[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dragon-lies-hidden":3,"chapter-the-dragon-lies-hidden-the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-20":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},2289318,4477,"Chapter 20: You Almost Hurt Me","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-20",20,"\u003Cp>The young cultivator crept close to Daoist Fufeng and whispered, “Daoist Fufeng, I’ve done nothing to offend you, and neither has the Bao family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daoist Fufeng coughed a few times and evaded the question, saying, “Stay calm, you’ll see soon enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young cultivator fidgeted restlessly, watching Wei Yuan head north. The two Confucians, however, were pleasantly surprised, choosing to ignore Wei Yuan’s sudden display of fortune technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every noble family possesses fortune techniques; among them, the Bao family’s “Forget the Years” is especially famed, allowing Bao Yun’s strength to surge instantly. Since Li Zhi has secured a place in the Four Sacred Academies, he must know the “Xing Li Chapter.” Not just Li Zhi and Bao Yun—many aristocratic youths in the arena also possess fortune techniques. If one were to count them strictly, there might be twenty or thirty. So the judges all understood: this matter could not be investigated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the northern central command, the girl in pale yellow robes studied the sand table, calculated the time, and said, “If Li Zhi doesn’t arrive within a quarter-hour, we strike!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before her words had faded, several grains of sand suddenly tumbled from the small hills on the sand table before her!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl lifted her head and said calmly, “Li Zhi has some ability after all—he’s come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone around the girl turned southward, all composed and unruffled, showing no fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Li Zhi, who only began gathering his core group after entering the dormitory, these people had already linked up before the unified examination. They firmly trusted Bao Yun—she had sent her flanks out to force Li Zhi’s main force into open battle, aiming to end it in one decisive clash so they could finish early and return to drink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After gazing for a moment, what appeared at the horizon was not a yellow-armored army, but a moving mountain of flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan rode his boar up a small hill, standing high, gazing at the neatly arranged formation ahead—his eyes saw only the blue armor. In the illusion, every participant’s weapon and armor was automatically colored, making faction identification impossible to confuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the blue-armored formation also saw Wei Yuan’s heavy yellow armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bao Yun stared in shock at Wei Yuan and asked, “Who is this man?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone shook their heads in confusion—they knew all of Li Zhi’s key commanders before the martial test, but none recognized this boar-riding stranger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they hesitated, Wei Yuan pressed forward. Gazing at the disciplined formation before him, a strand of black silk slithered back into the boar’s body. The boar’s size swelled several times, its nostrils spewing white breath faster and faster, coalescing into a thick cloud that enveloped Wei Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan’s will shifted—he raised his spear forward. The boar let out a deafening roar that echoed throughout the illusion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crimson spread rapidly along the boar’s two tusks; the white breath it exhaled now tinged red. It lowered its head and charged the formation, wrapped in swirling clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The formation had been perfectly ordered, its soldiers confident. But this formation was meant to counter Li Zhi’s full assault—not a mountain-sized boar. When a ten-thousand-pound boar charged straight at them at full speed, they finally felt fear—it was beyond human resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men in the front center dropped their weapons and turned to flee; those behind them, caught off-guard, tried to escape but were too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boar crashed into the formation, its tusks, several feet long, speared upward and flung several men into the air. Before they could struggle, flashes of spear shadows appeared—and they dissolved into light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The formation, prepared to repel Li Zhi’s full-scale charge, was pierced through by Wei Yuan’s single charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After breaking through, Wei Yuan squeezed his thighs. The boar planted its hooves firmly, yet its momentum carried it another dozen zhang forward, hooves scorching the earth until it finally turned around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now a wide channel had been carved through the center of the blue-armored formation, and several white lights rose from the soil in succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several youths surged from beside Bao Yun, rushing toward Wei Yuan. One shouted, “Don’t fear! First, destroy that beast together!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of the youths glowed faintly, moving like lightning—clearly all possessed fortune techniques. The boar had just twisted its massive body around and hadn’t yet gathered momentum when the youths reached them. They leapt into the air, weapons aimed at the boar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both sides now activated fortune techniques. Wei Yuan’s spiritual sense stirred—he sensed the fortune energy on them. In the resonance of fortune, the three youths before him appeared like candles in the wind: small, weak. To Wei Yuan, their movements slowed to snail’s pace; suspended mid-air, unable to dodge or evade—they were perfect targets. He thrust his spear—once, one; once, another. In an instant, all the youths dissolved into light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan slowly retracted his spear, his gaze falling on the remnants of the formation. The blue-armored candidates, seeing him look their way, suddenly broke and scattered in flight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan looked up and saw the boy and girl standing atop the slope. He raised his spear, pointing it straight at the girl in the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impudent!” A dashing youth beside the girl exploded in fury, stepping forward and barking, “I’ll teach him manners!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bao Yun softly said, “Xu brother, be careful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth sneered, “No need! Just a barbarian—easily caught!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth clearly possessed a fortune technique—purple flames ignited in his eyes, then surged over his body, multiplying his speed severalfold. He became a purple fire dragon racing toward Wei Yuan, then leapt into the air, shouting, “Barbarian, face my sword!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan watched the purple flame youth crawl slowly through the air and thrust his spear straight at his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth leapt several zhang high, his sword like a cold star—yet before its tip could reach Wei Yuan’s throat, it could advance no further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth slowly looked down and saw Wei Yuan’s spear had already pierced his chest, two horizontal prongs locking his body in place, preventing him from advancing. He strained to extend his arm, but his three-chi sword only moved two cun forward—no matter how hard he tried, he could not touch Wei Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan swung his great spear in a full circle and hurled it with force. The youth flew like a meteor into the group atop the slope, and three white lights rose simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl sighed softly, lifted her long sword with both small hands, and prepared to step forward herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the boy behind her, holding a sword in his arms, his beauty matching hers, gripped her wrist and said, “It seems Xu brother isn’t up to the task.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl said, “But Xu brother tried his best! It’s fine—I’ll handle it myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She struggled twice, but could not break free. The boy held her firmly, smiling faintly, “Your Xu brother truly is brave. But fighting and killing aren’t his style—I’ll handle it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, I can too!” The girl strained forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need for you.” The boy pulled her behind him and said, “Using your Xu brother’s words: just a barbarian—easily caught.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy drew his sword, clear qi rising around him like an immortal child, moving calmly and unhurriedly toward Wei Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl watched his back and suddenly called out, “Xiaoyu… brother, be careful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy laughed heartily—his clear qi surged three chi higher, his sword pointed at Wei Yuan, and he cried, “Three Thousand Lotus!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan’s vision blurred—he lost sight of the boy, replaced only by countless blue lotus flowers. The blue lotuses shot like lightning, slamming into Wei Yuan’s body, triggering a storm of blue fire. He had no time to block—how many blades struck him in that instant?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive light rose. Amid the blue fire rain, the boar dissolved into light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lotuses vanished. The boy reappeared, floating before Wei Yuan, sword cradled in his arms, eyes clear, gazing far into the sky—there was no trace of Wei Yuan in them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy’s soft, gentle voice spoke: “Given you endured my Three Thousand Lotus without collapsing immediately, if your score is poor after the exam, I’ll grant you a blessed land slot. Now, rest easy and go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy closed his eyes slightly, waited a few breaths, then opened them—and saw Wei Yuan still standing where he was, not dissolved into light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan looked down at himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heavy armor was now covered in countless pinhead-sized dents and shallow scratches—all left by that single technique, Three Thousand Lotus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan estimated the size and depth of the dents and scratches, and said sincerely, “You almost hurt me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy’s face grew paler, his long hair drifting slowly, his lips involuntarily trembling, the color draining from them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1463,"2026-06-20T03:38:27.933Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e86f6e7a4fd9fe3ac56df710177de012b2397d2a4f8fd5078c7171e3df40d117","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-21","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-19",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-lies-hidden-cover.jpg"]