240: Chilong Heritage

The seventh day after the great victory at Qianjiao Cliff.

Deep within the Water Mansion, Gao De slowly opened his eyes from a deep state of meditation.

Over the past seven days, he had not only stabilized the Dragon Yuan consumed during the great battle but also, bolstered by the post-war momentum and the Luck brought by victory, vaguely touched the Peak of the Fourth Order Early Stage, drawing closer to the Middle Stage.

Ao Xue was in another quiet room, familiarizing herself with her skyrocketing power.

The complete Awakening of her Blood Dragon bloodline had not only granted her terrifying combat strength but also brought a killing instinct from the depths of the Dragon Clan Bloodline and a natural affinity for the Law of "Blood."

These past few days, Gao De could feel a unique pressure from her that grew day by day—a mixture of coldness and violence. She was working hard to adapt and trying to gain control.

Green Edge and Iron Pincer's injuries were basically healed under the remaining medicinal power of the gui water spirit pearl, and they had even gained a blessing in disguise, as their cultivation had slightly improved.

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Turtle Three Thousand was busy counting spoils of war, reorganizing the newly recruited aquatic tribes, and repairing the damaged Water Mansion Formation, so busy that his feet hardly touched the ground.

Everything was developing in a positive direction.

But the string in Gao De's heart had not relaxed.

Although Lord Mo Yuan and Lord Chilian had fled with heavy injuries, their survival remained a hidden danger.

And the third-party force that had appeared briefly that day before quietly retreating was like a layer of haze hanging overhead, with no telling when it might strike like lightning.

"Strength is still not enough," Gao De whispered, his gaze falling on the Tianji Ring on his right index finger. With a thought, he once again sank his Divine Sense into the Heavenly Secret Realm to browse the latest intelligence.

As expected, news of the Battle of Qianjiao Cliff had already spread at an astonishing speed.

[Overlord of Lake! Purple Lightning Flood Dragon defeats Mo Yuan and Chilian in succession; Blood Dragon Princess appears to assist!] — This news had prominently reached the top of the regional hot topics, with discussions buzzing below.

There were those marvelling at Gao De's Heaven-Defying combat strength and explosive Luck; some guessing Ao Xue's identity and Origin; others analyzing how the future landscape of the Lake river basin would be reorganized; and many forces began to inquire, openly or secretly, about the "Purple Lightning Cliff Master's" preferences and weaknesses, intending to make friends or... replace him.

Gao De quickly filtered through this noisy information, capturing more valuable clues.

An inconspicuous piece of news caught his attention:

[Recently, the water spiritual energy field in the 'Ghost Cry Gorge' area on the outskirts of Yunmeng Marsh has been abnormally turbulent, suspected to be leakage from an ancient Secret Realm, attracting many Loose Cultivators and aquatic tribes to investigate...]

Ghost Cry Gorge... Secret Realm... Gao De's eyes narrowed as dusty memories were stirred.

That was the place where he had subdued Green Edge and Iron Pincer when he first entered the Yunmeng Great Marsh, and it was also the location of the mysterious Secret Realm where he discovered the "Chi Dragon remains" and the "source of ten thousand waters"!

At that time, his strength was only at the Third Order Middle Stage. Facing the powerful Restriction at the core of the Secret Realm and the terrifying Chi Dragon remnant Soul, he had no choice but to give up, only benefiting from cultivating on the outskirts of the Secret Realm and taking a few "gui water spirit pearls," which were secondary products.

Now, he had advanced to the Fourth Order, his strength had increased several times over, he had mastered the Cloud Restriction Art, his understanding of the Law of Water was deeper, and he had a powerful Blood Dragon ally in Ao Xue... "Perhaps it's time to go back," Gao De thought rapidly. "The 'source of ten thousand waters' is the condensed essence of a Peak Chi Dragon, containing its Legacy and insights into Laws. If I can obtain it, my cultivation will surely take another step forward, and I might even glimpse the chance of dragon transformation! If that 'wave splitting halberd' can be obtained and repaired, it would also be a powerful water-type Magic Treasure."

More importantly, the message left by the Chi Dragon calling itself "Lanyuan" mentioned that it was the tomb guardian of the ancient "Yushui Sect."

"Yushui Sect"... This name made Gao De think of the "Cloud Restriction Art" he had obtained in the Dragon Palace ruins. The Yunmeng Immortal Sect was skilled in controlling cloud Restrictions, while the Yushui Sect... was there a connection between the two? Could that Secret Realm also hide clues about ancient secrets?

"Turtle Three Thousand," Gao De sent out a Divine Thought.

"Your subordinate is here," Turtle Three Thousand quickly appeared outside the quiet room.

"I need to go out for a trip, for as short as three to five days or as long as half a month. You will stay and guard the Water Mansion, continue to consolidate defenses, and train the troops. Ao Xue will stay to assist you. If any external enemies invade, you can rely on the Formation to hold your ground until I return."

"Where is the Great King going? Does this old servant need to arrange guards?" Turtle Three Thousand asked with concern.

"No need, I'm going to an old place to retrieve some things. I'll just take Green Edge and Iron Pincer; they are familiar with the path." Gao De paused. "Also, if Ao Xue asks, say I went out to find spiritual items to help her stabilize her Bloodline."

For the time being, he did not intend to tell Ao Xue the details of the Secret Realm. It wasn't a lack of trust, but rather that this matter concerned his own core Legacy, and the Chi Dragon remnant Soul in the Secret Realm might have a special reaction to the Dragon Clan Bloodline, so he needed to proceed with caution.

"Your subordinate understands."

After arranging the affairs of the Water Mansion, Gao De summoned Green Edge and Iron Pincer.

Upon hearing that they were returning to the Ghost Cry Gorge Secret Realm, both demons were invigorated.

Back then, they had been able to grow rapidly thanks to the gui water spirit pearls from the outskirts of that Secret Realm. They had vivid memories of that treasure land and were filled with awe and curiosity regarding the treasures at the core of the Secret Realm that even their master had been helpless against.

"Master, the Formation at the entrance of that Secret Realm seems to have changed over the years; it appears and disappears intermittently and is not as stable as it was back then," Green Edge reported.

"No matter, just lead the way," Gao De nodded.

The fluctuations in the Secret Realm might be related to the core Restrictions loosening over time, or perhaps to his taking some gui water spirit pearls back then, or this recent great battle stirring the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

This might be exactly the opportunity.

Without alerting too many people, Gao De took Green Edge and Iron Pincer and quietly left Qianjiao Cliff, turning into three inconspicuous rays of light and speeding toward the direction of Ghost Cry Gorge in his memory.

Nowadays, the peripheral areas of the Yunmeng Great Marsh were slightly tense due to the influence of the Battle of Qianjiao Cliff.

Most of the aquatic tribes they encountered along the way sensed Gao De's Fourth Order dragon pressure, which he did not deliberately restrain, and they mostly avoided them from a distance, not daring to approach.

Half a day later, the familiar sound of the water currents in Ghost Cry Gorge, sounding like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts, was already in his ears.

The canyon was still steep and deep, with rapid and chaotic currents.

But with Gao De's current eyesight and perception, he could clearly see that the water spiritual energy in a certain area deep in the canyon was abnormally active and carried an ancient and obscure spatial fluctuation.

"It's right there," Green Edge pointed to a seemingly ordinary whirlpool.

Gao De's Divine Sense swept over and indeed found a hidden Formation that was even weaker than back then but still exquisite.

This Formation used the natural flow of the water to cleverly hide a spatial node.

"Let me," Gao De stepped forward. He did not forcibly break the Formation but instead formed hand seals and activated the "Cloud Restriction Art."

Strands of cloud Qi seeped from his palms, merging into the surrounding water vapor.

These cloud Qis seemed to possess life, quietly penetrating and analyzing the weak points of the Formation's energy.

Thanks to his deeper understanding of the Law of Water and the mystery of the Cloud Restriction Art, in less than fifteen minutes, the hidden Formation silently opened a portal.

"Let's go," Gao De stepped in first.

The familiar feeling of weightlessness and spatial transition came, the scenery before them changed, and they were already standing above that huge underground lake.

On the island in the center of the lake, the white jade palace remained as it was.

However, the spiritual energy fluctuations emitted by the palace seemed even more unstable than back then, and there were even fine cracks spreading across the dome.

"As expected, the Secret Realm has begun to decay," Gao De thought to himself; this might be the right time to take the treasure.

He had Green Edge and Iron Pincer remain on alert outside the palace while he took a deep breath and stepped into the main hall.

The scene inside the hall was no different from his memory.

The huge Chi Dragon jade bones were coiled on the stone platform. At the abdomen, the "source of ten thousand waters" pearl floated quietly, emitting a vast azure glow like the starry sky.

The deep blue trident "wave splitting halberd" was stuck at an angle to the side, with several ancient bone fragments and a black jade box scattered around.

The only difference was that the invisible barrier covering the stone platform was much dimmer than back then, and its fluctuations appeared somewhat turbulent.

Gao De was in no hurry to try and break the Formation; instead, he first came to the side of the stone platform, his gaze falling on those few bone fragments and the jade box.

He remembered that the Jade Slip message from "Lanyuan" had been placed with them.

He cautiously extended his Divine Sense; this time, the blocking force of the barrier was significantly weakened.

His Divine Sense successfully touched the bone fragments and the jade box without triggering a strong counterattack.

First were the bone fragments. They were inscribed with some information in ancient Yao Race script.

Gao De concentrated on deciphering them:

"...My name is Lanyuan, a Protector Spirit Venerable of the Yushui Sect. I was ordered to guard this 'Gui Xu Eye,' to watch over the remains of the Chi Dragon ancestor, and to protect the 'source of ten thousand waters' from falling..."

"...The Chi Dragon ancestor 'Ming' was the mount of the Yushui Sect's Ancestral Master. He followed the Ancestral Master in battles everywhere, but was later injured during the Dragon Transformation Tribulation, his Origin damaged. He passed away here, and his entire essence condensed into the 'source of ten thousand waters,' left for one destined to find it and revitalize the Dao of Water Control..."

"...However, the world changed greatly, the Sect was destroyed, and powerful enemies surrounded us. I was gravely injured and dying, with only a remnant Soul relying on the great Formation to linger on, waiting for a successor..."

"...He who takes the 'source of ten thousand waters' must inherit Ming's will, undergo the test of his remnant Soul, and obtain part of the Legacy. However, this item is linked to the balance of the 'Gui Xu Eye.' Once it is taken, the Secret Realm will surely collapse. Be cautious! Be cautious!"

The information on the bone fragments was more detailed than the Jade Slip from back then, mentioning key information such as the "Gui Xu Eye," the "Yushui Sect Ancestral Master," and the "Dragon Transformation Tribulation."

Gao De was shaken in his heart.

This Secret Realm was actually an "Gui Xu Eye"? According to scattered ancient records, Guixu was the place where all waters converged and returned, containing endless water essence and the mysteries of time and space.

And the "Eye" was often the core node or passage of such special regions.

"The Ancestral Master of the Yushui Sect... whose mount was a Peak Chi Dragon on the verge of dragon transformation—just what Realm would his own cultivation be?" Gao De gained a more direct understanding of the power of ancient Sects.

He picked up that black jade box.

The jade box was ice-cold to the touch, neither metal nor jade. There were no patterns on the lid, yet it gave off a texture as heavy as a mountain.

He tried to open it, but found that the lid and the body of the box were seamlessly integrated, seemingly impossible to open.

He injected Dragon Yuan and probed with his Divine Sense, but it was like a stone sinking into the ocean, yielding no response.

"It seems the mystery of this jade box cannot be solved at my current level." Gao De carefully put the jade box away. Since this item was placed alongside the relics of Lanyuan and the Chi Dragon, it was definitely not simple.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the "source of ten thousand waters" and that Chi Dragon jade skeleton.

"The 'Remnant Will Trial' mentioned in Lanyuan's message, and the fact that taking the pearl will cause the Secret Realm to collapse... Now that the Secret Realm is already unstable, perhaps the difficulty of the trial and the speed of the collapse will change." Gao De pondered, "But no matter what, I must get my hands on this item."

He no longer hesitated, approaching the invisible barrier and slowly pressing both hands against it.

This time, he did not try to break through by force. Instead, he fully circulated the Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art, injecting his own pure Dragon Qi and his insights into the Law of Water into the barrier without reservation. Simultaneously, he visualized the Profound Truths of "Water and Cloud Mutual Birth" and "Restriction Circulation" from the Cloud Restriction Art in his Sea of Consciousness.

He intended to use his own kindred Dragon Clan aura and Law insights to "communicate" with this protective Restriction set by the Chi Dragon and the Yushui Sect, seeking a kind of "recognition" or "resonance" to enter safely.

As the Dragon Qi continued to be injected and the Law insights permeated, the invisible barrier indeed reacted!

It was no longer just blocking him; it began to tremble slightly, and the water ripples on its surface became rhythmic, as if it were "scrutinizing" Gao De.

Gao De could feel a faint but pure strand of Chi Dragon will within the barrier, undergoing a strange interaction with his own Dragon Soul.

Time passed bit by bit.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on Gao De's forehead; this kind of "communication" was extremely draining on his mind.

Finally—

"Buzz..."

The barrier emitted a soft hum, and with Gao De's hands as the center, it slowly dented inward, eventually forming an archway just large enough for one person to pass through!

He succeeded!

Gao De's heart steadied as he stepped through the barrier.

In an instant, an even more majestic and pure Water Spiritual Qi, along with a vast, desolate Dragon Clan aura carrying a faint pressure, completely enveloped him!

He stepped onto the stone platform one pace at a time, walking toward the head-sized "source of ten thousand waters" that had a nebula swirling within it.

As he approached, the pearl's light grew brighter and brighter. Simultaneously, a massive and chaotic torrent of thoughts, like a river bursting its banks, slammed into his Sea of Consciousness!

This was the impact of the remnant will formed by the resentment, regret, and infinite desire to transform into a dragon left behind by the Chi Dragon "Ming" when it passed away! It was more than ten times stronger than what he had sensed at the periphery back then!

In an instant, illusions cropped up before Gao De's eyes:

He saw an azure, elegant, and powerful Chi Dragon struggling in pain under a ten-thousand-foot Lightning Tribulation, its dragon body shattering and dragon blood splattering across the Nine Heavens;

He saw it fall here, its breath dying, its eyes full of attachment to life and regret for its uncompleted Dao;

He saw it use its last strength to extract its life's essence and a portion of its dragon Soul, merging them into the dragon pearl to leave behind a hope for Legacy;

He saw the passage of time, the Yushui Sect rising and falling, powerful enemies attacking, the Sect collapsing, and the gravekeeper Lanyuan fighting a bloody battle, eventually also passing away here from heavy injuries... Endless sorrow, resentment, and the will to protect washed over Gao De's willpower like a tide.

"Roar—!"

Within Gao De's Sea of Consciousness, the purple-gold Dragon Soul phantom let out a roar, resisting with all its might.

At the same time, the Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art circulated frantically, and the dragon pearl fossil in his Dantian shone brightly, releasing pure Dragon Yuan to stabilize his Sea of Consciousness.

The prison dragon talisman in his Sea of Consciousness also circulated on its own, suppressing the chaotic thoughts invading his mind.

His body trembled slightly, and pale gold streaks of blood even began to seep from his seven orifices, but his footsteps never stopped, and his eyes remained as steady as a rock.

"My Dao is the Dao of the reverse scale transforming into a dragon! How can I be blocked by the remnant thoughts of a predecessor?!"

"Your regrets, your Legacy, I shall inherit! Your ambition to transform into a dragon, I shall fulfill!"

Gao De let out a silent shout in his heart. His purple-gold flood dragon Bloodline boiled to the extreme at this moment, and an even more overbearing, more blazing will rose from the depths of his Soul, clashing head-on with the Chi Dragon's remnant will, merging with it, and finally... slowly encompassing and refining it!

After an unknown amount of time, the illusions faded, and the impact in his Sea of Consciousness slowly receded.

Gao De's hand finally pressed firmly onto the "source of ten thousand waters."

"Boom—!"

An unimaginably massive amount of pure Water Origin and Chi Dragon Origin power, like a floodgate opening, surged frantically into his body!

This power was so strong that it far exceeded the time he refined the baxia carapace, and was even more majestic and pure than the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi he absorbed when he promoted to the Fourth Order!

His Meridians, Dantian, Yao Core, and Bloodline—every part of him was frantically absorbing and refining this power.

The Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art was pushed to its limit, and every pore on his body was erupting with azure spiritual light.

His cultivation was growing rapidly, his Bloodline concentration was slowly rising, and his insight into the Law of Water was like a divine revelation. Countless profound insights regarding controlling water, manipulating clouds, and transforming into a dragon flooded his mind... Meanwhile, the "source of ten thousand waters" slowly shrank, eventually turning into a streak of light that entered his Dantian, where it was enveloped, nourished, and completely fused by his natal dragon pearl.

"Crack... Rumble..."

The moment the "source of ten thousand waters" was taken, the entire Secret Realm began to collapse violently!

Huge cracks opened in the dome, countless rocks fell, the walls of the white jade palace began to cave in, the ground shook violently, and that massive Chi Dragon jade skeleton also began to shatter inch by inch, turning into jade powder that filled the air.

"Master!" The anxious shouts of Green Edge and Iron Pincer came from outside the hall.

Gao De endured the surging power that felt like it would explode within him, quickly grabbed the "wave splitting halberd"—which had greatly diminished spirituality but extraordinary material—and collected several of the larger remaining Chi Dragon bone fragments. Finally, he glanced at the hall that was about to be completely destroyed, turned into a bolt of Purple Lightning, and rushed outside.

"Let's go!"

Grabbing Green Edge and Iron Pincer with one hand each, he followed the exit's location in his memory and rushed toward a violently rotating vortex in the center of the lake.

A split second before the Secret Realm completely collapsed, the three of them plunged into the vortex and disappeared just in the nick of time.

Outside Ghost Cry Gorge, a column of water suddenly exploded from the calm surface. Gao De rushed out with the two Yao, landing on the shore looking slightly disheveled.

Looking back, the entire Ghost Cry Gorge was shaking violently, the water was flowing backward, and the Spiritual Qi was in chaos, as if something underground was wailing and collapsing. It lasted for a full quarter of an hour before gradually subsiding, though the Water Spiritual Qi field in the canyon had clearly become thin and disordered.

That Secret Realm, which had existed for untold tens of thousands of years, finally reached its end and became history with the removal of the "source of ten thousand waters."

Gao De sat cross-legged and quickly inspected his internal state.

Inside his Dantian, his natal dragon pearl was glowing brightly, its volume seemingly increased by a size. Besides the original purple-gold thunder patterns, a layer of azure water-cloud patterns had been added to the surface of the pearl, slowly circulating.

At the core of the dragon pearl, the "source of ten thousand waters"—which had shrunk countless times but become more condensed—floated quietly, continuously releasing pure Water Origin and Law aura, nourishing his dragon pearl and his entire body.

His cultivation had actually crossed directly from the Peak of the Fourth Order Early Stage to the Fourth Order Middle Stage!

Furthermore, his Foundation was incredibly solid, and his Dragon Yuan was thick and pure, carrying the characteristics of Chi Dragon Water Origin and the overbearing nature of his own thunder and fire.

Although his Bloodline concentration didn't show a significant numerical increase, he could feel a hint of cool and vast intent deep within his Bloodline. This was the positive influence brought by the Chi Dragon Origin, making his flood dragon bloodline purer and giving it greater potential.

More importantly, many techniques for using the Law of "Water" had appeared in his mind, along with some fragments of the Chi Dragon "Ming's" insights regarding "Dragon Transformation."

Although these insights were scattered and carried a pessimistic mark because the Chi Dragon had ultimately failed its tribulation, they were still incredibly precious references for Gao De.

"wave splitting halberd..." Gao De looked at the deep blue trident in his hand, which was about two zhang long.

Many runes on the halberd's body were dim and its spirituality was weak, but its material was definitely top-tier Fourth Order, possibly even touching the threshold of the Fifth Order.

If it could be repaired and nourished, it would surely be a powerful water-system divine weapon.

"Master, you succeeded?!" Green Edge and Iron Pincer were pleasantly surprised as they sensed the increasingly unfathomable aura on Gao De.

"Yes." Gao De nodded, his eyes shining with divine light. "The harvest this time is immense. However, the collapse of the Secret Realm caused quite a stir. This place is not suitable for a long stay; let's return to Qianjiao Cliff quickly."

"Yes!"

Three streaks of light rose again, speeding toward the direction of Qianjiao Cliff.

As Gao De flew, he digested the gains from this trip while his thoughts churned:

"source of ten thousand waters... Yushui Sect... Gui Xu Eye... Chi Dragon's Dragon Transformation Tribulation..."

"Did the 'powerful enemy' mentioned in Lanyuan's message have something to do with the destruction of the Yushui Sect? Is there some connection with the Ancient Chidao ruins beneath the Dragon Palace, or even the Heavenly Demon Cult?"

"And what secrets are hidden in that black jade box that cannot be opened?"

"Will my taking the 'source of ten thousand waters' attract the attention of certain ancient existences? For example... Bai Ze and the Mysterious Tortoise, who have been watching me?"

Questions and clues intertwined in his mind, making Gao De increasingly feel as if he were being pushed by an invisible force toward an even more magnificent and dangerously unpredictable stage.

But the new trump cards in his hand and his skyrocketing strength gave him enough confidence to face everything that was to come.

Qianjiao Cliff would be his first cornerstone to leverage this stage.