Inside the cultivation chamber of the cave dwelling.


    Lu Yi took out the drop of True Dragon blood. The golden liquid pulsed with incomparably rich life essence, and the energy within it was violently surging.


    Lu Yi opened his mouth and swallowed the blood.


    Instantly, a force like boiling magma erupted within him.


    Boom!


    Lu Yi groaned, blood seeping out of his pores as his black hair danced wildly. The terrifying vitality within him trembled uncontrollably.


    Although there was no spiritual energy fluctuation, the blood energy inside Lu Yi transformed into waves of heat, raising the chamber''s temperature significantly. The entire room felt like a furnace, and the air began to distort.


    Lu Yi only felt a terrifying power rampaging within his body, causing faint pain all over him.


    His expression remained calm as he fully activated the Heavenly Thunder Jade Body Technique, starting to absorb and refine the dragon blood.


    As the dragon blood was absorbed, Lu Yi''s physical body seemed to be reforged, becoming flawless and immaculate, radiating spiritual light and pure strength. At the same time, a wild aura began to emanate from him, carrying the majesty of a True Dragon.


    At that moment, the multicolored spiritual energy vortex within Lu Yi''s body trembled slightly. The sound of a Dao resonated, and a True Dragon''s roar exploded in Lu Yi''s ears.


    In his mind, Lu Yi''s spiritual consciousness boiled. He vaguely saw a golden dragon roaring toward the sky within the endless void, shattering space and dimming stars. The dragon seemed to be the sole existence in the world.


    The dragon''s scales bore natural patterns, like innate Dao markings, intertwining with profound laws and principles.


    With just a glance, Lu Yi felt his mind blur and a splitting headache.


    Even the mere existence of such a divine dragon carried profundities that could overwhelm mortals.


    The principles and patterns on the scales alone could trap mortals in obsession, spiraling until the end of their lives.


    At this moment, the Dao resonance in Lu Yi''s heart grew louder. He felt a trace of Dao meaning emerge in his mind. Vaguely, as if guided by instinct, he began to comprehend the patterns on the scales.


    Yet, it was as if he was peering through endless mist, unable to grasp the essence.


    Without hesitation, Lu Yi used the enlightenment opportunity he had earned from his master''s lecture task this month.


    His mind cleared instantly, and his thoughts accelerated. Combined with the Dao resonance, it felt as though he was born with an affinity for the Dao.


    Lu Yi looked once more at the roaring dragon in the void. Gazing at the intertwining patterns of Dao and laws, he felt comprehension stirring within him and immersed himself deeply.


    It was a fundamental Dao of physical strength. Every drop of blood, every scale, every muscle fiber seemed to proclaim the supremacy of life itself.


    Lu Yi fused this primal power with his own, continuing to refine his Heavenly Thunder Body Technique.


    Lightning patterns emerged across his body, and his skin turned as flawless as white jade, translucent and pristine.


    At this moment, faint golden light began to radiate from his skin, accompanied by mysterious patterns that flickered with terrifying power.


    A golden dragon phantom appeared above Lu Yi''s head, raising its head and letting out an earth-shattering roar.


    "Roar!!"


    The dragon''s roar echoed across Lingluo Peak and throughout the inner sect.


    A trace of dragon might faintly spread, startling the cultivators within the sect. Many abruptly opened their eyes in shock.


    Numerous cultivators, previously meditating, rushed out of their caves and looked to the sky.


    "What''s going on?!"


    "Did I just hear a dragon''s roar?! Was it an illusion?"


    "I felt a strange pressure... could it be the legendary dragon might?!"


    Even Elder Ming in the library couldn''t help but widen his eyes and glance toward the source of the sound.


    Other Nascent Soul elders and peak masters also took to the skies, staring in astonishment toward Lingluo Peak.


    "It came from Lingluo Peak."


    "Could Lingluo Peak''s master have obtained a treasure containing dragon blood?"


    Doubt and curiosity filled the air.


    Meanwhile, at the peak of Lingluo, the peak master who had been sleeping was startled awake by the dragon''s roar.


    Her eyes snapped open, showing rare astonishment. "This aura... a True Dragon? No, it''s weaker, but it contains the rich blood essence of a dragon-like beast?"


    She vanished from her spot, tracing the aura''s source.


    Standing outside Lu Yi''s cave, the Lingluo Peak Master scratched her head awkwardly and muttered, "Looks like this kid gained a lot from the Eastern Forest ruins. As expected of someone who triggered my Great Fate Technique—he has immense fortune."


    At this moment, a sword light flashed as Liu Ningshuang arrived, following the aura.


    Seeing the peak master, Liu Ningshuang greeted her, "Master."


    She looked toward the cave, her cold eyes filled with surprise. "Was it Junior Brother who caused this commotion?"


    The peak master nodded slightly. "This kid must have obtained some beast blood containing dragon lineage in the Eastern Forest ruins. He''s bold enough to refine such blood at his current level."


    Liu Ningshuang''s gaze shifted as she looked at the cave with admiration. "Junior Brother must be confident. Absorbing such blood will only make him stronger."


    The peak master grinned mischievously at Liu Ningshuang. "You better train hard. Otherwise, it won''t be long before your Junior Brother surpasses you."


    Liu Ningshuang nodded lightly. "I understand."


    The golden dragon phantom soon faded, turning into golden light and merging into Lu Yi''s body.


    The dragon might dissipated, and Lu Yi slowly opened his eyes. A golden shimmer flickered within them, carrying an indescribable majesty.


    The golden light quickly vanished, and Lu Yi''s eyes returned to pitch black. He felt immense joy in his heart.


    As expected of True Dragon blood!


    Even an ordinary drop brought about a transformation. Lu Yi felt his physical strength had grown tremendously—he even imagined he could punch a hole through the sky.


    Of course, that was merely an illusion caused by his sudden surge in power.


    More importantly, with the lingering True Dragon imprint in the blood, combined with his enlightenment and Dao foundation, Lu Yi not only perfected his Heavenly Thunder Jade Body Technique but also elevated it to a higher level—all before reaching the Golden Core realm.


    The current Heavenly Thunder Jade Body Technique contained the profound mysteries of heaven and earth that Lu Yi comprehended from the True Dragon''s scale, allowing his body to be tempered to a strength comparable to that of a True Dragon.


    Although Lu Yi had only grasped a small fragment of insight from the scale, it was still derived from the mysteries of an immortal-level being. Even a small fragment was already extraordinarily powerful.


    The Heavenly Thunder True Dragon Technique was a body-tempering cultivation method that could be cultivated up to the Nascent Soul Realm.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    If cultivated to its peak, Lu Yi''s physical body would possess both the resilience of a True Dragon and the destructive properties of heavenly thunder, making it extremely terrifying.


    At that point, he might even be able to use his physical body to slay powerful cultivators at the Nascent Soul Realm!


    After absorbing the True Dragon''s blood, Lu Yi continued to consolidate his insights.


    Two days later, Lu Yi heard a crisp voice coming from outside the cave dwelling: "Senior Brother! Senior Brother! Your adorable Junior Sister has come to see you!"


    Lu Yi opened his eyes, and a slight smile appeared on his face. He disappeared from his spot, reappearing at the entrance of the cave, and opened the door.


    He saw Donggong Mingyue and Liu Ningshuang standing outside.


    When Donggong Mingyue saw Lu Yi open the door, she rushed forward. Her dark eyes widened with curiosity as she looked at Lu Yi. A faint fragrance wafted toward him, and a strange feeling rose in his heart.


    Lu Yi couldn''t help but feel that Donggong Mingyue seemed even more attractive than usual today, causing his thoughts to wander uncontrollably.


    Lu Yi was momentarily stunned and felt a bit perplexed.


    ''This reaction... I didn''t have this before.''


    Then Lu Yi suddenly realized something. ''Dragons are inherently lustful, and the True Dragon''s blood is still extremely potent. Since I absorbed the True Dragon''s blood but haven''t fully stabilized myself, am I being influenced by the dragon''s traits?''


    Lu Yi felt a slight headache and quickly suppressed his emotions. He decided that he must prioritize fully absorbing and refining the True Dragon''s blood. This influence was not something he could take lightly.


    He forced a smile and said, "Junior Sister, why are you looking at me like that?"


    Over the past year, with Lu Yi''s support, Donggong Mingyue had finally broken through to the thirteenth level of Qi Refining a few months ago. Perhaps in a little more time, she could break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.


    Donggong Mingyue exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Brother, I heard from Master and Senior Sister that the dragon''s aura a few days ago was caused by you absorbing dragon blood?"


    Lu Yi paused and then smiled. "That''s right, it was me."


    Donggong Mingyue was immediately shocked. "Master said that after absorbing the dragon''s blood, your strength will improve significantly. Doesn''t that mean you''re even more powerful than before?"


    Lu Yi smiled slightly. "I''ve indeed made some progress."


    Donggong Mingyue held her head with a distressed look. "Ah... I just broke through to the thirteenth level of Qi Refining, thinking I could finally catch up a little, but now you''ve improved again... At this rate, you''ll have no friends!"


    Liu Ningshuang, standing beside her, gave a gentle smile and said, "Congratulations on your progress, Junior Brother."


    Lu Yi returned the smile. "Thank you, Senior Sister."


    Over the past year, Lu Yi''s cultivation had also advanced significantly. His cultivation technique had reached level 8, and combined with his constant use of ten-thousand-year spiritual milk, his cultivation had risen to the ninth level of Foundation Establishment. He was not far from the tenth level.


    It should be noted that the further one advanced in cultivation, the slower the progress. For Lu Yi to achieve such rapid advancement within a year was already astonishing.


    He chuckled. "After all the hard cultivation recently, and with the visit of Senior Sister and Junior Sister today, how about we celebrate my progress with a feast?"


    Donggong Mingyue, as if anticipating this, immediately jumped up cheerfully. "Yes! I want to eat lots of roasted meat today so I can break through to the Foundation Establishment stage faster!"


    Liu Ningshuang also had no objections. She smiled lightly and said, "It''s always good to enjoy Junior Brother''s Jade Wine."


    The three of them sat down in the hall, and Lu Yi brought out some food and drinks. They ate and chatted.


    Most of their conversation revolved around cultivation insights and discussions about the Dao. Lu Yi and Liu Ningshuang did most of the talking, while Donggong Mingyue listened intently.


    After all, Donggong Mingyue''s cultivation was weaker than the other two. As for talent, Lu Yi, having absorbed the Qi of the Great Dao and frequently using enlightenment techniques, had insights into the Dao that even Liu Ningshuang found astonishing. She was completely engrossed in the discussions.


    They discussed the Dao for several hours before moving on to recent events.


    Liu Ningshuang took a sip of Jade Wine and said softly, "Ever since we returned from the Eastern Forest Ruins, the Blood Spirit Sect''s leader has been furious over the death of his son. The Blood Spirit Sect has declared full-scale war against our White Cloud Sect. Nascent Soul Realm elders from the Blood Spirit Sect have even attacked our sect''s outposts, resulting in casualties among our Nascent Soul elders."


    Hearing this, Lu Yi frowned slightly, his expression turning cold. "Even Nascent Soul elders have taken action? The Blood Spirit Sect is truly insane. Our White Cloud Sect is not weaker than them. Aren''t they afraid of mutual destruction?"


    Donggong Mingyue''s face was slightly flushed. She had drunk a fair amount of Spirit Nourishing Dew and was a little tipsy. Leaning unsteadily against Lu Yi''s arm, she muttered, "The Blood Spirit Sect has always been full of lunatics. Of course, they would do something like this!"


    Liu Ningshuang nodded slightly. "At this point, reconciliation is no longer possible. Recently, the Sect Master personally took action, killing two of their Nascent Soul elders within their territory. However, according to the Sect Master''s latest report, he is now being pursued by the Blood Spirit Sect''s leader and several Nascent Soul elders."


    Lu Yi recalled the Sect Master''s anger upon his return and felt a warmth in his heart.


    He didn''t expect the Sect Master to personally take action for revenge. And when he did, he managed to kill two Nascent Soul elders directly.


    It must be noted that Nascent Soul cultivators were considered rare and formidable even in the Eastern Region. Losing two of them was a significant blow to the Blood Spirit Sect.


    ''How domineering,'' Lu Yi thought.


    However, upon realizing that the Sect Master was now being hunted, Lu Yi couldn''t help but feel a bit worried. "Will the Sect Master be alright?"


    Liu Ningshuang smiled faintly. "Don''t worry. Master said the Sect Master''s greatest skill is his escape techniques."


    Lu Yi: "..."


    Upon hearing this, Lu Yi felt slightly relieved. Generally, cultivators who specialize in escape techniques are not easy to kill.


    Lu Yi smiled slightly and said, “That’s good.”


    However, Liu Ningshuang continued, “But the Sect Master cannot return to the sect for now. He has diverted much of the Blood Spirit Sect’s attention within their territory. If he returns, given the temperament of the Blood Spirit Sect''s cultivators, they might launch a full-scale invasion. While the sect''s protective formation can hold, the outside world may suffer greatly.”


    Hearing this, Lu Yi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. The Sect Master truly has it hard.


    At this moment, Donggong Mingyue, already tipsy, started acting drunk. She rubbed her small face against Lu Yi’s sleeve and murmured hazily, “I heard in the market yesterday that the Heavenly Serpent Sect seems to be making moves too. They might join forces with the Blood Spirit Sect to attack us. After all, their genius was also killed by Senior Brother.”


    Hearing this, Lu Yi frowned slightly. “The Heavenly Serpent Sect''s territory is not close to White Cloud Sect. The Myriad Flowers Sect is in between. How would they get here?”


    Liu Ningshuang glanced at Donggong Mingyue, who was clinging to Lu Yi like a kitten, took a sip of wine, and said indifferently, “I’ve heard about it too. The Heavenly Serpent Sect shares a border with the Blood Spirit Sect. The two sects appear to be forming an alliance. The disciples of the Heavenly Serpent Sect may enter White Cloud Sect''s territory through the Blood Spirit Sect.”


    Lu Yi’s heart sank slightly at these words. “What is the sect planning to do about this?”


    It was well-known that White Cloud Sect was roughly on par with the Blood Spirit Sect in strength. If the Heavenly Serpent Sect joined in, two against one would be difficult to handle.


    Liu Ningshuang responded, “The sect’s idea is that if they can form an alliance, so can we. Some of the Grand Elders have already gone to the Myriad Flowers Sect and Cold Winter Valley to persuade them to join forces against the threat.”


    “Will they agree?” Lu Yi asked with some concern.


    Just then, Lu Yi suddenly felt Donggong Mingyue wrap her arms around his arm. He immediately felt a soft, overwhelming sensation. His body stiffened, and he felt slightly numb.


    Damn! With the effects of dragon blood already affecting me, is this a test of my virtue as a gentleman?


    Lu Yi felt a bit overwhelmed, sitting there momentarily unsure how to move.


    Speaking of which, when did Junior Sister grow up so much?


    Lu Yi glanced at Donggong Mingyue’s intoxicated appearance and couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth. For some reason, she had recently started leaning on him every time she got drunk.


    Lu Yi even began to suspect that his Junior Sister might have fallen for him. However, since his task remained incomplete, he couldn’t figure out what was going on.


    Whether the problem lay with his Junior Sister or his mission board, Lu Yi was a bit confused.


    At that moment, Liu Ningshuang’s cold voice rang out. “Little Mingyue, go refine the spirit wine in your body first. What kind of behavior is this?”


    “Mmm~~!” Donggong Mingyue let out a soft, incoherent sound and wriggled slightly. Lu Yi’s body immediately tensed up even more.


    Liu Ningshuang took another sip of wine, her face calm and composed. Streams of spiritual energy flowed around her, and suddenly, a piece of ice appeared behind Donggong Mingyue’s neck. The ice dropped from mid-air, sliding down into her collar.


    Lu Yi could clearly feel Donggong Mingyue shudder, and the sensation against his arm became even more pronounced.


    Lu Yi: “…”


    Cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and he felt dazed. What kind of torture is this?


    Donggong Mingyue suddenly let out a cry and jumped up. Her slightly hazy eyes carried a trace of confusion as she looked at Liu Ningshuang. “Senior Sister, what are you doing?”


    Liu Ningshuang smiled faintly. “Waking you up a bit. Go refine the spirit wine first and don’t waste Junior Brother’s good intentions.”


    “Oh…” Donggong Mingyue replied and wandered off to Lu Yi’s cultivation room.


    Once Donggong Mingyue left, Lu Yi exhaled softly, finally relaxing. Just now, he had almost lost control of the restlessness within his body.


    Seeing Lu Yi’s slightly strange expression, Liu Ningshuang asked with some concern, “Junior Brother, you don’t look well. Is something wrong?”


    Lu Yi gave a dry laugh and shook his head. “No, it’s nothing. My spear almost misfired.”


    Liu Ningshuang raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Your spear almost misfired? What does that mean?”


    Lu Yi circulated his spiritual energy to suppress his internal turmoil and laughed. “I was just thinking about how this crisis facing the sect was caused by me killing those two geniuses. I felt a bit guilty.”


    Liu Ningshuang shook her head slightly. “Junior Brother, you shouldn’t think that way. You are the immortal seed of White Cloud Sect. Naturally; the sect must protect you while you grow. Besides, they intended to kill you first. So, what if you killed them instead?”


    Hearing this, Lu Yi felt a warmth in his heart. “Thank you for your words, Senior Sister. I understand now. I’ll toast to you.”


    Lu Yi used his spiritual energy to pour Liu Ningshuang another cup of wine.


    Liu Ningshuang smiled and said, “Moreover, the fairy of the Myriad Flowers Sect was willing to destroy her spiritual core and soul essence for you. The chances of forming an alliance with them are quite high.”


    Hearing this, Lu Yi coughed awkwardly and said solemnly, “Daoist Friend Yunxi is a person who repays kindness, and I greatly admire her. Of course, Daoist Friend Hanyu as well.”


    “I admire them too,” Liu Ningshuang said with a light smile.


    The two continued chatting for a while longer. Before long, Donggong Mingyue returned from the cultivation room.


    Perhaps because her cultivation had grown stronger, Donggong Mingyue was refining spiritual food and wine faster, giving Lu Yi and Liu Ningshuang less time alone.


    After Donggong Mingyue returned, Liu Ningshuang bid farewell to Lu Yi and left with her.


    A month later, while Lu Yi was cultivating in his cave, he suddenly heard a familiar voice outside.


    “Daoist Friend Lu Yi, Yunxi has come to visit. May I request an audience?”