Qinling's Eternal Dragon Lair

Outside the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, Zhang Huan saw through the illusion and looked into the mountains from afar, sending his Divine Sense.

The Great Accomplishment Sacred Body awoke, opened its golden eyes, met his gaze, and nodded wearily in acknowledgment.

In its later years, the Sacred Body would experience ill omens, grow terrifying corpse hair, become muddled, and transform into a monster.

With profound cultivation and secret arts, the Great Accomplishment Sacred Body protected its spiritual consciousness, remaining clear-headed. Though its body was covered in hair, it did not transform into an ill omen.

Communicating via Divine Sense, Zhang Huan discussed the ancient calamities and the Sacred Body's various secret realm re-cultivation methods with him.

The Sacred Body lineage had a unique research approach to secret realms. Their exclusive auxiliary secret arts could re-polish secret realms, which was the secret to the Sacred Body's power.

These methods specifically targeted secret realms and held considerable reference value.

He stated he would return once more for a deeper discussion of the Dao with the Sacred Body and attempt to remove his curse.

"Thank you, but please don't force yourself."

The Great Accomplishment Sacred Body lowered its head, its face withered like mourning clothes, and it spoke haltingly.

He understood the intention but still reminded Zhang Huan not to waste time on a dying man like himself, as it was not worth it.

The curse was like a maggot gnawing at the bone; it would regenerate after being removed, endlessly. No one understood the difficulty of removing it better than he, who experienced it every moment.

Over a long period, he had tried countless methods, but each time the curse would return. He could only suppress it forcefully, unable to remove it.

As he spoke, he transmitted some of the Sacred Body lineage's inheritances via Divine Sense, including the Six Paths Reincarnation Fist. He did not wish for the lineage to be severed with him.

Human Emperors who refused to become Supreme Beings of Forbidden Zones were trustworthy and dignified; they would not engage in shameful acts. He held nothing back.

He also shared his insights into the Longevity Method he had discovered, wishing Zhang Huan a future beyond this life.

Then, he tilted his neck, the light in his eyes faded, and he ceased to react.

Seeing his extremely poor physical condition, Zhang Huan sighed, did not say more, and looked away.

The so-called curse was merely a product of the Dao and laws, essentially a technique. No matter how bizarre, it had to follow principles and rules. If it could be suppressed, it could be removed.

There were only two reasons why it could not be broken: insufficient cultivation level or a lack of deep understanding, not knowing where to start.

The curse originated from the Underworld, cast by several past Imperial Dao figures specifically targeting this physique.

This physique was naturally at odds with the Underworld, impervious to all evil, and could restrain it. Sooner or later, it would become an enemy of the Underworld, making it too troublesome.

Furthermore, they desired the Sacred Body's blood to study its peculiarities. Driven by various reasons, they devised the Sacred Body's curse.

The Underworld specialized in this field, wielding curse techniques with consummate skill. The Great Accomplishment Sacred Body, merely an outsider, naturally could not discern its origin.

What manifested were only superficial characteristics; the true curse was hidden in the deepest recesses, difficult to detect.

In his long years of confronting Dark Supremes, he had been utterly exhausted. His body was constantly eroded by the curse, which was also a form of torture.

If it could be removed, not only would his depleted Origin Source be restored, but many of his conditions would improve, greatly aiding him in quelling future turmoil.

Zhang Huan arrived at a small mountain and retrieved some treasures he had buried during his Great Saint stage.

He had hastily left behind some assets back then, to prevent his life's work from being wasted if he met misfortune in the Underworld.

Now, he had no such worries and could prepare better.

He used Origin Arts to alter the terrain for a hundred miles around, dispersing living beings. It was a place fraught with peril, where even a Saint would weep blood.

Except for someone like Zhang Huan, who was extremely proficient in Origin Arts, few others could survive within these hundred miles.

An Origin Heaven Master might overcome the terrain with great effort, but Zhang Huan had also set up a hidden Emperor Formation within.

The Emperor Formation was sentient and could guard the small mountain. Anyone who trespassed would be crushed by its killing power.

Unless one entered with a matching portrait, nothing would happen. However, only Zhang Huan knew what was depicted on the portraits.

The small mountain was desolate, located next to the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land. Few mortals lived within a radius of a mile. He used Origin Arts to fix its position, making it easy for Zhang Huan to find in the future.

He carved out a cave dwelling within and, through the earth's ley lines, drew a powerful Creation Dragon Vein from the Central Province across an infinite distance.

With the Emperor Formation suppressing it, the Dragon Vein could not escape. It would serve as a source, continuously providing spiritual energy.

He scattered Chaos Soil and planted various Medicine Kings and Immortal Medicines obtained from the Underworld.

This soil contained boundless essence, allowing Immortal Medicines to grow for a million years without losing their vitality.

The Immortal Medicine resembled a Vermillion Bird, no larger than a palm, lifelike and radiating brilliance.

As soon as it burrowed into the Chaos Soil, it let out a contented cry, absorbing nutrients. Its branches contained fiery divine radiance, setting off clusters of small fire clouds, enveloped in red mist.

He dug out a pond and threw in numerous peerless rare treasures: ten thousand leaves of Enlightenment Ancient Tea trees, Peach fruits, Ginseng Fruits and their branches, and Primordial Life Stones.

Each item, if taken outside, would cause a sensation. They were priceless treasures for Ancient Sages.

Here, they were casually tossed into the pond, filling it entirely.

He intended to refine a great medicine, unparalleled in ancient and modern times, to seize creation from heaven and earth, change his foundation, and grant mortals the potential to become Immortals.

"It's still not enough. Relying solely on Immortal Medicines to change my foundation and Potential still has limitations.

If I could obtain the flesh and blood essence of Imperial Dao figures as a medicinal guide, supplemented by even rarer creations...

Then the great medicine refined would be a true supreme treasure, rarely seen in ancient and modern times, laying the strongest foundation."

Zhang Huan was not satisfied. He sealed the pond filled with immortal treasures, intending to find even more heaven-defying creations later to forge his foundation.

His goal was to achieve immortality, not to set his sights on the human realm.

If his ambition were only to become an Emperor, then these Immortal Medicines would be more than enough, allowing Zhang Huan to ascend to Emperorhood in the shortest possible time.

But without becoming an immortal, one would eventually turn to dust. The Great Emperors were merely stepping stones on his path, not the end of his journey.

The path to immortality is long and arduous. To become a Red Dust Immortal through nine lifetimes requires far greater reserves than a Great Emperor, enabling one to defy heaven and achieve their goal.

If one only sought to become an Emperor for the sake of becoming an Emperor, it would ultimately harm oneself.

He set aside precious items such as Immortal Gold and the heart of the Dao Comprehension Ancient Tea Tree.

Stepping out of the small mountain, Zhang Huan's gaze was profound. With the remaining few thousand years, he needed to accelerate his search for opportunities.

His first stop was Divine City. Occasionally, rare treasures flowed into the stone workshops here. If there were Stone Kings, the contents within Divine Source would be even more extraordinary.

Over millions of years, who knows how many ancient treasures had been hidden within the Source.

Zhang Huan transformed the heavens and earth, becoming an Immortal Third Level King who had severed his Dao. He appeared decrepit and ancient, the kind of old fossil obsessed with Origin Arts from some Holy Land, which would help him avoid unnecessary trouble.

"Your esteemed arrival graces my humble abode. Please, elder, come in."

The Ji Family's reception was proper and orderly. They guessed Zhang Huan's origins were extraordinary, and despite him being a stranger, they dared not slight him in the slightest, extending their hands to invite Zhang Huan in.

"Mm~"

Zhang Huan responded with a hum and skillfully strode towards the Heavenly Grade Stone Garden.

After three quarters of an hour, an anomaly of a sea of blood and divine demons appeared. A treasure rarely seen in ten thousand years was unearthed from the stone. He walked out with a smile, followed by a group of old monsters with shining eyes.

Wandering through one stone workshop after another, his eyes merely gazed, and the scene within the Divine Source became clearly visible. This was the realm of divine Origin Arts, surpassing the attainments of an Origin Heaven Master.

His Origin Arts inheritance came from the Origin Emperor, the source of this path, and he had stepped into the highest realm in this regard.

After surveying all the stone workshops, Zhang Huan only cut a few stones, all of the Stone King level, the rarest.

Even the managers of the stone workshops found it difficult to locate these Kings of Stone, yet Zhang Huan easily restrained and cut them open with Origin Arts.

The eyes of several old monsters burned with fervor, as if they had seen a legendary idol, wishing they could become his disciple on the spot.

"It must be the emergence of a new generation of Origin Heaven Masters! Only those whose Origin Arts are divine can directly see through falsehood with their own eyes. This is the mark of an Origin Heaven Master!"

"Origin Heaven Master, please impart a move or two for us to study and practice."

Zhang Huan glanced at them, ignored them, and flew out of Divine City.

After flying for a while at the speed of a King, several young men from the Ji Family's stone workshops quietly followed him from ten miles behind.

Money moved hearts, and they had designs of robbery and murder.

"This person, who knows where this King came from. Be clean when you do it, don't leave any traces."

"Inheritance of Origin Heaven Master, numerous Immortal treasures. If we kill him, it will all be ours. What a great opportunity."

They transmitted their messages cautiously, but Zhang Huan heard them clearly, unable to escape his perception.

These few were disciples of the Ji Family, with varying cultivation levels, but at least they were Great Powers, led by two Kings.

No wonder they dared to be robbers; they had sufficient confidence to leave a King here.

He stepped into the void, stirring ripples, killing invisibly. The figures of the few people froze, their souls were severed, and they fell with vacant eyes, smashing into several deep pits on the ground.

"Has the Ji Family decayed so quickly?"

Zhang Huan was speechless. If the younger generation was like this, one could imagine the extent to which the Ji Family had fallen.

He would return to personally speak with the Ji Family's self-proclaimed elder Great Saint.

The next stop: Qinling Mountains.

This ancient land was vast and boundless, with millions of caves, each of which could lead to the Immortal Transformation Pond, which contained immense amounts of Immortal treasures.

Beneath the ground lay a thousand-year Dragon Vein, connected to the thousand-year Dragon Lair linked to the Immortal Transformation Pond, nurturing Dreamlike Divine Marrow, as precious as Immortal Medicine.

Measuring the earth veins beneath his feet, he pinpointed the Dragon Lair, and Zhang Huan descended into the earth, proceeding along the spine of the great dragon. Time and space shifted, and a giant mountain appeared before him, which was the location of the Immortal Transformation Pond.

Once one truly mastered Origin Arts, there were no longer any wonders of heaven and earth in their eyes. Everything that formed naturally was controllable.

The summit of the giant mountain was an Immortal Pond, shimmering and emitting auspicious clouds, flowing with a dreamlike radiance.

In his sight was another mountain, connected to it. The ancient cave at the foot of the mountain inhaled and exhaled dragon energy, being the thousand-year Dragon Lair.

Zhang Huan entered the Dragon Lair first, seizing the Dreamlike Divine Marrow. The Saint Spirit nurtured within refused to yield verbally and was forcefully suppressed.

Its eyes were practically spitting sparks. The Dreamlike Divine Marrow was its companion, its importance self-evident.

Small creatures were taken away one by one, including small horses and flying birds, emitting a rich, luxurious fragrance. They were all manifestations of the Dreamlike Divine Marrow.

The visitor, before it had fully nurtured, dared not easily emerge and harvested the Divine Marrow completely.

It resentfully accepted its fate, not truly emerging to fight to the death. It inwardly prayed for the visitor to take everything and leave quickly, and it would settle the score once it had matured.

Zhang Huan harvested everything and nodded with satisfaction.

Before leaving, he looked at the Saint Spirit again.

"You're all alone, and you look pitiful. Why don't you reunite with them?"

He said sinisterly, clearly having taken a liking to the Saint Spirit's body.

"Don't come any closer!"

Damn human, bullying me when I'm weak, stealing my companion divine marrow and then setting your sights on me. You're going too far!

The Saint Spirit, terrified by that gaze, roared internally through gritted teeth.

Did I inadvertently reveal my intention to trouble his descendants in the future?

I haven't reached completion yet, not Great Accomplishment. This means my Dao and methods can't compare to an Emperor's, nor do I have the blessings of Imperial Dao laws.

If this Great Emperor really attacks, I won't have any power to resist.

The Saint Spirit rolled backward, trembling and visibly uneasy, begging Zhang Huan to spare it and promising future repayment.

I'm only tens of thousands of years away from completion. Once I become an Emperor, I'll protect Zhang Huan's descendants for a lifetime, with no intention of harming them.

If Zhang Huan isn't satisfied, he can place restrictions on me. I'd even be willing to pass down Emperor artifacts and Dao methods, just to beg for my life.

When you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head. For the sake of becoming an Emperor in the future, what's wrong with enduring for a while?

The Saint Spirit kept raising the stakes. The human before it had unfathomable strength and Origin Arts; it couldn't even escape, so it could only try to negotiate with words.

"I feel your intentions. Loyal and righteous. In that case, there's no need for restrictions."

Zhang Huan nodded, acknowledging the Saint Spirit's desire to become his subordinate. He activated the Spirit Crossing Technique, using Emperor Power to forcibly convert it.

"It'll be fine as a carriage-puller in the future. A Saint Spirit at its peak, it'll be quite imposing to travel with."

This Saint Spirit could only remain in the Dragon Vein's lair in the Qinling Mountains. Unless it was killed or emerged, it would be useless to Zhang Huan without reaching the Emperor level.

Its essence wasn't a vast amount, nor was it insignificant; it was neither here nor there.

It was better to keep it for later, as a trump card for himself.

I remember during Ye Fan's era, this Saint Spirit was already close to completion. It would be more than enough as my Dao protector.

Under the Spirit Crossing Technique, even cognition and thoughts would change, leading to heartfelt submission to the master.

The gap in their cultivation was immense, and the Saint Spirit couldn't resist at all, submitting to Zhang Huan in an instant.

"A Saint Spirit is born of heaven and earth, condensing the laws of heaven and earth. It's entirely different from cultivators and is favored by the heavens."

The origin of this species is mysterious; they can be called children of the Dao, naturally possessing runes bestowed by the heavens within their bodies. Upon completion, they will sublimate, their Dao and methods being divinely granted and self-sufficient.

During their formation, various law symbols and order divine chains will form. This allows one to observe their Origin Source and ponder the mysteries of the Great Dao.

The Saint Spirit in this Dragon Vein's lair is inextricably linked to the Dragon Vein's energy. It might become another Tai Huang. Once the Imperial Dao Dragon Vein energy emerges, all methods will fear it.

Zhang Huan meditated for a hundred years, studying it thoroughly, and left behind a few Dreamlike Divine Marrow.

The Immortal Transformation Pond rippled, shimmering with multicolored light and vibrant, colorful mist, a dazzling spectacle.

In the shallow water, a small green lotus, about a foot tall, was rooted on a fist-sized piece of Green Bronze. Its roots were crystalline, tough, and numerous, coexisting with the Green Bronze.

It was brilliantly green and vibrant. Within its blooming flowers were over a dozen plump, round lotus seeds. Each petal stretched towards the sky, emitting a fresh fragrance.

"The previous life of the Green Emperor, the Immortal Medicine Green Lotus."