695: Enlightenment

Kunlun Mountain, revered as the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains, also known as Jade Capital Mountain and Pillar of Heaven.

Legend has it that the Jade Pure Palace, the Dao field of the Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning, is located upon it.

Starting from the Pamir Plateau, it stretches approximately 2500 kilometers, with its highest peak at the border of Qinghai and Xinjiang, China.

As for the mirage, it appeared above the Jade Pond of the Queen Mother of the West.

Under a boundless, tourmaline-blue sky, ten thousand meters above the ground.

Yang Dian gazed at the Jade Pond, a hundred li away from him.

On the plateau, nearly five thousand meters above sea level, there were no magnificent palaces carved from jade.

Among the mountains, the plateau's dammed lake shimmered, sparkling with golden light under the sun.

There was no mirage, nor the sound of bells or Daoist chanting.

Apart from the Jade Pond among the mountains, that place was no different from any other.

Of course, Yang Dian knew this was because he wasn't close enough.

After stopping in the sky for less than two minutes, a mecha with a blazing blue tail flame flew in front of Yang Dian.

As soon as it stopped, the mecha's head parts began to rotate rapidly, contracting, finally revealing a resolute face, tanned by the scorching plateau sun, beneath the helmet:

"Hello, Commander."

He controlled the zero-control bracelet, adjusted the projection angle of the bracelet, and unfurled a panel in front of Yang Dian that only he could see.

[Name: Lieutenant Colonel Liu Qiang

Position: Former Colonel of the Seventh Border Defense Army, currently the person in charge of the Kunlun Mountain Secret Realm...]

After scanning the information displayed on the panel, Yang Dian first returned the greeting to the newcomer, then said:

"The organization has defined the mirage on Kunlun Mountain as a Secret Realm?"

Lieutenant Colonel Liu Qiang nodded, leading the way while answering:

"Whether or not a 'Secret Realm Space' exists, that mirage alone, which can project bell sounds and Daoist chants, deserves the title of Secret Realm."

After Lieutenant Colonel Liu Qiang introduced the detailed situation of the mirage to Yang Dian, the two arrived at the heavily guarded edge of the Jade Pond. One more step forward was the incredibly blue Jade Pond water, which only rippled under the mountain breeze, without any tides.

"After the mirage appeared, the Jade Pond seemed to have a boundary drawn around it. No matter how the water inside surged, it would not overflow this boundary."

"And as long as we step onto the Jade Pond water, we can see the mirage and hear the bell sounds and the distant Daoist chanting."

As his voice fell, Lieutenant Colonel Liu Qiang reached out and tapped his chest.

Then, the mecha on his body disintegrated into countless parts, detached, and then reassembled behind him, forming a square iron block.

He then took the lead and stepped onto the Jade Pond water.

Immediately, golden lotuses bloomed under his feet.

Watching the golden lotuses that suddenly appeared on the lake surface just as Lieutenant Colonel Liu Qiang's foot was about to touch the water, supporting his sole, Yang Dian couldn't help but take a deep breath.

Reaching up and wiping his brow, Yang Dian summoned the Dimension Butterfly and extended it forward:

"Is it an independent spatial Secret Realm, the power of Dimension, or some other power?"

The Dimension Butterfly detached from Yang Dian's fingertip, flew two circles over the Jade Pond, sprinkled a few golden glints, and then flew back to Yang Dian's brow.

Then, some information appeared in Yang Dian's mind.

"An independent, but not completely independent space?"

Muttering, Yang Dian took a step forward.

"Dong~~~"

A bell sound, as if echoing in the Soul, came from high above.

Before he could avert his gaze from the golden lotuses rising under his feet, Yang Dian heard another lingering Daoist chant rising from the high heavens, lingering in his Divine Soul.

Ripples spread out in circles under Yang Dian's feet, and a profound realization emerged in Yang Dian's heart.

At this moment, Yang Dian instinctively thought of a word.

"Dao~"

The Little Black Cat, nestled in Yang Dian's arm, instinctively looked up at the mirage in the sky, let out a "meow," then rolled its eyes and began to snore.

Dudu detached from its Fusion state with Yang Dian, swaying its tentacles and instinctively drawing magnificent arcs containing a certain Dao rhyme.

The Cold Silkworm and Empty Silkworm attached to Dudu's tentacles also immediately detached from their clothing state.

The two little fellows awkwardly wriggled onto Yang Dian's shoulders, their four tiny eyes, smaller than pinpricks, fixed on the mirage in the sky.

"Fragrant… So fragrant."

The Emerald Dragon God Stia, whom Yang Dian had locked in the Beast Taming Bracelet, seemed to sense something, also raising her head to look in the direction guided by fate.

"What is that?" Stia murmured.

Lieutenant Colonel Liu Qiang, who had already stepped back, looked at Yang Dian, who had golden lotuses blooming under his feet, with an envious expression.

"Commander, he must be comprehending the Dao, right?"

Lieutenant Colonel Liu Qiang, hearing the sound, glanced at the newcomer, a complex expression in his eyes:

"Looking at him and his pets' expressions, he's undoubtedly in a state of Dao comprehension."

"The Commander is indeed exceptionally talented."

"That one-in-ten-thousand Dao comprehension, he entered it so easily."

"And it's not just him."

"Even those little pets he brought are comprehending the Dao."

"Am I not even as good as a cat?"

Amidst his emotions, anticipation appeared in Lieutenant Colonel Liu Qiang's eyes:

"I wonder to what extent the Commander's strength will increase after this Dao comprehension."

Thinking of the scene he saw in the internal System, where Yang Dian pressed the Emerald Dragon God into the core of a dead star, and the dead star shattered in the aftermath of their battle, Lieutenant Colonel Liu Qiang couldn't help but tremble:

"He's probably going to be truly invincible, isn't he?"

"Isn't it better for the Commander to be more invincible?" The newcomer's words were full of excitement:

"He has never treated his own people poorly."

"Heaven And Earth Treasure, heaven and earth treasures, rare treasure, Origin of star cores..."

"How many good things has the Commander brought out!"

"The stronger his strength, the faster he conquers Alien Planets, and the more resources we get."

"Even if those Advanced resources aren't for us, the Spiritual Qi tide won't treat us badly, right?"

"I'm somewhat looking forward to the days of a daily Spiritual Qi tide."

As he spoke, the newcomer felt something was off.

"Old Liu, why are you looking at me like that?"

Thinking of the news he had just learned, the newcomer felt a little embarrassed:

"I didn't know before, either."

"Who knew Ximei was your sister? We're in love!"

"You can't break us up!"

"Damn it, Ximei is only 23! Li Chao, you're 38! Ximei was just born when you were in junior high, you beast!"

Seeing his good brother and brother-in-law about to hit him at the drop of a hat, cold sweat immediately poured down Li Chao's head.

Whether he could beat his comrade-in-arms and good brother was one thing.

Whether he could fight his brother-in-law was another.

"Brother-in-law, listen to my expla..."

Before he could finish, Li Chao suddenly pointed behind Lieutenant Colonel Liu Qiang, his eyes widening abruptly:

"Holy crap!"

"Don't try to change the subject. Outside can't see inside, and it doesn't affect inside. Today I..."

"Who the hell is changing the subject?"

"Can't you look for yourself, kid?"

Lieutenant Colonel Liu Qiang instinctively turned his head.

At some unknown point, the mirage became visible even outside the Jade Pond.

Golden lotuses bloomed on the pond, stretching as far as the eye could see.

In the sky, the gates of the heavenly palace were wide open, and endless golden flowers fell like rain from the open gates...

The Emerald Dragon God Stia, who was locked in Yang Dian's beast-taming bracelet, seemed to sense something, and also raised her head, looking in the direction guided by fate.