Long Dragon of Fate, Mysterious Golden Body

Gou Jie stood silently, a letter held tightly in his grasp as he ascended the frost-laden hill. He journeyed to the hill’s peak, permitting the biting chill to lash against him.

From his elevated position, he looked out over Qingzhou City. The inner city walls were visible from here, and behind the city’s tallest tower lay the Thousand Divination Tower. However, he could no longer see it.

He unfolded the letter, skimming over the few lines it contained.

“We calculated that ending a few hundred years ago.”

“But we are still calculating.”

“The reason is simple.”

“We don’t believe you.”

“What a coincidence. You don’t believe me either.”

“Unfortunately, we didn’t seem to succeed. Then you can do the rest.”

“Let’s try. Maybe it will work.”

The message was brief and unadorned, like a mundane letter from home, trivial in its tone. Gou Jie noted the signatures — his master, Yue Yang, and his father, Gou Xinyue.

“These old fellows are all so self-righteous and stubborn,” he scoffed, disdain coating his words. Carefully, he tucked the letter away.

The frigid wind howled as a figure silently landed beside Gou Jie. “Alliance Master!” he bowed, respectfully acknowledging Qin Huai.

“I’m sorry,” Qin Huai said.action

“I can’t accept Alliance Master’s words,” Gou Jie responded, a nonchalant smile on his lips. “I’ve seen everything Alliance Master has done during this period. You’ve given your all.”

“Can you contact Fang Huo and the others?” Qin Huai inquired further.

“Yes. Before they left, I gave each of them a blood talisman seal,” Gou Jie confirmed, pulling out a yellow paper from his robe. “As long as you write words on this blood talisman seal, their talismans will reflect the same.”

“That’s quite a treasure.” Qin Huai nodded. “Have them return.”

Gou Jie paused. Was this leading to a decisive battle?

“I’m afraid we can’t hide the matter of the blood sea any longer. Regardless of how confident the white-robed king is, the Kun Peng clan has been annihilated. In less than one or two months, he’ll arrive at the ten counties to force me out,” Qin Huai explained, summarizing the recent happenings in the blood sea.

Gou Jie frowned at the revelation that Qin Huai had wiped out the Kun Peng clan, especially given Qin Huai’s casual demeanor. He felt that this alliance master was even more devilish.

“It has been two years since they left… It’s time for them to return,” he sighed, calculating the time. “Alliance Master, will you be visiting Lingjiang?”

“I won’t. Tell me about the recent situation in the ten counties. After that, I’ll enter the spirit world again,” Qin Huai said, his determination bolstered by the invincible Vajra blood. He believed the spirit world was the best place to enhance his strength quickly.

“The ten counties are now the true heart of Qingzhou. I suspect half of Qingzhou’s population has already congregated here. People are abundant, and so is the spiritual energy,” Gou Jie reported. “In the past two years, countless young talents have emerged in the ten counties, particularly in Lingjiang, which are full of bone pattern realm experts. It already possesses the ambiance of Qingzhou City from days past.”

“Is that so…” Qin Huai felt somewhat relieved at Gou Jie’s account. He gazed towards the ten counties of East Qingzhou, the river of stars shining brightly as if connecting to the world’s end. Suddenly, he contemplated using his rebirth mirror to observe the ten counties.

As soon as he placed the rebirth mirror before him, the scene shifted. An enormous dragon, spanning ten thousand miles, hovered in the sky above the ten counties. The colossal dragon swam in the void sea, its body shedding ‘raindrops’ that revitalized the lands they fell upon.

“Is this…” Qin Huai was momentarily taken aback. “Is this the dragon of luck the ancients mentioned?”

The sight was truly shocking. As Qin Huai observed the long dragon extending over ten thousand miles, he came to understand why so many skilled practitioners were springing up like bamboo shoots after rain in the ten counties n. The gathering of fate caused the spiritual energy to flourish, naturally leading to an endless emergence of experts.

“It’s rewarding to be virtuous, indeed,” Qin Huai murmured, about to put down the rebirth mirror.

However, something caught his eye, making him pick the mirror back up. He scrutinized the area of Lingjiang. Was that a glint of golden light? It seemed even the dragon of fate was avoiding this golden radiance.

Intrigued, Qin Huai made his way across the mountain, drawn closer by the mystery of the golden light. Eventually, upon reaching the other end of the mountain, he was finally able to discern the form hidden within the golden gleam. It was a humanoid figure, seated cross-legged. Or rather, it seemed to be some sort of fortunate essence, invisible to the naked eye.

Who might it represent in Lingjiang? The Emperor of Qingzhou? The founder of the Nine Dragons Sect? Or some sage from Lingjiang? Countless questions flooded Qin Huai’s mind.

“What did you find, Alliance Master?” Gou Jie called out, catching up to him.

“It’s nothing,” Qin Huai replied, waving off Gou Jie.

He decided not to share what he’d discovered — the mysterious golden figure and the dragon of fate — just yet. There was no time to probe the mystery of the golden figure right now, given how much time they’d spent on the journey. Besides, uncovering the secrets of this figure would likely take additional time, which was a luxury they didn’t have.

Shortly thereafter, Qin Huai accompanied Gou Jie to a secluded chamber. He handed over the spirit stones he’d taken from Tang Pi, instructing Gou Jie to find a way to deliver them to Kong Binghuang. With that settled, Qin Huai began his meditation.

Holding the spirit stone in his hand, he focused his mind.

Ever since discovering that the white-robed king could ascend the blood sea, Qin Huai had abandoned that area as a training ground. It was no longer safe. Instead, this secluded forest, unknown to others, was a far better choice.

His mind began to drift, the familiar sensation of his physical body and soul separating reappearing.

Moments later, Qin Huai found himself amidst a mountain strewn with corpses. Giant bones towered hundreds of meters tall, densely packed bone patterns glowing faintly as if on the brink of springing to life.

“A newcomer?” A voice resounded beside him.

Qin Huai turned but saw no one. He frowned slightly.

“Down here!” The voice piped up, sounding displeased.

Looking down, Qin Huai found a little girl standing there, barely reaching his thigh.

“This is… the spirit bone level?” Qin Huai asked, keeping his tone humble.

“Isn’t it obvious? If you’re just here to admire the view, you can leave,” the girl retorted, her voice carrying an elderly authority.

“The people from the spirit blood level can only rely on brute force,” the little girl added, pausing as if a thought had struck her. “Well, ahem, except for that Uncle Dragon Emperor. That guy’s an oddball, so he doesn’t count,” she dismissed with a wave of her hand.

“In the spirit bone level, the important figures can already use the power of patterned bones and their own auras. The king’s force and a top-notch cultivation technique truly stand out here!

“Also, the spirit bone level and the spirit palace level are domains where only the top force experts get to rule because they have huge resources backing them up. A random person from here can easily defeat two or three of you at the same realm!”

Listening to her, Qin Huai nodded from time to time, his confidence unshaken. “Then, who is this ‘Uncle Dragon Emperor’ you mentioned earlier?”

“Uncle Dragon Emperor,” the girl began with a solemn expression, “is a monster capable of crushing six clans and three sects single-handedly. He is the hope of the Great You royal family. Many with noble aspirations are searching for him, intending to support the Long family in regaining power.”

She continued, “That person was capable of destroying six clans and three sects in the spirit blood level with a single punch!”

Qin Huai’s pupils contracted in surprise. The world was indeed vast. He had thought his physical strength was unparalleled, but now it seemed he had a formidable contender to contend with.

Uncle Dragon Emperor… Could he possibly be a certain prince?