[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dragon-lies-hidden":3,"chapter-the-dragon-lies-hidden-the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-978":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},2290276,4477,"Chapter 978","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-978",978,"\u003Cp>As expected, over seventy percent of the cultivators in this Dao Foundation Ceremony chose to cultivate the Moon Dance Dao Embryo, all drawn by the prospect of that single Golden Core, clinging to a sliver of hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how hard the instructors pleaded, most cultivators refused to turn back, stubbornly determined to fight the Moon Dance Dao Embryo to the end. But the Moon Dance Dao Embryo was only slightly inferior to ordinary Foundation Establishment templates, and its threshold was far higher than other templates—this alone blocked the vast majority of cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, when high-tier templates proved unworkable, cultivators would switch to easier ones. But this time was different: miss the Moon Dance Dao Embryo, and you missed the Manifestation entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan didn’t know where this reasoning came from—a fifty percent chance was called a glimmer of hope, a one-in-ten-thousand chance was also called a glimmer of hope, yet the gap between these two “glimmers” was enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, after relentless persuasion from the instructors, only a small fraction chose other templates; most of the failures opted to try again next year, determined to battle the Moon Dance Dao Embryo once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the success rate of this year’s Dao Foundation Ceremony dropped noticeably compared to last year’s, but with the larger base, miracles still occurred—over forty people successfully cultivated a Moon Dance Dao Embryo of Earth Rank or higher. According to predicted success rates, decades later, Qingming would gain over twenty Water Manifestations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this ceremony, the Heavenly Sword Immortal of Tianyi rose to great fame, overshadowing Wei Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where there is joy, there is sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the ceremony ended and the crowd gradually dispersed, Xiang Xiaoyu stood by the window, motionless for a long time. The warm glow of the setting sun painted him in a soft amber hue, shining deep into his clear, lake-like eyes—warm, lonely, desolate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Xiang Xiaoyu finally understood what it meant to be past one’s prime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lesser Yang Star Lord appeared beside Xiang Xiaoyu, watching the dispersing cultivators, and said: “So, are you already discouraged?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Xiaoyu sighed lightly: “I already felt guilty. I can’t even fight her. This fortune was never mine to begin with—I was just greedy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lesser Yang Star Lord said: “Now that you know the benefits of fortune, why would you give it up so easily?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Xiaoyu was startled: “You mean I should fight for it again? How? You can’t even beat her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lesser Yang Star Lord’s voice rose sharply: “That’s only because she has a physical form in this realm, while I’m merely a Manifestation! And why is my Manifestation so weak? My Dao power is as vast as the ocean—why can I only manifest so little?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Xiaoyu hadn’t expected to ignite the fire on himself, and under the Lesser Yang Star Lord’s scolding, he had no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lesser Yang Star Lord’s expression hardened: “Even Sister Taiyin cannot easily overshadow me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lesser Yang Star Lord extended his hand, and above his palm floated a bright yellow-red pearl, slowly rotating, radiating an endless, life-giving aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This pearl resembled the Wan Hua Golden Core by seven-tenths, except one was Taiyin, the other Lesser Yang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is this?” Xiang Xiaoyu asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the Manifestation I’ve deduced, embodying the true Dao essence of Lesser Yang: ‘the initial stir of yang, ceaseless life.’ It may be named: Ten Thousand Things Born!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Xiaoyu was stunned—he realized the Lesser Yang Star Lord had resolved to use his true strength and directly challenge Taiyin for fortune. But… could he win?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Xiang Xiaoyu could ask, the Lesser Yang Star Lord continued: “This Manifestation Yang Core will have a lower threshold than the Wan Hua Golden Core, but my understanding of the Foundation Establishment portion is still incomplete. For now, you must live among the mortal world’s bustle—we’ll work together to perfect the prerequisite Dao Foundation. We have little time: mid-March to early April is the optimal window to unveil ‘Ten Thousand Things Born.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Xiang Xiaoyu immediately felt the pressure of time—he forgot his melancholy and plunged straight into the bustle of the mortal world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third year of Hongjing, the brief war between Qingming and Zhao Guo ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>King Li Shenji of Zhao proclaimed victory to the realm: Qingming had withdrawn from Zhao territory, paid reparations, and ceded three counties as minor punishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, recognizing Qingming’s valor in resisting barbarians and its heavy losses, King Li Shenji granted Qingming merchant caravans free passage through Zhao territory to facilitate trade, established seven mutual market ports, and promised never to blockade them, as a reward for their defense against the barbarians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial edict did not specify the locations of the three counties, yet there was indeed a ceremony where Wei Yuan formally transferred them; anyone attempting divination on this matter would receive the official outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Ji Liuli, a master of heavenly fate arts, deception in divination was trivial. Wei Yuan first seized three counties in Yuyang Commandery, completed the full occupation ritual, then “ceded” them to Zhao. The heavenly fate divination thus recorded Qingming ceding three counties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one still refused to accept this and looked further back in divination, one might eventually trace it to Wei Yuan himself—then even Yu Jing would find the trail vanish without result.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Wei Yuan, seven open trade ports stretching across Zhao Guo’s northwestern border meant the gates were wide open. King Zhao also added two extra commanderies outside Yuyang to cultivate red-stemmed cotton, as compensation to Wei Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>",933,"2026-06-20T03:38:38.899Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c055f512662fcb922ec7b402c25d3acdf7dbf29825a2c7dbee691a2116aafde2","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-979","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-977",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-lies-hidden-cover.jpg"]