236: Chapter 236 The Blood-Lined Flood Dragon Displays its Power! Seven-Colored Lotus!

Chapter 234: The Bloodline Flood Dragon Displays Its Might! The seven-colored haze lotus!

“Spirit-Sealing Pillars?”

A flash of surprise crossed Ling Yuling's clear phoenix eyes as her gaze fell upon that ancient stone pillar, her tone carrying a sense of confirmation.

She was the esteemed Young Lord of the Star Palace. The Star Palace's Legacy was long-standing, its ancient records as vast as a sea of smoke, containing countless records of various exotic items and extraordinary treasures.

Regarding this type of special Magical Artifact specifically refined by ancient Cultivators for sealing purposes, she had not only read detailed descriptions in many ancient texts but had even personally seen similar items in a secret treasury somewhere within the Star Palace, though their size and shape were slightly different.

“So it is this item. No wonder it felt familiar, radiating a sense of sealing and suppression.” Beside Ling Yuling, Alliance Leader Ling also showed a look of sudden realization. Clearly, she had also heard of the name 'Spirit-Sealing Pillar,' though she was not as certain as Ling Yuling.

A solemn expression immediately appeared on her face as she walked half a circle around the stone pillar, examining it closely. “This object looks like an ordinary stone pillar on the outside, but in reality, it was refined by mixing over a dozen types of extremely precious Artifact Refining Materials to achieve the miraculous effect of isolating and sealing Spiritual Qi. Just this one pillar likely cost Materials worth no less than ten thousand Spirit Stones. For ancient Cultivators to be so extravagant, their goals must have been no small matter.”

Ling Yuling nodded and took over the conversation. Her voice was clear and cold as she explained to Lu Qiu, “Fellow Daoist Zhou, the so-called ‘Spirit-Sealing Pillar’ is a special large-scale Magical Artifact specifically refined by ancient Cultivators to completely lock down and imprison the flow of Spiritual Qi within an area, preventing it from leaking out. This kind of Magical Artifact is not easy to refine, and its uses are extremely specific.”

She paused, her beautiful phoenix eyes narrowing slightly as her gaze toward the stone pillar took on a hint of scrutiny and wariness. “According to ancient records, ancient Cultivators would usually only set this up at any cost under two circumstances.”

“First.” She extended a slender, fair finger. “It is to Seal some kind of peerless and rare Heaven-and-Earth Spirit Medicine with extremely demanding requirements for its growth environment, or certain exotic flowers and herbs that would quickly wither and suffer great loss of spirituality if Spiritual Qi were to leak. This pillar is used to lock in their essence and spirituality, allowing them to be stored for a long time.”

“Second.” Her tone sank slightly, and her gaze shifted to the connection between the base of the stone pillar and the ground, as if she could see through to the things hidden beneath. “It is to suppress certain extremely troublesome ghost-like demons or vengeful spirits that are skilled in transformation and concealment. This pillar is used to isolate Yin and Yang and Seal away evil energy, preventing them from escaping and causing havoc.”

“Since a ‘Spirit-Sealing Pillar’ was used...” Ling Yuling's dark eyebrows furrowed slightly, a clear trace of apprehension flashing in her eyes. “The thing sealed inside, whether it be a Spirit Medicine or an evil entity, is likely not simple at all. If it is the latter...”

Although she held a noble status and possessed no shortage of protective and evil-repelling treasures bestowed by her elders, her own cultivation was ultimately the lowest among the three. Facing an unknown evil entity that might have been solemnly sealed by ancient Cultivators, her heart couldn't help but tighten slightly.

Lu Qiu's gaze calmly swept over the Spirit-Sealing Pillar before looking at the two women with their solemn expressions. An imperceptible glint flashed in his eyes.

He spoke faintly, his voice steady and certain through his mask. “Since we have already broken the outer Restrictions and reached this place, how can we return empty-handed? It is but a single Spirit-Sealing Pillar. Whether what is hidden within is an Opportunity or a disaster, we will know with one look. Why fear a mere evil entity that has been suppressed for an unknown number of years?”

The composure and confidence in his tone seemed to carry an invisible infectious power.

Hearing this, a strange light flashed in Alliance Leader Ling's eyes as she gave Lu Qiu a deep look.

This 'Fellow Daoist Zhou' not only showed no fear in the face of potential danger but instead possessed a faint, eager sharp edge. This Heart-Nature was by no means comparable to that of an ordinary Pseudo-Nascent Soul Cultivator.

She suppressed the last trace of hesitation in her heart and nodded in agreement. “What Fellow Daoist Zhou says is exactly right. The path of cultivation is inherently an act of going against the heavens; opportunities often coexist with risks. Since there is a Spirit-Sealing Pillar here, no matter what lies beneath, it is worth exploring. Yuling, what do you think?”

Seeing that both were intent on going down to investigate, Ling Yuling felt it was a bit risky, but it wouldn't be right to speak up again and dampen their spirits.

She sighed softly, and with a flip of her wrist, an object appeared in her palm.

It was a fist-sized, bell-shaped Magic Treasure. Its entire body was a warm bright yellow, neither metal nor jade, with an ancient and heavy design. The walls of the bell were densely covered with tiny golden runes, and at this moment, it was faintly emitting a soft and pure evil-repelling spiritual light. One could tell at a glance that it was no ordinary item.

“Since you and Fellow Daoist Zhou are both determined to explore, Yuling will naturally accompany you.”

As Ling Yuling spoke, her tone shifted, and her gaze fell once more upon the massive Spirit-Sealing Pillar, her brow furrowing slightly. “However... the method to open this Spirit-Sealing Pillar is somewhat troublesome. According to ancient records, these pillars are not meant to be directly destroyed or moved. Usually, one needs to use great force to rotate it in a specific direction several times to unlock the internal mechanism's connection to the earth pulse before it can be laid down to reveal the passage. This pillar is so thick it likely requires several people to encircle it, and it must weigh over ten thousand jun. Although we Cultivators have no weak magic power, physical strength is not our forte. Even if we use Great Strength Talismans for reinforcement, I'm afraid we...”

She didn't finish, but her meaning was already quite clear.

Cultivators relied on Magic Treasures and Divine Abilities in battle; their Physical Body strength was far inferior to that of Body Cultivators or Yao Beasts of the same rank.

The stone pillar before them looked incredibly heavy. Wanting to turn it purely through physical strength was definitely no easy task.

Alliance Leader Ling was also taken aback upon hearing this. She had only considered the items beneath the pillar earlier, forgetting that opening the pillar itself was also a problem.

Just as Ling Yuling said, it seemed that none of the three of them excelled in strength.

“Leave this matter to me.”

Just as the two women were pondering a solution, Lu Qiu's calm voice rang out.

He took a step forward, and without any visible effort, he simply raised his right hand, palm facing the open ground ahead.

The next moment, a flash of red light shot out from his palm, landing on the ground and rapidly expanding and transforming!

“Roar—!”

A low and majestic roar instantly echoed through this underground space, accompanied by a heart-palpitating, fierce aura that spread out!

As the red light faded, what appeared before Alliance Leader Ling and Ling Yuling was a colossal creature over a hundred zhang in length!

Its entire body was covered in dark red, metallic-lustered fine scales. Its body was as thick as a palace pillar, and beneath its belly were four ferocious claws. Its head resembled a dragon's, with a single horn pointing straight to the sky, and its cold, brutal vertical pupils were scanning the surroundings.

Most striking was that along its spine, from the neck to the tail, there was a vivid, blood-red line!

“A flood dragon?!” Ling Yuling's pupils constricted, and for the first time, a look of undisguised shock appeared on her exquisite face.

As the Young Lord of the Star Palace, she had seen many powerful Spirit Beasts and Yao Beasts, but a flood dragon-type Spirit Pet as magnificent as this, with an aura that had reached the seventh rank, was extremely rare!

“A seventh-rank Bloodline Flood Dragon?!” Alliance Leader Ling also cried out in shock, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

She had more experience than Ling Yuling and immediately recognized the species of this flood dragon.

Among flood dragons, the Bloodline Flood Dragon was known for its ferocity and great strength. Once it reached the seventh rank, its strength was enough to rival a Pseudo-Nascent Soul Cultivator, and in some aspects, it was even superior!

She never expected that this 'Fellow Daoist Zhou,' who had always appeared mysterious and low-key, would actually be hiding such a powerful trump card!

“I obtained it by chance in my earlier years; it's merely a capable helper,” Lu Qiu explained in a flat tone, as if subduing a seventh-rank Bloodline Flood Dragon was just a trivial matter.

With a thought, he sent a clear command to the Bloodline Flood Dragon through his Divine Sense.

Receiving the order, the Bloodline Flood Dragon's cold vertical pupils glanced at the Spirit-Sealing Pillar. With a low growl, its massive body slithered, bringing with it gusts of a fishy wind.

Its thick dragon tail skillfully coiled around the middle of the stone pillar, and its muscular body then wrapped around it layer by layer like a giant python, gripping the stone pillar tightly.

“Roar—!”

With another muffled dragon roar, the Bloodline Flood Dragon exerted its full strength. Its dark red muscles bulged, and its scales ground together with a screeching sound as a suffocatingly immense force erupted!

Rumble...

Under that terrifying force, the incredibly heavy Spirit-Sealing Pillar actually began to slowly rotate!

The point where the stone pillar met the ground emitted a piercing grinding sound, and gravel fell in showers.

One rotation, two rotations, three rotations!

The Bloodline Flood Dragon strictly followed the instructions transmitted by Lu Qiu's Divine Sense, precisely rotating the stone pillar three full turns.

Immediately after, the Bloodline Flood Dragon's body coiled around the stone pillar whipped out, like swinging a giant club, violently pushing the stone pillar—which had already been disconnected from its mechanism—toward the open space on the side!

“BOOM—!!!”

An earth-shattering loud noise erupted!

The massive stone pillar, thick enough to require several people to encircle, crashed to the ground, slamming heavily onto the floor paved with bluestone slabs!

The entire underground hall shook violently in response, and dust flew everywhere.

At the spot where the stone pillar landed, a trench several feet deep was smashed into the hard ground, with gravel splashing out, showing just how terrifying the weight of the Spirit-Sealing Pillar itself was!

And right next to where the Spirit-Sealing Pillar had originally stood, a pitch-black hole silently appeared in the ground. The hole was about one zhang in diameter with neat edges, and a cold wind carrying a stale scent was blowing out from within, making one's skin feel a chill.

From the edge of the hole, a row of stairs also made of white stone extended downward. They were narrow and steep, leading all the way down into the deep darkness, unknown how far into the depths of the earth they went.

Lu Qiu raised his hand with a beckoning motion, and the Bloodline Flood Dragon turned into a streak of red light, flying back into his sleeve.

He said no more. With a movement of his body, he turned into a green shadow and dove straight into that pitch-black hole, descending along the white stone stairs, his figure soon swallowed by the darkness.

Alliance Leader Ling was stunned for a moment, clearly not having fully recovered from the shock brought by the Bloodline Flood Dragon.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the churning thoughts in her heart. She glanced at Ling Yuling beside her, and seeing that she too had regained her composure, she no longer hesitated. With a flash of spiritual light around her, she followed closely behind Lu Qiu into the hole.

Ling Yuling stood where she was, staring at the deep hole, an extremely complex look flashing in her eyes.

His Formation attainments were profound, his origins mysterious and unfathomable, and now he had revealed a seventh-rank Bloodline Flood Dragon Spirit Pet...

Every time she thought she had seen through this 'Fellow Daoist Zhou' a bit, he always managed to show something new and unexpected.

Just how many secrets were still hidden on this guy?

She shook her head gently, temporarily suppressing her stray thoughts.

With a wave of her delicate hand, the yellow bell-shaped Magic Treasure she had been holding in her palm began to spin rapidly. The golden runes on the bell's walls lit up one by one, emitting an even denser bright yellow radiance.

A solid, warm, and peaceful pale yellow light shield emerged from the bell, flowing like water ripples and enveloping her entire body within.

This 'Evil-Repelling Mysterious Bell' was something she had specifically prepared for the sinister and evil things they might encounter this time; it had an excellent restraining effect on ghosts and demons.

After completing these preparations, Ling Yuling finally set off, stepping onto the cold white stone stairs, her figure also slowly vanishing into the darkness of the earthen hole.

...

The earthen hole was even deeper than expected.

The white stone stairs spiraled all the way down, steep and long.

The chill and stale scent pervading the air grew increasingly heavy, and occasionally, an indistinct sound like wailing wind could be heard coming from the depths.

The walls on both sides of the stairs were slick and covered in dark moss, emitting a faint smell of mold.

Lu Qiu led the way with steady steps, his Divine Sense like invisible tentacles cautiously probing ahead and all around.

Alliance Leader Ling followed closely behind, her hand already gripping a ribbon-like Magic Treasure that glowed faintly.

Ling Yuling walked last, the light shield of the Evil-Repelling Mysterious Bell acting like a bright lamp in the darkness, dispelling the surrounding chill.

After walking for a full half-quarter of an hour, Lu Qiu's steps ahead paused slightly before he quickened his pace.

The view suddenly opened up as the narrow stairs finally reached their end.

A square stone hall about twenty zhang across appeared before the three of them.

This hall was slightly smaller than the space above but appeared even more ancient. Besides the stair entrance they came through, there was a semi-circular arched door on each of the left and right walls of the hall. The doors were tightly closed, made of some unknown stone material that appeared a dull gray. The doors were smooth and markless, and it was unknown where they led.

The ceiling of the hall was not rock but was embedded with seven or eight fist-sized night-luminescent pearls, emitting a soft and lasting milky-white glow that illuminated the entire hall in a hazy light. Though not bright, it was enough to see by.

The surrounding walls were not ordinary stone; they seemed to have been enchanted with some kind of permanent Spell by ancient Cultivators, dotted with countless tiny, shimmering points of light like stars. It was as if the starry night sky had been moved indoors, appearing quiet and strange, carrying an ancient beauty.

Lu Qiu didn't stop, stepping directly into the hall as his gaze quickly swept over the entire area.

Alliance Leader Ling and Ling Yuling followed him in. After their gazes passed over the arched doors and the starlight on the walls, they were almost simultaneously drawn to the scene in another corner of the hall.

There was a small water pool about one zhang across.

The pool water was not clear but was a thick milky white. Under the glow of the night-luminescent pearls, it shimmered with a warm luster, and a faint, strange fragrance—resembling orchid yet not orchid, musk yet not musk—wafted out. One breath of it made one's spirit feel refreshed.

However, what drew their gaze was not the pool water itself, but the things beside and within the pool.

Beside the water pool, a skeleton sat half-reclined. This skeleton was entirely white and crystalline, as if carved from the finest mutton-fat jade. After the passage of long years, it not only showed no sign of decay or dullness but instead flowed with a warm luster under the dim light. It was preserved extremely well, with even the tiny finger bones clearly visible.

However, at the crown of this jade-like skeleton's head, a foot-long, emerald-green small arrow—appearing as if crafted from jadeite—was deeply inserted right up to the fletching, pinning its skull firmly to the ground!

This scene appeared exceptionally eerie and striking in the quiet and beautiful hall.

But Alliance Leader Ling and Ling Yuling's gazes only lingered on this eerie skeleton for a moment before being immediately locked onto the even more dazzling existence in the center of the pool, unable to look away for a second!

In the center of the pool, within that milky-white thick liquid, grew a lotus flower.

This lotus had not yet fully bloomed; it was only a bowl-sized flower bud, standing quietly above the milky-white liquid. The flower bud was three-colored: the base was a warm celadon jade color, gradually turning into a brilliant crimson further up, while the tips of the petals were a striking bright yellow.

The three colors blended and transitioned naturally and harmoniously, shimmering with flowing light and vibrant colors.

Even more amazing was that a few inches above this three-colored lotus bud, a small and exquisite rainbow was actually suspended and condensed out of thin air!

This rainbow was only the size of a palm, yet it had all seven colors—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple. The light flowed and was dazzlingly beautiful, as if a section of the most beautiful glow between heaven and earth had been captured and imprisoned here, draping a dreamlike veil over the flower bud below.

The strange fragrance was precisely being emitted from this flower bud and the seven-colored rainbow.

“This... this thing...” Alliance Leader Ling's voice carried a clear tremble due to excitement. She took two steps forward, her beautiful eyes fixed on that three-colored flower bud and the seven-colored rainbow, her breathing becoming rapid. “A three-colored flower body of cyan, red, and yellow, born with the companion phenomenon of a seven-colored rainbow, rooted in ten thousand year spirit milk... Could this be the ancient Spirit Medicine recorded in the classics that has long since vanished from the Mortal world—the seven-colored haze lotus?!”

In her risky exploration of the ancient Cultivator ruins this time, her greatest hope was to find an Opportunity that could help her break through the Nascent Soul Bottleneck.

And this “seven-colored haze lotus” was practically a dreamlike existence in legends!

Legend had it that if a Mortal on the verge of death consumed it, it could grow flesh on white bones and bring them back to life; if a Cultivator could consume it, their cultivation would surge, saving them decades or even over a century of hard work, and it even had miraculous effects on breaking through the Bottlenecks of major Realms!

If she could obtain this seven-colored haze lotus that had not yet fully bloomed... Alliance Leader Ling felt her heart race uncontrollably. Striking at that seemingly incredibly solid Nascent Soul barrier might no longer be an unreachable dream!