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Between Nine Separation Peak and Heaven and Earth Platform lies a deep chasm. Usually, disciples travel from Heaven and Earth Platform to Nine Separation Peak or vice versa by flying with their swords or through the air. Only when distinguished guests arrive is a special spectacle activated between the two peaks, the Rainbow Bridge, to welcome them. Most of the time, this place is a perilous abyss. Disciples who have not reached the Initial Stage of Caution cannot fly across without guidance from their elders.
At the bottom of the chasm is a deep pool of water, the depth of which remains unknown. It is said that looking down from above, one cannot see the water at all; most of the time, the lower part of the chasm is shrouded in mist, and only when the mist is thin can one catch a glimpse of the faintly shimmering reflections on the water's surface.
It is rumored that a curious disciple once flew down for a long time, discovering a still bay of Black Water below. The water should be clear, but it appears pitch black like ink due to its great depth preventing light from penetrating.
Now, in front of Nine Separation Peak's chasm, a large crowd has gathered, nearly filling the entire edge of the square, with people also standing at the opposite edge of Heaven and Earth Platform. Everyone stretches their necks to look into the bottomless chasm below. Someone couldn't help but ask, "Where's the Divine Dragon? Why hasn't it appeared yet?"
A nearby person laughed and replied, "Do you think you can just see it whenever you want? That’s the divine beast captured by Elder Chu Hongzi from overseas! The real Divine Dragon! Not even Kunlun has tamed one! Our Nine Li Sect is truly impressive now!"
"The Divine Dragon's might doesn't concern you! The Sect Leader has already ordered that no one is allowed to disturb the Divine Dragon; otherwise, you'll face punishment from the Disciplinary Hall!"
"Then why are you speaking so loudly? If you disturb the Divine Dragon and it gets angry, you'll be in trouble!"
The murmurs quieted down. No one dared to speak loudly but found it hard to leave, their eyes glued to the deep chasm until they felt sore.
Someone whispered, "It seems there’s some movement; I see the water down there rippling."
Immediately someone shushed him, saying, "You’ve only reached Initial Stage of Caution; how can you see anything from this height? Just wait for Elder Chu Hongzi to come out and summon the Divine Dragon for everyone to see."
"Exactly! Once he comes out of Chengxian Pavilion, we should all go together and ask him; Elder Chu Hongzi is usually reasonable and will surely agree."
Thus, a large group turned around to look at the towering Chengxian Pavilion above.
What they didn’t know was that inside Chengxian Pavilion, which had once been home to twenty-eight previous Sect Leaders, Li Hong was currently kneeling deeply before Ling Xuzi. The atmosphere in the reception room was very tense. Ling Xuzi frowned deeply.
Spirit Stone and Ling Yi Zi exchanged glances; Ling Yi Zi calmly raised his hand and pointed outside. The excited chatter of disciples discussing the Divine Dragon could be clearly heard from outside.
Spirit Stone understood the situation and coughed lightly, saying, "Although Chu Hong is reckless, he has now made amends by bringing back a true Divine Dragon. Elder Brother Zhangmen, considering Chu Hong's many contributions to our sect, please waive his punishment."
Upon hearing this, Ling Xuzi immediately relaxed his brow and readily agreed, "Alright, since both of you are pleading for him, I will waive his punishment!"
Spirit Stone showed a joyful expression but then saw Ling Xuzi become serious and say, "However, at this critical moment, if the Demon Sect learns that our formation spirit has entered Li Hong's body, it would be detrimental to him and to our entire Nine Li Sect. This matter must only be known by the four of us; it must not leak out! Of course, I will inform the elders of the Array Hall."
"Brother's words are wise!" Spirit Stone chuckled, feeling relieved.
Ling Xuzi turned to Li Hong, his tone gentle: "How is it? Is Heavenly Torch awake now? If he is, I would like to ask him a few questions."
Li Hong looked inward and saw that the fellow was still meditating inside the Fire Separation Pearl. He shook his head and said, "He is still cultivating. Any questions you have for me are the same as asking Shibo. Heavenly Torch has never hidden anything from me. He has already sworn a Dragon Oath to me and will never betray our Nine Li Sect."
The three of them—Ling Yi Zi, Spirit Stone, and Ling Xuzi—trembled in unison. The Dragon Oath! The Dragon Oath of a Divine Dragon is an absolute guarantee. They all couldn't help but smile.
However, Li Hong knew there was something that needed to be clarified right away. He hesitated and said, "Actually, someone has known about Heavenly Torch from the very beginning—it's Yun Jiuzi Ancestor."
Upon hearing that Yun Jiuzi had known all along, instead of being angry, Ling Xuzi and the others felt more at ease. Spirit Stone complained, "Why didn't you say so earlier? You made me worry for nothing..."
Before he could finish speaking, Li Hong continued, "In fact, not only did Yun Jiuzi know; from the very beginning, both Chu Xi and Chuxiong also knew." After saying this, Li Hong looked at Spirit Stone, worried that his master would be furious.
Sure enough, Spirit Stone's expression stiffened as he became angry: "You brat! So many people knew about it, even Chu Xi Old Seven, yet you didn't tell your master! Do you even consider me your master? You've kept this from us for so long! I was just worried about you!"
Li Hong scratched his nose and smiled sheepishly. Although Spirit Stone was angry now, it was when he was coldly laughing that he was truly furious. Now that he was expressing his anger, it indicated that everything was fine.
At this point, the weight on Li Hong's heart was finally lifted. Ever since Heavenly Torch had fully awakened his soul, this matter had felt like a heavy stone weighing on his chest. He had always worried about when something might happen. He imagined many scenarios: being expelled from the sect or being forced to reveal Heavenly Torch. Just thinking about it made it hard for him to focus on cultivation. After being discovered by Ling Yi Zi, he had come forward with a mindset of risking everything. He never expected things to resolve so easily. From today onward, he could finally breathe easy without worry.
Hearing the scolding from Spirit Stone, Li Hong feigned a submissive demeanor, but inside he was feeling quite pleased. There is truly nothing like the feeling of having no secrets that cannot be spoken!
Ling Xuzi began to mediate the situation: "Alright, alright, since so many people know about it, it indicates that there is indeed not much of a problem with the Heavenly Torch. As long as we keep this matter among ourselves and do not spread it further. Chuxiong, I know you are a tight-lipped honest kid, and Chu Xi..." Ling Xuzi paused deliberately here, looking at Li Hong with a teasing expression: "Your Master Uncle often complains to me about girls being too forward, Chu Hongzi, you should be aware of this. But let's not discuss that for now. In any case, this matter regarding the Heavenly Torch must remain with us; it must not leak out, not even to Elder Yue Mangzi. You all need to remember this."
Spirit Stone was taken aback, thinking to himself that after all this time, it turned out that Elder Brother Zhangmen was not angry at all. He had even asked Old Six for leniency, only to realize that he was merely putting on an act to find a way out!
Ling Yi Zi smiled at Li Hong: "You can get up now."
Li Hong chuckled as he stood up. The atmosphere in the reception room immediately relaxed.
Ling Xuzi stroked his beard and said: "Let’s go! Let’s see our Nine Li Sect's contemporary guardian Divine Dragon!" His expression was extremely relaxed and self-satisfied, completely devoid of any trace of worry.
Seeing this scene, Spirit Stone and Ling Yi Zi understood well; Ling Xuzi's intentions were clearly written on his face—he had already started to shift his stance.
Black Abyss thus became the "contemporary guardian Divine Dragon" of Nine Li Sect, and Li Hong felt guilty just thinking about it.
********
When Ling Xuzi and the others emerged, the disciples were incredibly excited. Someone shouted: "We want to see the Divine Dragon!"
Ling Xuzi and Ling Kong floated down lightly in front of the Nine Li Peak Main Hall, and the crowd immediately parted to create a path leading straight to the edge of the abyss. Ling Xuzi turned around, his crimson robe billowing in the wind. At that moment, he appeared radiant and carefree as he proclaimed loudly: "From today onwards, our Nine Li Sect has gained a new guardian senior—Black Abyss Divine Dragon! Here I solemnly warn everyone: no one is allowed to disturb Senior Dragon's cultivation or use any excuse to command him unless Senior Dragon consents!"
This elevated Black Abyss to a status akin to that of a phoenix. Li Hong thought Ling Xuzi was making a big deal out of nothing; after all, wasn't it just a little dragon that had been cultivating for five thousand years? Was it really worth such excitement? He thought about the numerous Beast Cultivator Elders on Jiuya Peak; any one of them could easily surpass Black Abyss—why go so far?
Spirit Stone noticed Li Hong's thoughts and rolled his eyes before transmitting his voice: "That's different. The Beast Cultivation elders are honorary elders invited by our Nine Li Sect, but this Divine Dragon is one we have tamed ourselves. I can assure you that even Kunlun would envy us for this. Moreover, Divine Dragons are not like ordinary spirit beasts; they are genuine Heavenly Born Divine Beasts. If spirit beasts are born into different ranks, then Divine Dragons and phoenixes belong to the highest tier—they are inherently extraordinary. As long as they are not killed, they will automatically advance in cultivation over time; the longer they live, the more powerful they become without any effort. Just look at how they cultivate by simply sleeping! Furthermore, although both are untransformed Low-Level Celestial Beasts, Divine Dragons and phoenixes can easily defeat other Low-Level Celestial Beasts of the same rank and even contend with already transformed low-level divine beasts. Their combat power is truly terrifying. I doubt Du Yizi would have any chance against Black Abyss. This is the difference between Heavenly Born Divine Beasts and naturally born spirit beasts. Don't be fooled by Black Abyss's current age of only five thousand years; given time, he will surely shine brightly. Old Six, you have truly struck gold this time!"
Spirit Stone Continuing from here, the attention remained on Ling Xuzi as he delivered an inspiring speech with great enthusiasm.
Li Hong was taken aback, realizing there was such a distinction; the naturally born spirit beasts were indeed different from the Heavenly Born Divine Beasts! Especially that statement made his heart tremble. If even Du Yizi's older brother might not be able to defeat Black Abyss, then… he couldn't help but wonder if he had easily brought Black Abyss over to sell out. He felt quite guilty about it.
Just as they were talking, a series of colorful flashes appeared in the sky, signaling the arrival of the Beast Cultivator Elder from Jiuya Peak.
Du Yizi was the first to land in the square. Upon seeing Li Hong, his eyes lit up, and with a slight shift, he jumped in front of Li Hong, patting him on the shoulder and laughing, “When did you come back? You didn’t even come to see your big brother!” His tone was very warm.
Li Hong chuckled and pointed ahead, saying, “I brought back a Divine Dragon, and Sect Leader Uncle is really excited!”
“No wonder! I was wondering why it was so lively!” Du Yizi suddenly realized and immediately became very interested. “Let’s call it over to take a look.”
Du Yizi led the Beast Cultivator Elder to swarm around Ling Xuzi, then made way for Li Hong to call for the Divine Dragon. Everyone was curious.
Under everyone's gaze, Li Hong steeled himself and called out in front of the abyss, “Black Abyss, come up!”
The square fell silent as everyone held their breath, waiting to see the Divine Dragon.
After a while, however, there was no response. Suddenly, a girl’s voice rang out from the crowd of beast cultivators: “Isn’t it just a little loach? Why are you all so excited? Hmph! What’s so great about it!”
Everyone turned their gaze toward her; she was a small girl with an adorable and quirky appearance, impatiently tapping her fingers downwards.
Li Hong smiled wryly; wasn’t this Huanhuan from the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan! With the Shooting Jade Clan Leader absent, she must have returned to Qingqiu Mountain during his time away. But why didn’t they take this Little Fox Xiu along when they left? It was said that she was quite a troublemaker.
Seeing that Li Hong was staring at her, Huanhuan immediately glared back at him: “What are you looking at? I’m not wrong; it’s just a little loach!”
Li Hong helplessly touched his nose and was about to speak when suddenly the crowd stirred. He immediately felt something new on his head.
Black Abyss unexpectedly blinked and jumped out. Its body remained small, only about two feet long. It curiously scanned its surroundings with big eyes and immediately settled on top of Li Hong's high crown just like before.
Everyone gasped in surprise, but only Huanhuan was clapping and laughing: "I told you, it's a little loach! Haha, a black loach at that!"
Not a single person from Beast Cultivation laughed. Some began to whisper among themselves, their expressions somewhat off.
Du Yizi could hardly believe his eyes, trembling as he pointed at Black Abyss and said, "Is it really him?"
"Yes," Li Hong started to feel something was wrong but couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Upon hearing Li Hong's confirmation, Du Yizi immediately turned and flew away without saying a word.
The group of Beast Cultivator Elders was thrown into chaos; some hurriedly followed Du Yizi while others stayed behind, curiously examining Black Abyss perched atop Li Hong's head.
Li Hong was confused and shouted, "Wait up, big brother!" as he hurried to catch up.
The disciples of Nine Li Sect were in an uproar, with some expressing disappointment: "So it's just a tiny little dragon, so small! No wonder Elder Chu Hongzi could bring it into Mountain Gate."
"No hope here; it doesn't look imposing at all. It actually seems quite cute. This is nothing like the majestic Divine Dragon I imagined!"
A cold laugh echoed throughout the venue: "What a bunch of ignorant fools! I'm embarrassed for you all; no one is allowed to speak nonsense!" He shouted, "Elder Yue Mangzi, please come out!"
The disciples immediately scattered in all directions.
Li Hong was filled with doubts and quickly pursued Black Abyss. Ling Xuzi and the others exchanged glances and hurriedly followed.
Du Yizi's behavior certainly indicated that there was something significant going on.
********
At the top of Jiuya Peak, in the Inn, Du Yizi looked very displeased and insisted on leaving.
Li Hong, completely puzzled, called out, "Brother, you must tell me the reason! Otherwise, I will never be at ease for the rest of my life!"
Seeing Li Hong's sincere expression, Du Yizi sighed and said, "Alright, if you can send this creature away, I will tell you."
Black Abyss had never interacted with humans before and could not understand human speech at all; it only understood Li Hong's Dragon Language. Li Hong had no choice but to speak in Dragon Language in front of Du Yizi. After much effort, he managed to guide Black Abyss back to the abyss in front of Nine Separation Peak.
Du Yizi was not surprised that Li Hong could speak Dragon Language. Just as he was about to speak, Ling Xuzi, Ling Yi Zi, and Spirit Stone hurriedly flew over, and everyone scrambled to take their seats.
Once seated, Du Yizi sighed and said, "Actually, I have already figured it out. This little dragon doesn't understand anything and is unaware of its own background, but that doesn't mean I don't know. I don't know him personally, but I know his parents."
Du Yizi continued slowly, "His parents are my sworn enemies and a disgrace to the entire Beast Cultivation Realm. They are also great adversaries of your Immortal Sect!"
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