CCTnovel Chapter 629: Mystical Winged Divine Dragon Transcendent Form
Chapter 629: Mystical Winged Divine Dragon Transcendent Form
Chapter 629: Mystical Winged Divine Dragon Transcendent Form
After six years, the Lianglong was once again soaring through the skies.
The three youths, who were likely considered the pride of the High Moon Kingdom, explored the luxurious airship like curious children. This wasn't surprising—this airship, built with the full resources of Mount Shu Sect's wealthiest individual, far surpassed ordinary airships in quality and grandeur.
Chu Liang let them wander freely while he quietly sat meditating at the prow.
The first thing he needed to do, of course, was reply to Senior Sister Jiang's messages.
Although he had briefly awakened a few times in the Blue Dragon's Hidden Realm, the hidden realm had blocked the messages from showing up in the United Hearts Jade. He had no idea that he had been getting these messages. Only after leaving the hidden realm did he realize that Jiang Yuebai had never stopped caring for him all these years.
After pondering for a while, he replied slowly.
Chu Liang: I'm back. I was healing in a hidden realm all this time. I had a dream that went on for several years. I'm in the Western Regions now. Where are you?
Chu Liang: I've missed you.
After sending the messages, he waited for a moment, but no response came.
He figured Jiang Yuebai might be busy or perhaps in a hidden realm herself, unable to receive messages from the jade. Such things couldn't be rushed, so he set it aside for now.
Next, he directed his divine sense into the White Pagoda.
Several dimly glowing Large-Headed Dolls sat in a row, completely lacking their former vibrancy. The sight filled Chu Liang with heartache.
Six years.
Six whole years... All the cultivation progress I could have made during this time had been completely wasted.
Fortunately, he had some pills stored on him. Without hesitation, he fed them to the Large-Headed Dolls. The puppets immediately sprang back to life, their energy restored, and they resumed their operations.
Among them, the Qi-Circulation Puppet, Golden-Core Puppet, and Transcendent Form Puppet had all required regular pill supplements to function. Without these, they had effectively gone on strike over the past few years.
Only the Five-Elements Puppet had managed to hold out for an extra year. Unlike the others, it consumed treasures of nature instead of pills. A single spirit herb could sustain it for a long time, allowing it to produce a substantial amount of elemental foundational qi for Chu Liang.
At this moment, Chu Liang's elemental foundational qi was abundant. With a little focused cultivation and enough resources, he could likely achieve a breakthrough soon.
His current cultivation level remained at the third stage of the fifth realm, but the Divine Nine's Profound Mental Cultivation Technique was no longer his primary cultivation legacy. Now, with the legacy of the dragons, his combat strength was comparable to someone at the pinnacle of the sixth realm.
Rather than being called a cultivator, he was better described as a humanoid True Dragon.
Tuntun had been in a deep, hibernation-like sleep nearby, seemingly trying to conserve spiritual energy.
When Chu Liang arrived and the Large-Headed Dolls started working, the noise woke Tuntun from her deep sleep.
The little creature groggily opened her eyes, and when she saw Chu Liang, her round eyes widened in disbelief. She rubbed them to make sure she wasn't imagining things.
Once she confirmed it was really Chu Liang, she bolted forward like a blur and leapt straight into his arms.
"Whoa!" Chu Liang exclaimed as he staggered slightly, surprised by how strong the little creature was.
Looking down, Chu Liang saw Tuntun gazing up at him with a pouty face. Her big, teary eyes sparkled as she softly murmured, "Hungry..."
The moment she spoke, tears streamed down her cheeks. It was clear that the poor creature was truly starving.
Thankfully, Tuntun was an abnormal creature with strong innate spiritual energy. An ordinary spirit pet wouldn't have survived this long without any food.
Chu Liang quickly rummaged through his storage artifact for food. Most of the ordinary items from six years ago were likely spoiled, and he didn't dare give her treasures of nature. Fortunately, he found some berries sealed in jade boxes, which should still be safe to eat.
Fortunately, he noticed the group behind him in time and restrained the impulse.
He quickly deactivated the transcendent form, reverting to his elegant, brocade-clad figure as he landed lightly on the ground. With a smile, he addressed the group: "My apologies. I got a little carried away while practicing my technique and startled you all."
Though several years had passed, his appearance remained mostly unchanged. With his naturally innocent-looking, baby-faced features, Chu Liang still didn't appear particularly mature.
His disarming smile quickly put the group at ease.
Qi Lingmu said, "Esteemed senior, we've arrived at the capital of the High Moon Kingdom."
"Very well," Chu Liang said with a slight nod. "I'll pay a visit, then."
The Lianglong soared above the city, drawing the attention of the capital's citizens. Unlike the expansive Yu Dynasty, the High Moon Kingdom was no larger than a single province within the land of the Yu Dynasty. Its capital was relatively small, and even the slightest commotion quickly captivated the entire city.
Chu Liang promptly landed the airship. Guided by the disciples of Grand Wind Hall, he accompanied the rescued women as they made their way to the palace.
...
The imperial palace of the High Moon Kingdom consisted of more than ten halls, surrounded by lush greenery, clear springs, white walls, and golden tiles, exuding an elegant atmosphere. While it was no match for the imperial city in the capital of Yu, it was a wealthier kingdom than the other kingdoms in the Western Regions.
Qi Lingshan and Qi Lingyue went ahead to report their mission and arrange accommodations for the rescued women, while Qi Lingmu escorted Chu Liang directly to the palace to meet the ruler of Gaoyue.
The structure of such minor kingdoms was far less rigid than that of the dynasties in the Nine Provinces. The emergence of a powerful individual often led to usurpation of the throne. To counter this, the royal family tightly controlled cultivation resources, and all cultivator factions within the nation were directly under their jurisdiction.
Children identified at a young age as having cultivation talent were directly taken into the Grand Wind Hall, given the royal surname, and treated as members of the royal family, enjoying elevated status. The Grand Wind Hall was led either by the king himself or a close confidant of the royal family, ensuring that all cultivators in the country remained under the king's control.
The king was often one of the nation's strongest individuals—if not the strongest, then at least among the top few. Otherwise, the throne was vulnerable to being usurped.
Despite these measures, regime changes in the Western Regions remained frequent. The smaller the kingdom, the harder it was to establish a balance of power among factions, making it easier for powerful individuals to seize the throne.
The High Moon Kingdom was relatively better off, thanks to its valuable resource production, which made the immortal sects keen to ensure the region's stability.
"Your Majesty," Qi Lingmu said as he entered the imperial hall and bowed. "We did track the demonic dragon's whereabouts at the Ancient Dragon Lair and rescued several women who had been abducted, but the princess was not among them."
"Haaaaaa." The man on the throne, appearing to be in his fifties or sixties, with a chubby face full of good fortune, let out a sigh before turning to Chu Liang. "And this is?"
"This is Senior Chu Liuxiang, whom we encountered at the Ancient Dragon Lair," Qi Lingmu replied. "He is from Mount Shu and single-handedly killed the demonic dragon. He was of great help to us. We invited him to the capital to express our gratitude."
He emphasized the name Mount Shu slightly as he spoke.
It seemed this young disciple, despite his age, had some cunning. His effort to align with Chu Liang wasn't entirely out of gratitude.
"A disciple of the Mount Shu Sect?" The king's eyes lit up, and he smiled. "Our kingdom has collaborated with the Mount Shu Sect often over the past two years. Young Hero Chu, please stay in the capital for a couple of days. Tomorrow, the White Jade Fan and Mountain Tiger of Mount Shu will arrive in my capital. It will be a great opportunity for all of us to have fun together."
"Then I thank Your Majesty for your hospitality," Chu Liang said. "I came here because I heard that the princess had been abducted by a demonic dragon, and you were deeply concerned. I have some knowledge of draconic descendants and might be able to help, so I thought I'd take a look."
"Oh?" The king's smile widened. "Our small kingdom in the Western Regions lacks skilled experts. If Young Hero Chu is willing to help, that would be wonderful. I entrust this matter to you. Qi Lingmu, inform your fellow disciples in Grand Wind Hall to fully support Young Hero Chu."
Although the ruler of the kingdom wasn't required to reach the seventh realm of cultivation, he was still at the peak of the sixth realm. Without such strength, his position on the throne would be unstable. From his point of view, there was little reason to hold Chu Liang, whose aura only revealed a fifth-realm cultivation, in such high regard.
The reason for such respect likely came from the powerful Mount Shu Sect backing Chu Liang.
As they chatted pleasantly, a loud announcement suddenly echoed from outside:
"The Royal Uncle has arrived—"
For some reason, the moment those three words were spoken, the king's chubby face froze, and his expression immediately fell.