Chapter 1503 - 812: Great Yin Immortal Palace (4-in-1 Bonus)

As soon as those words fell, a chill wind silently swept from behind.

Chen Yi suddenly turned his head, his gaze sharp as lightning, instantly locking onto the source of the voice.

Atop the dragon's head in the Imperial Palace, a slightly more solid hazy glow slowly drifted over, then coalesced into a somewhat illusionary human figure.

The figure was clothed in vermilion official attire and wore a Liang Crown, with robes embroidered with starry cloud patterns, exuding a timeless yet solemn style suggestive of the formal attire of a high-ranking official from the Western Jin Qintian Bureau.

The figure's face was indistinct, only revealing the lean visage of an elder with greying beard, whose sharp and clear eyes looked down coldly at them.

Chen Yi was inwardly cautious; this person was likely a cultivator from the Astronomical Bureau, specialized in observing divine souls, astronomical phenomena, and safeguarding the array of the Capital City while monitoring certain extraordinary events, with a rank not to be underestimated.

"Who are you?" Chen Yi asked, his voice carrying a child's innocence, yet his tone was steady.

The elder did not respond, still gazing at them from afar, coldly retorting, "Who are you? Intruding into the Forbidden Land of the Imperial Palace, as cultivators yet behaving like common thieves?"

His voice resonated directly in their divine senses, akin to a great bell, causing their souls to tremble.

Yin Weiyin was filled with dread and uncertainty, even after silently reciting the Supreme Forget Love Technique, feeling apprehensive. Despite no apparent Primordial Qi fluctuation, the elder's technique was purely due to his powerful divine sense, making one's cultivation seem trivial, likely even overshadowing her master Primordial Monarch Yu Zhen.

Yet, she knew her master is an Immortal, residing in Taihua Mountain with immortal cranes calling tirelessly, waiting for her Daoist companion before ascending.

Chen Yi seemed to be pondering his words, making Yin Weiyin fear he might resort to violence at any moment.

The female crown thought quickly, cupping her hands, "We are merely two wandering loose cultivators newly arrived in Chang'an, intrigued by legends of the Dream Sea and thus attempting the Dream-Entering Technique with no other intention, unaware of the palace's restrictions. Our intrusion here was accidental, and we shall leave now."

"Loose cultivators? Do loose cultivators roam freely, unaware of propriety?"

The voice of intimidation arose, as the elder's figure slowly drifted down from the dragon's head, coming to a stop about ten yards away. Only then did he clearly see their faces, his gaze briefly swept over Yin Weiyin's face and lingered longer on Chen Yi's child-like form.

Having intruded so abruptly, they'd already prepared for encountering adversaries — to flee if they could, otherwise to fight. Chen Yi knew it wouldn't end peacefully, thinking if he were the elder, he wouldn't spare any intruder either.

The elder continued to scrutinize Chen Yi intently, brows furrowed, his gaze growing sharper.

Chen Yi narrowed his eyes, ready to counter any imminent threat.

The elder suddenly bowed respectfully, asking, "A childlike return to youth, may I ask which elder ancestor you are from?"

"..."

Chen Yi was momentarily stunned.

"I am the Vice Supervisor of the Astronomical Bureau, formerly an elder of the Golden Immortal Temple, known as Dragon Dao Adept."

After Dragon Dao Adept acknowledged them, his expression softened slightly,

"I wonder what brings you here, though the Imperial Palace is a place where Dragon Qi gathers, even if you can perform the Dream-Entering Technique, should not be intruded upon recklessly."

Though slightly courteous, the Vice Supervisor seemed to misunderstand something, yet with a chance to retreat, Chen Yi did not dwell on it, nodding slightly.

Beside him, Yin Weiyin's mouth was wide open in an "o" shape, yet she suppressed her expression changes with the Supreme Forget Emotion Technique, nodding emphatically when the elder glanced over, as though saying, "You saw through it."

Dragon Dao Adept's gaze narrowed slightly, somewhat suspicious, yet as his eyes scanned back and forth over Chen Yi's childlike face, he confirmed, stating:

"Considering your senior status, I ask you both to depart. I am tasked with guarding the Dream Sea of the Imperial Palace. What you saw and heard today must not be disclosed…"

His voice grew a bit chilling towards the end:

"If His Majesty learns of it and becomes enraged, bringing down wrath upon you, even with your great cultivation, you may face soul extraction and eternal nightmare imprisonment."

Chen Yi's brow furrowed slightly; being threatened did not sit well with him. Yet, deep in their territory within the Dream Sea and having just witnessed the eerie twin-headed dragon, it was not wise to provoke further complications.

He felt Yin Weiyin lightly tugging at his sleeve, whispering through transmitted speech, "Do not act rashly, let's just leave."

Not speaking further, he took one last deep look at the unsettling dragon form hovering above the palace.

Having been interrupted by Dragon Dao Adept's emergence earlier and now focusing clearly, his doubts grew deeper, realizing Zhou Yitang's letter about the unique thriving of Dragon Vein near Chang'an seemed closer to the truth…

But how exactly does it bind the dragon's head? As his gaze swept over where the tail joined, it seemed roughly integrated like two dragons forcibly melded together, yet upon closer inspection… at the junction of the massive neck and another dragon tail, something seemed to transverse it.

That object, compared to the immense dragon head and body, appeared quite small, with a dark brown color that Chen Yi's keen sight finally discerned,

…A peach branch?!

A seemingly ordinary peach wood twig oddly traversed the critical junctions of the dragon bodies, pinning them together tightly.

It's common folklore that peach wood wards off evil. But using a peach branch to bind dragon heads… such a method is extraordinary, unheard of; Chen Yi felt chills rising, realizing the depths of intrigue within Western Jin Chang'an surpassed imagination.