Fellow Cultivators

"This Violet Dragon Vein won't hold out much longer!"

Somewhere on Mount Lu, Jiangxi, Yan Kuan stopped walking and carefully guided threads of violet essence into the Trigram Treasure Box. This was essence leaking from the Violet Dragon Vein. The vein was nearly exhausted; if nothing changed, it would become a dead dragon within a few decades, perhaps a century.

On Blue Star in the End of Dharma era, many blessed lands rich in spiritual energy had gradually withered away, especially over the past few decades. The cultivation environment had grown increasingly harsh.

If heaven and earth continued like this, Blue Star would sooner or later become a land without Dharma, where no one could cultivate any longer.

At the peak of Mount Lu, Yan Kuan stood beside the Silver Waterfall of Mount Lu amid its thunderous roar. Its waters plunged three thousand feet, as though the Milky Way had fallen from the Ninth Heaven. The waterfall was indeed spectacular. Many people first came to know Mount Lu through Li Bai's timeless poem.

After expending considerable effort, Yan Kuan found the entrance to Mount Lu's peculiar terrain. He sensed a desolate stillness here. This should have been a node where the Purple Dragon's essence was at its densest, yet in truth, even the spiritual energy here was nearly dispersed, unable to sustain itself.

Upon closer inspection, he could sense traces of an Ancient Formation. He descended underground and discovered an Ancient Cave. The ancient tunnel wound downward, its destination unknown, with waves of chilling killing intent seeping out. Ordinary cultivators would certainly be unable to withstand it.

Yan Kuan was not considered weak within the Wheel Sea Secret Realm. On Blue Star, he could be regarded as a minor superhuman. Yet after arriving here, he felt deeply uneasy. His back turned cold, chills ran through his entire body, every hair stood on end, and his heart filled with involuntary anxiety.

Yan Kuan did not risk entering the tunnel. Instead, he cautiously approached its entrance. The tunnel was very deep, and he could vaguely make out the complex outline of an underground palace below. There were many branching paths and Ancient Caves beneath; an ordinary person would become lost before going very far.

Standing at the entrance to the underground palace, Yan Kuan's eyes flickered with fiery light. Beneath his Fiery Golden Eyes, he saw more of what lay deep within the palace.

Through his senses, he discovered that deeper within the underground palace lay the Heart of Mount Lu. Flames blazed there amid dense deathly energy, and an indescribable terror lurked within. A vague silhouette seemed to appear in his mind. Merely catching a distant glimpse of it made his body tremble.

What an immensely powerful figure this had been, to be trapped here. Even the killing intent remaining after death made ordinary Immortal Platform experts unable to approach.

Back then, his enemies seemingly feared that he might revive. They first severed his torso from his head, then locked him here to suffer tens of thousands of years of torment, bound upon an altar while Fire Essence eroded his spirit.

Even under such torment, this Sage Realm expert had lingered on for many years, only dying completely nearly a hundred years ago.

"Whoosh!"

Just as Yan Kuan was about to withdraw his gaze, he suddenly noticed a ball of fire somewhere within the Heart of Mount Lu. Instinctively shifting his gaze toward it, he saw the flame shoot out from the entrance of the underground palace. The Trigram Treasure Box he used for protection immediately absorbed it into its internal space.

Yan Kuan carefully opened the Treasure Box and saw a small mass of strange liquid constantly pulsing before him, wrapped in scorching Fire Essence.

The Fire Essence within this underground palace had been used by a powerful existence to burn away a Sage's soul. Its power was incomparably terrifying; even Immortal Platform Great Abilities would be reduced to ash upon contact. Yet this particular mass was mixed with something else, greatly weakening its power. Even a Wheel Sea Realm weakling like Yan Kuan could approach and examine it closely.

Within the scorching Fire Essence flowed a fist-sized mass of fragrant, crystalline liquid, shimmering with pale violet divine light and exuding a peculiar aroma. It seemed faintly connected to Mount Lu's dying Violet Dragon Vein.

Dragon Marrow existed within Dragon Veins, formed from the essence of countless veins. It was unimaginably rare and difficult to discover. In the eyes of Immortal Platform Great Abilities nearing the end of their lifespan, it was a priceless immortal treasure capable of extending life.

Yet this treasure's greatest use was not to prolong the lives of a group of old men, but to cultivate the Dragon Transformation Realm. The three great secret realms of the Wheel Sea, Dao Palace, and Four Extremes corresponded to the human body's dantian, five viscera, and limbs respectively. Transforming Dragon was no exception: the human body underwent nine transformations before leaping into a dragon.

So-called Transforming Dragon was the cultivation of the spine, a Great Dragon concealed within the human body. The Dragon Transformation Realm allowed it to revive through nine transformations and merge with the Dao.

It was said that this secret realm was extraordinarily wondrous. Ancient texts recorded that when the dragon leaped forth, after nine transformations it could gaze upon immortality and witness strange sights such as the Immortal Gate. There were all manner of unfathomable mysteries; sometimes, one could even ride a dragon beyond the vast void.

Most crucially, cultivation in the Dragon Transformation Realm could take shortcuts without damaging one's foundation. As long as one broke into this realm, obtained the Transforming Dragon volume of an Ancient Scripture, and possessed a large quantity of immortal Dragon Marrow, one could swiftly complete the nine transformations and glimpse the Immortal Platform.

"The Heart of Mount Lu is the most refined node in all of Mount Lu's earth veins. It is not strange for it to produce Earth Vein Dragon Marrow. No wonder this Sage Realm expert could linger on for so many years. Unfortunately, he died too soon and failed to wait for someone to discover and rescue him."

After lamenting for a moment at the entrance to the tunnel, Yan Kuan carefully put away that small mass of Earth Vein Dragon Marrow. This was likely the final Dragon Marrow of Mount Lu's Violet Dragon Vein.

He had to be glad that he had arrived several decades before Ye Fan's later return to Blue Star. Otherwise, he would never have obtained such a treasure. Mount Lu's Violet Dragon Vein was nearly exhausted, and in a few decades it would likely die completely. This bit of Dragon Marrow would naturally disperse between heaven and earth as well.

"Eh! I didn't expect to actually find some fellow cultivators."

At the entrance to Mount Lu's tunnel, Yan Kuan followed the earth veins outside, gathering Purple Dragon essence along the way. Suddenly, he halted and stared toward a distant location, which was also situated at an earth vein node. He heard a series of whispered words that could not be heard without a cultivator's spiritual senses.

With a thought, Yan Kuan stealthily moved closer and saw several barely initiated cultivators. They were all rather old and were likely independent cultivators. The strongest among them was only close to the Life Spring, so naturally none could detect Yan Kuan's presence.

"Fellow Daoists, we struggle across the End of Dharma era. We can only rely on the scant spiritual energy of the earth veins to begin cultivating. I truly do not know whether this is fortune or sorrow!"

"Daoist Qingfeng, there is no need to be discouraged. At the very least, we have achieved something in cultivation. We are still somewhat different from ordinary mortals."

"Alas! It is only that most of Mount Lu's earth vein essence has been seized by the Dragon Finch Clan. We can only offer tribute to their clan and cautiously draw upon a little of it. Cultivation grows ever more difficult. If not for that clan being so overbear—"

"Daoist Lingxu, watch your words. The Jiujiang Dragon Finch Clan is, after all, the local... landlord."

"Quite right, quite right. Watch your words, watch your words. By the way, fellow Daoists, Mount Sanqing will reportedly hold a cultivator gathering in three months. We can go exchange knowledge with Daoist friends from various places and trade resources. Would any of you be interested in traveling together?"

"The Mount Sanqing Cultivator Gathering—I have also wished to attend. Traveling together would be good."

"So do I!"