Chapter 283: The Moon Over Zuijiang, the Silent Dragon Lord (Combined)

Yu Ke set out from the outer sect's dormitory.

He walked on.

Until he reached Nan Yuan.

He watched the street entrance, where an outer sect disciple rode a towering black horse, its hide as smooth as black silk, its frame massive—twice the height of an ordinary horse.

From its nostrils spewed white vapor like crimson flames.

Its hooves were strong; beneath its skin, fine black scales glimmered, muscles bulging, solid and powerful.

The horse neighed.

On its forehead rose a small, sharp, single horn, slightly protruding.

The outer sect disciple astride it tilted his nose upward, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

He lightly flicked his whip, smugly.

He galloped past Yu Ke and the other passersby like a storm.

Yu Ke's eyes followed, astonished by the horse's tail—thick as a crocodile's, dragging along the ground.

This was a Dragon Horse.

Though it carried only a faint trace of dragon blood, it was enough to surpass ordinary horses in endurance and speed.

How strange!

But to outer sect disciples, this was nothing unusual.

In the cultivation world, it was merely called an "abnormal beast."

Above it lay spiritual beasts, capable of casting Dao arts and battling cultivators.

Most outer sect disciples came from noble families, whose ancestors had once been wealthy—but even they couldn't easily afford one.

This Dragon Horse was so expensive that only someone like Xie Wanwan—a wealthy heiress from a prestigious family—could afford to own it.

Yet!

Xie Wanwan's style was always unique; even with vast wealth, she rarely flaunted it, let alone so ostentatiously.

Regarding the Dragon Horse, one must note its horn—it was the mark of a rare dragon-blooded variant, symbolizing deep ties to the dragon lineage.

Dragons, since ancient times, were famed for their lust; their mating range stretched from flying birds soaring in the clouds to fish dwelling deep in the ocean.

None escaped their allure, so dragon blood spread across the world, manifesting in countless forms, each unique.

Dragons give birth to nine offspring, each different.

Nine is the limit of numbers, meaning infinite.

On this continent where cultivation flourished, dragons had lost their former glory—but they remained truly "born nobility."

Yu Ke's heart warmed.

To meet a dragon—what a prospect worth anticipating!

Nan Yuan!

Home to the outer sect's largest "pet" marketplace, teeming with abnormal beasts, overwhelming the eyes.

Along the way, Yu Ke had seen many strange and unusual things.

Some rode giant lizards, their tongues flicking as they lumbered past.

Others sat atop giant snakes, slithering slowly along.

Some used giant frogs as mounts; others tamed spotted tigers and leopards from the forests, turning them into reliable steeds.

All of this revealed a world unlike any other.

Though each abnormal beast was unique, none could rival true spiritual beasts—they were merely labeled "abnormal beasts."

In his past life, he had dreamed of buying a coveted "Dragon Horse" after Foundation Establishment, once he repaid his debts.

The Yu family's direct-line sons often rode Dragon Horses to Yu Ke's home to show off, especially during festivals.

The brothers would race their horses before the Yu elders—and "thoughtfully" invite him along.

But back then, he didn't even own a horse.

The brothers would just "laugh."

This mockery was a humiliation for a ten-year-old Yu Ke, fiercely proud.

This was one reason his past self trained so hard.

If he had none as a child, he would have one as an adult.

The cultivation world was no different!

From the moment one emerged from amniotic fluid, the divide between people began.

As Yu Ke walked, his body had now reached the peak of the second rung—he was neither flushed nor breathless, only slow from unfamiliarity with the path.

Finally!

He stopped, looked up—and before him stood a grand tavern, its interior echoing with melancholy strings.

Zui Yue Lou.

Its name was known not only in the outer sect, but across the other major continents of Shenxiao Sect.

It was famed far and wide.

The tavern's distinction lay not merely in its exquisite dishes or sweet wine.

It was in its unique business model—it did not open its doors to the public, but served only "distinguished guests."

Even the wealthiest, with mountains of spirit stones, could not enter without a recommendation from a Zui Yue Lou guest.

Zui Yue Lou maintained a strict guest-ranking system, using feather tokens as credentials; each token bore one to seven stars.

Above seven stars came the pattern of sun and moon in unison, awarded only to eighth- and ninth-tier guests.

It was jokingly called "Seven Stars, One Sun-Moon."

Through this system, Zui Yue Lou divided guests into tiers, each with a unique token.

It was not merely a display of status—but a declaration of it.

Within the tavern, the service and treatment each tier received differed vastly.

Seeing this, Yu Ke instantly understood—it was the modern world's VIP system, reborn.

Like buying a luxury car—you needed a club member's recommendation.

Though the Yu family had prestige outside, its direct-line sons held only two-star status at Zui Yue Lou.

Two-star guests had no authority to recommend new members.

This meal would cost dearly.

As soon as Yu Ke arrived, a server rushed forward, politely asking if he had a reservation.

Yu Ke calmly named his private room; the server immediately led him to the third floor.

As he climbed, the atmosphere around him subtly shifted.

The earlier noise vanished, replaced by an indescribable stillness; the entire tavern exuded a serene detachment from the mundane.

Every detail of the corridor was exquisitely carved.

Yu Ke felt the spiritual energy had grown denser.

Everywhere radiated elegance.

Yu Ke nodded slightly, silently praising:

"No wonder it's called a 'high-end club'—every detail speaks of distinction."

The server politely guided him to the private room, then slipped away—before leaving, the beautiful server cast several glances at Yu Ke; his return gaze seemed to fluster her, and she nearly fled in haste. This left Yu Ke puzzled.

Yu Ke slowly pushed open the door.

A flicker of unease stirred in his chest—he had no spirit stones, after all.

In his past life, he'd dreaded hearing: "Brother, cover this for me—I'll pay you back later!"

No matter how "later" was defined!

But if he couldn't pay, it was embarrassing.

No silver in his pocket meant no heroism to show.

Naturally, he felt tense—especially in a place so extravagantly opulent.

He pushed the door open!

What met his eyes was unlike anything before.

No noise.

Inside, silence reigned.

He saw:

The private room was small; by the window stood a table, already laden with food.

Across from him sat six people, all turning to look as he entered.

Four men, two women.

The woman on the left, near the entrance, rose immediately upon seeing Yu Ke, her face bright with delight.

It was the wealthy heiress, Xie Wanwan.

"Yu Shixiong, you've finally arrived!"

But from across the table came an untimely scoff.

Yu Ke noticed, and turned toward the sound.

He saw:

A man dressed like a refined gentleman, clad in white robes, his hair tied with a jade ring, his features delicate yet artificially polished, his face lightly powdered with white makeup.

He stared at himself with a gloomy gaze.

This man seemed to be an acquaintance.

Yu Ke recalled briefly and knew who it was.

Pang He!

Both were scions of great families of the Great Zhou Divine Dynasty, with no direct conflict between them, but Pang He was a "rival" to Yu Ke's close friend Zhou Liang—both were notorious "dandies" among the outer disciples.

They once fought over a female disciple in the outer sect, and that incident had forged a deadly enmity.

Yu Ke and Zhou Liang were inseparable friends.

The relationship between Pang He and Yu Ke goes without saying!

Yu Ke walked forward slowly and greeted with a smile:

"My apologies, Sister Xie, I'm a bit late!"

Xie Wanwan's joyful expression deepened.

"This time, I must thank Brother Yu!"

Yu Ke's gaze shifted to the others, deliberately ignoring Pang He, who glared at him with bitter resentment.

Three men and one woman remained.

All were strangers to him.

Especially!

One man stood out sharply—he wore a plain blue-and-white Confucian robe, with a blue silk headband tied across his forehead.

His features were regular, but strangely, his pupils were slightly vertical, giving off an air of detached indifference.

Moreover, he sat in the seat of honor.

Yu Ke had not yet reached Foundation Establishment and could not sense others' cultivation aura.

Yet his demeanor was extraordinarily striking!

He seemed nearly as impressive as Li Qingshui, the masked man Zhou Liang had mentioned before.

A guess formed in his mind.

A True Disciple of the Divine Thunder Sect!

Yu Ke turned his gaze away and smiled at Xie Wanwan:

"I've never met these others—could you introduce them to me, Sister Xie?"

Xie Wanwan immediately turned to the blue-and-white-robed man and introduced him first, her tone respectful:

"This is Lan Yu, a True Disciple from the inner sect. Brother Yu, I'm sure you've heard of him."

Lan Yu!

Yu Ke was slightly startled inside.

He never expected it to be him.

No wonder Xie Wanwan spoke with such reverence—and introduced him first.

In the Divine Thunder Sect, laborers and outer disciples were not considered true disciples.

Only those who entered the inner sect qualified as true inner disciples.

Above the inner sect stood the True Transmission disciples.

The True Transmission disciples of the Eight Veins were fixed positions—only those promoted from above could replace them.

That meant every True Transmission disciple had secured their place through genuine strength.

The authority of inner disciples surpassed ordinary imagination.

The sect not only tolerated their establishment of personal factions but also offered them partial support and protection.

This power was nearly comparable to that of the sect's Elders.

Each Vein's Peak Master was chosen through competition among True Transmission disciples.

Among the Great Zhou Divine Dynasty's True Transmission disciples in the Divine Thunder Sect, there were only seven.

Lan Yu hailed from the Lan family, the foremost clan of Tangyang Lake in Great Zhou—a family not only immensely powerful but also guarded by two True Persons, ranking among the top ten in Great Zhou.

Lan Yu's birth was accompanied by countless extraordinary legends; it was said that at the moment of his arrival,

a giant tortoise, as tall as a mountain, emerged from Tangyang Lake, carrying a massive stone stele, crawling all the way from the lake to the Lan household.

Such an omen undeniably added mystery to Lan Yu.

Rumors from the outside world poured forth endlessly!

Some claimed he was the reincarnation of the Dragon Lord of the thirty-thousand-li Tangyang Lake, hence the giant tortoise bearing the stele to celebrate his birth.

Others believed he possessed the rare Water Divine Body, granting him innate advantages in water-based Dao arts, allowing him to advance a thousand miles in a single day.

Whichever claim was true, both proved Lan Yu's extraordinary talent in cultivation.

Lan Yu's father regarded him as the future hope of the family, pouring all his effort into raising him as the future clan master.

And Lan Yu himself never disappointed the family's expectations or his own gifts.

He advanced through cultivation, outpacing all his peers, and ultimately stood out in the Divine Thunder Sect's disciple selection, catching the eye of the sect's Supreme Elder, who took him into the "Water Manifestation Peak," making him its True Transmission disciple.

Even on the Second Ladder, he could wield water-based Dao techniques—truly a gift from heaven.

After recalling Lan Yu's identity and history, Yu Ke couldn't help but feel a flood of emotions.

This was the neighbor's kid—high cultivation, rich family, and handsome to boot!

He wondered—

Yu Ke smiled inwardly—would Lan Yu's father one day say, "My son Lan Yu has the potential of an Emperor"?

His reputation was formidable even among the Eight Veins of the inner sect.

Inner and outer disciples alike called Lan Yu:

"The Calm Water Dragon Lord!"

Mainly because he always appeared detached, like a still lake.

Since joining the Divine Thunder Sect, he had never been seen fighting anyone.

Combined with the legend of his being the reincarnated Dragon Lord of Tangyang Lake, the title stuck.

Among Great Zhou's outer disciples, Lan Yu's fame ranked second only to the "Double-Pupiled One," Li Qingshui.

That such a noble, exalted True Transmission disciple would appear here was indeed surprising.

Yu Ke did not delay:

"So you're Brother Lan—I've heard your name reverberate far and wide!"

"Greetings, Brother Lan."

Beside him, Pang He sneered:

"Brother Yu, you've got quite the airs—making Brother Lan wait so long."

Xie Wanwan, hearing this, hurried to explain:

"It's not Brother Yu's fault—I notified him too late!"

The gap in status and position between them and Lan Yu was simply too vast.

Xie Wanwan didn't want Yu Ke to leave a bad impression.

Beside Lan Yu sat a woman, directly across from Xie Wanwan.

She was petite, dressed in a pale purple palace gown, with delicate features and curious eyes that scanned Yu Ke up and down—adorable in appearance.

On Xie Wanwan's other side were two men, both powerfully built, clad in leather armor, their thick arms exposed, square-faced with bushy brows and large eyes, their features strikingly similar.

They must be brothers!

At this moment, both looked tense.

The reason was simple.

Directly across from them sat the "Calm Water Dragon Lord," Lan Yu.

They seemed frightened, instinctively lowering their heads.

Not just them—even Xie Wanwan and the others clearly kept their distance from Lan Yu.

As soon as Pang He spoke,

only Xie Wanwan looked anxious.

Yu Ke hadn't arrived late on purpose—he simply didn't know the way well.

Lan Yu turned his gaze toward him, his slightly vertical pupils radiating immense pressure.

Yu Ke noticed Pang He's smug, gleeful expression.

The palace-gowned woman's curious gaze.

The tense faces of the two muscular men.

Xie Wanwan's anxious expression.

Yu Ke smiled faintly:

"I think Brother Lan wouldn't mind."

(End of Chapter)