29: movement

The hundred-foot flying boat of the Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce, under the gaze of countless eyes filled with awe, greed, or contemplation, slowly started, eventually turning into a streak of light in the horizon and disappearing into the east.

The shock and Opportunity it brought were like a giant rock thrown into a lake, the ripples it stirred refusing to settle for a long time.

The results of the auction spread rapidly through various channels.

The ten sub-mirrors of the tianji mirror, which were the "Star Products" at the Magic Treasure grade, were ultimately auctioned off to several powerful Core Formation Sects such as the Green Wave Sect, Green Wood Sect, and Burning Heaven Valley, as well as two incredibly wealthy Golden Core Rogue Cultivators.

As for the final treasures, such as the Nascent Soul Condensation Pill and the incomplete ancient Magic Treasure, they sparked intense competition among Core Formation Cultivators; who ended up with them was a subject of much debate, becoming a popular topic of conversation among low-level Cultivators.

Most eye-catching of all was that mysterious Fourth-Rank Flood Dragon from the depths of the Yunmeng Great Marsh, which had never bid on any items from beginning to end; yet, before it left, a Nascent Soul manager of the Tianji Sect personally stepped forward and respectfully presented it with a High Grade Magic Treasure tianji mirror whose spiritual light far exceeded that of ordinary sub-mirrors!

This gesture was undoubtedly an attempt to build goodwill, and it also indirectly confirmed the transcendent strength and status of that Flood Dragon.

It took the precious mirror, still wearing that indifferent expression, and shattered the Void Realm to leave, leaving the world with endless speculation.

Some were happy, while others were sad.

Those who successfully auctioned for their desired treasures were naturally overjoyed, as their strength was poised to reach a higher level; meanwhile, those factions and individuals who missed the Opportunity or exhausted their savings in this auction could not help but sigh in regret, and some small Families and Schools even suffered damage to their Origin Qi because of this, likely making them struggle in the upcoming scramble for resources.

The old balance had been broken, and a new order was brewing.

A significant change was that the exploration activities in the Yunmeng Great Marsh by human Cultivator forces, led by the Green Wave Sect, became unprecedentedly frequent and deep.

Clearly, the appearance of that Fourth-Rank Flood Dragon, as well as the information revealed at the auction about the potential ancient Opportunity in the depths of the Marsh, had greatly stimulated their nerves.

Exploration flying boats belonging to various Sects began to appear at the edge of the Marsh, and news frequently arrived of exploration teams composed of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core Cultivators penetrating deep into the miasma-filled lands, breaking out into conflicts with the Yao Beasts entrenched there.

The Dongting Lake area seemed to have returned to its former tranquility on the surface, but the undercurrents beneath the water were more turbulent than ever before.

In the Deep Pool Water Mansion, Gao De coiled atop the Spiritual Vein spring, slowly absorbing Spiritual Qi while toying with the mysterious dark red bloodstone.

For over half a year, he had tried various methods—shining it with the Unicorn Law-Breaking light, calcining it with Demonic Power fire, and stimulating it with techniques from the "Hundred Beasts Blood Quenching Secret Canon"... However, apart from continuously emitting those wisps of slow yet exceptionally pure Bloodline Power, the bloodstone showed no other reaction.

Its interior seemed to be a world unto itself, incredibly solid and difficult to probe for its Origin.

Gao De estimated that at the current absorption rate, it would take at least a dozen years of patient, steady work to fully absorb the Bloodline Power contained within the bloodstone!

This amount of time might not be long for Cultivators who frequently go into seclusion for decades or centuries, but for Gao De, who was eager to improve his strength to deal with future changes, it seemed a bit slow.

"Better than nothing; at least it is a stable source of Bloodline."

Gao De carefully put the bloodstone away.

This thing was like a long-term fixed deposit; although it could not make him rich overnight, it was a steady stream that would ultimately be beneficial.

His attention was focused more on the newly acquired tianji mirror.

This mirror had already become his most important window for understanding the outside world and obtaining information.

By mingling in the various public domains of the Heavenly Secret Realm and spending a few Spirit Stones to purchase some relatively reliable domains from the "Information Shops" set up by the Tianji Sect—mainly private small Realms for exchanging intelligence about northern Chu and the areas surrounding the Yunmeng Great Marsh—Gao De gained a clearer understanding of the current situation.

He saw battle reports of conflicts between human Sect exploration teams and Yao Beasts;

Heard rumors about some Loose Cultivators discovering ancient Immortal Caves at the edge of the Marsh;

And even caught some secret news that both the Lin and Zhu Families seemed to be secretly selling off parts of their assets to raise funds; clearly, the auction had made them feel pressured and eager to improve their strength.

"A storm is coming..."

Gao De felt the tense atmosphere revealed in the information.

The intensifying friction between humans and the Yao Race in the Yunmeng Great Marsh, the infighting between local forces, and the uncertainty brought about by that mysterious Flood Dragon all signaled that this region was about to enter a tumultuous period.

"My strength is still not enough."

Gao De examined himself.

Middle Stage of the Second Rank, 81% Bloodline; in this increasingly deep water, he could still only be considered a slightly stronger fish.

He must improve as soon as possible!

He formulated the following plan:

Prioritize digesting the bloodstone: although slow, it had the advantage of being safe and stable, serving as his Foundation.

Cautious hunting: the target remained locked on solitary Second-Rank Yao Beasts with special Bloodlines, but he needed to further avoid areas with frequent human Cultivator activity and Yao Race spheres of influence.

The intelligence obtained from the tianji mirror could help him better select targets and avoid risks.

Deepen the utilization of the tianji mirror functions: not just for obtaining information, but also trying to use it for some remote, anonymous transactions, such as selling Materials he had no use for in exchange for urgently needed cultivation resources.

Focus on the Yunmeng Great Marsh: that would be the eye of the storm in the future.

He needed to closely monitor the movements there through various channels, perhaps finding his own Opportunity amidst the chaos.

Especially news about that Fourth-Rank Flood Dragon; why did it stay? What did it intend to do after obtaining a High Grade tianji mirror? These were all worth delving into.

The path to dragon transformation was never something achieved by working in isolation.

The outside world was turbulent, which was both a challenge and an Opportunity.

Gao De lay coiled in his own small Water Mansion, like a patient chess player, observing the changes in the entire situation through the "Chessboard" of the tianji mirror, accumulating strength, and waiting for the moment to make his move.

He believed that when the power of the bloodstone was completely absorbed, when his Bloodline broke through to a higher level, and when his utilization of the Heavenly Secret Realm became more proficient, that would be the moment when he, the hidden dragon, would truly soar into the sky and stir up the winds and clouds!

For now, what he needed was time and patience.

In this chaotic world, stabilizing oneself was the greatest form of progress.

In the years after the Nine Dragons flying boat departed, Gao De strictly followed the plan he had formulated, like a stubborn rock sunk into a deep pool, accumulating strength without making a sound.

Deep within the Water Mansion, the Spiritual Vein spring gushed out pure Spiritual Qi day and night.

Gao De spent most of his time coiled here, on one hand operating the "Dragon Transformation Merit" to temper his Demonic Power and consolidate his Middle Stage Second Rank Realm, and on the other hand, using patient, steady work to absorb the pure yet slow Bloodline Power from that dark red bloodstone.

Years passed, and he could clearly feel his own Bloodline steadily advancing toward 82% and 83% at an imperceptible yet firm speed.

This visible progress made his state of mind increasingly steady.