Chapter 264: Behind the Matter of the Walking Jiao, That Group of People

When Baichuan's incomparably massive body had fully revealed itself, even Old Dragon, who had long anticipated the size of this "dragon-race senior," couldn't help but lose himself for a moment.

Because it was simply too big!

Its scales were pitch-black and profound, yet carried faint, peculiar, flickering Light Points, like a mysterious space beyond the world. By comparison, Old Dragon felt his own azure scales were far too plain and unremarkable.

Yet upon this beautiful dragon body, what drew Old Dragon's attention most was those pupils that seemed to burn — flames ceaselessly swaying and flickering — merely gazing at them, he felt his very heart and spirit being drawn in.

"Little dragon Ao Qing, greets the senior."

After being lost in thought for a moment, Old Dragon came back to himself and offered a greeting to this senior among the dragon race.

"Mm, little fellow, how did you discover me?"

Baichuan gave a slight nod. Seeing that the other seemed to have forgotten his earlier question due to being dazed, he couldn't help but ask once more.

At this, Ao Qing was also slightly taken aback upon hearing it.

It wasn't that the question was difficult to answer, but rather that he truly hadn't expected this dragon-race senior to ask something that amounted to common sense for beings of their realm.

How did I discover the senior? Wasn't it because the other deliberately revealed his form for the three of them to sense… wait, how could the senior be unaware of such common sense?

Yet he still asked it. Coupled with the current predicament of the dragon race, and the fact that there happened to be something nearby…

Suddenly comprehending something, Old Dragon paused sharply, then answered with a smile: "This question isn't truly difficult. I wonder if the senior would be willing to come to my humble abode for a chat? First, I can answer your question; second, I can also repay your earlier assistance."

Hearing this, Baichuan also felt rather baffled. Could it be that the answer to this question couldn't be spoken face-to-face? Or was there some incomparably hidden secret involved?

Or perhaps the various powerhouses of this world all liked to engage in these profoundly mysterious words, where everything must be comprehended by oneself, prettily called "exchanging cryptic barbs"?

But seeing the panel information that had popped up showing "Scanning…" before his eyes, along with his strong curiosity to uncover the truth, he still nodded: "Alright."

It seemed that was indeed the case!

"Then allow this little dragon to lead the way for the senior."

Having obtained an answer matching his own guess, Old Dragon's heart also tightened, and he promptly reverted to an azure true dragon roughly fifty meters long. As his body swam, he carried countless clouds and mists with him, flying off into the distance.

The next moment, two "true dragons" — one large, one small — were seen plunging back into the clouds and vanishing from sight.

"The senior's question isn't truly difficult. As you know, for beings like us who have reached the Zhenren Realm, we are extremely sensitive to changes in heaven and earth. Perhaps the senior's Concealment Technique and Invisibility Technique are indeed powerful, nearly making us unable to sense you. But the senior forgot to conceal the 'presence' caused by your massive body existing within heaven and earth. In a heaven and earth that was originally flawless and harmonious, with your arrival, an incongruous flaw suddenly appeared. How could beings like us fail to notice?"

Along the way, piercing through clouds and rain, Ao Qing, who was leading the way, deliberated for a moment, then decisively struck up conversation with this dragon-race senior.

Although he had already guessed that the senior asking this wasn't truly concerned with this point, but merely seeking a pretext, he still answered earnestly and thoroughly.

Baichuan "……"

Listening to Old Dragon's answer, Baichuan only wanted to complain: No, I don't know, you've got the wrong dragon, I don't know anything about the Zhenren Realm.

However, he did understand why he had been exposed. The general principle was that his various concealment methods were fine, but he had forgotten that this heaven and earth itself was filled with vast amounts of air.

Though this air usually had a weak presence ordinarily, it could be sensed by those powerhouses. With his arrival, although those powerhouses couldn't see him, they could sense that vast amounts of air were being displaced by the approach of a massive object.

For powerhouses sensitive to space, wasn't this situation openly telling them that an invisible, snake-like giant creature was approaching?

Realizing this, Baichuan recalled how fortunate he was that he hadn't rashly gone straight to the ruling center of this dynasty in this world. Otherwise, he could forget about investigating any secrets — all that awaited him would be endless enemies surrounding and attacking, and killing, killing, killing.

In such circumstances, he might obtain a great deal of power, but if the true source of this power wasn't held in one's own hands, he likely wouldn't have a share of it.

It seemed his concealment methods would need updating from generation to generation hereafter.

Baichuan murmured, pondering the information he had just obtained.

Besides this, he had also learned another realm name from the Dongfang Quyu: "Zhenren."

Was this a realm corresponding to demigods or god-level powerhouses of the Western Quyu?

Baichuan still wasn't entirely sure.

Along the way, Baichuan occasionally responded to the other's words, and before long he followed that azure true dragon — pitifully small compared to himself — as it plunged into a river that appeared boundless.

Finally, after passing through a layer of transparent water Membrane under its guidance, a crystalline, incomparably luxurious Crystal Long Gong abruptly appeared before his eyes.

What was that just now?

The legendary blessed land, a small heaven and earth?

Feeling the scene before his eyes change, and the strange sensation he had just experienced, Baichuan couldn't help but murmur inwardly in doubt.

After entering his own palace, Ao Qing reverted to the appearance of an elder dressed in splendid robes. He smiled lightly, cupped his hands toward the enormous mysterious true dragon that nearly filled the sky overhead, and gestured toward the gate of his LongFu: "I humbly invite the senior to enter for a chat."

"……" Baichuan.

However, Baichuan fell silent at this. He looked down at the gate of the residence — incomparably tiny compared to his body — and then looked at his own massive form.

Could he even fit through that gate?

He feared it would crumble the moment he leaned over and lightly brushed against it.

"?" Baichuan's silence also caused Ao Qing below to be taken aback. He looked at the other's massive dragon body, then finally realized.

Based on what the senior had said earlier, he had only just awakened and was somewhat unfamiliar with this world. This was likely a dragon-race old antique who had slept for countless ages.

A dragon-race powerhouse active in that era, judging by his size, must be one who specialized in the domineering path of physical bodies that swept away everything. How could such a being choose to transform into human form, a choice that weakened one's own power?

"My apologies, this was indeed this little dragon's oversight. I imagine the senior must be the type of domineering dragon who specializes in physical bodies, and would look down upon such petty tricks as transforming into a tiny human form. Please wait a moment, senior."

After realizing this, without waiting for Baichuan to speak, Ao Qing explained it to himself, then turned around and reached out with one hand.

In an instant, that Crystal Long Gong directly shrank and fell into his palm, revealing an empty, grayish, hazy space.

Before long, he gave it a gentle toss. Accompanied by a fluctuation of magical power, that crystalline Crystal Long Gong visibly swelled at a frenzied pace.

A few breaths later, what appeared before Baichuan was a palace residence that could be considered spacious even for a being of his size.

Wow, I really want to seize it!

Throughout the entire process, Baichuan watched with shining eyes, which made Old Dragon's whole body break out in goosebumps.

Instinctively, watching Old Dragon's miraculous display, he felt an impulse well up within him — he just wanted to snatch this treasure for himself.

Cough, cough. Baichuan, who had come back to himself, also lightly coughed to suppress the impulse within.

Having done too much of this bandit-like behavior of plundering the essence of all things, and with this world having too many good things, Baichuan's thoughts had now become somewhat greedy and impulsive.

After calming down, Baichuan also savored the key information in Old Dragon's earlier words. He hadn't expected that his silence alone could cause this old dragon to generate so many misunderstandings.

A domineering dragon from that era who specialized in physical bodies?

What this meant was that this Old Dragon nowadays was not a domineering dragon who specialized in cultivating himself, or one who cultivated some other type of dragon?

As for the minor art of transforming into a human that the Old Dragon had mentioned throughout the whole process, although he was somewhat curious about its principles, he didn't really pay it much mind.

Having been a dragon for so many years, he had grown accustomed to the destructive power brought by his mighty strength and incomparably massive body; he'd have to be utterly bored out of his mind to want to transform back into a tiny human form.

The feeling was like asking a tall, strong human whether he wanted to become a short, skinny little runt.

You'd never find anyone crazy enough to agree.

What he wanted was to keep growing bigger and stronger without any burden on his body — ideally reaching a scale and power capable of effortlessly destroying a planet.

Lost in thought, Baichuan followed the Old Dragon into this Crystal Long Gong, which resembled a kingdom of giants.

Everywhere he passed, everything gave Baichuan only one impression — luxury, indulgence!

It was as if the dragon palace from myth had reappeared and presented itself before his eyes.

Within the crystal-clear Long Gong, among the various palaces adorned with carved dragons and painted phoenixes, with real flood serpents and Jiao dragons coiling about them, large numbers of fully armed Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals stood guard with solemn dignity.

Within, Baichuan finally followed the Old Dragon — who had likewise reverted to his dragon form — to the center of the palace, and only there did the Old Dragon return to human form, perhaps because he had already grown accustomed to it.

Baichuan silently guessed as much.

Before long, various female demons — some bewitching, some pure, some flirtatious — dressed in light, revealing clothing began to appear one by one, carrying exquisite fruits, sweet pastries, and seafood delicacies in their hands and setting them out.

Watching the delicacies being gradually laid out, Ao Qing stood up once more at this point. He first offered another cupped-fist salute, then flicked a withered, illusory Jiao Dragon Soul out from between his wide sleeves.

Has today's main event finally begun?

Looking at this illusory Jiao Dragon Soul, even Baichuan could not help being astonished — not only because it was strange that the evil Jiao had not died, but also because this was the first time he had truly seen with his own eyes a Spirit — such a peculiar form of life.

But he knew even better that the Jiao Dragon Soul was not the point at this moment; the point was what the Old Dragon was about to say, because this Jiao dragon's appearance was unmistakably identical to that evil Jiao who had previously tried to undergo the Jiao transformation and died.

The moment this illusory Jiao dragon appeared, ignoring its withered state, it bared its fangs and claws and charged at Ao Qing with a soundless roar of fury.

As if furious over his previous deeds.

"Unfilial son, kneel at once!"

Yet once again it was completely ignored by Ao Qing. With a light snort, he flicked his sleeve and forcibly forced the illusory Jiao dragon to drop on all fours and kneel before Baichuan.

Only then did he speak: "This little dragon once again thanks the senior for his intervention earlier. Without the senior's help, this little dragon's only bloodline would likely have been utterly extinguished."

As he spoke, Ao Qing solemnly bent at the waist and offered a grand bow of gratitude.

Logically speaking, someone counted among the very top tier of strength in the entire Dalong Dynasty — even when encountering a fellow clansman senior who was only slightly stronger — would have no need to treat them with such solemnity, thanking them again and again.

But the trouble was that this was the only offspring he had managed to obtain after many long years. Even if the child was unpromising, dragon-kind were inherently difficult to reproduce, let alone for a dragon like him who had once flooded three provinces to succeed in transforming into a true dragon.

Bound by the countless karmic ties connecting the three provinces, his successful transformation into a dragon and living freely and at ease on his own would not have been a problem, but any further advance in strength or the birth of offspring was likely impossible.

The birth of this offspring now was still thanks to the investiture of that one person of Dalong, as well as his own diligent efforts over the years to bring favorable weather to the realm, which barely made up for past wrongs and allowed this one offspring to appear.

For the Old Dragon's bow, Baichuan — who now understood everything — accepted it calmly.

Although throughout the entire process he had merely stood by and done nothing, it was precisely because of his invisible deterrent presence that those two powerful humans had been wary and refrained from acting directly.

But seeing the Old Dragon's current actions and complex expression, he did not speak, instead continuing to maintain the posture of a listener and quietly watching the other.

Just then, however, a refined man with a strong scholarly air walked over from the direction of the palace entrance.

His expression was somewhat worried, and in a few steps he drew near.

Then he first offered Baichuan a respectful, apologetic bow, before turning to look at Ao Qing with a hint of difficulty.

"Shilin, speak. This senior is not an outsider."

In an instant, the Old Dragon understood the situation, and shook his head at him as he spoke.

Only then did the scholarly man nod, and respectfully produce an invitation from his bosom, handing it over as he said: "Master, that group has sent another invitation."

The Old Dragon first nodded apologetically at Baichuan, then opened it and began to read.

After a few breaths, a flash of anger crossed his face; he tried several times to clench his fist, but after a long moment slowly relaxed it again.

After pondering for a while, looking at the Jiao dragon that was still struggling ceaselessly, Ao Qing once more sighed helplessly and said, "The senior must be very curious, right? Earlier this unfilial son was not personally killed by this little dragon, with his flesh and blood turning into a rain of blood?"

"In fact, that is indeed the case. However, the reason this unfilial son can still leave behind a remnant soul is thanks to a secret art that this little dragon obtained by chance during an adventure in his early years. It is precisely because of this secret art that this little dragon was able to ensure that after this unfilial son's death, a remnant soul would remain and not be utterly destroyed."

"It is also this little dragon's failure to discipline him strictly that allowed him to be incited by villains, and at this most critical moment for Dalong he plotted to emulate my former self and attempt the Jiao transformation. But times are different now. The current ruler of Dalong is not an easy one to deal with. A mistake that has already been made once will absolutely not be allowed a second time. This invitation has been sent by that group, and their intention is to win this little dragon over."

"That group? Who are they again?"

Hearing this, Baichuan spoke for the first time.

His intuition told him he might be about to come into contact with some truly hidden information.

……

(End of this chapter)