29: Chapter 29 At the End of the Dark River, the Mysterious Water Yin Scale

The cold underground dark river was silent and swift. The water was pitch black; even under the faint light of the Green Lotus Core Flame condensed at Lin Yan's fingertips, he could only see a few feet ahead, while further away lay an all-consuming darkness. The current pushed them along, tirelessly rushing toward an unknown destination.

Chi Rong's massive body could not fully stretch out in the narrow river channel, so it could only struggle to float half-submerged, using its limbs and tail to barely control its direction and avoid the hidden reefs and rock walls in the water. It had not yet recovered from its injuries and had just experienced a desperate escape; its aura was currently weak, and its dark golden slit pupils were filled with exhaustion and unease.

Lin Yan and Xiao Yi Xian lay on either side of Chi Rong's relatively broad and flat back armor. The cold river water soaked through their clothes, bringing a bone-chilling cold, but it also helped cool down their blood and tense nerves, which had been boiling from their frantic escape. The relief of surviving a disaster, combined with complex emotions regarding the dissipation of the will of the earth vein, washed over their hearts silently, just like the cold river water.

Lin Yan closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, seizing the time to recover his nearly exhausted Dou Qi and soul power. The ten types of Heavenly Flames sub-fires within his body, especially the Void Swallowing Flame, appeared exceptionally active after experiencing the baptism of the earth vein energy and the stimulation of the "purifying erosion fire seed." The connection between them seemed even tighter, as they were spontaneously absorbing the thin heaven and earth energy around them, slowly nourishing his body.

He sank his consciousness into the system to check the new notifications.

[Successfully escaped the extremely dangerous area.]

[Obtained special items: purifying erosion fire seed (sealed/incomplete), ancient soul scale (7 pieces).]

[Triggered hidden quest (follow-up): The truth of the 'Lost Key'. ]

[Quest hint: The purifying erosion fire seed and the ancient soul scale are key items (keys) for opening/suppressing/connecting to certain Ancient Ruins or seals. Their true purpose has a deep connection with the 'Hun Clan', 'Calamity Poison Body', and 'Heavenly Flames'. Further information or specific locations are needed to trigger it.]

[Warning: The soul power and purification power sealed within the purifying erosion fire seed are extremely unstable, and it may contain a residual 'Hun Clan' tracking mark (high-level). The ancient soul scale has a special material and has a weak resonance and guidance effect on soul power and some special energies (such as Calamity Poison Body energy). Please study and use with caution.]

A key? Connected to the Hun Clan, the Calamity Poison Body, and Heavenly Flames? Lin Yan felt a shock in his heart. The final message from the will of the earth vein was indeed not baseless. This fire seed and the scales involved secrets far deeper than he had imagined.

He opened his eyes and looked at the pale, crystal-like fire seed in his palm. The fire seed emitted a soft glimmer in the darkness, and the flickering flame inside seemed to sense his gaze, swaying slightly. He could feel the Void Swallowing Flame's craving for it; it was an instinctive impulse to swallow, analyze, and convert it into its own nourishment. But the system's warning also made him afraid to act rashly. This fire seed had an extremely high essence and might be a hot potato; it required a safer way to handle it.

He looked again at the few ancient soul scales stored in his storage ring. The scales were pitch black and heavy, with dark golden patterns appearing faintly under the firelight. He took one out and sensed it carefully again. That feeling of "emptiness" and "ancient nobility" remained, and the faint resonance with his Void Swallowing Flame aura was still there. But this time, he seemed to capture a trace of an extremely obscure yet incredibly tenacious… residual life imprint from the dark golden patterns? It was as if the owner of this scale had reached an inconceivable realm of life, such that even after dying and dissipating for eons, their life mark was still engraved on every scale, impossible to erase.

On the other side, Xiao Yi Xian also lay quietly on Chi Rong's back, rubbing an ancient soul scale in her hand. Her complexion was still a bit pale, but compared to the pain during the previous poison body eruption, there was now more of a calm contemplation. She could clearly feel a strange, non-repulsive resonance between this scale and the source of the poison power within her. The dark golden patterns on the scale seemed to be able to weakly guide and soothe the poison power that had become more refined but also more "sensitive" after being tempered by the earth vein energy, allowing it to circulate more smoothly and stably. This discovery made her both surprised and vaguely expectant—perhaps this ancient soul scale could become a medium for her to further control the Calamity Poison Body and even assist in cultivating the "Seven-Colored Poison Manual"?

However, the ancient, cold residual aura of soul power emitted by the scale itself still instinctively made her feel a hint of discomfort; it was a pressure belonging to another level of life and power system.

Time passed quietly as they drifted along the dark river. After an unknown amount of time, a difference finally appeared at the end of the darkness ahead.

It was no longer pure darkness, but faintly revealed a dim blue glimmer. At the same time, the moist water vapor in the air became thicker and carried a faint, cold, and slightly fishy, sweet scent. The faint, long, and slow breathing sound of a massive creature also became clearer and more distinguishable, as if it were right nearby.

"Master, ahead… there seems to be an exit, and also… a big guy." Chi Rong's nervous mental fluctuation came through. As a Magical Beast, it was more sensitive to the aura of its own kind. The existence ahead made it feel immense pressure; although it did not seem as violent and terrifying as the previous Hall of Souls powerhouse, it was definitely not to be underestimated.

Lin Yan's eyes narrowed. He put away the fire seed and the scales and whispered: "Restrain your aura and approach slowly."

Chi Rong obeyed, slowing down and suppressing its own fiery fire-attribute energy fluctuations to the lowest level, sliding silently toward the source of the faint blue light like a huge shadow.

The dark river became wider here, forming an underground lake. The lake water was deep and reflected a faint blue fluorescent light, as if there were some kind of glowing microorganism or mineral in the water. The surface of the lake was as calm as a mirror, reflecting the strange stalactites (not real starlight, but some kind of fluorescent mineral) hanging from the dome, which twinkled like stars; the scene was magnificent and mysterious.

And in the center of the lake, on a small lake island made of jade-white rocks, a huge black shadow was coiled.

The shadow looked like a giant python, but it was thicker and more slender. Just the part exposed above the water was over a dozen zhang long, and its whole body was covered with thick, dark blue, almost black scales. Each scale was the size of a washbasin, with sharp edges, and they flowed with a metallic, cold luster under the reflection of the blue water light. Its head was relatively small compared to its body, triangular, and on the top of its head was a crystal-clear horn that looked like it had been carved from blue crystal. At this moment, it was closing its eyes, its head resting on the rocks of the lake island, seemingly in a deep sleep. That long and slow breathing sound originated from it.

"A Tier 5 Magical Beast… Mystic Water Yin Scale Flood Dragon!" Lin Yan was shocked, recognizing the origin of this Magical Beast. This was an extremely rare dual-attribute Magical Beast of water and yin. Its strength could usually reach Tier 5 (equivalent to a human Dou Wang). Most of them were cold and aloof by nature, liked to live in extremely cold water or deep pools, were good at controlling cold water and yin erosion power, and had extremely strong defensive capabilities.

This Mystic Water Yin Scale Flood Dragon in front of them had a deep and thick aura, clearly an existence that had been immersed in Tier 5 for many years. Its strength was probably even a notch stronger than Chi Rong in its prime! Fortunately, it seemed to be sleeping and did not radiate hostility.

"Master, what should we do? Go around it?" Chi Rong asked via telepathy, its voice filled with trepidation. Its attributes were countered by the other party, and it was not fully recovered from its injuries; it was definitely not a match for this old flood dragon.

Lin Yan scanned the calm lake and the only exit—it appeared to be on the other side of the lake, a deep cave entrance half-hidden by stalactites that hung down like a crystal curtain. To get out, it seemed necessary to pass through this lake, and it was hard not to disturb this Mystic Water Yin Scale Flood Dragon.

Forcing his way through was a bad strategy. They were in poor condition, and forcing their way through would likely anger this Tier 5 Magical Beast, with unimaginable consequences.

Just as Lin Yan was thinking of a countermeasure, those few "ancient soul scales" in his storage ring suddenly gave off an unusual movement again!

It was not a craving, but a kind of… extremely faint resonance tremor, as if a homologous bloodline was being pulled! It seemed that on this Mystic Water Yin Scale Flood Dragon, there was something, or its bloodline origin, that had an extremely distant connection with this ancient soul scale?

At the same time, the originally sleeping Mystic Water Yin Scale Flood Dragon's blue crystal-like horn on its head suddenly lit up with a faint blue light without any warning! Its tightly closed massive eyelids also trembled slightly!

Was it waking up?!

Lin Yan's heart tightened, his muscles tensed instantly, and the Dou Qi and Heavenly Flame energy in his body flowed quietly, ready to deal with the worst-case scenario at any time.

However, the anticipated attack did not come.

The Mystic Water Yin Scale Flood Dragon slowly opened its eyes. They were a pair of deep blue slit pupils like a ten-thousand-year cold pool, cold, deep, and devoid of any emotion. Its huge head turned slightly. The deep blue slit pupils first swept over Chi Rong, and a flash of faint surprise crossed its eyes (it seemed to recognize the anomaly of a fire-attribute Magical Beast like the Magma Earth-Walking Dragon appearing here), but it did not pay much attention. Finally, its gaze was firmly locked onto Lin Yan… or more accurately, locked onto the storage ring hanging at Lin Yan's waist!

In those deep blue slit pupils, the coldness was gradually replaced by a kind of unbelievable shock and… excitement?

Its massive body slowly lifted a part from the lake water, bringing up a splashing sound. There was no attack, no roar; it just slightly lowered its head, and toward Lin Yan's direction, it let out a low, ancient hiss that seemed to span a long period of time.

In the hiss, there was not a hint of hostility, but rather it was filled with a kind of unspeakable… reverence and… anticipation?

Immediately afterward, a faint but clear mental fluctuation came over, cautiously, with tentativeness and incomparable respect: "Noble… carrier of the Scale Lord's aura… Mystic Water Yin Scale Flood Dragon 'You Lan', is here sleeping and guarding the 'Xuanming True Water'… I did not know of your arrival, and I failed to welcome you… I beg for your forgiveness…"

Scale Lord? Carrier of the aura?

Lin Yan was stunned. Chi Rong was stunned. Even Xiao Yi Xian opened her eyes wide in surprise.

This powerful Tier 5 Magical Beast actually called Lin Yan "Noble carrier of the Scale Lord's aura," and its attitude was so respectful, even humble?

Was it because of… the ancient soul scale?

Countless thoughts flashed through Lin Yan's mind, but his face remained calm, and he deliberately released a trace of the aura of an ancient soul scale from his storage ring.

Instantly, the massive body of the Mystic Water Yin Scale Flood Dragon You Lan shook violently. The excitement and reverence in its deep blue slit pupils became even more intense, and its head lowered even further: "It really is… the aura of the ancient Scale Lord's grace… although faint, it cannot be wrong… The You Lan clan has guarded this place for generations, and finally… finally we have waited for you…"

Its huge head turned toward the cave entrance on the other side of the lake, which was covered by crystal stalactites, and the mental fluctuation came with uncontrollable excitement: "Since you have come with the Scale Lord's token, you must have been guided by the 'Xuanming True Water' and the 'ancient flood dragons remnant'… Please follow You Lan, the gate to the forbidden area… has already been opened for you."

Lin Yan looked at the deep cave entrance and then at the incredibly respectful Tier 5 Mystic Water Yin Scale Flood Dragon in front of him, his heart filled with doubts. The origin of the ancient soul scale seemed even more astonishing than he had imagined. What were this "Xuanming True Water" and "ancient flood dragons remnant"? Could it be another ancient inheritance place similar to the earth vein remains?