Chapter 162 - 123: The Tranquil Dragon Transformation Pool

Chapter 162: Chapter 123: The Tranquil Dragon Transformation Pool

"Is what surrounds them the so-called Daoist Lineage Power?" Jiang Hao murmured in his heart, sensing the distinct, secretive energy radiating from the three figures.

Right before the three descended, they had been enveloped in Holy Light. A layer of heavenly mystery clung to their forms, blocking out any power that dared try to probe them.

That was very likely the legendary Daoist Lineage Power.

It was rumored that some world-shocking factions—such as the utterly terrifying Saint Races, Longevity Families, and Divine Races—had their own dao domains in operation, protected by a Daoist Lineage. These three clearly had the blessing of the Daoist Lineage Power. They were the descendants of true behemoths.

"Competing for supremacy against such chosen ones is undoubtedly a path against the heavens for us."

"Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all creation like straw dogs. This is the unfair rule of the Cultivation Realm."

Seeing the way the trio made their entrance, tens of millions of cultivators sighed with deep emotion. The reason Nanling could keep even a Divine Sect like the Celestial Sword Sect at bay was due to the true deterrence they feared: the awe-inspiring might of those eternal, terrifying Saint Races, Divine Races, and Longevity Families.

The Nine Saints guarding Nanling were merely the ceiling of combat power. The truly immeasurable and terrifying foundation lay in the entrenchment of these colossal factions. Were there really only Nine Saints lying dormant in Nanling? No one knew. The Nine Saints might just be the public face pushed forward by those behind the scenes—supreme figures more than capable of walking unhindered through the world.

"Are you that youth, Jiang Hao, the newly ascended joint first place on the Celestial List?"

At a certain moment, the young woman in the fiery red dress slowly lowered her head, instinctively looking at Jiang Hao standing in the Holy Pool. She resembled a young queen looking down on an ant, her gaze filled with scrutiny as it landed on him. The girl was beautiful, possessing a natural regal majesty, as if this world was merely the dirt beneath her feet and all the cultivators here were her subjects. That innate, terrifying holy might pressed down so heavily it left people almost breathless.

In the brief moment after she spoke, the youth from the Three-Eyed Divine Race and the Exiled Immortal Fairy from Longevity Mountain also looked down. Whether intentionally or not, they radiated a trace of Divine Power and holy might, directing their pressure toward the figure in white.

BOOM!

The instant those three streams of secretive energy—which could no longer even be considered a cultivator’s Spiritual Power—probed forward, the True Dragon Martial Soul attached to Jiang Hao’s spine grew instantly restless. It erupted with world-shocking dragon might, seemingly enraged. However, Jiang Hao quickly placated the True Dragon Martial Soul and offered a slight bow to the three above. The feeling of being looked down upon like this was extremely unpleasant, yet he was helpless to do anything about it.

Seeing that Jiang Hao actually withstood the invisible coercion, a flicker of surprise flashed through the eyes of the trio, though it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"Not bad. He does have the qualifications to tie for first place with Feng Wuya and the others." Huang Ling’Er smiled faintly. A hint of amusement curled the corners of her lips as she instinctively looked at Leng Tianyu and his four companions. "Tianyu, you all had better be careful. This one is a formidable rival in your fight for a spot on the Golden Scale Dao."

Although Huang Ling’Er called Jiang Hao a formidable rival for Leng Tianyu’s group, she didn’t mention a single word about her own trio. Clearly, she didn’t take the figure in white seriously at all.

Hearing this, Leng Tianyu immediately offered an indifferent smile. "Brother Jiang is indeed astonishing, but not enough to threaten me.

"Furthermore, whether the number of spots for the Golden Scale Dao is limited to eight is still unknown. Aren’t the three of you here as well?

"I believe that you, Ling’Er, along with Exiled Immortal and Divine Jian, will definitely be able to secure additional spots for our Nanling this year."

After Leng Tianyu finished speaking, Huang Ling’Er merely smiled to herself, though her expression seemed filled with a sense of powerlessness and uncertainty. From their conversation, it wasn’t hard to discern that the so-called spots for the Golden Scale Dao could apparently be expanded. However, the difficulty involved was so great that even Huang Ling’Er of the Phoenix Sacred Race, along with Divine Jian and Exiled Immortal Fairy, had little confidence in achieving it.

After this brief exchange, the crowd ceased talking. Instead, they all sat cross-legged and entered their respective states of spirit transformation.

For a time...

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

An infinite number of terrifying auras erupted. Unprecedented fluctuations exploded from the bodies of one peerless genius after another.

"The golden scale is no mere creature of the pool; upon meeting the wind and clouds, it transforms into a dragon."

"Their era has truly begun."

Under the watchful eyes of tens of millions of cultivators, the entire Holy City seemed to be draped in an atmosphere of eager anticipation.

Within the Holy Pool, Jiang Hao looked at the figures sitting cross-legged around him, an endless bitterness welling up in his heart. It was glaringly obvious that the countless geniuses of Nanling had long since obtained the Nine Transformations Spirit Technique. They had likely memorized it by heart and cultivated it for who knew how long. Yet for him, it was his very first time encountering such a heaven-defying method. He had no choice but to learn and apply it on the spot, starting his cultivation from scratch.

Without delay, Jiang Hao rapidly flipped through the translucent book hovering in front of him. Countless Mental Techniques for breaking through to the Nine Transformations of One Vein spun rapidly in his mind.

Time flew by. As the endless geniuses sat cross-legged, the dozens of Dragon Transformation Pools suddenly quieted down, and so did the entire Holy City.

Because the countless geniuses were taking a considerable amount of time to mold their foundations in the Dragon Transformation Pools, the vast sea of cultivators outside also sat cross-legged in meditation, waiting in silence. To ordinary mortals, time felt endlessly long, but to the Cultivation Realm, it was no more than a flick of the finger. During a simple session of seated cultivation, one could hardly feel the passage of time at all.

Soon, the entire Holy City peacefully passed over ten days.

One day, ripples finally began to disturb the once-tranquil Holy Pools.

"Break!" A genius trembled all over and let out a low shout.

In an instant...

BOOM!

A terrifying power swept outwards, only to be instantly neutralized by the Array within the Holy Pool. That figure wildly absorbed the power from the Holy Pool, his aura beginning to climb infinitely.

"One vein, second transformation! Someone has broken through to the second transformation of one vein."

That person’s breakthrough seemed to shatter the tranquility. The dozens of Holy Pools began to tremble as figures, enveloped in Holy Light, erupted with earth-shattering might.

"Four veins, third transformation! It’s the third transformation of four veins!"

"Cang’Er has stepped into the Five Veins Second Transformation. This is wonderful, absolutely wonderful!"

"Good heavens, is that... the Eight Veins Fifth Transformation?"

More and more geniuses began to show signs of movement, instantly sending the entire Holy City into a boiling frenzy. However, most of the crowd focused their attention on the nine Holy Pools at the very peak.

A month passed. While countless geniuses underwent astonishing transformations one after another, the nine great Holy Pools remained completely silent and still.

Until this day.

BOOM!

Movement finally occurred within the nine supreme Holy Pools. Within a Holy Pool wreathed in Spiritual Mist, a soaring might suddenly erupted, sending a terrifying aura straight into the heavens.

"The Nine Transformations of One Vein?"

"Who is it?"

"It’s Feng Wuya of the Wind Race."

The first among the Five Sons of Nanling to reach the Nine Transformations of One Vein was actually the Saint Son of the Wind Race. The moment he cultivated a major vein to the ninth transformation, a power so fearsome it made people tremble shot into the sky. It felt as if the entire Holy Pool was quaking.

"Nine transformations! The Nine Transformations of One Vein! So this is the power of the Nine Transformations of One Vein?"

"Hahaha, HAHAHAHA!"

Sensing the fluctuations of power coursing through his body, Feng Wuya was invigorated to the extreme. With just the Nine Transformations of One Vein, his strength had nearly doubled. He didn’t dare to imagine what level of power he would reach once multiple veins achieved the ninth transformation realm.

Following Feng Wuya, the second of the Five Sons to step into the Nine Transformations of One Vein was Feng Yuechan, the Saintess of the Yuhua Sacred Race. She was followed by Baili Tusu of the Longevity Family, and finally Leng Tianyu.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

As time passed, the Five Sons of Nanling all unleashed exceptionally terrifying transformations. The Nine Transformations of One Vein, the Nine Transformations of Two Veins, the Nine Transformations of Three Veins...

By the time Feng Wuya and the other four nearly simultaneously stepped into the Nine Transformations of Three Veins, the sky above the entire Holy City was completely shrouded in their Holy Light, making it look like a Saint Realm. Yet, what was even more terrifying were the three Holy Pools situated above all others, where divine light rippled and holy power converged.

"Eight Veins Ninth Transformation! It’s the Eight Veins Ninth Transformation!"

"My god."

Just as the three Sons of the Celestial Dragon of Nanling erupted with world-destroying might, abruptly—

RUMBLE!

Three streams of heavenly mystery descended from the sky, enveloping the Dragon Transformation Pools where Huang Ling’Er and the other two resided, concealing all fluctuations. It was glaringly obvious that the forces behind the three did not want to expose their true depths.

However, even though the three great Holy Pools were isolated, the world-shocking fluctuations radiating from within still moved the tens of millions of cultivators like never before. Yet, what moved everyone even more was the white-clad figure in a certain Holy Pool.

"What’s going on? Why hasn’t there been any movement from Brother Jiang?"

Countless cultivators noticed that even after more than two months had passed, Jiang Hao’s Dragon Transformation Pool remained as calm as still water. The figure sitting cross-legged inside hadn’t stirred up even a single splash.

"How could this be?"

"Miss, what’s going on with Jiang Xiaoyou?"

Within the sea of people, Bai Wufeng and the others furrowed their brows tightly, unable to comprehend what was happening on Jiang Hao’s end.