Chapter 8: The Hidden Dragon

However, Ye Xuan was completely unconcerned. After simply crafting a torch, he proceeded deeper into the cave.

He knows that he has now broken through the lower eighth rank and has reached the lower seventh rank, possessing the strength of a tiger

The true dragon's broken horn, the dragon's spine collapsed... Ha, I never expected to witness such a rare terrain under these circumstances. With a bitter smile, Ye Xuan stood atop the peak, carefully observing the surrounding mountains. He knew that even if he employed the pulse observation technique, it would be of no use, so he naturally would not waste that effort.

What ordinary people perceive as the elevation or lowering of mountains due to earthquakes is actually the result of changes in the geological structure.

Otherwise, with mountains stretching for thousands of miles, when will he be able to find the source

Moreover, relying solely on the White Jade Dynasty and a few sects within its territory, it is fundamentally impossible to safeguard this dragon vein. Furthermore, even if it could be preserved, it is difficult to determine to whom the ownership of this dragon vein would ultimately belong

The spiritual energy in this cave is pure energy emitted from the source. Every time Ye Xuan absorbs a trace of it, there is one less remaining, and it is uncertain how many days and months it would take to recover. However, at this moment, Ye Xuan appears extremely greedy, continuously absorbing the spiritual energy here. Only after repeating this process twenty times did he finally come to a stop

The terrain of Wolong is an extremely rare dragon vein topography, which must inherently contain treasures such as dragon pearls.

Regardless of the cultivation techniques employed by any practitioner, none dare to directly absorb the most refined spiritual energy, such as that from the earth veins, spiritual sources, or the original source. Instead, they can only absorb the spiritual energy that emanates from places like the original source and earth veins. Although this emitted spiritual energy from heaven and earth is akin to being diluted, it still contains a strong essence of heaven and earth, just significantly more docile and easier to be guided.

To obtain the protection of the shaded one, it is necessary to bury the ancestral remains at the core location of the dragon vein, as this is essential for the so-called protective function of feng shui

Only in this way can this cold mountain continue to nurture the people of both provinces

Otherwise, it would not be a matter of absorbing the spiritual energy of the earth for one's own use, but rather a desire to seek death.

This... how is this possible

When Ye Xuan exerted tremendous effort to guide a trace of spiritual energy into his body, a vast surge of the essence of heaven and earth suddenly erupted within him. Just a single trace of this primordial spiritual energy felt as if Ye Xuan had absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth over a considerable period of time

If the Cold Mountain truly has a geological vein, then merely locating its source would be enough to give Ye Xuan a headache for quite some time. However, if the geological vein transforms into a dragon, then the search would become much easier; one would only need to look in the direction of the dragon's head—this is the reason Ye Xuan feels fortunate.

Unfortunately, his conscience would not allow him to do so. After all, if the source were taken away, in just a few years, Han Mountain would completely turn into a dead land, and by that time, the ones who would perish could be tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of subjects of the White Jade Dynasty

If the earth's veins can nurture a region's water and soil, creating what is known as a "land of outstanding people and exceptional terrain," then the birth of the dragon vein will surely provide protection to a lineage

That is incorrect. The look of ecstasy faded slightly, and Ye Xuan soon became completely calm.

Having understood the peculiarities of Cold Mountain, Ye Xuan made a decisive resolution in his heart. The source is ever-flowing; even after several hundred years of change, Cold Mountain can still give rise to a new vein of earth. This is likely what the ancestor who initially seized the dragon vein had considered.

At the beginning, regarding the book, Ye Xuan believed that this mountain represented the form of a horned dragon, as the Cold Mountain has only one peak, thus symbolizing a single horn

He did not delve deeper; instead, he first stood still and took a deep breath, then activated the guiding technique of the "Mountain and River Secret" to begin absorbing the spiritual energy to nourish and improve his physical condition

I initially thought it was a land of hidden dragons, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be a land of subdued dragons. With a helpless sigh, Ye Xuan felt a twinge of regret in his heart, "The dragon's spine is broken, and the dragon vein must have been drained as well. Who on earth possesses such extraordinary abilities to actually extract the dragon vein and cause the dragon's spine to collapse"

Drawing upon his own experience and using the terrain of "Dragon Horn" in Han Mountain as a basis for judgment and calculation, Ye Xuan quickly located the source of the dragon vein in Han Mountain

After walking deep into the cave for about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Ye Xuan finally felt that the surrounding spiritual energy was gradually becoming more refined

Calmly, Ye Xuan quickly noticed something amiss. When he began to observe the mountain terrain again, he indeed discovered details that he had previously overlooked due to his excitement

He is well aware that if the White Jade Dynasty were to give birth to a dragon vein, this place would have long since become a property with an owner, and it would certainly not still be a land without a master to this day

However, upon closer observation, he discovered that to the east of this peak, there was another area of significantly higher terrain, yet it had not formed into a peak.

The look of shock on Ye Xuan's face lingered for a long time, as he surveyed the surroundings. He even strained to gaze at the mountains stretching towards the other end of Jingzhou, as if he wished to see through to the very end of the mountain range.

Eternal earth veins, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, condensing into a domain, transforming into a dragon! The shock on Ye Xuan's face finally turned into ecstasy, "This is the dragon vein!"

Indeed, this kind of shading is also a behavior that seizes the essence of heaven and earth

The famous dragon veins on the Tianyuan Continent are now all owned by someone—either occupied by the Ten Thousand Year Dynasty or the major sects of the Fifteen Sects of Tianyuan. Even if smaller factions were to find a dragon vein, they might not be able to keep it.

Immediately, Ye Xuan opened his mouth and expelled a mouthful of murky foul air, causing his entire being to instantly become more spirited.

I do not seize the original source of this mountain; I merely borrow it for a purpose, which should not be a problem

Although the spiritual energy here is relatively pure, it is evidently more difficult to guide than when Ye Xuan was in the residence. It feels as if an immense pressure is compelling him. Moreover, the spiritual energy seems to possess its own consciousness; no matter how Ye Xuan attempts to guide it, it stubbornly refuses to converge towards him. This forces Ye Xuan to expend more effort just to maintain control over the current situation

He is fully aware that, given his current abilities, it is simply impossible to get any closer.

According to Ye Xuan, the burial grounds of the emperors of the Baiyu Dynasty are merely a geological vein that is nearly ten thousand years old, and that vein has not even transformed into a dragon

There are no beasts residing here as one might imagine, nor is there an abundance of wildflowers or grasses. Aside from the exceptionally long passageways of the cave, there is nothing particularly special or strange about this place. It is so clean that not even a spider web can be seen, which is quite different from the signs of vibrant life found all over the cold mountain. However, it does not feel like a desolate place; rather, there is a sense that both the cold mountain above and below are safeguarding this area.

After the birth of the earth's veins, through countless years of refinement and sublimation, they will become what the powerful refer to as the dragon veins

Although aware that the terrain of Hanshan is not as significant as previously imagined, Ye Xuan could not help but feel fortunate that this end of the dragon head is facing Hanshui City

The dragon vein has been seized, yet the essence that remains possesses a purity of spiritual energy that is undoubtedly superior to that of the old vein.

Moreover, the closer one gets to core locations such as the earth veins, spiritual sources, or the original source, the more refined the spiritual energy becomes, and the harder it is to control. If not handled properly, it can even be detrimental to the cultivator. This is why Ye Xuan chose not to delve deeper but instead decided to stop here and begin his cultivation.

At this moment, Ye Xuan did not dare to be the slightest bit careless; instead, he completely focused his mind and calmed himself. He then guided the torrent-like spiritual energy to circulate rapidly within his body according to the techniques of the Mountain and River Formula, allowing it to form a complete cycle, nourishing the meridians within.

He can feel a surge of power continuously erupting within him, and with every gesture, he can sense the strength flowing.

This is a natural cave located in the mountains, approximately half an hour's journey from the peak of Cold Mountain. The cave is surrounded by dense vegetation, and the entrance is so narrow that only one person can crawl through while bending down, making it exceedingly concealed.

Wolong and Fulong differ by only one character, yet these two terms represent entirely different situations

The cold mountain has only one peak, while the mountain range stretches for thousands of miles. The vegetation is arranged in a wave-like pattern, and at a glance, it resembles the scales of a true dragon.

In an instant, it transformed into a torrent, beginning to surge within its body

However, the terrain of the Fulong area refers to a dead zone where the dragon pearl has been taken and the dragon vein has been extracted, resulting in the collapse of the dragon spine

However, the birth of a dragon vein is extremely difficult, and moreover, whether one wishes to utilize the protection of the dragon vein or to absorb its essence, both present significant challenges

Once the earth's dragon vein is transformed, the terrain will also undergo changes

Ye Xuan was well aware that if he were to completely absorb and refine the original source, he could at least transform one of his meridians into a terrestrial meridian. Not to mention reaching the upper tier of the first grade in three years, he could break through to the innate stage in just half a year. After all, he had already cultivated once before his reincarnation, and now he was merely retracing the path he had previously walked, making his cultivation speed significantly faster.

After circulating for thirty-six small cycles, the torrent formed by this strand of spiritual energy finally disappeared completely, and the sensation of surging within the body began to subside.

This does not mean that Ye Xuan has ceased his cultivation; rather, it is that at this moment, the tendons and bones within his body suddenly emitted a muffled sound, akin to a thunderclap in a clear sky.

The cave is extremely dark, yet not damp, and it is difficult to sense any fluctuations of spiritual energy here; it does not appear to be a place of origin in any regard.

By the time he completed this step, Ye Xuan was already drenched in sweat; however, he did not stop. Instead, he began to circulate the Mountain River Technique once more, absorbing a trace of spiritual energy again.

However, if we say that Cold Mountain is a dead land, then there should not be so many living creatures surviving on the mountain, nor could the vegetation be so lush. The only explanation that remains is that the powerful individual who seized the dragon vein and the dragon pearl did not completely strip away the dragon vein, but at least left behind a source.

If there were only this one characteristic, Ye Xuan would naturally not suspect anything else. However, the entire Han Mountain range does not have any prominent peaks; in fact, there are quite a few sunken slopes. This is what truly made Ye Xuan understand the reason why this mountain is unclaimed.

Fulong refers to the meaning of subduing the dragon

This is the unique aspect of "The Oath of Mountains and Rivers"

The slope is covered with rubble and shows significant weathering, resembling the "True Dragon's Broken Horn" described in books