Chapter 170: The Ember Peak Dragon, Yàndiān Huǒlóng, Arrives! A Supreme Treasure of the Star Sovereign Sect is Unveiled!

It had been a few days since the heavenly dao ball game between the sects.

Right after that, Yang Wei locked himself away in closed-door cultivation.

For six days straight, he hadn’t left his room.

Sitting cross-legged, he focused intensely as a whirlwind of blood swirled around him, mingling with his Qi to create blood Qi.

Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open, and a surge of energy erupted from his body, his normally blue eyes briefly glowing red.

He shut his eyes again, delving deeper into his cultivation.

First, I’ll cultivate the blood Qi in my surroundings and strengthen my heart...

Next, I’ll refine the blood Qi and use it to purify and strengthen my lungs to enhance my breathing sustenance.

Then, I’ll use the blood Qi to temper all the muscles throughout my body and accelerate their development.

The bones provide a solid foundation for channeling internal energy, enabling one to unleash devastating martial arts techniques with greater force. So, I’ll condense the refined blood Qi and use it to reinforce the bones, making them denser and more resilient - bones that can withstand powerful blows, as hard as iron!

Next, the skin: I’ll refine the skin and make it tougher and more resistant to external damage.

One must remember that the skin is equivalent to a tortoise’s shell, so like a tortoise cares for its shell, one must do the same for their skin.

As Yang Wei progressed through each level of his cultivation, he began to sense something stirring within him. It looked like a massive claw, but that was all he could make out. When he opened his eyes, he was panting heavily and drenched in sweat from the intense cultivation.

"I’m getting closer to comprehending my Innate Blood Spirit," he muttered, clenching his fist tightly. "And then, I’ll be able to develop my own Blood Martial Arts!"

He was about to celebrate when out of nowhere, the golden slime bounced onto his face. "Piidi! Piidi!" it chirped affectionately as it latched onto him.

Yang Wei struggled to remove it, finally tossing it aside with a sigh. "Enough of this. I need to figure out how to send it back to that Frigid whatever realm," he muttered to himself, but then hesitated. "But wait, it’s technically a monster, isn’t it?" he questioned no one in particular.

He then looked at the slime, "You should be worth something in the market right?"

The slime trembled as it uttered, "Piidi?"

Yang Wei cautiously approached the slime, extending his hand to release and condense a significant amount of blood Qi into a blood sword. "I’ll make this quick..."

Seeing this as nothing but a threat, the slime recoiled in fear, stuttering, "P-p-piidi!"

Just then, an almost endless sea of red flames spawned from nothing and enveloped the entire residential sector of Spirit Harmony Peak. It didn’t burn anything; instead, it seemed to freeze everything in motion, leaving only Yang Wei and the slime unaffected.

Not even up to a second, Yang Wei noticed that time had come to a standstill. Glancing around, he observed that everything was frozen in place. But this time freeze didn’t seem like the Immortal Daoist Arts Ji Wu had used before. It felt more potent, more intricate, as if time had been halted at a higher level, comparable to when Míng Huīrán did it.

"If this is happening," Yang Wei muttered to himself, "someone’s about to show up any second now."

And sure enough, someone did—it was an old man with flame-kissed hair, red medium-length beard, and crimson eyes, tall and clad in a long robe adorned with dragon patterns. He seemed almost like a regular mortal, emitting no obvious cultivation power. Yet, simultaneously, he exuded a divine presence, giving off an aura akin to that of a god standing among mortals!

"Sixth Vessel of the Dragon Spirit Confluence, Yang Wei," the man addressed him, "I’ve come to speak with you."

Yang Wei stretched his arms and replied, "Just call me Yang Wei, no need for all the praise."

The man’s fiery eyes locked onto Yang Wei, and the surrounding red flames intensified, yet it hadn’t burned anything. "I am Yàndiān Huǒlóng," he introduced himself, "and I’ve come to deliver an important message."

Yang Wei casually sat on a nearby chair, crossing his legs with a smile. "Well, you certainly look different," he commented, nodding to show his approval.

Yàndiān Huǒlóng explained, "This is my earthly form. If I were to appear in my true form with the full force of my cultivation base, many would perish. The only reason you and the seventh vessel didn’t crumble to dust when you were last in our presence is because my power instinctively balances out and protects those affiliated with the Dragon Blossom Sect when they’re in my world."

Yang Wei shrugged nonchalantly. "I doubt I’d die, but that’s beside the point." Just then, a golden slime jumped into Yang Wei’s lap and chirped, "Piidi! Piidi!" He affectionately patted it on the head. "So, what do you want, Senior Dragon?"

Yàndiān Huǒlóng gestured towards the golden slime nestled in Yang Wei’s lap and began, "I noticed that creature earlier, but it wasn’t until I spoke with Sister Bìlóng that I truly understood what it is."

Yang Wei tilted his head, and the golden slime mimicked his movement as they both exclaimed:

"What?"

"Piidi?"

It seemed like Yàndiān Huǒlóng had a point to make, but to Yang Wei, they were still at square one: why was he here? Sensing Yang Wei’s confusion, Yàndiān Huǒlóng got straight to the point. "That creature is the Immortal Star Plasma Dragon, one of the six supreme treasures of the Star Sovereign Sect."

"Eh?" Yang Wei lifted the golden slime, displaying it to Yàndiān Huǒlóng. "How could this useless, annoyingly clingy blob of urine be a supreme treasure of Senior Tortoise’s sect? Sounds ridiculous." He playfully dragged the slime apart like he was trying to mold it into something else.

"Piiiiidi...!" the slime cried out.

Yàndiān Huǒlóng shook his head, sighing heavily.

"You may see, but you do not perceive. This is simply the Immortal Star Plasma Dragon in its viscous form. It begins as a small mass of celestial plasma, born from the essence of stars and infused with primordial energy. In this form, it possesses minimal consciousness and mobility, existing mainly as a shapeless blob."

It hurt him to see such a mighty creature affectionately snuggling deeper into Yang Wei’s lap.

Yang Wei nodded, glancing down at the affectionate slime. "You say that proverb, yet you couldn’t recognize the supreme treasure of a Heaven-shaking sect in your own domain? Quite foolish if you ask me."

"Arrogance!"

Yàndiān Huǒlóng raised his hand and summoned a blazing hot palm of flame.

Sigh~ control yourself... If I were to attack the partner of the future Dragon King, Sister Bìlóng won’t let me hear the end of it...

The burning red flames fizzled out and he managed to restrain himself.

But of course, Yang Wei hadn’t moved one bit from start to finish.

The celestial dragon-turned-man resumed, "It seems it hadn’t lingered in my domain for long. When an Immortal Star Plasma Dragon dies and reincarnates, its presence is hidden to keep it safe until it finds its partner."

The golden slime chirped happily, snuggling closer to Yang Wei.

"Piidi! Piidi!"

Yang Wei patted it affectionately and then turned to Yàndiān Huǒlóng.

"So, I’m its partner?"

Strumming his beard like guitar strings, Yàndiān Huǒlóng calmly nodded and said, "I’m afraid so." He moved closer to Yang Wei and explained, "The other reason I’m here is to give you some tips. Make sure the Immortal Star Plasma Dragon absorbs celestial energy from the stars every day until it evolves to its next stage, a Celestial Serpent.

When it reaches that stage, I’ll return to guide you further."

With a small movement of his hand, he opened a rift in space, ready to leave.

"If you ensure this creature cultivates diligently, it will evolve into a celestial dragon that rules over all other celestial dragons, the Dragon King."

But Yang Wei interrupted, "Wait, how am I supposed to get celestial energy from the stars? That’s the real issue here."

Yàndiān Huǒlóng, fed up, replied curtly, "Do whatever. It’s no longer my concern."

Yang Wei stretched his arms and stroked the slime gently, murmuring, "Should’ve seen this coming. No wonder Míng Huīrán skipped the anniversary you all planned. She knew did say you weren’t cool after all."

Yàndiān Huǒlóng halted dramatically. Then, he glared at Yang Wei with his crimson red eyes. "She called me uncool?"

Yang Wei nodded, adding, "She even said Bìlóng was waaay cooler than you."

Furious, Senior Yàndiān produced a small transparent bottle filled with golden liquid and tossed it to Yang Wei. "Here! Take this and use it as your source of celestial energy. It’s my blood, but be careful not to touch it, or it’ll corrode you... and likely the entire Mashyan World."

Yang Wei accepted the bottle, nodding. "I’ll make sure to let the second matriarch know that the... cool Yàndiān Huǒlóng gave me this."

"Super cool..." Senior Yàndiān added with a small grin.

What?! I, the great Ember Peak Dragon, smiling like a child? Impossible!

He didn’t waste a moment to wipe the smile off his face and depart like he was never there.

And time resumed once more.