The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 284 Laws
In the course of life, encounters are most unpredictable. A moment of hardship and shackles can lead to a wasted life, while a single day of riding the wind can propel one soaring to great heights.

The instant the black hole in his chest disappeared, Ding Lin's consciousness ascended into the inner world. He didn't even have time to feel the newly achieved True Dragon Body before the power of his bloodline surged and lifted him up involuntarily, higher and higher, until it was above his spiritual platform! With a "boom," the chaos in front of his Niwan point exploded, and the inner world appeared in his field of vision.

The golden elixir hangs high like the sun, below which the blue sea surges, a green lotus blooms, and a piece of charred wood with newly sprouted green leaves stands.

"Crash!"

Suddenly, an iron chain blocked the river, rising from nothingness and ending in nothingness, hanging under the sun and lying across the blue waves. Segment by segment, interlocking with each other, this was the law manifested after achieving the Golden Immortal Dragon Body, and the iron rings that made up the iron chain were the mysteries contained within the law.

In an instant, countless insights flooded his mind. With a sudden burst of inspiration, Ding Lin immediately knew the name and function of this law and could use it freely. It seemed extremely familiar, but in reality, it was incredibly unfamiliar, with a strange sense of disconnect.

They know what it is, but not why it is.

Bloodline cultivation is a different path from normal cultivation.

Normal cultivation, not to mention the special supernatural power of the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang, all progresses from the profound to the laws. Once the laws are comprehended, one will naturally advance to the next realm. The laws are comprehended by oneself, similar to achieving success in starting a business.

Bloodline cultivation, on the other hand, is inherited from one's ancestors. The so-called lineage is determined by the concentration of bloodline, which determines the order and share of inheritance. The assets to be inherited are the laws, and the strength of the physical body is a prerequisite for checking whether one meets the conditions for inheritance. Inheritance rights and inheritance are two different things. Only when one is an adult and one's abilities are recognized by the elders can one be allowed to inherit.

Ding Lin's advancement to the Golden Immortal realm in his current six-toed form relies on his bloodline source, the Ancestral Dragon, who has been dead for countless eons.

He inherited a law from Him.

This principle describes the stillness of water.

Ding Lin quietly comprehended and gradually became familiar with the function of this law.

The highest good is like water, which benefits all things without striving.

A pebble is sharp and pointed, but when it is thrown into a pond, it can only splash water before being swallowed up.

This isn't actually a very sophisticated principle; it's more of a defensive strategy.

Consciousness is paramount.

Ding Lin looked down and suddenly froze.

Due to the influence of this law in the sky, the surging blue waves calmed down at some point.

Ding Lin had a sudden, instinctive idea, and a wave rose on the sea surface. But as soon as he dismissed the thought, the sea immediately calmed down again.

I was startled.

Beside the Golden Core, the eyes on the face manifested by consciousness blinked gently.

Ding Lin immediately recalled what Tianpeng had said: the laws one has mastered will affect the comprehension of other laws.

The laws he inherited, which he had not yet fully mastered, already had such an influence.

Ding Lin guessed that if he had comprehended this law himself and engraved it in his heart, he probably wouldn't have been able to stir up even a ripple for a moment, even if he had tried his best.

Even though they clearly understand the truth, they still inevitably tend to generalize from limited information.

Ding Lin immediately stopped, no longer daring to comprehend this law. It was enough to use it for now. If he fully understood it, he could certainly use it more freely and naturally, which would temporarily enhance his combat power, but it would probably be extremely difficult to comprehend other water-related laws.

Thinking of this.

Ding Lin didn't linger. He circulated his magic power, and with another thought, his consciousness broke free from this inner world and returned to his physical body.

In an instant, like a dragon swimming in the sea, the uncomfortable sense of separation disappeared, and a harmonious feeling of blending together arose in my heart, making me jubilant.

As expected, a powerful physical body is the domain that the dragon vein is most familiar with.

Ding Lin was finally able to experience the changes in his physical body after advancing to the Golden Immortal realm.

With the breakthrough, his cultivation and physical strength naturally both surpassed the level of one yuan. He first sensed his current cultivation level. After breaking through the realm, he had gained some more beyond the level of one yuan, which had just increased to 130,000 years.

Then comes the strength of the physical body.

Strength is not as easily quantifiable as cultivation level; it can only be roughly estimated. Dragons excel in their physical bodies, so after a breakthrough, their strength increases more than their cultivation level, by about 150,000 to 160,000 jin.

Of course, the strength here refers to the burst of power under extreme conditions. If it's to be as easy to use as an extension of one's arm, the Monkey King's golden cudgel weighs 13,500 jin, and now that Ding Lin has it in his hands, he can probably wield it with ease.

In addition, there are other changes.

The physical body exerts force by relying on nothing more than tendons, bones, skin, and flesh. As the saying goes, strength originates from tendons and power comes from bones. However, when ascending to immortality, in order to make the physical body seamless and create an unblemished immortal body, tendons and bones have been melted away, changing the composition of the physical body. While this makes the physical body flawless, it also makes the strength throughout the body loose and difficult to concentrate.

One gain and one loss.

But when Ding Lin looked at his body again, he saw that the lost tendons and bones had been replaced.

With a thought, he saw countless strands of demonic energy rise from his body, intertwining and condensing into a single entity, exactly matching the number of one element.

The excess cultivation accumulated over thousands of years could not take shape, so it quietly settled in the dantian, continuing to accumulate silently.

This demonic chain runs from head to tail, resembling the original spine of a great dragon, and has given rise to countless tiny branches that spread throughout its entire body.

Ding Lin stretched his dragon body slightly and felt all his strength connected together, becoming one. In this way, every strike was smooth and perfect. Compared to when he was a celestial being, the power he generated with the same strength and magic was more than a hundred times stronger!
He swung his tail forcefully.

Immediately, the water within a radius of tens of thousands of miles began to surge, and countless turbulent currents appeared.

Dragons swim in the vast ocean.

Ding Lin was in high spirits and about to continue his work when he suddenly paused. As if he had suddenly realized something, he looked up. With his current eyesight, the mere few hundred feet of abyss was no obstacle at all. He saw the blue sky and white clouds, and the swaying water plants on the shore. Despite the turmoil underwater, the surface of the water remained calm and still.

Ding Lin seemed to be deep in thought. He had captured a new inspiration, but for the time being, he could not fully develop his thoughts. He maintained his dragon form and waited until he woke up from his contemplation. By then, he had also adapted to the new physical realm.

Then, Ding Lin swayed, and a deep dragon roar was heard in the water. His massive dragon body, three hundred feet long, disappeared and he transformed back into human form. His bright red clothes billowed in the water. In the countless fine currents, his figure flashed and a streak of light rose up, and he left the Milky Way in an instant.

As for the brief thought of playing in the water that had just arisen, it had long since been forgotten and could no longer be recalled.

……

Outside the Peach Garden.

"Just now, Old Hei sensed that person's aura. He must have left the courtyard. Tell me what the plan might be," Yin Huan said.

The eagle demon's senses were astonishing. When Ding Lin left, he was still in the form of a celestial being. Even though he tried his best to conceal himself, he still couldn't remain silent and was detected.

“What else could it be? Including today, that person has been on duty here for three months. He hasn’t made a move at all, truly as steady as Mount Tai,” the burly immortal said. “I reckon in a few more days, his duty will be over. I guess he’ll go out, make some connections, and try to get a better outcome.”

"There are rumors circulating that he has some connection with the seven granddaughters of Yaochi, but I don't think that's entirely true. If the relationship were really as rumored, he would have used it long ago. Why would he wait until now? His current actions are probably a desperate measure, a last resort. Let's wait and see. The Heavenly Official on inspection should be coming down in a few days. His days are numbered. This unauthorized departure from his post is another minor but significant piece of evidence against him." Another immortal besides the eagle demon and the burly immortal said, his tone somewhat relaxed.

"We still can't be careless. The closer we get to the end, the less we can afford to let our guard down. Besides, I don't know why, but these days I've been feeling uneasy, as if something has happened," Yin Huan said.

"Commander, you're overthinking it. Things have changed now, and he can't escape in time. He'll have to bear the blame no matter what, unless he becomes a Golden Immortal on the spot right now. But is that possible? He's only been an immortal for a few years," the burly immortal said. "Commander, you seem uneasy, perhaps because you're about to break through and are feeling anxious?"

"Perhaps," Silver Ring said. He thought about it carefully but couldn't find any oversights. So he could only attribute this emotion to chance. After all, a sudden impulse is just a warning, not a prophecy. When one's true nature is obscured, even the strongest warning is easily ignored.

Ding Lin pushed his escape technique to its limit. When he arrived above the Peach Garden, the restrictions opened and closed rapidly. He flashed into the garden, stealthy and swift.

Beside Silver Ring, the usually taciturn Eagle Demon suddenly had a flicker in his eyes. He sensed something was wrong and turned his head suspiciously toward the place where the barrier had just struck, but the fluctuations had already subsided, and he found nothing.

"What's wrong?" Silver Ring asked.

"It seems like someone entered the garden just now?" the eagle demon said hesitantly, "But it doesn't seem like anyone did. Maybe I sensed something wrong."

“It must be that Great Sage Equaling Heaven. There’s no way that someone below the Golden Immortal level could escape your senses. Right now, the only one here who can do this is that Great Sage Equaling Heaven. It seems you’ve improved again these days. A few days ago, you couldn’t sense anything at all,” said the burly immortal.

"Perhaps." The eagle demon remained noncommittal, but for some reason, he also felt a sense of unease.

……

Outside the small building, Ding Lin could sense Xin Jia's presence from afar. The latter was standing in front of the door, waiting for Ding Lin's summons. Perhaps because all hope for the future was completely cut off, although Xin Jia still stood up straight, his body was like an empty shell, devoid of all spirit, and in a daze.

The protective light from the small building flashed.

As Ding Lin's escape light brushed past Xin Jia, he whispered something in Xin Jia's ear. Xin Jia didn't react immediately, and after a moment of stunned silence, he started walking into the building.

"Your subordinate greets the General." Xin Jia bowed.

Ding Lin sat high in the main seat, his aura contained. After reaching the Golden Immortal realm, due to the refinement of his magical power, he no longer needed the Breath Concealment Technique. Unless he actively wanted to reveal it, it was extremely difficult for others to detect his cultivation level. Looking down at Xin Jia from his high position, Ding Lin frowned slightly, somewhat dissatisfied. However, considering that Xin Jia had always been relatively obedient, he decided to give Xin Jia another chance.

Xin Jia began his report again, speaking in a flat and straightforward manner, saying almost nothing different from the last time.

Ding Lin impatiently waved his hand to interrupt.

“There’s no need to say anything more,” Ding Lin said, looking at Xin Jia with deep eyes. “Go outside the garden and convey my orders. Order Yin Huan to lead his troops into the garden, and then order him and the three Golden Immortals to enter the building to report on their duties.”

“General,” Xin Jia looked up, somewhat surprised, but his emotions remained largely unchanged. After a moment’s thought, he let out a deep breath and said, “It’s too late. The Peach Garden is inspected every three months. Perhaps the female officials on inspection are already on their way. Ordering them into the garden now will be of no use. Why offend them again before being demoted? Since we have already decided to place our hopes on someone else’s idea, let’s not go back on our word at this last moment.” As he spoke, his voice was filled with despair.

"I command you to leave the garden and issue an order, instructing Yin Huan and the three immortals to enter the tower to report on their duties," Ding Lin repeated.

Xin Jia paused for a moment.

"Since the general is so determined, then... your subordinate obeys."

Xin Jia said, bowed to Ding Lin, and then left the small building.

……

Outside the Peach Garden.

"Are you ordering us to enter the garden now?" Yin Huan's eyes flickered, somewhat hesitant.

"What are you up to?" the burly immortal asked. "Could it be that you know you're doomed and are trying to drag us down with you on this last hurrah?"

Yin Huan suddenly felt uneasy.

“No, he just went out. Old Hei didn’t even sense his return. What kind of order did he send?” said the third immortal.

"I understand. They're trying to lure us in and then accuse us of trespassing in the Peach Garden!" said the burly immortal. "He's not in the garden right now, but he'll probably appear as soon as we go in!"

“That should be the case,” the third immortal nodded. “But since Xin Jia has given the order, and we have the token in hand, even if he later turns his back on it, it will only be a dispute between the two sides. Doing so will not be able to pin us down.”

“Perhaps he is already confident that he can snatch the token from us again,” the eagle demon suddenly said. “Commander.” He turned to look at Silver Ring, waiting for the latter’s decision.

"Seize the order?" Yin Huan sneered. "He has to be able to do it too. It just so happens that I regretted not having a chance to fight him before he was demoted. Today, my wish has come true. I want to see what this Deputy General Jin is capable of!"

Yin Huan waved his hand again, summoning a Ghost Immortal Centurion and ordering him to go to Wang Yu to explain the situation. If they later gave conflicting accounts, with Wang Yu's protection, they wouldn't be nailed down by Ding Lin's memorial.

With this final step arranged, the last bit of unease in my heart faded away, and I returned to full confidence.

With Wang Yu behind him, any problems can be easily resolved. That's how it's been all these years. Besides, no matter how you look at it, Ding Lin is already in a dead end. If he hesitates now, he'll have wasted his time cultivating!
(End of this chapter)