116: Chapter 116 Fishing Dragon Pool.

A thousand years ago, the Qin Clan Ancestor governed a continent and became a god, which led to the current Qin Clan Immortal Clan...

However, a hundred years ago, the Ancestor lost the governing rights to the continent during the War of the Gods, and his realm fell below the Star Radiance Realm. Yet, as the God of Beast Taming, the rank of a One-Tribulation Totem Spirit Beast cannot fall, allowing him to barely maintain the combat power of the Star Radiance Initial Realm...

However, due to the loss of the sustenance from the Power Of Will, the rank of his Spirit Beasts could only remain stuck at One-Tribulation Totem...

Thus, the Qin Clan Immortal Clan set upon the path of decline.

Although the current comprehensive strength of the Qin Clan Immortal Clan cannot compare to the Ming Clan of Immortals behind the Heavenly Revelation God or the Ling Clan Immortal Family behind the Zhutian God, it still ranks among the top of the many families on the Fengtian Continent...

Furthermore, Qin Xiner had just become the Governing God of the Lingfeng Continent. In the near future, the Qin Clan Immortal Clan would return to its peak state, and perhaps even become more glorious...

As an Immortal Clan, the Qin Clan had nearly ten thousand members in total. Each branch family had its own complete industrial chain, cooperating in an orderly fashion to jointly maintain the operation of the Immortal Clan...

Walking through the outer courtyard and passing the inner courtyard, Qin Xiner saw many of the younger generation bonding with their Spirit Beasts, and she couldn't help but recall her own past... Every clansman had an exclusive training plan from the moment they were born...

If not for the forced marriage incident ten years ago, she would likely be a commendable Beast Tamer by now, but she certainly would not have reached her current realm...

Without her decisiveness back then, she wouldn't have had the chance to gain the Fengtian God's appreciation and become his disciple... and then transform into an Attendant God Envoy...

Because of that incident, her own feelings for the Qin Clan Immortal Clan were not deep. If it weren't for the Ancestor's repeated pleas and the fact that she happened to owe Chu Ran a favor, she wouldn't have returned here at all...

Qin Xiner arrived at the Qin Clan Main Hall. In this empty hall, there was only one aged figure.

"Ancestor." Although she didn't have much affection for him, Qin Xiner still gave him the respect he deserved.

That aged figure slowly turned around. There was another more important reason why one was called a god after reaching the Star Radiance Realm.

That was the ability to transcend the mortal world and reach a state of eternal youth... The lifespan of a Star Radiance Realm Expert could generally reach over a thousand years...

Now, the Ancestor, who saw no hope of a breakthrough, had entered his twilight years. There was no fear of death on his wrinkled face, but rather a sense of indifference, though a hint of guilt lingered in his eyes...

"I'm sorry..."

Back then, a casual suggestion of his had almost decided the entire life of this girl, who was not even twenty at the time...

At that time, the Zhao Clan's strength was far ahead of the many families on the Fengtian Continent—one Immortal Clan with two gods!

Perhaps it was because they threatened the Fengtian God's position, or perhaps they offended some god in the Kaiyang Divine Territory... In a later War of the Gods, both gods of the Zhao Clan died...

And thus, the Zhao Clan Immortal Clan gradually vanished from the Fengtian Continent...

"There is no need to talk about the past," Qin Xiner said indifferently.

"Very well... My lifespan is nearing its end, and this vast clan needs a leader. I want you to..."

Current Qin Xiner was the only one in the Divine Realm within the Qin Clan Immortal Clan.

"I am unwilling. I only returned this time to bring my friend to retrieve something. Once he has it, I will return to the Cloud Pavilion," Qin Xiner refused.

She couldn't bring herself to hate the place that raised her, but she also couldn't forget that day...

Therefore, she had no interest in the position of the Qin Clan Head; she only wanted to focus on her cultivation.

"Sigh... I won't force it this time. Take whatever you need to take..." the Ancestor said calmly, clearly expecting this outcome.

Qin Xiner looked toward the Ancient Beast Tomb and murmured, "I just don't know if he will have the chance..."

...

The Ancient Beast Tomb.

The Dragon Fishing Pond lay across the core, serving as the foundation of the Qin Clan Immortal Clan's Spirit Beasts...

The pond water was a deep dark green, where billions of years of ancient Dragon Qi had settled and merged, draping the entire Dragon Fishing Pond in a layer of hazy mist...

Countless ancient dragon species slept in the abyss at the bottom of the pond. From the newborn Spirit Jiao and the bloodline-reverting Black-Scaled Dragon to the legendary Canglan Divine Dragon, which neared the bloodline of the Primordial True Dragon, all were top-tier existences in the continent's Spirit Beast lineage. Releasing any one of them would cause ordinary Beast Tamers to scramble and fight to the death for them...

This place had always been a sacred trial ground for the young geniuses of the Qin Clan, and a crucial area for the clan to select core successors. Only disciples with top-tier talent, bloodline, and beast-taming arts were qualified to step to the edge of the pond and attempt to form a contract with an ancient dragon spirit...

Almost all the top Spirit Beasts in the clan came from this vicinity...

Qin Xiner's Golden Crow was originally obtained from an ancient tree by the Dragon Fishing Pond...

As for the Spirit Beasts within the pond, essentially only one lucky individual every hundred years could form a contract with one...

But at this moment, atop the Bluestone Observation Platform surrounding the Dragon Fishing Pond, the expressions of the Qin Clan's core geniuses were even gloomier and uglier than the pond water.

Over the past three days, the ten most outstanding young disciples of this generation within the clan had taken turns, using their own Spirit Beast spiritual power to forcibly resonate with the Dragon Qi. They had employed every possible method, but without exception, all ended in failure...

Almost everyone's Spirit Beast contract sigils would instantly dissolve upon touching the dragon pressure within the pond...

Some were even repelled by the unruly will of the ancient dragon spirits, coughing up blood and suffering soul damage, while even their accompanying natal Spirit Beasts trembled, prostrating on the ground and not daring to look up...

Leading them was Qin Cang, the acknowledged number one of this generation in the Qin Clan, a Peak Eighth Turn Beast Tamer who possessed one half-step Saint Spirit Level and five Monarch Grade Spirit Beasts.

Since childhood, he had been groomed by some clan elders to be the next branch clan head. His Dragon Pattern Beast-Taming Art had reached perfection, making him famous among the younger generation in the kingdoms surrounding the Qin Clan Immortal Mountain.

At this moment, charred ashes remained in his palm, his knuckles were white from exertion, and the marks of talisman burns on his wrist throbbed with heat. He looked up at the churning waves in the center of the pond, an unwilling low growl escaping his throat:

"These ancient remnants are simply obstinate! My Qin Clan has tamed beasts for generations, yet we can't even suppress a shred of their will or achieve the most basic soul link!"

Beside him was Qin Wei, a rare female genius of the clan who specialized in the Art of Spiritual Resonance. She had intended to move the dragon spirits with gentle methods, but as soon as her spiritual power entered the pond water, it was directly repelled by a violent surge of Dragon Qi. Now, her face was pale, and a trace of blood remained at the corner of her mouth as she gritted her teeth and agreed:

"The dragon spirits of the Dragon Fishing Pond have lived for too many years; their intelligence is already no less than that of humans, and their temperaments are unruly to the extreme...

These past few days, we've exhausted the clan's treasured natural resources and spent most of our spiritual power, yet we've made no progress...

In this generation, I fear truly no one can subdue the dragon beasts here."

The other Qin family disciples either lowered their heads and sighed or looked dejected. Days of failure had already worn down their pride, leaving only a deep sense of helplessness.

At the edge of the observation platform, several clan elders stroked their beards and sighed softly, their eyes filled with regret. The dragon spirits of the Dragon Fishing Pond were the clan's greatest foundation, but if no one could form a contract with them, this foundation would ultimately remain just a decoration, unable to be converted into the family's strength.

Just as the entire scene fell into a dead silence and everyone was preparing to leave and seek opportunities another day, the thick mist of Dragon Qi shrouding the pond's entrance suddenly parted silently. A young figure stepped slowly out of the mist, breaking the stagnant atmosphere.

The newcomer was not a Qin Clan disciple. He wore only a clean, plain-colored outfit. His build was not particularly tall, and there was no surge of spiritual power intentionally erupting from him. His steps were slow and composed, as if he were merely strolling through an ordinary forest...

The moment such an out-of-place outsider appeared, he immediately drew the gazes of all the Qin family geniuses on the observation platform. Their dejection and unwillingness instantly turned into shock, anger, and contempt...

"Where did this wild brat come from, daring to intrude into our Qin Clan's Dragon Fishing Pond secret realm?" The first to speak was Qin Hu, a genius from a branch of the Qin family. His natal Gale Tiger Beast crouched beside him, letting out a low growl. He pointed at the approaching Chu Ran, his tone full of reprimand and disdain:

"This is our Qin Clan's ancestral land, not a place where any random person can set foot. If you know what's good for you, get out immediately, lest you be injured by the dragon pressure and die with no one to collect your body!"

These words seemed to open the floodgates for venting. The Qin family geniuses, frustrated for days, instantly poured all their pent-up anger and grievance onto this uninvited guest. Cold mockery and ridicule rose one after another, every word stinging the ears.

"Looking at his attire, he's probably some rogue Beast Tamer from some remote area who hasn't even joined a proper clan, yet he dares to approach the Dragon Fishing Pond?"

"He probably heard there are ancient dragon beasts here and wants to fish in troubled waters, hoping to pick up some defective dragon spirits we left behind. If even we Qin Clan geniuses can't subdue these dragon species, how could a wild path like him possibly do it?"

"Hurry up and leave; don't be an eyesore here. If you annoy the dragon spirits in the pond and trigger a surge of dragon pressure across the area, we won't have the time to protect an ignorant kid like you..."

Qin Cang squinted at Chu Ran, the disdain in his eyes almost overflowing. As the eldest son of the direct line, he possessed an inherent arrogance. To him, the young man before him was merely an opportunist trying to latch onto a chance, not even worthy of meeting his gaze.

He gave a light scoff, his tone indifferent yet carrying extreme contempt: "Our Qin Clan's Dragon Fishing Pond is not a place where outsiders can interfere. Before I order someone to throw you out, leave on your own and save yourself some dignity."

As the number one of the younger generation, Qin Cang basically knew all the geniuses in the clan who were qualified to enter this place. Looking at the unfamiliar face before him, he could only take him for a third-rate Beast Tamer who had stumbled in by mistake...

Qin Wei also adjusted her sleeves, her expression full of impatience, though she refrained from saying anything too harsh due to the other's handsome face...

These Qin family disciples spoke one after another, certain that let alone subduing the top-tier ancient dragon beasts in the pond, the young man probably couldn't even get close to the water or withstand the Dragon Qi that was so thick it was almost tangible...

Although the elders felt the juniors' words were too harsh, they tacitly accepted this judgment. In their understanding, it was impossible for someone without Qin Clan blood to resonate with the ancient dragon spirits of the Dragon Fishing Pond. The youth before them was, after all, just an insignificant passerby...

Chu Ran had only taken a few steps before he was surrounded by overwhelming cold mockery and ridicule...

He originally wanted to explain, but then he thought about how even the guards didn't recognize Qin Xiner, so this younger generation probably wouldn't know her either...

So he simply didn't mention Qin Xiner and said, "Since I passed the assessment and gained the opportunity to enter the Ancient Beast Tomb, I can naturally go wherever I want..."

Then he looked toward the depths of the pond, his clear eyes piercing through the churning Dragon Qi and waves to directly capture the massive dragon shadow at the very core of the pond's bottom!

There's a dragon!

"The assessment was simple to give you a chance to contract the Spirit Beasts at the entrance, not for you to come here and look for trouble..."

"How laughable. We've spent three days of effort, using up dragon blood, precious talismans, and rarities, only to return empty-handed. Could it be that you're even more powerful than us? You probably can't even sense the lowest-tier Spirit Jiao; you're just here to make a fool of yourself..."

Mocking voices continued to ring in his ears, but Chu Ran did not argue with them.

A primordial and mysterious aura of origin slowly emanated from his body...

This aura was gentle yet carried an irresistible power of summoning, quietly spreading across the entire Dragon Fishing Pond.

In the next second, the pond water, which had been churning restlessly due to the Qin family geniuses' auras, actually calmed down at a visible rate, and the violent Dragon Qi instantly retracted!

The dragon spirits hidden beneath the water, which had been full of rejection toward the Qin family disciples, all began to stir. It was no longer a struggle of anger, but rather they swam toward Chu Ran's direction with indescribable awe and anticipation!

The mockery on the observation platform came to an abrupt halt. The words of all the Qin family disciples were stuck in their throats, and the contempt and anger on their faces instantly froze, replaced by extreme shock and disbelief!

Their eyes widened as they watched the ancient dragon spirits, which had been hostile and refused to form contracts, emerge one by one from the bottom of the pond...

The Spirit Jiaos flicked their tails, the Black-Scaled Dragons stretched their bodies, and even the shadow of the most powerful and unruly Canglan Divine Dragon slowly rose to the surface. Its massive body, which blotted out the sun, spread out, its scales shimmering with a deep black ancient luster. Its whiskers brushed the water's surface, creating gentle ripples. It showed no aggression; instead, it slowly lowered its proud head, which had not yielded to anyone for ten thousand years, toward the plain-clothed figure!

On the surface of the pond, countless dragon spirits hummed in unison. The dragon roars were no longer violent bellows but buzzes carrying the intent of submission. The sound waves echoed through the secret realm, like a hundred birds paying homage to a phoenix, or ten thousand beasts worshipping!

What's going on!

Ten thousand dragons humming together!

Ignoring the crowd of pale-faced, dumbfounded Qin family geniuses behind him, Chu Ran stepped onto the surface of the pond. Where he stepped, pure ancient Dragon Qi automatically condensed into translucent jade steps, creating ripples with every step as he reached the center of the pond!

He did not scatter any dragon-attracting materials, nor did he even perform any complex beast-taming techniques. He merely slowly extended his fingertip and lightly tapped the center of the Canglan Divine Dragon's brow.

A contract mark, neither gold nor ink and engraved with the origin patterns of ten thousand beasts, spread from his fingertip and merged seamlessly with the Canglan Divine Dragon's soul. There was no struggle, no resistance, no risk of the sigil shattering, only a natural and perfect resonance...

The Canglan Divine Dragon's massive body shrank slightly, becoming about ten feet long, and affectionately rubbed against Chu Ran's wrist, its scales brushing his sleeve with total docility. The other dragon spirits in the pond also gathered around, their heads lightly touching the water's surface to express submission to their new master!

A deathly silence fell over the observation platform. Qin Hu, who had mocked the loudest earlier, had his mouth wide open, unable to make a sound for a long time. The Gale Tiger Beast beside him had already collapsed on the ground, not even daring to tremble. The disciples who had voiced their disdain were as pale as paper, their previous pride and sense of superiority completely shattered, leaving only deep shock and shame!

Qin Cang stood frozen in place, the burns on his palm throbbing with pain. But compared to the physical pain, the collapse of his inner self was even more intense. The ancient dragon spirit he had exhausted his efforts to move was now bowing to an outsider he had dismissed as a wild brat. This was the ultimate humiliation for him, the number one genius of the Qin Clan!

Chu Ran withdrew his finger and gently stroked the head of the Canglan Divine Dragon. He slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the various expressions of the Qin family members on the observation platform. His tone was flat, yet it carried an indisputable power that crushed the last of these noble disciples' pride.

"Is it possible that the reason you can't subdue them... is because your strength is insufficient?"

The gentle words sounded deafening at this moment, like invisible needles piercing their fragile hearts...

...

[Ding! Contract successful!]

[Current Spirit Beast: Azure Water Billow Dragon]

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