Chapter 244: Traveling Together
When Xuan Yuan Po realized that what he was seeing was actually a real dragon, he was indeed terrified, but that wasn't enough to make him faint. The real reason he passed out was that the enraged Black Dragon had released some of its draconic might. For Xuan Yuan Po, who was of the demon race, there was simply no way to resist this ancient and terrifying aura.
A gust of wind stirred, and Jin Yulu appeared in the courtyard, his robes making a faint rustling sound in the air as he warily scanned his surroundings. He had sensed that terrifying aura from the gatehouse and rushed over as fast as he could. Had the appointment of Chen Changsheng as the principal of the National Academy truly attracted some peerless expert?
Yet when he arrived at the kitchen, he found nothing at all, only seeing Xuan Yuan Po lying unconscious on the ground. He asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"
"Nothing," Chen Changsheng replied. "When I was clearing his meridians just now, his true essence surged back a bit. He'll be fine after resting for a while."
Jin Yulu frowned slightly, feeling that Chen Changsheng's expression seemed a bit unnatural, but he truly couldn't sense that terrifying aura anymore. After checking things over, he left.
Chen Changsheng placed his hand on his chest and let out a sigh of relief. He crouched down and woke Xuan Yuan Po up.
Xuan Yuan Po's face was pale, and he looked around in terror.
During the Ivy Banquet, facing the infamous Tianhai Yazi, this young demon had displayed remarkable courage and boldness, but what he had just witnessed was beyond his imagination.
For the demon race, draconic might was an innate, overwhelming terror.
"Did you see... a... black dragon?"
Not seeing the being that had terrified him so much only made Xuan Yuan Po more uneasy. His voice trembled violently.
Chen Changsheng initially wanted to say that his eyes were playing tricks on him, but he knew that wouldn't convince the other. After a moment of silence, he said, "That thing came looking for me. Don't tell anyone."
Xuan Yuan Po pointed at him, his lips quivering uncontrollably, unable to speak for a long time. Finally, he managed to force out, "Holy crap! Just who the hell are you?!"
...
...
Many people wanted to know who Chen Changsheng really was, but he himself never even considered it.
Because in his view, this wasn't a question at all. He was just a young Daoist from the old temple in Xining Town. His master, Ji Daoist, might have many secrets, but that didn't mean he had many secrets too.
Of course, now he did have a secret—this black dragon.
Returning to the small building, he placed the short sword on the weapon rack, turned around, and walked to the table. Staring at the tiny black dragon, it took him a long time to convince himself that this wasn't an illusion. Only when he mustered the courage to reach out and touch the dragon's body, and the icy sensation returned through his fingertips, did he finally prove that all of this was real.
The little black dragon clearly disliked his touch. With a *smack*, it knocked his hand away.
"This... what exactly is going on?" Chen Changsheng asked nervously.
The little black dragon didn't speak. It flew to the table, dipped itself into the inkstone to soak up some leftover ink, and used its body as a brush to write some words on the paper.
The scene was rather cute, but Chen Changsheng was in no mood to appreciate it at the moment.
He picked up the paper and read it, learning that this was a secret technique called "Soul Separation."
This technique allowed a dragon's soul to temporarily leave its massive body and take on a different form. It originated from the dragon race's earliest humanoid transformations, but was far more profound and difficult. However, using this method, the dragon soul couldn't stray too far from its physical body, had a time limit, and had to return to its original form, or else it would gradually fade away.
Moreover, in this state, the dragon was extremely weak—less than one ten-thousandth of its original power—and even needed human protection.
Looking at the tiny black dragon before him, Chen Changsheng simply couldn't connect it to the mountain-like Xuan Shuang Giant Dragon in the underground space.
"You only learned this technique yesterday, and today you want to leave the capital with me for a stroll?"
He stared at the little black dragon, utterly shocked. "And you want me to be responsible for protecting you?"
The little black dragon floated before him and nodded.
Chen Changsheng covered his forehead, speechless. After a long while, he said with difficulty, "I'm going to the Zhou Garden. I don't know what trouble I'll run into. What if something happens?"
The little black dragon said nothing, just quietly looked at him.
Chen Changsheng met its gaze and noticed that the expression in the little black dragon's eyes seemed indifferent on the surface, but deep down, there was a hidden glimmer of heat.
It was then that he realized this black dragon had been imprisoned beneath the capital for centuries and was seeing the surface for the first time.
Though it wasn't truly leaving, it was still a departure.
And the moment it left the underground, it came straight to him.
He thought for a long time, then said, "Alright, Zhi Zhi."
Hearing his words, the little black dragon's gaze remained cold and noble, but it let out two *zhi zhi* sounds.
Chen Changsheng knew this was its laughter, and he laughed too.
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...
The stele viewers gradually left the Mausoleum of Books. Along with the Tongyou realm cultivators from various academies and sects, as well as their teachers, over a hundred people gathered before the stone pillars of the Li Palace, preparing to embark on the journey to the Zhou Garden.
More cultivators had already set out from various parts of the continent ahead of time, or had already arrived early.
A carriage pulled by celestial horses slowly emerged along the sacred path. Inside should be a high-ranking figure from the National Church, responsible for this trip to the Zhou Garden.
Chen Changsheng looked at the carriage, wondering who this important person might be, and why neither His Holiness the Pope nor the Archbishop had sent anyone to inform him.
As he looked at the carriage, many people were looking at him, because he was now also a high-ranking figure in the National Church. Chen Changsheng didn't have that self-awareness. When the Archbishop of the Temple of Worship led the three students from the temple who were going to the Zhou Garden to pay their respects, it took him a long time to react. Then, the teachers and students from the Heavenly Dao Academy and the Li Palace Affiliated Academy also came forward to greet him. Naturally, not everyone was willing to bow to a fifteen-year-old boy, but with his current status and position, and since they were right in front of the Li Palace, as members of the National Church system, no one dared to be remiss in this regard.
Chen Changsheng had no experience with such matters and could only return the greetings one by one. Fortunately, he remembered what the Archbishop had said that night—now, aside from His Holiness the Pope and Her Holiness the Empress, no one was worthy of his full bow. He didn't need to lower his head, but his movements were inevitably stiff, making him seem extremely awkward, with none of the bearing of a great figure.
Zhe Xiu stood expressionlessly by his side, saying nothing, because he wasn't good at this either and couldn't help him.
Liang Xiaoxiao, Qi Jian, and more than ten other southern examinees who had participated in this year's Grand Examination stood opposite, watching in silence.
As the group heading to the Zhou Garden left the capital, melodious bell chimes rang out from deep within the Li Palace.
Earlier, red geese had flown in from afar.
This year's Azure Cloud Rankings had officially been updated.
Xu Yourong, who had held the top spot on the Azure Cloud Rankings for several years, was finally no longer on the list.
Luo Luo had become the new Azure Cloud Rankings champion.
Liang Xiaoxiao and Qi Jian had also left the Azure Cloud Rankings.
At the same time, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had updated the Gilding Rankings.
Autumn Mountain Lord, unsurprisingly, still held the top spot.
The rankings now included Liang Xiaoxiao and Qi Jian, as well as many young cultivators who had entered Tongyou after viewing the stele at the Mausoleum of Books.
Unexpectedly, Xu Yourong was not on the Gilding Rankings, and neither was Chen Changsheng. Gou Hanshi, Tang Thirty-Six, and the other cultivators still at the Mausoleum of Books—according to past practice, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wouldn't make premature judgments. But Chen Changsheng had already left the Mausoleum of Books, and Xu Yourong had always been in the world, so why weren't they on the list?
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(Taking advantage of yesterday's momentum to adjust my biological clock—my mind is completely foggy. That's all for today. I'll try to write more tomorrow.)