253: Chapter 253 The Secret of the Fifth Order

Seven days after the battle at the Gui Xu Eye.

The deepest meditation chamber in the Qianjiao Cliff Water Mansion.

This meditation chamber was originally built by Gao De for seclusion, constructed from solid blocks of Mysterious Ice Jade and supplemented by a Great Array of Thunder-Fire Green Wood, capable of isolating all external interference.

At this moment, it had become his "sickbed" for recovering from injuries.

Though called a sickbed, it was actually just a stone couch covered with a layer of Dragon Silk Gauze—a relic Ao Xue had brought from the Dragon Palace. It was soft yet resilient, possessing a nourishing effect on the injuries of dragon-kind.

Gao De sat cross-legged on the gauze, the Purple Gold Glazed Thunder Flame around his body flickering like breath.

His injuries were very severe.

The purple lightning reverse dragon scale armor was completely scrapped. That Natal Demon Artifact, which had accompanied him through countless years of battle, had turned into fragments under a single palm strike from the Cult Master. Now, only a few pieces of wreckage remained, tucked away in a corner of his storage ring.

The thunder calamity law-breaking halberd had snapped. The tip of the halberd was lost somewhere in the Gui Xu Eye, and the shaft had been twisted into three pieces by the Cult Master's hand. It was the first Natal offensive weapon he had forged himself, which had helped him slay Lord Mo Yuan's Clone and kill the Heavenly Demon Cult Elders. In the end, it hadn't even scratched much of the Cult Master's skin.

The most severe injury was the palm print on his chest.

That strike from the Cult Master had nearly pierced through his torso.

Seven ribs were broken, his heart Meridians were torn in three places, and even his Dantian showed faint cracks—these were injuries to his Foundation. If Bai Ze hadn't intervened in time, and if the Dragon Pearl hadn't completed its "Natal Transformation" while he was unconscious, he would be a useless dragon now, if not dead.

But the greatest pain was not from these.

It was the sequelae of Dragon Blood Burning Essence.

In that battle, he had burned his blood twice. The first time was thirty percent, and the second was a desperate limit burn—combined, he had consumed nearly seventy percent of the Bloodline essence in his body.

His Bloodline concentration had plummeted from 45% to less than 2%.

"It's like returning to the time before my Dragon Transformation overnight," Gao De said with a bitter smile.

But it wasn't without gains.

That Dragon Pearl had undergone a certain transformation while he was unconscious.

The previous Dragon Pearl was an "external object" he had obtained from the Dragon Lord's remains and refined into his Dantian.

Although linked to his Bloodline, its essence was still the Legacy of the Dragon Lord; it was "borrowed" power.

But now, the pearl in his Dantian, entirely cyan-black with countless fine dragon patterns flowing on its surface—

Was his own.

It was something he had condensed step by step, from a Wuyue to where he was today, through every fight, every devourment, and every Breakthrough—

His Natal Dragon Pearl.

"What is borrowed is, in the end, borrowed," Gao De whispered. "What is one's own is truly one's own."

He closed his eyes and looked inward.

Inside his Dantian, the Natal Dragon Pearl pulsed gently.

With every pulse, a wisp of Purple Gold Glazed Thunder Flame would surge out, traveling through his Meridians to his entire body.

Wherever the lightning flames passed, broken bones were slowly reconnecting, torn Meridians were gradually healing, and even the palm print crack that nearly pierced his Dantian was mending at a visible speed.

"At this rate, in another three days, the Physical Body will be healed. In another month, the Meridians will be restored. In another half year..." He paused. "The Bloodline, I don't know how long it will take to nourish. Fortunately, I can recover it through devouring."

He opened his eyes.

His gaze fell upon the pile of wreckage in the corner of the meditation chamber.

The fragments of the purple lightning reverse dragon scale armor, the broken shaft of the thunder calamity law-breaking halberd, and several spare Magical Artifacts he had pulled from his storage ring that were no longer of much use.

"All ruined," he said softly.

From outside the door came Ao Xue's voice:

"Great King, the medicine is ready."

Gao De raised his hand, and the stone door opened silently.

Ao Xue walked in carrying a jade bowl. Inside was "Rejuvenation Dew" brewed by Dragon Peach using thousand-year peach fruits, blood honey, and yimu essence, which had miraculous effects on Bloodline damage.

She placed the bowl on the stone table but did not leave immediately.

She stood there, her blood-red eyes quietly watching Gao De.

Gao De glanced at her. "Is something the matter?"

Ao Xue was silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "How much did you burn?"

Gao De did not hide it. "Seventy percent."

Ao Xue's pupils constricted.

"Seventy percent... Are you crazy?" Her voice wavered unusually. "Do you know that if Bloodline loss exceeds fifty percent, there's a risk of falling in Realm! If it exceeds seventy percent, you might never recover!"

"I know," Gao De's tone was calm.

"Then why did you—"

"If I hadn't burned it then, I would be dead now," Gao De interrupted her. "If I were dead, I wouldn't need to worry about recovery."

Ao Xue froze.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but finally only whispered, "Drink the medicine while it's hot."

Then she turned and left.

Gao De watched her figure disappear outside the door and suddenly smiled.

This girl has a sharp tongue but a soft heart; after all, she doesn't know he has a cheat system.

He picked up the jade bowl and drank the Rejuvenation Dew in one gulp.

The warm liquid entered his stomach, turning into wisps of yimu spiritual qi that nourished his parched Meridians and Bloodline.

He closed his eyes and continued healing.

---

Three days later.

Gao De opened his eyes.

His physical injuries were seventy percent healed.

He stretched his limbs, his bones crackling.

"It's time to go see them."

He stood up and walked out of the meditation chamber.

---

The council hall of the Qianjiao Cliff Water Mansion.

Mysterious Turtle, Dragon Peach, Turtle Three Thousand, Green Edge, Iron Pincer, Crab Eighteen... all the core members were present.

Seeing Gao De enter, everyone stood up.

"Cliff Master!"

"Master!"

Gao De waved his hand, signaling them to sit.

He looked around, his gaze landing on Mysterious Turtle.

Mysterious Turtle's injuries were also not light. In that battle, he had led the Demon Soldiers to defend the perimeter, fighting three Early Stage fourth-rankers alone and even tanking a hit from Shadowy Evil. If not for the thick skin and flesh of his Baxia Bloodline, he would likely be lying in a meditation chamber right now.

"What is the situation?" Gao De asked.

Mysterious Turtle stood to report: "Among the subordinate forces, Cold Pond Cave was attacked twice, with over half dead or injured. Three other small forces... have been completely slaughtered by the Heavenly Demon Cult, with no survivors."

He paused, his voice low. "The core Demon Soldiers of Qianjiao Cliff lost three hundred and twenty-seven in battle, with over five hundred wounded. Green Edge, Iron Pincer, and Crab Eighteen are all injured, but their lives are not in danger."

Gao De was silent.

Three hundred and twenty-seven.

That was the Foundation he had built up little by little over the years. He had seen every one of them and spoken to at least most of them.

Just like that, they were gone.

"What about the Heavenly Demon Cult's side?" he asked.

"Shadowy Evil is heavily injured. Poison Dove had half his body smashed by Lady Ao Xue; though he didn't die, he won't recover for several years. The Holy Infant Guard lost over half its numbers, and the remainder have retreated with the Cult Master to the Bewitching Ghost Swamp," Mysterious Turtle said. "But..."

"But what?"

"But according to scout reports, the Cult Master has gone into seclusion," Mysterious Turtle said with a grave expression. "Although his ascension was interrupted by Bai Ze, he did absorb a portion of the Evil Dragon Power. If he uses this seclusion to stabilize his half-step fifth rank, or even truly takes that step..."

He didn't finish, but everyone understood.

A half-step fifth rank was already overwhelming.

If he truly broke through to the fifth rank, no one in Qianjiao Cliff—no, in the entire Yunmeng Great Marsh—could stop him.

The atmosphere in the council hall was heavy.

Gao De, however, did not change his expression.

He just listened quietly and then asked one thing:

"What about the reincarnation mirror?"

Everyone was stunned.

Ao Xue said, "In that battle, Bai Ze pressed the Evil Dragon Power back into the abyss. The reincarnation mirror... seems to have fallen into the Gui Xu Eye along with it."

"It's still in the Gui Xu Eye," Gao De nodded. "That's good."

He paused and then suddenly said, "When I was unconscious, I entered a certain place."

Everyone listened intently.

"It felt like my Sea of Consciousness, yet also like the depths of the Dragon Pearl," Gao De said slowly. "I saw the entire path I've taken, from being a Wuyue to where I am today."

"I also saw... some other things."

He raised his hand, and that Natal Dragon Pearl appeared in his palm.

The Dragon Pearl pulsed, emitting an ancient, heavy aura carrying the majesty of a dragon.

"This Dragon Pearl completed its 'Natal Transformation' while I was unconscious," Gao De said. "It is no longer just the Dragon Lord's Legacy; it is my own. And the moment it completed its transformation, some things... were passed on to me."

"A Bloodline Legacy?" Mysterious Turtle's eyes lit up.

Gao De nodded.

"Yes. But it's not a Cultivation Technique, nor a Divine Ability."

He paused and spoke four words:

"The Secret of the Fifth Rank."

The council hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone's eyes widened.

The fifth rank.

That was a height they didn't even dare to imagine.

That was the Domain of beings like Bai Ze and the Mysterious Tortoise—born as Divine Beasts, who could reach it just by living.

That was the Realm the Heavenly Demon Cult Master had chased for thousands of years, dying seven times and changing four bodies, yet still failing to truly set foot in.

And now, Gao De said he had obtained the secret of the fifth rank?

Ao Xue's blood-red eyes narrowed. "Great King, can you... break through to the fifth rank?"

Gao De shook his head.

"It's not breaking through," he said. "It's knowing how to break through."

He slowly stood up and walked to the center of the council hall.

"In this world, there is more than one way to break through to the fifth rank," he said slowly. "But there are only three commonly used methods."

"The first is the Bloodline of an Innate Divine Beast."

He looked at Ao Xue.

"True Dragons, Phoenixes, Dijiang, Bai Ze... such beings are born close to the Dao. As long as they don't die and live to a certain age, they can naturally break through to the fifth rank. No bitter cultivation or enlightenment is needed; they just need to live."

Ao Xue looked thoughtful.

She had the Blood Dragon Bloodline within her. Although not a pure-blooded True Dragon, she could be considered a variant among dragon-kind. If given the Opportunity, she might be able to take this path.

"The second method is refining a fifth-rank Origin."

Gao De continued.

"If a fifth-rank being falls and leaves behind an Origin—such as a Dragon Pearl, Demon Core, or Soul Crystal—a junior who refines it can also break through to the fifth rank."

He paused, his tone turning cold.

"But a fifth-rank who breaks through via this method is the weakest. Moreover, since the Foundation is bestowed by another, there is no possibility of further progress in this life. The Early Stage of the fifth rank is the end."

Everyone realized.

No wonder the Heavenly Demon Cult Master had gone to such lengths to summon the Evil Dragon's Incarnation and seize its power—what he wanted was this second type of Breakthrough.

Even if there was no further progress, even if it was just the Early Stage of the fifth rank, it would be enough to sweep through Yunmeng and dominate the region.

"What about the third method?" Turtle Three Thousand asked.

In Gao De's eyes, the purple-gold glazed light flickered slightly.

"The third method is also the one used by the most people—"

"Comprehending the power of the Great Dao."

He said slowly, "Between heaven and earth, there are three thousand Great Daos. Karma, Reincarnation, Spacetime, Life and Death, the Five Elements, Yin and Yang, Thunder, Slaughter... every single path leads to the fifth rank."

"As long as one can master a single wisp of Great Dao power, it is equivalent to having the qualification to break through to the fifth rank."

"The more one masters, the higher the success rate of the Breakthrough."

"Mastering three wisps of Great Dao power gives a fifty percent chance."

"Mastering five wisps gives seventy percent."

"Mastering seven wisps gives ninety percent."

"If one can master a single complete strand of Great Dao power—"

He paused.

"One hundred percent."

The council hall was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Everyone looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock.

They had lived for hundreds or thousands of years, yet this was the first time they had heard such secrets.

"Then... what about after the fifth rank?" Mysterious Turtle asked with a trembling voice. "Those who only refined an Origin to break through cannot progress. But for those who relied on Great Dao power, how do they Cultivate afterward?"

Gao De was silent for a moment.

"The Legacy didn't say," he said. "But it can be inferred—master more Great Dao power."

"One wisp of Great Dao power allows entry into the fifth rank."

"Three wisps can stabilize it."

"Five wisps can reach the Middle Stage."

"Seven wisps can reach the Late Stage."

"A single complete Great Dao—"

He looked toward the void.

"Perhaps that is the Peak of the fifth rank, or even... higher."

The council hall fell into silence again.

After a long time, Turtle Three Thousand asked tremulously, "Master... which path can you take?"

Gao De looked down at the pulsing Natal Dragon Pearl in his palm.

"Me?" he said softly. "The Innate Divine Beast Bloodline has nothing to do with me. A fifth-rank Origin, I don't have, and I don't want one."

He looked up.

Purple Gold Glazed Thunder Flame danced in his eyes.

"Then there is only the third path."

"Comprehending the power of the Great Dao."

Ao Xue asked, "How many wisps have you comprehended?"

Gao De shook his head.

"Not even one."

Everyone was stunned.

Gao De said, "The Legacy only tells me how the path goes; it doesn't mean I've already walked it. I have indeed dabbled in the Dao of Thunder, but that is merely the application of Divine Abilities, far from 'comprehending the Dao'."

He paused.

"But I know how to proceed next."

He stood up and walked to the entrance of the council hall, looking out at the vast, misty expanse of Dongting Lake.

"Healing takes time."

"Comprehending the Dao also takes time."

"And the Heavenly Demon Cult Master—he is also in seclusion."

He turned to face everyone.

"Then we shall see who emerges from seclusion first."

"Whoever takes that step first will be the winner."

The Purple Gold Glazed Thunder Flame burned quietly around him.

No rush.

No impatience.

Just waiting.

---

That night, Gao De sat alone in his meditation chamber.

He turned his hand and took out Volume One of the return void secret records he had obtained from Ghost Cry Gorge.

He turned to the last page.

There, the two lines of text he had previously added were still there:

"The Three Keys of Guixu: The reincarnation mirror, held by the Heavenly Demon Cult Master; the ding xu stone, now in my possession; the guixu token, hidden in the Dragon Palace Secret Passage Prison Hall, guarded by the Dragon Lord's remains, already taken."

"Bone Demon has discovered the trail of the guixu token; the Heavenly Demon Cult Master will surely arrive in person soon. Cannot defend. Cannot wait. Must take the initiative to break the deadlock."

He stared at it for a long time.

Then, he took up his brush and added another line below:

"There are three paths to the fifth rank. The Innate Divine Beast Bloodline, I do not have. Refining an Origin, I am unwilling. Only the path of comprehending the Dao remains."

"The Dao of Thunder, I have practiced since youth, yet it is but skin-deep. Deep within the Gui Xu Eye, an Evil Dragon has been suppressed for ten thousand years. That Evil Dragon itself is an Incarnation of slaughter and resentment; its Dao... perhaps I can learn from it."

"Once my injuries are healed, I shall enter Guixu again."

He set down the brush.

He put away the secret records and closed his eyes in meditation.

Within his Dantian, the Natal Dragon Pearl pulsed gently.

A wisp of Purple Gold Glazed Thunder Flame slowly traveled along his Meridians, nourishing every inch of damaged flesh.

Healing.

Comprehending the Dao.

Waiting.

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water, drenching Dongting.

Everything had only just begun.