[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dragon-lies-hidden":3,"chapter-the-dragon-lies-hidden-the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-110":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Dragon Lies Hidden",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2289408,4477,"Chapter 110: Treat Me as If I Don","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-110",110,"\u003Cp>Passing through the front hall, Wei Yuan walked toward the main hall. The main hall stood ten zhang tall, its top half collapsed, making it highly conspicuous nearby. The distance from front hall to main hall was fully five li; Wei Yuan and Xu Wan’er felt nothing, but Xu Wenwu groaned with every step up the slope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main hall’s door still stood, but only half remained intact; the other half lay shattered on the ground. Entering the hall, Wei Yuan’s vision darkened. Inside, it was deeply shadowed—no candles, no lamps—only faint light seeped through the broken ceiling. The sun’s rays were blocked by the central peak; the hall felt especially grim, and anything beyond a short distance vanished into darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air reeked of damp decay, yet Wei Yuan sensed no living qi—not even the insects ubiquitous in the Witch Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the far end of the hall stood a statue, reduced to less than half its height; everything above the knees had shattered into fragments scattered across the floor. The statue was carved from stone—not a single block, but assembled from dozens of pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This statue stood over four zhang tall. In Immortal terms, finding a single stone several zhang in size posed no difficulty—ten zhang wouldn’t be hard either, and carving it even easier. The Lan Divine Palace had, generation after generation, produced powerful Law-Form cultivators. How could its main deity statue be so shabby? At least ten zhang would’ve been fitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On either side of the hall stood eight statues each, about one zhang tall. Now, save for one, all had been smashed, leaving only empty pedestals. The surviving statue stood in the corner—a woman, exquisitely alluring, even now covered in moss, still radiating a faint charm. Yet her features bore a resemblance to the woman entwined by the giant serpent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from the statues showing no blood, the hall matched exactly the illusion Wei Yuan had encountered when he met the red-clad woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan suddenly stirred, slowly turning to see the red-clad woman’s figure step out from Xu Wan’er’s body, bowing to him: “Your humble servant, Yun Feifei, greets you, Senior Brother. May I ask your name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan said: “You don’t know who I am?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-clad woman’s form had now solidified, indistinguishable from a living person. Beside them, Xu Wenwu stared, eyes wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Wei Yuan’s tone was hostile, she showed no anger, instead speaking softly: “I only knew a Taichu Palace Senior Brother would come—I didn’t know which one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then how do you know I’m from Taichu Palace?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have a few minor arts, too crude to mention.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Face to face now, Wei Yuan sensed the thick incense and devotional power clinging to her. He suspected she’d used devotional divination to learn his origin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan cut straight to the point: “Where’s the opportunity?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I reach Taichu Palace and meet the Immortal Lord, I’ll present the opportunity with both hands. This matter is too grave to disclose now. Senior Brother need only escort me to Taichu Palace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan frowned slightly: “Aren’t you accompanied by other Senior Brothers and Sisters? Where are they? And who’s hunting you? Who are the dangerous ones?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The hunters are mostly from the Witch Clan, led by a Great Witch skilled in blood curses—extremely formidable. I accidentally caught a sliver of the curse, and these past days have been torment. As long as I leave the Lan Divine Palace by a thousand li, he’ll sense me. That’s why I dared not move until you arrived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Witch Clan Great Witch was equivalent to a Human Law-Form True Person. No wonder Yun Feifei, capable of harming Law-Form cultivators, had to hide, afraid to show herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Senior Brother and Younger Brother are here too—they’ve protected me all this time. I beg you to take them along, but once we leave Witch Clan territory, just deliver them to Hanyang Pass. There’s also my Third Senior Sister—I fought beside her that day, and we barely escaped alive. She should’ve crossed Hanyang Pass by now. Only four of us remain in the entire Lan Divine Palace.” At this, the red-clad woman’s eyes welled with tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wei Yuan remained unmoved, coldly saying: “Still refusing to show your true face? Testing me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-clad woman spoke gently: “How would your humble sister dare?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether she dared or not, Wei Yuan had no intention of playing her game. Incense and divine paths held many strange arts; Yun Feifei was clearly a tricky opponent. But Wei Yuan now possessed numerous Immortal Lord techniques—he felt no fear. His spiritual sense scanned the array plate: within the hall alone, several karmic light points glowed, the largest directly beneath his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Yun Feifei had revealed herself, she could not escape the Immortal Lord’s karmic tracing—all nearby karmic entanglements were exposed. Wei Yuan let out a cold laugh, ignored Yun Feifei, and walked straight toward the shattered main statue. A light point glowed near its left foot—not the largest, but unmistakable. He decided to test Yun Feifei with it first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The karmic point beneath the main hall was the largest, yet the moment Wei Yuan thought of it, a chill ran down his spine—he instinctively avoided it. Combined with the results of his previous divination, he had to be extra cautious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yun Feifei’s expression changed instantly: “S-Senior Brother! What are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You tell me.” Wei Yuan stepped before the statue’s remains and slashed its left foot with his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The left foot appeared to be a natural stone block—but inside lay a hollow. When he cut it open, a jade statue, a foot long, rolled out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan caught the jade statue and examined it. It was entirely emerald green, depicting a woman entwined by a giant serpent. The serpent’s mouth held a token, an inch long. The token’s carving was exquisitely detailed, pulsing with a vibrant Dao rhythm—its rank exceedingly high. Only now, separated from the statue’s foot, did the jade emit its Dao rhythm; before, no matter how often Wei Yuan scanned it with his spiritual sense, he’d perceived only solid stone with nothing inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his first visit to the main hall, Wei Yuan had scanned the entire hall with his spiritual sense. He’d glanced once at the two broken statues and assumed they were harmless—never checked again. Now he recalled: he’d been subtly influenced by incense and devotional power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the Immortal Lord’s techniques overpowered all illusions, forcing the token to reveal itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yun Feifei’s face lit with delight: “So the token was hidden here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her delight seemed genuine—but Wei Yuan had caught the instant shift in her expression when he walked toward the statue. He smiled and asked: “What use does this token serve?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Yun Feifei could answer, her face twisted in shock. Without another word, she bolted straight out through the hall’s collapsed gap—clearly startled, furious, and panicked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wan’er moved to follow, then glanced back at Wei Yuan, hesitating, waiting for his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan sneered inwardly. Yun Feifei was still pretending. Since entering the Broken Realm, every person he’d met was an actor—none were straightforward. He’d seen not one honest soul. He called to Xu Wan’er, followed Yun Feifei’s trail through the hall’s breach, and arrived before a roofless ruin. Both Wei Yuan and Xu Wan’er were Foundation Establishment cultivators—their movements swift as lightning. In an instant, they vanished. The grim hall was left with only Xu Wenwu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wenwu glanced around, the shadows growing ever more sinister. Countless eyes seemed to watch him from the dark. A high female voice hummed faintly in the air. A cold breath brushed the back of his neck. The cold deepened. The darkness began to writhe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d read the tale of the giant serpent scholar and the seven ladies—he’d once found it thrilling. Now, recalling it, the feeling turned entirely different. Especially the goddess statue’s face, nearly identical to the woman carved on the front hall’s relief, now smiling directly at him. Xu Wenwu’s entire body chilled—he felt the woman coveted his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His limbs turned weak, his knees trembling. He realized this world was perilous—and achieving dominance would demand extraordinary effort. Back in his old world, he’d long stopped wanting to strive… but never had the chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, it was Wei Yuan who would dominate—not Xu Wenwu. Xu Wenwu knew his place well: he was a ministerial talent, not an emperor. He had no grand ambition. When Wei Yuan ruled the world, Xu Wenwu only wished to be granted a fief as a peer of the realm. This world was vast—he didn’t crave much. A fertile territory of seven or eight thousand li would suffice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once granted a fief, standing second to one, above ten thousand, he’d be busy. Xu Wenwu had plans: he’d build wine pools and meat forests, leopard pavilions and bathing pools. Between daily court affairs, he’d need spiritual nourishment too—he’d gather hundreds of scholars, lock them in pavilions, and force them to write tales. Those who wrote well would be rewarded; those who didn’t would be locked in dark rooms, drinking plain water. Xu Wenwu believed any writer, starved three days, would have inspiration flood forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Xu Wenwu felt less afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan pushed open the door and entered the ruin. Inside stood a bed, upon which lay a woman, eyes closed, face pale, her skin faintly veined with dark green qi. Her clothes were half-unfastened; her outer skirt had been pulled down to her ankles, revealing two smooth, snow-white legs. Her chest exposed a patch of pale skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Wei Yuan saw her, he recognized her as Yun Feifei’s true body by her Primordial Spirit’s aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two men were in the room. One, around thirty, had a cruel, sinister expression; he held a flying dagger, its blade slick with blood. In the corner stood a young cultivator, handsome and refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young cultivator pressed his abdomen, blood seeping steadily between his fingers, voice trembling: “Senior Brother! Why did you do this to me?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-clad woman, seeing the half-naked woman, turned icy: “What are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother looked at the red-clad woman, his gaze softening into bitter sorrow: “Feifei, I’ve watched you grow since childhood. After you came of age, we loved each other. Our Master intended to unite us—until… until Younger Brother arrived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-clad woman said: “I had nothing with Younger Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother suddenly erupted: “You still lie to me! Don’t you think I noticed how your eyes changed toward him over those years? You two always went on missions together, trained together. Eventually, even our Master stopped mentioning us! Everyone wanted you with him! No one helped me! Why? We were together sixteen years—he’s been here mere months!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-clad woman sighed: “Senior Brother, it’s not as you think…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother laughed bitterly: “You still deceive me! I know why—you’re drawn to his family, to his surname Xu! Even our Master is sycophantic, eager to cling to the Xu family!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Younger Brother’s blood flowed faster from his fingers, his breath growing fainter, his panic intensifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, he cried out: “Senior Brother, I only stumbled upon your affair by accident! If you love Senior Sister Yun, I’ll give her to you! I was sent by my family to infiltrate Lan Divine Palace—to steal that artifact. I have no interest in Senior Sister! My family would never let me marry some wild mountain girl! Everything I said to her was just pretense!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother hesitated, suspicious: “Is that true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Younger Brother pleaded: “If I lie, may thunder strike me dead! Senior Brother, I’m badly wounded—please save me! If you spare me, I’ll beg my father to arrange a clan sister for you—let you become a Xu family son-in-law!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother grew more uncertain, glancing between the red-clad woman and the motionless body on the bed: “But I and your Senior Sister…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother, you’ve already acted—there’s no turning back now. Do it fully! Take her body—it’s not a loss. If she’s wise and gives up the old ghost’s secrets, make her a concubine. If she’s not, my family has ways to make her speak—then send her to a brothel or sell her westward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-clad woman flew into rage: “Younger Brother, I gave you my whole heart! Our Master favored you! Is this how you repay us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Younger Brother grew weaker, desperate for healing, snarling: “A wild girl from a backwater sect? Who do you think you are, trying to enter the Xu family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother’s face darkened, but at the red-clad woman’s final words, it turned deathly pale: “Good! Good! You truly favor him! Then I have nothing left to say—today, I’ll fulfill my long-held wish!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped toward the woman on the bed and reached to tear off her clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-clad woman roared: “You seek death!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother sneered, slowly pulling open the woman’s collar: “I’ve already dug up your hidden Soul-Calling Casket. Now, every bit of your devotional power you use diminishes. Still think you can kill me? Try! Too bad the old ghost hoarded secrets and died too soon—if I’d gotten his ‘Seven Stars Reincarnation Body,’ I could’ve made your soul-body solid, and had far more fun!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Wei Yuan could no longer ignore them. He coughed once and said: “All of you—do you treat me as if I don’t exist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother and Younger Brother turned together, staring at Wei Yuan as if seeing a ghost: “Who are you? When did you enter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan fell silent. These two truly had treated him as invisible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2284,"2026-06-20T03:38:27.933Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7fe8b0b7dd27e234df71fadcde728144905bdcc936617f7184f619881978fb36","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-111","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-109",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-lies-hidden-cover.jpg"]