128: The Hidden God Sect's zoo has gained a new member.

An event that could have overturned the structure of the Central State, the 'Dragon Clan's Siege,' came to an end in an extremely absurd and hasty manner.

The Kaoshan Sect gained over a hundred 'watch-snakes.'

This news, as if it had grown wings, instantly spread through every street and alley of the Central State.

The first reaction of everyone who heard the news was—

"Nonsense."

"The Dragon Clan? Guarding the gate for a Sect from the Eastern Desolation? Do you take me for a three-year-old?"

"If you're going to make up a story, at least make it plausible."

But when they saw the 'high-definition' images recorded by Image Projection Stones through various channels, showing the Dragon Clan Ancestor's Incarnation as a small golden snake fawningly rubbing against Li Daoxuan's pant leg,

Everyone fell silent.

Then came a shudder from the depths of their Souls.

"Crazy... this world... has gone completely crazy..."

"Who would dare call the Kaoshan Sect a Devil Sect now? Have you ever seen a Devil Sect that could make a Dragon Clan Ancestor at the Peak of the Quasi-Emperor Realm willingly become a pet?"

"This is clearly a Divine Sect, an Immortal lineage!"

In an instant, the direction of public opinion in the entire Central State underwent a staggering three-hundred-and-sixty-degree reversal.

The Kaoshan Sect went from being a 'Devil Head' that everyone wanted to beat to a 'Divine Immortal' that everyone revered... and at this moment,

The 'Divine Immortal' Li Daoxuan was tucking his hands in his sleeves like a construction foreman, directing the wicked Taoist Duan De, who had been caught to serve as forced labor.

"Taoist, over here. Yes, right here."

Li Daoxuan pointed at the moat in front of the mountain gate, which was originally meant for decoration.

"Dig this a bit deeper and widen it a bit more."

"Later, we'll plant some aquatic weeds and raise a few koi to give it some style."

Duan De, carrying an iron shovel taller than himself, was sweating profusely with a mournful face.

"Senior, please spare me."

"This humble Taoist is a tomb raider, not a civil engineering crew!"

"Besides, why are you digging such a huge pond? Are you really going to raise fish?"

"Raise fish?"

Li Daoxuan curled his lip. "That's too low-end."

He pointed at the hundred or so Primordial Dragons lying on the ground in the valley, playing dead.

"See them?"

"From now on, this place will be called the 'Dragon Transformation Pool.'"

"It's specifically for them to bathe in."

Duan De: "..."

He looked at those Dragons emitting terrifying auras, then at the small shovel in his hand, feeling his legs go a bit weak.

Raising Dragons like koi?

This kind of grand scale... only you, Senior, could pull it off.

Soon,

Under Duan De's 'exquisite' civil engineering skills, a massive lake shimmering with light and shrouded in Immortal Qi appeared before the Kaoshan Sect's gate.

Li Daoxuan nodded in satisfaction.

He waved his hand at the Dragons who were still playing dead.

"Stop lying around, get up and move about."

"This will be your new home from now on."

"Whoever performs well and is obedient, this Seat will reward them with a drop of... Qilin Blood."

Boom!

As soon as these words were spoken,

The hundred or so Dragons that were just on their last breath instantly acted as if they'd been injected with stimulants, each one leaping up from the ground with vigorous energy.

Qilin Blood!

That was a supreme divine item that could allow them to return to their ancestral Bloodline and achieve a Breakthrough in their Realm!

"Awoo—!"

A fire Dragon with the most impatient temper was the first to howl and rush into the Dragon Transformation Pool, even sycophantically splashing a wall of water with its tail to try and catch Li Daoxuan's attention.

Seeing this, the other Dragons also scrambled to be first, jumping into the pool one by one with a series of 'plops'.

The scene looked exactly like a flock of ducks entering the water.

Soon, the Dragon Transformation Pool was crowded with Dragons of various colors, each poking their heads out and looking at Li Daoxuan on the shore with extremely fawning and longing eyes.

"Master, pick me! Pick me!"

"I'm the most obedient! I can breathe fire!"

"I can bring rain! Master, does the vegetable garden in your backyard need irrigation?"

Li Daoxuan looked at this group of 'watch-snakes' with no integrity and nodded in satisfaction.

Not bad, not bad.

The security Rank of the Sect has been raised another level.

"As for you..."

Li Daoxuan's gaze fell upon the 'culprit' tied up and thrown in the corner—Arrogant Dragon.

Arrogant Dragon shuddered all over from his gaze, almost wetting himself again.

"Sen... Senior, spare my life..."

"I... I won't dare do it again..."

"Throw him in too." Li Daoxuan waved his hand. "Untie him."

"However, while the death penalty is spared, punishment is inescapable."

He pointed toward the back mountain.

"From now on, you are responsible for your Third Senior Brother Shi Tian's meals."

"Go to the back mountain every day and catch a hundred Yao Beasts for him. If you're short by even one, I'll chop off another section of your tail."

Arrogant Dragon: "..."

He looked at the fat boy who was currently drooling and looking at him with unfriendly eyes,

Then touched the bare stump of his tail.

Shuddering all over, he quickly nodded like a woodpecker.

"Yes, yes! I guarantee I'll complete the task!"

...The storm thus subsided.

Within the Kaoshan Sect, the former tranquility was restored.

No,

It was even livelier than before.

Every day, a golden Dragon could be seen being chased all over the mountain by a fat boy.

"Arrogant Dragon! Don't run! Today I want to eat roasted Roc! Go catch one for me!"

"Lord Shi Tian, I was wrong! I was really wrong! Those Golden-Winged Rocs have all been scared away, where am I supposed to catch one for you?"

In the Dragon Transformation Pool by the mountain gate, a hundred Dragons came out to 'patrol' at fixed times every day, scaring even the birds from flying within ten thousand miles.

The entire Kaoshan Sect was filled with a thriving (chaotic) atmosphere.

And Li Daoxuan was happy to be idle.

Every day, he either lay in a rocking chair basking in the sun or went fishing in the back mountain, occasionally giving pointers on his Disciples' cultivation.

His days were more leisurely than those of a retired official.

One day,

On a whim, he quietly slipped out of the mountain gate alone, intending to go to the nearby Mortal city to experience 'Mortal World life.'

After all, in cultivation, one also pays attention to 'entering the world' and 'leaving the world.'

Just as he stepped into the Mortal city named 'Luoyun City,'

A burst of noisy, bustling life rushed toward him.

The cries of candied hawthorn vendors, the rhythmic pounding from the blacksmith shop, the laughter of children... compared to the killing and fighting within the Sect, there was a rare sense of... peace here.

Li Daoxuan found a roadside teahouse and sat down, ordering a pot of the most ordinary coarse tea. Listening to the surrounding tea drinkers bragging and chatting about everything under the sun, he found it quite interesting.

Just as he was drinking with gusto,

An... extremely desolate zither melody suddenly drifted from the street corner.

The zither sound was very light.

Very strained.

It was like a rusty, blunt knife, carving into the listener's heart stroke by stroke.

The surrounding tea drinkers, who had been talking loudly, instantly lost their smiles upon hearing this melody.

In its place was an inexplicable... sorrow.

Some thought of their departed loved ones.

Others thought of their regrets about having no hope in seeking the Dao.

Even the waiter stopped his work and stood there blankly, his eyes turning red.

The teacup in Li Daoxuan's hand also paused in mid-air.

His brow furrowed slightly.

He could hear it.

Contained within this zither melody was not just sadness.

There was also a kind of... endless regret of a hero in his twilight years with unfulfilled ambitions.

And a kind of... deathly stillness of one injured by the Great Dao, with their life force severed.

Li Daoxuan's heart stirred.

"In this zither melody..."

"There is a dao wound."