Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

Upon entering the cave, the light suddenly dimmed, leaving only the flickering torchlight casting distorted and swaying shadows on the uneven rock walls.

The air was damp and cold, carrying a strong musty and earthy smell, and an indescribable desolation and deathly stillness that seemed to have been settled for countless ages.

Beneath your feet lies soft soil and sharp pebbles. Occasionally, you might step on the tiny bones of an unknown small animal, making a soft "crunch" sound, which is especially eerie in this silent cave.

The cave walls were slippery and covered with dark green moss. Occasionally, cool water droplets would fall from above, landing on the neck and making one shiver.

Lin Tian gripped the torch tightly, the Qi and blood of the Hundred Refinement Star Body within his body circulated slightly, dispelling the bone-chilling cold. At the same time, his divine sense, which was at the Celestial Realm, was suppressed to its limit, cautiously probing his surroundings like tentacles.

Apart from rocks, soil, and the omnipresent deathly energy, no living creatures have been found so far.

Yuan Tiangang, on the other hand, appeared much more composed. His steps were steady, and the torch in his hand seemed like a stabilizing force, its light shining steadily.

His gaze was like the most precise scanner, sweeping over every detail of the cave wall, as if analyzing the energy flow and structure here.

The cave was initially extremely narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass through.

After walking several dozen steps, the path opened up slightly, but it still meandered downwards, as if leading deep into the earth.

Only the echoes of their footsteps and the crackling of their burning torches reverberated, making the desolate silence all the more palpable.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, it seemed that the road ahead had come to an end.

The torchlight shone on it, but what was seen was not a rock wall, but a... translucent barrier that rippled slowly like water and emitted a faint, eerie light!

This barrier blocked the entire passage; its surface was as smooth as a mirror, yet it seemed bottomless, separating the inside from the outside into two worlds.

Standing in front of the barrier, the ancient and desolate energy fluctuations became even clearer, and the source seemed to be behind the barrier!

"Something's definitely fishy!"

Lin Tian stopped and examined the barrier.

"General, can you handle this?"

Yuan Tiangang stepped forward, extended his hand, which was covered in black gloves, and gently placed it on the barrier.

He closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then said in a hoarse voice, "An ancient sealing restriction with an extremely high energy level, but it is very old and its power has been severely depleted. Moreover... it is from the same source as the underground dragon soul suppression."

He withdrew his hand, and his hands began to form complex and profound hand seals, with faint black light swirling around his fingertips.

That was not a common true power attribute in this world; it carried an aura that combined the netherworld and majesty.

As his hand seals changed, the barrier in front of him began to tremble slightly, and the water on its surface rippled even more violently.

Finally, Yuan Tiangang let out a low shout and struck the center of the barrier with his palm!

"Buzz—!"

The barrier emitted a low hum, and the area where Yuan Tiangang's palm was pressed down quickly revealed an irregularly shaped opening, roughly large enough for one person to pass through, as if ice and snow were melting away!

Energy continued to flow slowly at the edge of the opening, maintaining this temporary passage.

"Young master, please."

Yuan Tiangang turned to the side to gesture.

Lin Tian looked at the dark cave entrance, swallowed hard, mustered his courage, and, holding the torch, crawled inside.

Yuan Tiangang followed closely behind.

The moment I passed through the barrier, it felt like passing through a layer of icy water, and the view before me suddenly opened up!

This is a huge underground cavern, more than ten times wider than the outside passage!

The cave ceiling is dotted with countless stalactites that emit a faint white light, like stars, providing some light source.

In the center of the cave is a relatively flat open space.

In the very center of the open space, a person was sitting cross-legged!

The man was dressed in a tattered black robe, the original color of which was almost unrecognizable. His long hair was disheveled, covering most of his face, and his figure appeared somewhat ethereal and unpredictable.

Seemingly sensing that someone had intruded, the man in black robes suddenly raised his head!

In the firelight, a pale yet exceptionally handsome young face was revealed. However, his eyes were filled with a variety of complex emotions—the primal rage of being disturbed, the numbness brought on by long imprisonment, and even more so... the almost frantic joy and hope of seeing a living person, especially one who could break through the barrier!

"Hahaha! So many years! Finally, someone has come! You're no ordinary people to be able to break through this damned barrier!"

The man in black robes suddenly stood up, his voice carrying a peculiar magnetism, yet also shrill with excitement.

Lin Tian was startled by the sudden commotion and instinctively took a half step back, silently chanting, "System, investigate!"

A light blue interface appeared, locking onto the man in black robes.

Name: Long Ao

[Identity: Formed from the fusion of the remaining dragon essence and a portion of the immortal spirit of the last true dragon in the world (the five-clawed golden dragon) after its fall.]

[Realm: Early stage of Land Immortal. Due to the suppression of the formation and the demise of his physical body, his strength cannot be fully utilized.]

[Status: Having been killed by an unknown powerful being, its dragon soul core was extracted to construct the sealing array of Hexi Town. Its remaining consciousness and some power are imprisoned by the remaining array, trapped here for thousands of years. Its consciousness is chaotic, possessing both the arrogance and tyranny of the dragon race, and the comical traits resulting from long-term loneliness.]

Lin Tian: "!!!"

The last true dragon in the world? A remnant soul transformed? An early-stage terrestrial immortal!

And what the heck is this "goofy attribute" there?!

Is there a bug in your system?

Just as Lin Tian was somewhat stunned by this information, the black-robed youth who called himself Long Ao excitedly tried to pounce on him, shouting, "Quick! Take me out of here! I can't stand this hellhole for another second! If you take me out, I'll reward you handsomely! Cultivation techniques? Treasures? Beauties? Take your pick!"

However, just as he took a step, Yuan Tiangang, who had been silent like a background figure, suddenly stepped forward, blocking Lin Tian's path, and let out a low, muffled snort:

"snort!"

There were no unnecessary movements, no powerful aura emanating from him, just a cold snort!

Long Ao was as if he had been struck by an invisible giant hammer. He groaned, and the faint aura of a terrestrial immortal that had just risen around him instantly dissipated. His illusory figure fluctuated violently and almost collapsed!

He staggered back several steps, then plopped back down on the spot, his face filled with horror and disbelief as he stared at Yuan Tiangang as if he had seen a ghost.

"Who...who are you?" Long Ao's voice trembled. Just a moment ago, he felt as if he were facing the crushing force of the entire world!

This masked guy is definitely much stronger than him! But how is that possible?

Does such a thing still exist in the outside world?

Yuan Tiangang ignored his question, but fixed his gaze on him with eyes that were cold as ice, shining through the mask.

Lin Tian also came to his senses at this moment. Looking at the "Remnant Soul of the True Dragon" who was almost scared to death by the general's cold snort, the tension in his heart immediately disappeared and was replaced by an absurd sense of humor.

He cleared his throat, peeked out from behind Yuan Tiangang, and tried to appear calm, though his legs were still a little weak. He began:

"Well... Long Ao, right? Don't get agitated, sit down and talk things out. We're here to reason things out, not to fight."