Wandering Gods of Day and Night

"So Lao Yun's body has deteriorated to such a pitiful state."

Zhou Xuan remarked with a sigh.

...

When Yun Ziliang entered Zhou Xuan's Secret Realm, he instantly felt like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, completely forgetting his original purpose.

"Xuanzi, no wonder your Secret Realm can subdue the Human Golden Dragon and form such a Great Thousand World of its own."

Yun Ziliang's former Secret Realm was like a secluded peach blossom haven, with exquisite scenery that he had been incredibly proud of.

Now, looking at Zhou Xuan's Secret Realm, with rippling Black Water and the imposing brilliance of its temples—setting aside the grandeur—it was simply astonishing in size, as though it was a miniature world built within his very body.

"A Dual Heavenly Secret Realm, with such magnificence! If I possessed this Secret Realm, I would pin down the gods of heaven and give them a beating!"

"Lao Yun, have you forgotten what you're supposed to be doing?"

"Ah, yes, the Dragon Seeking Incense."

Yun Ziliang trudged through the Secret Realm and, upon passing the center of the Black Water, Miss Qiang was playing Monopoly with a Human Brain.

Miss Qiang called out to Yun Ziliang, "Lao Yun, join us for a round of Monopoly, won't you?"

"Not playing, not playing—childish nonsense."

Yun Ziliang scoffed with disdain.

...

Ten minutes later, Zhou Xuan shouted, "Lao Yun, quit gawking at the game and focus on the task!"

Urged along, Yun Ziliang reluctantly tore his gaze away, forcing himself not to think about Monopoly, and finally made his way to the Dragon Seeking Incense.

"Your Secret Realm is truly full of temptations."

"Perhaps you should look within yourself for the reasons."

Zhou Xuan chuckled uncontrollably.

Raising his head to look at the Dragon Seeking Incense, Yun Ziliang noticed three extra scales wandering around its vicinity.

He reached out, beckoned one down, and held it in his hands, feeling an overwhelmingly dense Dragon Qi flowing from within, so rich it had already nurtured Spirit.

The dragon scale trembled lightly the moment it touched his hand, as if expressing some form of emotion.

"It really is three extra scales."

"Why are there extras?" Zhou Xuan asked.

"The number of dragon scales near the Dragon Seeking Incense is linked to the scale of the Big Dragon in the surrounding Dragon Land."

Yun Ziliang explained, "In ordinary Lands of Dragon Formation, they don't produce Big Dragons; they're considered Small Dragons instead.

The maximum number of dragon scales for a Dragon Seeking Incense nurtured by a Small Dragon is eight.

A Dragon Seeking Incense nurtured in Big Dragon Lands will have sixteen scales.

In the Ancestral Dragon Land, the highest number is thirty-six scales."

He further elaborated, "Thus, the life journey of a Dragon Seeking Heavenly Master from the Ganying Sect often entails going from flourishing realms to treacherous lands, cultivating unparalleled Dragon Seeking Qi in the Ancestral Dragon sites scattered throughout the Nine Prefectures of Jing Country.

However, the Ancestral Dragon only produces thirty-six scales—how can you have forty? Could it be..."

"Could it be what?" Zhou Xuan pressed.

"Could it be that Mingjiang Prefecture has more than one Ancestral Dragon?" Yun Ziliang speculated.

"Two Ancestral Dragons in one prefecture?" Zhou Xuan remained skeptical.

Yun Ziliang was doubtful as well, replying, "It's true that there's typically only one Ancestral Dragon in a prefecture, but these scales undeniably warrant an explanation."

At this point, Zhou Xuan asked, "Lao Yun, surely your Ganying Sect disciples cultivate Dragon Qi in Mingjiang Prefecture too. Have any of them ever nurtured more than thirty-six scales?"

"No one cultivates Dragon Qi in Mingjiang Prefecture."

Yun Ziliang explained, "Ganying Sect's Dragon Qi cultivation depends on two factors—first, the disciple's natural Perception. If a disciple inherently lacks strong Perception, letting them cultivate Dragon Qi in an Ancestral Dragon Land is ridiculous. They'd exhaust themselves to no avail,

second, the disciple's affinity with the Ancestral Dragon Land.

Truly outstanding disciples resonate deeply with the Ancestral Dragon of a region, and the Ancestral Dragon, in turn, is willing to bless them, allowing them to nurture a complete Dragon Seeking Qi.

But the Dragon Seeking disciples of the Ganying Sect all hail from Hidden Dragon Mountain in Jingchuan Prefecture. They naturally have a stronger bond with the Ancestral Dragon in Jingchuan Prefecture, so they cultivate their Dragon Seeking Qi there."

"None of your disciples cultivate Dragon Qi in Mingjiang Prefecture, yet you want me to do it?"

"You're different. You just saved Mingjiang Prefecture from the disaster of Hong Bo. If even such a heroic act doesn't earn the right to cultivate Dragon Qi, then the Ancestral Dragon truly isn't playing by the rules!

The Ancestral Dragon may be tainted, but it isn't blind."

Yun Ziliang continued, "You're fully qualified to cultivate Dragon Qi in Mingjiang Prefecture. If there truly are two Ancestral Dragons there, it's likely because both have acknowledged your efforts in aiding Mingjiang Prefecture."

"Are there truly two Ancestral Dragons in Mingjiang Prefecture?" Zhou Xuan circled back to his question.

Yun Ziliang shook his head and replied, "I don't know. Keep cultivating Dragon Qi and find out."

"What is the difference between Dragon Seeking Qi nurtured by two Ancestral Dragons and that nurtured by one?"

"A world of difference."

Yun Ziliang explained, "The primary difference between the Perception and Acupoint factions is their philosophy:

The Acupoint faction tends to be gentle, seeing dragons as sacred beings and treating them as objects of faith.

The Perception faction is inherently domineering; we regard dragons as our soldiers, hiding dragons within ourselves. Our Dragon Seeking Qi is fostered by Ancestral Dragons, and all Big Dragons across the land submit to us.

However, Dragon Seeking Qi nurtured by an Ancestral Dragon can summon Big Dragons, but it cannot subdue the Ancestral Dragon itself.

You, however, are unique. You've gained approval from two Ancestral Dragons. If you went to the Capital Mansion to face the Human Golden Dragon and attempted to claim it, and the Golden Dragon refused,

the two Ancestral Dragons would manifest in the human world and suppress the Golden Dragon until it surrendered."

"Your Dragon Seeking Qi—this is what truly embodies the Xuan Heaven True Doctrine!" Yun Ziliang exclaimed.