"Little one."
"Long ago, I traveled the Primordial World with Jade Pure, one of the Three Pure Ones of Kunlun Mountain. A bond of karma formed between us!"
The Azure Dragon Patriarch's voice broke the silence in the hall, tinged with reminiscence.
The Three Pure Ones of Kunlun!
Jade Pure Yuanshi!
Yellow Dragon's heart jolted. Others might not yet know what that name meant in the Primordial World, but he knew all too well!
It meant the Pangu Orthodox Lineage. A future Heavenly Dao Sage!
An indescribable premonition gripped his pounding heart like a giant hand, making it beat even harder.
Green Dragon's next words confirmed Yellow Dragon's suspicions.
"Once Jade Pure Yuanshi becomes a Sage, if he opens his gates to disciples..."
Green Dragon paused, then continued, "I'll send you to Kunlun. With that bond between us, and with you free of Karmic Hindrance and blessed with merit, you should be able to enter Jade Pure's tutelage."
Buzz—
It was as though a boulder had crashed into the still lake of Yellow Dragon's mind, sending waves surging sky-high!
Become a disciple of Heavenly Venerable Jade Pure Yuanshi?
Green Dragon's words split the fog in Yellow Dragon's mind like lightning!
Of course!
That's it! That's it!
No wonder!
No wonder Heavenly Venerable Jade Pure Yuanshi, who prized pedigree above all and regarded "scaly creatures" as outsiders, had made an exception in Yellow Dragon's memories and accepted a dragon as a direct disciple!
It had always seemed contradictory. Yellow Dragon had never understood why.
Now it all made sense!
This was where it had all begun.
While Yellow Dragon was still reeling from the revelation, a pearl suddenly appeared before him.
A warm, mellow yellow glow flowed across its surface. It should have been an object of solemn serenity.
Yet dark, jagged markings sprawled across that beautiful surface.
They gave off a deathly aura that made his heart quail, as though the pearl were on the verge of shattering.
"Give this Innate Spiritual Treasure to Yellow Dragon." A familiar voice sounded softly beside Green Dragon's ear.
Green Dragon gave a slight nod toward the East Sea Eye.
"This Innate Spiritual Treasure is a reward bestowed on you by Ancestor Dragon himself."
"An... Innate... Spiritual Treasure!"
"Ancestor Dragon..."
"Bestowed it himself..."
Any one of those things would have stunned Yellow Dragon. Now they had all come at once!
He had barely recovered from learning he might become a Sage's disciple, and here he was, stunned again.
This time, though, Yellow Dragon did not forget his manners.
He quickly bowed toward the direction Green Dragon had faced.
Green Dragon withdrew his gaze and looked again at the Spirit Treasure covered in those "unusual markings."
His eyes grew distant and deep, as though he were looking through countless ages. He explained to Yellow Dragon:
"This pearl was taken from Chaos, the ferocious Beast King we slew during the Fierce Beast Calamity."
"Fierce beasts are born to devour living creatures and nourish themselves. Even Innate Spiritual Treasures are food to them."
He paused, a faint gravity entering his voice. "The black markings on the surface are the source power of that fierce beast, Chaos. They are constantly eroding this treasure's innate Indestructible Spiritual Light...!"
Green Dragon's voice slowed, carrying a trace of regret. "Inside the beast's belly, most of the pearl's innate restrictions were worn away. Its grade fell with them. All that remains now is an Innate Low-Grade treasure."
"As for what grade it was originally..."
Green Dragon shook his head. "Whether it was high-grade or the even higher supreme grade, no one can say."
He looked at Yellow Dragon. "Chaos's source power has taken root on this pearl and is difficult to remove. It passed through several owners without ever accepting one, and in the end, Ancestor Dragon kept it in his collection."
"You have merit and the Pure World White Lotus to cleanse it of the beast's corruption. Given time, you may be able to restore it to its original state."
Yellow Dragon's heart burned with excitement. He was about to offer his thanks when Green Dragon reached out again.
His green-scaled hand slipped into the seemingly empty space beside him. His fingers spread slightly, as though he had seized something within the void. A moment later, his arm dipped under its weight, and he pulled.
Buzz—
Space gave a low hum, like fabric tearing. Green Dragon dragged out a strange plant, roots and all, wrapped in a great clump of yellow Breathing Soil rich with earth-aligned spiritual energy.
Without even looking at it, he tossed the plant beside Yellow Dragon's feet.
Its branches and leaves swayed gently as it landed, releasing an indescribable tranquility that seemed to soothe every restless thought.
"Since Ancestor Dragon has given you an Innate Spiritual Treasure..."
Green Dragon's voice remained flat, as if he were discussing something trivial. "I'll give you a Spiritual Root as well. It's a branch of an Enlightenment Tea Tree, an Innate Spiritual Root I happened to acquire. It took considerable effort to cultivate this branch into a living Acquired Spiritual Root."
He glanced at the tea tree on the ground, which gave off an aura that invited enlightenment. For once, his tone betrayed a little reluctance.
"Fortunately, I felt like trying my hand at it and put in the effort to grow several. Otherwise, I really couldn't bear to give one to you. It may be an Acquired Spiritual Root, but it should be a considerable help before you attain Great Luo."
"Several?"
Yellow Dragon stared. Was the patriarch really that extravagant?
Branches from an Innate Spiritual Root!
And he had managed to cultivate several of them? That was nothing short of wresting fortune from heaven and earth!
He looked at the Azure Dragon Patriarch, his eyes full of awe for the wealthy.
As expected of the legendary Eastern Sacred Beast who governed the flow of life through heaven and earth. His skill at cultivating Spiritual Roots was absurd.
"This disciple... this disciple humbly thanks you for your generosity, Patriarch...!"
"Enough!"
Green Dragon waved a hand, cutting off the rest of Yellow Dragon's effusive thanks. His tone turned abruptly urgent, leaving no room for argument.
"Forget the pleasantries! Put your things away, quickly! You can't stay at the Ancestral Court—or even in the East Sea—any longer!"
Before Yellow Dragon could react, he was thrown into a spatial rift.
"Patriarch!"
In the final instant before the rift closed, Green Dragon's deep, hurried voice pierced the chaotic spatial currents and reached Yellow Dragon clearly:
"Your Sweet Dew Technique is crude. At best, it will coax a few leaves from that Enlightenment Tea Tree each year!"
"If you want a steady supply of tea to cleanse your soul, turn that half-baked Sweet Dew Technique into a true divine ability! Otherwise, you'll be chewing tea dust!"
Boom—!!!
On the shore of the East Sea, at the edge of a dense forest beyond a golden beach, the calm sky split open without warning.
A figure shot from the rift like a cannonball and slammed into the ground!
The impact left a terrifying crater hundreds of yards across and dozens deep. At its center, a human-shaped figure was embedded deep in the sand and soil.
"Burdened by karma... merit wearing away..." Yellow Dragon muttered, instinctively looking within himself. The warm, bright golden light of merit that had once surrounded his Primordial Spirit had indeed dimmed.
So this was the crushing karmic burden borne by the Dragon Race! He had spent only a short while back at the Dragon Clan Ancestral Court, yet it had already begun eroding his merit.
Several days later, halfway up a mountain near the sea, Yellow Dragon carved out a temporary cave dwelling. Its walls were rough, and he had only leveled the floor.
He sat cross-legged and took out several pieces of Spirit Jade, melting them down into a teapot, a few cups, and a tea tray.
He plucked a mature leaf from the Enlightenment Tea Tree and placed it in the teapot, then boiled a pot of springwater drawn from the mountain.
When he poured the boiling water into the pot, the clear springwater turned a soft, lustrous jade green. Wisps of pale green spiritual energy rose visibly from the leaf, swirled around the spout, and gathered into a small spiritual mist filled with ever-changing Dao patterns. A moment later, the mist sank into the tea.
As Yellow Dragon poured the Dao Enlightenment Tea into a cup, an air of serenity, clarity, and insight spread through the crude cave dwelling.
He lifted the cup and drank it in one gulp.
Boom!
The warm tea slipped down his throat. There was no violent surge of energy, only an exquisitely pure power that seemed to wash the deepest dust from his Primordial Spirit, filling his entire body!
Before you continue