He swung the sword in his hand a few more times. Though Zong Shou did not channel his internal Zhenqi, every movement and pause in the swordsmanship was imbued with a profound, hidden intent and spirit.

After familiarizing himself and consolidating the feeling, Zong Shou finally smiled with satisfaction. However, in just a moment, he realized his situation was likely turning perilous.

He could not tell when, but the colossal dragon had manifested a body. It was currently staring fixedly at him with eyes as large as lanterns.

A brilliant light flickered within those immense pupils. The gaze was complex, seemingly filled with surprise, disbelief, and a deep, profound gratitude.

Yet, when coupled with that massive draconic head, while not exactly ugly, it was undeniably fierce and majestic. Zong Shou would much rather believe that this gigantic dragon was currently contemplating whether or not it would taste good and suit its appetite if it swallowed him whole.

The next instant, the dragon’s expression settled back into serenity. Then, with an air of utmost solemnity, it nodded toward him, three times in succession.

Zong Shou was momentarily stunned, then he heard the voice of the Old Man of the Dragon Shadow: "Rest assured, it will not harm you! It is merely thanking you. This was once an old friend of mine whose Dragon Core was forcibly shattered by an ancient predecessor due to excessive slaughter during the Cloud Wasteland era. I begged for mercy, and its life was spared. It was sealed here using these riddles I left in Dragon Gathering Mountain. There was a saying that the day someone truly completed my Dragon Carving on this screen wall would be the moment it was set free—"

Zong Shou listened, his mind reeling in confusion, thinking, What nonsensical rubbish is this? The Old Man of the Dragon Shadow also seemed somewhat puzzled: "Speaking of which, this is truly bizarre! I recall that predecessor also mentioned that the unsealing of this wicked dragon was supposed to occur thirty years after the Spirit Tide began. How is the discrepancy so vast? It simply doesn't make sense!"

The great dragon let out a soft snort, clearly displeased that the Dragon Shadow had called it a wicked dragon.

It then let out a low rumble toward Zong Shou. At that moment, the Dragon Shadow conveniently translated: "It is cursing this old man, saying that I, Dragon Shadow, am the one who should be called a wicked dragon! Hmm, and it also says it is very grateful to you, Zong Shou. Escaping the seal thirty-seven years early is a huge benefit to it, and it promises a great reward in the future. If you ever need someone to help you fight, just call him—it means he will cover for you from now on. Heh! Don't let the fact that he can’t even speak properly now fool you; he’s become rather dull. Before being sealed, he was at the peak of the Divine Realm, just half a step shy of the Saint Realm. This sealing for ten thousand years has been a form of tempering. If he can reform his Dragon Core within ten years, I fear it won't take long for this fellow to soar to the heavens..."

Cold sweat immediately beaded on Zong Shou's forehead. He and the Dragon Shadow had communicated solely through intent this entire time.

How could this Divine Realm expert know their thoughts?

It was truly strange; neither Wei Xu nor this Old Man Dragon Shadow seemed aware of anything regarding his soul originating from ten thousand years in the future. They detected absolutely nothing of his thoughts in that regard. What could be the reason for this?

He vaguely felt that this must be connected to the cluster of sapphire light deep within his soul.

The Dragon Shadow's voice, for some unknown reason, became increasingly weary: "Although you have grasped the Sword Spirit, for someone like you, having your intentions spread out like that is equivalent to being completely defenseless before a true powerhouse. This wicked dragon, though its strength is several notches below mine, could discern everything I said just from the fluctuations in your thoughts..."

A hint of amusement appeared in the giant dragon's eyes. Then, it flicked out three more drops of blood, which all plunged into Zong Shou's left arm. Two of those drops went directly into the slumbering body of the Thunder Winged Flood Dragon.

The remaining drop formed a small, dragon-shaped mark on Zong Shou's arm.

Just as Zong Shou was feeling puzzled, a piece of information pierced directly into his mind.

He understood that through this small pattern, he could contact this being and call for aid, no matter the distance separating them.

A wave of gratitude instantly surged through him, and he offered a respectful bow to the creature. He knew that everything this nameless giant dragon had said earlier was sincere.

This was far better than his Senior Brother Wei Xu; his senior brother only offered pleasant words. If a true emergency arose, Zong Shou truly wouldn't know where to turn for help.

The giant dragon smiled kindly, then let out another long, resonant roar that caused the sound waves to vibrate violently. The entire grotto began to shake intensely.

Boundless spiritual energy currents poured out from the dragon's body, smashing outwards in all directions.

The crisp sounds of explosive air ruptures were incessant. Even with Zong Shou's cultivation, he could feel the restrictive formations within the chamber beginning to shatter.

His Zhenli cultivation only reached the Martial Ancestor realm. He had already felt overwhelmed when this dragon first materialized, and now it was even worse. Yet, precisely at this moment, another immense, vast true power poured down from the void, firmly shielding his body and spirit.

When Zong Shou’s mind relaxed slightly and he looked ahead again, he saw the giant dragon suddenly whip its colossal tail, tearing this very space open! A massive, black void appeared before Zong Shou's eyes.

With a simple shake of its head and a flick of its tail, the giant dragon easily slipped through the black hole, presumably leaving the Cloud Realm. Zong Shou, however, struggled desperately against the suction of the black void, blood oozing from his mouth. Only after an unknown duration, sustained by that external power, did the black fissures finally heal completely.

"That scoundrel! Madman! Abomination! He clearly holds quite a grudge... Before leaving, he has to destroy my Dragon Gathering Mountain just to be satisfied! Doesn't he remember who saved his life in the first place? Sealing him for ten thousand years was not something this old man desired willingly—"

He finally managed to withstand the storm, only for huge slabs of rock from above to begin collapsing.

The Dragon Shadow immediately cursed angrily, then spoke in a grave tone: "The restrictions here are about to collapse, and my descent via intent will be much more difficult. Time is short; let's focus on giving you the rewards from breaking the Dragon Carving on the screen wall first! The gifts for accepting you as a disciple will arrive in the Cloud Realm later."

As soon as the words fell, the fragments of the screen wall suddenly began to leak speckles of spiritual light, one by one, striking into Zong Shou’s body. Zong Shou’s eyebrows twitched as he observed them—they were specks of bright yellow light, each no larger than a grain of rice.

As one speck seeped into his body, he immediately felt his physical form undergoing rapid transformation.

It was somewhat similar to the Dragon Blood Body Tempering Pills, but its effect was ten or even a hundred times stronger!

He didn't know what this substance was, but a single drop of this bright yellow light caused parts of his physique, in terms of constitution, resilience, and strength, to increase dramatically.

These light points entering his body should have been more than his physical frame could endure, but under the Dragon Shadow’s maintenance, he remained unharmed.

Blood began to boil incessantly; every piece of flesh and blood writhed, alternately swelling and contracting, twisting continuously. Even his soul felt as if it were igniting. Though his body was physically safe, the sheer agony made Zong Shou feel as if he were trapped in hell. Just as he was desperately holding on, he heard the Old Man Dragon Shadow exclaim again in surprise.

"There are still people in this chamber; this master was careless."

Zong Shou forced himself to open his eyes through the intense pain and looked carefully around. He saw nothing but occasional falling debris and dust.

The Dragon Shadow seemed aware that he couldn't see, and suddenly injected a strange power into Zong Shou's eyes. Three hazy figures then materialized in his vision. They stood about a hundred zhang away, near the entrance to a chamber.

Using some unknown method, they had apparently not been ejected from the grotto.

The person in the lead was none other than Long Ruo. Above his head, a transparent veil, along with several talismans, hovered high. In his right hand, a short sword shadow was suspended beneath his palm—its brilliance was contained, yet one could perceive the sword's sharp energy undulating, clearly ready to strike. Cold light flashed within his eyes as well. "Long Ruo!"

Zong Shou’s heart sank. Looking at the other two figures, flanking him on either side, he recognized Han Nishui and Li Yuandan. Both of their expressions looked extremely grim.

"Long Ruo? Isn't that the fool from the Lingyun Sect who ultimately let you go instead of killing you? He seems to harbor considerable killing intent; how did you manage to provoke him so much?" the Old Man Dragon Shadow asked, sounding slightly curious. Zong Shou himself was equally puzzled.

In his previous life, he held no affection for the Lingyun Sect, but in neither his past nor present life had their conflict escalated to a life-or-death feud. Even if he rose to prominence in the Cloud Realm, it would only result in a loss of face and a severe blow to the reputation of the Lingyun Sect. The Qiantian Mountain, while showing signs of strength now, was nowhere near the point of threatening the foundation of the Lingyun Sect. The competition with Yan Feibai for the True Dragon Essence Blood in the lower realms shouldn't have even reached Long Ruo's ears yet. Strictly speaking, the Lingyun Sect was in the wrong in that matter. Where did Long Ruo get such deep-seated resentment, desiring only to see Zong Shou dead?

If there were grudges, Zong Shou's most profound enmity was the irreconcilable one with Han Nishui, and some minor conflict with Li Yuandan. But those two would hardly be capable of persuading someone with Long Ruo's temperament.

"It must be a heart-devil, most likely. This person already sees you as an obstacle in his mind, so he must eliminate you! He is contending for the path of the Great Dao; his resolve to kill is firm. My name alone probably won't be enough to suppress him." The Old Man Dragon Shadow sounded increasingly distressed. "This complicates matters. These Dragon Essences were nourished daily by that wicked dragon absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth while sealed for ten thousand years; they strengthen the physical body. With every passing moment, their potency wanes. I am currently beyond three hundred and forty-nine layers of time-space, and I don't have much surplus strength to descend. Smashing these few fellows would be simple, but those precious resources would inevitably be wasted then. It seems I must summon that wicked dragon back—"

Zong Shou paid little attention to the rest of the speech. If he followed his true nature, he was reluctant to rely too heavily on external forces to strengthen his body.

In his mind, only two words cycled repeatedly: Heart-devil, huh? So that’s it.

Speaking of heart-devils, he had one too, and it was not insignificant. He had been severely bullied by the various sects of the Cloud Realm recently, their petty actions unending. Yet, because he was constrained by so many scruples, a stomach full of suppressed anger could not be vented.

His thoughts churning, Zong Shou suddenly gripped the Thunder Wing Sword in his hand tighter.

"Is there anything that can momentarily boost my combat strength? Be it a pill, an external elixir, or a spiritual artifact—anything will do, as long as it’s temporary." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)