Chapter 606: Unraveling the Cocoon: The Common-Realm Sphere

Whoosh~~

The night wind howled, stars dotted the sky, and inside the Eight Directions Temple, just as in the outside world, a great moon hung high.

At the foot of Eight Directions Mountain, by the bonfire, Pang Pang Wenlong, Daoist Yuan Qing, Grand Master Master Dading, Fang Fang Sanyun, and others sat cross-legged, some frowning, some with grave faces, the atmosphere oppressive.

The instant Li Yuan stepped into the Eight Directions Temple, everyone's gaze had already swept over in unison.

"Just as we were talking about you, you arrived."

Pang Pang Wenlong laughed once, beckoning Li Yuan over: "Regarding that Yellow Dragon Son and the Poison Dragon Academy, what do you think? Speak up."

His voice was not loud, yet Li Yuan's heart suddenly steadied considerably, but he did not rush to answer, instead asking back:

"What do you seniors think?"

Pang Pang Wenlong did not answer either, merely looking toward the other Grand Masters present:

"Since young Li has asked, you might as well speak your minds."

"This…"

Long Long Yingchan's expression tightened slightly, but he did not speak; the rest exchanged glances, all somewhat ill at ease.

'There's disagreement?'

The thought flashed through Li Yuan's mind, and he had already caught on.

He could depart this realm for Tian Shi Yuan at any time, so the words of the Yellow Dragon Son had not stirred much in him, but for these Dao Lords it was a different matter.

Compared to him going alone to Tian Shi Yuan to seek the Po Fa Jie Zhi Fa, clearly the Yellow Dragon Son's proposal could move them more; as for the point of disagreement…

His peripheral gaze swept over Pang Pang Wenlong. This Great Fortune Ancestral Founder wore a faint smile on his face, but his eyes were deep and still as the sea, impossible to fathom his true thoughts.

"What's there that can't be said?"

After a brief silence, Fang Fang Sanyun frowned with some impatience:

"Fang Mou believes it worth a try. If young friend Li truly can enter the Poison Dragon Academy, that would be a great blessing for us. Young friend Li need not go alone into You Jing, and we could also avoid this Calamity of the Sun!"

Saying this, he cast a covert glance at Pang Pang Wenlong and added: "Of course, that depends on meeting that Yellow Dragon Son first."

Just as I thought…

Li Yuan was not surprised, merely following Pang Pang Wenlong's gaze toward the other Dao Lords.

"What do you think?"

Pang Pang Wenlong neither agreed nor disagreed.

"What Dao Lord Fang says is not without reason."

Grand Master Master Dading pressed his palms together in agreement, looking at Pang Pang Wenlong, his expression solemn:

"You Jing is bizarre and dangerous. Even though young Li has Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing at his side, he could very well be lost within. Even if his journey goes smoothly all the way to Tian Shi Yuan, whether he can find a method to break the Calamity of the Sun within mere decades is hard to say, isn't it?"

Saying this, Grand Master Master Dading sighed:

"This little monk is no coward who fears death, but this concerns the inheritance of his disciples, truly…"

He wished to explain something, but Pang Pang Wenlong did not look at him, instead turning his gaze to Daoist Yuan Qing, Long Long Yingchan, and even Zhou Ying, who sat cross-legged in meditation not far away.

Zhou Ying, who had long been neither alive nor dead, had little interest in the others' discussion, most of his attention fixed on the Eight Directions Diagram on the mountainside; only upon seeing Li Yuan did he cast a few glances his way.

"Between life and death there is indeed great terror; even we cannot escape such worldly feelings."

Patting Yun Yun Xianyu, who clung tightly to his arm, Daoist Yuan Qing sighed and looked at Fang Fang Sanyun:

"This poor Daoist will take it on faith that the Yellow Dragon Son is sincere. Young friend Li's talent indeed surpasses our imagination, enough to draw that Poison Dragon God. But after it comes, then what?"

Fang Fang Sanyun's brows furrowed.

"As that spirit tortoise said, the Poison Dragon God is rumored to be a Starry-Sky Poison Dragon who entered the Dao—violent and cruel, a peerless fierce god who attained the Dao by slaughtering many realms. Dare you gamble that He will show great mercy?"

Daoist Yuan Qing raised his eyes toward Eight Directions Mountain under the night sky; through the mist the little temple could faintly be seen:

"Young friend Li's divine-demonic talent is rare under heaven, but the weight of this Eight Directions Temple is clearly far heavier, isn't it?"

"I…"

Fang Fang Sanyun's face darkened.

"Admittedly, that Chi He Lian says this Poison Dragon God has long since shed all worldly dust and is no longer fierce and violent, but as a disciple of the Poison Dragon Academy, how much of what she says can be trusted?" "…You're right, this is Fang Mou's oversight."

Fang Fang Sanyun heaved a long sigh.

How could he not understand this reasoning? It was simply that Li Yuan going alone to seek the Po Fa Jie Zhi Fa was far too uncertain.

"It's not that you failed to think it through, but that concern has muddled your judgment."

Pang Pang Wenlong glanced at Daoist Yuan Qing, inwardly somewhat approving: "Yuan Qing speaks well. Such a great matter truly cannot be tied to a single thought of an evil god."

"Why does Dao Lord Long not speak?"

At this moment, Grand Master Master Dading spoke, and everyone's gaze fell upon Long Long Yingchan. The latter started, the fingers pinching his long brow tightening slightly, then he sighed:

"I know too little; it is truly hard to decide."

The words he had relayed had already stirred ripples; as one who had experienced it firsthand, Long Long Yingchan had far more to consider.

"Whether Tian Shi Yuan or the Poison Dragon Academy, our understanding of the two is only the scraps from that spirit tortoise and Chi He Lian's mouths…"

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Saying this, Long Long Yingchan also sighed:

"Knowing oneself but not the other, no matter how one decides, it feels like… a gamble!"

"This…"

By the bonfire, everyone fell silent. Only Grand Master Master Dading's lips moved slightly—those words were clearly meant for him.

'Dao Lord Long is still the steady one.'

Li Yuan nodded inwardly. Daoist Yuan Qing and Long Long Yingchan's words had finally struck his heart.

He bore no grudge against the Poison Dragon Academy; if it truly could resolve this Calamity of the Sun, he would have no objection whatsoever to entering the Poison Dragon Academy.

But he could not make a decision while only half-understanding the latter.

When the enemy is strong and we are weak, and there are heavy treasures nearby, this kind of situation is one only those gambling maniacs of the Xinyi Sect would dare to bet on; he has always been one to politely decline.

"Young Li, what do you think?"

Pang Pang Wenlong spoke up to break the silence, drawing everyone's gaze onto Li Yuan.

"The elders here have already thought things through quite thoroughly…"

Li Yuan bowed respectfully, paused to consider for a moment, then said:

"Senior Yuan Qing and my own Sect Master are right—what we know of Tian Shi Yuan and the Poison Dragon Academy is far too little. Any decision made without intelligence to back it up is no different from a gamble, and that won't do."

"…"

Feeling the half-hidden glances from the others, Grand Master Master Dading could not help but press his palms together and softly chant a Buddha's name.

"Still, what Daoist Fang and Master Master Dading said is not entirely without reason either. You Jing is perilous, Tian Shi Yuan is vast and boundless—to find the Po Fa Jie Zhi Fa in just a few short decades is indeed a faint hope."

Li Yuan weighed his words carefully, though inwardly he could not help but sigh.

This kind of troublesome matter, given his temperament, he should run from as far as possible, but there was no helping it—there was still Second Brother and his family, Old Long Head, Old Han, Old Lei, Senior Sister Fang, Ba Wan Li…

'No wonder the sages of the previous life all valued stepping out of the world…'

"You really won't offend anyone!"

Pang Pang Wenlong was left speechless. The other several Grand Masters either shook their heads or chuckled, and the Solemn atmosphere was broken a little.

"This junior believes that before any decision is made, we should still gather as much intelligence as possible on the Poison Dragon Academy, and even on Tian Shi Yuan."

Li Yuan had his thoughts prepared; while the others had been talking, he had already been mulling it over in his heart.

"Hm?"

By the bonfire, the several Sect Masters and Gate Leaders exchanged glances: "How do you intend to gather intelligence?"

"The Common Lore Sphere!"

(End of chapter)