The ground split open again, and a figure burst forth from it.

"Junior Brother Wang Xiu!"

"Senior Brother, you're finally out!"

Everyone hurriedly gathered around.

"Let's head back first!" Not wasting time on pleasantries, Wang Xiu glanced at the chaotic scene around them. Seeing that no one had noticed them, he quickly led the Sanqing disciples into the dense forest.

They followed their original path back, hurrying along without any delays. Along the way, Wang Xiu briefly described the scene at the bottom of the well.

"What? The remains of an ancient Dragon Clan powerhouse from a primeval era? Bones like a mountain range, its spiritual power yet to fade, and an oppressive might like the heavens bearing down!"

"How many countless years has that dragon been dead for its body to remain incorrupt?"

"Senior Brother, you actually fought the remnant soul of that Ancient Dragon? Heavens…"

Hearing that Wang Xiu had battled the remnant soul of the Ancient Dragon, everyone was awestruck and filled with disbelief. Xiang Tiange and the other prodigies looked particularly astounded.

Such beings from the primordial age could withstand the erosion of time without decay. Even a wisp of a remnant soul would be immeasurably powerful. They could guess as much just from the abundant opportunities and dense Life Essence that filled the Secret Realm. Just the thought of it was enough to make one's heart tremble. And Wang Xiu had actually fought that remnant soul and emerged victorious.

"It was a narrow victory. I was just lucky," Wang Xiu replied.

The crowd's expressions were strange; they clearly didn't believe his humble words. They quickly realized that they still knew far too little about this successor of the Divination Sect. He was too mysterious and hid too much of his true self. He only ever revealed the tip of the iceberg, and even that was enough to shock everyone and earn him the title of a peerless prodigy.

It was a blessing that such a person was their fellow disciple, their brother. As an opponent, he would be truly terrifying! A thought even surfaced in some of their minds: among the younger generation in this Holy Realm, could even those prodigies ranked at the very top of the Golden Core Ranking truly suppress this unassuming, direct disciple of the Divination Sect?

They didn't press for more details, nor did they ask what Wang Xiu had obtained. Even among the best of friends, boundaries had to be respected. Rashly prying into another's fortunate encounters was a major taboo in the world of cultivation. Besides, their own gains from this trip had already been more than enough.

「Several days later.」

They returned to the Sanqing encampment.

Luo Hongyi stood on a tree with her arms crossed. Her red robes rippled, accentuating her curvaceous figure. She looked at the returning Wang Xiu and his party, a slight smile curling the corners of her usually cold and aloof face. "Oh, you're back? I hear you made quite a haul this time… So, how about it? Who's up for some sparring?"

"I'll do it!" Xiang Tiange's eyes blazed with light. Brimming with battle intent, he stepped forward and began removing his armor as he spoke. Over the past few days, he had been constantly refining the Life Essence he had absorbed, converting it into his own power. He felt his combat prowess had soared, and he was eager to challenge Luo Hongyi to reclaim the pride he lost when she had crushed him before.

Luo Hongyi's gaze, however, remained fixed on Wang Xiu.

"Sorry, Senior Sister," Wang Xiu said with an apologetic chuckle. "We've just returned and probably need some time to sort through our gains."

Luo Hongyi had a slender waist and a full bosom. Her red lips parted slightly. "Combat is the best way to digest what you've gained."

"Senior Sister is right!" Having removed his pauldrons, Xiang Tiange began to unstrap his inner mail, looking eager to fight.

"But some gains require quiet contemplation to be truly understood," Wang Xiu said, shaking his head with a smile.

Their gazes met for a moment. A hint of disappointment, almost imperceptible, flickered in Luo Hongyi's eyes. She waved her hand dismissively. "Fine, fine, always with the excuses! A bunch of cowards…"

With that, her red-clad figure fluttered and vanished into the depths of the forest.

Xiang Tiange, who had just finished removing his armor, looked up just in time to see Luo Hongyi depart. He stood there stunned, scratching his head. "Did I… not say anything just now?"

"You spoke," Wang Xiu laughed, "but… perhaps Senior Sister Luo didn't hear you. You'll just have to be louder next time!"

Xiang Tiange still looked bewildered. "Is that so?"

Afterward, Wang Xiu greeted Guan Shanyue and the others. He chatted with them for a bit before taking out some high-quality Spirit Fruits and spiritual materials from his Space Ring to give as gifts. Guan Shanyue and the others were pleasantly surprised; while verbally declining, their hands honestly accepted everything.

When they heard Wang Xiu was planning to enter seclusion, Guan Shanyue proactively led him to a secluded and quiet location. There was a courtyard there, surrounded by Formations. The Spiritual Energy was rich and dense, making the place quite extraordinary. The prodigies of the Holy Realm often ventured into the Ancient Forest to hunt Fierce Beasts and hone their Daoist Magic. Places like this were numerous and served as temporary resting spots.

After seeing Guan Shanyue off, Wang Xiu habitually set up several more Formations as a precaution before sitting down cross-legged in the private chamber.

He took out the Ancient Dragon Inverse Scale.

The scale emitted a faint, multicolored glow. It wasn't as brilliant as when he first saw it, but it possessed an ancient charm and was covered in runes that held all kinds of wonders. When Wang Xiu infused it with Mana, the multicolored dragon scale immediately flared with light, filling the air with runes.

Divine Beasts of ancient times were born extraordinary, possessing incredible innate gifts. This was especially true for an Ancient Dragon, which had cultivated to who knows what Realm. Every inch of its flesh and blood contained traces of the Grand Dao, and this dragon scale, in particular, was a nexus where all of its spirit, essence, and energy gathered…

Wang Xiu studied it intently, focusing on the runes that emanated from the dragon scale. He discovered that while the runes were numerous, they all stemmed from a single source. They could be traced back to their origin and combined into one.

He used the Supreme Sensing Chapter to carefully probe it and finally uncovered its secrets.

The runes contained a vast amount of information. They recorded a Divine Skill: the Fire of Candleholder!

Legend tells of an ancient mythological being, the Zhulong, who had a human face and a red serpent's body. It was born holding a candle; when it opened its eyes, it was day, and when it closed them, it was night.

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