[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dragon-lies-hidden":3,"chapter-the-dragon-lies-hidden-the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-39":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},2289337,4477,"Chapter 39: Unshackled","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-39",39,"\u003Cp>The Council Hall stood beside the Qisi Hall, built against the mountain, quiet and serene, serving as the place where instructors handled their teaching duties. Inside the Council Hall were over a dozen small, secluded courtyards, each arranged in a distinct style, designated for instructors to prepare lessons and manage student affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan followed Ji Liuli to the instructors’ Council Hall, where she walked to a small courtyard, removed the plaque reading “Xu Henshui” from the door, and stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Xiang Weiyuan became even more certain that Xu Henshui was his instructor—yet he could not fathom who this Senior Sister Liuli was, to behave so frivolously even in something as important as centralized instruction. Still, frivolous as she was, she possessed real ability; the fact that she could toss Xu Henshui out past the mountain gate spoke volumes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtyard was elegantly arranged, with a clump of orchids planted in the corner; Xiang Weiyuan did not know the variety, only that they were beautiful and fragrant. On the stone table stood a set of exquisite tea ware, and every room was tastefully furnished. Many objects bore orchid motifs—clearly Xu Henshui’s personal belongings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Liuli acted as if she were in her own home, rummaging through everything without the slightest restraint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She opened a can of tea marked with orchids, brewed it in a pot bearing the same motif, poured three cups into cups also adorned with orchids, then drank them all in three gulps, exhaling deeply as the entire room filled with fragrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine tea!” Ji Liuli praised, then turned to Xiang Weiyuan. “But there isn’t much left, and you wouldn’t appreciate it anyway—I won’t give you any.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She dragged out a large barrel and placed it in the center of the room. Pointing at it, she caused half the barrel to instantly fill with clear water. She withdrew a small vial and dropped a single drop of emerald-green liquid into the barrel; the entire contents turned a blue-green hue and began steaming vigorously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take off your clothes and get in,” Ji Liuli said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan was stunned, his face flushing crimson. He fidgeted nervously. “This….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though only six years old, he had been precocious from birth and grown rapidly; now he looked like a boy of ten or eleven. To strip naked before a strange woman was deeply embarrassing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Liuli had no patience for his hesitation. She grabbed him, stripped him clean in three swift motions, gave his buttocks a sharp slap, and tossed him into the barrel. “You haven’t even grown hair yet—what’s there to be shy about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tossed him into the barrel, recited a few lines of incantation for him to follow, then pulled over a chair, sat beside the barrel, propped her legs on its edge, and began reading calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The water in the barrel alternated between freezing and scalding—hot as boiling water, cold as the depths of winter. Xiang Weiyuan curled into a ball, not from the temperature, but because Senior Sister Liuli sat right beside him, looking down with a gaze that saw everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t seem to read attentively; her eyes kept sweeping over him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The icy-fire ordeal inside the barrel was unbearable. Xiang Weiyuan had no choice but to set aside all distractions and focus on his cultivation. As he channeled the method, a faint chill seeped into his body; the extremes of heat and cold grew bearable, and he gradually slipped into a state of oneness with the Dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An hour passed. Suddenly, Xiang Weiyuan awoke from meditation to find the water in the barrel turned purple-black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Liuli set down her book. “Get out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan hesitated. Go out like this? But seeing him motionless, Ji Liuli grabbed him by the arm, dragged him out, and set him before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing naked, Xiang Weiyuan wanted to close his eyes or look up at the ceiling—but that would seem too deliberate. He forced himself to remain calm, staring straight ahead, motionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Senior Sister Liuli’s pupils glowed with a pale golden light. Instantly, Xiang Weiyuan felt every inch of his body—inside and out—laid bare, with not a single secret left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She circled him several times, examining him thoroughly, occasionally pinching his tendons and bones, then returned to her desk and wrote out a prescription.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing, she pondered a moment, removed three ingredients, added one more, then went to the medicine cabinet against the wall and gathered the exact herbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cabinet bore an orchid motif as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the herbs assembled, Ji Liuli produced a tiny alchemical furnace, tossed the ingredients inside, and released blue flames from her palm. After a brief refinement, she produced a batch of powdered medicine. She replaced the water in the barrel with fresh water, then stirred in the powder; the entire barrel turned orange-yellow and radiated a bone-chilling cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Xiang Weiyuan had learned his lesson. The moment Ji Liuli pointed, he obediently jumped in. Again he channeled the method, absorbing the medicinal essence. An hour later, the water turned clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After two medicinal baths, Xiang Weiyuan felt his body noticeably lighter and clearer, as if he had been carrying a burden of dozens of jin without realizing it—and only now, with the weight gone, did he truly feel the ease of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough. Get out,” Ji Liuli said, tossing his clothes to him. “The records say your root quality measured seven chi nine during the Dao Assessment. But I just examined you—your root quality is nearly nine chi, though somewhat insubstantial. Have you taken any treasure that improved your foundation recently?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan replied, “Grandmaster Fenhai bestowed upon me three Chonglou Dinghai Pills. I’ve just taken one, and still have two left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Liuli nodded. “Chonglou Dinghai Pills are top-tier for expanding one’s foundation. It seems Grandmaster Fenhai holds you in high regard—he’s truly generous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan added, “My Master also gave me three Dixin Pills—I’ve already taken them all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dixin Pills?!” Ji Liuli’s expression changed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lifted his chin with her hand, studied him closely, then said, “You’re lucky to have such a good Master—but your Master’s luck is poor indeed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan was utterly confused, unable to grasp her meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Liuli seemed lost in thought, then spoke: “‘Forging the Body’ means preparing a raw material for your Dao foundation. The larger and purer the material, the better the foundation. To forge a celestial-grade Dao foundation, the demands on the material are unimaginable. The two essential methods during forging are accumulation and refinement. Right now, I’m repairing and polishing your foundation—removing excess, filling deficiencies—this is refinement. For the next three months, after every one of my classes, come here to the Council Hall to refine your foundation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least it’s only three months…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xiang Weiyuan turned to leave, Ji Liuli called him back. Her expression was complex. “Your Master is a man obsessed with face, and he’s terrible with words. When you become accomplished in your cultivation… remember to treat your Master well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan was even more baffled. He wanted to ask for clarification, but Ji Liuli shooed him out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1189,"2026-06-20T03:38:27.933Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","756b9db0c02c453faecde027731b20e2176bfa28774ded46eb95bfde711877f4","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-40","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-38",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-lies-hidden-cover.jpg"]