Chapter 505 True Dragon Turns to Bones?! The Dean Loses His Temper?!

Facing the inquiry of Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi, Jiang Yun clasped his hands and bowed slightly, his posture respectful yet not servile.

"Student Jiang Yun greets Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi."

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly entered the ears of every student present in the square that had just fallen silent.

His movements were meticulous, without the slightest arrogance one might expect from a Heavenly Saint Student dealing with a Dean.

On the podium, Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi saw Jiang Yun's attitude, and a hint of undisguised satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

He had lived for so many years and had seen countless geniuses.

Among those prodigies on the Heaven Ranking, which one wasn't well-behaved in front of him?

But that kind of obedience stemmed from awe of the Dean's authority, not genuine respect.

Yet this young man before him was different...

How overbearing and dominant he was when crushing the sixth-ranked Prodigy on the arena, how arrogant he was when suppressing an entire sect alone, yet now, standing before him to pay his respects, he remained as respectful and humble as an ordinary student.

This character—not becoming arrogant due to a surge in strength, nor becoming condescending due to an exalted status—was truly a Rare gem among the younger generation.

Furthermore.

Hundreds of students from the Formation Institute were watching on the square at this moment.

A Sacred Student was paying respects to him in public.

This gave him, the Dean, plenty of Face.

This subtle respect made Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi's assessment of Jiang Yun rise even higher.

"Sacred Student, no need for such formalities."

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi raised his hand slightly, his tone gentle and frank.

"If you have something to say, just say it directly."

Hundreds of students from the Formation Institute sitting on the ground in the square.

At this moment, they were all looking at Jiang Yun in unison.

Their gazes held curiosity, awe, and a trace of disappointment that had just ignited and already extinguished.

"So he's here to find the Dean for something..."

A student sitting in the front row muttered, his tone full of undisguised disappointment.

"I thought the Sacred Student was really going to join our Formation Institute. Sigh, what a waste of excitement."

"What a pity, truly a pity."

Another student beside him sighed, holding the ink-jade brush with which he had drawn half a Formation pattern, not even noticing the ink dripping onto the Formation diagram on his lap.

"If the Sacred Student really joined the Formation Institute, who would we fear in the academy? The Beast Taming Institute has Dean Zhan Qiong, the Pill Institute has Dean Medicine Dust Son, and although our Formation Institute has Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi presiding, we really lack a top-tier Prodigy in this generation to hold the fort. If the Sacred Student came, this void would be filled."

"Alright, alright, stop dreaming. A monster like the Sacred Student—even Vice Dean Ming Jing said his training method shouldn't be confined to any one institute, and all Inner Courts are open to him unconditionally. He doesn't need to join any institute at all; he can just use whatever he needs. This kind of treatment is the first time in our academy's history."

An older student shook his head.

His tone was full of complex emotion.

"Then why is he here to find the Dean now? Could it be another world-shaking event? Did you see the vision over Heaven Pillar Peak just now? The entire academy was covered by a dragon-shaped phantom! The core of that vision was the Holy Son Courtyard where the Sacred Student lives! I suspect the Sacred Student is doing something big again!"

"Now that you mention it, I remember! That vision had only dissipated for less than half an hour, and the Sacred Student personally ran to the Formation Institute to find the Dean... Could it be related to that vision?"

"Stop guessing, stop guessing, the Sacred Student is about to speak."

Everyone's gaze focused on Jiang Yun again.

The square was so quiet that even the rustling sound of the ink-jade brush rubbing against the Formation paper was clearly audible.

Jiang Yun raised his head, meeting Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi's gaze, his tone remaining calm and composed.

"This student has an item, related to Formation and runes, that I would like to consult with the Dean about."

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi heard this.

His hand stroking his beard paused slightly.

Something related to Formation and runes?

Just now at the Yunqi Courtyard, with so many Deans present, the Sacred Student didn't ask, but now he personally ran to the Formation Institute to ask specifically.

There were too many eyes and ears just now.

Some things were indeed inconvenient to display in front of outsiders.

Could it be...

Was there anything that needed to be kept from others more than the Saint King Rank heavenly fire profound iron?

Thinking of this.

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi's expression became a bit more serious.

He slowly stood up from the podium, his sleeves flicked gently, and he retracted the seven-layer nested Formation phantom hovering over the square back into the Formation Plate.

"Since that is the case, Sacred Student, come with me to the Council Hall."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the hundreds of students in the square who were looking forward to it, and his voice returned to its usual majesty and peace.

"The lecture ends here for today, everyone disperse on your own. However, when studying in the Formation Institute, you should know that the path of Formation abhors impatience the most. I have not yet dismantled the last node of the seven-layer nested Formation just now; you should deduce it yourself after returning. The teachers will conduct spot checks during tomorrow's lecture... Those who cannot deduce it will be punished by copying basic Formation patterns three thousand times."

The students responded in unison.

The voices were uniform.

Although everyone still had curiosity about the purpose of the Sacred Student's visit on their Faces, no one dared to question the Dean's arrangement.

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi nodded slightly, his body leaped lightly, and he drifted down from the podium, landing steadily beside Jiang Yun.

His movement was light and graceful, not even raising a speck of dust when he landed.

A gentle smile appeared on his wrinkled Face, and he tilted his head slightly towards Jiang Yun, signaling him to follow.

"Sacred Student, follow me."

After saying this, he flicked his sleeves and turned to walk towards an ancient and towering stone hall at the back of the square.

Jiang Yun followed behind him, walking with composure.

Under the gaze of hundreds of curious eyes, their figures gradually disappeared into the archway of the stone hall at the end of the square.

On the square, the students watched their retreating backs, and the long-suppressed discussion finally erupted like a bursting flood.

"Did you see that, did you see that! The Dean personally took him to the Council Hall! The Council Hall! That's the place the Dean uses only for entertaining distinguished guests and teaching Core Disciples privately! Ordinary Disciples of our Formation Institute aren't even allowed near it! The Sacred Student said one sentence, and the Dean took him straight in!"

"Is this the treatment for a Sacred Student? Is this the treatment for a monster Prodigy? Have a question to ask, and get one-on-one private tutoring? The Dean personally giving him private lessons?! This kind of treatment..."

"Wake up, the Sacred Student isn't here for a lecture, he's here to ask the Dean a question! What kind of level must a question be for the Sacred Student to personally visit to ask it? I'm afraid it's at least something related to Sun-Level Formation Laws! We can't even understand that kind of stuff!"

"But it's no wonder. Who is he? Heavenly Saint Student, the academy's number one Prodigy appointed by the Head Dean. Rushing from Gold Rank to Amethyst Rank in over a month, crushing the sixth-ranked on the Heaven Ranking on the arena, and triggering a Ancestral Dragon vision off the arena. Isn't it normal for the Dean to personally receive such a figure? If it were you or me with this talent, the Dean would give you private tutoring too."

"I just want to know what the Sacred Student wants to ask. Related to Formation runes... Could it be another Heaven-Defying treasure that can trigger world-shaking visions?"

"You really don't say, I always feel that every time the Sacred Student appears, he brings an aura of doing something big."

Jiang Yun followed behind Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi, passing through a towering archway carved from a single piece of bluestone, and the view suddenly opened up.

This was a not-too-large but extremely solemn stone hall. There were no extra decorations in the hall, and layers of Formation patterns were engraved on the four walls. Those Formation patterns flowed slowly in the faint light penetrating from the hall roof, emitting a soft pale golden light.

In the center of the hall was a rectangular stone table more than a zhang long. The tabletop was smooth as a mirror and also carved with precise Formation patterns...

That was a whole piece of specially tempered Formation base stone, which itself was equivalent to a giant Formation Plate that could be activated at any time.

There was a stone chair on each side of the stone table, and auxiliary Formation patterns for calming the mind were also carved on the back of the chairs.

"Sit."

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi gestured.

He sat down on one side of the stone table first.

Jiang Yun nodded slightly and sat down on the other side.

"This is my Council Hall. The four walls are engraved with shielding Formation patterns that block Divine Sense detection. No Mental Energy can spy on the situation inside the hall from the outside. Sacred Student, if you have anything to say, feel free to speak directly."

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi's voice was still gentle.

But there was a hint of solemn expectation in his tone.

"You just said you have an item related to Formation and runes to ask me about... Now that it's just the two of us, feel free to speak. I have studied the path of Formation for most of my life and consider myself to have some attainments in it. As for the path of runes, although not as proficient as Formation, I have also dabbled in it. No matter what the question is, I can answer it for you."

Jiang Yun nodded.

He didn't explain much, his right hand flipped gently, and a palm-sized bone, white as a forest, appeared in his palm.

It was a jade-white bone.

Its shape was irregular, with obvious fracture marks on the edges, as if it had been broken off from a larger piece of bone.

The texture of the bone was extremely strange...

The surface was smooth and lustrous, glowing with a faint jade-like luster. That luster was not dazzling, but instead exuded a warm, moist feeling that had precipitated over countless years, as if this bone had been buried underground for tens of thousands of years, yet it still maintained its original texture and form.

The front of the bone was engraved with three extremely complex Formation runes. The structure of those runes was completely different from any Formation system Jiang Yun had ever seen...

Each rune was nested by dozens of rune units shrunk to a size almost indistinguishable to the naked eye, layered and interlocked, refined to an unbelievable degree.

The width of the rune lines was only one-tenth of a hair, yet every stroke was clear, and every line was distinct, without the slightest blur or breakage.

And at the core where the three runes converged, a very faint "Seal" character pattern could be vaguely seen... That was a Restriction Seal.

The moment this bone appeared in Jiang Yun's palm, Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi's gaze could no longer move away from it.

His pupils first shrank slightly.

Then slowly expanded.

He stared at the bone for three breaths, his lips moved several times, but he couldn't say a word.

Then he slowly stretched out his hand, his fingers hovering three inches above the bone, without touching it directly...

Not because he didn't dare, but because of an instinctive awe for a supreme treasure of the path of Formation.

"Sacred Student..."

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi's voice was a bit hoarser than before, and for the first time, there was a trace of uncertainty in his tone.

"The thing in your hand seems a bit extraordinary. Although I haven't been able to probe into its interior, just the aura emitted by the bone itself... is extremely ancient and extremely profound. I have lived for so many years and have seen countless Heaven And Earth Treasures, but I have never seen this kind of aura in my life. Can... can you let me take it and look at it carefully?"

Jiang Yun nodded, placed the bone gently on the stone table, and pushed it to Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi.

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi took the bone with both hands, the movement so light that it was as if he were holding a Rare treasure that could shatter at any time.

He gently rubbed the surface of the bone with his thumb, and the tactile sensation his fingertips felt made his whole body tremble slightly.

That was not the touch a bone should have...

Ordinary bones, even the remains of Eclipsing Moon Rank Vicious Beasts, would have tiny pores and a rough texture on the surface.

But the bone before him was as smooth as a piece of warm jade, delicate and lustrous, without any flaws.

His fingers slowly slid along the fracture marks on the edge of the bone. The fracture surface was uneven, clearly broken by some extremely terrifying force...

Rather than naturally broken.

But even so, that faint jade-like luster still circulated on the fracture surface, as if even the fracture had re-condensed into one over the tens of thousands of years.

A flash of extremely Rare shock and doubt flashed in his eyes. He turned the bone to the back and carefully observed the faint bone textures.

Those textures were not Formation patterns, not runes, but the natural textures formed by the bone itself...

It was like the growth rings of a tree.

They recorded the age of this Vicious Beast while it was alive, circle by circle.

But the bone markings of an ordinary Vicious Beast usually only have a few dozen circles at most, yet the bone markings on this piece were so dense they were almost impossible to count.

Circle upon circle, layer upon layer, stacked like the cross-section of a ten-thousand-year-old tree. Each circle was as thin as silk, packed densely together to form an ocean of texture that was almost indistinguishable to the naked eye.

The age of this Vicious Beast before it died likely far exceeded imagination.

"The density of these bone markings... This is definitely not the skeleton of an ordinary Vicious Beast. The bone markings of ordinary Vicious Beasts only increase by one circle per year. Even for the longest-lived tortoise-type Vicious Beast, the bone marking density is no more than a few hundred circles. But the bone markings on this bone are so dense that even my Mental Energy finds it difficult to count them accurately. If calculated according to the bone age of ordinary Vicious Beasts, the age of this Vicious Beast before it died would likely have to be measured in ten thousands of years."

He gently flipped the bone back to the front, his gaze landing on the three extremely complex Formation runes.

He used his fingertip to trace the lines of one of the runes extremely gently, feeling the flow path of the spiritual power inside the rune.

Then his brows suddenly knit tightly, his fingertip stopping at the most dense nested node in the center of the rune, unmoving.

"What an exquisite Formation rune... The nested structure of this rune is not seven-layered, not nine-layered, but thirteen-layered! Thirteen-fold nesting! This is almost impossible to achieve in Formation theory! Ordinary Formation runes can reach the Great Master level with five-fold nesting, and seven-fold nesting is the threshold for a Grandmaster. As for nested structures above ten-fold, even I have only seen records of them in a few Incomplete Manuals of ancient texts, never with my own eyes... That is a realm that only ancient Formation Grandmasters could possibly touch! And every single rune on this bone is thirteen-fold nested! The three runes are interconnected in a way that I cannot understand at all, forming an extremely terrifying Restriction Seal!"

His voice grew higher and more excited, and by the last word, his tone had completely changed.

He suddenly raised his head, his old eyes, which had seen all kinds of storms, now churning with undisguised horror and shock.

"Sacred Student!! This jade bone of yours likely has an extraordinary origin!!"

Jiang Yun frowned slightly.

The words of Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi just now...

Saying that this jade bone had an extraordinary origin...

Did not provide any new information to him.

He naturally knew this item had an extraordinary origin.

Back when he first obtained this true dragon bone, he had used his Entry Manifestation talent to probe its details. However, his talent, which had always been effective, failed for the first time in front of this bone...

The grade column actually displayed the word 'unknown'.

It was precisely this word 'unknown' that made him certain this item was by no means ordinary, and also made him more eager to unlock the secrets hidden within.

"Dean."

Jiang Yun spoke, his tone still calm, but with a hint of seriousness.

"I naturally know that this item has an extraordinary origin. What I am more curious about is... is there a way to break the Formation rune Restriction Seal on it?"

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi heard this.

The hand stroking his beard stopped.

He did not answer immediately, but instead carefully placed the jade bone back on the stone table, staring at the three extremely complex runes on the bone surface for a long while before slowly sighing.

"Sacred Student, to be honest, I was a bit arrogant just now."

His tone carried a touch of sincere shame.

"I have studied the path of Formations for most of my life and consider myself to have some attainments. However, regarding the path of runes, I have only dabbled in it and cannot claim to be proficient. I said just now that I could answer a thing or two for you because I thought that what you brought out was at most a Sun-Level Formation problem... I can indeed solve things at that level. But the runes on this jade bone before me make me more alarmed the more I look at them. The nested structure of the runes here is not seven-layered, not nine-layered, but thirteen-fold nested Formation runes that I have only seen in Incomplete Manuals of ancient texts. And the degree to which it is fused with the Formation is something I have only seen once in my life... There are runes within the Formation, and Formations within the runes; the two are nested within each other yet independent, forming an extremely complex composite Seal. This technique of combining Formations and runes, let alone breaking it, I have never even seen before."

He paused, looked up at Jiang Yun, his eyes carrying a Rare expression of solemnity and candor.

"To break the Seal on this item, relying solely on my own strength, I am afraid I am not up to the task. However... although my attainments in runes are insufficient, there is an Old Fellow in the academy who specializes in runes. If we let him examine it with me, combining the strength of both of us, we might be able to figure something out. If you trust me, Sacred Student, I will send a message to invite him over right now. I wonder what you think, Sacred Student?"

Jiang Yun heard this.

He nodded almost without any hesitation.

He came to find Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi.

His purpose was to unlock the secret of the true dragon bone.

As long as this goal could be achieved, what did it matter if one more dean was invited?

Besides, he already trusted the character of these deans...

They could keep the secret of the Saint King Rank heavenly fire profound iron for him without changing their expressions, so there was no need to worry about them coveting a mere bone of unknown origin.

"Please make the arrangements, Dean. As long as the Seal on this item can be broken, I will comply with anything."

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi heard this.

A satisfied smile flashed in his eyes.

He stopped talking nonsense.

The next second.

A Divine Sense transmission penetrated the shielding Formation patterns of the Council Hall like an invisible ripple and shot towards the direction of the Rune Institute.

"Wen Yuan! Come to the Council Hall of my Formation Institute immediately! The Sacred Student brought an item over that is related to both Formations and runes... I can guarantee that you will be interested! The rune problem on this thing is something that even an Old Fellow like you might not be able to solve! Don't dawdle, hurry over!"

Not a few breaths after the transmission was sent.

A response came.

An aged but vigorous voice exploded directly in the Sea of Consciousness of Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi, full of undisguised disdain and skepticism.

"Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi! Stop bragging there! I have studied the path of runes for over sixty years, and I know every well-known rune school in the entire Eastern Region by heart. How could there be a rune that I cannot solve?! Are you unable to understand it yourself, and having encountered some tough problem in the Formation, you want to drag me over to be your free labor? What a joke!"

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi heard this, not only did not get angry but chuckled instead.

His Divine Sense probed into the transmission jade talisman again, his tone carrying a hint of meaningful teasing.

"Wen Yuan, oh Wen Yuan, I am really not provoking you this time. You will know when you come. The runes on this thing are different from all the runes you have seen in your life. I will put it this way... If you can see the trick of this rune at a glance, from now on, whenever I see you, I will call you Great Master Wen Yuan. No joke."

The other end of the transmission jade talisman was silent for several breaths.

Then that old voice exploded again, but this time the disdain in the tone had lessened, replaced by a sense of curiosity and a spirit of not giving in.

"...Good! Good for you, Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi! Since you even said the word Great Master, it seems there is really something to this! You wait for me! I want to see what kind of rune could make an Old Fellow like you so arrogant! I will also let you open your eyes... and let you know what true rune attainments are!"

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi put away the transmission jade talisman.

He turned his head and smiled at Jiang Yun.

"That Old Fellow will be here soon. His name is Wen Yuan, and he is the Head of the Rune Institute. This Old Fellow has a strange temper and an impatient nature, but his attainments in the path of runes are indeed the highest in the academy... Among all the Rune Masters in the entire Eastern Region, he ranks quite high. Let him look at the runes on this, and perhaps he might really be able to see some clues."

Jiang Yun nodded.

The Head of the Rune Institute of Sky Dome Academy, a Rune Master who ranks high in the Eastern Region...

It seems Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi did not exaggerate.

If even these two deans combined could not break the Seal on the true dragon bone, then the complexity of this Seal probably far exceeded his previous estimates.

Before he could think too much, a rush of rapid footsteps came from outside the hall.

The footsteps were fast and hurried, stepping on the bluestone floor of the Formation Institute with crisp and dense echoes. Just listening to these footsteps, one knew that the person arriving was anxious.

Immediately after, the door of the Council Hall was pushed open from the outside by a palm covered in calluses but still powerful, and a figure swept in like a gray whirlwind.

The person who arrived was a thin, short old man with gray and white hair disheveled on his shoulders, as if he had just been dragged out of a pile of books.

He was wearing a wide gray robe embroidered with dense rune patterns. Those runes flickered slightly on the surface of the robe with his long, striding steps, as if they would jump out of the fabric at any moment.

His Face was thin and angular, with high cheekbones and deep-set eye sockets, but those dark brown eyes were shockingly bright, like two undying fires of runes. Wherever his gaze swept, it seemed as if even the air would be seen through by three points.

"Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi!" As soon as Wen Yuan entered the door, he walked straight towards Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi, without even looking at the others in the hall.

"I want to see what it is that you are talking about, that could make an Old Fellow like you so arrogant! And Great Master Wen Yuan? Hmph, you take the item out first! If I find that you are just trying to fool me with another ordinary Formation problem, don't blame me for not giving you any Face today!"

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi was long accustomed to Wen Yuan's impatient temper.

He stood up from the stone chair unhurriedly, a meaningful smile on his Face. With a gentle wave of his right hand, the forest-white jade bone that had been lying quietly on the stone table turned into a pale white arc and flew straight towards Wen Yuan.

"See for yourself, catch it carefully, don't drop it."

Wen Yuan was quick-handed and sharp-eyed; he spread his five fingers and steadily caught the bone in his hand.

He first looked down at the object in his palm, and the expression of questioning on his Face suddenly stiffened.

"Is this the item? A bone?"

He frowned and turned the jade bone over and over twice, rubbed his thumb roughly on the bone surface, and then raised it to his eyes to examine it against the faint light coming from the ceiling of the hall.

"It looks very ordinary. The bone quality is quite fine, and there are a few carvings on the surface... Isn't this just a Vicious Beast bone that is a bit older? Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi, you wouldn't be using this kind of thing to tease me, would you?"

As he said this, his gaze swept over Jiang Yun with a hint of doubt, and then he looked at Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi, who was standing to the side with a meaningful expression, his brows furrowing even deeper.

"I want to see if this thing you mentioned is really that mysterious."

As the words fell.

Wen Yuan stopped talking nonsense.

He held the jade bone in his right hand, spread the five fingers of his left hand, and at the same time, five distinct colored rune lights lit up at his fingertips...

The Five Elements attribute runes of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth flowed and intertwined at his fingertips, turning into a five-colored light film as thin as a cicada's wing, slowly covering his eyes.

This was the unique exploration secret technique of the Rune Institute...

The Five Elements Rune Pupils, which could see through the structural levels and spiritual power flow paths of all runes, was one of Wen Yuan's trump cards.

He condensed his Mental Energy into a probe thinner than a hair and carefully probed towards the first nested node of the three runes on the surface of the jade bone.

However, just as he probed into it.

His pupils suddenly shrank...