35: Conscription assessment

The voice paused for a moment, as if reading some preset information, before continuing in that eternally unchanging, flat tone to announce:

"Warning: Severe shortage of barracks supplies detected. The supply warehouse has been destroyed due to unknown reasons... Standard-issue physical weapons have all been annihilated and cannot be distributed.

The core runes of the Cultivation Technique Legacy Hall are relatively intact; basic Legacy transmission can be performed. The assessment System is operating at minimum capacity."

"Do you accept the basic assessment?"

As the voice faded, the two frozen Profound Light Phantoms moved again. They turned toward the interior of the archway and made a "please" gesture, but their blurred faces remained directed at the middle-aged Cultivator, and the invisible pressure persisted.

A deathly silence fell over the scene.

The Green-Shelled Demonic Crab forgot to wave its claws, the Lan Clan members stood with mouths agape, and even Gao De, hidden in the shadows, felt waves of shock crashing in his heart.

A conscription camp?!

A conscription camp of the ancient Lake Dragon Palace!

Countless years had passed, yet the Formation guarding this place—or perhaps a remnant spirit—was still operating according to ancient rules!

Although it was regrettable that the so-called "standard-issue weapons" had long since turned to ash... the Cultivation Technique Legacy remained!

Those were Cultivation Techniques used by the ancient Dragon Palace Water Mansion to train the soldiers and generals under its command!

Their value likely far exceeded most Yao Race cultivation methods circulating in the world today!

For Gao De, who aspired to perform the Dragon Transformation, this was undoubtedly a bright lamp appearing in the darkness—a shortcut that might lead directly to the Great Dao of the True Dragon!

Incredulity first appeared on the middle-aged Cultivator's face, followed immediately by a look of wild joy.

Almost without hesitation, he responded with a trembling voice to the profound light phantoms—or rather, to those unseen rules: "I... I am willing to accept the assessment!"

As soon as he spoke, a faint glimmer of light rose within the archway that the two Profound Light Phantoms had moved aside for.

The middle-aged Cultivator took a deep breath and stepped inside, his figure instantly vanishing into the glimmering light.

Seeing someone successfully "register" and seemingly not encounter immediate danger, the Green-Shelled Demonic Crab and the Lan Clan members were also moved.

They glanced at each other, and though they were of different races, the meaning in their eyes was the same. They hurriedly swam forward and approached the archway.

The same process repeated: the Profound Light Phantoms froze, "gazed," and the cold voice inquired.

Both eagerly expressed their willingness to accept the assessment and were subsequently led inside.

Now, only Gao De remained hidden in the shadows.

He rapidly weighed his options in his mind.

The Opportunity was obvious; the Legacy Cultivation Techniques of an ancient Dragon Palace barracks held immense appeal for him.

But risks existed as well. What was the content of this assessment? How difficult was it? What would the consequences of failure be? Would this Formation, maintained for countless years, have any unknown hidden dangers?

However, there seemed to be no better choice at the moment. Trapped in this deathly silent Dragon Palace Military City, the way out was bleak. This assessment might be the only Breakthrough and the greatest Opportunity.

Having thought this through, Gao De no longer hesitated. He slowly swam out from the shadow of a stone pillar, adjusted his Qi, maintained a state of high vigilance and Breath Concealment, and swam toward that ancient archway.

When he stepped into that area, the familiar sensation descended.

The two Profound Light Phantoms froze, and an invisible "gaze" fell upon him.

That cold, ancient voice rang out once more:

"Unregistered aquatic life fluctuations detected... Bloodline determination... Dragon Clan scion... Concentration... Meets Elite Assessment standards..."

"Do you accept the elite-level basic assessment?"

Gao De's heart stirred.

Dragon Clan scion? Elite Assessment? It seemed this conscription System could differentiate based on talent.

This meant the assessment might be harder, but correspondingly, the rewards for passing might also be better.

He did not shrink back and clearly transmitted his intent with his Divine Sense:

"Accept."

As Gao De confirmed his acceptance of the "elite-level basic assessment," the two Profound Light Phantoms once again made guiding gestures.

He no longer hesitated. With a movement of his body, he passed through the archway rippling with faint light.

As if passing through a layer of cool water film, the surrounding scenery instantly transformed.

It was no longer a deathly silent area of ruined waters, but rather an independent Grotto-Heaven World.

Above was not lake water, but a hazy firmament emitting a soft white light, like a built-in sun and moon.

Beneath his feet was solid ground paved with massive bluestone slabs. In the distance, continuous halls and pavilions could be seen, their style similar to the ruins of the military city outside. Though they also bore the marks of time, they were far more complete than the collapsed ruins outside.

The air was filled with pure water Spiritual Qi, its concentration even exceeding that of Gao De's Deep Pool Water Mansion. With every breath, his Demonic Power became faintly active.

"It really is an independent Grotto-Heaven!" Gao De realized.

Such a method of opening a Small World was truly worthy of the ancient Dragon Palace.

He immediately tried to connect to the tianji mirror and found that although the signal seemed to suffer from some interference and was somewhat intermittent, it was not completely cut off.

Without hesitation, he immediately entered the relevant secret sections of the Heavenly Secret Realm anonymously, paid Spirit Stones, and queried known information regarding keywords such as "Pre-Qin Dragon Palace," "Water Mansion Barracks," and "Grotto-Heaven Assessment."

Soon, fragmented but highly valuable information was gathered:

[Remnant of Ancient Records] states: The eight major guardian military cities under the Lake Dragon Palace were not merely surface structures; their cores were all built relying on Grotto-Heavens. Even the smallest was over a hundred li in circumference, incorporating Spiritual Vein nodes within them to create their own worlds for training soldiers and nurturing warriors.

[Senior Explorer's Speculation]: Dragon Palace barracks assessments are graded according to talent. Those who pass can obtain Cultivation Techniques, secret arts, and even military rank imprints (though the Dragon Palace has fallen and the imprints are useless, they themselves may contain ancient Dragon Qi, which is a great tonic for the aquatic race). However, as the Formations are old, there may be deviations in the assessment, and the risks are unpredictable.

[Anonymous Trading Post Request]: Long-term high-price purchase of any Cultivation Technique Jade Slips (fragments also accepted), standard-issue weapon shards, or Dragon Qi Crystals originating from Dragon Palace Military City ruins.

The information confirmed Gao De's suspicions.

This was a Grotto-Heaven at least a hundred li in circumference, built upon a Spiritual Qi node. There were indeed rewards for passing the assessment, but risks coexisted.

And in the outside world, the demand for Dragon Palace treasures had never ceased.

Just then, that cold, ancient voice directly resounded in his mind again, as if the Grotto-Heaven's rules themselves were announcing:

"Elite Assessment, First Item: 'Posture of the Flood Dragon.' Testing Bloodline potential and Physical Body Foundation. Invoke the power of the 'Dragon Transformation Pool' phantom ahead; the longer you endure, the higher the evaluation."

Before the voice even finished, not far ahead of Gao De, a phantom of a pool about ten zhang in diameter, composed of dense water spiritual energy and some kind of golden Dragon Qi, slowly emerged.

The pool did not contain actual liquid, but was rather an energy aggregate of churning golden and blue light streams, emitting a powerful pressure and allure.

Gao De could feel the dragon blood within him boiling and yearning!

He understood that this was both a test and an Opportunity! The energy of this Dragon Transformation Pool phantom would be of great benefit for tempering his Physical Body and purifying his Bloodline!

With a flick of his long tail, he threw himself into that energy pool phantom without hesitation.

Boom!

Pure and overbearing energy instantly enveloped his entire body, as if countless tiny dragon-shaped air currents were boring into his scales and armor, washing through his bones and flesh. It brought waves of tearing pain, but even more so, a sense of deep-seated comfort and strengthening.

His 81% Dragon Fish Bloodline operated automatically. The Dragon Transformation Merit frantically absorbed the Dragon Qi and Spiritual Qi contained within, and that trace of cold Dragon Qi deep within his Bloodline also seemed to become more active.

He kept his mind focused, relying on his powerful Yao body and firm will to endure the energy infusion.

Time passed bit by bit. He felt his Physical Body becoming tougher. Although the Bloodline concentration increased slowly, the barrier leading to 82% seemed to loosen slightly!

After an unknown amount of time, just as Gao De felt he was about to reach his limit, the pressure around him lightened, and he was teleported out of the Dragon Transformation Pool phantom.