Yinglong Goes into Hiding, Ge Xian Establishes His Foundation

"Bao Mingjing, you shameless wretch!"

In an instant, several people in the field cursed him out.

Clearly, everyone knew that the [Meteorite Spell] was a divine art for which the Straight and Curved Spirit God's lineage was renowned. These Righteous Spirit Demons even called it Justice from Heaven.

Bao Hanzhang's Son had cultivated this technique to an utterly inconceivable level. With a thought, he could summon meteorites from across the sky. That was one reason he could nearly match Yelü Tianzheng blow for blow.

Before they had even opened their mouths to curse, Ge Huolang had already started, since the meteorite spell was bound to hurt him, the "great hero," by accident.

The Eternal Life Cult's conspiracy had fallen apart thanks to Ge Xian's efforts behind the scenes. He had sold the same intelligence several times, earning a huge favor in return, and in the end, foiled the Red Pill Army's creation.

Now this great hero of theirs was going to take a meteorite spell to the face first. Where was the justice in that?

Ge Xian had sensed what was coming halfway through Bao Mingjing's speech. He had even foreseen the scene of everyone scattering in all directions. Lu Hualong, Yelü Yuyan, and Faxian and Shi Er, who were fighting them, naturally had nothing to fear; they could dodge with a casual sidestep.

But the many Ancient Tomb Sect disciples wouldn't have time to run.

And neither would he.

Unless he revealed his Evil Dragon Dharma Body, which risked Yelü Yuyan catching him on the spot.

Fortunately, he had always been quick-witted. Just as the meteorite smashed through the clouds and drew everyone's gaze, he abruptly darted away and raced down the secret passage toward the depths of the mountain.

Inside was an unfinished Spirit Pool.

Earlier, the Wang Family Eldest Daughter-in-law had let slip that the Spirit Pool had once been a Nine Nether Cold Pond, connected directly to the Earth Core.

If so, it could help him escape this disaster.

To make his escape go smoothly, he even sent a voice transmission to the Wang Family Eldest Daughter-in-law as he ran into the mountain, telling her to knock out any Ancient Tomb Sect disciples who might get in his way.

As expected, the whole way was clear.

The moment he entered the mountain's interior, his clothes began to tear under the strain. Dragon scales, claws, tail, and the rest emerged one after another. Before him lay the Spirit Pool, still seething with bone-chilling cold, Yin fiend Qi, and a mass of Spirit Materials and flesh. At a glance, it looked no different from a pot of murky soup.

But the murky soup was fragrant enough to reach the heavens.

It had been prepared to help "Spirit Embryo Li Su" ascend to the Mortal Transformation Realm. Its ingredients were almost identical to those of the Flesh Altar. Li Su had devoured only half before being forced to go out and merge with Li Wa.

That left half the pool's resources behind, an alluring bounty.

Ge Xian was quite certain that even if they tossed an ordinary person into it and fished them back out, they would emerge as a supernatural being. But what kind of Demon Body they would turn into, what Vicious Habits they would develop, and what price they would pay—all of that was impossible to predict.

"Well, then. It's all mine now, isn't it?"

"Beneath a meteorite, all things turn to ash."

"Who'd ever know that I, Ge Huolang, made off with it?"

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he revealed his Evil Dragon Body and plunged into the Spirit Pool with a splash.

No Dragon's Roar rang out, yet a dark, frigid Evil Dragon that looked down on all living things appeared in the pool. It flicked its tail and sped straight toward the bottom.

As it moved, a faint wisp of Charm Qi Fragrance suddenly seeped from its body.

No one outside the mountain noticed.

But the Spirit Materials and flesh pressed close around him in the pool seemed to have heard their master's call. They clung to him in a frenzy.

And so!

In the passage that linked the Earth Core's Water Vein to the Spirit Pool and ran beneath all of Sunset Mountain, an Evil Dragon burrowed deeper underground. A host of Spirit Materials followed all around it, Spiritual Qi surging as they yearned to merge into Ge Xian's body.

As Ge Xian sped into the pool, the Skyfire meteorite arrived.

A thunderous boom shook the air, and dust exploded everywhere.

The Ancient Tomb Sect, which Li Wa had used to disguise her identity, was devastated. Every disciple and elder was wiped out.

The entire Flesh Altar was also smashed to pieces, and nearly half of Sunset Mountain was gone. The meteorite wrapped in Skyfire struck halfway up the mountain. Clearly, the fuel used to ignite and release the "Spirit Desire Blood Cloud" had strict requirements for what could set it alight.

It had to be the Spirit Desire Flame formed by Li Wa, not Skyfire.

Once ignited by Skyfire, what billowed up was no longer a blood cloud but clouds of restless, fragrant smoke. The essence within them was unmistakably pure Spiritual Qi.

Even cultivators could benefit from a single whiff.

That turned out to be a boon for the many Guǐ Wǔ Cultivators present. From sect leaders and elders down to ordinary disciples, they all became like heavy smokers, desperately circulating their cultivation methods to inhale the smoke. The young heroes and prodigies who had been drained by Cai Bu were especially eager to replenish their losses in one go.

"Bao! Ming! Jing!"

"In this life or the next, I, Li Wa, will cut you into a thousand pieces!"

Beside Sunset Mountain, Li Wa had also been caught in the meteorite spell's blast. Now, she was nearly mad with rage.

Her Flesh Demon Body wriggled ceaselessly as she tried to gather back the Flesh Desire Sea, which had splattered and surged in every direction, hoping to salvage some of her losses.

Naturally, it was futile.

The mother and daughter's heads, one large and one small, both wailed.

Anyone could understand why they reacted this way!

This should have been a grand feast, a great achievement. The Eternal Life Cult could have seized Jiangzhe Province, and she could have taken the top spot and accumulated enough benefits to step into the Spirit Connection Realm with ease in the future... It had all been so beautiful.

Who could have expected a sudden upheaval to ruin everything in a single stroke?

Worse still, Li Wa had gone from being the key to their success to the very reason they had failed.

Once the Eternal Life Cult held her accountable, she would be the first in line, with nowhere to hide.

After such a blow, it was no wonder Li Wa seemed to have lost her mind. She knew perfectly well that the tide had turned, but instead of fleeing at once, she madly charged at Bao Mingjing, Son of Bao Hanzhang.

Perhaps she still clung to a sliver of hope: what if Yelü Tianzheng, the mastermind behind this great plan, had another trick up his sleeve? What if he could defeat Bao Hanzhang's Son? There might still be a chance to salvage things.

Both were in the Mortal Transformation Realm. After merging with her daughter, Li Wa's magic power was even stronger.

But Bao Mingjing was no ordinary cultivator. He had followed his father in worshipping the Straight and Curved Spirit God, whose Dao Qi techniques were exceptionally effective against evil cultivators of Evil God lineages.

Even though he was slightly weaker, he could still fight Li Wa back and forth.

When their Innate Divine Abilities clashed, he held his own as well.

Lu Hualong and his wife were both scheming people. Seeing that the Red Pill plot had failed, they turned to flee at once.

But just then, the Auspicious Beast Bai Fugui, who had been here for some time without making a move, abruptly spoke to Faxian, Shi Er, and Yang Bi in a ringing voice:

"Gentlemen, I am Bai Fugui, deputy commissioner of this local Department of Rectification and Investigation. I know where the three of you come from."

"But if you help the Imperial Court and keep Lu Hualong and Yelü Yuyan occupied for a while, I can promise to let you leave once my army arrives."

"You three have families to look after now. You should know that without my permission, you won't be able to leave Jiangzhe Province."

"I trust my reputation is enough to guarantee this. What do you say?"

At those words,

everyone in the field was startled, including Ge Xian, who had quietly hidden himself in the Underground Water Vein.

Well, well!

This clearly wasn't an ordinary matter of "suppressing bandits" or "putting down an Evil God Dharma Lineage." It plainly involved something else.

A little thought revealed the likely reason.

Yelü Tianzheng's mortal enemy had decided to use this opportunity to uproot the Yelü Family's political faction once and for all. They had probably included the Imperial Princess Yelü Tianzheng had married, too.

Who could it be?

Bao Hanzhang's Son—or even Tuotuo, the current dynasty's chancellor—were both possibilities.

As for Bai Fugui, the Dairy Cow Spirit Demon with the solemn face, he might not have understood the twists and turns behind it all. Perhaps he was merely carrying out orders.

But the ones who heard him were all Chief Spies.

They didn't even need to think it through. In the blink of an eye, they had guessed the reason.

"Deal!"

"Agreed!"

The moment he agreed, Faxian, who had also been about to flee, turned around and faced Yelü Yuyan again, laughing aloud.

"Madam Lu, don't be in such a hurry!"

"I paid a steep price for all this Buddhist Qi. It would dissipate even if I didn't use it, so letting it go to waste would be a shame. Why not put it all to use on you?"

"Have you not always wanted to eat this monk's Buddhist heart? Why rush off? Come and eat it!"

The Lecherous Monk from the Maitreya Cult latched onto Yelü Yuyan like a smear of dog-skin plaster.

With a chance to catch his breath, Lu Hualong glanced from side to side, his mind racing as he weighed whether to flee alone or save Yelü Yuyan so they could escape together.

Choosing the former would win him his freedom, but he would have no support from then on and would be hunted by the Yelü Family.

Choosing the latter would mean facing another attempt to control him.

But soon, he no longer had to choose.

Yang Bi, who was in the same predicament as Faxian, suddenly joined the fray as well. He gave a sinister chuckle.

"Look at County Magistrate Lu, wanting to save his wife but not wanting to save her. How painful."

"Don't worry. I'll help you."

"I borrowed this Dao Qi too. A lot of my loyal subordinates died for it. I can't let it go to waste."

"I'll use every last bit of it to make you and your wife a pair of star-crossed lovers in death. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

With the four of them locked in duels, Shi Er was left without an opponent.

But clearly, he had never intended to fight in the first place. Seeing that the dust had settled and the Eternal Life Cult had no chance of creating the Red Pill Army and seizing Jiangzhe Province, he cupped his hands to Bai Fugui and left without a word, taking the many Guǐ Wǔ Cultivators he had rescued with him.

It wasn't that Mr. Shi was kindhearted!

He was simply the most impatient of them all. He needed to get back as soon as possible and urge Zhang Shicheng to act.

With this place left undefended, they could launch an attack directly and, ideally, seize Jiangzhe Province in one fell swoop.

He trusted what the Dayuan Dynasty's Auspicious Beast Spirit Official had said.

But at this moment, he didn't need to trust anyone. Shi Er had already decided that the Dayuan Dynasty was terminally ill and had to be toppled entirely. The rebellion came first; everything else could wait. Besides, the Imperial Court's forces were tied up by the Eternal Life Cult. He was certain he could get everyone away safely, and there was no need to join in the chaos.

What Shi Er did was the best possible choice. Zhang Shicheng's army was already close to Jiangzhe Province and could invade at any moment. It could also come to their aid at any time.

The forces behind Faxian and Yang Bi were still some distance away. Their task was to get their subordinates, the Guǐ Wǔ Cultivators, away safely while letting the Dayuan Dynasty and the Eternal Life Cult fight and wear each other down. In particular, the outcome of the duel between Yelü Tianzheng and Bao Hanzhang's Son was still unknown.

All three choices were optimal; none was right or wrong.

As the melee erupted again, deep in Sunset Mountain's Underground Water Vein,

Ge Xian, now revealed as the "Evil Dragon Dharma Body," had no time to concern himself with the fighting above—or even with all the Spirit Materials and flesh he had lured to himself.

He could only stare fixedly at the vast Water Vein surging without end below him, as if it ran straight through the Earth Core.

It was not as wide as the mighty Qiantang River.

But its momentum was greater still.

The yearning he had forcibly suppressed earlier surged up again.

His Dragon Heart pounded even more fiercely.

A longing—even a "desire"—began to rise within him.

Dragon Transformation!

No cultivator who practiced Dragon Clan Secret Techniques could avoid this hurdle.

Ge Xian was an exception, which was why he had managed to suppress it for so long.

But now, he looked around and examined himself.

One by one, the conditions that had once been so difficult to meet had all fallen into place through a stroke of fate.

"I have the Meditation Method: the Immortal Lord Yinglong Scroll."

"I can't go to a famous river like the Heavenly Chasm River or the Yellow Turbid River, which could alter the shape of the land. But this Underground Water Vein has a long, powerful current, and the Yin Cold Fiend Qi it contains was formed from Earth Qi. It also carries the momentum of the Qiantang River. Even if it's still not the best method in the world, it isn't far off. If I spend more time and effort searching, I may not find anything better."

"The scroll says that when true dragons born of Dragon Nest or Dragon Palace bloodlines use the Dragon Transformation technique, they also cast a [Blood-Replenishing Secret Technique], making the Dragon Body they refine even stronger."

"Rogue Cultivators don't know about this method, and even if they did, it would be useless to them. The secret technique requires a massive supply of Blood Food Spirit Pills."

"Rogue Cultivators who are poorer than church mice can't get their hands on any."

"I hadn't planned to... But now, I have them too."

At that thought, Ge Xian turned to look at the many Spirit Materials and flesh clinging tightly to him.

Another idea occurred to him. He looked up toward the surface, where the destroyed altar must have sent the great lake of flesh spilling in every direction.

The flesh was rich in Spiritual Qi, but it also contained blood poison. Bao Mingjing's Skyfire had burned some of it. Faxian, Shi Er, and Yang Bi had each taken quite a bit, and the Guǐ Wǔ Cultivators had secretly stashed some away as well. Li Wa and her daughter, Li Su, had eaten some of it back.

But plenty remained, forming streams of crimson that flowed into the surrounding area.

If nothing unexpected happened,

the dozens of miles around Sunset Mountain would become a Fierce Blood Land, bringing endless harm.

"Unless... Unless I'm the one who cleans it up?"

"If I practice the Meditation Method of another Dragon God, the commotion during my Dragon Transformation will be enormous. The factions fighting above will certainly notice."

"But Yinglong is different. I can first cast the [Water Summoning Incantation], luring the Underground Water Vein into bursting through the mountain. I can make it look like Bao Mingjing's meteorite spell caused it. After it joins the Qiantang River, I can contemplate Yinglong and hide my scales in the depths. The factions won't notice, and I can steer the great river clear of places where humans gather, like Qiantang County..."

These thoughts surfaced like a Vicious Habit and were impossible to suppress.

Ge Xian seemed to have no intention of holding them back anymore. Instead, he took out the map Yang Bi had given him and studied it carefully. The more he looked, the happier he became.

It matched his thoughts perfectly.

At the same time, a secret passage from the scroll surfaced in his mind: Yinglong lurks in filthy waters. Fish and turtles profane it, unaware of how it can unleash its divine might, summon wind and clouds, race beyond the wastes, and soar into the vast blue sky. Thus does Yinglong, coiled in the mud, take flight to the heavens!

These secret words helped Ge Xian make up his mind completely.

"When Heaven gives, take it; refuse, and you invite misfortune."

"If not now, when?"

After laughing and uttering those words,

his Evil Dragon Body no longer hovered in the air.

Instead, it suddenly plunged into the surging Water Vein below. The next instant, a deep Dragon's Roar recited the [Water Summoning Incantation] from within it. The immense Water Vein burst open at once, forming a vortex like a river out of thin air. In the blink of an eye, it expanded the narrow "waterway" leading upward, then smashed through Sunset Mountain.

Amid the thunderous crash, everyone still fighting looked over.

They saw the meteorite, its Skyfire already extinguished, being blasted up from the foot of Sunset Mountain. Then a tremendous Underground Water Vein burst through the mountain, its current carrying a bone-chilling force.

In the blink of an eye, it washed the Blood Filth off the mountain and poured into the tributaries below, then flowed into the Qiantang River and rushed toward the East Sea.

No one saw

that deep within the vast Water Vein, a terrifying Dragon Shadow was undergoing a constant transformation, swelling larger and larger. It lay hidden among the mud and filth, yet seemed ready at any moment to soar into the highest heavens.