152: Hibernation and Long-Range Vision

The continuous nourishment provided by the Green Jade Carp was like a warm spring flowing into Gao De's surging Purple Lightning Flood Dragon Bloodline.

Although it didn't bring the immediate, fierce boost of devouring a Great Demon's essence, its advantage lay in its steady, long-term effect, subtly solidifying his Foundation and moisturizing every minute potential within his Bloodline.

This daily accumulation, combined with the pure Dragon Qi from the dragon pearl fossil and the profound operation of the Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art, allowed Gao De's cultivation to steadily and firmly advance toward the threshold of the Tier 3 Late Stage while consolidating his current level.

He was not in a hurry to leave seclusion for travel or restart conflicts, choosing instead to continue his hibernation deep within the Qianjiao Cliff.

On one hand, he needed to completely digest the gains from his twenty years of seclusion, cultivating newly acquired or strengthened Divine Abilities like [Prison Suppressing Thunder Domain], [Hidden Scale Concealing Scenery], and [Wishful Dharma Body] to the Realm of Perfection, where they could be used instantly and seamlessly, while continuously experimenting with more intricate combinations and applications.

On the other hand, he also needed time to observe and assess the changes in the outside world over the past twenty years.

The intelligence Jade Slips regularly submitted by Turtle Three Thousand and the chat section of the Heavenly Secret Realm became Gao De's window to the outside world.

Just as he expected, twenty years were enough to wash away many surface disturbances, but deeper undercurrents and shifts in the overall structure were quietly taking place.

The follow-up concerning the "Secret Realm Incident" was being updated in real-time on the Heavenly Secret Realm.

Although the exploration of the Ancient Cultivator Secret Realm back then ended hastily after the Heavenly Demon Cult's conspiracy was exposed, the Blood Refining Demonic Formation was broken, and the Righteous Path Alliance and the Three Kingdoms Alliance jointly suppressed them, the Formation's influence also caused the Secret Realm to close early, preventing the Three Kingdoms forces from uncovering the core treasures within.

After suffering heavy losses, the remaining Heavenly Demon Cult forces fragmented, hiding in the shadows of the Wu, Yue, and Chu Kingdoms, and even more distant prefectures. Although they no longer conducted large-scale operations, small-scale bizarre incidents and rumors of Evil Cultivators causing trouble occurred occasionally, showing they clearly hadn't given up.

The cooperation between the Three Kingdoms Alliance and the Yangzhou Righteous Path Alliance had strengthened due to their common enemy, but mutual vigilance and consideration of interests still existed. The effort to hunt down the Heavenly Demon Cult remnants had significantly decreased over time.

The entrance to that Secret Realm vanished and concealed itself shortly after the incident, as if it had never existed, leaving behind only legends and the silent sighs of various factions.

Regarding the surrounding structure of the Yunmeng Marsh, there wasn't much change.

The Green Wave Sect was already history. The rule of Qianjiao Cliff, managed by Turtle Three Thousand and others for years, became increasingly stable, with its influence steadily penetrating surrounding waters and certain coastal areas, centered around the Flower Burial Plain and the Deep Pool Water Mansion.

Thanks to Gao De's consistent strategy of "low-profile development," Qianjiao Cliff did not draw excessive attention. To the outside world, this area had merely swapped for a relatively "quiet" Yao Race power as its Dominator, failing to attract much notice.

After early probing and friction, most neighboring small and medium-sized cultivation forces and Loose Cultivator gathering spots chose to maintain a peaceful, non-interfering relationship with Qianjiao Cliff, even conducting tacit resource exchanges through Marketplace channels.

Under the meticulous operation of Turtle Three Thousand, relying on Giant Demon Bees products—such as honey, royal jelly, certain bee venom, Spirit Wax, reed essence products, and later, the addition of small quantities of Silver-Thread Chub and Ink-Armored Carp specialties.

Stable medium-to-high-end supply channels were established not only with the cultivation Marketplaces in surrounding kingdoms, but through layers of resale, some non-distinctive resources flowed into the markets of more distant prefectures, earning Qianjiao Cliff large quantities of Spirit Stones, scarce minerals, Medicinal Pill formulas, Formation Materials, and various intelligence.

The Tier 2 Spirit Fish successfully bred by Lin Xiaofan was designated a flagship product by Turtle Three Thousand, with production strictly controlled, limited only to internal core consumption and a very small amount used as leverage to exchange for top-tier resources.

On this day, as Gao De was practicing the intricate manipulation of the [Prison Suppressing Thunder Domain] within the spirit cave, he suddenly felt something and stopped.

He raised his head to look at the dark rock wall above the spirit cave. The light in his Purple Lightning vertical pupils condensed slightly, as if piercing through layers of obstruction to see the distant sky and water veins.

"The ability to summon clouds and rain seems to have improved..." he murmured softly.

As his Bloodline concentration increased to 20% and he received daily nourishment from the Spirit Fish, his perception and control over water vapor and clouds became increasingly keen and clear.

At this moment, he vaguely sensed that high above a vast water area deep within the Yunmeng Marsh, the Heaven and Earth Water Spiritual Qi was undergoing an unusual convergence and rhythm. The movement was extremely subtle yet immense; had he not possessed the Dragon Clan's innate Divine Ability and greatly enhanced perception, he would never have noticed it.

"It seems... there is a change deep within the great marsh? Is a strange treasure about to emerge? Or perhaps... an ancient Water Mansion Restriction is showing signs due to cyclical changes in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi?" Gao De speculated inwardly.

The Yunmeng Marsh is vast and boundless, a place of profound mystery since ancient times, burying countless ancient ruins and unknown Opportunities. The Lan Yuan Legacy Jade Slip in his hand, which concerns the Yushui Sect's Legacy and the Yunmeng Water Eye, hinted that the waters here were unfathomably deep.

If this were before, Gao De might have chosen to wait and observe due to insufficient strength and lack of clear information.

But now, his cultivation has greatly advanced, his Divine Abilities have formed a system, his subordinate forces are stable, and he has a steady resource like the Green Jade Carp nourishing his Bloodline. This is precisely the time he needs to seek new opportunities to further promote Bloodline evolution and Breakthrough to a higher Realm.

"Turtle Three Thousand," Gao De's Divine Thought quietly transmitted.

Before long, Turtle Three Thousand's figure appeared outside the spirit cave.

"What are your orders, Lord?"

"Recently, I sensed an unusual convergence of Water Spiritual Qi deep within the Yunmeng Marsh. The scale is considerable, but the location is extremely distant and profound. Immediately deploy your entire intelligence network and send out Demon Soldiers to investigate secretly, carefully searching for related rumors, strange phenomena, or ancient records."

"Be careful, it must be kept secret. Do not attract the attention of any faction," Gao De instructed, simultaneously transmitting the approximate location and the characteristics of the Water Spiritual Qi he perceived using Divine Thought.

Turtle Three Thousand's expression sobered, and he immediately understood the importance of the matter: "This subordinate understands! I will handle it immediately. Lord, rest assured, I will use the most discreet lines of inquiry, conducting the investigation under the guise of collecting rare Water Jade or searching for ancient sunken ships."

"Hmm. Also, summon Lin Xiaofan. The breeding of the Green Jade Carp must not slacken. At the same time, ask him if the remaining fragments of his 'Strange Records of the Commentary on the Water Classic' or his observations over the years contain any records regarding special hydrology, ancient legends, or ruins related to 'Dragons,' 'Flood Dragons,' or 'Water Mansions' deep within the Yunmeng Marsh," Gao De added.

Lin Xiaofan, who constantly researches aquatic breeding and ancient waterway texts in search of spirit seeds, might yield unexpected results.

"Yes!" Turtle Three Thousand accepted the order and departed.

Gao De settled down again, his dragon eyes half-open, his mind churning with thoughts.

"The Yushui Sect Legacy... the Yunmeng Water Eye... Sea Calming Stele fragments..." These ancient secrets, learned from the Lan Yuan Legacy Jade Slip, constantly lingered in his mind.

That was an ancient mystery far exceeding the current level of the Cultivation World, involving the rise and fall of ancient Sects and supreme treasures used to suppress the world's waterways.

With his current strength, rashly exploring them would be nothing short of wishful thinking.

But did the deep-water anomaly he sensed this time have even a slight connection to those secrets? Or was it an entirely separate Opportunity?

Regardless, this felt like a signal, suggesting that it was time for the long-dormant Qianjiao Cliff to turn its gaze toward broader and deeper waters.

"The weak know fear, but one cannot let fear stop progress. Now that my wings are growing, it is time to venture into the depths of that great marsh and investigate the reality of the situation," Gao De decided inwardly.

Of course, this was by no means rash action; he still needed to wait patiently until Turtle Three Thousand clarified the basic situation.

He decided that while waiting for intelligence, he would continue to consolidate his cultivation and refine his Divine Abilities, especially strengthening the application of [Hidden Scale Concealing Scenery] and [Wishful Dharma Body] in complex deep-water environments. On the other hand, he would also begin preparations for potential deep-water exploration, such as forging auxiliary artifacts suitable for deep-water movement, stealth, and defense, or selecting and training a small, elite exploration team.