupils were filled with indifference and a sense of superiority. Being stared at by them, Lu Ye felt an overwhelming sense of insignificance, like an ant. He hadn't made a mistake. It was highly probable that a true dragon was indeed suppressed here, and the giant blood-red pupils he had sensed last time weren't an illusion; they had reappeared.

At this moment, above the Dragon Spring, a dragon head purely condensed from blood energy filled most of the secret chamber. Two dragon horns grew on its head, covered with countless fine dragon scales. Dragon whiskers fluttered beneath its jaw, and boundless dragon might permeated the air. Lu Ye felt as if a mountain had been placed on his shoulders, its immense weight making it difficult to breathe. The immense pressure caused Lu Ye's body to bend slightly; even with all his strength, he couldn't resist it.

"Roar!" Amber roared, and a visible wave of air surged forward. At the same time, the figure of the Fire Phoenix standing on the Talent Tree also became active, and a clear cry emanated from within Lu Ye. The indifferent dragon eyes clearly showed a look of surprise.

The Panshan Blade burst from its sheath. Lu Ye's right arm swelled, and he slashed down at the dragon head. A flash! This single strike, powerful enough to fell a Heaven Nine Body Cultivator on the spot, caused no damage to the blood-energy dragon head. After all, the dragon head wasn't a physical entity. But with this strike, Lu Ye felt as if he had cut something, and the heavy pressure suddenly vanished. He exhaled softly and looked at the dragon head.

"You specifically chose me; do you want me to free you?" Before, it was just speculation, but now it could be confirmed. Lu Ye didn't know why the dragon's main body was suppressed here, but it was clearly unwilling to remain so. Thus, it sought someone to free it. While other cultivators who came here failed to impress the dragon, Lu Ye's evident talent in spiritual patterns offered a glimmer of hope. That's why, when he was in the Fifth Layer, he tempered his body here, and the dragon bestowed upon him a scale. However, looking at the current situation, Lu Ye felt a bit like leaving. Even while suppressed, it possessed such might; if released, what a ferocious entity it would be.

"Young man, you are very clever!" the dragon head suddenly spoke.

"That's not how you ask for help," Lu Ye said, lowering his gaze. The other party had first played hard to get, then suddenly appeared as he was about to leave, delivering a show of force that almost forced him to his knees. Clearly, this entity was not to be trifled with.

"You are too weak right now."

"Then give me something to make me stronger, like those dragon scales from last time. A hundred or eighty pieces would be great."

The dragon head let out a booming laugh, the deafening sound shaking the secret chamber. As the laughter subsided, the dragon head gradually dispersed. Lu Ye frowned.

However, after the dragon head dissipated, the Dragon Spring suddenly surged. Then, from the spring's eye, a dragon scale emerged, followed by another, then a third, a fourth… A total of five dragon scales emerged before the Dragon Spring returned to its original state.

"Cultivate well, young man. Come find me when you understand enough of this world's truth. I look forward to our next meeting!" The voice came from an unknown place, clearly entering Lu Ye's ears. It seemed convinced Lu Ye would seek it out again.

Lu Ye stepped forward, muttering "Stingy" as he collected the five dragon scales. These five dragon scales were about the same size as the previous one, palm-sized, but Lu Ye could feel that the blood energy contained within them was much denser, almost several times stronger. He excitedly placed the five dragon scales into his storage bag.

Lu Ye pondered the dragon head's parting words. The dragon head clearly had a hidden meaning, and it even mentioned something about "the truth of this world." As a Spirit Creek Realm cultivator, Lu Ye had no idea what "the truth of this world" was.

As soon as he put away the dragon scales, a repellent force emanated from all directions. Then, his vision blurred, and he found himself outside the bronze gate. The gate slowly closed. Lu Ye looked at the dragon image carved on it and noticed that the dragon head in the pattern looked very similar to the one he had just seen. A true dragon suppressed beneath the Dragon Spring—this was probably something no one had ever imagined.

Following his path back, he entered the main hall, where Ye Yang was still waiting. Ye Yang was naturally surprised to see Lu Ye return so quickly, as he had only been gone for less than half a day.

"Young friend, have you finished your business?"

Lu Ye nodded, then shook his head. Although the situation was similar to what he had expected, it was far more complex. Ye Yang did not press for details; some things were better left unasked, and he understood enough.

"My business here is concluded. I'll take my leave now."

Ye Yang tried to persuade him, "Since you've come all this way, won't you stay and visit our sect?"

"No, my Senior Sister sent me a message asking me to return early."

Ye Yang nodded, "Then I won't keep you. Have a safe journey, young friend."

"Farewell!"

Summoning his spirit boat, Lu Ye stepped onto it and shot into the sky, disappearing in an instant. It had taken him nearly ten days to arrive, and the return journey would take just as long. However, the time spent on the road wasn't wasted. Lu Ye had been studying the blade art cultivation insights he obtained from the Mad Blade Sect. As for flying his artifact, with Yiyi's reminders, he wouldn't get lost or fly in the wrong direction.

Nearly ten days later, Lu Ye finally returned to the Jade Blood Sect's encampment. He glanced up at a nearby spiritual peak and noticed that Xiao Hui had returned. He withdrew his gaze when a voice suddenly called out from beside him, "Brother Yi Ye has returned!" Lu Ye looked in the direction of the voice and found it was Situ Han, the Guardian of the Three Saints Institute, accompanied by several of his disciples.

"Brother Situ!" Lu Ye greeted him. "Why are you here? Has something happened at the Three Saints Institute?"

"Nothing," Situ Han chuckled. "Both Xuanqing Palace and Crescent Moon Pavilion suffered heavy losses, but our sect is perfectly fine now. We heard you were about to ascend to the Cloud River Realm, so we came to witness the ceremony."

Lu Ye chuckled, "It's just an ascension to the Cloud River Realm."

Situ Han looked at him with confusion, "Don't you know, Brother Yi Ye?"

"Know what?" Lu Ye was puzzled by him.

Situ Han chuckled again, "It seems Brother Yi Ye truly doesn't know. But that's alright, you'll find out soon enough."

Lu Ye was about to ask for clarification when more people came to greet him. Soon, more and more people gathered around. Those who came were all cultivators from the core region, led by Guardians or Deputy Guardians, with several people from each sect. Lu Ye had heard of some of them, especially the powerful figures on the Spirit Creek Ranking, even if he hadn't met them personally. But most of the people, Lu Ye had never even heard of, let alone seen. Each one had come to witness the ceremony.

Lu Ye was truly bewildered. He was merely ascending to the Cloud River Realm, yet it seemed to have turned into a grand event? It had actually attracted Guardians and Deputy Guardians from major sects in the core region to bring people to observe. He had been wondering earlier why there were so many extra people in their encampment. At this moment, the Jade Blood Sect's encampment was practically overflowing. While their own sect had several hundred disciples, nearly two thousand people had arrived from hundreds of core region sects. This led to Duan Yi, after seeking his Senior Sister's permission, spending some contribution points to temporarily expand the encampment's perimeter. Not only that, but a tall platform had also been erected in front of the Heavenly Secret Hall square. It was said that this was where Lu Ye would break through from the Spirit Creek Realm and ascend to the Cloud River Realm! The platform was dozens of feet high, ensuring that everyone attending the ceremony could see clearly.

Lu Ye was completely baffled. He had only left for a trip, gone for about twenty days round trip, and suddenly, the world had become somewhat unfamiliar to him.