The dream was long and vivid, immersing him in that strange vision as if he had personally lived through that ancient era, unable to break free for a long time.

After an indeterminate amount of time, a colossal bolt of lightning suddenly tore the peculiar dreamscape apart. The long-slumbering Shenhun (Divine Soul) of Ji Changkong felt as if it had been injected with an unparalleled divine power; he snapped his eyes open abruptly, his gaze filled with disorientation.

The first things to register were the concerned faces of Ji Yusheng and Ji Wanyun. Behind them stood Mo Yunyi, Gui Rong, Gui Hai, and other masters from Xuanyuan Valley, each watching him with intense, burning gazes alight with unconcealed relief.

"Changkong, you're awake?" Ji Wanyun cried out joyfully, grabbing his arm and subtly releasing a touch of Yuan Li, smiling. "You're awake. The functions within your body are back to normal, even your Shenhun is just as it was before."

Mo Yunyi smiled and nodded, asking softly, "Changkong, how do you feel?"

Ji Yusheng gazed at him with eager expectation, his expression showing a hint of nervousness. Gui Rong and Gui Hai also fixed him with sharp, unwavering eyes, staring intently.

Every generation of the Xuanyuan experienced a mystical phase of transformation at a certain point. Each time a Xuanyuan awoke from this metamorphosis, their strength and state of mind invariably achieved a breakthrough—it seemed to be an unshakeable law. Thus, seeing Ji Changkong finally awake, everyone present could not help but become intensely excited.

Under the scrutiny of the crowd, Ji Changkong turned his divine sense inward to examine his body, and his pupils suddenly brightened.

Although the Yuan Li within him had not increased substantially, when he peered into his body with his Shenhun, he discovered it was brimming with vibrant life force. It felt as though every cell, every piece of flesh and blood possessed its own life, granting him an incredibly wondrous sensation.

With a mere thought, the Yuan Li began to circulate slowly, following the unique pathways dictated by the Taixu Secret Record. In an instant, the Yuan Li within him surged like wild horses, moving at an unprecedented speed. He lightly raised his arm, and the Jingtao Jue (Surging Wave Art) erupted without the slightest pause. Amidst the rushing sound of water, wave after wave of torrents slammed against the cavern roof above, causing the stone chamber to resonate thunderously, shaking the very belly of the mountain.

While the overall density of his Yuan Li hadn't increased significantly, the speed at which it flowed had more than doubled.

The activation of any secret technique required a process of Yuan Li accumulation. Previously, when casting Jingtao Jue, he needed a full second for the Yuan Li to build up and erupt from his arm. Yet, when he performed the same technique just now, the moment the thought arose, the Jingtao Jue flooded out from his palm. The circulation speed was so fast it gave him the marvelous illusion that the Yuan Li had always been concealed entirely within his palm!

Every cell in his body seemed to harbor an explosive vitality, giving Ji Changkong the deceptive, wonderful sense that it could regenerate limitlessly...

Guided by this curious feeling, he retrieved the silver dagger from his Mustard Seed Pouch and gently drew the blade across his forearm.

Just as the dagger's razor edge was about to pierce his skin, and before he could consciously enact any defense, he felt the muscles in his arm contract sharply. The Yuan Li concealed within his arm mingled with the flesh and blood, spontaneously forming a layer of defense amidst fleeting electrical sparks.

In that instant, his arm became as hard as iron. The dagger, sharp enough to cut through metal, merely left a shallow mark upon his skin, not even drawing a single drop of blood.

More astonishingly, after he drew the dagger away, the faint incision visibly contracted and faded at a speed discernible to the naked eye. Within a few breaths, the mark on his arm vanished without a trace, leaving Ji Wanyun, Gui Rong, Gui Hai, and the others utterly dumbfounded.

"I feel amazing!" Ji Changkong grinned widely, roaring with laughter.

Without him needing to explain, everyone who witnessed his actions understood that following this transformation, his physical fortitude had reached a terrifyingly abnormal level. Furthermore, his body's spontaneous recovery capability was astounding, almost unbelievable that such monstrous self-healing power could originate from a human being.

"The Blood of Xuanyuan possesses the ability to make old trees sprout anew, and that dark green magma can certainly foster vigorous plant growth. Perhaps this miraculous self-healing ability is linked to the vast Five Elements Wood Power—the power of life itself..." Gui Rong stared deeply at Ji Changkong, murmuring thoughtfully.

"Changkong, what did you feel during your transformation? And how did you enter that marvelous realm? What strange things did you encounter in that state?" Mo Yunyi asked, visibly excited. The mystery of the Xuanyuan had perplexed the Ji family for years; though every member knew of the Xuanyuan's power and wonder, none truly knew the root of its magic.

Not only Mo Yunyi, but Ji Yusheng, Ji Wanyun, including Gui Rong and Gui Hai, all watched Ji Changkong with eager expectation, feeling that today might finally reveal some secrets regarding the profound strength of the Xuanyuan.

Frowning in deep thought for a moment, Ji Changkong slowly spoke, "I had an extremely strange, yet utterly real dream..."

"In that dream, I saw certain things, but before I could fully witness them, I abruptly woke up. I don't know if the events in the dream are factual, nor did I fully grasp the ultimate truth, but I can share some of what I learned with you all..."

He briefly recounted some of the events from his dream. After concluding, he added, "It is certain that our Ji family's Xuanyuan lineage is connected to the Four Sacred Beasts. Our Xuanyuan are likely the line of Guardians. However, why only one Xuanyuan appears every four or five hundred years, why we possess the Blood of Xuanyuan, and why the Xuanyuan vanished in the Nine Palaces Heavenly Realm—these things, I do not yet understand..."

"The Four Sacred Beasts!" The crowd gasped in shared shock.

Every Celestial Master, upon reaching the Four Symbols Heavenly Realm, could attempt to communicate with the Four Sacred Beasts. They could confirm the existence of these beasts in this world—their unimaginably vast life forces hidden deep beneath the earth, of which they could only vaguely sense a trace.

Although the Four Sacred Beasts existed, they had never truly shown their forms in this world. Celestial Masters could borrow their power and sense their vital auras, but they could never truly communicate with them. Over time, while people viewed the Four Sacred Beasts as miraculous, lacking any direct experience of their terrifying, absolute power, they were simply regarded as enigmatic and profound, nothing more.

Now, hearing Ji Changkong’s account—that the Four Sacred Beasts were the oldest life forms on this continent, secretly guarding it, but were severely wounded by the ancient humans at their peak after the beasts tried to prevent the extinction of the ancient people by teaching them the essence of power, leading to a self-inflicted trap—a profoundly strange realization dawned upon them all.

"Could those dark green ** be connected to one of the Four Sacred Beasts? The Five Elements Wood Power, the abundance of vitality—this should correspond to the Azure Dragon. Could it be... could the deepest core of Xuanyuan Valley be where the Azure Dragon slumbers?" Gui Rong exclaimed.

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Ji Changkong replied, "I don't know the exact reality, but through the dream, I faintly grasped one thing: it seems... it seems only those powerful experts who reach the Nine Palaces Heavenly Realm can vaguely sense the location of the Four Sacred Beasts, and perceive their vast, boundless life fluctuations."

"Only experts of the Nine Palaces Heavenly Realm can sense them..." Gui Rong muttered, pondering for a moment before adding, "If that's the case, why would peak experts delve into the earth's core to battle the Four Sacred Beasts? Does the power of the Sacred Beasts allow them to truly break past their own limits and attain a realm unimaginable to others?"

His body suddenly jolted, and a chilling, dark light flashed in Ji Changkong's eyes.

"Changkong, what did you think of?" Mo Yunyi inquired.

"I couldn't understand why Holy Mother Youlan suddenly arrived at Tianshan and sought a duel with Gu Dan. In my view, for an existence as peerless as Holy Mother Youlan, she wouldn't engage in a decisive battle with an expert of Gu... that individual's level without an earth-shattering benefit driving her. The elemental energy concentration in the Mani Sect's holy land in the Western Regions is immense; with Youlan's realm and the Mani Sect's power, she shouldn't be concerned with worldly dominance anymore. Even if she wanted to aid the West in conquering the world, she should have targeted the Tianwu Kingdom first..." Ji Changkong murmured to himself.

"Are you saying that Holy Mother Youlan's visit to Xuanyuan Valley was very likely because she sensed the Azure Dragon slumbering in this area of the Blood Rain Mountain?" Before Ji Changkong could finish, everyone suddenly recognized this monumental possibility. Gui Rong immediately exclaimed in alarm.

Nodding affirmatively, Ji Changkong forced a bitter smile. "Besides that reason, I truly cannot fathom why Holy Mother Youlan would come to Tianshan to fight that one named Gu... That individual! Perhaps she intended to tie down Gu Dan, allowing the Mani Sect and those foreign races to do something beneath the Blood Rain Mountain, but unfortunately, she misjudged our strength and was driven out."

Knowing certain things, using the name Gu Dan felt awkward to him now; he subconsciously substituted it with 'that individual.'

"The Four Sacred Beasts reside deep within the earth's core. If the Azure Dragon is truly hidden beneath the Blood Rain Mountain, any expert in the Nine Palaces Heavenly Realm, under an irresistible temptation, might return to the Blood Rain Mountain in the future..." Gui Rong frowned.

"Over the years, Ji Yu has witnessed frequent elemental anomalies around the Blood Rain Mountain, which resulted in the creation of several cultivation hotspots rich with spiritual energy..." Ji Yusheng realized suddenly. "If the Azure Dragon is concealed deep in the core beneath Blood Rain Mountain, even a slight shift could cause earthquakes. If just a small fraction of the dense elemental energy from the deep core leaked out, it could form a new cultivation paradise. No wonder..."

"One thing is certain: as a Xuanyuan, I should have the obligation to guard the Azure Dragon beneath the ground..." Ji Changkong sighed bitterly. "If the power of our Ji family’s Xuanyuan truly came from an exchange of conditions in antiquity, we should honor the ancient pact. Even if it weren't for that old agreement, the Four Sacred Beasts are the foundation of this continent; if they meet misfortune, this entire continent will fall. Some people only care about themselves, willing to disregard anything to achieve their own goals—we cannot be like that."

"It seems the enemies we will face in the future might not just be the Huangfu family..." Gui Rong also managed a wry chuckle, imagining the possibility of Nine Palaces Heavenly Realm experts showing up, forcing Xuanyuan Valley into conflict—Gui Rong felt a pounding headache coming on.

"Deploy the Star Sea formation as quickly as possible. We must exert every effort to enhance Xuanyuan Valley's strength. If the Huangfu family dares to come, they will face our full wrath!" Ji Changkong snorted coldly and strode towards the cave entrance. Breathing in the fresh air, he suddenly asked, "Have you noticed? The air in Xuanyuan Valley seems saturated with vitality?"

"Ah!" Ji Changkong let out a soft cry, then suddenly grinned broadly. "I can sense a massive leak of primal energy beneath our Xuanyuan Valley. It seems that even without the Star Sea formation fully established, the elemental energy in our valley is already much richer than elsewhere."

"How could this be?" Ji Yusheng asked.

"Perhaps... perhaps there truly is an Azure Dragon hibernating beneath our Xuanyuan Valley. Perhaps it sensed my presence, knowing I am here in the valley, and is offering me, the guardian, some benefits through some method..." Ji Changkong smiled.

He had only been joking, not taking it seriously himself, yet he noticed everyone nodding with grave seriousness, stating in unison, "It must be so!" (Looks like convincing people after you've risen high is quite easy~)

"Very well, then we shall make good use of its gift and harness the treasures beneath the earth. Heh heh, this subterranean upheaval not only saves us a lot of effort but also, once the Star Sea formation is complete, our Xuanyuan Valley’s elemental energy will become even more abundant, and the power of the Star Sea formation will increase significantly."

Saying this, Ji Changkong abandoned the cave and flew toward Mu Luo's location, guided by his senses.

"Ji Changkong!" "Ji Changkong!" "Ji Changkong!"

As soon as he emerged from the cave in the back mountain where he had been cultivating, he heard several delighted cries rising from the valley below. He looked down to see He Lixuan, Baili Xiu, and Zhou Qiangwei standing in three different directions, waving at him, seemingly eager to speak. (When will I ever get such attention?!)

He chuckled wryly internally (Chuckling your sister, don't give her to me!), paused briefly with a thoughtful expression, and landed in the direction where Zhou Qiangwei stood, asking, "Miss Zhou, are you accustomed to living in the valley?"

"Very well," Zhou Qiangwei replied with a radiant smile, her bright eyes sweeping quickly toward the rapidly approaching He Lixuan and Baili Xiu, feeling a secret surge of smugness. (I don't care for dark-bellied heroines~~)

"I heard that a large amount of dark green magma capable of helping plants grow vigorously overflowed from the earth's depths last time. I was hoping to ask you for some. I recently cleared an area behind Xuanyuan Valley specifically for cultivating rare spirit herbs. With the aid of that miraculous magma, my spirit herbs could grow much better."

"No problem, I'll have someone send it to you shortly." Ji Changkong nodded. Zhou Qiangwei was indeed very skilled in this area; the exotic flowers and rare plants she grew were highly beneficial to Xuanyuan Valley, so naturally, he needed to support her endeavors wholeheartedly.

"Ji Changkong..." He Lixuan and Baili Xiu shouted loudly, having rushed over from a distance by now, with faint undertones of resentment clouding their faces.