Entwined-Dragon Servitor
That beam of Mystic Light landed on Chen Lingxi.
It arrived silently, descending from the heavens like an inverted Milky Way, its entire body clear and smooth, without a trace of impurity.
When it landed on Chen Lingxi's head, it didn't stir up the slightest ripple. It simply enveloped him quietly, like a colorless stream of water flowing slowly down his hair, eyebrows, and shoulders, eventually disappearing into the clouds at his feet, which were soaked in the glow of the sunset.
From a distance, the light appeared as if it had been created by itself.
It was as if his entire being had been washed by that Mystic Light, radiating a hazy glow from his very bones, and even his dark brocade robe seemed to be plated with a layer of pale gold.
Yuan Lingyu was still in a state of surprise.
Chen Lingxi turned her head slightly and looked at her with some confusion.
"This Mystic Light seems to be related to the Great Luo Heavenly Immortal on that celestial chariot."
Chen Lingxi pondered in her heart.
He naturally sensed the Mystic Light upon him.
When the light entered the body, it was like a warm spring flowing down from the top of the head, flowing through the meridians to the limbs and bones, landing on the Dao Platform and beside the Thunder Thunder-Prison Profound Root.
Yuan Lingyu's reaction was... a bit too joyful.
"Junior Sister," Chen Lingxi asked, "This Mystic Light?"
Yuan Lingyu, however, seemed not to have heard his words, and continued to stare at him intently, at the faint golden halo around him that was slowly fading away.
Only when the halo finally dissipated completely did she withdraw her gaze, exhale a long breath, and the joy in her eyes not only did not diminish but became even brighter.
"Senior brother, do you know what this Mystic Light is?" She lowered her voice, but couldn't suppress the excitement in it. "It's a gift from Great Luo Heavenly Immortal!"
"What do you mean?" Chen Lingxi raised an eyebrow slightly.
"That's right." Yuan Lingyu nodded repeatedly. "This Mystic Light was descended by Great Luo Heavenly Immortal."
Of the Dragon-Offering Sect, those who are illuminated by this Mystic Light are destined to be among them.
The head of the sect will then summon him to the sect to pay homage to the immortal.
If that immortal takes a liking to you, you might... become Great Luo Immortal Attendant!
Great Luo Immortal Attendant.
These four words reached Chen Lingxi's ears, and although his face remained expressionless, his heart stirred slightly.
When the man and woman slowly drove past on the celestial carriage, their innate and overwhelming aura, which inspired no resistance, astonished him.
He originally thought it was just a passing immortal, and had nothing to do with him.
Unexpectedly, that Mystic Light landed squarely on him.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke, "When the Great Luo Heavenly Immortal select their attendants, they must be looking for those with exceptional talent and profound cultivation."
Those powerful figures on the Dragon-Transformation Immortal Ranking are all top-tier talents selected by the Dragon-Offering Sect. Why did this Mystic Light not fall upon them, but instead upon me, a cultivator in the Dao Foundation Early Stage?
Upon hearing this, Yuan Lingyu gently shook her head.
"Senior brother, you may not know this," she said. "When the Great Luo Heavenly Immortal choose their attendants, they never consider their background, cultivation level, or talent."
It was all due to some the Unseen, predestined connection.
How could we mortals possibly fathom the destiny of immortals?
She paused here, then whispered, "I once heard my senior brother from the main sect mention that a long, long time ago, on one of the lower peaks of the Dragon-Offering Sect, there was a handyman who swept the spirit fields. His cultivation was only at the Qi Circulation Realm; he was mediocre and inconspicuous."
But on that day, the Mystic Light fell, and it happened to land on him alone.
Later, he was taken in by an immortal and became his attendant, thus rising to great heights and no one dared to underestimate him anymore.
"A low-level servant?" Chen Lingxi raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Yuan Lingyu nodded, her face full of longing. "So, the selection of people by the Mystic Light depends entirely on fate."
"Now that you've been bathed in this Mystic Light, it means your good fortune has arrived."
"Senior brother, don't delay! Those illuminated by the Mystic Light must go to the Dragon-Offering Main Sect homage to the immortals."
You must hurry on your way! If you keep the immortal waiting, the sect leader will blame you, and that will be a serious matter!
Yuan Lingyu urged him on, fearing that Chen Lingxi would miss the appointed time and this rare fortuitous opportunity.
Chen Lingxi stood there, gazing at the gradually closing sea of clouds in the distance, her thoughts racing...
"This Mystic Light depends entirely on fate? How is that possible... It's highly likely to be another Cauldron Vessel."
Great Luo Immortal Attendant.
To rise to the top in one step.
The story of that lowly servant was indeed touching.
But Chen Lingxi never believed that fortuitous opportunity would fall from the sky for no reason.
He thought this, but didn't show it on his face at all.
He simply nodded slightly and said to Yuan Lingyu, "In that case, I will set off now."
Yuan Lingyu gave a few more instructions, nothing more than "be respectful when you see an immortal" and "don't be impolite," but they were all filled with deep concern.
Chen Lingxi agreed to everything and then turned around.
The lightning-infused clouds beneath his feet silently coalesced, propelling him into the sky. He broke through layers of mist and flew swiftly towards the Dragon-Offering Main Sect.
The Dragon-Offering Main Sect spanning ten thousand miles.
That real dragon statue hung high above the main temple.
It spiraled upwards, its head held high, its five claws like hooks, each scale the size of a mountain, its entire body azure-gold, gleaming with a heavy, cold light under the illumination of the three great suns.
The closer Chen Lingxi flew, the more she felt that the dragon sculpture was so enormous it was suffocating.
Standing on the clouds, gazing up at the dragon's head that pierced the clouds, he felt as insignificant as an ant at the foot of the mountain, almost negligible.
The dragon's eyes were half-closed, as if everything in the world was within its sight.
Chen Lingxi withdrew his gaze and looked towards the depths of the sea of clouds beneath the dragon carving. There, rows upon rows of palaces, with golden tiles and vermilion walls, flying eaves and upturned corners, stretched to the horizon.
Those palaces were all built with jade as their foundation and bronze as their beams, gleaming with a warm luster under the sunlight, their grandeur reaching its peak.
"This is the Dragon-Offering Main Sect." Chen Lingxi murmured to himself, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
He rode the clouds slowly forward, and before he had flown far, suddenly, a Divine Sense silently spread out from the depths of the sea of clouds ahead and landed steadily on him.
The Divine Sense wasn't sharp, but it carried an unyielding quality, as if saying: This is not a place where you can roam freely.
Chen Lingxi felt a slight chill and dared not be negligent, so he immediately descended from the clouds.
He landed in front of a magnificent palace.
The entire palace was made of white jade, with a high dome and lifelike dragons carved in relief on the beams and pillars, as if they might take flight from the walls at any moment. The palace doors were wide open, but the interior was dark and indistinct.
Chen Lingxi stood at the foot of the stone steps in front of the hall, hands at his sides, awaiting instructions.
Just then, a figure slowly walked out of the hall.
Chen Lingxi looked up and was slightly taken aback when she saw the person's face clearly.
The visitor was none other than the True Person Xiang Shu.
"Master." Chen Lingxi in greeting.
True Person Xiang Shu did not respond.
He stood in front of the hall, his gaze fixed on Chen Lingxi.
His eyes showed neither joy nor anger; they were quite calm.
If one were to examine it closely, one could vaguely discern a hint of unease beneath the calm.
It seems that they were not pleased that Chen Lingxi was illuminated by the Mystic Light.
Chen Lingxi was puzzled and was about to ask a question.
Just then.
"Thump!"
A bell tolled loudly from the depths of the main sect.
The sound of the bell was so deep and resonant, so vast, that it was as if someone had struck a giant bell cast from an entire mountain.
As the bell tolled, the sea of clouds surged, birds took flight in fright, and even the dragon statue hanging high in the sky seemed to ripple with waves between its scales.
True Person Xiang Shu's brows suddenly furrowed.
Immediately, a Divine Sense silently entered Chen Lingxi's ear.
"Now that the Mystic Light has landed on you, the sect leader has summoned you, so go there."
"When you see that Great Luo Heavenly Immortal, you must be respectful, but..." True Person Xiang Shu's voice paused slightly, and a rare solemnity appeared in his tone. "But do not agree to anything."
Don't agree to anything.
Chen Lingxi's doubts were dispelled.
He was about to look up at True Person Xiang Shu's expression when he saw that True Person Xiang Shu had already turned around. His brocade robes fluttered gently in the wind, and he disappeared into the dark palace gate, never to be seen again.
Just then, a middle-aged cultivator spoke from the distant clouds, "Those illuminated by the Mystic Light, all shall enter the Origin Peak Mountain Main Hall!"
Without a doubt, this person was the one who had come to guide Chen Lingxi.
Chen Lingxi followed this person all the way until they entered the Origin Peak Mountain Main Hall Dragon-Offering Sect!
Upon entering the main hall, Chen Lingxi was deeply astonished.
This palace is far too vast.
The dome hangs high, as if it wants to encompass the entire sky. The beams and pillars are so thick that two people cannot hug them. Looking out, one cannot see the other end of the palace.
He looked up and saw three people already standing in the hall.
Two men and one woman.
When the three men saw Chen Lingxi enter, they all turned around and looked at him. Chen Lingxi glanced at them and knew that the three men had different levels of aura, but none of them were ordinary people.
The woman among them had the deepest aura, with a faint spiritual light flowing around her, indicating that she was likely a person at the Dao Foundation Early Stage.
The two men were slightly weaker, but still had a strong aura of the Qi Circulation Realm around them.
Including himself, there were four people in total.
These four were all those chosen by Mystic Light this time.
Chen Lingxi stood at the end of the group of four, her hands hanging down, but her gaze went past the other three and looked toward the high platform deep inside the palace.
There is a person standing on the high platform.
The man was dressed in a crimson robe embroidered with patterns of the sun, moon, and stars. He possessed an air of elegance and composure; he was none other than the True Person Yu Jun.
She stood before the platform, her robes fluttering gently in the air currents of the hall, her gaze sweeping calmly over the four people below without the slightest ripple of emotion.
Below the high platform, seven powerful figures sat on each side.
Chen Lingxi had seen these seven figures during the Total Perception Evolution.
The faces of the seven people were all obscured by a hazy aura, making it impossible to see their features; only their silhouettes, some tall and some thin, could be vaguely discerned.
They stood there without deliberately exuding any aura, yet the seven streams of energy pressed down heavily, like seven invisible mountains, making the air in the hall feel somewhat stagnant.
Chen Lingxi held her breath.
And atop the high platform, amidst the clouds and mist, sat two more figures.
Those two people were the man and woman who had been on the celestial carriage just now.
The man sat upright on a cloud, his face as white as jade, his eyes and brows possessing an almost otherworldly handsomeness.
The woman sat quietly beside him, her eyes lowered, as if all of this had nothing to do with her.
The two of them did not release their aura outwards, but simply sitting there, they exuded an innate sense of majesty.
Great Luo Heavenly Immortal...
Chen Lingxi lowered her head, not daring to look any longer.
Just then, the Great Luo Heavenly Immortal man who had been sitting with his eyes lowered suddenly opened his eyes.
His gaze swept over the four people, first passing over the two men and one woman, and then landing on Chen Lingxi.
His eyebrows were slightly raised.
"This person," the man suddenly stretched out his hand, pointing directly at Chen Lingxi, "Is the one chosen by [Dragon-Appraising Lake]."
"Thus, this person became my Entwined-Dragon Servitor."
Once he reaches the Dao Foundation Late Stage, I will send him to my [Entwined-Dragon Palace]!
[Servants].
[Entwined-Dragon Palace].
These two words reached Chen Lingxi's ears, and although he remained outwardly calm, his heart stirred slightly.
Just then, the immortal snapped his fingers.
A profound and mysterious Dao Origin rose from his fingertips into the air.
That Dao Origin was azure, not particularly bright, yet it possessed an indescribable aura flowing within it.
That aura was completely different from any Dao Origin that Chen Lingxi had ever seen.
It was as if that Dao Origin was not something obtained through cultivation, but rather something connected to the immortal sitting on the cloud by blood and sharing the same aura, as if it had been forcibly peeled away from his body.
Chen Lingxi raised her head, her gaze falling on the azure Dao Origin, a hint of curiosity involuntarily flashing in her eyes.
At that moment...
Below the high platform, among the seven powerful figures whose faces were obscured, one of them suddenly shook his head slightly.
"Upgrade."
"This [Primordial Spirit Bearer] is my personally trained disciple, and the sect leader also personally selected him."
And once he has cultivated to the Dao Foundation Late Stage, he can enter the [Great Lodestar Dragon-Offering Palace] and receive the dragon's molt!
The man paused, his voice growing even deeper. "And my Deer-Sleeping Peak is growing weaker day by day."
"Without my disciple, I'm afraid no one could succeed me as the peak master of Deer Sleeping Peak."
Upon hearing this voice, Chen Lingxi was momentarily stunned.
He looked in the direction of the sound.
The seven people from before were all hidden behind a hazy aura, their faces obscured.
But as soon as the person opened their mouth to speak, the aura that had been concealing their face seemed to have faded somewhat.
Chen Lingxi closely and saw that the man's aura was like the sun at its zenith, and he was dressed in brocade robes, which were extremely luxurious. Compared with the other powerful people in the hall, he seemed to have a slight advantage.
Chen Lingxi looked at the man, her pupils contracting slightly.
"Master?"
He was filled with inexplicable astonishment.
His master, True Person Xiang Shu, who looked rather plain and wore an old, gray-blue Daoist robe...
At this moment, however, he stood among the seven powerful figures, dressed in fine clothes and exuding a stern and imposing aura.
The Great Luo Heavenly Immortal sitting atop the cloud frowned slightly upon hearing the words of the True Person Xiang Shu.
Another female immortal slowly raised her eyelids and looked at True Person Xiang Shu, one of the seven powerful figures.
A moment of silence fell over the hall.
True Person Yu Jun stood on the high platform, glanced at the immortal seated on the cloud, then at True Person Xiang Shu below, his brows furrowing slightly, before finally speaking, "Brother Xiang Shu."
She paused, carefully choosing her words, and slowly said, "Being valued by the Entwined-Dragon Palace is also a good thing."
The master of the Entwined-Dragon Palace has already reached the Golden Grotto Perfection, and perhaps one day he will be able to become True Lord.
By then, the two Dragon Palace princes would have the bloodline of True Lord...
"Brother Yu Jun," True Person Xiang Shu suddenly spoke, interrupting her.
He shook his head, his tone indifferent. "The Entwined-Dragon Palace is magnificent and its foundation in immortality is extremely solid, so it will naturally not lack a Dao Foundation Realm cultivator."
But my Deer-Sleeping Peak is different."
Silence returned to the hall.
The two immortals seated on the clouds exchanged a glance.
The Dragon Palace prince who had chosen Chen Lingxi still had a slight frown on his brow.
He remained silent for a moment, but finally... slowly stood up.
He bowed to the True Person Xiang Shu below the stage.
Not to mention in this Nine-Towers Land, even in the entire Great Xuanzhuo Realm, Golden Grotto are extremely rare, possessing extraordinary combat power and holding extremely high status.
Even Great Luo Heavenly Immortal or a Dragon Palace Prince would never dare to slight a Golden Grotto True Person.
True Person Xiang Shu accepted the greeting without changing his expression; he merely nodded slightly in return.
The Dragon Prince straightened up, but a slight smile suddenly appeared on his lips.
As he raised his finger, the azure Dao Origin that had been suspended in the air suddenly moved again.
It drifted down slowly, getting closer to Chen Lingxi, and like a tamed little dragon, it slowly swam around Chen Lingxi.
As Dao Origin Chen Lingxi approached, an indescribably dense Spiritual Qi rushed towards her.
The Spiritual Qi was so pure that it seemed that absorbing even a trace of it would cause his Dao Platform to tremble slightly.
Within the Dao Origin, countless Mystery Mechanism flowed subtly, and those subtleties were something he had never sensed in anyone before in all his years of cultivation.
He involuntarily took a deep breath.
An unprecedented greed arose in my heart.
The Great Luo Heavenly Immortal, seated atop the clouds, looked down upon Chen Lingxi.
His gaze was calm, yet it seemed to see through the fleeting greed in Chen Lingxi's heart.
"You are a disciple of True Person Xiang Shu, not an ordinary Dao Foundation Realm cultivator." He spoke slowly, his voice echoing in the hall. "In that case, I will give you a chance to choose for yourself."
Choose for yourself?
Chen Lingxi's heart stirred.
At that moment, a vortex suddenly appeared in the eyes of the Dragon Palace prince.
The vortex started as a tiny, faint point, but in an instant it grew into a massive vortex, like two bottomless whirlpools embedded in those handsome, almost eerie eyes.
Deep within the whirlpool, the image of a real dragon was reflected.
That dragon was too magnificent.
The dragon's body stretched for tens of thousands of miles, its scales as golden as gold, each shimmering with a light that could burn the eyes.
It lingers in the endless Void, as if the entire world is its curled-up shell.
That real dragon... was too terrifying.
Chen Lingxi only glanced at it, but felt an indescribable pressure sweep over her.
He felt an involuntary surge of reverence, as if he were born to kneel before that true dragon and become a speck of dust at its feet.
At the same time, the voice of the Dragon Palace Prince also came from the depths of the vortex.
The voice seemed to contain an unimaginable allure, penetrating straight into Chen Lingxi's heart and settling in the deepest part of his Consciousness Sea.
"Now that you have seen my true form, become my dragon servant!"
"Wait until I step into the Golden Grotto and attain the Dao as True Lord!"
"I will bestow upon you the Cauldron Artifact Fortune, the Mysterious Void Dao Fruit, and the Young Dragon Bloodline!"
"How?"
The voices grew louder and louder!
The desire for submission and the desire for greed intertwined, surging like a tide, almost completely overwhelming his mind.
Chen Lingxi felt her knees go weak, the word "good" almost slipped out of her mouth, and her body almost collapsed to her knees.
At that moment...
Within the Inner Divine Palace of his body, the illusory figure of the Heaven-Inviting Great Sage, who had always sat quietly in meditation, suddenly opened its eyes!
The moment he opened his eyes, an indescribable aura erupted from the deepest part of his Consciousness Sea!
That aura, like a dazzling golden light, surged from the depths of his heart, instantly scattering all the overwhelming temptations!
Chen Lingxi's body jolted violently, and the momentary confusion in her eyes instantly turned into clarity.
"This true dragon's form is rather strange."
He took a deep breath, raised his head, and met the gaze of the Dragon Palace prince.
He didn't speak, but silently shifted his gaze slightly to his master, who was hidden beneath brocade robes below the stage.
The True Person Xiang Shu still stood there.
His face was shrouded in a hazy aura, becoming indistinct.
But behind that aura, those eyes were fixed on Chen Lingxi, a glint of light flashing within them, carrying a hint of barely perceptible wariness.
The hall suddenly fell silent.
The Dragon Prince sat upright on the cloud, staring intently at Chen Lingxi.
His almost eerie eyes reflected Chen Lingxi's gradually clearing gaze, and suddenly... a slight smile appeared on his lips, carrying a hint of amusement.
He suddenly snapped his fingers.
The azure Dao Origin that had been hovering around Chen Lingxi suddenly receded at this moment, transforming into a stream of light that hovered within his reach.
"There's no need to rush," the Dragon Prince said leisurely. "There are many mysteries within my [Dragon Origin]. Take it and study it."
"Let's figure things out first before making any plans."
His voice was calm, as if the invisible confrontation just now was nothing more than a casual chat to him.
Chen Lingxi knew, of course, that she had no right to refuse.
He reached out and plucked that wisp of azure Dao Origin from the Void.
The Dao Origin quietly solidified, transforming into a warm and translucent gemstone, which fell into his hand.
"In that case, you may return now," True Person Xiang Shu instructed.
Chen Lingxi the Dragon Origin into his sleeve, bowed to the immortal sitting on the cloud, and then bowed slightly to his master, who was hidden behind his aura below the stage, before returning home.