novelraw Chapter 1008: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (16)
Chapter 1008: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (16)
This round stone actually has a special name—Dragon-Sealing Stone.
The world is divided into yin and yang, and all things in nature exist in a state of mutual balance and opposition. Just as there are beings like Spiritual Vein Dragons, there are also their natural enemies. The origins of the Dragon-Sealing Stone are unknown, even within the vast and ancient knowledge of the Divine Land True Dragon.
Long Xiruo unearthed this Dragon-Sealing Stone in the extreme north. It possesses the power to suppress Spiritual Vein Dragons.
Of course, just a small piece like this wouldn’t have much effect on a Divine Land True Dragon—even though, at this moment, Long Xiruo could only use a secret treasure to create a body that could exert only a fraction of her strength.
A body created in this way was like a puppet powered by a battery—except the battery in this case was her own essence blood.
Moreover, since this body was created using Kui Qianyi’s secret treasure, it had a limited capacity for True Dragon Power. It couldn’t replicate the innate ability of a True Dragon: the ability to stand undefeated upon Divine Land, continuously drawing energy from the land itself.
This energy replenishment was constant, but if the output exceeded the intake, there would still be moments of weakness.
Luo Pianxian hadn’t seen Sister Dragon in her true form for quite some time. Perhaps she had grown too accustomed to Long Xiruo’s childlike appearance, because now, seeing her tall and elegant figure, she felt strangely unfamiliar.
"I still think Sister Dragon is cuter like this… Ah!"
Before she could finish, Little Butterfly Demon received a heavy knock on the head—delivered by the artificial body Long Xiruo had created.As for why… well, the real young Long Xiruo simply couldn’t reach that high.
"If you have nothing better to do, then just sit there quietly! Read a book, or even just sit still and accumulate more fat for your chest, whatever! Just don’t bother me!" Long Xiruo glared at her fiercely.
Luo Pianxian’s eyes widened as she clamped her mouth shut, hugging her knees and shivering slightly.
So scary.
"Seriously…" Long Xiruo sighed, ruffling her hair.
Then she quickly refocused, fully concentrating on manipulating her created body to approach the Dragon-Sealing Stone and examine the inscriptions on its surface.
Every artificial body she created had a time limit. If she pushed beyond its capacity, the limit would shrink further, forcing her to bleed again.
The blood she used was essence blood, nothing like the ordinary blood from a monthly cycle—comparing the two would be a disgrace.
Long Xiruo quickly shook her head to clear the stray thoughts and focused on her task.
Meanwhile, her true body was making its way toward the Inner Hall of the cave.
Though her real body no longer had any power, she could still multitask efficiently—one part of her working, another observing.
She suddenly felt uneasy about letting Luo Qiu go in alone—not out of concern for his safety, but rather out of concern for what he might do.
That kind of power, seemingly unrestricted by any rule… and a mind unbound even by common morality.
A combination like that was probably the most dangerous thing in the world.
"Stay out here and keep watch. If anything happens, just shout." Long Xiruo left those words behind.
"Eh?"
---
As he walked deeper, the sound of dripping water became noticeable.
Beyond the pillars at the Dragon-Sealing Stone’s entrance, Luo Qiu found himself in a vertical cave filled with small puddles.
Water dripped from stalactites above, slowly seeping through the mountain over countless years to form these pools.
It was damp. The silence was so deep it felt unsettling—only the sound of falling droplets echoed repeatedly.
There was no light.
Although this place was meant to imprison Hope, it was surprisingly crude—just a plain, natural cavern.
Nothing else.
Luo Qiu soon reached the very end of the cave.
"It’s been about two hundred years."
A sudden, youthful voice came from behind.
Luo Qiu turned to see Long Xiruo walking toward him, pulling a crumpled cigarette pack from her pocket. She shook it twice, letting a cigarette slip out before placing it between her lips.
In the utter silence, the sound of her lighter striking was especially sharp.
Though he had long known she smoked, seeing her do it while looking like a young girl was undeniably strange.
Long Xiruo walked up to the cave wall and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"Because of its natural deficiencies, it took nearly a hundred years to transform into a dragon. But before it even had a chance to experience the world, I locked it in here for two hundred years."
She reached out and wiped at the cave wall.
As the dust was cleared, the surface was revealed to be incredibly smooth—almost crystalline, though dull in color.
She knocked on it a few times and shook her head.
"At first, I thought it was too cramped, so I carved out a subspace inside this stone. But looking back, I think I was just feeling guilty… Some pathetic attempt at compensation."
Luo Qiu stepped closer, studying the wall.
Long Xiruo sighed.
"At first, everything was fine—so long as I never left. But eventually, I did leave. After that, I only came back from time to time."
"You left?"
She looked at him with a complex expression.
"A century ago, I discovered another Spiritual Vein with the potential to become a dragon. I settled there instead. But in the end, it failed—it died before it could even transform."
Luo Qiu was silent for a moment before speaking seriously.
"That was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."
Long Xiruo lowered her head.
"Give it back to me…"
A faint voice, almost like an illusion.
So helpless. So fragile. So pleading.
Was this the True Dragon’s true heart?
"Can I take a look inside?" Luo Qiu asked gently.
Long Xiruo took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"It’s pointless. The space inside was destroyed by Hope long ago. Ever since, it has probably been stuck in this outer cave."
Her voice carried a hint of bitterness.
"Even for me, being confined in a place like this for a century or two would be unbearable. If not for sleep, I wouldn’t have endured it either… Every time I came back, it was always more violent than before."
She clenched her fists tightly.
Luo Qiu could clearly sense the emotions stirring within her.
Then, he placed his hand against the wall—just a light touch—before withdrawing it.
"Let’s go. There’s nothing worth seeing here."
Long Xiruo flicked away her cigarette, crushing it underfoot before striding toward the exit.
Luo Qiu shook his head and bent down to pick up the cigarette butt.
As he did, something caught his eye.
"Hm?"
Something was buried in the dirt—just a small corner peeking out.
---
"Nothing happened while we were gone, right?"
Long Xiruo’s first question upon emerging was directed at Luo Pianxian.
Since she had been fully focused on repairing the Dragon-Sealing Stone’s inscriptions, she hadn’t been able to monitor the outside.
"Nothing at all." Luo Pianxian shook her head, then suddenly leaned in close, staring straight at Long Xiruo’s face.
"What are you doing?"
"Sister Dragon, what's wrong?" Luo Pianxian reached out and touched Long Xiruo's face, curious. "Why are your eyes red... Ouch!"
"Mind your own business!"
...
Luo Pianxian could only hug herself with an innocent look.
When Luo Qiu walked out from behind, he happened to see Luo Pianxian looking quite timid. "Did something happen?"
"No! Nothing! Hmph!"
Divine Land True Dragon's cold snort echoed as she walked straight to her created body, focusing on it.
However, Luo Pianxian was indeed a good child. Seeing The Boss confused, she mustered the courage to move closer and whispered, "Is Sister Dragon mad at me?"
"Why do you think so?" Luo Qiu asked curiously.
...
"Ha..."
Why is she telling me this?
But at that moment, Long Xiruo suddenly looked up... and the created body instantly soared upward, following the waterfall's flow into the sky!
...
After parting ways with Song Haoran, the mysterious man wearing a bronze mask quickly arrived at a high ground.
Here, the sound of flowing water could be heard—not far ahead was a cliff, the source of a waterfall.
But the mysterious man was not alone.
In the narrow river, a long figure floated—a translucent form resembling the legendary dragon worshiped by the people of China.
"Hope."
The mysterious man stood by the riverbank. The translucent dragon, over twenty meters long, slightly moved its head, turning its gaze toward the masked figure.
The mysterious man stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at this mystical being. "I spent a great deal of effort breaking the seal on the Dragon-Sealing Stone', not so you could create anomalies here... You're making things difficult for me."
"She has arrived."
A voice echoed directly in the mysterious man's mind—Hope could communicate through spiritual resonance, without the need for words.
"She?" The mysterious man was momentarily stunned. After a brief pause, he extended his fingers, performing some calculations. A moment later, his expression turned serious. "The True Dragon of Divine Land?"
"She has arrived," Hope repeated in his mind. "I can feel it... She has entered this mountain range."
The mysterious man exhaled. "Do you want to see her?"
The giant dragon's form suddenly coiled, then transformed into a beam of light, descending in front of the mysterious man. From the light emerged a child, seemingly around ten years old.
This child had long black hair that trailed to the ground, with delicate features like a porcelain doll. They wore only a simple white robe.
Hope shook their head. "If I see her, she will only force me back and seal me with the Dragon-Sealing Stone again. Now that I'm free, I..."
Hope didn't finish the sentence, instead gazing thoughtfully at the river's end.
"Regardless, Hope, you must keep your promise and let me borrow your power," the mysterious man said coolly. "You are an evolution of the dragon vein. Only through you can I communicate with the Twelve Ancestral Dragon Veins of Divine Land."
"She has arrived," Hope suddenly said again.
The mysterious man immediately looked up. At the river’s end, a golden light shot into the sky, descending rapidly toward him and Hope.
The created body shared Long Xiruo’s vision and emitted the aura of True Dragon power. Though it was not a true Divine Land True Dragon, to outsiders, the difference was imperceptible.
‘Long Xiruo’ scanned the scene with a cold expression. "So you're the one who broke the Dragon-Sealing Stone’s seal? Not bad."
The mysterious man took a deep breath. He had heard tales of Divine Land’s True Dragon—beings who stood at the pinnacle of demons and the Daoist world.
Yet, facing one in person, the overwhelming pressure far exceeded his expectations.
"It is an honor to be praised by Lord Long." The mysterious man calmly opened his hands. "I will strive even harder—"
Before he could finish, ‘Long Xiruo’ waved her hand. A golden light shot from her palm.
The mysterious man hastily clasped his hands together, barely managing to block the attack. However, the cost was severe.
His sleeves were obliterated, and his hands were reduced to bloody ruins—his fingers trembled uncontrollably.
"As expected of Divine Land's strongest..." The mysterious man's voice was bitter. "I have finally witnessed it firsthand."
"I don’t care about your goals, your reasons, or why you broke the Dragon-Sealing Stone’s seal," ‘Long Xiruo’ said coldly. "But let me make one thing clear—anyone who tries to claim the Dragon Vein’s power will not be spared! Even if you are from the Plain-Clothed Dao!"
"Destroying the inscriptions on the Dragon-Sealing Stone isn’t simple. Such complex calculations must be executed flawlessly to avoid triggering the defensive measures I set. Apart from the Plain-Clothed Dao, there aren’t many who could have done this." ‘Long Xiruo’ snorted. "Am I right? Heavenly Heart... the 71st generation?"
The mysterious man fell silent. At that moment, his bronze mask shattered—‘Long Xiruo’s’ attack had not only crippled his hands but also destroyed his disguise.
As the mask crumbled away, it revealed an aged, pale face—skin wrinkled like the bark of an ancient tree.
(End of Chapter)