Chapter 24

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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The Mountain Goblin King's words were left unfinished, but everyone could understand the meaning. "If you accept my favor, you will have to take responsibility for the safety of the Nie family in the future."

This was no problem. Xuan Kong had already intended to protect Nie Xiaoxian's father. Now, he not only got a thousand-year-old mountain goblin for free but also an additional treasure. This was the dragon pearl of the White Dragon, Ao Lie, when he was the Third Prince of the Western Sea.

Although he did not yet know its secrets, Xuan Kong was delighted, his face beaming with joy. He thought to himself, "The cool night breeze was not in vain. Being able to form a connection with a character from a myth is very satisfying for me, who still retains the memories of my previous life!"

After a few casual words, Xuan Kong summoned a gentle breeze and carried his bed back to the Yewei Cottage. He placed Ao Lie's dragon pearl on the wooden table and, instead of meditating, began to ponder its functions. Xuan Kong observed the dragon pearl for a long time. Although he saw a jade dragon slowly moving inside the pearl, it seemed to lack any true spirit.

Xuan Kong had a vague realization. After Ao Lie attained the fruit of enlightenment in the Western Heaven, he must have had a reason to shed his true form. So, he sealed all his dragon power into the dragon pearl and turned to the practice of Buddhism.

He pondered for a moment, "The profundity of Buddhism is indeed unparalleled, but why did Prince Ao Lie have to so decisively shed his dragon power?" This action was similar to Nezha's act of cutting his flesh to return to his father and removing his bones to return to his mother during the Battle of the Gods. Both were acts of great defiance. Could there be some hidden reason?

Since the treasure came easily, Xuan Kong was prone to overthinking. He feared that the Mountain Goblin King's words might not be entirely true, which could lead to trouble when the dragon pearl was revealed. Recalling his conversation with the Mountain Goblin King, he did not seem like a benevolent person. He was likely plotting to make the Laoshan Sect the vanguard against the Bodhisattva Cihang Pudu.

Sighing, Xuan Kong made a hand sign to seal the dragon pearl, preparing to use the Laoshan Sect's secret Thunder Control Technique. The jade dragon pearl, struck by the Thunder Control Technique, immediately emitted a thousand rays of golden light.

Xuan Kong's face froze, and he shook his head with a bitter smile. "Wrong, wrong. Dragons are deities of wind and rain. Using the Thunder Control Technique to seal it would only stimulate the dragon power inside." Seeing the golden light fill the cottage, Xuan Kong waved his sleeve, activating the restrictions within the Yewei Cottage to confine the light inside.

Just as he was about to consider which method to use to seal the dragon pearl, a thought flashed through his mind, and he clapped his hands in joy. "I originally wanted to figure out how to use the dragon pearl. Now, isn't this a lucky mistake?"

He had been diligently trying to understand the method of using the dragon pearl, but none of the techniques he tried worked. In his frustration, he decided to seal the dragon pearl.

Suddenly, the jade dragon inside the pearl let out a roar and burst out of the smooth, translucent sphere. Xuan Kong was shocked, wondering if the White Dragon Ao Lie had learned that the Mountain Goblin King had given the dragon pearl to him and was now exerting his power.

He waved his hand, and a Purple Yang Talisman flew out of his sleeve, a talisman personally inscribed by the Purple Yang Immortal of Mount Mao.

The talisman wrapped around the dragon pearl but did not hinder the jade dragon's movements. It passed through the talisman, carrying the power of a thousand thunderbolts, and struck Xuan Kong's head. Xuan Kong's body stiffened, and he felt a chaotic mess in his mind.

Memories from his past life and this life flashed before his eyes.

Xuan Kong remained still, a bitter smile on his face. He had been in this world for twenty years and had dedicated himself to cultivating techniques even in his dreams, trying to forget the memories of his previous life. He never imagined that the jade dragon pearl would bring them all back.

Cultivators are very cautious, especially about the risk of losing control and descending into madness. There are two types of madness: one is the possession by an external demon, and the other is the manifestation of an internal demon.

Xuan Kong was now experiencing the influence of an internal demon, which was attracting external demons. He saw black mist ignoring the defenses of the Yewei Cottage and attacking from outside, while his body remained paralyzed. His mind began to wander, "I wonder if I will still be alive tonight. If I die here due to losing control, how many people will mourn for me?"

"Master will definitely be one of them!" He thought, "Xiangyu and Jiangxue, who have been my friends for years, will probably be sad for a while. Li Zhen of Liangchang Mountain, Xuanzhou Immortal of Chicheng Mountain, and perhaps the little dragon girl from the Northern Sea..."

Gradually, Xuan Kong's bitter smile turned into a smile. He had formed many life-and-death friendships in his previous life, and this life was no different. As long as he did not die, he would have the chance to experience more. At the very least, he would not let down the people who cared for him and his predecessors.

Later, his smile disappeared, and he focused solely on surviving, determined not to die in his own room.

Xuan Kong's will to live reached its peak, and the jade dragon on his head suddenly let out another roar. As the Third Prince of the Western Sea, the dragon pearl contained formidable dragon power, which broke through the defenses of the Yewei Cottage, allowing a ray of moonlight to pierce through.

The moonlight illuminated the jade dragon, making it even more lustrous. It let out a long, deep, and ancient roar, carrying a sense of desolation from the primordial era. The strange voice came from the ancient heritage of the dragon race. Few races could compare to the dragons in terms of heritage.

Although the Four Sea Dragon Kings were not highly regarded in the Three Realms now, in the primordial era, even before the Witch and Demon races, the dragons were a dominant force in the world.

Countless memories flooded Xuan Kong's mind, inherited from the depths of the dragon race's bloodline. In the primordial era, the dragons ruled the seas, the qilins governed the land, and the phoenixes governed the sky. The three races coexisted, and all living things revolved around them. Xuan Kong felt a cool, cleansing force moving through his body, slowly purifying his blood, making it almost like that of a dragon.

He smiled, understanding that this was a gift from the dragon pearl of Ao Lie, the ancient knowledge and memories of the dragon race. Xuan Kong was amazed; could the dragon race's bodies be so powerful that they could inherit such vast knowledge from birth?

This was a misunderstanding. The dragon pearl in his hand was formed by Ao Lie before he attained enlightenment. At that time, Ao Lie might have already achieved the level of a Bodhisattva, and the knowledge he had gained was far beyond the grasp of a mere mortal cultivator.

Fortunately, Xuan Kong had self-awareness and did not forcibly assimilate the dragon pearl. Instead, he absorbed the inherited memories and resealed the dragon power back into the pearl. After enduring indescribable pain, Xuan Kong finally regained control of his body.

To his surprise, although his total true essence did not increase much, it was much purer and more refined. His movements were also more fluid and agile.