Chapter 40: Dragon-Blooded Overlord Power Fantasy (39)

Jinyue City is not large. Compared to other independent towns, it feels more like a dedicated administrative body established by the Eight Great Sects and the Twelve Minor Sects of the Immortal Alliance. Almost everyone living within its walls consists of disciples from these sects, specifically tasked with handling the chaos caused by demons and monsters wreaking havoc in the mortal realm.

Additionally, alchemists and weapon refiners seeking rare ores or medicinal herbs can submit applications to Jinyue City, which then delegates these tasks down to the Eight Great Sects and the Twelve Minor Sects.

Jinyue City, Four Symbols Bureau.

In the center of the grand hall of the Four Symbols Bureau, a hexagonal crystal pillar standing about six zhang tall slowly rotated. The crystal's surface was segmented into countless tiny screens, with tens of thousands of displays showing either uninhabited mountain ranges or lakes veiled by lush greenery.

Anyone familiar with the geography of the Tianyuan Continent would instantly recognize that all the images displayed on the crystal pillar shared a common characteristic—they were entirely border regions where the mortal realm intersected with the Demon Domain and the Monster Domain.

The largest mirror-like screen displayed the highest peak of the Fallen Mountain Range, the Dragon-Falling Peak.

According to legend, this was once the final resting place of the candle dragon.

Aside from this giant crystal pillar, the Four Symbols Bureau housed various instruments designed to monitor different types of energies, such as the Chaos Orb, which monitored demonic and monstrous aura, and the Eight-Directions Compass, which monitored array reactions.

Although the Four Symbols Bureau was established to monitor the borders of the Three Realms and the seal of the candle dragon, the Three Realms had remained peaceful for thousands of years, and the candle dragon's seal was an event from over ten thousand years ago. No matter how extravagantly ancient texts praised the battle between the Holy Sovereign and the candle dragon tens of thousands of years ago, the chaotic war of the Three Realms had ended less than ten thousand years ago. Compared to the detestable candle dragon, the Demon Domain and the Monster Domain were evidently far more terrifying.

During the chaotic war of the Three Realms back then, the cultivation world lost tens of thousands of Golden Core disciples, thousands of Nascent Soul and Soul Division masters, and even dozens of Tribulation-level powerhouses, all to force the Demon and Monster Domains into signing a non-aggression pact. This pact stipulated that beings at the Soul Division realm and above—demons, monsters, and cultivators alike—could not easily cross the boundaries of the Three Realms, bringing peace to the borders for millennia.

Presently, as Jinyue City was hosting the once-in-a-century Three Thousand Daoist Arts Assembly, only four or five disciples were dozing off at their desks inside the Four Symbols Bureau.

The Four Symbols Bureau was built on a magnificent scale, its interior seemingly boundless. The crystal pillar occupied less than a tenth of the total space, and each mirror surface on the crystal corresponded to at least one Chaos Orb and one Eight-Directions Compass.

The Chaos Orb and the Eight-Directions Compass monitoring the Dragon-Falling Peak had been tossed into the most inconspicuous, dusty corner.

The candle dragon?

To the cultivation world, that seemed like an extremely distant matter.

Sundries were piled haphazardly: old illuminating pearls, unread ancient texts, and long ruler-shaped tools whose uses had been forgotten over thousands of years. Right in this neglected little corner, the Eight-Directions Compass suddenly began to rotate slowly.

The grey, murky Chaos Orb stood right next to the compass, and a faint speck of white light lit up at its very center.

Two disciples on duty in the Four Symbols Bureau walked past this area while stretching lazily.

The disciple on the left suddenly shuddered, stopped in his tracks, and could not help rubbing his eyes. "Did you see the Chaos Orb light up just now?"

The disciple on the right hammered his stiff lower back and said with sleepy eyes, "What? Aren't that compass and orb just sitting there properly?"

"Look—"

He pointed with his finger.

The Eight-Directions Compass obediently rested among the pile of miscellaneous items, motionless.

The faint, firefly-like white light inside the Chaos Orb vanished instantly, as if it had merely been an illusion.

The disciple on the left stared suspiciously at the orb and compass for a long time, but could no longer detect any anomalies.

Perhaps.

He really had just seen things.

"Stop looking, stop looking. This gadget hasn't moved in over ten thousand years. Do you really believe the candle dragon is locked up beneath Dragon-Falling Peak, or the entire Fallen Mountain Range for that matter?"

"If the candle dragon were truly that terrifying, the higher-ups wouldn't just send the few of us to guard the Four Symbols Bureau."

The disciple on the right stretched his left arm straight, grabbed his left wrist with his right hand, and stretched comfortably. "The Three Thousand Daoist Arts Assembly is about to start! Did you know? We might even get to see the Dragon-Wail Sword!!"

Upon hearing the mention of the Dragon-Wail Sword, the disciple on the left also grew interested. "My senior brother sent me a projection—it's a real Dragon-Wail Sword!"

"That girl is amazing! She's practically a walking manual of swordsmanship. Jinyue City's tickets for the finals are completely sold out. If I didn't have to guard the Four Symbols Bureau, I'd want to go to the finals venue and watch too."

As the sound of their conversation faded into the distance, a speck of fluorescent light lit up inside the Chaos Orb they had left far behind. It flickered like an eye observing in secret, and then turned slightly once more.

***

There were a total of four hundred disciples competing in the finals of the Three Thousand Daoist Arts Assembly, utilizing a draw-based tournament format. Ten matches were held across three days, with each defeated participant immediately eliminated. According to rumors and incomplete statistics, no fewer than fifty of these four hundred disciples were under the age of two hundred and had already reached the Soul Division realm.

Yan Lai, the sect master of the Wuji Sect, and Xu Heming, the sect master of the Kunwu Sect, stood side by side on the high platform.

"If I recall correctly, going back about a thousand years to the previous Three Thousand Daoist Arts Assembly, there were fewer than thirty Soul Division contestants in the finals. This year, there are unexpectedly more than fifty Soul Division disciples!"

Yan Lai sighed. "With spiritual Qi reviving nowadays, it's hard to tell whether this is a blessing or a curse."

Xu Heming looked at the disciples below the platform, a gratified expression on his face. "During that chaotic war of the Three Realms seven thousand years ago, our cultivation world suffered heavy losses, and the powerful beings who perished then fed their spiritual Qi back to all living things, nurturing the disciples of today. How could that not be a good thing?"

Yan Lai mused, "There are many cultivators in the cultivation world, but having more than fifty disciples under two hundred years of age... I fear this is a heavenly anomaly meant to warn the world!"

Although the Wuji Sect and the Kunwu Sect maintained a competitive relationship, whenever a major crisis involving the Three Realms arose, the entire Immortal Alliance stood united on the same front, regardless of sect affiliations.

This was the cohesion forged through the sacrifice of tens of thousands of elite disciples from the cultivation world during the Three Realms war back then.

Hearing this, Xu Heming could not help laughing out loud. "Brother Yan Lai, you are simply worrying over nothing! Have you read the *Yongkun Chronicles*? It records that the cultivation world will give birth to a Ziwei Emperor Star during this era. With the emergence of the Emperor Star, a greater era of prosperity will naturally be brought to the cultivation world!"

"This is a good thing, Brother Yan Lai!"

Seeing that Yan Lai's brow remained furrowed, Xu Heming patted his shoulder. "By the way, what is going on with those two disciples from your sect this year?"

Yan Lai asked in puzzlement, "Which two disciples? What do you mean?"

Xu Heming squeezed his eyes shut. "It's that female disciple who called off her engagement six years ago—a Soul Division cultivator at age forty! And that male disciple from the southern border whose dantian was destroyed, the one who brought out the South-Ming Leaving Fire!"

"What on earth is going on with the two of them? And what is their connection to the Rejuvenation Valley? Rumors say the valley master of the Rejuvenation Valley strongly supports the forty-year-old female disciple of your sect, but wasn't it said that your female disciple and the Rejuvenation Valley's disciple are romantic rivals? That makes no logical sense!"

"We've had a bond of thousands of years as brothers, so tell me about it!"

Yan Lai: "...Get lost."

Here he was, contemplating the fate of all living things under heaven, while this guy's mind was entirely filled with gossip!

On the other side, the four hundred disciples stood in line, each receiving a jade slip.

The opponent's name for each match would be displayed on this jade slip.

In the first round, Su Bai drew a disciple named Song Qichuan.

When Yue Nianxin saw the name Song Qichuan, her expression changed.

She sighed. "Junior Sister, I have to say, your luck with draws is truly not very good."

In the inner sect assessment, she had drawn Liu Zongyu in the first round, and now in the finals of the Three Thousand Daoist Arts Assembly, she had actually drawn Song Qichuan of the Beast Taming Sect in the very first round. Letting her junior sister draw lots was simply a continuous effort to increase her own difficulty.

Out of four hundred disciples, with nearly fifty at the Soul Division realm, that was roughly a one-in-eight probability. Yet, she had managed to draw a Soul Division practitioner from the Beast Taming Sect in the first round.

Yue Nianxin explained, "The reason the Beast Taming Sect hasn't been prominent in the cultivation world in recent years is because when their disciples attempt to bond with spirit beasts whose cultivation is higher than their own, their spiritual sense often fails to suppress the spirit beast's soul over time. Damaging the bond is a minor issue, but harming their sea of consciousness and impeding the flow of spiritual Qi, which ultimately damages their dantian—that is the major issue!"

"Furthermore, while spirit beasts serve well as assistants, the Beast Taming Sect relies primarily on bonded spirit beasts to build their reputation. Since they cannot bond with beasts stronger than themselves, and because they must divert their spiritual sense to suppress the beast's soul, their own combat prowess is also diminished. Consequently, the Beast Taming Sect has slipped down among the Twelve Minor Sects in recent years."

Hearing this, Su Bai glanced down at the bracelet on her wrist.

Is beast taming really that difficult?

This three-headed dragon was quite well-behaved and low-maintenance; she didn't need to divert any spiritual sense to suppress him at all.

The three-headed dragon instantly understood that look and proudly tilted his nose up.

How could he not be well-behaved?

Every single day he was able to absorb the purest ice-elemental energy from the Frost-Condensed Ice, and possessed an exotic flame like the Heaven-Swallowing Ice Flame, which was condensed from the primordial breath of heaven and earth. Having cultivated directly to the mid-Soul Division realm in just six years, he was currently tempted to burn incense in front of his master and kowtow in worship every single moment!

His master was a living bodhisattva walking the monster realm! It was already too late for him to follow his master, drink soup, and eat meat; how could he be foolish enough to plot a rebellion?

The three-headed dragon sneered inwardly.

Speaking of rebellion, even the supreme boss—the Heaven-Swallowing Ice Flame—had taken the lead and decided to lie flat; as a younger brother, how could he not whip his horse into a gallop and follow closely behind, striving to be a fine role model in the monster realm?

Shen Xing added, "As the daughter of the Beast Taming Sect master, Song Qichuan bonded with a celestial monster, the Azurelark, in her early childhood. I've heard that this Azurelark carries a trace of ancient Vermilion Bird bloodline, capable of commanding a hundred beasts. Having grown up alongside the celestial monster Azurelark since childhood, and with Song Qichuan placing exceptional emphasis on cultivating her state of mind, even though she is only at the early Soul Division realm, the cultivation of the celestial monster Azurelark by her side has likely already reached the peak of the Soul Division realm."

"Moreover, unlike ordinary beast tamers, Song Qichuan is also a formidable Dharma cultivator. As a supreme Metal-attribute spiritual root, her natal magical treasure is the Myriad-Illusion Iron, specially tailored for her Metal spiritual root. The Myriad-Illusion Iron can transform into various shapes according to her thoughts. Although it is not on the ranking list of divine weapons, it is by no means inferior to the treasures on that list."

Shen Xing glanced at the three-headed dragon.

The three-headed dragon: *Heh, why do I always feel looked down upon by these people?*

*What's wrong, what's wrong? Having Vermilion Bird bloodline makes you amazing? Legend has it that I, the three-headed dragon, also carry Azure Dragon bloodline!*

*And I am a one-in-a-million ice-attribute monster. As I've said many times, this is just like the gap between ordinary metal-wood-water-fire-earth spiritual roots and mutated spiritual roots. I am not some dime-a-dozen common beast!*

*Which monster beast do you know that grows three heads?*

Yun Zhu took out a few medicinal pills. "What's there to fear? I have two Heaven-grade Spirit-Gathering Pills here. They rapidly replenish spiritual Qi in the blink of an eye—even Tribulation-level masters praise them. My master specifically instructed me to bring these for you."

Because of the gimmicks surrounding the Dragon-Wail Sword and the forty-year-old Soul Division cultivator, the tickets for the finals of this Three Thousand Daoist Arts Assembly were extremely tight. Although Yun Zhu, Yue Nianxin, and Shen Xing failed to enter the finals, given that Su Bai was a participant in the final circle, getting a few extra tickets was no big deal.

"There's also a Heaven-grade Bone and Blood Regeneration Pill; it can save you even if you're half-crippled. Oh, oh, oh, and this Heaven-Origin Blood-Bursting Pill—this is a cheating artifact for the finals! A single pill has been bid up to one hundred thousand top-grade spiritual stones at the auction house, temporarily boosting a cultivator's cultivation by twenty percent. I'm telling you, it's seriously amazing..."

Shen Xing's eyes widened, unable to believe that pills which were impossible to acquire at auction houses were now being casually clutched in Yun Zhu's hands like cheap street merchandise.

No wonder sword cultivators, Dharma cultivators, and sound cultivators alike fought tooth and nail to make friends with alchemists.

Being able to casually pull out a pile of pills and even have them custom-tailored for you—who wouldn't envy and drool over that?

While chattering endlessly, Yun Zhu shoved a handful of pills into Su Bai's hands as if they cost nothing.

Fearing that Su Bai wouldn't accept them, she planted her hands on her hips and said righteously, "My master said that since you helped me break through my Nascent Soul bottleneck and overcome my inner demons, you are my great benefactor. Since you've already intervened in my karma, you must accept these pills!"

Her reasoning was watertight, leaving no room for objection.

Su Bai thought for a moment. "Then once my match is over, I'll forge a sword for you."

"The only thing I learned in weapon crafting is sword casting, and I don't understand anything else. I'll forge a sword for you; at worst, you can just take it and sell it later."

Yun Zhu was so startled that she waved her hands repeatedly.

Others might not know, but the three of them were well aware that the sword forged by Su Bai had forcefully pushed the Dragon-Wail Sword down a rank on the list.

That sword was too hot for her to handle!

The first duel began very soon.

Su Bai stepped onto the arena stage.

The finals arena was easily more than twenty times larger than the previous stages.

Standing opposite her was a girl dressed in a goose-yellow fitted Taoist robe. A massive azure luan bird faithfully and docilely guarded her side. The luan bird possessed five-toed claws and was covered in colorful plumage, looking as heavy and solid as a mountain range. Standing alongside the adult celestial monster luan bird, Song Qichuan appeared all the more petite in stature.

"Are you that forty-year-old Soul Division cultivator?"

Song Qichuan's eyes lit up, but her tone revealed deep regret. "Such natural talent is truly rare to find in this world, but it's a pity you ran into me."

She reached out her hand, and the luan bird obediently lowered its head, resting against her palm. "The finals stage of the Three Thousand Daoist Arts Assembly no longer restricts contestants from using bonded beasts. I am at the Soul Division realm, and my celestial monster Azurelark is also at the Soul Division realm."

"Though winning over five hundred consecutive matches is indeed impressive, when facing two Soul Division entities, how much of a winning chance do you think you have left?"

Su Bai answered, "I'd say, ten tenths."

What an arrogant tone.

Song Qichuan was momentarily stunned, then smiled. "Little sister, speaking wildly comes with a price."

The moment her voice fell, the luan bird beat its wings and emitted a sharp screech, spitting crimson flames from its beak. The flames surged fiercely, forming a mountain of fire several meters long on the arena in the blink of an eye.

Fire serpents whipped their tongues out, charging straight toward Su Bai.

Su Bai drew the Dragon-Wail Sword, its blade flashing with brilliant light as she sliced the fire serpent in half with a single stroke.

However, the previous flames were merely an appetizer for the celestial monster Azurelark. It flapped its wings to whip up a violent gale, hurtling straight toward Su Bai like a sharp sword.

The adult celestial monster Azurelark was so massive in size that it could rival a small mountain; a thousand Su Bais could not compare to a single celestial monster Azurelark.

This was clearly an attempt to win directly through the sheer size advantage of a spirit beast!

Just as Song Qichuan thought victory was securely within her grasp, a dragon covered in pale blue scales suddenly appeared in mid-air.

"Holy cow, she has a bonded beast too?"

"It's an ice-attribute dragon! And it's actually a three-headed dragon!!"

"Rumor has it that the more heads a dragon has, the rarer it is. Where on earth did she contract such a monster beast from?"

The three-headed dragon flickered its tail, its draconic body frosting over as it effortlessly blocked the celestial monster Azurelark's charge.

"Two against one, what kind of honor is that!"

The three-headed dragon cursed and muttered, "When it comes to group fights, your Dragon Grandpa here is the absolute best!"

"Did you really think these three heads of mine grew for nothing?"