Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 412 Dragon Form
Ren Hai.

Within the water palace, the waves shifted and changed, and purple lightning flashed back and forth. The eerie light on the central throne coalesced into the ferocious and majestic form of a dark dragon, with a chilling purple glint flashing on its reverse scales.

Amidst the continuous roar of purple thunder, several discordant rays of earthly light still lurked, obstructing the flow of qi and staining the edges of the dark, black scales a bright yellow.

As the dark eyes opened, everything in the hall vanished like an illusion, leaving only a man sitting on a black jade throne, the jade horns swirling like an imperial crown, and lightning emanating from his deep purple robe.

Xu Xuan's internal injuries have largely recovered, with only a small amount of stubborn Gen Earth Qi remaining, which needs to be resolved through patient and meticulous work, or by finding a skilled pharmacist.

This matter is not urgent at the moment. He took out another item, which was a decree surrounded by ink light. He opened it and saw the characters formed by the ink light.

"【Dongyuan】".

Following the two words was a complex incantation, similar to the method for opening the cave that Tian Tuo had taught him, only the target was different.

Finally, the Dragon Court has responded, intending to use the Cave Abyss as a medium to facilitate a meeting between the two sides.

'We could ask about their next steps.'

With a firm resolve, Xu Xuan focused his mind on his inner vision, walking across a vast thunderous swamp. Purple thunder liquid surged and roared incessantly, while celestial dragons could be faintly seen churning in the dark clouds above.

Holding the decree, he activated the incantation, and a portal pulsating with dark, ethereal light appeared, leading to a vague and distant place.

The Cave Abyss is a sacred land jointly built by the great saints of the demon race. It is connected by spiritual power, but it is fundamentally different in nature from the Pure Land of the Buddhist cultivators.

The Pure Land of the Dharma Realm, when combined with the power of vows, can influence the present world. However, the Cave Abyss is a real spiritual realm, and its greatest function is to strengthen the connection between demons and humans, allowing them to collect special spiritual items.

With his mind at ease, Xu Xuan stepped into the portal and immediately sensed something amiss. In the past, when he entered the cave, he had always seen countless paths leading to a place as bright as the sun.

But right now there is only a dark stone path winding upwards, leading not to the bright, sun-like cave realm itself, but to a lake shimmering with a dark, eerie light.

'Indeed, these great sages should have left some loopholes for their descendants.'

Xu Xuan's heart stirred. This lake and marshland seemed to be the exclusive territory of the Dragon Court, connected to the main world. Without a token and incantation, it would be difficult for outsiders to find it.

Mingze is a secluded place, and even within the cave, only this lineage sends out its decrees. No one has ever followed the cave to find Mingze, presumably relying on this lake and marshland.

Without further hesitation, he stepped forward and walked along the stone path toward the lake until he reached it.

A dark dragon leaped into the lake, bringing with it bursts of eerie light and surging thunder, stirring up the once calm lake surface. Xu Xuan felt as if his consciousness had entered a dark place, unable to perceive the outside world.

He returned to human form, but this time he was not in the water, but rather in a primitive, dark place, where he was disoriented and in complete chaos.

A profound, mysterious light rose up, illuminating the area. Xu Xuan looked down and saw only dark, imposing scales as large as millstones. He was standing on a demonic body as large as a mountain range.

The dragon's dark body extended into the darkness at both ends, its form unseen. Xu Xuan looked into the distance and saw that the dark yin light in front of him was even more profound, illuminating the heavens and the earth.

He walked slowly forward, the black dragon body beneath his feet already dead, with no flesh and blood beneath its black scales, but a skeleton like jade.

After traveling for a while, they finally arrived at the center of the mysterious yin light. There, they could see a majestic and mysterious dragon head lying in the mountains and marshes, with a dim light flickering on its jade horns.

Above this dragon head stands a magnificent palace adorned with black jade dragon patterns, its doors wide open, within which a dim, watery light surges ceaselessly, echoing Xu Xuanyin's presence.

He stepped into the hall, which was filled with the mysterious light of Ren water, engulfing him. At the very core, a dragon in a long robe with black cloud and dragon patterns slowly raised its head. It was tall and its gaze seemed to be smiling.

Guangze Huiyun Dragon King.

"You did keep your appointment on time."

The master of this illusory world had his eyesight cleared slightly. The various yang lights in the hall gradually settled, like water in a swamp, no longer changing or surging, revealing various ancient bronze furnishings. Both of them took their seats.

"I have retrieved the Heavenly Pool. What is the next step?"

Xu Xuan's gaze sharpened slightly. There was no one else here, so Tong Guangze no longer needed to hide anything and spoke more directly.

"I originally intended to send a few Scaled Serpent Purple Mansions to provide assistance, but the Dragon Court is locked up and cannot escape. I can only contact them through the Cave Abyss."

Guangzelong lowered his head, his eyes flashing coldly, and said in a deep voice:

"Yanghu has been found, and now it is injured and has been placed in the Dragon Palace's magic treasure. The outer perimeter of Mingyuntian has also been sealed off."

"It actually happened."

Xu Xuan's mind stirred. He realized that the reason he was able to temporarily borrow a Ren Water supernatural power was probably because of this Yanghu Dragon King. If he was truly a manifestation of Ren Water, he should possess such wondrous abilities.

He then recalled the scene he had witnessed atop Yellowstone Mountain: the Ren Water Dragon Tree, imprisoned amidst thorns and weeds, perfectly reflecting the current situation. He immediately asked:

"I wonder, which lord is targeting my Dragon Court?"

His question seemed certain, and Guangze, who was standing to the side, had anticipated it. His expression remained unchanged, but a hint of worry appeared in his dark dragon eyes. "This is a long story. Do you know why the Heavenly Nether Dragon Lord perished?"

Guangze's voice was devoid of joy or sorrow, yet it concealed a tremendous power and majesty, drawing a response from the Renyang light within the hall.

"All we know is that the lord perished after the fall of the Zhou dynasty."

Xu Xuan simply shook his head. This matter was not recorded in the Mingze Secret Scroll, and Dongfang Lanqing had not discussed it in detail at the time. He only knew that this great man had perished after the fall of Zhou, but the reason was unknown.

“My Mingze has many connections with the Great Zhou Dynasty. In the past, we were even granted a title by the Emperor. Are you aware of the current situation?”

“Ancient history is unclear, the land of Ji is not recorded, and even the various deeds of Fengdai are unknown, let alone the Zhou Dynasty.”

Xu Xuan immediately shook his head. According to his understanding, the way of the historian was the land of millet, which has now been incorporated into the Blessed Land of White Paper by immortal magic. Therefore, the history is unclear and difficult to investigate.

Guangze was not surprised by this situation. His dark eyes were deep and his dragon whiskers swayed as he said in a deep voice:
"The Great Zhou Dynasty is said to have been founded by the first Human Emperor, marking the beginning of human history. The establishment of the 'Supreme Rites' signifies that humanity has emerged from the paths of shamanistic sacrifice and blood worship, truly distinguishing itself from all other species, and thus receiving the Mandate of Heaven."

Guangze's voice, however, held a hint of self-mockery as he chuckled:
"Everyone says that my dragon seed is the best among demons, but the original true dragon was only at the peak of immortality, and only reached the realm of immortal lord when he died."

"The true dragon was born in the fruit of Renhan. After the creation of the heavens, he also possessed the honor of Kan, Hua, and Gui. He intended to become one of the highest realms in history, but he perished because of this."

"And how many immortal lords and demon ancestors are there among humans? The Great Sage is already the most powerful among demons, but he has only broken through from the Golden Core stage to become an immortal. He still has to go to the seats of the immortal lords to listen to their lectures and pay respects as a disciple."

Xu Xuan listened silently, feeling a certain degree of agreement. Although humans did not possess the talents and bloodlines of many noble races, they were truly the masters of this world.

A battle between humans and demons? Never before has there been one. Except in the primitive era, demons have never been a match for humans. Even the true dragon, known as the number one demon in history and the pinnacle of immortals, could not stand against the Thunder Palace and the Celestial Lord of Doutian.

"It was against this backdrop that my Lord Mingze, since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, has received congratulations, and the Heavenly Dragon Lord once went to court to pay homage to the Human Emperor."

Upon hearing Guangze's words, Xu Xuan felt a sense of doubt and simply said:

"Greetings? What level of cultivation does this Human Emperor possess?"

“A Nascent Soul Immortal.” Guangze’s gaze narrowed slightly, as if he were somewhat moved. “As for the lineage of cultivation practiced by this Human Emperor, it is even more astonishing. According to the Dragon Lord, it seems to have existed before Yin and Yang.”

"Prior to Yin and Yang."

Xu Xuan had many guesses in his mind. If we were to talk about what lineage in the world could be called the predecessor of Yin and Yang, then perhaps only the Primordial Qi had such a status.

"From then on, the Nanming lineage formed a good relationship with Emperor Zhou. The lakes, rivers and lakes on the shore also came under the jurisdiction of my Dragon Court. The method of sealing the sea was also passed down. The Dragon Lord has a long cultivation and can vaguely see a chance for a breakthrough."

"At that time, if the dragons of the other three seas wanted to come ashore, they would have to go through my Southern Sea."

As Guangze recalled the past, his voice was filled with emotion. Xu Xuan, however, keenly grasped this point and immediately asked:

"If that's the case, why did Donghan remain indifferent when Mingze was destroyed?"

Xu Xuan was quite puzzled by Dong Han's attitude. Guang Ze's eyes flashed with a hint of apprehension as he continued:

"Among the nine sons of the true dragon, the dragon lords who hold the Ren and Han fruits are the oldest and have the highest cultivation level, both being in the late Golden Core stage, and possessing the form of a true dragon."

"The form of a true dragon?"

This was the first time Xu Xuanshang had heard such a statement, but then he saw Guangze's voice deepen, and the light of Renyang in the hall surged, gradually covering the majestic and ferocious dragon head.

"Like Xi Yang with wings, Bei Chuan with mane, and the one who entered the Buddhist order, now, he has actively abandoned the dragon image, sought the Dao with the snake, and sought the ancient god position of Shen Du."

"Only the Dragon Lords of the Ren and Han paths are truly the inheritors of the true dragon form and are qualified to advance further."

"When the true dragon fell and nine parts of it were destroyed, the dragon species in the world came into existence. But if it were to return, all the others would be serpents and snakes, and would not be worthy of the name of the dragon."

Guangze succinctly pointed out the difference between the dragon races: the Ren and Han lineages seemed to be subtly superior to the other lineages.

As for the various dragon species, Xu Xuan did have some insight. The dragon species of Xiyang mostly had wings, which was already far from being true dragons. As for Beichuan, it seemed that the situation was not much better.

"With the fall of my two Dragon Lords of Renze, who do you think benefited the most? It was none other than that great man of the Hanshui Dao. As the only being in the world with this [True Dragon Form], the benefits he gained far exceeded your expectations."

"Among dragons, even the closest blood relatives, there has never been a shortage of killing and fighting among themselves."

"The reasons for the fall of the two Dragon Lords of Mingze are now difficult to ascertain, and even our bloodline has lost its records. However, there is one thing that is clear and known to all the high-ranking cultivators."

"After the fall of the Zhou dynasty, the Ren water element had two additional interactions of mutual generation and restraint."

Xu Xuan seemed to have touched upon some truth, his mind was stirred, and he heard Guangze say in a deep voice:

"When encountering Yi, they are bound; when encountering Han, they are united."

(End of this chapter)