Taking a deep breath, Brian Carter walked forward.

　　Rounding the bend ahead, he saw a field of shimmering golden light.

　　A pair of golden eyes met his gaze.

　　What kind of golden eyes were those?

　　They were majestic, weighty, ancient, and filled with anger.

　　The owner of those golden eyes had a pair of deer antlers, ox ears, turtle-like eyes, shrimp whiskers, fangs, and was covered in golden scales—a dragon’s head, unmistakably.

　　This was a five-clawed golden dragon.

　　The golden dragon was about ten feet long, bound by chains.

　　The chains were pitch-black as ink, as thick as an arm, with two on each side, four in total.

　　One end of each chain was fixed into the surrounding rock walls—the very flesh and blood of the mountain demon from before.

　　The other end was locked onto the golden dragon.

　　……

　　Though the dragon was only ten feet long, Brian Carter could see the vicissitudes of time and an ancient, boundless aura in its eyes.

　　“A dragon can be large or small, can ascend or hide; when large, it stirs clouds and breathes mist; when small, it conceals itself in armor and hides its form; when ascending, it soars through the universe; when hiding, it lurks within the waves.”

　　The records Brian Carter had read in ancient texts flashed through his mind in an instant. “A true dragon cannot be judged by its size. Though it is not large, its aura is ancient—this is a true dragon that has lived through countless ages.”

　　Brian Carter intended to move, but after locking eyes with the golden dragon, his body seemed to freeze, unable to move.

　　The golden dragon gazed at him quietly, then seemed to grow angry.

　　With a flick of its tail, it swam over in an instant.

　　Brian Carter's mind went blank.

　　It was as if a mountain was pressing down on him.

　　The pressure was no less than when the mountain demon had shattered the peak earlier.

　　Suddenly, the chains clattered.

　　The golden dragon, bound by the chains, was momentarily restrained, but as it struggled fiercely, the chains actually seemed to loosen.

　　Brian Carter was shocked and drew his blade to strike.

　　With a crisp sound, the blood-tinged long blade struck the golden dragon’s head, then flew from his hand.

　　Yet the golden dragon was completely unharmed.

　　It suddenly twisted and coiled around Brian Carter.

　　The chains pulled, dragging it back.

　　But with Brian Carter caught in its coils, he too was dragged along.

　　“Damn…”

　　Brian Carter freed a hand and smashed down hard with his iron staff.

　　A dragon’s roar resounded, shaking the heavens and earth. Dust and debris rained down in the cave.

　　Wielding the iron staff, he found it even sharper than the blade.

　　The golden dragon wailed endlessly, struck in two by a single blow.

　　Its face was filled with rage. The upper half of its body pressed its claws to the ground, then turned and bit into Brian Carter's chest and abdomen.

　　The lower half of the dragon’s body struck Brian Carter on the head.

　　Agonizing pain overwhelmed all his senses.

　　Then countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

　　“If I do not attain immortality, in a hundred years I’ll be nothing but a pile of bones.”

　　“But in seeking immortality, I die today.”

　　He thought to himself, “This… is a muddled account…”

　　With a sigh in his heart, he was left speechless.

　　Seeking immortality and the Dao—how could there be any guarantee of success?

　　How many in this world have sought the Dao, wandering the mountains, only to die to tigers and wolves, or fall from cliffs…

　　Still, even if he was fated not to attain the Dao, at least he had tried his best, struggled to this day, and did not waste this life.

　　He had no time for any further thoughts, as endless darkness surged over him like a tide.

　　……

　　Beyond the thirty-three heavens, in the Palace of Ninety-Nine Halls.

　　Clouds so deep, their depths unknown.

　　“Grandmaster.”

　　A Daoist came to report, his face filled with shock, and whispered, “There is turmoil in the Dragon Pool, it is in great unrest. Just now, as I observed, among the many swimming fish at the bottom of the Dragon Pool, there seemed to be a new golden-red carp.”

　　“Order the guardians of the righteous path in the mortal world to investigate, but… the greater matters must take precedence…”

　　An ancient voice, distant and profound.

　　……

　　In the deepest south, beyond the bounds of heaven and earth, within the chaotic void.

　　Colorless, fogless, all is emptiness.

　　“Reporting to Arthur White.”

　　A maid came to report, saying, “One of the firefly lanterns suddenly broke open. We have gathered most of the fireflies, but…”

　　There was no response from within.

　　The maid trembled and said, “There is one more firefly than before, its origin unknown.”

　　After a moment, a gentle and pleasant male voice finally said, “Its origin is unknown?”

　　The maid knelt and whispered, “It is definitely not one of the original fireflies in the lantern.”

　　“I have many lanterns here, each registered and recorded, and the number of fireflies in each is accounted for. Now, for no reason, one lantern has broken and there is one more firefly—could it be that another cultivator has been born in the world?”

　　The voice paused, then said, “A newcomer to the path of cultivation, appearing directly in the lantern instead of the birth pool? Could it be an anomaly?”

　　The maid whispered, “What is Arthur White's will?”

　　“The matter of the Investiture of the Gods is paramount.”

　　Arthur White said, “Order the Huahua Pavilion in the mortal world to pay a bit more attention, that will suffice.”

Chapter Ten: Qi Training

　　When Brian Carter opened his eyes, he saw a spacious stone chamber.

　　No golden dragon, no chains.

　　On the rock wall before him, faint writing could be seen.

　　But his head ached terribly, making it hard to settle his mind, let alone read the writing.

　　He didn’t even have time to wonder where the golden dragon and the chains had gone. He could only prop himself up and barely manage to sit cross-legged.

　　His head throbbed as if splitting, his mind filled with distracting thoughts.

　　Yet his will remained firm, and he imagined a bright moon shining down upon him.

　　The bright moon split into six.