Chapter 63: The Flood Dragon Emerges, Bringing Rain (Part I)

Zhang Jian gazed at the magnificent Yin Spirit's demeanor, feeling somewhat shaken.

He knew that after Testing Fate Foundation Establishment came Golden Core, Yin Spirit, and other cultivation stages.

And the Dragon Lord had actually condensed a Yin Spirit, which was truly terrifying.

Of course, he wasn't clear about how profound his Dao was.

But having been touched by a divine character, he surely possessed unfathomable divine power.

"Junior Zhang Jian pays respects to the White Water Dragon Lord!"

Zhang Jian made a slight bow, then immediately cleared a path, inviting the Dragon Lord to enter the inner residence.

The White Water Dragon Lord wore a scholar's robe; his face resembled that of a middle-aged man, his form illusory yet surrounded by a heavy dignity, his temples white, his eyes exceedingly tranquil.

He smiled, eyes narrowed, and nodded slightly.

"Young master, no need for excessive courtesy; indeed I too wish to see the youthful hero my daughter has spoken of!"

Beside her, Bai Li Ying's steps hesitated; a hint of flush appeared on her pure white jade-like face, meeting Zhang Jian's surprised gaze, she instead lost her shyness, becoming poised and generous.

Zhang Jian's thoughts shifted, yet he spoke cautiously: "Princess, you overpraise me; I am merely an ordinary scholar."

The three took their seats as host and guest; the Dragon Lord slightly lifted the jade cup beside him, did not drink directly, but gently sniffed it, his face showing a hint of enjoyment.

"This is the green tea from Ten Thousand Years Mountain in East Spirit Commandery; I haven't had it in ages—the last time was a thousand years ago!"

"If you like it, Senior Dragon Lord, I have some more; I'll send them to you later."

The White Water Dragon Lord set down the jade cup and waved his hand.

"No need; these comforts, for us cultivators who seek longevity, are also a poison that rots the bones and pierces the intestines!"

Zhang Jian didn't quite agree in his heart, yet he said: "Diligence brings mastery, idleness brings ruin; action arises from thought, destruction from following."

"However, the Way of cultivation has tension and release; as long as one learns to balance the civil and martial ways, that suffices!"

The White Water Dragon Lord nodded, then shook his head, and then spoke.

"To persist for a hundred years is already difficult; to persist unwaveringly, how many can actually do that?"

Seeing the Dragon Lord's enthusiasm for conversation, Zhang Jian readily added a few remarks; he also had ample patience.

Although the Old Dragon Lord had come as a Yin Spirit, he felt little fear.

In his separate residence hung that portrait of his ancestor!

The Old Dragon Lord was also somewhat surprised by Zhang Jian, guessing that Zhang Jian might have some reliance in his heart.

He wanted to test, but Zhang Jian "did not pick up the thread," so he could only give up.

By now he didn't want to invite complications!

Nor did he want to delay any further!

After a moment, both sides formally entered the main topic.

The Old Dragon Lord's countenance turned solemn; facing Zhang Jian, he swiftly issued the Divine Law Great Oath.

"Young master, today I, the White Water Dragon Lord, vow before the Divine Law to make a great oath!"

"If I, Bai Nu of the White Water Dragon Lord, am reborn, I shall obey the Divine Law, protecting the people around White Water with favorable winds and rains; should I be reborn, I will not maliciously retaliate against Young Friend Zhang Jian and his clan; should I violate this oath, the Divine Law shall strike me down!"

As he swore the oath, a layer of unseen divine power clearly descended into the void, merging deep into the Dragon Lord's brow.

After speaking the oath, he smiled and looked at Zhang Jian: "Young master, are you satisfied now?"

"Senior, your words weigh heavily!"

Seeing this, Zhang Jian kept his promise and took out the dragon pearl in his hand.

The golden dragon pearl instantly turned into a golden light that fell into the White Water Dragon Lord's illusory Yin Spirit form; instantly the Old Dragon Lord's Yin Spirit was coated with a thick golden light.

That sacred, vast divinity was intensely rich, like waves spreading outward.

The Dragon Lord slowly condensed the dragon pearl from within his body, sensing his restored Dao, a hint of ease appearing in his eyes.

But in an instant, his eyes flashed with intense hatred.

At this moment his eyes still held a hint of mockery as he gazed at the dragon pearl in his hand.

"Yu Qing, it's laughable that you back then disregarded our brotherly bond and seized this pearl; even with the pearl in hand, you could not cultivate the Dragon Phoenix Replenishing Origin Golden Core to prolong life; your scheming came to naught!"

"Now I still exist, while you, no matter how much power you hold, are ultimately just a mound of loess!"

Bai Nu now openly displayed his joy, yet his eyes held a hint of regret.

Even having reclaimed the dragon pearl, he could not personally take revenge, leaving him with a sense of helplessness.

Finally, he felt utterly bored.

The smile on his face gradually faded; his gaze remained on Zhang Jian, satisfaction still in his eyes, the guise of an ordinary old man faded, his body now filled with divine dignity.

"Young Master Zhang, I greatly admire your courage and spirit; if you have leisure, you may come anytime to the White Water Dragon Palace; this counts as a favor I owe you—should you need it, just call, and I will surely repay it."

"Of course, bestowing sweet rain awaits until I myself am freed from my predicament!"

"Naturally!"

At this moment the transaction was completed, and auspicious signs of the Divine Law Great Oath's formation appeared between heaven and earth; Zhang Jian's heart also eased.

Being able to relieve the drought of Phoenix Yang Commandery and the surrounding regions is a great boon.

Myriad common people gained the means to live.

And Zhang Jian himself could also draw upon its qi fortune, which will lay an exceptionally solid foundation for forging a breakthrough in Testing Fate Foundation Establishment.

It can be called double joy arriving at the door.

At this moment the Old Dragon Lord glanced at Bai Li Ying beside him and smiled: "Daughter, I must first return to the depths of the Water Eye to prepare to break the shackles and free myself; you may cultivate here in exchange, and also thank Young Master Zhang on my behalf."

After the Dragon Lord departed, the two people in the separate residence exchanged glances; the Dragon Maiden's jade-like face showed a hint of delight.

After a moment of silence, she steered the topic toward cultivation!

"Dao Brother, your cultivation should be nearing the peak of the Nurturing Spirit stage; have you explored the mysteries of the Life Palace?"

She had long harbored doubts; Zhang Jian appears no different, yet why must he be so strong!

Zhang Jian's expression shifted, and he spoke.

"Charting the Life Palace is profoundly mysterious, and I have only a limited grasp of it!"

The Dragon Maiden said upon seeing this: "The theory of the Life Palace is profoundly mysterious; in fact, every cultivator's Life Seal initially has no fixed number nor concrete form. It is only by possessing the corresponding status and adding the Life Seal that a Life Pattern can be formed. Moreover, the Life Patterns of us immortal cultivators are subject to change at any time."

Zhang Jian nodded; indeed, the Nine Chapters of the Pure and Tranquil Tongshan also speaks of the unpredictability of fate.

However, the main purpose of divining fate is not to determine what Life Pattern one currently possesses; that is merely incidental. If one could possess a special Life Pattern, it would naturally aid one's cultivation, but lacking a special Life Pattern is no problem—one only needs to chart one's own Life Seal.

The Life Seal is within the Three Courtyards and Five Peaks, engraved upon the Life Pillar.

As for how to chart the whereabouts of one's own Life Seal, Zhang Jian currently has no clue; but upon gazing at the Dragon Maiden before him, his eyes shifted and he spoke.

"Your Highness, your Dao cultivation is not weak; I imagine you have nearly completed the accumulation of the Nurturing Spirit stage. Have you already charted the location of your own Life Seal?"

Originally, Zhang Jian should not have asked this question, as it risks probing the profound mysteries of his own cultivation.

However, since the Dragon Maiden brought it up herself, Zhang Jian took the opportunity to learn more about its subtleties, after all, the transmission of the Nine Chapters of the Pure and Tranquil Tongshan is rather meager.

The Dragon Maiden, gazing at Zhang Jian with her lovely eyes, said: "Dao Brother, you should also know that charting the Life Palace usually requires an opportunity—one must wait for the great fortune of one's life to rise and fall, or to surge sharply, or to plummet drastically to the brink of life and death; then one may attain awakening, glimpse a thread of spiritual insight, and thereby comprehend the whereabouts of one's own Life Seal."

"Otherwise, one can only rely on one's own insight, or rely on one's foundation to forcibly break open the Life Aperture—but the latter is exceedingly difficult. Though I have cultivated for hundreds of years, I still rarely obtain the chance to forge a Dao Foundation."

Bai Liying's expression carried a hint of regret.

Most spirit monsters, and even heretical paths, are limited by this.

Of course, some are limited by their impure vital essence, spirit, and energy; even when opportunity arrives, they cannot establish a foundation, and if they forcefully assault, they only end up with disordered divine consciousness, their vital essence withering away to death.

The Dragon Maiden sighed at this point:

"Although I am a princess of the Dragon Palace, these past years I have not had many opportunities!"

"The Dragon Maiden felt some regret; in fact, as the daughter of a regional Dragon Lord, if the White Water Dragon Lord were in power, there would be many ways to help her forge a Dao Foundation, or to bestow a divine position upon her—carrying a divine position brings only merit and fortune, which would cause the Life Seal to fluctuate and become manifest."

"Or, through training to exterminate demons, with elders guarding and escorting, one's chances of survival naturally increase greatly."

"Or, by accomplishing a meritorious deed, one can also cause the Life Seal to become manifest."

"I don't know..." Zhang Jian thought to himself, feeling a bit embarrassed.

However, after exchanging a few words with the Dragon Maiden about the profundities of divining fate, he faintly realized that his opportunity for divining fate would soon arrive.

Precisely at the time when the Dragon Lord is born!

Zhang Jian glanced at the clever Dragon Maiden before him, unaware whether she was specially helping him with a favor in return, or whether she simply wished to exchange some learning with him.