Grand Secretary Zhou walked out of his courtyard entrance just like usual.

There was a quiet and secluded street near his old residence, within it a tofu shop that also sold some salty jellied tofu with some small dried shrimp and pickled vegetables scattered on top.

Just like usual, he ordered a bowl of jellied tofu, slowly finished it, and then walked out of this tofu shop.

However, when he walked out of this tofu shop like usual, this tofu shop’s boss, a fifty something year old gray haired cripple instead sensed something a bit different than usual.

This rather ordinary and mediocre cripple seemed to have understood something, shock and horror appearing in his eyes. His body began to release light.

However, this tofu shop already began to freeze.

This cripple’s radiance had just begun to shine, and then it began to fade. A layer of transparent ice first covered his body, and then the large wooden bucket that blanched jellied tofu also froze. Everything quickly froze.

Grand Secretary Zhou crossed over this tofu shop’s entrance. The instant his body completely separated from this shop, everything in this shop completely froze over, even the air seemingly frozen into layers and layers of transparent ice crystals.

Grand Secretary Zhou walked towards a certain place.

A purge was being carried out in Central Continent City, so he also began to carry out a purge around this old residence, sweeping up those from various opponents who were keeping an eye on him.

Meanwhile, these people from various factions discovered with horror for the first time that perhaps previously, in all of Central Continent City, the most powerful might not necessarily be Ni Henian’s. Then, these people were frozen, passing away.

…

A carriage moved along the street.

Sat within this carriage were Nangong Weiyang and Zhantai Qiantang.

Nangong Weiyang’s head was always lowered, her brows tightly furrowed, as if she wanted to forcefully squeeze out some wrinkles on her tender young lady face.

“Even though Central Continent Guards have almost all been transferred to Central Continent City, the powers in those areas all fighting against the emperor, making it easier for us to do things,” Zhantai Qiantang looked at Nangong Weiyang who had already remained silent for a long time, unable to help but say with a bitter smile, “we already broke into several prisons. If the amount of people increases any further… our return path might not be as simple.”

“I’m not thinking about this matter.”

Nangong Weiyang raised her head, looking at Zhantai Qiantang with a smile and saying seriously, “Actually, after guiding away that shadow consecrator for you, I entered True Dragon Mountain.”

“What?!”

Zhantai Qiantang was given a huge fright, clearly unaware that Nangong Weiyang entered True Dragon Mountain.

“I learned of one of True Dragon Mountain’s secrets.” Nangong Weiyang looked at Zhantai Qiantang and said, “True Dragon Mountain really has dragons inside.”

Zhantai Qiantang was given another scare, his face even becoming a bit pale. “Really has dragons inside?”

“They are already dead.” Nangong Weiyang nodded, saying this seriously.

Zhantai Qiantang stared blankly. “Dead?”

Nangong Weiyang nodded. “There are already no more True Dragon Gems.”

If it was anyone else, they might not be able to adapt to Nangong Weiyang’s speed of jumping between thoughts and conversations, but Zhantai Qiantang was already quite used to it, which was why he sensed that there was definitely some type of connection between the two things Nangong Weiyang just said. “What exactly is going on?” That was why he wasn’t in that much of a rush either, only looking seriously at Nangong Weiyang while asking.

“Inside of a stone temple in True Dragon Mountain is an extremely deep ore mine, inside of it are the remains of a dragon. It should be that type of extremely powerful legendary fiend beast. Only, it has been too long since it has perished, even its bones about to turn into stone.” Nangong Weiyang looked at Zhantai Qiantang and said, “There are some bones that have some spherical depressions, the sizes around that of True Dragon Gem.”

Zhantai Qiantang took a deep breath, his expression a bit pale, in a bit of disbelief as he said, “What you are trying to say is… that True Dragon Gem is nothing more than the bone beads produced from those dragon bones, or something like soul beads?”

“Perhaps you can think of it as marrow beads as well, just like those in a lake, the marrow has condensed into gemstone.” Nangong Weiyang looked at Zhantai Qiantang, nodding and saying, “Right now, those True Dragon Gems have already been completely gouged out… the amount of True Dragon Gem is even less than what we imagined.”

Zhantai Qiantang said with a grave expression, “You are sure that there are no remains anywhere else, that there are no other places where True Dragon Gems can be obtained from?”

“The vital energy from those remains is extremely special. If there is any more in True Dragon Mountain, I would have definitely been able to sense it. Even though later on, that shadow consecrator also caught up, so I didn’t have any time to wander around any other parts of True Dragon Mountain, I could already sense this unique aura when I was at the foot of the mountain. That is why I am sure that no other place in True Dragon Mountain has this.” Nangong Weiyang looked at Zhantai Qiantang, replying in a serious tone.

“This is indeed an extremely great secret.”

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Zhantai Qiantang remained silent for a long time, unable to say another word.

Everyone in this world thought that True Dragon Gems and True Dragon Mountain were Changsun Clan’s lifeline.

It was precisely because of True Dragon Gem’s power and great value that Changsun Clan obtained the means to dominate the world.

If there was an ore vein of True Dragon Gem, then this ore vein was Changsun Clan’s true dragon vein.

However now, the True Dragon Gem has actually been completely excavated! There won’t ever be any more!

Regardless of how much there still was in reserve, as long as there was no more being produced, then it was over.

“Zhang Qiuxuan[1] still has that set of True Dragon Armor on him, it will definitely make Changsun Jinse feel great distress… No wonder Changsun Jinse has been so irritable these years.” Zhantai Qiantang remained silent for a moment, and then couldn’t help but look at Nangong Weiyang, continuing, “Seems like this might be one of the most important reasons.”

Nangong Weiyang nodded. “Changsun Clan’s foundation has already been cut off, anyone would feel worried over this.”

“There are some things that are useless even if you feel impatience. He isn’t someone easy to deal with, he definitely has other areas of confidence.” Zhantai Qiantang lowered his head, saying this. He then raised his head, seeing that Nangong Weiyang’s brows were still tightly furrowed. He who was already quite familiar with Nangong Weiyang felt that this was a bit strange. “If it is just this secret, what else is there that you can’t figure out?”

“It is because that palace had more than the secret of True Dragon Gems being completely consumed.” Nangong Weiyang looked at Zhantai Qiantang, saying, “There were also many coffins inside, within them the corpses of some past True Dragon Guards.”

“Those most powerful cultivators who were at Yunqin late emperor’s side really all died?” Zhantai Qiantang’s eyes suddenly widened. He didn’t expect this, because after the late Yunqin Emperor passed away, some people believed that the disappearance of those True Dragon Guards was because they already returned home to live in seclusion, no longer wishing to get involved in secular affairs, while some believed that they remained in True Dragon Mountain, defending Central Continent City. It was only in the past two decades where even though some huge matters happened in Yunqin, there was still not a single True Dragon Guard who appeared, that the people of this world began to wonder if these True Dragon Guards passed away because of some unknown matter.

“There was one person who was still alive, his cultivation higher than mine. I could not defeat him, but he couldn’t catch up to me.”

Nangong Weiyang’s manner of speaking had always been direct, without wasting much words. “He didn’t have fingers or toes. The corpses of those True Dragon Guards in those coffins don’t have fingers or toes either.”

“They don’t have fingers or toes?” Zhantai Qiantang stared blankly. He was definitely an extremely intelligent person, so he naturally understood that what left Nangong Weiyang confused was this matter. Meanwhile, he couldn’t think through the reasoning behind this at all either.

“Could it be a certain cultivation secret technique?” His brows furrowed, asking this probingly.

“It doesn’t seem like it. I didn’t notice any parts that are especially formidable.” Nangong Weiyang shook her head. “None of the corpses in the coffin have suffered much external injuries, I do not know how they died. Only, their fingers and toes didn’t seem to have been cut off by a sharp object, instead, it was as if they died from necrosis. Even if they were studying some type of cultivation secret technique, it wouldn’t be like this.”

Zhantai Qiantang thought for a long time, and then raised his head, saying with a bitter smile, “This is indeed a difficult matter that cannot be thought through.”

Nangong Weiyang’s brows jumped slightly. “Things that cannot be thought through, if it was that fella, he might just not spend any energy trying to think through it. It is just that holding back and not thinking about it is quite difficult as well.”

Zhantai Qiantang chuckled. He looked at Nangong Weiyang, momentarily silent, as if he saw a flower blossom on Nangong Weiyang’s face.

Nangong Weiyang looked at Zhantai Qiantang in confusion, saying seriously, “What are you doing?”

“You’ve mentioned Lin Xi more and more often recently.” Zhantai Qiantang began to laugh.

“Does this count as longing?” Nangong Weiyang’s brows furrowed slightly. She looked at Zhantai Qiantang. “Then, can your behavior be counted as jealousy?”

“Jealousy?” Zhantai Qiantang’s head almost bumped straight into the carriage walls. He looked at Nangong Weiyang who seemed to be asking this question seriously, in the end shaking his head. “It seems like making you understand powerful emotions between men and women might truly be harder than finding the answer to this matter.”

…

“Did you know Principal Zhang went behind Heaven Ascension Mountain Range?”

“By having you stay behind in Green Luan Academy, apart from having you help guard Green Luan Academy, did he entrust you with any other information?”

“For example… the most important matter, do you know if he is alive or not? … did he tell you what we are to do should he encounter something unexpected in Heaven Ascension Mountain Range?”

In Jadefall City, grass swayed under the winds and orioles took to the skies. This type of conversation was currently happening.

Rather than a ‘conversation’, this was more like Lin Xi continuously asking questions alone without receiving any answers.

The one he was having a conversation with was a dignified ‘duck’, Brother Ming.

Lin Xi was now even a bit doubtful if this powerful existence Principal Zhang left behind, this creature he called a mandarin duck, could understand the words he spoke.

It was because no matter what he said, this mandarin duck only held its head high and puffed its chest out, looking at him with an insufferably arrogant stance, not saying anything in response.

“Fine then.”

Lin Xi was a bit discouraged. He reached out a hand, a bit of light seeping out from his finger, turning into many strands of pure radiance that were many times brighter than sunlight.

“Professor Ming, this is Priest Hall’s ‘Radiance’. Is it the same type of thing as the power you release?” He looked at this dignified ‘Brother Ming’, unable to help but ask this probingly.

‘Brother Ming’ still looked at him with a dignified expression, still not giving him any replies.

Lin Xi finally became completely discouraged. “Alright, let’s head out for that horse field… see if we have a chance of encountering Big Black.”

1. Imperial City Consecrator Zhang Qiuxuan