Chapter 465 (2)
If he hadn’t simulated the illusion with his psychic ability, directly witnessing it might have been too much for even him to bear—the impact on his soul and spirit was simply terrifying.
“Forget it. After all, this inheritance was gained for free. I shouldn’t be too greedy. Just the Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi alone is an unparalleled inheritance that countless Nascent Soul Realm cultivators dream of obtaining.”
Lu Qing sighed with some regret but quickly let it go.
After all, from the information he had extracted through his psychic ability, he knew that the Ancestral Dragon was a Nine Tribulations-level exotic beast.
Such a being had an incredibly precious bloodline—how could he possibly obtain it?
“Wait…”
Suddenly, Lu Qing was startled as a scene flashed through his mind.
In the earlier inheritance illusion, when the exotic beast Suan Ni was struck by Daoist 'Heaven-Shatterer''s sword qi, a strand of golden blood seeped out, falling into the great river below. Many strange aquatic beasts in the river fought over it.
He also recalled that when he first fished up the Dragon Beard Fish in the small river outside the village, the fish had displayed a faint Flood Dragon bloodline.
Connecting these two events, a realization struck him.He also remembered that Suan Ni had scoffed when it saw the river creatures fighting over its blood, remarking that it was also their fortunate encounter.
“That exotic beast Suan Ni is one of the Ancestral Dragon's Nine Offspring. Its bloodline, apart from the Ancestral Dragon itself, is likely one of the purest in existence.
I wonder who managed to obtain that strand of Suan Ni’s bloodline back then.
Now, after a hundred thousand years, has that bloodline been passed down and preserved?”
Lu Qing pondered for a while but eventually shook his head.
After all, that was an event from a hundred thousand years ago—there was no way to verify it now.
Besides, after such a long time, who could say whether the bloodline had been diluted to an insignificant degree?
Nevertheless, Lu Qing took note of this matter in his heart.
After ensuring there was nothing else he had overlooked, Lu Qing finally opened his eyes.
The moment he did, he saw Lin Zhirui standing far away, looking at him with a face full of uncertainty and awe.
“Zhirui, what’s wrong?”
Lu Qing asked in confusion.
“Young Master Lu, just now, when you were in deep meditation, an incredibly terrifying aura emanated from your body. This junior couldn’t withstand it and had to step back.”
The voice of Yan echoed in Lu Qing’s mind.
Hearing this, Lu Qing immediately showed an apologetic expression. “My apologies, Zhirui. I was too absorbed in my comprehension and failed to control my aura properly.”
“No worries. Have you finished your insights, Young Master Lu?”
Lin Zhirui smiled, not taking it to heart.
He knew that Lu Qing hadn't done it intentionally.
Ultimately, the gap in their cultivation was simply too vast. Even the slightest aura leakage from Lu Qing was too much for him to bear.
“Yes, I’m done for now. We can continue on our way.”
Lu Qing summoned his golden flying boat.
In no time, he and Lin Zhirui were airborne again, heading toward the Sacred Mountain.
...
As they crossed the Azure Dragon Mountain Range, formally entering Zhongzhou, Lu Qing immediately felt his spirits lift.
The surrounding spiritual energy was unimaginably dense—far richer than in any of the other provinces.
Even Jiuli Village, where he had set up a new grand formation, paled in comparison.
Only the spiritual veins beneath the Everlasting Regret Mountain Range had a higher concentration of spiritual energy.
“As expected of the heart of this world. The richness of Zhongzhou’s spiritual energy has already reached such an astonishing level.”
Lu Qing couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.
Lin Zhirui was similarly astounded.
It had been a long time since he last returned to Zhongzhou, and he hadn’t expected the spiritual energy here to have recovered to such a degree.
After his brief moment of marveling, Lu Qing suddenly noticed something.
Upon entering Zhongzhou, the Earth Spirit Pearl and Fire Spirit Pearl within his Brow Acupoint both trembled in unison.
Among the three faint spiritual pearl connections he had sensed from different directions, one of them had suddenly intensified.
“It’s the spiritual pearl located in Zhongzhou! I can feel it... its location…”
Lu Qing closed his eyes momentarily, focusing on the sensation before breaking into a smile.
“…It’s in the Sacred Mountain's direction!”
What a coincidence! He was already headed there, saving him the trouble of making a detour.
Without hesitation, Lu Qing infused more power into his golden flying boat, increasing its speed to the next level as they hurtled toward the Sacred Mountain.
...
As vast mountain ranges and expansive territories swept beneath them, Lu Qing’s expression gradually grew more intrigued.
By the time the Sacred Mountain’s outline appeared in his vision, he was certain.
The spiritual pearl wasn’t just somewhere in the direction of the Sacred Mountain—it was inside the Sacred Mountain!
The only question was: was it hidden somewhere within the mountain, or was it in the hands of one of the Holy Lords?
As these thoughts raced through Lu Qing’s mind, the golden flying boat transformed into a streak of light and, within mere seconds, arrived above the Sacred Mountain, coming to a halt, hovering high in the sky.
...
On the Sacred Mountain, three Holy Lords who were meditating in seclusion suddenly sensed an incredibly powerful presence descending upon them.
All of them were stunned, abruptly awakening from their cultivation and looking up in shock.
Only after seeing Lu Qing and Lin Zhirui standing atop the golden flying boat did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
They realized it was a guest—not an enemy.
However, the astonishment in their hearts did not fully subside.
Though they had long anticipated Lu Qing’s strength to be extraordinary...
Experiencing it firsthand was an entirely different matter.
The aura he had just emitted was simply too terrifying.
Even more so than when they had faced the two foreign invaders from beyond the heavens in the past.
“A distinguished guest has arrived from afar—what a pleasure it is! The presence of Daoist Lu in our Sacred Mountain truly graces Ling Sheng Mountain with its presence.”
After quickly calming his emotions, the First Holy Lord spoke in a deep and clear voice.
At the same time, he and the Second and Third Holy Lords executed their movement techniques, arriving at the mountaintop.
Lu Qing, controlling his golden flying boat, gradually descended from the sky.
After he and Lin Zhirui stepped off, he put away the flying boat.
The three Holy Lords’ expressions shifted slightly upon witnessing this.
They recognized the golden flying boat.
Flying artifacts were already rare, and golden ones were even more so.
To their knowledge, only one of the Elders from Xuankong Mountain possessed such a treasure.
Yet, it was now in Lu Qing’s possession, leaving little doubt about its origin.
Nevertheless, the three Holy Lords did not comment on it and instead welcomed them with warm smiles.
“Greetings, Holy Lords.”
As soon as Lin Zhirui landed, he bowed respectfully to the three Holy Lords.
“There is no need for formalities.”
The First Holy Lord nodded in acknowledgment.
He then turned to Lu Qing, smiling. “Daoist Lu, your reputation precedes you. This old one is honored to finally meet you in person. You truly are a heroic youth, a peerless prodigy—it is awe-inspiring.”
“Holy Lord, you flatter me.”
Lu Qing returned the gesture with a slight bow.
Though he had clashed with the Third Holy Lord before, it did not diminish his respect for what the three Holy Lords had accomplished in the past.
After all, their ancient prohibition on Precelestial Realm breakthroughs had benefited countless ordinary people across the world.