184: gifted

Gao De looked at Rainbow's extraordinary liveliness upon birth, the look of satisfaction in his dragon eyes deepening.

With a slight movement of his mind, his Divine Thought probed out gently, attempting to establish a deeper connection with this newborn Desolate Beast.

Rainbow felt Gao De's Divine Thought and showed no resistance; instead, it proactively entwined a thread of pure spiritual consciousness. Its consciousness was newly born, like unpolished jade, filled with filial devotion and total trust in Gao De, yet also revealing a sense of curiosity and a desire to explore the world.

"Come, let me see what you can do," Gao De's deep voice echoed in the spirit cave.

Rainbow's two heads nodded slightly, seemingly understanding Gao De's intent.

Its slender Rainbow-light body shook, and the iridescent halo around it suddenly brightened.

Its body shrank, seemingly merging into the light it emitted, and in the next moment, it materialized out of thin air at the other end of the spirit cave. The process was silent, as if it were merely a natural refraction of light.

This was by no means a simple burst of speed; it was more like a prototype of some spatial jump or light-based teleportation, reminiscent of the legendary Divine Ability, the Golden Light of Earthly Traversal!

Immediately after, it hovered in the air, one bird head lifting slightly as it gently "pecked" at an inconspicuous protrusion on the rock wall of the spirit cave.

A beam of Rainbow light, condensed like a multi-colored glazed silk thread, shot from the tip of its beak, silent and soundless.

Where the Rainbow light touched the rock wall, which was harder than iron, it melted a small hole with smooth edges, just like a hot knife through wax. A multi-colored glazed luster remained around the hole.

"The penetration and high concentration of energy are quite impressive..." Gao De assessed inwardly.

Rainbow seemed to think it wasn't enough. Its other bird head turned toward Gao De, and the Rainbow whiskers beneath its chin swayed gently, emitting a strange hum, like wind passing through an empty valley.

Along with the hum, the halo around its body began to ripple and spread in a rhythmic pattern. The light within the spirit cave distorted and shifted, projecting a blurry but lifelike image in front of Gao De—it was the scene of it just breaking out of its shell and devouring the eggshell!

Although the image was brief and not clear enough, it already possessed the prototype of an illusion projection.

"Manipulating light, creating illusions... truly an extraordinary talent," Gao De marveled in his heart.

Upon birth, this Rainbow had already displayed various potential talents related to "light," "illusion," "spatial jumping," and even "energy erosion." Its growth ceiling was extremely high, and more importantly, its body was non-physical, making it likely difficult to harm with ordinary physical attacks, while its mobility and concealment were excellent.

"Very good," Gao De praised, passing over a strand of pure, gentle Dragon Qi.

"First, nurture yourself well and familiarize yourself with your power. You are a natural Rainbow-light body; you can try to absorb the essence of the sun and moon and the glow of heaven and earth to Cultivate, and then use the spiritual rhythm of the Neon Phoenix Nest to consolidate your Origin."

Rainbow happily absorbed that strand of Dragon Qi, the Rainbow light on its body flowing more vibrantly. It circled Gao De affectionately several times before landing lightly back in the Neon Phoenix Nest.

The remaining rosy light and the iridescent colors on its body reflected each other, nourishing one another and forming a wonderful scene of harmonious symbiosis.

Gao De withdrew his gaze, thinking silently.

The successful hatching of Rainbow not only added a beast of infinite potential to his side but also verified the immense value of the "Neon Phoenix Nest" for hatching and purifying high-level Bloodline creatures.

"Master." At the entrance of the spirit cave, the Restriction moved slightly, and Turtle Three Thousand's respectful Divine Thought transmission came through, his tone carrying a hint of gravity. "Your subordinate has an important matter to report."

With a thought from Gao De, the spirit cave's Restriction opened silently.

Turtle Three Thousand's figure appeared at the entrance. His aura was now steady and condensed; after breaking through to the third rank, the patterns on his turtle shell were even more profound, and his gaze was deeper.

But at this moment, his face carried a clear look of worry.

"What is the important matter?" Gao De asked in a deep voice, already having a premonition.

"The Heavenly Sword Branch Alliance is moving faster than expected."

Turtle Three Thousand stepped into the spirit cave, first looking curiously at Rainbow, who was curled up resting by the Neon Phoenix Nest, emitting a dreamlike Rainbow light. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but it was immediately replaced by concern.

"Our secret agents have sent a report. That scoundrel Lan Tao is indeed doing his utmost to claim credit with the Heavenly Sword Branch Alliance. He has not only mapped out parts of the Yunmeng Marsh in detail but also highlighted several areas that 'may contain clues to ancient ruins'... One of the marked locations and its characteristic descriptions, though not naming it directly, is seventy to eighty percent similar to our Water Mansion at Qianjiao Cliff!"

Gao De's dragon eyes narrowed slightly, Purple Lightning flickering within. "It seems this 'old acquaintance' is determined to use his new master's blade to settle old scores."

True Person Lan Tao was inevitably familiar with the old site of the Green Wave Sect and its surroundings. Even though Gao De had made many disguises and arrangements, it would be difficult to completely hide from the targeted investigation of someone who was both intentional and familiar with the area.

"Not only that," Turtle Three Thousand continued, "the Heavenly Sword Branch Alliance has begun to recruit Loose Cultivators and small-scale forces under the pretext of 'clearing unstable factors within the Human Race's sphere of influence and seeking ancient opportunities to benefit all living beings.' They are forming 'Sky-Patrol Guards,' led by Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples and the Golden Core Cultivators who have joined them, to conduct carpet-style reconnaissance and mark resource points."

"It seems we must prepare a contingency plan for the worst-case scenario." Gao De's voice was calm, but his invisible dragon pressure caused the air in the spirit cave to stagnate.

"Pass down the orders: First, the Qianjiao Cliff and Water Mansion in the Lake area will immediately enter the 'Hibernating Dragon' state. All non-essential activities are to stop, and the outer protective Formations are to be active at all times. The recently laid foundation of the 'Hidden Scale Sky-Covering Formation' is enough to confuse the heavenly secrets and Spiritual Qi fluctuations within the Formation."

"Second, all external intelligence networks are to switch to 'silent' or 'one-way transmission' modes. The collection of non-core intelligence is to be suspended to avoid exposure."

"Third, contract all patrol ranges outside the Great Marsh and gradually shift our primary activity areas toward the interior of the Great Marsh."

Turtle Three Thousand solemnly accepted the order. "I understand. Master, the Heavenly Sword Branch Alliance is powerful and has Lan Tao as a pawn. If we only hide and they press closer step by step, if they find any clues..."

"That is why we need 'bargaining chips'—unique chips sufficient to make them wary of acting or to divert their attention." Gao De interrupted him, his dragon eyes looking toward the deep rock walls of the spirit cave, as if he could see through the barriers to the distant and dangerous Yunmeng Great Marsh.

"Accelerate the exploration of the Yunmeng Great Marsh. Additionally... that Zhangyou Monkey King of Lesser Qingqiu, along with the monkey brew and that strange peach forest it guards, might also be useful. However, this matter requires careful planning and must not be touched rashly."

Turtle Three Thousand's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly. "Master's strategy is brilliant! Shifting from offense to defense, from the outside to the inside, turning active exploration into deep cultivation and consolidation."

Gao De finally concluded, "Currently, the Heavenly Dao Alliance is powerful and at its peak. Lan Tao is a petty man eager to curry favor. We must retract into our shells, sharpen our claws and teeth, and reinforce our carapaces while we wait quietly. We wait for them to clash with the original Demon Kings of the Yunmeng Marsh, with the Heavenly Demon Cult, or even with the Thunder Tiger of the Ancient Thunder Pool. We wait for the flaws they might reveal due to their blind confidence as newcomers, or... we wait for the Yunmeng Marsh itself to stir up new waves. Until then, Qianjiao Cliff will remain a patch of deep, still water."

"Master's foresight is boundless. I will go and make the arrangements." Turtle Three Thousand bowed deeply and turned to leave quickly to organize the next steps.

After Turtle Three Thousand withdrew, Gao De settled back down, his gaze falling on the now quiet Rainbow.

The little fellow seemed to sense the heavy atmosphere outside; it stopped playing and curled its body into a circle, its two bird heads snuggling together. Its crimson-gold pupils looked at Gao De, revealing a trace of spiritual concern.

"It is fine," Gao De comforted it with his Divine Thought. "The storm is coming; it is exactly the time for a hidden dragon to sharpen its claws and build momentum. Since you were born at this time, stay with me and see how far the winds and clouds of this Yunmeng Marsh can change."

He closed his dragon eyes, and the Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art within his body began to circulate slowly. The flood dragon pearl within him emanated pure dragon Origin Spiritual Qi, intertwining with the peaceful rosy light remaining from the Neon Phoenix Nest.

Within the spirit cave, Purple Lightning flickered and Rainbow light flowed. One flood dragon and one Rainbow quietly accumulated strength beneath the increasingly turbulent undercurrents.